Published: October 10, 2008 12:03 am            

Youth leagues teach lessons on and off the field

The October evening air had a bit of a chill, and darkness was gradually settling in about 40 minutes earlier than these young athletes had become accustomed to when they first opened practice in mid-August.

That didn’t diminish the sounds of dozens of kids chattering or coaches barking orders on multiple practice fields at the Dale Borough facility utilized by the Johnstown Youth Football League.

Players from kindergarten through sixth grade ran drills, executed plays or blocked opponents.

Cheerleaders practiced on the nearby infield of a former baseball diamond.

“I like playing, practices and winning,” said JYFL sixth-grader Adrian Fisher, who has been in the league since he was in third grade. “We learn about teamwork and good sportsmanship.”

The recent JYFL practice was but one of many such scenes throughout the region on autumn nights. Youth football participation is strong in Cambria and Somerset counties, with players participating in both flag and tackle games, and cheerleaders offering support at area fields and stadiums.

“I like the coaches. They teach us fun stuff,” said JYFL third-grade quarterback Sean Andrews. “It’s fun playing at Trojan Stadium. It’s fun playing on this team.”

“I enjoy when we score a touchdown,” added JYFL third grader Austin Barber. “We learn a lot. The coaches teach us a lot. I learn to make the tackles in the games.”



‘Healthy lifestyles’

The Greater Johnstown Youth Football League teaches fundamentals and provides a feeder system for area school districts.

The GJYFL consists of four individual programs: Johnstown Youth Football League (JYFL), Ferndale, Richland and Westmont. Flag football is played through the second grade, with tackle in full pads beginning in third through sixth grades.

“I’ve been playing since kindergarten,” said Shamar Jones, a third-grader for JYFL. “We learn about hard work. I like running the ball and the offense. I’m one of the running backs, and I play defensive end on defense. I like playing and working with my teammates. It’s fun.”

Games are played at Trojan Stadium (JYFL’s home field), Herlinger Field (Richland), The Hive (Ferndale) and Price Field (Westmont).

Trojan Stadium and Herlinger Field each have artificial turf, which makes quite an impression on the younger players.

Practice begins in mid-August, and each team plays six games, usually ending in mid-October.

“We started in 1993 and we played among ourselves for the first nine or 10 years,” said JYFL President Allen Andrews, one of the league’s original founders with Rocco Reynolds. “Then Westmont came aboard years ago. Richland came aboard two years after that. Then Ferndale came aboard. We call ourselves the Greater Johnstown Youth Football League as a whole.”

JYFL, which includes mostly kids from the Johnstown and Conemaugh Valley school districts, has approximately 200 kids, including players and cheerleaders, who participate at multiple grade levels.

“The league is more than just football,” JYFL’s Andrews said. “These kids at an early age learn social developmental skills. They understand that there are some boundaries. They understand and learn commitment. They learn how to socialize with other individuals. They follow directions from adults other than parents or school teachers. They also start to learn leadership skills.

“There is a whole volume of skill development that they’re gaining through the exercise of sports,” he added. “Plus, there is the physical health aspect. With all the exercise, they’re getting a good opportunity to run around, get in shape, lose weight and learn healthy lifestyles.”

‘Practice and learn’

Tom Fleming is one of the original organizers of the Richland Rockets program in the GJYFL. When the team began operating about five years ago, Fleming had to store all the equipment in his garage, and his wife, Linda, oversaw operation of the concession stand in conjunction with Richland School District.

Now, the Rockets program is under the East Hills Recreation banner. Fleming has gradually slipped into the background, but he’s still impressed with the efforts of current organizers, coaches and volunteers.

Fleming said approximately 150 boys participate on the Rockets from first grade through sixth grade. Including cheerleaders, the total is about 200 youths overall.

“The first year we had only about 20 kids on each of three teams,” Fleming recalled. “It was all new. The first year we had just enough to get it started. The second year we doubled the number of kids participating.”

The Rockets’ program continues to grow and has developed into one of the best in the GJYFL.

“The philosophy that I started up here – and I think most of the teams we compete against believe in – is the exposure to football,” said Fleming, Richland School District’s superintendent. “The kids come to practice and learn fundamentals. It promotes school spirit. The kids are wearing school colors. You’re developing kids at each grade level as you move all the way through. (Richland high coach) Brandon Bailey could look down at second grade and know who’s playing what position at second grade. You try to develop players and develop numbers.

“The Richland Rockets team players that started here in third grade are now in seventh grade. We have 42 kids on the seventh grade team at Richland, and 35 of those played for the Richland Rockets last year.”

‘The stands are packed’

Participation and interest is on the rise in the Somerset Little Eagle Football League.

League president Kirk Sherbine said approximately 100 kids, ages 7 to 9, play flag football on eight teams. Another 150, ages 10 to 12, play tackle. There are six teams in the older division.

“We fill the parking lot of the senior high for the varsity field, and that turns over three times a day,” Sherbine said, pointing out that there is a steady flow of spectators at games. “The stands are packed. If they know there are going to be two good teams playing, there are tons of people there that don’t even have kids playing. There are several hundred people in the stands.”

