American Football in Costa Rica

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Costa Rica Federation of American Football

Official Websites
Facebook – FEFACR
Facebook – American Football CR

Click here to see the league calendar.

While nobody is expecting that American football is going to replace soccer as the national sport anytime soon, it is undeniable that its popularity with Ticos has increased dramatically in the last few years.

Before 2008 it was uncommon to see American football being played anywhere in Costa Rica. And if anyone happened to spot one of these sporadic games, all they would see was a ragged group of friends playing what locals refer to as a “Mejenga” which is basically a free-for-all game played between friends with no referee, uniforms and minimal rules. The only piece of equipment used was a ball and most of the games consisted of touch or flag football while the crowd consisted of a handful of confused folks that happened to be passing by.

All of that changed in 2008 when a group of enthusiasts decided to band together and create the private league; American Football Association/Costa Rica Federation of American Football (FCFA) and organized the first American football season in 2009. It wasn’t an easy start by any stretch; most of the players were Ticos who had little or no previous experience, games were held in fields, the equipment was improvised and there was very little public interest in the sport. But what the league lacked in structure it more than made up in heart. The players trained hard and played enthusiastically.

In July of 2009 we saw the formation of the first official league; American Football Federation of Costa Rica (FEFACR). Even though the Costa Rican Institute of Sports & Recreation (ICODER) gave governmental backing to the new league at the time of its inception, it did not give the league international representation of American football in Costa Rica until November of 2010.

All of that hard work paid off for both leagues. By 2010 the games were being played in second division soccer stadiums, players had official uniforms and attendance was steadily rising during each game. 2011 brought more attention to the leagues. Even big sponsors like Gatorade started to cozy up to the FEFACR. Today American football is poised to infiltrate Costa Rican Main Culture. The Costa Rica Star caught up with rocker-turned-athlete Benjamin Chaverri and former New England Patriot’s player Ethan Kelley, both of the Tico Bowl and 1st Super Bowl of Costa Rica champions for the Santa Ana Bulldogs, and talked to them about the past, present and future of the game.

Benjamin Chaverri Lopez
Benjamin Chaverri Lopez

CRS: What’s your position on the Santa Ana Bulldogs and how long have you been playing?

I play Wide Receiver and special teams usually as a kick returner and have been playing for 2 years.

CRS: How did you start participating in American football?

I have always loved this game but never though I’d have a chance to play full contact American football so when I heard about the league I had no hesitation to join.



CRS: Where do the Santa Ana Bulldogs train? What does the training consist of?

Our field is in Rio Oro, Santa Ana. Practice consists on what we are doing that week or if we are getting ready for a game. We could be learning new plays and going through the mechanics of it all or we could be adjusting to a different game plan depending who we play that weekend, bottom line is we are constantly learning and growing which is fundamental for this game.

CRS: Do you get any sort of payment for playing in a team?

No, nothing at all we do this for the love of the game. Actually every player pays a registration fee to the FEFACR (American Football Federation of Costa Rica) which they in turn use to pay for the field we play on or anything else they need for the growth of the sport.

CRS: What are some of the most significant changes that you’ve seen in the last year? Do you feel like the sport has gained more popularity in recent times?

Definitely, the growth is something we all look forward to and as for the league itself the level of every team has constantly been growing. The FEFACR National Team was created last year and we won against Jaguares from El Salvador and a traveling team known as the Duo Sport Thundercats consisting of players from USA, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc. The private league; CR All Stars/All Star Team from Costa Rica which involves both national and foreign players living in Costa Rica. We have defeated Panama on the two games we have encountered them. As for the Santa Ana Bulldogs, my team, we defeated the Guerreros from Nicaragua which were the Central American Champions.

I believe for a country that has had American football for approximately 3 to 4 years, compared to teams that have had it for more than 10 including Panama and Nicaragua we have come a long way and there is still a lot of ground to be covered. National media has been showing more interest and every once in a while you can see a summary of the games played on the weekend or a note on the newspapers and people are getting more interested in this game but it’s still hard to compete against soccer being almost a religion in this country.

CRS: What’s the hardest and most rewarding thing about playing American football?

American football is a contact sport and according to the ESPN list of the hardest and most physically challenging sports in the world it takes the third position just below Boxing and Ice Hockey. Some people just don’t know the strength of character and conviction it takes to play this especially if you do it for the love of the game and don’t get paid, worst case scenario you could severely injure yourself and require medical attention which lets be clear is not something you want as a player. Sometimes you get up in the morning feeling like you just got run over by a train and you still got to go on with the daily routine, work, college, family. People can never understand the kind of sacrifice or commitment we undergo.

