High school football for one and all

By Michael Selecky
Posted Thursday, July 3, 2008

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By Michael Selecky
VIEW Sports Writer
LAPEER COUNTY — Keeping in line with ideal of sports for all high school-aged kids, the Christian Football League of Michigan (CFL-MI) will begin providing high school-level football to Christian schools and home schooled students beginning this fall. An eight-game schedule, followed by playoffs and a championship/all-star game doubleheader will end the season. Currently there is no opportunity for these kids to play tackle football at the high school level.

“We are the Heritage Christian Academy Eagles. We have 22 players and they come from many different areas, such as Lapeer, Dryden, North Branch, Brown City, Marlette and Mayville,” said Team Lapeer coach Dale Jenkins. “The first official practice day has yet to be determined, though it appears it will be around the first or second week in August.”

The goal of the league is to use athletics to build character in young men that will help them find success in all stages of life, an effort than began at the end of 2007. The CFL-MI does not require kids to be Christian, but rather, places an emphasis on playing football in a way that honors God.

As the CFL-MI is not affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), that organization’s rule prohibiting home schoolers from participating in high school athletics does not apply. The league also considers itself to be an ideal solution for Christian schools without a football program, as these institutions can allow their students to participate without becoming an official part of the CFL itself.
“We’re not joining the MHSAA, so it’s very unlikely any of the teams will play a MHSAA team since that game would not count for them to make the playoffs,” Jenkins said. “MHSAA teams can’t have home schooled students on their teams unless they spend a minimum amount of time at the school they attend. I’m not sure how many hours that is, but I think it’s something like three-quarters of the school day.”
Schools will also have no financial commitment through this affiliation. What the CFL-MI does hope to offer is a cultural transformation attracting others through quality football in a Christ-like way of playing.

“The league is providing equipment with a charge of $150 per player. We hope that our players will have very little out-of-pocket expenses by doing several fundraisers to raise this $150 for each player,” said Jenkins. “We’re very excited, as this is the first league we know of in Michigan where home schooled athletes will get the chance to participate in football.”

Some of the recent progress made by the CFL-MI includes their April 17 coaches’ meeting at Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) Rynearson Football Stadium. Topics of discussion included an opening day kickoff of Sept. 5 at the EMU Stadium.

On May 17 the CFL-MI went on to hold a league wide mini-camp at Whitmore Lake High School. The purpose of the event was to introduce players to the CFL coaching staffs and asses their basic football skills.

Some of the other squads that’ll help make up the rest of the 11-team CFL-MI include Flint, Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Brighton, Downriver, Lansing, Muskegon, Plymouth- Canton, Troy and West Michigan.

The CFL-MI is also hoping to have seventh- and eighth- grade teams in addition to the high school division. Registration for the inaugural campaign of the CFL-MI is open now, as teams are currently in the process of forming. Forms, donation information and details on volunteering can be found along with all other league specifics at www.cfl-mi.com.