KCR_Oswego Youth Football 40th Anniversary_102419

YEARS OF YOUTH FOOTBALL BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMERICAN QUALITY HOME IMPROVEMENT

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Looking back, what stands out most was that OYTF was more than just a football experience.

It was a family experience. The scores of the games from that age group will fade, but the friendships made and the good feelings about the team can last a lifetime. At that age, talent levels will change, so it really doesn’t matter too much how you played until you get to high school.

Therefore, parents that understand this take OYTF for what it is. Development and enjoying the game. If the coaches promote it properly and it gets reinforced at home, the kids return. When the kids gain familiarity, they relax and have fun. And that is what it is all about.

Mike Bertok | Former OYTF coach

PHOTOS PRODIVED BY: ROBERT NARANJO, SHEA LAZANSKY, DANETTE JUNGELS, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF THE OYTF. PUBLISHED BY: SHAW MEDIA

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40 Years of OYTF! Since 1979, Oswego Youth Tackle Football has been a part of the community, teaching young players the values of teamwork, perseverance and commitment.

This commemorative magazine celebrates that longevity, and reflects the countless memories built by generations of football players, cheerleaders, parents, volunteers and supporters who have made 40 years of local youth football possible.

As an Oswego graduate, Oswego football has been a part of my life for many years.

The last seven years with OYTF have been a wonderful experience, cheering on my boys and their team members each week. I have watched both of my players develop, mature and build life-long friendships through OYTF. They have learned the value of teamwork, the importance of discipline, how to win and lose gracefully, and how to demonstrate respect for each other, their opponents, their coaches, and everyone involved in the game. I wouldn’t change a thing about my family’s experience with OYTF. This season, my younger son is playing 11U, while my older son plays for varsity.

He soon will compete in his last game for OYTF, and I look back on our years in the program with both fondness and gratitude, and a little bit of sadness, too. I am so thankful for the experience he has had playing for OYTF. And while we are looking forward to the opportunity of high school football, it is hard to imagine our routine without this program.

Because of the impact OYTF has had on my family, it’s a special honor to be able to help present to you this commemorative magazine. It is my hope that the following pages bring up as many good memories for your family as they did for me, and encourage you to continue your support of this valuable community sports program.

Laura Shaw Laura Shaw Publisher, Oswego Ledger

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s n o i t a l u t a r g Con YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Oswego Youth Tackle Football on 40 Years!

BY: CHRIS WALKER

It was the late 1970s when a group of parents, businesspeople and the local high school football coach worked together to create a youth football league for children in Oswego.

Youth football had seen a tremendous expansion in the 1960s and ‘70s. In the Chicago suburbs, a league named for Chicago Bears’ Hall of Fame linebacker (and sometime placekicker) Bill George had taken root, but there were no local options for Oswegoarea youth – until some parents were inspired to change that.

Several people were responsible for creating Oswego Youth Tackle Football and Cheer (OYTF), which had its inaugural season in 1979 and is Oswego’s largest and longest-running youth football and cheer program.

The story goes that Boulder Hill residents Jim Sissom and Bob Smith sought out Bob Tripp of Tripp & Associates Insurance Agency for coverage for a new youth tackle football program. Glenn Posmer, Oswego’s head varsity football coach at the time, was an enthusiastic advocate for the creation of a feeder football program.

Smith became the program’s commissioner, Sissom and his wife Barbara were co-presidents, Mel and Vivian Lowe were co-vice presidents, Dick and Marlene Wincheski were co-secretaries, Charlie and

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3 years ago our final game was against Burlington, we win we make the playoffs, it rained for 2 days and we were the last scheduled game that day, it turned into a mud pit, the kids fought hard and won that game, to celebrate, as a team they ran to the middle of the field, which was a swamp and all dove in head first, the pictures afterwards are priceless, that game is etched in all our minds forever.

Rich Cannavino | Varsity Gold Coach

Barb Brown were co-treasurers, Jim Campbell and Randy Peter were the first coaches and Bill Carey and Doc Ervin were also among the adults who played pivotal roles.

