The United States Floorball Association (USFbA) is the highest governing body for floorball in the United States of America. The USFbA is a self-governed organization, recognized by both state and federal governments. It is based in Incline Village, NV.[1]
Organization
The USFbA is divided into 14 regional branches.[2] Each regional branch has a director who is in charge of floorball for that region.
The USFbA has been a member of the International Floorball Federation (IFF) since 1993. As of June 30, 2008, there are 920 registered floorball players in the US, which is one-and-a-half times the total of registered players in 2007.[3]
Central Board
The current central board consists of a president, vice-president, executive director, event coordinator, a director of referees, and the head of the national teams committee, as well as 14 regional directors.[2]
Position
Name
President
Calle Karlsson
Vice-president
David Nilsson
Executive Director
Adam Troy
Event Coordinator
Zack Geiser
Director of U.S.
Referees
Vince Faso
National Teams
Committee
Anders Buvarp
Regional Director: New England
John MacArthur
Regional Director: North-East
Michael Bonelli
Regional Director: Atlantic
Michelle Walton
Regional Director: South-East
Daniel Williamsson
Regional Director: South
Phillip Douglas
Regional Director: South Central
Jared Colleps
Regional Director:
Mid-America
Alyssa Zinsser
Regional Director:
Great Lakes
Patrick Jesue
Regional Director:
Upper Midwest
Jenna Bluhm
Regional Director:
High Plains
Jenna Bluhm (Interim)
Regional Director:
Rocky Mountain
Josh DeBerard
Regional Director:
Pacific North
Geoff Dugan
Regional Director:
Pacific South
Zac Costi
Regional Director:
South-West
Zack Geiser
History
The sport of floorball was initially introduced in the United States by Scandinavian players who brought the game with them when traveling to the United States. In 1991, Swedish players in Boston formed a floorball club at MIT. The sport soon grew in popularity and reached several universities, where it was also played at the club level.
The first step towards membership with the International Floorball Federation (IFF) was taken in the mid-90s, when floorball found new ground in California. After founding the USFbA, the organization attempted to gather and send a national team to the 1998 World Floorball Championships, but fell short due to a lack of players. In 2002, the USFbA succeeded in gathering a team and the United States was able to field their first national team. This team consisted of players based in various countries, such as Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland but also contained US based players such as current USFbA president Calle Karlsson.
In 2009, the USFbA moved their central headquarters from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Fresno, California. They later moved to Incline Village, NV
Players
Players in the USA must register with USFbA's Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) insurance policy before taking part in any nationally sanctioned tournaments or competitions. Through this partnership, the development of floorball locally is expected to grow much more securely thanks to improved protection.[4]
