WS Chronicle

Union Baptist Church is one of the most well-known and respected institutions in the city of Winston-Salem.  Last Monday, Dec. 18, the Youth Character Football League (YCFL), based out of Union Baptist, held its annual youth football league awards banquet.

The league has continued to progress every year of its existence.  This past season, it had three teams in the championship game in their respective divisions.  Monday night was a way to celebrate the participants’ achievements on the field of play along with their excellence in the classroom.

Union Baptist is led by Sir Walter Mack Jr., who says YCFL has “grown tremendously” over the years, not just in numbers but in quality as well.  Every child in the league receives a trophy just for participating along with those who do well in the classroom, receiving additional trophies.

“From that angle, I am very pleased with the growth of YCFL and the work that Mr. Brown [Tom Brown, YCFL President] has done with them,” said Mack.  “The way we are structured is that we are mindful of the players’ academics.

“When someone comes to YCFL, they will always experience a positive atmosphere.  It is an atmosphere that represents a Christian climate and that is very important for us because it’s other leagues that is a complaint that some of our parents had.”

Brown says it is “his pleasure” to lead YCFL as it continues to grow in all aspects.  He thinks with the quality they have on their coaching staffs, the league will prosper in the years to come.

“Our teams are getting larger and our teams are getting better on the football field, and that is a direct result of the hard work put in by the coaching and administrative staff of YCFL,” said Brown. 

Brown says they focus on education so much because that will stay with you ten times longer than your athletic ability. 

“The reason why education is so key for us is that long after the air is let out of a football, you will have to do something with your life,” Brown continued.  “If you don’t have a good education, you will probably be regulated to minimum wage jobs or worse.  It’s always been academics first and athletics second.”

Mack had nothing but high praise for the job Brown has done with the YCFL.  He feels that Brown has managed to put the right people in place in order to lead the league in the right direction for years to come.

“Mr. Brown is doing a tremendous job and gives 125 percent in everything he does,” Mack went on to say.  “He is connected with the community, he is in tune with what the parents are going through so the decisions we make are very in tune with the parents’ needs.

“Parents need that support and he also serves as a father figure for many of the kids.  When they see him, they get that esteem and assurance that someone is standing with them.  We are blessed to have him and to be a part of our ministry.”

Going forward, Mack says he would like to see YCFL get more community support as far as the academic and character standards.  He wants to also build the kids up in other areas outside of football, such as job training and advanced education.