Empire Football League

At 84 years old, William Hrycaj said he never misses a practice. Hrycaj was part of the original Amsterdam Zephyrs team in the 40's, and from what he can see, this new team will be a tough one to beat.

"I think they will be a tremendous team and I'm looking forward to it," said Hrycaj.

"My favorite sport is football," said fan Marcus Sager.

4 year old Marcus Sager came out to catch his favorite team.
He says he can't wait to grow up and play with the big boys.

"I want to play football when I get big," said Sager.

Fans both young and old came to check out the Amsterdam Zephyrs.
The team has been practicing since February.

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	Amsterdam Zephyrs Fans in Amsterdam are getting ready for some semi-pro football. The Amsterdam Zephyrs are back in action after taking a year off, and the team looks better than ever.

"To compete in this league you've really got to be competitive," said head coach Dominic Ruggeri.

The Amsterdam Zephyrs entered the Empire Football League 2 years ago.
The team had to disband last year because they couldn't find enough players.
But some hard recruiting during the off season changed all that.

"This is a championship caliber team. The players we have are probably the best of the best in the Empire football league," said Amsterdam Zephyr President Tony Marotta.

Now 58 members strong, team members said they can't wait to get back into the action and play the sport they love so much.

"It means fun. It means a lot," said Amsterdam Zephyr Alvaro Montes.

"I drive an hour and 15 minutes for practice and further for games it has to be dedication," said Amsterdam Zephyr Alexander McKinsey.

"I love it a lot, I coach football, I watch football, so its definitely a big part of my life," said Amsterdam Zephyr Tim Stewart.

The Amsterdam Zephyrs kickoff their season in June.