Local youth football team will compete for a national title
The RMG Elites, Rochester's select-only youth football team, is headed to the National Championship.
Eight of the best 11-year-old squads in the country will compete for the Youth National Championship (YNC) in Wellington, Florida, Dec. 5-11.
YNC is sponsored by Battle, a performance apparel company that has become a staple across the youth football landscape.
Together, YNC and Battle have curated a platform for youth football teams to compete at a national level in a well-organized and professional manner. Participating teams play one another throughout the year, rankings are compiled, and a national champion is crowned at the end of the year at every age level from 6-14.
"Colleges know 99% of the children in Battle programs before they even play a down of high school ball," James Holmes told the Democrat and Chronicle in April 2021 when he started the RMG Elite team.
At that time, RMG had little to no external funding and had to hold open tryouts to assemble a full roster, but a dream existed.
"The goal is to be a Battle program," Holmes said in 2021. "This is a chance to give them exposure and an opportunity to have a platform that children in the city have never had before."
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The dream has come true. The RMG 11 and under squad is ranked first statewide and ninth nationally as they've qualified to compete for a title.
"We're not in a major city; we don't get major funding, so I figured 3 to 5 years was realistic to make it happen," Holmes said while packing for the trip south.
"To make it happen in a year and a half is beyond me. I can't even put it into words."
Holmes, known as Coach Diddi, attributes success to their habits.
RMG plays the toughest teams in the nation, even when they're shorthanded, something that Coach Diddi believes will build character.
Each player receives a weekly progress report off the field, and their teachers are in constant contact with coaches. When the program started, the team's collective GPA was 2.5; now, at 3.7, seven players have a 4.0, three of which are a part of the National Honor Society.
"You can't receive a college scholarship if you don't have the grades," Holmes said.
One of RMG's top players, Legacy Taylor, is already receiving interest from division 1 college football programs and elite developmental camps. The young running back is the son of Cierra Taylor, a local boxer who competed in the U.S. Olympic trials in 2015.
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RMG's young men come from diverse backgrounds, but 90 percent of them live in the inner city, and they're all affected by Rochester's increase in gun violence.
"Conversations can't be avoided," Holmes said. "I have kids that were involved in gangs that are no longer doing those things because we keep them occupied, sometimes seven days a week. That's why I take so much pride in this program."
Coach Diddi's team plays their first game in the championship tournament Tuesday, Dec. 6, against Tre Mann Elite, a team sponsored by professional basketball player Tre Mann who plays for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
RMG Elite is the only team in the competition not fully funded, according to Holmes. To keep the momentum going, the squad welcomes donations.
"A lot of these teams have been powerhouses for years, and we just came out of nowhere," Holmes said hours before his kids fly to Florida. "We're just ready to show everyone we belong."
Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: RMG Elites youth football team in Rochester NY will compete for title
