The Chester Panthers have good reason to celebrate their 25^th season, writes J.F. Piro for Main Line Today. 

The youth football organization, officially the Chester Panthers Youth Empowerment and Athletic Association, has won 20 championships in 10 years.

It’s come back stronger than ever after folding in 2000.

It’s fielded multiple players and a coach to the NFL.

Founded in 1996, the program shut down in 2000 for lack of money.

“In the beginning, brothers would share helmets with brothers on game day,” said Association President Charles Thompson. “We had to store everything in our houses. There were no containers or sheds at the fields like now. All we had was this open space.”

Thompson restarted the program in 2004 after a young boy asked him why there wasn’t football anymore.

Thompson spent his own money to get the team going, sacrificing furniture for his new home so the team could have football helmets and shoulder pads.

The first year back, there were 76 kids ages 5 to 15 for five teams. Today, there are 300 participants.

“We’ve done this with muscle, hard work and some sponsorship,” said Thompson.

Read more at Main Line Today about Charles Thompson and the Chester Panthers.

It’s the Chester Panthers Homecoming for 2021.

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