About Hanover Park Boys Football Association

  
Hurricane Football Exists to:
    Foster and promote a football & cheerleading program for boys and girls between ages of 5-14 residing in Hanover Park, Ontarioville, Keeneyville and those areas within Bill George Youth Football League (BGYFL) boundaries.

    Our primary objective is to teach youngsters good sportsmanship, fair play and a love for the wonderful sport of football. It is the intention of each coach to instill in the team, the confidence needed to work as a vital part of the entire group, to assist in making quick decisions and to encourage them to hang in there when the chips are down. Each child will realize the importance of hard work and dedication; that anything worth doing at all should be done well; that success lies not in being the best, but in doing your best.

    The secondary objective is to impart the basic skills and qualities to the children that will benefit them far beyond their playing days such as self discipline, concentration, friendship and leadership. Qualities that will stay with them, growing as they grow and helping them to become better adults.





Hurricane Mission is to:
    Promote and uphold team spirit, unity and pride.

    Represent Hanover Park to the highest degree.

    Set an example of good behavior and sportsmanship at all times (whether in uniform or not).

    Promote friendships with each other and with teams with whom we compete and perform.

    Promote the development of lifelong values and skills.



Hurricane History

The Hanover Park Boys Football Association was founded as a self-sufficient, not-for-profit youth football program in 1970. Since then over 13,000 boys and girls have come through our program. Many of our alumni have gone on to reap great rewards in their high school and college endeavors. We firmly believe that the structure of youth football and cheerleading provides a strong bridge as your children move on to high school athletics.

Our traveling tackle football program competes in the Bill George Youth Football League, which has participating towns from South Elgin to Buffalo Grove. The top teams in each weight class play in a "super bowl" game. Despite being one of the smaller towns in terms of population, Hanover Park continually ranks at the top of the Bill George League in victories each year.



Our season officially starts at the beginning of August with the first season games being played at the end of the month. You will receive monthly newsletters, Football Fumbles, and informational flyers between now and then to keep you informed of upcoming events and important dates. And there's always the website for more information. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact any of the board members that are listed on this site under the football or cheer links.

Our organization receives no funds or aid from the Village of Hanover Park, nor are we affiliated with the Park District. We run our program strictly from volunteers. We encourage ALL parents to come to our general meetings which are held every second Tuesday of the month at 8:00 p.m. at Streamwood Bowl on Irving Park Road in Streamwood. These meetings will give you an idea of what we are about and provide a forum for you to become a part of your children's program. Please come by and get involved.

Feel free to check out the rest of the site and see what Hanover Park Football and Cheerleading is all about and what you can expect to see this season.

Again, welcome to the Hanover Park Hurricanes Football and Cheer Program!!

Sincerely,
The HPBFA Board of Directors



Who is Bill George?

During the 1950's and 1960's, the Chicago Bears were famed for their ferocious, highly effective defensive teams that made the Bears perennial championship contenders in the National Football League. During most of these years, the Bears' defensive wheelhorse was middle linebacker Bill George, a 6-2, 230-pound Wake Forest product who stepped into a new position evolving in pro football in the early 50s and who did the job so well that few have ever matched his proficiency.

Bill starred in the NFL for 15 years and his premier performances have never been forgotten. Proof of this comes from his 1974 election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The sport's highest honor was formally bestowed on Bill at ceremonies at the pro gridiron showplace on July 27, 1974. "Bill George was the first great middle linebacker," former Bears coach, Abe Gibron, said at the time of Bill's Hall of Fame election. " He brought all the romance and charisma to the position. He called all the plays and had a special knack for it."

The Bears' ace is also credited with putting a premature end to the shotgun formation with which the San Francisco 49ers terrorized the opposition for a brief period in the early 1960s. More injuries and the appearance of Dick Butkus as heir apparent to the middle linebacking role cut Bill's playing time to two games in 1965. He asked for and received his release from the Bears before the 1966 season and was quickly picked up by George Allen in Los Angeles. Bill played all 14 games for the Rams in his final campaign in 1966.

After his retirement, George returned to the Chicago and he has remained close to the Bears ever since. He was the first assistant hired when Gibron took over the Chicago head job in 1972. If the Bears have a warm feeling for Bill George, it can be easily explained. He was the 14th long-tenured member of the team to be honored with Hall of Fame selection and he played with the Bears 14 years. Few Bears ever lasted so long! And only a very few as well!