Staten Island’s Shaolin Hurricanes Bring the ECFA to New York City
10/21/2026by East Coast Football Association (ECFA)
Shaolin Hurricanes · Spring 2027
Shaolin Hurricanes · Spring 2027
Shaolin Hurricanes Spring 2027 graphic: Hurricanes players in black, orange, and green uniforms crouched on Staten Island rocks beside a Shaolin Hurricanes flag, with the Staten Island Ferry, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and the New York City skyline behind them, and the words Spring 27, Storming the Island.

Graphic: Shaolin Hurricanes · Tap to view full size

 
Team Spotlights

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.

  • Home baseStaten Island, New York City
  • Home fieldCorporal Thompson Park
  • FoundedSeptember 23, 2023
  • OwnersMarli Singleton and Lawrence Coye
  • First ECFA seasonSpring 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.

A Storm Is Coming to Staten Island

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.

More Than a Football Team

Singleton and Coye have built the organization around three clear goals:

  • Bring safe sports entertainment back to Staten Island, giving families a positive place to gather around the game.
  • Shine a brighter light on those who took the long road, celebrating athletes who kept grinding when their path to the big stage ran longer than expected.
  • Become an official professional organization in due time, competing nationally and, eventually, internationally.

Built for the 1A Division

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.

The ECFA Makes Its Way to NYC

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.

Welcome to the ECFA, Hurricanes

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.

#ThisIsTheECFA #BrickByBrick #WeekendWarriors #ECFA

Originally posted on the ECFA Facebook page on October 21, 2026.

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