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06/16/2007: "Rough Riders first game Saturday"

Rough Riders first game Saturday (06/13/2007)
By Sarah Elmquist

It’s the thrill of helmets clashing, shoulders barreling forward, trusting your man is going to be waiting at the 30-yard line, picking up at the end of your throw.
It’s camaraderie, companionship, nitty-gritty hard work.
It’s football.
The Rough Riders Winona/La Crosse team is heading into its fifth season, showing the community that they’re here to stay, pushing up the ranks of the semipro Mid America Football League.
And maintaining a semipro team for the long-term can be tough, said head coach Paul Anderson. Balancing sponsors, a commitment from the community, and players who come from all walks of life is often what puts minor league teams to bed. But as the Riders head into their fifth year, they’re showing they’ve got one thing in common that can keep them going against the odds: they love the game.
“It’s like a melting pot,” said Anderson of his players. Some are former college players, some only played in high school. Some have graduated and are working in the community, some are raising families. A handful aspire to head to a higher league in the future, and they all range in age from 19 to the late 30s.


Keeping players who are for the most part going through transitions in their lives stay steady and consistent can be tough, said Anderson. But over the last five years, the team has kept a pretty tight core of players, and it seems as if the Riders are here to stay.
Originally, Anderson coached an indoor football team in La Crosse, but that team folded. Believing he had a core group of players who were up to the challenge of relocating, moving to the outdoor realm and making a real effort led Anderson to help form a team combining Winona and La Crosse, along with players from around the area.
Anderson said that as he’s approached the community seeking sponsors and support, at first it felt like many expected the team to be temporary. “We haven’t been,” he said. “We know what all the pitfalls are. We know what it takes.”
Even as the success and support have been building over the years, Anderson said he sits down at the beginning of the season to go over finances and sponsors to see if the new season is going to make it. “As a minor league team, that’s always a concern.” They have to bank that the community will come out and enjoy the games, and keep the team in the black.
The team operates as a nonprofit, and most of the funds go toward the use of the WSU field rentals and insurance. Any extra money the team might collect would be divided among the 44 players.
And the players, who push their bodies to the limit for four hours every Saturday morning, are really positive about the team, said Anderson. He estimates that he retains between 70 and 80 percent of his players from each year to the next, and the group has won Organization of the Year from the league two of the last four years.
“A lot of the guys, they’ll have memories for the rest of their lives,” said Anderson. “There are memories I’ll never forget in doing this. It’s kind of all for the love of it.”
The team’s first game will be on June 16 at Maxwell Field at the Midwest Wireless Stadium on the WSU campus at 7:30 p.m. against the Milwaukee Marauders. There will be family-friendly giveaways, kids competitions, and local talent with the Gotta Dance studio team performing at halftime.
Upcoming games will also feature local bands, karate displays and other dance teams during halftime, including family fun and kids competitions every game. The team will play July 7 at 7:30 on the Maxwell Field against the Cedar Valley Vikings from Iowa.