The International Amateur Football Federation (IAFF) was an international governing body of American football. The IAFF was founded by Leslie Mann in 1946 with the purpose of promoting amateur football around the world and eventually getting it placed on the Olympic Games program. It was an early predecessor to the International Federation of American Football.
According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the IAFF had "the blessing of all the collegiate bodies on the mainland".
History After his MLB playing career, Leslie Mann became a promoter of international amateur baseball, founding the U.S. Amateur Baseball Federation in 1931 and the International Baseball Federation in 1938. He successfully brought baseball to the 1936 Summer Olympics as a demonstration sport and coached the U.S. national team at the inaugural 1938 Amateur World Series. However, Mann's efforts to make it an official Olympic sport were hampered by the outbreak of World War II, which led to the cancellation of the games in 1940 and 1944. In 1945, he moved to Hawaii to accept the role of director of physical education for the territorial USO, and quickly became heavily involved in organizing the local sports scene. By January 1946, Mann was involved in the founding of the International Amateur Football Federation (IAFF) as the international governing body for the sport; he was identified as heading the organization later that year. The purpose of the IAFF was to promote amateur football worldwide and to eventually getting it into the Olympic program. Longtime Hawaiian coach and athletic administrator Tommy Miles was announced as the vice president and executive secretary of the organization.
"Our purpose is to introduce American football into as many countries as possible. At some future date we hope to get this great game on the Olympic Games program as a regular feature." –Leslie Mann in 1948
In early 1946, plans were discussed to send a Hawaii national team to the "first IAAF series" held in London during the 1948 Summer Olympics in an effort to "prove football satisfactorily" to the International Olympic Committee. It was posited in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that, apart from Hawaii, countries teams "with sufficient experience to demonstrate the game" were the U.S., Cuba, Mexico, Canada, and England, while "China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and other European countries played... to some extent before the war."
The IAFF sponsored a December 1946 trip by the Portland Pilots to play against the Leilehua High School alumni and the Honolulu All-Stars.
1948 World Amateur Football Championships In October 1946, the IAFF announced the creation of five-team international tournament held in Mexico City between Hawaii, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Cuba. Billed as the "World Bowl classic", it was set to start in late December and conclude with the championship game on New Year's Day. Despite plans to select a 23-man squad for Team Hawaii, the tournament did not materialize. The competition was proposed again the following year, with officials from the five nations meeting in Los Angeles on October 29, 1947. Both Mexico City and San Diego submitted bids to host the tournament, which was set for that December with Mann at the helm. It was postponed to the following year.
In July 1948, it was announced that selections from Hawaii, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico would play in the first annual World Amateur Football Championships at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles on December 18, 19, and 26. The winners of the four-team playoff, sponsored by the Kiwanis Crippled Children and Charity Foundation, would be awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Trophy. Mann received permission from Stagg, then-co-coach at Susquehanna University, to use his name. The tournament complimented an annual all-star charity baseball game put on by the local Kiwanis for the same cause. In order to prevent ties, tournament rules stated that if the score was tied at the end of regulation, the team with the most net yardage would win the game.
Ahead of the opening game of the series, Mann reported that "leading sportsmen" from countries such as China, Cuba, England, Japan, Nicaragua, and Peru had exhibited interest in the tournament. "We hope to bring in teams from some of these countries next year," he said. Tickets to the games were priced between $1.25 and $2.50, with discounts available for high school students and younger children. However, the tournament struggled with low attendance. After the semifinal games, Eric Whitehead of The Vancouver Daily Province remarked: "The Los Angeles crippled children, supposed beneficiaries of this ill-fated series, will apparently get little more than wry smiles from the promoters". Following the Hawaii–Mexico semifinal, which was marred by a brawl, Frank Finch of the Los Angeles Times remarked that the tournament had suffered the "awful fate that almost invariably befalls well-intended attempts to promote international good will in these shredded-nerve times."
Teams As an amateur tournament, players had to "come from small colleges, YMCAs, YMHAs, CYOs, civic clubs and amateur leagues". It was later reported that small-college players could come only from colleges "not now members of any intercollegiate leagues". To make the competition more fair, a weight limit of 200 lbs. was placed on American players. Once in Los Angeles, the teams were scheduled for two-a-day practice sessions every day: the U.S. at Pepperdine University, Hawaii at Rancho Cienega Stadium, and both Mexico and Canada at Los Angeles City College.
The U.S. and Hawaii were projected to win their respective semifinal matchups, while the former was heavily favored to win the championship. Due to the abundance of small college players, scouts from various professional teams were on hand for the international series.