Like anything new, there was a lot to coordinate in starting a youth football league. Volunteer organizers had to find practice space, opponents to play, equipment and uniforms for the players, and more.

“Glenn Posmer and Bob Smith did a lot of the stuff to get the uniforms, schedules and all that stuff,” Peter said. “A lot of people got involved. We struggled a bit at times at the start, finding places to play and stuff, but you have to expect those things when you’re starting something new.”

They caught a break when the late Dick Hayden, who

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owned Hayden’s Sport Center, a sporting equipment supplier, recognized the selfless efforts of the parents and the strong desire to learn and play football from the 49 seventh- and eighth-graders who had registered to play. A standout football player and athlete himself, Hayden agreed to supply helmets, shoulder pads and other equipment and asked for reimbursement only when the league had the means to do so.

It cost about $125 to properly equip each player in 1979, which equates to almost $475 today.

Participants only were asked to pay a $40 fee.

Success came to the OYTF much quicker than it’s taken the Bears to win another Super Bowl.

“We use colors for level of competition, and when I first started there were only blue and orange,” said Dave Rogers, OYTF football athletic director, who has been involved with the organization for the past 25 years. “But we kept on growing to the point that many kids couldn’t get in, and back then it was first-come, first-served. Because we were having so many kids, we added another color.”

As interest grew, the league grew with it, doing its part to best serve the community.

“So we added a fourth color, which was silver, so we then had four colors and four levels at each color,” Rogers said. “We had 500 kids playing at one time, and that’s a lot of kids, and we went that way for years.”

Although OYTF strives to teach and instruct kids in the basic skills of competitive tackle football and

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cheerleading, there’s far more to it. The league inspires children to practice the ideals of teamwork and sportsmanship, to respect authority, teammates, opponents and oneself, to develop self-confidence and a feeling of accomplishment, to promote responsibility of one’s actions and encourages safety, honesty and fair play.

We’ve been around the league for at least 10 years. OYTF has only been a great place for my boys to play football. One of my most memorable years was when we still had designated weight classes Super Light and Lightweight. My oldest son Logan was moved up from super light to light weight for 1 pound in 2011 with Coach Childers. That year they went to the Super Bowl against Coal City and one cold day Coach Pauly Varsity Silver

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Patrick Cathey has served as president of OYTF for six years and acknowledged that putting the kids first has contributed to the success andlongevity of the organization.

“We make sure the parents know it’s a youth sport and not an adult sport,” Cathey said. “There’s no scholarships and no scouts at the games. At the parent meeting we explain to all the new parents that it’s youth instructional football and one of the quotes we keep adopting is to tell

the kids we love watching football and to leave it at that.”

And, of course, they want the kids to have fun, and there has been plenty of that in the past 40 years, along with some big-time successes on the field.

According to Rogers, OYTF has 11 Super Bowl titles, including one from the Blue JV team that he coached in 2001.

The effect of having a local youth football league teaching fundamentals to younger players has translated to greater success at the high-school level, too.

In 1985, six years after the OYTF’s first season, Oswego High School’s varsity team went 5-4, marking its first winning season in a decade.

Since 1985, the varsity team has had only had two losing seasons. That 1985 class featured players who were the seventh-graders on the

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I would say my favorite memory was starting out with a loss in the 2018 season and running off 9 straight wins ending with a Super Bowl victory over Yorkville, which had been a huge rival over the past 3 years.

Jeff Hernandez | Head coach - 11u Division 1 Gold

debut team in 1979. Oswego East, which struggled like nearly every new school does at the start, has notched winning seasons in five of the past six years.

“I truly believe the big difference at the high school was started by OYTF,” said former player Mike Cook (1979-‘80). “We had the first winning season in a long time and were far more competitive, and the next year we won conference.”

Almost every starter on Oswego’s IHSA Class 7A state championship team in 2003 learned how to play the game through OYTF. “My son (Cole) was on that state team, and every kid came through OYTF except for cornerback Dave Carlton whose family had relocated from Ohio,” Rogers said.

