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After the1972 football season the local school system dropped tackle football from the elementary schools. In 1973 several members of the community decided to organize a tackle football team. Howard Foster, Frank White, and J. C. Wilson put together a football team with kids from Russellville and the Union Heights area of Hamblen County.
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Being that they were the only team in town they partitioned the Smokey Mountain Conference to play in their league. To play in the Smokey Mountain Conference they had to travel every Saturday to places like Sevierville, Newport, Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge. That year their first and only year they won the Smokey Mountain Conference league title. In 1974 at a meeting at Volunteer Market, Led by Foster, White, and Wilson, the Hamblen County Recreation Football Association was born. At that meeting Charles Holt was elected as Chairman of the Board.
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Vice Chairman...................................Secretary.........................................Treasurer
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Holt held the position of Chairman of the Board until 1982. The league started out with ten football teams with children in the ten through thirteen age group. The original ten football teams in the H.C.R.F.A. were the Bears form the Russellville and Whitesburg jurisdiction, the Colts from the Manley jurisdiction, the Dolphins from the Sherwood jurisdiction, the Forty-Niners from the Fairview-Marguerite jurisdiction, the Jets from the Union Heights jurisdiction, the Lions from the Alpha jurisdiction, the Raiders from the West and Rose jurisdiction, the Rams from the Hillcrest jurisdiction, the Redskins from the John Hay and Roberts jurisdiction and the Vikings from the Witt and Southern Heights jurisdiction. In 1975 a new division was added so children in the six through nine age group could participate. The ten through thirteen age group was called the Pee Wee Division and the six through nine age group were called the Grasscutter Division. The six new teams in the Grasscutter Division were the Bengals from the Russellville and Whitesburg jurisdiction, the Cowboys from the Hillcrest jurisdiction, the Eagles from the Fairview-Marguerite jurisdiction, the Falcons from the Manley jurisdiction, the Packers from the John Hay and Roberts jurisdictions and the Saints from the Alpha jurisdiction. In 1976 the Vikings were disbanded and the Witt jurisdiction combined with the Union Heights jurisdiction to support the Jets, and the Lincoln Heights and Southern Heights jurisdictions combined to support the Dolphins. In 1977 three more grasscutter teams were added. The Buccaneers from the Witt and Union Height jurisdiction, the Chiefs from the Lincoln Height jurisdiction, and the Steelers from the West and Rose jurisdictions. In 1988 it was strongly expressed to the board of directors the need to establish a new division with teams in the six through eight age group. The teams in this age group were just to be training teams, and therefore the Training League was formed. The Training League consisted of four teams ages six through eight. These teams started play in mid season of 1989; however, scores were not kept and there were no winners or losers. The following year there was tremendous support for making the Training League a competitive division in the H.C.R.F.A. A few years later the name Training League gave way to Grasshopper Division and today that division is called the Pee Wee Division. Until 1998 the H.C.R.F.A. and all of it's assets were basically operated and stored at the homes of head coaches and members of the board of directors. All league meetings were held at Talley Ward Recreation Center and any where else they were allowed to meet. In 1998 the H.C.R.F.A. under went a tremendous transformation. The H.C.R.F.A. became the Lakeway Youth Football Association. The reason for the name change was because the league was expected to expand into communities outside of Morristown and Hamblen County. In 1998 three new football teams and cheerleading squads were organized in Bean Station, TN., and one team and squad was organized in Rogersville, TN. Also in 1998 the league established a central location for storage and office space. In 1999 the league expanded once again, three more teams and squads were organized in Rutledge, TN. The L.Y.F.A. now supports 23 tackle football teams and cheerleading squads from three counties. Plans are underway to establish teams in other surrounding towns and counties.
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