The Gate City Seahawks took the field Friday night to be recognized during Seahawks Night at Viper Stadium, but also as future Jaguars and Vipers, and to get an idea of what it’s like to play under the Friday Night lights.
Henderson Vance Recreation and Parks Director Kendrick Vann said the young people are learning what it’s like to be part of a team and all the positive aspects of collaboration, teamwork and partnerships.
It’s been seven years since the local youth league teams have been part of a competitive league, and Vann told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and David “Doc” Ayscue that from where he sits, “good things are happening in football” in Vance County.
The youth league teams are coed, Vann said, and teams vary by age group – a few dozen kids are in flag football, for ages 4-6. And the teams for older youth are both 7-0 this season.
The Seahawks play home games at Vance County Middle School, but travel to Durham, Clayton, Wendell, Franklinton and elsewhere for contests.
But it’s not just about the games, Vann said. There’s an emphasis on doing service projects in the community, including participating in the citywide cleanup efforts in Henderson and making sure that the kids “dress for success” when banquet time rolls around.
Vann said the team walks out on the field together and exercises together. “We try to do a good job to form a program,” he said.
The coaching staffs at the middle school and the high school also are developing partnerships with the Seahawks – after all, they are the future Jaguars and the future Vipers.
“Vance County has a lot of great athletes,” Vann said. “There is true talent here in Vance County,” he said.
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