Fort Lee Junior Bridgemen Football Prepares Young Athletes For Future

The Fort Lee Junior Bridgemen Football organization is starting its season soon, and it promises to be an exciting one.

There are two programs within the organization: the Flag Football program and the Tackle Football program. Kids from Fort Lee and Edgewater can compete in both programs.

Flag football is designated for children from Kindergarten through second grade. There are currently 26 kids that have signed up, and their season starts in September. The tackle program started practice at the beginning of August and has three teams. There is a pee wee team with children who are mostly in third and fourth grade and a few second-graders. The junior team is for fifth- and sixth-graders, and the senior team is made up of seventh- and eighth-graders.

The programs are a part of the Bi-County Junior Scholastic Football League, and the tackle teams play against teams in Ridgefield, Secaucus, Weehawken, Little Ferry, Palisades Park, Cliffside Park and Englewood.

League president Joe Surace, vice president Joseph Tripodi, vice president Jose Rodriguez, Flag Football administrator Lucy Casale and treasurer Jack DeNichilo all play a major part in making the 33-year-old league fun and successful.

"The league mission is to teach the young men the fundamentals and the spirit of football, good sportsmanship and the ability to work together as a team," said Tripodi. "This is with an emphasis on being a good student and a good citizen of the community."

The seasons run from about mid-September until around the end of November, and the players gain valuable preparation for their future in sport.

"The importance of youth sports is to teach the young people to take care of their body by exercising regularly and eating healthy meals," Tripodi said. "It teaches them structure, discipline and shows them what community spirit means be being a part of a team."