Thurston County Youth Football League gives back to community during rivalry week

Week 4 in the Thurston County Youth Football League (TCYFL) season is reserved for rivalry week, which pins teams that, at the high school level, have been longtime enemies.

North Thurston Rams and Timberline Blazers. Tumwater Thunderbirds and Black Hills Wolves. Olympia Bears and Capital Cougars. Centralia Tigers and W.F. West Bearcats. The list goes on.

But this week, leading up to a long day of football on Saturday, Oct. 3, all 16 franchises within the TCYL put their opposition aside and came together to support their local communities.

Each of the 16 franchises, made up of several football teams across multiple age groups and a cheerleading team, chose a charity and worked to raise as much money and/or resources as possible.

For example, the T-Birds and the Wolves teamed up to support 4 the Love Foundation, helping families have a Thanksgiving meal on the table. The Tornados collected gifts for Mobile Birthday Closet in Yelm, seeking gently used or unopened gifts for children, as well as gift cards. The Hawks are supporting All Kids Win, a nonprofit organization that helps food-insecure students receive free meals when school meals aren’t provided on weekends. Other franchises are giving back to their local food banks.

It’s no surprise that the idea was the brainchild of TCYFL Cheer President Amber Ogle, who has long been recognized for her charity work with her family. For a dozen years running, the Ogles have provided thousands of Thanksgiving meals in a basket to people in need through monetary donations. Ogle, who co-founded Total Sports Development based in Yelm, also helps that organization run a charity drive every month.

“If you think about how many families and children that we can impact, that’s powerful,” Ogle said of the rivalry week fundraiser. “Hundreds of kids could be impacted, whether it’s a snack bag or a gift or a meal.”

Each franchise head coach collects donations from players and cheerleaders throughout the week, and Ogle will deliver them to the charities. She presented the idea to TCYFL during its annual all-day board meeting, and the board members were big fans, she said. 

“The bigger picture is when people see how much collectively we’re able to raise, it will inspire more people to continue to give because they can see the impact visually,” Ogle said.

Rivalry week was capped off by the 16 TCYFL franchises, about 80 teams, flocking to six locations — Steilacoom High School, South Sound Stadium in Lacey, Eatonville High School, Centralia Tiger Stadium, Tumwater High School and Ingersoll Stadium in Olympia — for football games from morning until late afternoon. On Sunday, Black Hills High School will host the TCYFL Cheer Showcase to cap off the week.

This weekend is all part of what TCYFL has been growing toward since its inception in 1971. TCYFL has become a regionally recognized football and cheer organization for not only the quality of its product and coaching but also its charity work and commitment to providing the best experience for children.

Approximately 1,300 volunteers support TCYFL each year. The only pieces in the organization’s well-oiled machine that are compensated are referees. TCYFL also gives about $40,000 each year in scholarships to kids in the community.

Tim Claridge, TCYFL board president and head varsity football coach at River Ridge, admitted that the goal of the program is not growth, in terms of bringing in new franchises or even a boom in turnout for football players and cheerleaders. 

“Our goal is to provide the best program possible for our community. Any time we’re making decisions when we’re running this league, there’s two guiding principles that we should always be looking at,” he said. “Number one is making it safer for the kids. Number two is, are we making a better experience for the players and the families that are participating in our program? I think if we let that govern what we’re doing in our decision-making, the numbers take care of themselves and we’ll have people that want to participate.”

TCYFL offers opportunities for children interested in playing football, both flag and tackle, and cheerleading between the ages of 5 and 14. To learn more about TCYFL, visit tcyfl.com.