ROCKINGHAM — John Carter and Errol Hood have operated competing youth football programs in Richmond County for the last several years. Now the duo is teaming up to give local players a chance to play during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hood, who was the director of the Raider Youth Football program, and Carter, the head of the Richmond Warriors Elite organization, have combined to form the new Raider Elite 7-on-7 program.
Because of the current restrictions in place due to the coronavirus, the new team will follow 7-on-7 regulations. Designed specifically for skill and position players, the format includes quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, linebackers and secondary players. Linemen are not a part of the sport.
There are no shoulder or hip pads used in 7-on-7 competitions, and play ends with a two-hand touch tackle. The Raider Elite program, which will compete in the Amatuer Athletic Union (AAU), will have four teams: 18U, 15U, 13U and 10U.
“Coach Hood and I are putting something together during COVID-19 to give the kids a chance to play,” Carter explained. “It’s a big deal for the kids to be around each other and get active again. This will be better than them doing nothing and help keep them out of trouble.
“We also hope this helps the kids want to do better in school,” he added. “We won’t have players who aren’t doing their schoolwork.”
Carter will organize and help coach the three younger programs, while Hood is coaching the 18U team.
One of the reasons Hood decided to team up with Carter was the recent death of Jalen David, a former AAU player for Hood.
“The one thing that hit me was the loss of Jalen,” Hood shared. “He was once a part of my (basketball) program. When John called me and talked about it, it hit me that this is the right time to really provide something positive as black men in our community.
“As strong role models, we can help reach a lot of kids and do our part as coaches, mentors and leaders,” he added. “We want our local youth to have a choice and try to keep them accountable. We don’t want to have kids getting in trouble and we’re hoping to change the mindset.”
The 18U roster is currently filled, but the 15U, 13U and 10U squads are looking for players. The cost per player is $65, which includes the uniform and AAU member insurance.
Practices will be held at Place of Grace, which is located at the old Rohanen Middle School, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. The 7-on-7 schedule has yet to be finalized, but Carter and Hood expect it to begin on Sept. 26 and run between eighth and 10 games.
The 18U team will have a lot of familiar faces on it, as it’s made up of 25 current Richmond Senior High School varsity football players. Among those are Caleb and Kellan Hood, Jakolbe Baldwin, Dalton Stroman, Tremel Jones, Jaron Coleman, CJ Tillman, Jamari Broady, Jaleak Gates and Gabe Altman.
“We’ve got all the skill position and secondary players signed up,” Hood said with a chuckle. “I wanted to give those guys every opportunity to get some looks and exposure from college scouts and coaches.
“Because of COVID-19, camps for rising seniors and juniors were cut short this summer,” he added. “There will be people out at our games filming and hopefully they will get some looks. We had our first day of practice and all the guys were so excited.”
Carter and Hood both have non-profit organizations and are seeking sponsors to help fund the season. Carter can be reached at 910-995-0385, and Hood’s contact is 910-331-6896.
“I want to thank Coach Hood for accepting my invitation,” Carter closed. “At the end of day, we want to serve as an inspiration and a platform for these kids. And we want to support our community.”
