The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

that played from 1993 to 1997.

History

In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice President, Ron Weinstein, he was closing the doors on the

Los Angeles Lazers The Los Angeles Lazers were an indoor soccer team that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1982 to 1989. History Jerry Buss, the owner of California Sports, the parent company of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings and Strings of Te ...

of the Major Indoor Soccer League, MISL, and that if he ever wanted to "create a professional indoor soccer league that played in the summer months, out from under the shadow of the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball", he would support the endeavor. It was then that the seed was planted in Ron's mind. One year later, in the fall of 1990, Ron Weinstein incorporated the Continental Indoor Soccer League, CISL. Ron, along with his business partner Jorge Ragde, drafted all the necessary franchise documents to bring the league into fruition and create what was the first professional sports league to operate under the "single entity" formula in 1991. Jerry Buss stood by Ron every step of the way until Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was HIV positive. Jerry's mind was understandably taken elsewhere for a short period of time. Prior to his temporary absence, Jerry and Ron reached out to Phoenix Suns owner, Jerry Colangelo, and convinced him to be one of the inaugural members of the League. In Dr. Buss's absence, Colangelo stepped up to the plate to take the lead role in working with Ron to attract NBA and NHL owners. Through Buss's and Colangelo's cooperative efforts they orchestrated two CISL meetings in conjunction with their own NBA Board of Governors meetings. The first was held in 1991 in Marina Del Rey and the second in New York City in 1992. Needless to say their efforts paid off and the CISL was launched with 7 teams committed to begin playing in the summer of 1993 with another eight contracted for 1994. Monterrey La Raza made the CISL the first US league to have a team from Mexico participating. In 1995, a second team entered the league, the Mexico City Toros. By the end of the 1995 season, the third year of the league, 50% of the teams were already profitable; a feat unprecedented in professional sports history. In 1996, Ron signed a three-year agreement with FOX Sports to televise a game of the week nationally in prime time. Concurrently he signed with General Motors to a three-year million dollar contract to be the official car of the CISL. That same year, the Indiana Twisters became the next expansion franchise admitted to the league. "The league has become very credible. ... We definitely look upon ourselves as a major-league sport. If you look at the roots of the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and NFL, we are so far ahead of the game from where they were when they finished their fourth year." Ron Weinstein was quoted saying to the ''Houston Chronicle''. In the fall of 1997, the surprising demise of the league took place primarily due to differences of direction between the NBA/NHL owners and three of the leagues non NBA/NHL teams: Dallas, Portland and Houston. They collaborated in an effort to leave the CISL and form their own league, The Premier Soccer Alliance. It is the opinion of many executives within the sports world, that indoor Soccer has never again reached the pinnacle of the CISL since operations formally ceased in the winter of 1998. The Continental Indoor Soccer League Championship Trophy was titled the "Lawrence Trophy" named in honor of the commissioner and founder's father, Lawrence Albert Weinstein.

Teams

Lawrence Trophy Champions

By Team

Annual awards

Most Valuable Player

*1993: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks *1994: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks *1995:

Preki Predrag Radosavljević ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Радосављевић; born June 24, 1963), better known by the nickname Preki (), is a Serbian-American former soccer player and coach. He is currently an assistant coach with Seattle Sound ...

, San Jose Grizzlies *1996: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks *1997:

Paul Dougherty Paul Dougherty (born 12 May 1966) is an English former professional soccer player and soccer coach who began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He then moved to the United States where he became a journeyman player, bouncing th ...

, Houston Hotshots

Goalkeeper of the Year

*1993:

Joe Papaleo Joe Papaleo (born October 7, 1961) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League and the Continental Indoor Soccer League. He was the 1990 MISL Goalkeeper of the Year and the 1993 CISL Goalke ...

, Dallas Sidekicks *1994: Antonio Cortes, San Diego Sockers *1995:

Mike Dowler Mike Dowler (born 12 October 1957) is a Welsh retired professional football goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He spent most of his career in the U.S. indoor leagues where he was named the 1995 Continental Indoor Soccer League Goalkee ...

Sacramento Knights Sacramento Knights were an indoor soccer team that played from 1993 to 2001 in ARCO Arena and were owned by the NBA's Sacramento Kings. The team played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1993 to 1997. The team then moved to the Worl ...

*1996: Juan de la O, Seattle SeaDogs *1997: Juan de la O, Seattle SeaDogs

Coach of the Year

*1993:

Gordon Jago Gordon Harold Jago (born 22 October 1932) is an English former football player and manager, and the former director of the Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup international youth tournament. Playing career Born in Poplar, London, Jago began his professiona ...

, Dallas Sidekicks *1994: George Fernandez,

Anaheim Splash The Anaheim Splash was a U.S. indoor soccer team that played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). It was founded in 1992 as the Los Angeles United, but was sold after the season. The new ownership moved the team to Anaheim, Californi ...

*1995: Erich Geyer,

Monterrey La Raza Monterrey La Raza refers to one of two different indoor soccer franchises: *Monterrey La Raza (1992–2001), a defunct indoor soccer team that operated in the Continental Indoor Soccer League and World Indoor Soccer League *Monterrey La Raza (2007 ...

*1996: Trevor Dawkins, Houston Hotshots *1997: Fernando Clavijo, Seattle SeaDogs

Rookie of the Year

*1993: Marco Lopez,

*1994: John Olu–Molomo, San Diego Sockers *1995: Mark Chung, San Diego Sockers *1996: Carlos Farias, San Diego Sockers *1997:

Guillermo Castaneda Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People *Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player *Guillermo Ar� ...

, Washington Warthogs

Defender of the Year

*1993:

Sean Bowers Sean Patrick Bowers (born August 12, 1968) is a retired U.S. soccer defender. He spent most of his career playing indoor soccer, earning the 1992 NPSL Rookie of the Year, four-time Defender of the Year and a six-time first team All Star in four ...

*1994: Ralph Black,

*1995:

Danny Pena Danny Pena (born June 17, 1968, in Inglewood, California) is a retired U.S. soccer defensive midfielder. He spent most of his career, both indoors and outdoors, with teams in the western U.S. Player Youth Pena grew up in Southern California, pl ...

*1996:

Troy Snyder Troy Snyder (born November 24, 1965, in Reading, Pennsylvania) is a former U.S. soccer player who is second on the high school career scoring list with 208 goals and 117 assists. He spent most of his career playing indoor soccer, but also won an o ...

, Washington Warthogs *1997: Genoni Martinez,

Playoff MVP

*1993: Tatu, Dallas Sidekicks *1994: Branko Šegota, Las Vegas Dustdevils *1995: Zizinho,

*1996:

Raul Salas Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

*1997: Juan de la O, Seattle SeaDogs

References

External links

All-Time CISL StandingsAll-Time CISL Attendance

– American Soccer History Archives {{USDefunctSoccer 1993 establishments in the United States 1997 disestablishments in the United States Sports leagues established in 1993 Organizations disestablished in 1997 Defunct indoor soccer leagues in the United States 1993 in American soccer leagues 1994 in American soccer leagues 1995 in American soccer leagues 1996 in American soccer leagues 1997 in American soccer leagues