Coaches see higher participation levels in youth football league
Young football players ran through mock plays on a warm evening at the Dartmouth Middle School, while cheerleaders-in-training studied new steps and chants on the other end of the field.
It was the final week of practice for the Dartmouth Youth Football League’s preseason program, which officially kicked off on August 1. The football and cheerleading programs have seen increased interest this season, according to league president Jeff Sylvia.
“It’s more than we had a year ago. We actually had to put kids on a waitlist,” Sylvia said. This year, the program attracted 130 football players broken up into five teams. Cheerleading coordinator Ann Davis counted 55 cheerleaders this year, which she divided into three teams.
“It’s been a few years since we’ve had this level of involvement,” Davis said.
For the past few weeks, Sylvia has overseen joint conditioning and endurance training between the cheer and football athletes.
Football players Jake Duphily, Michael Murphy, and Zachary Sylvia noted that the first week of practice was particularly tough.
“The first week was tough, it was all about getting into shape, now we’re getting used to it,” Duphily said.
Now, the teams are learning their respective games before this season’s first scrimmage on August 21, said Syliva.
The football teams started wearing full gear during practice, and rehearsed snaps and ball control, while the cheerleading team learned new choreography.
The program is not all about winning, nor is it entirely about football or cheerleading, Sylvia said. First and foremost, it’s about the kids, he said.
Sylvia believes that the program teaches kids valuable teamwork and social skills, as well as builds kids’ commitment to schoolwork and learning. The program has strict policies that dictate schoolwork comes before football, he said.
This will be the final year in the youth cheerleading program for Faith Davis, who has been participating for the past eight years. She said she has developed lasting friendships, improved physical skills, and learned the importance of teamwork.
