Author: MIFA

Snapd South Mississauga
The Mississauga Indoor & International Football Association (MIFA) welcomed Team America and LeXfa Mexico to the Third International Bowl where both men and women’s teams competed in three back-to-back games on September 1. The opening press conference for the weekend took place at Erin Mills Pump & Patio on August 31. Coaches and athletes had the chance to meet, enjoy dinner and mingle in a friendly atmosphere before an exciting weekend of football fun! For more info, visit www.mifafootball.com.

MIFA takes two of three games against U.S. and Mexico

Sep 27, 2017 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) won two out of three games during its International Bowl festival against teams from the United States and Mexico on Sept. 2. – Flavio Coletti Espindola photo

Liston Bates believes there’s still room to make the Mississauga Indoor Football Association’s (MIFA’s) International Bowl a more grand-scale event.

The second annual International Bowl was held at Bronte Athletic Field in Oakville on Sept. 2. Bates, MIFA’s program co-ordinator, was thrilled to see MIFA win two out of three matches against teams from the United States and Mexico.

More importantly, he said the initiative is starting to grow from a funding perspective, which will be crucial in order to attract the most talented players in Canada.

“SportChek stepped up and gave us a few hundred bucks for knee padding for the women,” said Bates, adding that the Toronto Argonauts offered more support this year as well.

“Now, we’re opening the door to potential corporate sponsors and we can’t wait to touch base with everybody to make this team an international travel team.”

MIFA’s men’s all-star team won 16-2 against a travel team from the United States. As well, there were two women’s games between MIFA and a similar organization from Mexico called LEXFA.

MIFA’s Xtreme League women’s team won 24-12, while MIFA’s women’s international bowl team fell 24-14.

The women’s teams are still relatively new around these parts, and the international bowl team didn’t have nearly as many players as its Mexican counterpart, so Bates was proud of the game despite the score.

“Every coach wants to win, but pre-game … the reality of it was slim,” said Bates. “When we got onto the field, they bought into every ounce of knowledge I gave them over the past couple of months and they played their hearts out.”

Over the Labour Day weekend, Bates said the visitors were treated to great hospitality at Novotel Mississauga and enjoyed an after-party at & Company Resto Bar, followed by a send-off barbecue at Erindale Park.

MIFA is planning its third annual trip to Mexico for more international bowl series games in May, before hosting the Canadian loop again in the summer.

Bates hopes to add a junior varsity international game to next year’s event while he continues working to secure sponsorships and fundraising to help offset the costs of travel.

Three games on tap against teams from Mexico

Aug 30, 2017 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association is hosting its second annual International Bowl, with a series of games on tap against teams from Mexico, this weekend. – Metroland file photo

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) is once again getting ready to host its International Bowl, a set of games against the LEXFA organization from Mexico, this weekend.

On Saturday, Sept. 2, three games are scheduled at Bronte Athletic Field in Oakville, including MIFA’s Xtreme League women’s team (3:30 p.m.) and the men’s and women’s International Bowl games between MIFA and LEXFA. The men’s game will start at 4:45, followed by the women at 7.

This is the second year the organizations are working together to put on the International Bowl. It also consists of the teams playing against each other in Cancun during the spring as well.

Aside from the games, there are a number of other events surrounding the International Bowl, including a news conference Friday at Novotel Mississauga, post game party at &Company Resto Bar in Mississauga Saturday at 11 p.m. and a barbecue brunch/awards ceremony and coed flag game with men and women from both countries Sunday at Erindale Park at 11:30 a.m.

The women’s games were added to this year’s International Bowl while MIFA program co-ordinator Liston Bates hopes to add a junior varsity international game to next year’s event.

For more information about this weekend, visit MIFA Football’s page on Facebook.

Football teams compete again in Mexico

Jun 07, 2017 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) sent a women’s team along with its men’s squad to compete in an international exhibition game against Mexico’s LEXFA in Cancun in May. – Paola Tijerina photo

It was another successful trip to Mexico as far as Liston Bates is concerned.

As program co-ordinator of the Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA), he led the charge in organizing a set of exhibition games in Cancun for a second straight year in early May.

It’s held in collaboration with a similar football program in Mexico called LEXFA.

Like last year, a semi-professional men’s game was played, but Bates was anxiously anticipating the new women’s game for this year and says it was a hit, despite MIFA’s loss on the scoreboard.

“These women that we played against have been playing for five years,” he said. “Their quarterback is an automatic standout. She’s a stud. Her footwork was impeccable and for us just to compete against her was a challenge on its own.”

