NewsLocal News

Actions

The Mahomes Effect: Chiefs' success leads to more young athletes on the local football field

Northland Revolution Youth Football
Posted
and last updated

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Youth football has been tackling a decrease in participation for years, but thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs, a local youth football organization is seeing success.

Call is what you want, but the Northland Revolution refer to it as 'The Mahomes Effect.' Coaches believe more children are watching the reigning MVP, making them want to sign up and suit out for a team.

The Northland Revolution has flag football teams for students kindergarten through 8th grade, and tackle football teams for third, fourth and fifth grade students.

Northland Revolution Head Coach, Dustin Cundiff said, "Just been a lot of new kids, new first year players, never played before, they don't really know what they want to do yet."

Cundiff said the once dying youth sport is getting new life in the Kansas City metro.

"When the Royals won the World Series we saw a big increase in baseball productivity, and now we're kind of starting to see the same thing with football. Hopefully the Chiefs will win a Super Bowl and we can turn it around," Cundiff said.

Starting at a young age, Cundiff said more players are signing up for the Northland Revolution teams. Several young players told 41 Action News they signed up after watching professional football players on television.

"I saw NFL players on TV, so I was like, I want to give that a try," player Elijah Hubbard said.

Hubbard, 10, started playing football at age six. He's the quarterback of one of the teams and said it's because of Patrick Mahomes.

Several of Hubbard's teammates were also drawn to the sport after watching the pros.

"When I was growing up, I liked watching the Chiefs play and Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel and all them, and then I kind of wanted to start, and so my mom put me in it," player Jayden Wedel said.

Football Sundays are important to Wedel, whether he's at Arrowhead Stadium or in front of the television, he's watching and learning from his favorite Chiefs players.

"I got a couple, I like Hill, I like Williams, I like Mahomes, Watkins," Wedel added.

Coach Cundiff said he likes to see his young players paying attention to the National Football League, however, it makes coaching the young players that much harder.

"He's an impact player on the field and he does so much stuff in the games, in fact I talk to kids a lot saying you're not Mahomes yet, so don't be throwing across the field left-handed, let's do it right," Cundiff said.