Clinton Athletic Club wraps up football season
While some may be following the Dragons, there’s another football program in Clinton.
Clinton Athletic Club, not associated directly with the school system, provides tackle football, cheerleading and wrestling programs for people too young to play for the Dragons or a middle school team, but still interested in the sport and wanting a chance to compete.
The football program has different teams for different ages.
Junior Varsity Hoppers are 4-7 years old, Hoppers are 8-9, and Cutters are 10-12.
Cheerleading programs break down into the same age categories.
Kayley Holloway, secretary for the club, told The Courier News all three teams played other teams from around East Tennessee.
This year they played teams from Morristown, southern Kentucky, Northview in Kodak, Scott County and recreational and travel teams in Knoxville.
“Our young Cutter team was especially challenged this year to play opponents older than their age level, typically 12 and 13U teams,” Holloway
said
“This pushed our kids to work together and expand their skill levels in this tough sport, which led to a very positive season, only losing four games of 15,” she said.
Clinton Athletic Club has also started a youth wrestling program broken into elementary and middle school categories.
“Wrestling and football go hand in hand, developing young athletes in strength, agility, and balance,” she said. “We are very excited to see how the 2024-25 youth Dragons wrestling develops this season with many of our own football players transitioning to this winter sport.”
The group is a 501c3 nonprofit and has raised $133,272, giving back more than $96,761 in financial assistance to allow children to participate in sports, William Hazelhurst, football director for the club, told the Clinton City Council.
“Clinton Athletic Club is committed to ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate,” he said, adding the club has 15 volunteers.
He said the club hadn’t turned away any children for inability to pay.
And he said for the 2024 season, there were 86 kids in the football program and 105 in cheerleading.
Hazelhurst’s presentation to the City Council focused on the events the club held and their benefit in bringing people into downtown Clinton and patronizing its businesses.
“These games reinforced Clinton’s role as a hub in youth sports while fostering community pride and supporting restaurants, shops and local services,” Hazelhurst said.
From Aug. 15 to Nov. 2, Clinton junior varsity Hoppers and Cutters hosted 22 home games.
Each game had two teams, and the event involved 36 student athletes total.
Each game drew in around 108 attendants.
From Nov. 8-10, Clinton hosted the first 865 Football tournament.
He said the event included 16 games and about 576 athletes and 1,128 attendees.