MIFA’s men team was victorious and both Mississauga teams will play the Mexican squad again when they come to Canada over the Labour Day weekend.

Bates added that Mexico’s quarterback, Ana Charos, was so strong that he’s invited her to Canada to train with him for a few weeks.

Although the women’s team was formed last year, Bates said some of his contacts in Mexico are interested in potentially having a women’s team from MIFA play in Mexico’s professional league, the FXL. Bates sees it being a pilot project at first.

Along with the Mexican-bound teams, Bates is a driving force behind the Oakville Longhorns semi-pro team, which features mostly MIFA players playing in the Northern Football Conference.

There are many other football and fitness programs Bates oversees at MIFA for participants of all ages, and he was happy to see them all on display recently when the Longhorns won their season opener on May 27.

“People can see our passion for the game and I think they just want to catch on,” Bates said.

“It was amazing at the Longhorns game, I had my MIFA Fit boot camp ladies in one section, my ladies football team in another. It’s just growing.”

For more information, visit mifafootball.com.

Women’s team preparing for game in Mexico

Mar 08, 2017 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association has formed a women’s tackle team that is preparing for a match against the LEXFA all-stars in Cancun this spring. – Supplied photo

Like a lot of women in her shoes, Monica Chica gets a lot of surprised reactions when she tells people she plays tackle football.

She’s met with even more shock when they hear she’s a grandmother too.

“First of all, they don’t believe I’m a grandmother because apparently I don’t look like it,” said Chica, a 45-year-old personal trainer.

“But then they say it’s amazing that I’m doing that and then they want to do it. I tell them they should go for it because it’s a good experience.”

Many more women in their late 30s or early 40s play football with her thanks to the women’s tackle team at the Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA).

It was started up by MIFA founder and program co-ordinator Liston Bates last year with the hopes of empowering women.

Chica has definitely seen results in that regard so far.

“I’m not as strong as the other ladies, but I enjoy the soreness in my body the day after playing,” she said. “It gives me confidence and makes me feel young again.”

The women practice out of the United Soccer Centre on Wolfedale Road. It’s also home to various other football and personal training programs MIFA has offered since 2009.

Many women who play got involved because they had children play football with MIFA and the moms gained interest themselves just through watching on the sidelines.

“Their kids are moving on to university, I’m no longer their coach, but the women feel comfortable since MIFA has taken care of their family for the past decade,” said Bates, who also coaches the women along with Mike Berisic. “Now there’s an option for them to be part of it.”

While it is mostly moms who play, Bates has recruited other participants through his endeavours as a personal trainer.

However, he laughs as he recalls the one time he was able to sell a woman on the program at a Chinese restaurant.

“It was about 3 o’clock in the morning (when I told her about MIFA) and she smiled as if to say ‘Yeah right’,” he recalled.

“I told her I wanted her to come meet me at Erindale Field that day at 1 o’clock … She showed up and not only was she a great tackle football player on the women’s team, but she plays in my coed flag league.”

Last year, MIFA put together a men’s all-star team to take on LEXFA, a similar program from Mexico in a series of games in Cancun and Oakville last year.

They’ll engage in that series again this year, with the women’s teams set to face each other as well.

That’s an important step for the Mississauga women, since there aren’t any teams they can play against in the surrounding area.

“Men’s football is pretty popular all over the world and women’s football isn’t,” said team member Leah Bates, Liston’s sister-in-law. “We’re playing against a team they’ve put together (in Mexico) where women’s football has a huge league there. It’s really exciting.”

Oct 18, 2016 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association recently held its annual Turkey Bowl in support of the St. Martins of Tours Parrish food drive. – Supplied photo

The Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) was able to raise a car full of food for the St. Martins of Tours Parish food drive last Monday through the annual MIFA Turkey Bowl at Mississauga Valleys.

For several years, the Thanksgiving tradition sees the White Knights, led by musical artist and community coach Dennis “Devylle” Green against MIFA program coordinator Liston Bates and his teammates on Liston’s Lyric (Entertainment).

As well, organizers were grateful for contributions from volunteers such as Sheridan College athletic therapist student Scott Teske and commentator Dwayne Drummond.

“(The volunteers) view it as a huge event,” said Bates. “I’ve had volunteers emailing me afterwards saying thanks for letting me be part of it and that’s a big deal.”

The fundraiser was also seen as a precursor and registration session for MIFA’s Friday Night Lights men’s league, which begins Nov. 4. For more information, visit mifafootball.com.

