Community
Development

Starting bright and early this past Saturday, 10 youth football teams (ages 12-14) from across the state all made the trip to INVESCO Field at Mile High to play in the fourth annual Broncos Bowl.  Broncos Bowl is our youth football celebration where teams from as far as Grand Junction scrimmage one another and experience a real Broncos game day atmosphere.

Mike Rice of KOA along with the Broncos’ own Rick Seifert called the play-by-play and a crew from Comcast was on hand running Thundervision and providing instant replay!  Teams all received gifts from Powerade who sponsored the Powerade Skills Challenge for kids simultaneously with the Broncos Bowl games—cool stuff like sideline coolers and water bottles.  Even a big banner with their team’s name on it!

Broncos Ring of Famer Billy Thompson and Broncos and CU alum Larry Brunson were on hand all day as honorary captains offering their encouragement to each team.  All of the days’ participants are invited back to the Broncos home game against the Cleveland Browns on August 25 to be recognized on field at halftime—look for them if you plan on attending the game.

The second game of the day featured Mesa County Junior Football from Grand Junction against the Denver Broncos Boys and Girls Club and proved to be the most exciting game of the day!  With the score all tied up and just seconds remaining, Mesa County Junior Football’s running back broke through the defensive line of the Broncos Boys and Girls Club breaking tackles as he sprinted past the goal line.  Touchdown!  With no time remaining on the clock Mesa County Junior Football goes ahead by six and wins the game!  They were ecstatic!  And unfortunately the Broncos Boys and Girls Club was crushed.  As fun as it was to see the smiling, exuberant faces of Mesa County it was equally difficult to see the disappointment in the faces of the Broncos.

Do you remember a time you lost or won a big game!?

It’s that time of the year again when young football players across Colorado — NFL stars in the making — take the field for a day of NFL-like game experience at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Broncos Bowl.

This year’s Broncos Bowl, to be held this Saturday, August 11, from 8am-3pm, will showcase the most-senior-age division in youth leagues from Aurora, Arapahoe, Jefferson County, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Denver PAL, Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, Broomfield and Fort Collins.  The state-wide representation of this Bowl allows each team the opportunity for rare cross-league play.

One of the big highlights of the day for the kids is having their names announced individually before they dart out to the 50-yrd line from the southeast tunnel, just like in the pros.  I have seen many a child over the past several years with that championship look and those stars in their eyes.

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Our department has been writing all summer long about the wonderful opportunities we have been lucky enough to partner on for youth football in our community.  It is only fair, though, to really acknowledge the efforts of some of our great volunteers who run the programs and serve as ambassadors for us on the Broncos Youth Football Task Force.

Our department looks forward to thanking this group of hard working youth football coaches at Maggiano’s this Wednesday over pasta and laughs . . .

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With temperatures scorching on field at INVESCO Saturday afternoon, there was still plenty of energetic spirit in the youth football community.

For the second straight year, the Broncos worked with USA Football to present the USA Football Coaching Clinic to an audience of nearly 200 youth football coaches from around the state — double the attendance of last year. Eager coaches from as far south as Pueblo started their morning over continental breakfast and X’s and O’s . . . .and more importanly, learning how to engage the young, spirited minds of 8yr olds who dream of playing on the big stage. Much time was spent on managing the parent relationships in youth football as well . . . .that can be a full time job!!

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Last week we had our quarterly Denver Broncos Youth Football Task Force meeting. Comprised of youth football league representatives from around the metro Denver area gather with the Broncos’ community development and marketing departments to discuss current youth football issues and initiatives. It was immediately clear from our meeting’s agenda that we have a busy summer of youth football upon us.

We just wrapped up the NFL High School Player Development Camp at Legacy High School where WR Domenik Hixon and WR Brian Clark stopped by to lend their expertise. A luck group of 12 youngsters (representing Montbello, Lincoln and Legacy High Schools) from this camp were selected to travel to the NFL-sponsored 7-on-7 football tournament in Houston, Texas in early July. Good luck to our Broncos team!!

In addition, we have a NFL Junior Player Development Camp this week at Hinkley High School in Aurora (WR Brandon Marshall and S Hamza Abdullah are planning on visiting) and two the following week at both East and Lincoln High Schools in Denver. We wrap up our NFL JPD camps in July with a camp in Broomfield.

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