WINDHAM Youth Football and Cheerleading. 1957 TO PRESENT

The Beginning

In September of 1957 a group of community oriented individuals, William "Bill" Anthony, Charles Francis, George Williams, Dick Nassiff, Roger Therrien, George Mallon sat down together to form the Willimantic Midget Football League. The first meetings were held in the offices of the Social Security office on the corner of Valley and North Streets. The original "permission slip" appeared in the Willimantic Daily Chronicle as it was called then and the registration was held in the State Armory Drill Shed on Pleasant Street.

The first teams would be part of the "Pop Warner Conference" and boys ages 10 through 12 and 70 lbs to 110 lbs would be eligible. Surprisingly 80 boys did sign up for what would be two teams of 25 players each. So they decided to hold a "try-out camp" the following Saturday to place all 80 players on one of the two teams with the league to pare down the teams to 25 each. The two teams would be known as the HORNETS and the HURRICANES. These two teams played their first game at Recreation Park on Sunday, October 20, 1957 and played to a 7-7 tie.

We get bigger

1958, in steps the likes of Francis Geissler, Joe Pernaselli, Paul Walencewicz and this season, two more teams were added for the amount of players that had signed up the previous year and had to be cut. The additional teams would be called the YELLOW JACKETS and the TORNADO'S. The league continued to enjoy one successful season after another, and managed to create a " FRIENDSHIP BOWL" with Bristol Pa. which this game would be played one year in Willimantic, Ct. and the next in Bristol, Pa. The players would arrive the day before the game and stay at the homes of their opponents. Quarterbacks would stay at the quarterbacks' house etc. Parades would be held the day of the game and to have upwards of 500-1000 spectators would be expected. Then, around 1970, the league added cheerleading squads to the program.

The four teams grew and in the 70's, each team would have an "A" and "B" squads within their team and each would play a specified amount of time in each quarter. After a few years, the "A" and "B" squads started having their own games with the "B" squad playing at Recreation Park on Friday nights and the "A" squad playing their games on the HIGH SCHOOL'S FIELD ( GUILD FIELD ) on Sundays starting at noon. The ages changed to add 13 year olds and the weights changed from a max of 110 lbs to a max of 125 lbs.

During the late 70's and early 1980's the league managed to maintain their numbers, but did not grow as it had in the past. In 1986, Dan Haggerty, League President created a flag football division for children ages six through 9. This started an entire new style of football in the area. It quickly grew from two teams to four, from playing on a 50-yard field to a 100-yard field, from just T-Shirts and mouthpieces to a fully equipped league, so much so that starting in the 2000 season this group is now playing tackle (as much as a 7 year old can tackle). Also during this period, Dan changed the older group to include 14 year olds and the weight factor grew to 145 lbs.

In 1998, the league became part of the Southern New England Youth Football Conference, and two travelling teams  were created, one for 11 to 13 year olds, 90 lbs to 120 lbs and another for the 12 to 14 year olds and up to 170 lbs. In 1999, the Columbia Panthers were added to the league, this Micro Division team and its future growth will help to attract interest in football in the area. In the year 2000, The Pee Wee division gained a team from the Columbia area and is called the Sport Section Cougars. The league, in the 2000 season, had five teams competing in the younger level, which now goes by the name of the Internal Division, three teams competing in the Micro,Junior, and Senior Travel Division and 6 Squads of cheerleaders. The 2000 season saw 21 board members and a total adult volunteer base of 75 (more adults now than the original player count) guide the league and their inspirations to help make the league grow even larger to better serve the youth of the area.

In 1985, the Willimantic Midget Football League established a policy of honoring those individuals who had made a significant contribution to insure the success of the program. Most honorees have spent over 10 years working with the youth of the community as a volunteer in this league. the honorees are:

1985
William Anthony,George Mallon,Charlie Francis,George Williams,Richard Nassiff,and Roger Therrien. 

1987
John Kinch, John Warinsky, Chuck Deveny
Vallerrie Kinch, Olive Warinsky, Laura Deveny

1988
Ken Dootsen - Nelson Field - Bill  Kelly
Rick King - Bill Lennon - Chuck Lester

1989
Dan Chace - John Green - Dave Shepaum

1990
Dan Haggerty - Linda Haggerty - Tony Kasacek
Mary Ellen Hovey

1991
Robert Jenco and Nelisa Field

1993
Paul Generous - George Gillette
Mike Haggerty - Ray Labbe

1994
Tomas Amill and Karen Amill

1995
James Beeler - Lynn Duval - Joe Duval

1997
Richard Brunell - Candy Haggett-Hiram Haggett
Virginia Velazquez

1998
George Burski, Richard Daigle, and Michael Sypher

2000
George Buch and Steve Donovan 

2002
C.J. Harper and Mark Labbe