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Graphic: Shaolin Hurricanes · Tap to view full size
Shaolin Hurricanes · Staten Island, New York
The ECFA arrives in New York City: Staten Island’s Shaolin Hurricanes join the East Coast Football Association 1A Division for Spring 2027.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The East Coast Football Association (ECFA) is officially headed to the five boroughs. The league proudly welcomes the Shaolin Hurricanes of Staten Island, New York, to the ECFA 1A Division for the Spring 2027 season, planting the ECFA flag in New York City for the first time and giving semi-pro football fans in the nation’s biggest market a team to call their own.
Founded on September 23, 2023, and led by owners Marli Singleton and Lawrence Coye, the Hurricanes take their name from the island’s proud “Shaolin” nickname, a nod to the grit and pride of the borough they represent. The team will play its home games at Corporal Thompson Park, bringing live, competitive football back to the neighborhoods that raised its players.
Singleton and Coye have built the organization around three clear goals:
The ECFA 1A Division was created for newer and growing programs like the Hurricanes. Teams carry 35-player rosters, play most of their schedule against fellow 1A clubs with select crossover games against larger organizations, and compete for their own playoffs, championship, and rings. It is a level playing field and a real shot at a title from day one.
Staten Island’s arrival opens new doors for the entire league: new rivalries, new road trips up the I-95 corridor, new fans, and new exposure for every athlete in the ECFA. It also sends a clear message to players across the five boroughs that competitive semi-pro football now has a home right in their backyard.
On behalf of the entire East Coast Football Association, we welcome Marli Singleton, Lawrence Coye, and the Shaolin Hurricanes to the league. We can’t wait to see Staten Island rally behind its team at Corporal Thompson Park this spring.
The storm has arrived. Welcome to the ECFA.
Follow the East Coast Football Association for Spring 2027 schedule announcements, 1A Division updates, and the latest on the Shaolin Hurricanes’ inaugural ECFA season.
Originally posted on the ECFA Facebook page on October 21, 2026.