Getting kids to explain to a reporter why they love
coming to New York Dragons Arena Football League games at Nassau Coliseum is a lesson in brevity.
"I like to see the Dragons," said Charlie Moore, 11, of Islip, at a recent game against the Columbus (Ohio) Destroyers.
"I love the players," said Christopher Kircher, 8, of Valley Stream.
"It was fun," said Shane Scaffidi, 6, of Wantagh, after he got to attempt a field goal down on the field.
But sit back and watch the same kids and you'll discover their actions speak louder than words:
Watch as kids lose their minds over the prospect of catching one of the hundreds of T-shirts shot into the stands.
Listen to the oohs and aahs as a Dragons defender slams an opponent into the padded walls surrounding the field.
See boys and girls begging the mascot, Sparky the Dragon, for a hug.
Dodge kids running like maniacs around the field after the game.
This is definitely not your father's football. And the family-friendly atmosphere is by design, said Tim Beach, vice president of game operations and events for the Dragons and Islanders. "Sometimes we try and create such a fan experience that the actual football game could fall into the background," he said. "I sometimes have to remind my staff, 'By the way, we have a game, too.'"
As for the game, Arena football is strikingly different from the typical NFL affair: fields only 50 yards long, with padded walls as the out-of-bounds lines; eight players to a side; virtually all passing; high scoring. It's a faster game; more suited to the shorter attention spans of young fans. And during every pause in the action, fans are coaxed into dancing for the cameras or led onto the field for goofy contests.
Mike and Matt Cavanagh, brothers from Levittown, took the field during one timeout and raced to see who could put on a Dragons uniform the fastest and run through a set of tires. Mike, 11, had a decided advantage over his 7-year-old brother, who could barely stand in the huge uniform. As any sympathetic older sibling would, a victorious Mike declared afterward: "It was cool to beat my brother."
Kevin Moore of Islip (Charlie's dad) took part in a contest in which he tried to throw footballs through a small hole in a large wooden board. Let's just say he didn't do so well.
"It was kind of cool but also kind of bad to go out there and embarrass myself," he said, laughing. But he gave the Dragons experience high marks: "It's something you can do with your family that's not going to cost an arm and a leg."
After the game, parents and kids file onto the field to kick field goals. Many line up to get autographs from the Firedancers and Energy Team (essentially the cheerleaders) and, of course, the players, a few of whom make it to the NFL (Dragons receiver Kevin Swayne played with the Jets).
"Parents love it because it's unlike any other sporting event they've ever brought their kids to," Beach said. "Arena football is more than a sport, it's a family experience."
WHEN & WHERE New York Dragons vs. Cleveland Gladiators, tomorrow at 7 p.m., Nassau Coliseum, tickets $30-$45 in advance, $40-$60 at the door; call Ticketmaster, 631-888-9000, or go to newyorkdragons.com.
