Naperville’s football stars of tomorrow stand maybe 4 feet tall, are clad in aqua and orange uniforms and wear protective equipment that looks–to say the least–oversized.
They’re the Dolphins, a collection of 6- to-8-year-old boys who play in the Mighty Mite Division, an in-house league for the youngest and newest members of the Naperville Youth Football League.
This fall they’re learning football. By October 2010, some of the Dolphins could be the centers of attention at big crosstown games like Friday night’s Naperville North-Naperville Central clash at North Central College.
On a recent Saturday morning, however, the play was low key as the Dolphins battled the Patriots in front of several dozen parents, relatives and friends at Knoch Park. The fans cheered good plays and offered encouragement when thing didn’t go right.
“We’re trying to teach them the fundamentals of football–blocking, tackling, how to run the ball,” said Dolphins head coach Wayne Ederer, a regional manager for Chevron Products Co. “We want to make sure they do it properly so they don’t injure themselves.”
Dolphin players were easy to spot in their bright orange pants and aqua uniform shirts. So were their coaches, four volunteer dads who towered over their boisterous pint-sized charges directing plays and trying to keep order as players excitedly clamored for their turn to get in the game.
“Everybody plays one position,” Ederer said. “That’s in the league rules. So each [Mighty Mite] team has 16 players. They play eight on offense and eight on defense.”
A computer picks the teams. Players are assigned based on age, weight and experience. The goal is to have teams in each eight-team division as equal as possible.
And while this is the first season of organized football for many Dolphin players, they clearly were quickly picking up the game as they improved to 4-0 with a 27-12 victory.
The NYFL, now in its 41st season, claims to be one of the nation’s largest youth football programs. It has more than 1,200 participants ranging from ages 6 to 14 split up among 42 teams in six divisions.
Five divisions play in-house–against other Naperville teams–in a season that runs through October. The sixth division consists of traveling teams that compete against other Chicago-area squads through November.
“We don’t turn anybody down,” said league president Doug Fumagalli. “There are no tryouts and everybody makes the teams. Each team is assigned players and they all play. Everybody gets a chance to play and develop their talents.”
Players move up to higher divisions as they get older and gain experience.
Running the league is a year-round task, taking up to 10-20 hours weekly and the talents of as many as 500 volunteers, about half working as coaches. The league is governed by a 20-member board and is run like a successful corporation, albeit with volunteer labor.
“Five years ago this was not run like a business,” said Fumagalli. “It is today in terms of the hierarchy and the responsibilities that the people have. … The people who handle our finances, their background is as accountants. Someone who has something to do with the Web site, that’s his expertise. We obviously have a lawyer. They’re all volunteers.
“If the people are in place and they’re all empowered, then it works well.”
Fumagalli, who runs his own computer consulting company and played high school football under legendary coach Gordie Gillespie at Joliet Catholic, has been involved in the league for the past six years.
“I started out as a coach as many people do,” he said.
Remember when?
Kevin Hahn’s face broke into a grin when asked how his football career got started.
“When I was little, I was scared to death,” said the Naperville North running back about his initial NYFL experiences at age 7. “I just did not want to hit anyone. I was so afraid.
“I played for like half a season. Football just wasn’t my sport, that’s for sure.”
But after watching his older brother play, Hahn changed his mind and rejoined the NYFL as a more enthusiastic 9-year old. He played on in-house teams, then moved up to the traveling division to play against other Chicago-area teams.
Today the 5-foot, 10-inch, 185-pound senior is one of the NYFL’s marquee graduates and was a starter in the Naperville North backfield until an leg injury sidelined him two weeks ago. Hahn hopes to be back in the lineup for Friday night’s showdown, but may not return until Oct. 20.
Standing on the Huskies’ home field clad in casual street clothes after last Friday’s win over Wheaton-Warrenville South, Hahn said the NYFL deserves full credit for helping him build a solid football foundation.
“[The NYFL] is where I learned everything,” he said. “I learned how you need to be mentally prepared and the kind of attitude you have to have and the work ethic. You just can’t come out and expect to play. You’ve got to work hard in everything you do [and] practice.”
While on NYFL traveling teams, he even learned the offense now employed at Naperville North. Multiply Hahn’s experience by hundreds of Naperville boys [and even a handful of girls] and the results are well-prepared players who have a big impact on programs at Naperville Central, Naperville North, Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley.
Simple pleasures
For the Dolphins, running around on a football field and crashing into other players is, well, fun.
“I like to hit people,” said lineman Daniel Price, whose favorite professional player is Ronnie Lott. “He taught me how to tackle [at a school assembly] and I did it in front of the whole school!”
Chris Anderson, now in his second NYFL season, also likes “hitting people and tackling.” On his helmet, Anderson had three symbols for touchdowns he’s scored and four skull and crossbones for good tackles.
Kyle Cerchio, who had 12 tackles in the Dolphins victory, loves to play defense. “I like nose guard because I like making tackles. Today I made a lot.”
Kevin Hahn advises the young players to simply enjoy themselves.
“At that age? Have fun and have a great time,” he said. “Once you get older, practice a lot and put in as much effort as you can. Work hard, because you’ll regret it if you don’t.”
Building the future
Bob Napolitano has a unique perpective on the NYFL. A veteran of 20 years in youth football, he serves as the league’s vice president for programs and is also an assistant coach at Naperville North. In addition, he also helped out for four seasons at Naperville Central.
“I know a lot of the kids that come into the high schools and they developed at the youth levels,” said Napolitano, a 39-year-old information technology consultant. “There’s no question that this starter program in Naperville is a great feeder for the high schools.
“Of all the kids that come out of the NYFL, probably 60 to 70 percent are starters at the [four local] high schools.”
At the youth level, Napolitano has coached such current high school players at North’s Hahn and Central quarterback Owen Daniels and linebacker Ryan Amberson.
Many ex-NYFL players go on to play college football. At lease one has even gone beyond that, Napolitano said.
Chris Ziemann got his start in the NYFL, then was a standout at Waubonsie Valley. After high school, he went on to a successful career as at Michigan and is currently an offensive tackle with the NFL’s New York Giants. His father, Tom, still coaches in the NYFL.
Beyond teaching skills, playing NYFL football also helps build strong friendships.
“A lot of the kids played together [in the NYFL] and they kept in touch. They’re good friends,” said Napolitano. “So when they go on the field like at the Central-North game, they’re playing against their best friends.”
