ROCKINGHAM — For the past eight years, Raider Elite Youth Football has been giving young athletes in Richmond County an opportunity to learn the game of football while building confidence, discipline and character along the way.
The nonprofit youth football program is now looking for more players ages 5 to 8 years old to join its 6U and 8U teams this fall as the organization continues its mission of developing future athletes and leaders in the community.
“We’ve been around for probably at least eight years or so. We’re a travel youth football program. We practice at Richmond Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pretty much all our players that come through our program have success at the middle school level and the high school level,” said John Carter, president of Raider Elite Youth Football.
Carter said the program has helped prepare young athletes for the next level by giving them the foundation they need both on and off the field.
“Our fall season coming up and we’re looking for players from the age of five to eight years old to play 6U and 8U this fall.
“I’m trying to get the word out to get more players to come out and be a part of our program,” Carter said.
While the program has found success over the years, Carter said growing participation remains a priority as the organization prepares for another season.
“There’s a fee to play. You can come out and try out to see if you like it at first. Payment includes uniform, duffel bag, compression shirt, guardian helmet, equipment rental and AAU membership fee,” said Carter.
In addition to looking for more players, Carter said community support through sponsorships and donations can help Raider Elite Youth Football continue providing opportunities for local youth.
“We always accept sponsorships, donations. We would love for the community to help us. To be honest, we haven’t really had much help the whole time I’ve been doing this, so I’m not really asking or begging anybody, but I would definitely appreciate it,” Carter said.
While football is at the center of the program, Carter said the lessons learned through the sport are what matter most.
“Football, in my opinion, is one of the best sports. It teaches kids teamwork, hard work, staying active and it builds character. To me, it’s more of a mentorship slash football program,” said Carter.
That focus on development has helped Raider Elite Youth Football build a successful history on the field. The program has earned multiple championships while helping players continue their football careers through middle school and high school.
“We’ve been successful in our years. We are back-to-back AAU Champions the past two seasons. Our 12 youth won the national championship in Florida in December,” Carter said. “In the previous December, our youth team won the same national championship in Florida. State champions, conference champions, we have all the accolades, we’re just looking for some more players right now.”
Carter said games are set to begin at the end of August, but practices are already underway. The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Richmond Senior High School football practice field.
Anyone interested in joining the program can call Carter at 910-995-0385, attend a practice or visit www.raiderelitefootball.com to register.
“My thing is, these kids stay out the streets and get to college. The last couple of years, we’ve had players that’s been in our program get scholarships and that’s been through our program that’s going to get scholarships,” said Carter.
For Carter, those opportunities are what make the program worthwhile. He said many of the athletes currently representing Richmond County football programs started with Raider Elite Youth Football when they were young.
“Right now, the kids that are at Richmond in the 10th grade are the kids that started at six years old and eight years old in our program and played all the way through until now. It’s not just like a one year thing— these kids play with us for four to six years before they get to the next level,” said Carter.
As Raider Elite Youth Football prepares for another season, Carter hopes more families will learn about the opportunities the program provides. While the organization is looking for more players, he said the goal remains the same: helping young athletes grow through football while preparing them for the challenges ahead.