(833) 99-NSPFA info@nspfalumni.org

Letter From the Founder

For almost 100 years there has been a large group of athletes whose contribution to the game of football have been forgotten and ignored…UNTIL NOW!  The NSPFA has been founded in 2018 by former Pro and Semi-Pro Football Player Victor B. Cohen. This organization is for those players who until today have had no access to the benefits and services offered to former players from the National Football League (NFL).

NSPFA’s mission is to provide resources and services to help our members and their families lead healthy and productive lives after they have retired from the game.

NSPFA will offer its members a wide variety of benefits including health and wellness screenings, doctor services, medical and prescription savings cards, dental care, various business and legal services, travel discounts, and discounts afforded by a number of local and national merchant partners for clothing, electronics and other products.

To compete successfully at the semi-pro level requires time, dedication and extreme commitment, and former players like yourself who have supported the sport, deserve to be cared for post-game.  We need your support to gain maximum exposure to this new organization coming soon by sending this letter to your former teammates, coaches, and team officials in your area.

If you are interested in finding out more about the NSPFA and would like to express your interest in joining the organization, please send us an email at info@NSPFAlumni.org.   A representative we will follow up with additional information in the coming weeks.  Your expression of interest today will help us to project our legacy, membership numbers and will assist us in securing preferential deals for your benefit from our many partners for years to come.

We greatly appreciate your attention to this letter and look forward to the opportunity of servicing your needs as an NSPFA member.

Sincerely,

Victor B. Cohen – Chairman and Founder, NSPFA

Mission and Purpose

The NSPF Alumni Benefits are a creative packager of goods and services which solve complex issues for the benefit of mankind. The organization serves individual players and their families to improve health and drive down healthcare costs. We are focused on the physical, mental, and fiscal health of all of our teammates.

Individuals and their associates need a new playbook to deal with today’s healthcare challenges, soaring costs and meager benefits. NSPF Alumni Player Benefits are dedicated to providing that new health playbook of creative solutions along with world class concierge services for NSPF member teammates.

We are helping to make health insurance affordable and easy to shop for while also providing a full suite of voluntary solutions. Freedom of choice, competitive pricing and access to over 600 carriers. Please Contact Us for more information.

Chapters

Board of Directors

Local and National Partners

CTE Research

It’s that time of year again—football season.  While pro, college and Semi-Pro Football Players and fans across the country prepare for the annual rituals of the game, questions of safety linger on the sidelines.  A new study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) finds that Pro and Semi-Pro Football players may be at a higher risk of death associated with Alzheimer’s and other impairments of the brain and nervous system than the general U.S. population. These results are consistent with recent studies by other research institutions that suggest an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease among professional football players.

The paper, “Neurodegenerative causes of death among retired Semi-Pro and National Football League players,” published in the journal Neurology looked at a cohort of 3,439 NFL players with at least five playing seasons between 1959-1988. While NFL and Semi-Pro football players on average live longer than the average American male, the new research found that the overall risk of death associated with neurodegenerative disorders was three times higher among the study group than the general U.S. population.  The risk for two major subcategories, Alzheimer disease and ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), was four times higher for the NFL and Semi-Pro players.

In addition to the overall comparison with the general population, the study also compared the deaths of players associated with neurodegenerative disorders based on playing positions.  More neurodegenerative deaths were observed among players in “speed” positions (quarterback, running back, halfback, fullback, wide receiver, tight end, defensive back, safety, and linebacker) compared with players in “non-speed” positions (all defensive and offensive linemen).  Other research studies have shown that speed players may be at higher risk of concussion since they can build considerable momentum prior to the point of being tackled or tackling another player. Offensive and defensive linemen usually engage other players soon after the football is snapped, mitigating the potential to build up momentum to a tackle or a block.

Study limitations

While our study is consistent with  other recent studies that have found increased risk of neurodegeneration among NFL and Semi-Pro football players, our research has several limitations.  Some of the limitations are listed below.

