af2 Fan Convention Starts a New Era
Gary Stibolt
Tuesday February 22, 2005
The first order of business was to give credit to the Macon Knights Booster Club, known as the Macon Knights Crusaders (www.knightsfans.org). They did what several talked about. Jackie McCowen is their Booster Club President and he is flanked by Treasurer, Janice Hamlin. David Hamlin, a.k.a. Bulldog, who also assisted with the organization and execution of the event, which was held at the Wingate Inn, Macon.
This was important because they had questions for the league office, which were addressed in a forum where all fan and booster clubs as well as team owners/operators, coaches, and staff were invited. Jerry Kurz, executive director of the af2, was in attendance as well Tiffany Benjamin, Director of Business Development for the af2. Both shared their thoughts and processes on several key issues.
Kurz admitted that the league had made many mistakes in their first five years, but some situations were unavoidable as the "single entity" concept itself was still being challenged in court (which was upheld) and now it is all behind us. When Jerry took over as the executive director of the af2, there were several personnel changes. "I got rid of them," stated Kurz, as he explained the new focus and direction of the af2. "I wanted people in there that would serve our fans and our teams. If someone has a question, saying ‘I don’t know’ is never an option. We will get the information and we will get back with you with the answer. We now have people that enjoy serving and share in our values and mission. The fans are an important part of what we do."
Kurz went on to explain his 3-legged milking stool analogy. "You have to have three vital components for the league to stand up. You have to have a solid product on the field, you have to have solid community and business sponsorship, and you have to have a solid fan base. If we don’t serve all facets then we fail. The fans are very important to us and we are here to help support you and give you everything we possibly can."
Common ground was found between the fans in attendance and a proposal was submitted to organize a new af2 Fan Operations Committee. While some logistics are still being ironed out, initial approval was granted by the league to form this committee. One goal Kurz put forth to this new committee was to have next year’s fan convention attended by every team in the league. That may seem like a lofty goal, but with the endorsement of the league that goal is well within reach. The proposal itself is being shared with the league’s team owners and operators this coming weekend at their annual meeting in Chicago.
The purpose of the new af2 Fan Operations Committee is to help enable the fans to organize and support themselves by sharing resources and provide guidance on various issues, including educating fans and their respective communities about arena football. The committee’s list of responsibilities include gathering information from various organized fan groups and the league to share with all fan groups in order to help fans become better organizers and supporters of their teams. Such efforts will include providing guidelines and assistance in setting up by-laws, filling out the SS4 (EIN) Tax Form, filling out Articles of Incorporation, defining what fans can and cannot do for their team, building a step-by-step process on getting a fan organization off the ground, how to build a fan website and conduct their own web server administration. It is a committee to serve the fan organizations of the af2 and its teams. The new structure allows fans to band together to take advantage of opportunities that never before use to exist. One example is to help minimize travel costs for fans that want to support their team on the road. Now that we can operate on a national level we can seek and take advantage of opportunities where a national Hotel chain could sponsor all of the fans and offer a much reduced rate package for their stay in af2 communities. Such efforts are being explored already.
This committee is also responsible for organizing the annual fan/booster club convention. It was agreed that the convention will be held in mid-February every year as the timing was most suitable to coincide with the natural football schedule overall. The NFL ends with the Super Bowl and af2 training camp beginnig in March. League meetings take place in the last week of February so the window was agreed upon using that criteria.
With its new endorsement and creation, the committee entertained nominations for a host city/team for the 2006 af2 fan/booster club convention. Quad City was selected due to its geographical location in the Midwest among other reasons including the fact it has an airport that is accessible from other major airports. Airline service to Moline includes Northwest, American, AirTran, and United Express with service from Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, Cincinnati, and other areas. To make the next convention successful, work has been done already to form a marketing plan, which has already been submitted to the league.
The committee also nominated and elected Gary Stibolt, President of the Steamwheelers Booster Club and owner of SteamwheelerFans.com, to serve as the Chairman of the committee. Stibolt will be responsible for help leading the committee and organizing and hosting the 2006 af2 Fan & Booster Club Convention.
All of this activity in one small weekend has generated a new era in arenafootball2: an era where fans will gain strength, organization, and a voice so that more people can learn about and enjoy the benefits of arena football. This is the first time in the history of arena football that such an effort has ever been undertaken.
To take advantage of the services of the new af2 Fan & Booster Club Operations Committee, simply email Janice Hamlin (jlhamlin@aol.com), Jackie McCowen (jackie@knightsfans.org), Sterling Jackson (malepig@aol.com), or Gary Stibolt (garystibolt@steamwheelerfans.com). These services are available to fans that currently operate a fan or booster club or need help in getting one started
Gary Stibolt has covered the Quad City Steamwheelers since their 2000 inaugural season. He also owns, operates and is the Chief Editor/Publisher of SteamwheelerFans.com, a website dedicated to the Steamwheelers and their fans. He coresponds for other media outlets covering arenafootball2. In addition to leading the Steamwheelers Fan Club, Gary serves as Coordinator of the National af2 Fan Club. He is married with two sons and works as an Infrastructure Analyst for Deere & Company in their Corporate Computer Center in Moline, Illinois.