Montville loves its sports. When it comes to youth football, everyone in town is a Montville Indian – the name all of the teams use in the Montville Youth Football League (MYFL).
The football league is one of those things that define Montville. The non-profit, all-volunteer youth sports organization has been around for close to forty years, according to members of its board of directors.
“I played in the league when I was a kid,” said John Hagerman, league president, who’s 37. “It had been around before that.”
Between 250 and 300 young boys, from age 7 to 13, participate in the football league each year, Hagerman said. They play on one of five teams, from instructional, micro, junior and senior categories, based on size and weight.
For girls, there’s the cheerleading program; last year, Montville’s girls won their conference competition last year in Waterford.
The MYFL mission is to provide the eligible children of Montville the opportunity to enjoy football and cheerleading at the youth level. The senior, junior and micro A teams of the MYFL are members of the Southern New England Youth Football Conference and are subject to its rules, regulations and schedules.
The SNEYFC is comprised of 14 regional communities and is very competitive, according to MYFL’s website. The conference has a nine-game regular season with top finishers qualifying for a post-season tournament.
The all-volunteer league fills a void in football sports for Montville’s middle schoolers. Without an organized public school football program, the league prepares seventh and eighth graders for Montville High School football.
“We’re the feeder program for Montville High School’s football program,” said Hagerman, who has been involved with league coaching for eleven years. “When you get to sit down and watch a high school game, kids you’ve coached or helped get through the program, to see these young athletes become young men is probably the most you get out of it.
Hagerman estimates there are at least 50 volunteers in the league. It’s easier to fill coaching positions, he said, because parents like to work with the kids. Staffing the concession stand, an important fundraising activity, is tougher. That responsibility falls to his wife, Tina, Auxiliary Director for MYFL for two years.
“Everyone volunteers for what they can do, and then we try to get new parents to step in as children grow up,” Tina said.
Then there are the parents who never leave the league, which isn’t a bad thing.
“My youngest kid is going to be 21 years old,” joked Nefty Sostre, vice president, and I’m still there.”
With three sons who have played in the league, he’s been a coach for at least 10 years.
“I love the game and showing the young, impressionable kids about it. Hopefully what we teach carries them through to the next level, whether it’s high school, college or whatever,” he said.
Plus, it also makes him feel good when former players, now grown adults, still call him “Coach,” and bring their own kids into the program.
“We kind of reminisce, and they get a chuckle out of it when we throw back things at them from when they were playing football as kids,” he said. “It’s kind of unique - none of us juniors coaches have any kids in the league any more. We just love coaching. We have good camaraderie, we communicate well.”
Rob Amanti, the league’s football director, and Sostre have been coaching together for the last ten years, and went to school together before that. Tom Kelleher, whose son graduated last year to high school football, continues to coach.
It takes a lot of time and effort, Sostra said, both pre- and during the season.
“We’re here at least four hours a night for practice, not including games,” he said.
The league plays its home games at Camp Oakdale. The town cuts the grass and lines the field, but volunteers are expected to maintain the inside and outside of the field house and the grounds around it.
Fans will notice some extra sparkle and shine at the football facilities this year. Thanks to the efforts of league board members and other volunteers and local businesses in collaboration with Montville Parks and Recreation Department, the football field is sporting new goal posts, a new scoreboard and fresh paint or stain on the field house.
As with any volunteer organization, the league’s strengths and contributions of board members change over the years.
Hagerman calls the current league board a “team of go-getters,” who get out there to do the best thing for the kids and the league.
In the past year, the league has pushed to upgrade the playing field, adding new goal posts, thanks to the generosity of Kobyluck Trucking in Uncasville, and a new score board.
“We really appreciate what Kobyluck has done for us,” said Sostre. “They delivered and installed the goal posts, dug the holes, provided the cement.”
Board member Bill Clark has organized the collection of donations to put up a new scoreboard, which costs around $8,000.
“We’ve had great support from Jim Butler (director of Montville Parks and Recreation),” Hagerman said. “He orchestrated a lot of the support for getting the building stained this year, running the football camp with Coach Grove and Montville High School.”
Board members showed up on Fourth of July weekend to help spruce up the place. Their goal is to get concessions and the field ready for the July 28 kick-off of a Youth Football Camp for sixth, seventh and eighth graders, sponsored by Montville High School.
Player registration fees and fundraisers go to cover ongoing league expenses.
“Every year over half of the equipment has to go out and be recertified for safety,” said Rich Huston, assistant equipment director. Getting helmets and pads refurbished can cost $2000 – 3000 per year, Tina Hagerman added.
Huston, who grew up in Montana, where he could participate in public school youth sports programs starting in junior high, has had three children involved in the MYFL. Ryan, 12, plays football and his twin sister, Heather, is a cheerleader; Tyler, 14, has moved on from the youth program.
“It helps a lot with their teamwork and attitude and all-around better health,” he said.
Sign-ups This Week
Sign-ups for this fall started July 21 and run through the 24th, 6 – 8 p.m. at Camp Oakdale. Season practice starts on August 4. August practice is Monday through Friday, 6 to 8 p.m., during school it shifts to Tuesday through Thursday, and coaches can call optional practice on Fridays, Tina Hagerman said.
On August 23, the Lions will host a Jamboree at Camp Oakdale, putting on half-field exhibition games with players from three other area towns. Those games start at 2, 4, 6 and 8 pm.
Official playing season starts August 31st and runs through the middle of October, with a super bowl in November for the older boys, Tina Hagerman said. Competition games are played on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cheerleaders are practicing at the same time, but usually move their practice sessions inside starting in October, as they prepare for conference competition, too.
Upcoming Fundraisers
For its annual fundraiser, the league is holding a walkathon at Camp Oakdale on August 16. Proceeds of this go for equipment and uniforms.
“The kids will walk up to five miles that day – football players and cheerleaders,” Tina said. “They go out ahead of time and get pledges from grandparents, parents and friends.”
The adults are organizing an annual golf tournament on September 19. Watch the Montville Times for more information.
Anyone interested in supporting the volunteer efforts by the league can contact John Hagerman at HAGE415@aol.com
MYFL registration forms are at the league’s new website, www.montvillefootball.com