Predominantly Black teams deserve spots in Madison youth football league
Can one of Madison’s shining lights continue to shine?
The Southside Raider have been a shining light in Madison since the 1970s. It has been a community institution and legacy on the South Side, providing recreation and delinquency prevention for some of the most economically and socially challenged young people in diverse South Madison, through the sport of youth tackle football.
Three years ago, the Dane County Youth Football League disbanded as many of the suburban teams left to join other leagues. Two years ago, several Madison teams — Memorial Spartans Youth Football, Lancers Youth Football, Madtown Elite Football (formally Warner Park Youth Football) and the Raiders — met to try to keep the city teams together under Pop Warner Football.
Memorial declined, going to an Illinois league, and the other teams were not convinced to stay together. Last year, Memorial joined Madtown Elite and the Raiders in Pop Warner Football.
This year, the four Madison high schools decided to sponsor their own youth football programs, recreating a new Madison league under the leadership of Mike Harris, former Memorial High School head coach. This league included the Spartans, Lancers, newly resurrected Regents Youth Football, Eastside Football and Edgewood Youth football. The concept is to develop youth football as feeders to the high schools.
