Indoor Football League's Reading Express goes dormant for 2013

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks' chief rival in the Indoor Football League, the Reading Express, has announced that it will be dormant for the 2013 season. The Reading Express, which plays at the Sovereign Center, was once a thriving arena league franchise. But the team has gone through several changes in ownership in recent years. This has to be a concern for the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, who just completed their second season at Lehigh's Stabler Arena. The IFL needs teams in close proximity to one another to minimize travel costs. The Steelhawks and Express played each other four times each season -- twice at Stabler and twice in Reading. In a letter sent to media, owners Ted and Lisa Lavender said it was with "a heavy heart," that they have made this decision. Here's the full text of their letter: "It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the Reading Express will go dormant for the 2013 IFL season. We will take the opportunity of the year off to explore building strategies and relationships that could potentially benefit the Express in the long term. We will retain the ownership of the franchise by paying a league fee. All facets of the organization will go dormant with the exception of the Junior Express. The Junior Express league enjoyed great success and we do not want to allow it to lose momentum from a year of dormancy. The Junior Express was formed and developed out of a strategic partnership with the YMCA of Reading and Berks County and they will assume the operational responsibilities of running and developing the league. We are appreciative of the support over the last six years from fans, partners and the Sovereign Center. We have enjoyed a fulfilling six years of collaborating with other companies and organizations, meeting wonderful people and working with professional athletes from all over the country. There is much we will miss in 2013; however, we feel this is the best decision for the long-term vibrancy of the organization. We take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of the supporters of Reading Express. Very Truly Yours, Ted and Lisa Lavender