For more than 50 years the Boise Noon Optimist Club has sponsored a variety of programs and activities that have helped and supported young people in the city of Boise. The Optimist Football program is just one of them. The Boise Noon Optimists have also sponsored Oratory Contests, the Boise Children's Home, and the Ronald McDonald House. We've built parks, playgrounds and athletic fields. For more than 50 years, the club has truly been a friend to youth.

In the Fall of 1949, thanks to the support of the Boise Noon Optimist Club, 42 boys and a handful of dedicated coaches gathered to form the Optimist Youth Football program. They formed two teams, practiced at Washington Park, and played games on Saturday. Several times throughout the season, games would be played at halftime of what was then Boise Junior College football games.

From those 42 players and two teams, the Optimist Youth Football program has grown to over 3000 players and 150 teams in Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Kuna, McCall, Horseshoe Bend, Emmett, Mountain Home and Hailey.

Seven and eight year olds play flag football, while 9 through 12 year olds play tackle. Teams are chosen by neighborhoods. There are no tryouts. Young people learn to play with the people with whom they go to school and play. Teams stay together with the same players and coaches from the time they enter the tackle program until they are twelve. This gives players, coaches and parents four years to develop relationships and become friends.

Since it's humble beginnings in 1949, the Optimist Football program has had an estimated 40,000 young people participate in the program. With a desire to share their experiences, many of these alumni return to the program as adults to coach and encourage a whole new generation of Boise's youth. This truly demonstrates the enduring legacy of the Optimist Football Program and it's impact on Boise's youth for more than 50 years.

The Optimist Football Program is run by the Football Committee, a group of volunteers who answer to the Board of Directors of the Boise Noon Optimist Club. Committee members are always open to ideas and suggestions from anyone. You can contact committee members by using the information on our Contact Us page.