Sep 10, 2016 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

MIFA Allstars Canada Team players #40 Liston Bates and #68 Michel Belbin chase a Team America player for the ball during an International Bowl Football game held at Bronte Athletic Park in Oakville Saturday evening. September 3, 2016 – Jayson Mills Photo

Aside from the final score, it was the kind of outcome Liston Bates was looking for from an international football game between the Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) All-Stars and a visiting split squad of American and Mexican talent.

On Sept. 3, MIFA hosted the international squad in the second leg of an international bowl series that began against Mexico’s LEXFA All-Stars in Cancun back in May.

The recent encounter ended in a 26-7 victory for the visitors at Bronte Athletic Park in Oakville, ending the series at one game apiece.

Bates, program coordinator for MIFA and defensive coordinator for the All-Star team, said the Canadians were great hosts, and that’s what was most important.

“It was just a great vibe,” Bates said. “The players said they’ve never been treated this well and that’s exactly what I wanted them to say.”

MIFA hosted a three-day festival that began with a press conference/welcoming reception at Ten Wine Bar in Port Credit the day before the game and a barbecue at Erindale Park the day after.

The guests were also treated to great hospitality at Novotel Toronto Mississauga Centre, he said.

Bates estimates that the Bronte field was two thirds full with 400 fans in the bleachers.

This is the first year of the international series and Bates is planning on adding more elements to next year’s Canadian match with a marching band performance and MIFA mini game demonstration.

Most importantly, a women’s game is booked in for next year, with both MIFA and LEXFA still ironing out the details.

The MIFA women’s program was launched recently and, through the fall, the women can be seen practicing Sunday morning’s at Erindale Secondary School along with the MIFA youth flag program.

“A lot of (the women) have children who play within the program or play period,” Bates said.

“The kids play an hour before the women, so it’s good to have both of them in the same place at the same time.”

The MIFA women’s program is trying to raise funds and secure sponsors for next year’s international series and they’re holding their first of many fundraisers Friday night (Sept. 16) at Ten Wine Bar.

For more information, visit www.mifafootball.com or MIFA Football on Facebook.

Aug 18, 2016 by Iain Colpitts  Mississauga News

The MIFA All-Stars are hosting a split squad of American and Mexican players in an International Bowl football game Sept. 3 at Bronte Athletic Park in Oakville. – Supplied photo

Liston Bates and the rest of the Mississauga Indoor Football Association (MIFA) All-Stars were given the royal treatment as soon as they stepped off the bus in Cancun back in May.

During their stay in Mexico as part of a game against the LEXFA All-Stars, a squad of the host country’s finest, Bates said the hosts went well out of their way to make the first game in the international series a success.

For starters, the LEXFA squad made the long trek from Mexico City so that their visitors could enjoy the comforts of a resort-like setting in Cancun.

“For them to come to Cancun is like us going to Winnipeg,” said Bates, MIFA program coordinator and linebacker/defensive coordinator for the MIFA All-Stars.

“We got there and there were hundreds of kids lining up to get pictures and autographs … We felt like pros coming off that bus.”

Because of the reception they received in Mexico, Bates is looking forward to returning the favour when some of the Mexicans accompany a team from the United States for the Canadian instalment of the International Bowl on Sept. 3 at Bronte Athletic Park in Oakville.

While the game is being played in Oakville, the visitors will be staying in Mississauga and two events surrounding the game itself will be held in the city.

“I want Mississauga over those three days to represent Canada for them,” said Bates, who owns and plays for the Northern Football Conference’s Oakville Longhorns, who play their home games out of Bronte.

“For some of them, it’s their first time entering Canada and I want Mississauga to be where they think of coming in the future.”

While the American/Mexican squad is still being finalized, there will likely be several players who have played NCAA Division I football and possibly a few former NFLers.

Meanwhile, the Canadian squad has produced its share of talent as well. Last month, star receiver Archelaus Jack signed with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders while quarterback Graham Kelly is off to Mount Allison University in New Brunswick next year.

MIFA hopes to reach out to other countries for similar exchanges in the future and Bates said Colombia and Brazil are building similar programs with LEXFA.

For now, Bates is thrilled with the relationship they have with LEXFA. MIFA recently started up a women’s international team that he hopes will eventually be able to participate in the MIFA-LEXFA series one day.

“It’s early in the conversation, but that’s how our women’s team was started,” Bates said. “We want to bring them there and a (junior varsity) team there. We want to carry four or five teams across the border to play each other yearly.”

Tickets to the game will be available at a press conference on Sept. 2 at TEN Wine Bar (139 Lakeshore Rd. E).

On Sept. 4, the festivities will conclude with the MIFA Family Barbecue at Erindale Park.

For more information, visit MIFA Football on Facebook or email listonb@listonslyric.com.