|
NEFFA’s
INAUGURAL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2008
Nuno Oliveria- DIRECTOR/ADMINISTRATOR
Nuno was instrumental in bringing outdoor flag football back to Rhode Island when he started the Rhode Island Flag Football League (R.I.F.F.L) in the Fall of 2002. His hard work and dedication is still seen today as there are many players in NEFFA that participated in the RIFFL. Nuno was also one of the first people locally that incorporated the internet, web sites and message boards with his flag football league. Nuno also helped solidify NEFFA when he decided to merge with NEFFA’s original BOD and bring his teams to NEFFA for its inaugural season in the Fall of 2005 . Every present and past player from NEFFA should thank Nuno for the tremendous amount of work he put into flag football both locally and with the New England Flag Football Association.
Charlie Trant- DIRECTOR/ADMINISTRATOR/REFEREE
Charlie has been part of R.I. Flag Football since its inception in 1976. The current popularity of flag football played locally can be traced back to the hard work and dedication Charlie Trant put in years ago as one of its founding fathers. The Providence Flag League can find its roots dating back to 1972 where adult touch football games were played on Sunday mornings at George J. West Elementary. Those games soon turned into “tackle” and neighborhood teams formed an informal league. Charlie was a player during this time (1972-75) and when the league decided to put flags on, Charlie decided to hang up the cleats and start referring. Charlie proved his dedication and “love of the game” by never missing a game outdoors from 1976 to 1991- the last year of the Providence League. He has refereed numerous local and National tournaments in New Jersey and Maryland. Charlie helped formed the first indoor flag league played at the old “Lincoln Indoors Sports Arena” in 1994. Charlie helped that league flourish for 6 years until they closed. The following year, Charlie was asked to help form a new league at “Warwick Indoor Sports” currently known as TeamWorks. The success of any local flag league can directly be attributed to Charlie’s tireless efforts for over 32 years. Every present day player and coach should thank Charlie Trant for keeping the sport alive.
Richard Ciccone- SPONSOR/INNOVATOR
Richard has had an integral part of the history of Rhode Island flag football as he has been the beloved sponsor of RI’s longest running and storied flag football organization. As the sponsor and kicker of the Ciccone Outlaws, Richard has guided his team to win over 15 titles including a National Championship in 1994. Richard has also been apart of the longest winning streak to date of 56 games. Richard is also the major reason why NEFFA incorporated placekicking when the league was formed back in the Fall of 2005. In 2005 the Outlaws was the only team kicking, now just about every team in the league has a kicker. In 2006 he won NEFFA’s Player of the Week award with two game winning kicks in two separate games in 8man and 9man. In 1963 he won the RI State 100 yard dash in high school and was named All-State that year. Today he is a successful trial lawyer and in 2001 won the 5th largest jury verdict of $323,000. This past January of 2008 he was inducted into the United States Flag and Touch Football League (USFTL) Hall of Fame. He is most proud of his Outlaws for all that they have accomplished and will accomplish in the near future and beyond. Richard Ciccone is not only Hall of Fame material, but he is also a local flag football icon.
Bobby Robidoux- DIRECTOR/ADMINISTRATOR/REFEREE
Bobby has been part of flag football in Fall River, Massachusetts since 1991. At that time he was a referee for the Fall River Flag Football League. He stayed in that capacity for three years and then in 1994 he took over as the commissioner of the league while still working it as a ref with his brothers. Due to Bobby’s efforts and hard work, the Fall River Flag Football League flourished and had some of the best flag football this area has ever seen. Teams from Fall River, New Bedford, Providence as well as other places traveled each week to Henry Lord Middle School to participate in Bobby’s league. Bobby’s dedication to the league and his love for the game was evident as the Fall River Flag Football League continued to grow bigger and better each season. In the spring of 2006, Bobby decided to give up his duties with the Fall River Flag Football League and merge his teams with NEFFA. Today there is a large contingent of teams that can be traced back to Bobby and his Fall River Flag Football League. NEFFA is truly thankful of Bobby and the efforts he made to flag football locally and to NEFFA.
|