“So they learned a lot in OYTF prior to even getting to the high school.”

During its humble beginnings, the youth league only had two teams, which played each other.

Later, OYTF joined the River Valley League. They’ve competed in a few different leagues over the years. Today, all 10 OYTF teams

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play in the prestigious Bill George Youth Football League (BGYFL).

Today, OYTF calls Grande Park in Plainfield its home. The program got its start at Thompson Junior High in Oswego, and later practiced at Fox Chase Elementary School. Games were also played at Oswego High School.

Like other youth football programs, OYTF’s popularity is being tested by concerns over player safety, while sport specialization and cost are also factors that have impacted the game. Although OYTF was overwhelmed with interest and grew quickly over the years, its numbers have seen some decline, similar to other programs that are fighting the same fight.

“We’ve had different leagues, but football is football,” Rogers said.

“It hasn’t changed, it’s just that the numbers have. Last year we were down to 153 kids total, including cheerleaders, and then this year we had people come back who played with us before and now we’re back up to 254.”

A recent study from the National

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So far coaching for the OYTF league has been a blast! The kids and parents have been great. The board and other coaches have been extremely helpful. I have felt welcome since the first day I registered as a coach.

Ryan Zamora – Flag Coach

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Although OYTF can’t decide if football or cheerleading are right for your child, it’s doing what it can to ensure the children’s safety when they play either sport. As for the benefits of playing, OYTF alums can attest to them.

“We’re affiliated with USA Football and have to be certified as coaches,” Rogers said. “So we have to watch videos and go through training sessions in order to teach them how to wear equipment properly, how to block and tackle without using their heads, hydrations and stuff, and we have to take tests. The kids go through a lot of training to learn how to tackle properly and safety is always and emphasis.”

What does the future hold for Oswego Youth Tackle Football?

CONGRATULATIONS OSWEGO YOUTH TACKLE FOOTBALL ON YOUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY!

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“Now that we’re in the BGYFL, one of the leading leagues in the state, we feel we can keep players in Oswego with a league that’s competitive but with different levels for all kids,” said Jay DeMarco, OYTF’s rep for the Bill George league. “We’ll continue to give kids goals to set, and at the end of the day we’re still going to continue spreading the love of football with the kids.”

3201 Orchard Road, Oswego, IL 60543 AlliedFirst.com • 630.554.8899

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD MEMBERS (LEFT TO RIGHT) : Dave Massoth - Vice President; Scott Hutchings - Sponsorship Manager; Jay DeMarco - BGYFL rep; Jeff Hernandez - Equipment/field manager; Dave Rogers - Football AD; Jessica Harvey - Cheer AD; Jon Koeble - Assistant Football AD; Chris Stork - Secretary; Jason Stork - Assistant Football AD; Eric Konken - Treasurer

NOT PICTURED : Patrick Cathey - President

My favorite part of coaching is watching the kids just have fun and get so excited to play the game win or lose. And especially watching them grow as a player and seeing things finally click (from being taught by their coaches of course :) and the light bulb FINALLY turns on. It’s priceless.

Jason Chriske | 9U Coach

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2019 While coaching and teaching a group of young boys is an experience in itself, seeing how they come together as one unit, a team, friends over a period of three months is priceless. I have had the fortune of seeing players move on to HS and college throughout my years of coaching and still today many still see me around town and say hi coach. Words can’t describe the feeling you have each time that happens. My main goal is to teach an appreciation of the game, discipline and hard word which everyone can use in all aspects of their lives as they get older.

Jamie Howard | Oswego Panthers 8U Coach

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This program has been the heart and soul of youth football for the last 40 years in Oswego. I love watching the dads that coached in the early days now watching their grandchildren playing with their sons coaching. You know we are doing something special when you have multiple generations of families taking part in the program.

Jason Stork | Head coach 10U

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I love being able to coach and give back to this great organization. Helping the kids develop good core values as well as becoming better football players along the way.

