The Junior Raiders sports program is undergoing a changing of the guard. A group incorporated as Hillsborough Jr. Raiders Sports, Inc. will take over the activities of the youth sports program.
According to Bob Lawton, one of the co-chairs of the new group, the move is intended to infuse renewed life into the program, bring back the track and field program and insist on more safety training for coaches.
The original Jr. Raiders program started 20 years ago and has grown to support more than 600 children and their families. The founders and executive board of that Hillsborough Junior Raiders Youth Association, Inc., have donated equipment and other property to the new organization so programs can continue to serve the families of Hillsborough, according to a press release from Jr. Raiders Sports.
Hillsborough Jr. Raiders Sports Inc. was formed in December 2011. During the past 18 months, a group has been working through the process of transitioning the programs and activities of the original Jr. Raiders program over to Jr. Raiders Sports.
Jr. Raiders Sports has applied to the IRS for its 501(c)3 tax-exempt status.
”The Board of Trustees and the Steering Committee of Jr. Raiders Sports would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the volunteers who spent countless hours at all levels of this organization over the last two years, ensuring the continuation of the proud Jr. Raiders name. And it’s this dedication and support that drove the formation of Junior Raiders Sports,” said a statement from the new group.
Jr. Raiders Sports offers three programs that compete in various organizations. They are:
The Hillsborough Football League for flag and tackle football. Typically there are more than 20 teams in grade-based divisions. The HFL is all-inclusive, regardless of ability and play at a competitive level locally.
Hillsborough uses National Federation of High School (FHS) NewJersey officials for these games and play by high school rules with modifications based on age. From this group the organization selects two teams to participate in the Junior Skyland Football Conference. The Junior Skylands also uses National Federation of High School officials and is an competitive league made up of a JV 5/6th grade team and a 7/8th grade varsity team.
Hillsborough’s 2011 varsity team won the conference and moved on to the state final against the top teams in New Jersey. The Jr. Raiders are past NewJersey state champions, and won numerous conference championships at JV and varsity levels in the Mercer and Jr. Skyland conferences.
Cheerleaders, the spirit behind sports. There is a large core group of cheerleaders (more than 200) who support the HFL teams weekly following the format of inclusiveness. Part of the Jr. Raiders growth in 2011 has been the introduction of the Gems adaptive cheerleading group for children with various disabilities; they cheer for the HFL teams. Cheer also has competition squads that travel throughout the state and have won many awards and championships at many levels of competition. Our competition squads also cheer for all our Junior Skylands football teams.
Track is back! We are starting an all-inclusive track program and work toward the goal of having our kids compete in USA Track and Field events. We are excited to bring the program back and have the backing of the middle school and high school coaches. The USAFT has its own set of requirements, which will be incorporated as the group grows, said the statement.
There have been many improvements made over the past few months and there are more to come, the statement continued.
”We have been investing in new equipment and have completed the refurbishment of existing items,” it said. “All of our coaches take the Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. course and we have two Rutgers-trained clinicians on our staff. Working toward a goal of all of our coaches having basic Red Cross approved CPR, AED and basic first aid training we have invested in a fully qualified Red Cross trainer on staff. We also encourage our entire program to take the full Red Cross training which is CEU approved (Continuing Education Unit).”
The Jr. Raiders are an official affiliate of USA Football (USAF). As part of the registration process, all of Hillsborough’s coaches and players will belong to this organization, which is backed by the NFL (www.usafootball.com). Through this membership, coaches will be taking courses to become certified at the appropriate level of play. USAF provides many other tools and instruction for players and parents. Players and their families are encouraged to review the many how-to videos and look at parental aspects of youth sports.
To make this all happen it takes countless volunteer hours, mixed with some sweat and tears. It also takes investment and money, which we know is getting harder for all, said the group.
”The Jr. Raiders would like to take this time to thank the many people and families of Hillsborough Township for their continued support, the township employees who help keep the facilities and fields going, the Hillsborough Credit Card Commission and Affinity Federal Credit Union for their financial support toward purchasing equipment and the local businesses that continue to support our children,” added the statement.
”We welcome those who can bring experience and new ideas to the participants and families of the Jr. Raiders.”
For information about the new organization and the programs offered, visit www.jrraiders.org.

