One thing that most people do not know about Dr. Richard D. Myles, Sr., the founder of the Minor Football League, is that he originally wanted to be a fireman.
Believe it or not, when I was little, I wanted to be a fireman. I used to see how they rode on the back of the trucks, and I thought that was the coolest thing. As I got a little bigger, I guess in about the third grade, I started watching football, and I was like, wait a minute, this is something different.
That passion for football drove this native Washigntonian to eventually build a career, life, and foundation around the sport he loves.
Myles played professional football but when a rotator cuff injury sidelined his career, he dabbled in various business ventures. He eventually created the Minor Football League (MFL) in 1993 to provide opportunities for athletes and coaches that they would not find outside of college or professional football.
I noticed we had minor league baseball, minor league basketball, but no minor league football. You had all these little leagues around that called themselves semi pro. There’s no such thing as semi pro. Either you’re pro or you’re not. So, to legitimize this thing, I knew it had to be done the right way.
The MFL began with the creation of the Washington Chiefs franchise and is now global with franchises in 16 states in America and 16 countries in Africa. The league is split into two conferences with four divisions in each conference.
The MFL is a laboratory of change because we want to bring everybody to the table. I want women General Managers; I want women head coaches. I want opportunities for everyone involved. I want to help players go from the field to the front office.
Dr. Myles has also developed and implemented drug prevention, violence reduction, and conflict resolution programs for the youth. He volunteers with various children’s programs and has sponsored and coached teams in the Special Olympics. Dr. Myles has also supported programs for the Maryland-National Parks and Planning Commission, and a variety of programs in various recreational youth centers.
We’re not just about football. We’re beyond the field. We want people to understand business. We want these young people to come into the league and learn. You want to learn marketing, then you are going to learn marketing. You want an opportunity to coach, we’re going to give you an opportunity to coach.
Dr. Myles has received multiple awards and accolades including being recognized by Dollars and Sense magazine as one of “America’s Best and Brightest” businessmen. The Greater Washington chapter of the National Urban League also recognized Myles as the “Volunteer of the Year.” In 2022, he was recognized as one of the top businessmen in the country by the Next Generation Entertainment Awards. This year under his leadership, the MFL was named a 2022 Moxie Award Finalist.
I receive a lot of awards and stuff and that’s all well and good, but if they just say, he made a difference, especially with young kids, I will feel good. In fact, I’m not going to use the word or the term “at risk youth” anymore, I’m going to use the term “at risk of being great”!
Dr. Myles is the father of five successful kids and is a lifelong community servant hoping to provide opportunities to many individuals through sports. He is also proud to lead the Washington Chiefs Inc. Cardozo All-Met Hall of Fame dinner at his alma mater. He received his doctorate degree in Philosophy and Chaplaincy from Global Oved Dei Seminary and University (GODSU) where he also serves as the Assistant Dean of Students.
Currently, the MFL has its own sports network “The MFL Experience” and “Inside the MFL” which includes television and radio programming on DKN Sports and DC Radio.
Dr. Myle’s goal for the future is to continue to expand the MFL into more countries globally and more cities in the United States. His next initiative is to create franchise opportunities for those who would have never been given the chance to own a professional team.
We want to expand the MFL, but more importantly, I want to get it in people’s hands. I want people to understand this is an opportunity for ownership, and you don’t have to have billions of dollars to get it.
You can learn more about the Minor Football League organization by visiting https://www.mflishere.com/
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the Minor Football League
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