Dan Howell | 11U Silver Coach

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2019 GOOD LUCK VARSITY

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YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE BY: CHRIS WALKER

Long before he was a planning and training sergeant with the Northbrook Police Department, Craig Roscoe electrified crowds with his punt returning skills as he helped Oswego win a state football title in the early 1990s.

Although he honed his skills in high school, he learned the fundamentals when he was introduced to the sport through Oswego Youth Tackle Football and Cheer (OYTF), where he played from 1985-’89.

“That was my first time playing football and I can remember coming home from school and watching the clock and counting down the time,” he said. “I’d grab my pads and my helmet and ride my bike to Thompson Junior High to meet with my friends for practice.”

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These days, Roscoe is sharing that experience with his son by coaching youth football and serving on the Villa Park Warriors board as its equipment manager.

“OYTF made such an impact on me,” Roscoe said. “When my son expressed an interest in playing, I knew I would be a part of it.”

Roscoe is one of thousands who have played, cheered, coached or served for the OYTF with fond memories of their time with an organization that has proudly served the Oswego community now for 40 years.

Jason Stork, assistant football athletic director and a coach for OYTF, has been involved for over 20 years and said its the organizational culture that sets it apart.

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“It’s family-like here, and our program has always been about teaching the fundamentals about football and having fun and being safe,” he said.

“We’ve always maintained that OYTF is about the kids having fun and getting ready for high school. None of these kids are getting D-I scholarships at eight years old.

“I think one of the reasons we’ve been able to maintain success is that our common goal isn’t about winning a Super Bowl and never losing.”

Of course, sometimes that hard work and dedication results in Super Bowl victories, which is

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something Stork got to experience for the first time as a head coach with his son’s team last fall.

“I had been in four or five Super Bowls previously and we had gotten close to winning, but had never won,” Stork said. “So the fact that we won while I got to coach my son was super cool.”

Many Oswego youth football participants enjoy their experience so much that they’re inspired to return.

Kyleigh Rogers is a recent alumnus, although the college sophomore returned as a volunteer coach. The 19-year-old

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be egan as a cheerleader, but was distracted by the action on the e field.

“I couldn’t stop watching the game so I asked if I could play foo otball instead of cheerleading,” she said. “I stuck with it thrrough eighth grade and had considered playing football in hig gh school.”

Sh he learned lifelong lessons while making similar friends alo ong the way.

“I love the relationships and bonds I’ve formed through OY YTF,” she said. “The environment is great. Some of my tea ammates are still my really good friends and I’d watch all the eir high school games. The bond you create is more than jusst football.”

Osswego youth football made such an impact on Rogers that she wanted to help it grow by coaching.

“C Coaches are such a big thing, and if you don’t have good co oaches the kids will move away from the game,” she said.

“Football has taught me that a lot of people look up to you, an nd that has led me to be a good role model and influence on alll the kids I come across.”

Da ave Rogers, longtime coach and football AD for the program, has impacted countless lives in his 25 years of service. He’s even seen children he’s coached return as adults to coach their own kids, sharing some of those valuable lesssons with kids that he originally shared with them.

“W We have two guys, Adam Pugsley and Dan Howell, who are no ow here coaching,” Rogers said. “And I run into the kids all h time. I just ran into one in Sam’s Club a few minutes ago.” the Kaitlin Boyd, who teaches at Oswego’s Lakewood Creek Elementary School, has had students in her class who are part of the youth football program, just like she was from 19962001.

“I loved to dance, but it was OYTF that made me more comfortable being part of a team,” Boyd said. “I had a really great experience. I loved it. We had a performance to go to every week and it kind of taught me how to prioritize schoolwork with going to practice and games, so it got me ready for high school.”

While in high school, Boyd returned to OYTF to do some choreography work, and her love for teaching continued to grow and ultimately inspired her to pursue a career as an educator. Today, she’s able to watch many of her students participate in OYTF activities.

“You go back and watch them and they’ve all gotten so big,” Boyd said. “I go to their games now, so it’s come full circle.”

