Youth football team keeps growing and winning

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A local youth football team returned home from Canton this past weekend with a winning trophy.

Not only did the Youngstown Little Bears team bring home the trophy for the D1 East Coast Spring Football National Championship, they also had a great time doing it.

“We went up there, competed, had a great weekend,” said Randy Triplett, who coaches the Youngstown Little Bears. “The kids loved it. They enjoyed themselves. They had a ball.”

Triplett started the team in 2022 with just 50 kids. There are now 110 boys on the team which practices four days a week at East High School.

“When you keep the kids out of the streets, man, it is kind of like, you know, the success is more there,” said Triplett. “We mentor and we try to take them on trips, show them something different. We just took the kids last month to the Football Hall of Fame just showing something different. Give them them some type of sort of dream they can look forward to.”

The team regularly takes trips to play around the state and travels as far as Detroit. Triplett, who grew up in Youngstown, says his goal is to show the kids there’s more to life.

“They can do good. they can,” Triplett said. “They can be anything they want to be if they keep on pushing themselves to be.”

The Little Bears are still accepting new members from ages six to eleven until July 9. You can sign up at practice at East High School Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

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