By: Eliot Meiseles
Here in Tamarac we have a fine youth program – The Tamarac Youth Football League that supports and develops our local youth in tackle football and cheerleading.
But we do more. We make up for where the schools and parents are both having a hard time keeping up. Many senior residents will remember that they grew up with hard working parents, or they too were hard-working people who probably worked late and achieved a comfortable lifestyle for themselves and their families. These were the young adults of the 60’s and the high-achieving executives of the 70’s and 80’s who may have lived in the suburbs and were the backbone of our middle class.
When the time came, their companies either said it was time, or they themselves made the decision to retire, but they packed up and moved to Florida to enjoy their lives.
I remember my grandfather who was so excited to play golf every day when he begin his retirement. Although there were many local activities offered, after three years he just wanted to go back to work. He then took a job at the local movie theatre just to get out of the house.
I watch so many of my senior neighbors and see them at the diner or at the movies and wonder how I can get them more involved with the Tamarac Youth Football League? Our program presently utilizes over 150 volunteer members of our community, but we need more, and we call on the seniors of Tamarac for support.
From May through November we put 300 children on the fields at the Sports Complex which the Kings Point folks are fighting so hard to protect. They came to us, seeking our support, stating that we needed those fields, but we also need their support for the children.
Our question is how do we get them out of their buildings and onto our fields to help us develop our future? I use the word future, and to many it is a scary thought. Our schools have reduced physical education, some schools eliminating recess as the teachers need more time to prep students for State tests.
After school, mom and dad, both work, so it is after-care for many children. They do their homework until their parents come to pick them up. After dinner, it’s usually video games and then off to bed. If it weren’t for the City-run programs, then many local children wouldn’t get any physical activity.
My challenge to those in Kings Point is to come out and be a greater part of the Tamarac community, and help us with the future. If they cannot spare a few minutes, then our future will be deprived of all of their experience. The Tamarac Youth Football League asks for individuals who would:
Fundraising helps reduce fees, as we are self-supporting organization, to ease the burden on Mom and Dad. It would also help purchase better equipment.
Help us with registration, with administration, with exercise programs, with coaching, with a multitude of activities to be something different in the lives. If they come, we will find a place for them in our league.
What we offer is a view of the results. It is to come and see our football players and cheerleaders in action on Saturdays. Come and build with us right to the Superbowl of the league. Feel the energy of the personal achievements of a touchdown, or a great cheerleading presentation, but come be a part of our team. They can stop at the concession stand, have a dog, burger or even a jerk chicken sandwich, but just to stop by.
Make the Sports Complex a stop on the bus route and be a part of the future of our city. There are even shaded bleachers and the level of activity on the field will be better than anything on TV. The gratification is the look of those children’s faces, but also the knowledge that they helped to make it happen.
In my father’s waning years, he achieved his goal of helping people by providing free financial counseling to those who needed someone to guide them. Our children in Tamarac need that same thing. We need those with the knowledge to pass it on. Before writing, the history of civilization was passed from father to son and down the line. We need the same type of connection between our seniors and our children to further this community and to make Tamarac a better place for all. I need to know how to build that bridge.
Eliot Meiseles is the President of Tamarac Youth Football League who volunteers his time and efforts into making Tamarac a better place for our children. Working with over 150 volunteers, they run the TYFL and provide football and cheerleading to our local youth. Originally from the New York area, he has been living in Tamarac for almost 20 years.