Although the adults have gotten involved for the kids, they’re also reaping enormous benefits themselves from getting involved with OYTF. Jeff Hernandez, head coach of the 11U Division 1 gold team and the organization’s equipment manager, said he considers himself blessed to be a part of it.

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I coached the same group of kids from 3rd grade to 8th grade, and they played in the Super Bowl in their last game of youth football. It took our opponent two plays to score twice, so we were down 14-0 before anyone had even worked up a sweat. It looked pretty grim but our kids hung in there and kept making plays and somehow found a way to tie it up and then punch in one last score at the end to wrap up their OYTF careers with a championship.

Chris Carroll | Head Coach – JV Silver

“What I love about OYTF is the amazing brotherhood and friendships my son has created with his teammates,” he said.

“I have also gained some great friends that I believe will be an important part of my life for years to come.”

teams in 1979 that just played each other. Although it seems like a lifetime ago when Cook was playing in youth league, he remains tied to the organization today since his daughter is now a cheerleader for OYTF.

He’ll never forget last season.

“I don’t have a lot of memories from that first team,” he said.

“The orange team won all the games against the blue, but in year two (1980) we started playing the Aurora Catholic schools (and Minooka). We only had four games, but we won them all, so it was pretty exciting.”

“My favorite memory was my son’s (Jeff Jr.) team that I coached winning the Super Bowl in the 2018 season,” he said. “It was against Yorkville, who had been a huge rival for us over the past three seasons.”

Mike Cook was one of the players from the original

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My sister, Valerie Jackson, and I are coaching together as we have daughters the same age. This is their second year cheering with OYTF and they love it! They love the sidelines, they love the friends they make and they love love love the jr. coaches!!! From the coaching perspective, it has been so rewarding to see the growth the girls make in so many areas including strength, ability, teamwork, cooperation, skill, and commitment. I could not be more proud of how far our girls have come and am so excited for them to showcase it at competition!

Michelle Peterson | 8U Cheer

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YOUTH CHEERLEADING LEAGUE

BY SHEA LAZANSKY While young football players battle it out on the field, cheerleaders fill the sidelines, energizing the players and the crowd.

The members of the Oswego Youth Tackle Football Cheerleading program rise through the ranks alongside players, often starting very young, and lasting as long as possible.

Madeline DeCeault joined OYTF in kindergarten, and stayed in until fifth grade.

“I joined because I was already doing ballet and gymnastics, and cheerleading seemed like the next step. My best friend’s mom was also a coach, so I wanted to get involved,” she said.

DeCeault had many friends in the program, which helped her to stay in for so many years. “My sisters and younger brother also joined OYTF, so it sort of became a family tradition,” she added.

Alexis Hernandez joined in second grade, and stayed through fifth grade. “I stayed in OYTF because I loved the program. I love to practice then show off all our hard work at the games,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez’s brother was a part of the football program, while many of her friends were in OYTF with her. “ It’s now a great memory,” she said.

Both DeCeault and Hernandez joined the Traughber Junior

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Cheerleading

This is my first year of coaching. I will say it is a lot of work, but so rewarding when I see the girls work so hard, learn so much and most importantly have fun!

Elaine Kubajak 10U Cheer

High School Spirit Squad, thanks to their time in OYTF. While DeCeault stopped cheering in high school to pursue other interests, Hernandez stayed a cheerleader through high school.

Hernandez still stays in touch with her friends from cheer.

“Our parents...post pictures of all of us in OYTF and it’s just such a great feeling and memory to have,” she said. “It’s such a good feeling that I now look forward to giving my children the option of joining a similar program.”

Hernandez and DeCeault both advised young girls in OYTF to have fun.

It will help you get all the practice you need for the future,” Hernandez said, emphasizing the lasting friendships made in the program.

“There are so many wonderful people to meet and places to go,” DeCeault said. “Practices are always fun, and it is wonderful to be outside and get active. It is such a positive program to be a part of, and promotes children to exercise healthy competition.”

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CONGRATULATIONS Oswego Ledger?

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