Danville Saints youth football organization continues to develop local athletes
DANVILLE, Ill. — The Danville Saints youth football organization is the oldest standing youth football program in town. The Saints were originally sponsored by St. Paul’s, St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Schools in the early 1970s. Hence, the name.
At one time, almost every park in Danville had a youth football team. Nowadays, the Saints are one of only four youth teams in Danville. The team belongs to the Central Illinois Youth Football League based out of Champaign which includes athletes from Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, St. Joe area, Rantoul. Other teams affiliated with the league from Danville are the Seahawks (Garfield Park) and the Chargers (Douglas Park).
This year, 60 kids are participating in the football program. They are 3rd to 8th graders and primarily boys but girls are not turned away. The Saints season begins in July and ends in late October. The players practice five days a week until school starts in the Fall. Actual football games are played on Sundays.
Schlarman Academy has graciously provided a field and accommodations for the youth football program which has served hundreds of young athletes over the years. The Saints are supported financially through fundraisers and registration fees, as well as private donations. It costs approximately $250-$350.00 to outfit each player.
Football practice is intense. While there is an obvious physical aspect, the mental aspect of the game can be challenging as well. For example, 3rd and 4th graders must learn between 28-36 plays. They are introduced to recognizing the plays through hand signals.
Every level progressively prepares them for the next level. If players continue into high school, they have a solid foundation of football fundamentals. Former Saints contribute to the varsity lineups at Danville High School, Schlarman Academy, as well as many Vermilion County and west central Indiana high schools.
For Chris Yates, who has been coaching for 17 years and has headed the Saints organization for the past 13 years, teaching the game of football is only part of the program. In addition to the fundamentals of play, the kids learn fundamentals of life. The players learn self-discipline, sportsmanship, and teamwork. They learn to identify as leaders or contributors. They learn to put forth strenuous effort to achieve a goal. Chris often tells his players, “Nothing worth having comes easy.”
The players must put forth effort in the classroom as well as the football field. There are consequences for poor grades or bad behavior. Yates often looks for young athletes who may need extra attention and guidance. For those players, the Saints coaches try their best to provide consistency, support, and mentoring. Yates stresses that the Saints are student athletes. Emphasis on the student.
The Saints organization has been an ideal platform for teaching life lessons and demonstrates, not only how to be productive on the football field, but also in life. When former players contact Chris years after playing for the Saints to let him know what is going on in their life, it is evident that the program extends way beyond football.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
