ONE YOUTH FOOTBALL AND SPIRIT ORGANIZATION IN BEDFORD

My name is Tony Grande and I am the current President of the Bedford Jaguars, a local youth football and spirit organization that has been in Bedford since 2000. We have had over 1800 football players and cheerleaders participate in our organization over the past 8 years and have become a well respected organization throughout the town and the state.

In 2007, the Junior Bulldogs was formed by several former Jaguars coaches and Board members and the community began to divide between the two organizations. This split has affected friendships of parents and children alike. Since the split there has been needless name calling and fighting in our elementary schools between the players and cheerleaders of the two organizations. This is wrong and it has to stop!

Back in January I told our membership that I had decided to run for President of the Jaguars in 2008 because one of my main goals was to try and get the two organizations back together, to form one unified football and spirit program within the Town of Bedford. With the complete support of the Jaguars Board, I have approached the Junior Bulldogs about merging or starting a new program together, possibly even starting at the Junior High School level, but unfortunately I have been told that the Junior Bulldogs Board members are not interested in doing that.

There is great interest in football and cheerleading here in Bedford and I feel that the needs of our community would be best served by combining the efforts of both organizations and moving forward TOGETHER with a set of common goals that will meet the needs of the community and allow the healing process to begin.

As we continue preparing for the 2008 season, I urge you to please talk to both organizations and let them know how you feel and if anyone has any ideas on working out a solution then I would like to hear from you. Our community needs to rise above this and not let this type of division continue as it will only hurt our kids later on when they get to Bedford High School.

I truly believe that one youth football and spirit program is in the best interest of the Town of Bedford and I hope that the Town can find a way to come together so that we can put an end to this separation and we can all be on the same team once again…the Bedford Team.

Tony Grande – President, Bedford Jaguars (BYFA)