It is not possible to determine from our study the cause of the increased risk of death from neurodegenerative disorders.  Research suggests that football players who have experienced one or more concussive blows to the head are at increased risk of neurologic disorders but our study does not establish a cause-effect relationship between football-related concussions and death from neurodegenerative disorders.
Since our cohort was limited to longer-term professional players, our findings may not be applicable to those who play for a shorter term or high school and college football players.  The magnitude of risk may depend on the intensity and frequency of brain injuries incurred over a number of years.
The study relied on death certificate information for causes of death; at the time of analysis only 10 percent of the participants had died. Of the 334 players who had died, Alzheimer’s, ALS, and Parkinson’s Disease were listed for 17 of them. The small number of deaths used in the study only allowed us to place players into two broad position categories.  We were not able to identify potentially important differences in neurodegenerative mortality risk across the various positions included within the speed position group.
Other studies have suggested that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which can exhibit symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease and ALS, may occur years after sustaining football-related concussions. Since CTE is a newly confirmed diagnosis, it is possible that some deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s or ALS on death certificates may actually have been related to CTE. A brain autopsy is necessary to diagnose CTE and distinguish it from Alzheimer’s or ALS; no death certificate would have listed CTE as a cause.
We did not have information on environmental, genetic or other risk factors for neurologic disorders.
Additional studies to quantify the cumulative effects of brain injuries, in particular the relative effects of concussive-level injuries, will be of particular importance in understanding the underlying disease mechanisms not only in football but other sports where head injuries are common such as soccer, boxing, horse racing and hockey.

Health Initiative

The NSPF Alumni Health Initiative seeks to play an integral role in shaping healthcare services and benefits, pioneering innovative new business ventures, partnering with industry leaders in various go-to-market strategies, coordinating game-changing research, and raising funds for those in need of financial assistance or services.

Social Justice

The NSPFA Chapter Presidents will provide a platform for our players and allies to discuss the work that we are doing together to advance social justice and equality initiatives. Additional details on this program will be announced at a later date.

The Chapter Presidents will also facilitate meetings involving state and local elected officials and law enforcement leaders to discuss steps that can be taken to reduce conflict and improve relations between law enforcement and members of the community.

The NSPFA will work together to support the children of victims who will be recognized by our players in each chapter and city.

Charities

NSPFA supports the initiatives of The Victor B. Cohen Foundation, a registered 501 C3 established to help combat youth obesity and diabetes in the Las Vegas Valley through a sports platform.

Victor B. Cohen Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that is working to reduce the obesity and diabetes epidemic in our at-risk and disadvantaged youth through fitness, sports, and nutritional educational initiatives. The VBCF offers uniquely designed fitness, sports and nutritional classes, workshops, after-school programs, summer camps and year-round one on one training for boys and girls ages 7 to 18.  The youth develop lifetime skills to improve overall athletic skills, increase their mental toughness and produce spiritual and social growth with the additional support of team members through education and motivation while building their self -esteem. Players immediately begin to experience results on and off the field.

Become a Volunteer

Become a NSPF Alumni Volunteer to support our mission to honor those passionate about the game and preserve semi-pro football and its rich History. Your valuable contributions will help us to celebrate excellence EVERYWHERE! Contact us today.

Concierge Services

The NSPF Alumni concierge team stands ready to fill any specific needs you and your family may have. To learn more of the services we provide Contact us today.

Sponsorship/Naming Rights

Our partnership team is dedicated to creating strategic, customized partnerships that leverage our great brand of excellence to exceed your corporate brand initiatives throughout the world. We offer unique opportunities and a diverse platform of assets and content. If you would like information on how you can become an elite partner in the Most Elite organization for Semi-Pro Football in America’s favorite sport, please fill out the form below.

Current Sponsors

Donation Request

The National Semi-Professional Football Alumni Association is committed to supporting non-profit organizations that share our mission of honoring the heroes of semi-pro football. Preserving its history, promoting its values, and celebrating excellence everywhere and our values of commitment, integrity, courage, respect, and excellence.

To submit your donation request, please complete the fields below. due to the large number of requests that we receive, we are unable to support every request. The NSPFA will carefully review all requests, but special consideration will be given to organizations serving the youth of the Las Vegas Valley in Nevada. We ask that you make sure your submission date is within 90 days of your event and that you make your request at least 4 weeks prior to your event.  If your organization is selected to receive a donation, you will receive our donation of 2 admission tickets to any upcoming event in 2021.  We will mail these to you within 30 days. Thank you for your interest in the NSPFA.