Throughout the 2026 football season, USA Football will highlight several youth tackle football organizations across the U.S. for their dedication to supporting the sport, its athletes and local communities. This series is part of USA Football’s Tackle Tour, a celebration of the game and everything it brings the leaders and athletes who make it America’s favorite sport.  

Founded in 1972, the Lakeshore Youth Football League plays an essential role in connecting families and communities across its 12 programs. Located in a rural area of Western New York, the league teaches athletes ages 5-11 about the importance of teamwork and community. Its importance has only grown over time as interest and participation increase.  

Lakeshore hit its stride over the past 25 years under president Bob Morello, who helped the league nearly double in size to serve approximately 1,100 athletes across its football and cheerleading offerings. Each of the league’s 12 programs play flag football, rookie tackle and pro tackle depending on the ages of the athletes. Cheerleading follows the same tiered system.  

When Morello took over his current role, the Lakeshore Youth Football League only had six programs. Everything spread by word of mouth, limiting the number of new registrations. Gradually, new technology and the league’s community values spurred growth.  

“We really like the kids to get the sense of community, teamwork and leadership. Our program goes beyond football,” said Lakeshore Youth Football League Secretary and Board Member, Amanda Braley. “All 12 of our programs do some kind of community service with the kids, whether it’s sorting Toys for Tots, collecting canned goods or donating scarves. They run fundraisers for organizations in our community. We have incorporated all of those into our youth program. We want athletes to learn how to play football, be part of a team and community, maintain a schedule and have good grades at school.” 

The Lakeshore Youth Football League plays an essential role in fueling local middle school and high school programs. Some high schools have had to combine programs in the past to field full teams. Braley described how the league focuses on making sure kids have positive experiences, so they continue to play at the next level. She also emphasized the focus on teaching foundational life lessons and football skills.  

“Our goal has always been to send as many athletes as possible who are prepared for football into high school,” Braley said. “They know how to read defenses. They know offensive formations. They know how to watch themselves on game film, and they know how to be a part of their community and work with the little flag kids who play football and cheer.” 

The Lakeshore Youth Football League’s programs and their former athletes have a strong connection. Most of the local high school players grew up in the league and are eager to give back by volunteering their time and experience.  

“They're already very busy with the varsity football schedules, but they make time to come down to the youth programs and help referee flag games,” Braley explained. “They help on the chain crew and work in the announcers' booths, and all of our 12 programs have that kind of feel to it. Some of the athletes have younger siblings, so they're always hanging around. That makes it have a family atmosphere.” 

The high school and youth programs have plenty of overlap, including some of the fields they use for practice and play games on. Braley, who has been assisting with the league for 15 years, sees how having high schoolers volunteer excites and inspires the next generation of athletes.   

“The kids really look up to the high schoolers. They might only be at practice holding a tackle dummy, but they're fixing kids' forms and giving some pointers,” said Braley. “My son plays linebacker and running back, and the kids look up to him. They know who he is as a person in the community, and all 12 of the programs have those kinds of kids that show up at a practice. Even though they're just holding a pad, it means a lot for the kids. We live in a very rural community, so the younger athletes think, ‘I could be the next him.’ It is great motivation for some of the kids that might not have that kind of interaction otherwise.” 

The symbiotic relationship between the Lakeshore Youth Football League and its high school programs even leads to high school coaches and athletic directors investing their time in helping teams. For some families, the relationship spans generations.  

“They grow up, go away to college, come back and when they have kids, their kids join the program,” Braley said. “We have a lot of multi-generation full circle moments in our programs. It's easy to feed back into the community when your program is so ingrained in it.” 

The Lakeshore Youth Football League doesn’t stop at providing bonding opportunities for young athletes. With the league being so spread out, parents often organize rides and find ways to enjoy passing the time at practice.  

“Our parents have to be involved because of how far away the practice fields are from their homes,” Braley said. “It makes it nice that the parents all hang out. They have parent nights and all sorts of stuff that makes you remember that our program isn't just for kids. It's for families. So they have hot dogs, ice cream sundaes and all sorts of fun things that get the families that are hanging around for practices involved.” 

The Lakeshore Youth Football League’s success hasn’t just left a positive imprint on the community. The league has been recognized for several years as a Gold Level enrolled organization for its efforts to ensure the sport is taught in an enjoyable environment that encourages proper coaching and safe play.  

“Completing USA Football’s Youth Coach Course is mandatory. We also need our coaches to be AED and CPR certified,” Braley said. “We make them do the youth tackle or youth flag course. It's very important that they know what to look out for, how they can help kids and how they can safely coach football. A lot of our coaches have played football, but not all of them. Some of them are moms, dads or grandparents that want to be involved and volunteer. The courses make it so that everyone has the same training, and they can all use that training in a very positive way.”  

The league’s programs have also benefited from USA Football’s extensive grants offerings, which include seasonal programs to help lighten the load for organizations and families. Since 2006, USA Football has awarded more than $23 million in grants to more than 16,000 programs in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. 

“A lot of our programs annually get the spring and fall grants,” Braley said. “Those help with training equipment, pads, coach supplies and flag belts. The grants make it so that the programs don't have to purchase those things because they've already received them.” 

The Lakeshore Youth Football League’s impact on the families it serves is undeniable. It provides opportunities for young athletes to explore outside their communities and make new friends, passes on important lessons to the next generation and provides maturing high schoolers with the chance to be a part of something greater than themselves. Braley enjoys watching the journey.  

“They learn how to be a part of a team and part of a community, and you see that transition from little five-year-olds playing flag who can't remember their mouthguards and don’t know how to put belts on, all the way through to the first time that they learn how to put on a helmet and shoulder pads,” she said. “They learn those things and more until they transition out at 12 years old into the school program. We get to see how the steps build from flag all the way up to someone becoming a middle school and high school athlete.” 

The Lakeshore Youth Football League is the second stop on USA Football’s Tackle Tour. More visits with outstanding programs are scheduled for later this fall. To follow the Tackle Tour, visit usafootball.com or check out USA Football on Instagram.