Post by roozy on Jul 11, 2009 12:44:13 GMT -5
Cavs celebrate 10th season in Casper
By JACK NOWLIN
Star-Tribune staff writer
Indoor football has been a fixture in Casper since 2000.
Nine years and almost 10 seasons later, the Wyoming Cavalry are still going strong thanks in large part to the support of the local community, according to team officials.
"Obviously, we're going to do whatever we can to keep the Cavalry in Casper," Cavs General Manager Mike Layton said. "And for us, it all goes back to the support of the community."
The support has helped the Cavs rank near the top in attendance in both its old league -- the National Indoor Football League -- and its current one --the American Indoor Football Association.
It also includes a working relationship with various sites in Casper that have opened their doors to the Cavalry.
While the Casper Events Center is home to the Cavs there are times when the facility is unavailable because of previous commitments. For example, the state high school wrestling and basketball championships take over the Events Center in late February and early March and the College National Finals Rodeo gets the run of the place for two weeks in June.
"On the football side, there are various entities that help us out," Layton said. "Natrona County and Kelly Walsh [high schools] have been great about letting us practice there when the Events Center is occupied.
"Along those lines, we've also gotten a lot of support from the administration at Casper College and the [Central Wyoming] fairgrounds."
It's just one of the ways that the Casper community has stepped up to help the Cavs.
And, for their part, the Cavs are just as willing to help the community.
In addition to Cavalry players visiting local schools and taking time after home games to meet fans and sign autographs, the organization has worked with several area charities, including Special Olympics and the Casper Children's Chorale.
"We help them, but it's also a way to help ourselves," Layton said.
Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak is in his third year in Casper after previous stops in Rapid City, S.D.; Everett, Wash.; and Billings, Mont. He said it's a symbiotic relationship that doesn't necessarily exist in other indoor football markets.
"This city understands what this team is about," he said. "There's a huge difference in what Casper brings to the table as far as the relationship between the community and the team compared to that relationship in other cities.
"It's one of the big reasons why [indoor football] didn't work in Rapid City."
In Casper, however, it's working just fine.
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Cavalry Tracker
FRIDAY: American Indoor Football Association Western Division championship, Utah Valley at Wyoming (n).
WIN AND YOU'RE IN: The winner hosts AIFA Bowl III on July 26.
HE SAID IT: "Obviously, we're going to do whatever we can to keep the Cavalry in Casper. And for us, it all goes back to the support of the community." n Cavs General Manager Mike Layton.
www.trib.com/articles/2009/07/11/sports/local/f2d90a523b396ff9872575ef007c62cb.txt
By JACK NOWLIN
Star-Tribune staff writer
Indoor football has been a fixture in Casper since 2000.
Nine years and almost 10 seasons later, the Wyoming Cavalry are still going strong thanks in large part to the support of the local community, according to team officials.
"Obviously, we're going to do whatever we can to keep the Cavalry in Casper," Cavs General Manager Mike Layton said. "And for us, it all goes back to the support of the community."
The support has helped the Cavs rank near the top in attendance in both its old league -- the National Indoor Football League -- and its current one --the American Indoor Football Association.
It also includes a working relationship with various sites in Casper that have opened their doors to the Cavalry.
While the Casper Events Center is home to the Cavs there are times when the facility is unavailable because of previous commitments. For example, the state high school wrestling and basketball championships take over the Events Center in late February and early March and the College National Finals Rodeo gets the run of the place for two weeks in June.
"On the football side, there are various entities that help us out," Layton said. "Natrona County and Kelly Walsh [high schools] have been great about letting us practice there when the Events Center is occupied.
"Along those lines, we've also gotten a lot of support from the administration at Casper College and the [Central Wyoming] fairgrounds."
It's just one of the ways that the Casper community has stepped up to help the Cavs.
And, for their part, the Cavs are just as willing to help the community.
In addition to Cavalry players visiting local schools and taking time after home games to meet fans and sign autographs, the organization has worked with several area charities, including Special Olympics and the Casper Children's Chorale.
"We help them, but it's also a way to help ourselves," Layton said.
Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak is in his third year in Casper after previous stops in Rapid City, S.D.; Everett, Wash.; and Billings, Mont. He said it's a symbiotic relationship that doesn't necessarily exist in other indoor football markets.
"This city understands what this team is about," he said. "There's a huge difference in what Casper brings to the table as far as the relationship between the community and the team compared to that relationship in other cities.
"It's one of the big reasons why [indoor football] didn't work in Rapid City."
In Casper, however, it's working just fine.
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Cavalry Tracker
FRIDAY: American Indoor Football Association Western Division championship, Utah Valley at Wyoming (n).
WIN AND YOU'RE IN: The winner hosts AIFA Bowl III on July 26.
HE SAID IT: "Obviously, we're going to do whatever we can to keep the Cavalry in Casper. And for us, it all goes back to the support of the community." n Cavs General Manager Mike Layton.
www.trib.com/articles/2009/07/11/sports/local/f2d90a523b396ff9872575ef007c62cb.txt