Canada On September 2, 1948, it was announced that Canada had been admitted as IAFF members, following Hawaii, the U.S., and Mexico. Robert F. Osborne, University of British Columbia (UBC) director of physical education, was appointed the IAFF commissioner for Canada. The UBC Thunderbirds, as the only Canadian college playing under American rules, were immediately assumed to be the Canadian representative for the international series, along with reinforcements from other schools. As expected, most of the players selected were from UBC, with others chosen from schools such as Western Ontario and McGill, as well as two Eastern Canadian amateur leagues. The roster was highlighted by UBC's star left half, Doug Reid, and was strengthened by players such as Pete Thodos of the then-amateur Calgary Stampeders. While unfavorable weather and midterm exams hampered UBC's preparations in Vancouver, head coach Don Wilson said his team would "go down fighting".
The team travelled from Vancouver via bus, arriving in Los Angeles on December 16.
Hawaii Shortly after the official announcement of the tournament, Mackay Yanagisawa, secretary of the Hawaii Football League, tentatively accepted the invitation pending a decision by team officials. Tommy Miles, the inaugural IAFF commissioner for Hawaii, vacated the position in mid-1948 due to other commitments. He was replaced by Albert Horner, general manager of Hawaiian Canneries, Ltd. in Kapaʻa and former president of the Kauai Athletic Union, who took on the task of prepping for the international series. In early October, it was announced that the champions of the Hawaii Senior Football League (HSFL) would represent Hawaii in the tournament, while a national selection board had final jurisdiction over the squad. The Leilehua alumni captured the HSFL title in November, ostensibly earning the right to represent the islands in Los Angeles. After initially guaranteeing transportation and hotel expenses for the Hawaiian contingent, Mann reportedly offered them a percentage of the gate if they paid for their own transportation. Henry Lee, secretary of the HSFL, assured that Hawaii would not send a team unless both transportation and hotel expenses were provided for.
On December 13, a 22-man roster for the Hawaii All-Stars was announced. 21 of the 22 players chosen were members of the Leilehua Vandals, including player-coaches Spencer Kamakana and Young Suk Ko, with the only exception being Charles Kalani of the Moiliili Cardinals. However, one of the players, William Badayos, was not sufficiently recovered from an injury and was replaced by Farrington High School standout quarterback Ken Kahoonei. A 25-man contingent (22 players and three team officials) flew to California on December 15, arriving at Los Angeles Municipal Airport the following day on two separate Pan American flights.
Mexico The Mexican college football season was concluded by November 20, after which a Mexican all-star squad from six colleges played against the U.S. Pacific Area Fleet champions on December 11 in the second annual Silver Bowl in Mexico City as a warm-up to the tournament. Many of the same players were included on the 28-man roster for the international series, which was released on December 14. The squad was composed of players from five schools (excluding UNAM) picked by head coach Salvador Mendiola, who was assisted on the staff by Mexico City College head coach and Los Angeles native Dave LaTourrette. The next day, the Mexican contingent flew from Mexico City to Los Angeles, staying at nearby Chapman College.
Dave Lewis of the Long Beach Independent projected the Mexican selection would be "better... than any yet formed in Mexico" due to the presence of "many American trained Mexican youths" on the squad – most of whom were attending Mexico City College under the G.I. Bill – while highlighting their "big gun" of a fullback.
United States In October 1948, nomination blanks were mailed to coaches from qualifying small colleges around the U.S. to submit outstanding players for selection to the U.S. team. After players were submitted by small colleges, civic leagues, and other eligible organizations, the final roster was chosen by a national selection board. Pepperdine head coach Warren Gaer was appointed the team's head coach in late October, and Springfield head coach Ossie Solem was named the associate head coach soon afterwards.
On December 3, a preliminary 31-man roster for the American All-Stars was released by Mann, which was followed by the release of a final 25-man roster. Notably, Gaer recruited local phenom and Compton Junior College standout Hugh McElhenny, who was not on the preliminary roster and joined the team on December 14. His teammate, Bill Fell, was sought by the U.S. coaches too, but was reportedly "looking for a job during the holidays". Another local player, Whittier end Earl Ryerson, was added to the roster, as well as William Hicks.
Players from the American All-Stars arrived in Los Angeles on December 13 and 14.
Players on the preliminary squad not included on the final roster include:
Bob Boyd – end, Loyola (CA) Elmer Franklin – halfback, Montebello AC Olin Ison – end, Montebello AC Wendell Patterson – left tackle/guard, Arizona State Earl Plyley – tackle, Eagle Rock AC
Bob Robinson – tackle, Venice AC Tom Tolman – back, Venice AC Wilford White – halfback, Arizona State Bob Winship – halfback, Loyola (CA)
Illinois Wesleyan captain Curtis Brown was invited by Mann to take part in the tournament, but he turned down the opportunity to concentrate on his studies.
Tournament
Semifinals Game 1
Statistics USA CAN First downs 11 10 Yards 400 137 Rushing yards 274 69 Passing yards 126 68 Passing: –– 8–14–1 7–27–3