The NYFL (Northwest Youth Football League) has been in progress since practice kicked off on August 11 and in the third and fourth grade division just four teams remain after six hard-hitting weeks of action.

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Le Mars is well represented as two of their four third and fourth grade squads won their divisions. Set up much like the National Football League, the NYFL features four divisions - the East and South in the NFC conference - and the West and North divisions are in the AFC conference.

The Le Mars Lightning, coached by Tim Augustine, won the NFC South with a 5-1 record and advanced to play a team from Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn in the league semi-finals on Saturday at Jim Lorenzen Field. Should the Lightening win, the team could potentially see the Le Mars Bandits who won the AFC West with a 4-2 record. The Bandits will travel to face Storm Lake, the winners of the AFC East. The Bandits are headed by Jason Parrott who organized the community program.

The winners will play in the Super Bowl hosted by Buena Vista the weekend of October 18-19.

The youth league, that emphasizes proper technique and good sportsmanship, has become steadily embraced by the community and the school districts. Both Augustine and Parrott agree that they've seen crowds of close to 300 people at the games.

"With the fans there, it's a fun venue to watch football," said Augustine. "The kids put on quite a show. We had a game against a team from Cherokee and we had about 200 fans on the Le Mars sideline and I think Cherokee had close to 100. It was just very fun to watch."

"We've had people from places like Holstein come up to watch just because they have an interest in the league," said Parrott. "We've also had very good support for the schools. They let use their fields and its nice to have the community behind us."

Parrott said that the league is also beneficial to schools in the area because it teaches the kids in the league the proper fundamentals of tackle football at such a young age.

"A league like this would benefit any school," said Parrott. "The kids aren't as intimidated when they reach middle school and it helps the coaches because the kids have a fundamental idea of how to play the game. It doesn't take the coaches as long to teach them the game."

Besides the fundamentals of the games, both coaches stressed that the league can build camaraderie and friendship. Due to the large number of kids in the league - 185 between the two age groups - the coaches of the Le Mars' squads decided to have a draft day to decide who would play on what team.

The kids were invited to try out and had a chance to show their talents in drills such as the 40-yard dash and throwing exercises. Two weeks before the season opened, the coaches got together and drafted the players for their teams.

"We just thought it was the best idea - we didn't want one team to be stacked," said Parrott. "For a first year program, I think it's pretty successful. The fifth and sixth graders were at a disadvantage because the other schools in the area have been playing together for a few years. However, our kids are at a disadvantage because we'll redraft next year as well."

"All the kids on the teams are joined from the four elementary schools in the district," said Augustine. "You have some kids in the Gehlen school program and some go to the public schools, they would have never played together until this league started. But these kids have taken it to another level. As a coach, I'm proud as can be about what they've done, just to see how they are as little adults."

"These kids are trying something they've never tried before and it builds their self-confidence," continued Augustine. "Once you get the pads on and you hit someone, it shakes you a little bit but you want to hit someone again. The whole time their self-confidence just grows and grows. What more could you want from a program that watches your kid's self-confidence grow?"

As far as teaching the fundamentals of the game, both coaches said that the players they've seen and coached have shown tremendous growth in the short season.

"From the first week of the season to where we are right now, I have seen these kids grow and grow and learn the fundamentals of the game - the language, the positions, the plays - and understanding their assignments," said Augustine. "They've gone from us showing them pictures of the play to us just calling the play, they know it now."

"Some of the kids that we had in the first practices may have been 'talent-challenged,' but those will be some of the first kids picked next year," said Parrott. "They've shown growth and it's tremendous to see what some of these kids can do with the football now because they've had a chance to play."

However, the two said that the league could not function without the great support of the parents in the community. The parents helped organize the daily operations of "game day" and caravan the kids to away games.

"The parents' support during the program has been phenomenal," said Augustine. "The success of the program lies with the parents."

Overall, the league has been a success and parents and coaches alike are anxious to see how the program continues to grow.

"It's been a good experience," said Parrott. "I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's nice to see these kids interested. Instead of them playing catch on the sidelines during high school games, you can see them actually watching football and I think that's just phenomenal."

The Bandits will kick off the day in Storm Lake as their semi-final match-up kicks off at 10 a.m.

The Le Mars Lightning will host the Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn squad in a 1 p.m. contest at Jim Lorenzen Field on Saturday afternoon.

The cost of admission to both games is free.