An eighth-year president, Sherbine believes the foundation of a feeder system is in place for the Golden Eagles junior high, junior varsity and varsity programs.

“Somerset is kind of in a unique situation in that since we started the league, there have been five head coaches at the varsity level,” Sherbine said. “Now that there is finally some stability there, hopefully it’s working out. The team that went to the playoffs last year, 10 out of the 11 starters on offense and defense played in our league.”

The Greater Johnstown Parochial League has a long and distinguished tradition.

Currently, the league is in its 58th consecutive season.

James Rafferty founded the program in 1951. It is estimated that more than 13,000 boys played in the league that serves as a feeder program to Bishop McCort High School.

Among the distinguished alumni of the Parochial League are former NFL players Pete Duranko, Jack Ham and Artrell Hawkins as well as pro standouts Steve Smear and John Stofa.

The league plays its games at Point Stadium from September through October.

Keeping ‘in tune’

Jim Molnar is in his 20th season as league director and William Kory is in his 20th year as executive secretary. George Figura is the athletic director for Parochial League sports.

“The Parochial League has kept in tune with the whole demographic situation in the Greater Johnstown area,” Kory said. “As the population has continued to decline, so has the number of schools that can produce players. When I started 20 years ago we had eight schools participating at the varsity level for seventh and eighth graders, and eight for the pee wee level for fifth and sixth graders.”

The league has undergone significant changes due to declining numbers during the past decade.

Two years ago, the varsity division for boys in seventh and eighth grade was eliminated.

Instead, the eighth grade and seventh grade teams from the parochial schools in the Johnstown region have united under the Bishop McCort banner. Those McCort teams compete against Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference opponents.

The Pee Wee Division, with four member teams, plays 11-man football with fifth and sixth graders from the five remaining parochial schools.

The Pee Wee teams are: St. Benedict’s, Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Andrew’s and St. Patrick’s/Cathedral Catholic. A team from Ferndale also joined this year.

There also is an instructional league for boys in third and fourth grade attending parochial schools. This weekend is the last for regular-season games. The Parochial League playoffs begin next week.

‘Good community thing’

The Windber Youth Football League is in its 25th season and first year of tackle football for grades 5 and 6.

“This was our transition year of going from a flag league to a tackle league for our major league,” said fifth-year President Mark Bahorik. “It was quite a learning curve for us. Things have worked out well. I’ve got a lot of support from the community, the parents and the coaches. It’s been nice working with everybody.”

The WYFL includes grades 2 through 6. The four teams in second through fourth grade play flag football in the minor division.

Bahorik said 82 players participate and there are approximately 60 cheerleaders.

Windber is a football-rich community. The varsity Ramblers, coached by veteran Phil DeMarco, frequently offer support to the youth league through clinics and other avenues. For instance, tonight the youth players will be recognized during the varsity Ramblers’ game against Berlin at Windber Stadium.

“The Windber varsity coaches and the junior high coaches always welcomed us into any of their resources,” Bahorik said. “They let us use their field, their equipment. They put on clinics for us. When we decided to go with our majors in tackle, the varsity really helped us make that transition with clinics and different resources that a high school football team could provide. We’re kind of like the seed. Whatever we develop is going to benefit them, and I think they look at it the same way.”

Like the Parochial League, Windber has dealt with declining numbers in recent seasons.

“We were in the process of maybe joining up with the Johnstown or Richland leagues,” Bahorik said. “We wanted to try to stay in the Windber area, but the kids just aren’t there. We’re in a transition state right now as to which direction we want to go with our fifth and sixth grade teams as far as tackle. Our second, third and fourth grade teams will remain in the Windber League. It’s a good community thing. We’ve had a lot of support from everybody.”

‘Behind the scenes’

A common theme in any youth sports activity is the importance of volunteers, whether as league officials, coaches or organizers.

“This program could not run without adult volunteers who give of themselves their time to coach the kids, whether it be football or cheerleading, to work the concession stands, to do the handing out of the administration of each program,” JYFL’s Andrews said. “There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes even before the kids go out on the field.”

The checklist is lengthy.

“There is ordering of proper sizes of uniforms, safety equipment, cleaning equipment, storage of equipment, purchasing new equipment, getting the field ready for game day,” Andrews said. “When all the football stuff is all over, you pack things up and get ready for the next year. There is a lot that goes into fundraising. Johnstown is one league that does not get any direct funding source. We have to solicit for funds on a regular basis. It’s not part of the Johnstown Recreation Department.”

Most of the leagues’ regular seasons will wrap up in the next week or two.

“It’s enough football that they’re not burned out. It’s a six-game schedule with one bye week,” Richland’s Fleming said. “It’s exposure to football. They learn the fundamentals. The true success of the program is measured by how many kids continue to come out. You know your success by the number of kids who come back out the next year.”

Continuity has been the key for the JYFL.

“We’ve been around for 15 years, so that in itself shows the success of the league,” Andrews said, noting that the local NAACP chapter recognized the league’s 15th anniversary recently. “A lot of kids want to play sports. This gives them an opportunity to do it in a safe environment.”



Tribune-Democrat sports editor Eric Knopsnyder contributed to this report.

        

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