By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – The general manager of Bloomington’s indoor football squad said the team is not disappearing from public view despite a court ruling preventing the team from playing this spring in the Indoor Football League.
The Bloomington Edge jumped to the IFL this season, abandoning its affiliation with Champions Indoor Football.
Edge GM Charles Welde is not looking back, saying the decision was made in the club’s best interest.
Welde said the club will go ahead with the Blue-Red intersquad game, scheduled Sunday at 5 p.m.
He said the team will soon release a schedule of seven home games this summer, beginning with a July 7 contest against an all-star team from the Midwest Professional Indoor Football League.
“We’re looking at other teams from, not necessarily Central Illinois, but nearby. We’ve talked to a Kansas team I think that will be coming in. There (are) a couple of teams in Chicago that we’re talking to. So, there’s been a lot of interest as guys start to transition. We’re getting it in before outdoor season starts, so I think it’s going to be unique for us,” Welde said.
He believes the switch is positive for the team and for Grossinger Motors Arena, which finds it harder to book summer events.
“The summer dates are the ones, as I understand it, are the ones that are more difficult to fill. By picking up some of those summer dates, and they (the arena) can re-sell some of the ones that we vacated, which I know they’ll be able to do, we’re going to end up on the plus side, as in the number of events and attendance, which is good for everybody,” Welde said.
Welde said the Edge will spend this spring working with various groups like the Boys and Girls Club and Bloomington Police to organize youth activities.
The Edge plans to conduct summer camps for kids during the summer that could not have been held while kids were still in school.
“Let’s say we have a two-day kids camp at our turf on Thursday and Friday or Friday and Saturday, and then that night we have a game…I feel pretty positive that we’re going to be able to convert a lot of those kids that are here meeting our players, working and interacting with our players, and you get them to game, you show them a great time at the game, they’re going to come back,” Welde said.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