But that is it, it’s what we do, we go out onto that field and give everything he have I don’t really know why, it could be a search for glory, satisfaction or just to prove something and make a statement. I think at the end of the day taking the field with my brothers, cause as bulldogs over the years we have become a pack, a fraternity, that’s all that matters. You know they have your back and you have theirs you will fight together for every yard and every down, you will block and push through anything that comes your way because you trust the men at your sides. I think for me the most rewarding thing about football is the discipline and strength of character that builds ups inside you when you know you belong to something different, something great.

CRS: What do you see happening with the sport of American football in Costa Rica in the next few years? What would you like to see happen?

I have hopes that the league will keep growing, every year it gets better. I hope that people will get more interested and sponsors will get more involved with the process. The FEFACR National Team has been invited to go play an international tournament. My hope is that as a league we do our part and whatever is accomplished there helps the growth of this sport.

Ethan J Kelley
Ethan J Kelley



CRS: I heard from Benji (player interviews above) that you actually played professionally in the States and even participated in a couple of Super Bowls. Can you tell me a little bit about this? What teams did you play for, what was the experience like?

I played 5 years in the NFL from 2003 to 2007. My first two years I played with the New England Patriots. I was fortunate enough to earn two Super Bowls with that team. My playing experience with the Patriots greatly changed the way I viewed and approached the game of American football. With the aide of great coaches like Bill Belichick & Romeo Crennel and players like Teddi Bruschi, Bobby Hamilton, Ted Washington, and Willie Mcginest. They transformed me into a student of the game.

After leaving the Patriots I played my last three seasons with the Cleveland Browns. With the Browns I was able to implement the knowledge and experience I had acquired with the Patriots. I played until injuries brought my career to an end. I had  3 knee surgeries in the span of 15 months. my career was shorter than I had intended I was blessed and thankful to have lived a dream.

CRS: Why did you move to Costa Rica and how did you end up coaching for the Santa Ana Bulldogs?

My wife’s friend Richard can be credited with getting us interested in CR. He was always coming down here for vacations and bragging. So we had to see for ourselves. Within the first few days or our trip we decided we liked it so much we decided to start “house hunting”. Ivo Henfling, realtor and owner of Go Dutch Realty, introduced us to what would become our dream property. Finding that house sealed the deal.

While planning our trip and doing homework on CR, we discovered there was an American Football Referees Association. I got in contact with Luis Ramirez (President of the American Football Referees Association (AAFAC) & Secretary of the American Football Federation of Costa Rica (FEFACR)). He organized a meeting between himself, Jose Lopez (Santa Ana Bulldogs coach and now my good friend) and I. During this meeting Jose offered me a coaching spot.

CRS: What’s it like training Ticos? How is it different (or similar) to training players in the US?

This is my first time coaching so it is hard for me to make that comparison. My approach to coaching is simple. First you get a feel for the person and find the best way to convey what needs to be taught. Then you determine what needs to be taught. You evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and reinforce and improve them accordingly.  It has been a learning experience for us all. I think the only hurdle I had coaching “Ticos” was the language barrier. I moved here speaking virtually no Spanish.

CRS: What’s it like coaching American football in a country that doesn’t give the sport the same attention as in the US? Do you feel like this has changed in recent times?

Although American football doesn’t get the attention it does in the US, the fact that American football is here in Costa Rica is such a thrill to me. I feel honored to be a part of it. I have observed that in recent years American football has gained more attention and I think it will continue to grow.

CRS: What’s the hardest and most rewarding thing about your job?

The hardest part for me is being away from my family. Sometimes the hours we work aren’t the most convenient. I live “where the devil lost his jacket” so getting to practices, events, and games is always a long trip. The most rewarding part is to see the players benefiting from the coaching and to see them having fun.

CRS: Benji was telling me a little bit about how that there were many dramatic changes in the league during the last year, can you comment a little on this? What do you see happening in the future of American football in Costa Rica? What would you like to see happen?

One of the biggest changes I see from last year is the location of where the games are played. Cuty Monge stadium is much more accommodating to the sport of American football in comparison to some of the other facilities that have been used in the past.

With the growing attention the sport is gaining in Costa Rica more sponsors and television channels have come into the scheme of things.  In general American football has began to develop a larger presence in Central and Latin America. People are taking notice and that helps give the sport a more optimistic future.  There are even flag football teams at some of the schools. This is introducing the sport at a younger age and insuring the sport has more life blood.

Ultimately I would like to see American football rival the popularity of soccer in Costa Rica. If American football could evolve to have something similar to the World Cup that would be the epitome of success for the sport.

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