McALLEN — More than 20 years ago, Texas Youth Football Association co-founder and CEO Brian Morgan set out to create a league for Texas, noticing a lack of organization and continuity in leagues across the state.
In 1995, Morgan set the foundation for TYFA, creating the San Antonio Youth Football Association with eight teams. The league expanded the following year, rebranding to the San Antonio and Austin Youth Football Association after spreading into Austin before eventually becoming the Texas Youth Football Association to align with its mission.
“I felt to myself, they’ve lost sight of what football is,” Morgan said. “Football is a simple game. You don’t need to reinvent it to play. You should be able to go play somebody in Dallas and not have to change your rules or your makeup to play a football game. That kind of gave me the construct for what I wanted to do. The mission was to get everybody under one flag and playing under the same rules.”
Now in its 27th year, TYFA is home to roughly 18,000 athletes and 9,000 volunteers spread across the state in places such as Austin, El Paso, Killeen, the RGV, Waco and West Texas. In the Valley, the growth has continued, expanding from nine teams in 2010 to roughly 65 teams this year.
The RGV has had a long string of success in the TYFA. Eight RGV teams have captured state championships in the league since joining in 2010.
Last weekend, the RGV continued its trend of success as four teams advanced to the championship games in their respective divisions during the 2022 TYFA Spring Bowl Championships at the McAllen Sports Complex.
Two of the Valley’s four teams in the Spring Bowl championship games came out on top, with the Edcouch-Elsa Little Jackets and Weslaco-based RGV United capturing the junior and varsity championships, respectively.
Morgan credits the increased competition faced by Valley athletes at a younger level to increased growth in the RGV.
“I think what you’ve seen over the course of the last 12 years is that kids in the Valley have learned to compete against kids from other areas,” Morgan said. “When they get to that high school level, they’re not in shock or taken back or in awe of the San Antonio or Austin teams that they have to play in the second or third round of the playoffs. I think it’s changed the dynamic from the aspect of these kids now being better prepared to compete. Have they taken the next step to beat those teams from Austin or San Antonio? I think that day is coming because the quality and competitive nature of what’s happening down there.”
Additionally, several high school standouts started their careers playing in TYFA. McAllen Memorial’s Trevor Speights was a part of the Valley’s inaugural season with TYFA, playing with the RGV Snipers in 2010. Mission Veterans quarterback Landry Gilpin and Sharyland Pioneer’s Eddie Lee Marburger also spent time in TYFA, both going on to play at the collegiate level.
RGV TYFA historian JC Sanchez believes the victories in TYFA help carry over into the high school ranks, setting the tone for confidence and belief at the next level.
“We know we’re always going to be the underdog, even at the youth level,” Sanchez said. “We thrive off that. Teams from up there feel like they’ve already won the game. But they forget that we’re going to come in and punch them in the mouth. When we go up there, we have nothing to lose and everything to prove. When we win the games, it shows our kids to believe that when they play those kids when they’re 15, 16 or 17, they’ve already played them and know they’re beatable. Every team is beatable, and that’s what we take away.”
TYFA is set to return to action in September for the fall season, with the RGV United varsity team gearing up for a national title run, while others seek to bring home a ninth TYFA state title to the Valley.
