Sterling Flag Football League Scores Big
by Craig Holt

Organizers of the Sterling Flag Football League agree on one thing. The first season was so good, they can hardly wait for the next one to start.

And with a year under their collective belts, league officials expect things to be even better.

"We had a lot of kids and we all had a lot of fun," league founder Bob Finizio said. "The kids in Sterling love to play football."

This love, and a desire to see children engaging in a healthy outlet, convinced Finizio and his wife, Ellen, to get the flag football league started. The Finizios also realized that not all parents were eager to see their young children participate in Pop Warner football, where contact is permitted.

"The thing is, kids still want to play football,'' Finizio said. "My son comes home from school and tells me they played some touch football. Then he says it was fun. So a flag football league seemed like a neat idea."

Finizio was concerned about starting a new league. The idea seemed scary and he was aware that new leagues, like fullbacks, traditionally encounter numerous obstacles. Nevertheless, he did research, contacted the successful Greendale Flag Football League for pointers and received AAU grant money through the NFL. In no time, Finizio was ready to go.

His goal was to start a fun league with flexible rules. Most importantly, he wanted a program that was not super competitive or serious. In other words, throw won-lost records out the door, let the athletes call a few plays and forget about tryouts. Most importantly, give everybody a chance to play.

The flag football league concept quickly caught on. Finizio said that 69 boys and girls signed up for the program, which began at the end of April and finished in June. The league was divided into three divisions and 11 teams. The divisions were "A" (three teams, K-grade 2), "B" (four teams, grades 3-5) and "C" (four teams, grades 6-8). Teams played seven-game schedules with optional practices during the week. Games were played at Houghton School and Muddy Pond field.

Instruction was emphasized throughout the program. Finizio said that the flag football league has its own rules, which may be refined for the second year. But the basic rules of five-on-five football with no blocking and kicking were well received. Games were exciting and the enthusiasm impressive.

The league played its games on Sundays and was able to successfully work its schedule around baseball, softball and soccer. The only problem was the number of spring holidays, a time-honored nuance that goes with the territory.

Finizio anticipates a lot of fun next year. If the program grows, more teams will be added. This could lead to rule changes and schedule changes. An earlier registration period will help, too, he said.

If all goes well, Finizio would like to get a New England Patriots player to speak at the season-ending awards program. "The first year was a lot of fun," Finizio said. "It's low maintenance football."