Robert Ladd saw the positive impact Dragon Youth Football had on his family and he decided to get involved. He has since taken on the role of president and endeavors to keep the league experience as special as it was for him and his family.
Dragon Youth Football is a Southlake-based, nonprofit competitive youth football organization that seeks to develop players both on and off the field. Coaches focus on life lessons such as working hard, overcoming adversity and being a good teammate. Kids gain confidence, not only on the football field but also in the classroom, socially and in other activities. Together, players and volunteers focus on good sportsmanship, integrity, character development and teamwork.
The entire Dragon Youth Football experience…makes the league special. It starts with having close ties with the Dragon Football Program and builds from there. We have great families, alumni and a community that support our program. There are many events that are unique such as a scrimmage at AT&T Stadium, DYF Night at Dragon Stadium and Super Bowls played at Dragon Stadium.
DYF is currently comprised of…21 football teams (~300 players), 11 cheer teams (~130 cheerleaders) and over 150 volunteers. The overall health of the organization is excellent. We’re growing and there’s a lot of excitement about the program and the upcoming season.
We work closely with…organizations such as USA Football that focus on safety first and better coaching. Our coaches are certified in USA Football’s Heads up Program and we consistently look at new programs that adopt a “right age”, “right stage” philosophy for the best interest of our kids. For example, for this season we extended our flag program into second grade, which has been very well received.
During our season, you will see…Dragon coaches and players on our sidelines supporting the DYF Teams. We talk about on Friday Night we support the Dragon Football Team and on Saturday the Dragon Football Team supports us. Coach Dodge is very passionate about Dragon Youth Football and is developing different ways for us to work together and be #OneDragon. He’s invited us to participate in many events over the past few months such as a spring scrimmage and the Community Pep Rally. Dragon Football coaches and players helped work the DYF Combine that allows players to showcase their skills for our draft in early August. This relationship is special and means the world to our kids and families.
We are always looking to…improve and make the experience for our players and families better. We rely on our tremendous volunteers and there’s always something that needs to be done. If you want to help, we have something for you to do. Also, we’re registered with CISD so that high school students can volunteer with DYF and receive volunteer hours.
Giving back to the community… is a big priority. Just this year, we adopted a street with the City of Southlake. We’re introducing a college scholarship program for Carroll High School graduating seniors and we also have a charity program that chooses a particular cause to support each year. All of these are funded by our DYF Family and do not utilize funds from registration or sponsors.
Volunteer’s experience level doesn’t matter… as long as you want to make a positive impact in the lives of kids and serve as a role model. Everyone has something to offer. We’re blessed to have coaches who played football or other sports at the high school, college or the professional level. We also have coaches who are leaders in business or in the community.