Newtown Youth Football and Cheer (NYF&C) will hold an open house in the cafeteria of Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, on Thursday, March 2, from 7 to 8 pm.

Student-athletes and their parents are invited to learn about the program, which has a storied tradition in town of helping to build children with strong character and confidence in a fun and competitive environment.

Football is a special sport woven deep into the national and local fabric. The NYF&C Board knows that and it is taking important steps to emphasize safety, fun, and character building.

"Our board of directors takes a significant interest in providing a safe learning and playing experience for each participant in the NYF&C," says President Doug Magazu. "We ensure that our coaches are certified by the USA Heads Up Program, CPR, first aid, and our head coaches are certified by the CIAC safety program. The objective is to provide a high level of learning in a competitive, safe and fun environment."

Mandatory training on football fundamentals, safety, injury recognition, and proper equipment are all a part of the enhancements to make coaches and players better prepared. The training is done annually before the first player or football hits the field and it is certified. Football and cheer coaches also realize they and the program are making a big impact on young people.

Former youth cheerleader Laken Hughes, now a sophomore at UConn, puts it this way: "Cheer has taught me a lot of lessons, more than I can even describe. One of the biggest ones is that when you get knocked down, there's always a reason to get back up. There are going to be times when you fail and there are going to be times when you succeed, but it is what you do in those moments that are most important. You're not going to win every competition, but if you work as hard as you can and push yourself, you will get the outcome that you desire.

"Your team becomes your family because you end up spending most of your time with these girls. You create a bond through cheer that will last for a lifetime," adds Hughes.

Dan Hebert, who finished up his senior year playing football for the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut, is a Newtown High School gridiron and youth football graduate as well.

"The game of football has taught me so many lessons through my years of playing. It's taught me how to be a leader, how to be a team player, how to overcome and battle adversity, and how to work hard.," he said. "Newtown football was something special though. Newtown football taught me about family, and taught me how to 'Earn It.'"

The NYF&C open house will be an open forum to hear about the program for young boys and girls from coaches and parents. It will provide the informal opportunity to ask questions and hear answers straight from the president and the community.

Herbert added, "Someone who hasn't played football won't understand how closely football resembles life. Football is hard. Sometimes you'll work as hard as you possibly can, and things still won't go your way. But in the end, you build bonds with your teammates and coaches, bonds that you will carry for the rest of your life, and you will all experience failure and success together. This is just like life; you're going to have to battle through the lows, and the tough times, face adversity."

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