Coaches Dave McCool, left, and Ryan Sands lead a group of Young Tigers football players during a recent practice. The program recently concluded its 2022 season with an awards banquet Oct. 30. InkFreeNews photos by Keith Knepp.

By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Most top high school sports programs can attribute their some of their success to a quality youth feeder program. The Young Tigers football has been providing that early base to future Warsaw Community High School teams for two decades.

The youth program started with very humble roots, born through the efforts of four men — Dave McCool. Allan Ross, Mark Stamper and Carl Sowers.

The Young Tigers football program in Warsaw began playing at Fribley Field in 2004 thanks to the vision of four local men, including Dave McCool, who still serves as the director of coaching for the Warsaw-based organization.

The program’s home base, Fribley Field, was dedicated in 2004. Situated on Market Street just east of downtown Warsaw, it boasts bleachers, a concession stand, restrooms, press box and a scoreboard. Built from the ground up through community support and donations, the facility remains the property of the Warsaw Parks & Recreation Department, which helps to maintain it.

“We live in a great community,” said McCool, who still sits on the program’s board and serves as its director of coaching. “They want to do positive things for kids. We don’t have any of this if we don’t live in this community.”

Young Tigers begins with practices in mid-July. Each team plays seven games as members of the Northern Indiana Youth Football League, which includes teams from Triton, North Judson, LaVille, Wheeler, Hobart, Elkhart, Fairfield and Wawasee.

“We have nine different communities and we’re hoping to add more,” said McCool. “We’ve got a couple interested right now. If we add a couple more areas we’re going to be one of the largest youth leagues in Indiana.”

Among three age divisions — 12U, 10U and 8U — the Young Tigers program had about 210 kids playing this past season. Because of its size, Warsaw fields multiple teams in each age group, which are drafted by the coaches following a pair of evaluation days in an effort to balance the teams evenly. In the smaller communities, only one team is fielded in each division. None of the programs in the league cut players who want to participate.

The local program is run completely by volunteers, including more than 30 coaches. Their individual experience ranges from having a lot of practical history in the game to dads who want to be there for their sons. All coaches leaguewide have to go through a background check and receive coaching certification through USA Football. They also have to attend a mandatory rules and ethics meeting. All Warsaw coaches also have to attend a clinic led by WCHS head football coach Bart Curtis, who is a big supporter of the feeder program.

“We love Coach Curtis,” said McCool. “He works with us and attends all our board meetings. We’re running his stuff. We are now officially running Warsaw football from the youth program all the way through the high school — the same offenses, the same defenses, the same terminology.”

McCool said a majority of the starters on the high school football team played in the Young Tigers program.

“They still give back,” McCool said of many of the alumni. “We have high school kids who are leaving practice on Saturday morning and coming down here to help officiate youth football games.”

Additionally, there is a cheerleading program that this past year attracted 130 girls. McCool said the program has “really gone crazy,” noting it is led by a really good coordinator in Olivia Alderfer.

“Looking back now after 20 years, heck, all we wanted was grass and goalposts and a place to play,” recalled McCool. “It’s been a cool process. With the board we have, we don’t ever stop. It’s all year long for us. It’s been a wild journey and I wouldn’t change any part of it.”

For further information, visit youngtigersfootball.com.