About Us
The Evanston Junior Wildkit program is a grass roots youth football organization that was founded in 1994 and became a part of the Central Suburban Youth Football League, which is comprised of teams from the North Shore of Illinois.
The purpose of the program is to teach fundamental football skills and philosophy to players between the grades of 5th through 8th. We also strive to develop each participants sense of self-esteem and community pride, and enhance their understanding of the importance of teamwork. We believe these skills help players to further their football aspirations as they transcend to the high school football level. With this in mind, we maintain very close ties with the ETHS Football coaching staff and structure our strategies in a manner that is similar and consistent with the high school. We have also implemented educational and behavior standards that each player is required to abide by in order to maintain eligibility within the program and to ensure that they are following a successful pathway into high school.
The Program is open to both boys and girls alike for the following four levels of competition:
- Flyweights: grades 5th (under 100lbs) and 6th (under 90lbs)
- Middleweights (formerly Featherweights): grades 5th (over 100lbs) and 6th (over 90lbs)
- Lightweights: grades 7th & 8th (under 140 lbs.)
- Heavyweights: grades 7th & 8th (over 140 lbs.)
Players are asked to commit at least 10 hours per week for practice and games. The Junior Wildkit program prides itself on having a solid coaching staff with 4+ well qualified coaches per team all of whom volunteer their time and efforts. We also have a very strong parent support team to help us reach our various program goals.
Testimonials
I am extremely grateful to Jr. Wildkit Football; it gave me a clearer perspective on what it took to be a better parent, better coach, and a better person. They truly walk the walk.
I was proud to be a part of Jr. Wildkit Football. I started off very unsure about myself and who I was both on and off the field. I gained self-confidence and was able to participate not only for the Jr. Wildkits, I also played and lettered four years in a row at ETHS. I am now attending an Ivy League School.
Jr. Wildkit Football has made a significant difference in our son's life. He's learned to apply himself academically and to be more involved in day to day experiences.

