Everett exits Pop Warner and joins American Youth Football and Cheer
By Cary Shuman
The Crimson Tide Pop Warner organization has been one of the most successful and winningest in the nation for the past six decades.
A perennial contender for state and national titles, the popular Everett youth football and cheer program is moving to a different national organization.
President Nick Olson said that Everett will compete under the American Youth Football (AYF) banner for the 2025 season. In fact, the football and cheer teams began practice Monday night at Everett Memorial Stadium in preparation for the new season. The teams will continue to be known as Crimson Tide.
The dramatic move by Everett – which for many years fielded both Eagles and Huskies Pop Warner programs before a merger in 2012 – stunned the youth football universe as the city known for gridiron excellence at the high school and youth football levels bid farewell to Pop Warner and launched a new era. Many observers believe that the Crimson Tide Pop Warner organization, first under longtime president Brian Dimond and now under the leadership of president Nick Olson, has set the statewide standard for youth football and cheer teams.
Olson, an Everett High School football alumnus (Class of 2001) and two-time Super Bowl champion who served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years, said the Everett board voted for the change at a meeting in March. He noted that 27 cities and towns in this region had left Pop Warner and joined AYF in the past 15 years.
“It was a tough decision but it’s an overall better thing for our program,” said Olson, a former Everett Eagle. “They [AYF] offered a team for each age group. We were only able to play seven games last year and two playoff games because of the small number of teams. When I went through Pop Warner, we had 8-9 regular season games, and you had to win 5-6 more games to qualify for Nationals.”
Olson, whose son, Caleb, competes in football, said the age group for football will range from 5-13. Cheer teams will range in age from 4-14.
Vice President Mel Fiore, a youth sports standout himself during his childhood years in Chelsea, supports the switch to AYF.
“This is going to be a great move for the youth in our football community,” said Fiore, who will be coaching the Everett 12-Under team that includes his son, Tyson Fiore. “Our teams will be facing much stronger competition which is going to prepare them for high school. There are more teams and more competition in this league. We are AYF National and will continue to compete for state, regional, and national titles.”
Everett High School head football coach Rob DiLoreto endorsed the local organization’s move to American Youth Football.
“The president [Olson] reached out to me to let me know, and I trust the leaders in the youth football program to do what’s best for the kids in the City of Everett,” said DiLoreto, a former quarterback and safety for the Everett Huskies. “We are working really hard together with our high school staff and their youth coaching staff, and we’re here to support them every step of the way this season.”