LOCKPORT —
The last thing a veteran coach will ever do is try to take credit for his (or her) team's success.
The ones who've actually been there, put in the long hours and built championships, know more than anyone how it takes more than one person or one player to build success in football.
Lockport's Norman Steblein is one of those men — still tough as nails — and very proud of his role in the creation of the Lockport Little Loop Football program 50 years ago.
Norm insists his role was a minor one, as a line coach, along with other outstanding coaches in the early years that include Doug Cooper, Cam Gagliardi, John Vosburg, Dave Moore, Joe Rubert and Don Craddock.
Steblein says local coach Warren Smith, the father of local legendary sports broadcaster, the late “Clip” Smith, was one of their inspirations in getting the league started 50 years ago this summer.
“He told us, ‘You fellas could do quite a thing if you got something like this started,' ” Steblein said. “We started with three teams back then and we played our games at Willow Park. Eventually we got out to Outwater Park because there were lights and in the fall it would start to get dark earlier.”
Steblein still has a number of original items from the league's first few years. In addition to a scrap book (or two) of newspaper clippings and team photos, Steblein also has some of the first trophies presented, including championship trophies from the early to mid-1960s, an original LLLF jacket patch and their 1964 and 1965 “Milk Bowl” championship patches.
One of the many people who can appreciate the things that LLLF's founding members accomplished is LLLF's commissioner today, veteran, award-winning coach Gil Eaton of Lockport.
“I don't know a lot about the history of the beginning of LLLF, but I can imagine that it would have been a group of people trying to get a lot of things done,” said Eaton, who was recently honored for his 30-plus years as a local volunteer coach.
“It would have meant a lot of fundraising and a certain number of dedicated people who want to get down and dirty so-to-speak to do the ground work. Then it would be a matter getting in touch with and applying for a league to play in. It couldn't have been easy.”
One of LLLF's original sponsors was the Lockport Jaycees, whom Steblein described as a group of the some of the younger members of the then Lockport Chamber of Commerce.
TYRO (Tonawanda Youth Recreation Organization) was the first league LLLF participated in. Eaton says since 1971, Lockport teams, including two pee wee squads this year, compete in the Niagara Youth Football League (NYFL).
LLLF has sign-ups this Saturday and Sunday (noon to 2 p.m.) for youth football and youth cheerleading at Exchange Club Field, Outwater Park.
Reading from his favorite article on youth football coaches, Steblein said he can best describe one as, “a man who generally spends eight to 10 hours a day behind his desk, or on his sales route or at the construction site, then rushes to practice every afternoon for the two-hour workout, trading his hot dinner for a set of sore muscles.
“He spends most of the season teaching the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, more interested in preparing youngsters for future football than in winning games,” Steblein said.
And some things, they say, will never change.
Sports
Related Photos
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Lockport's Norman Steblein is proud of his part in helping to get Lockport Little Loop Football started 50 years ago. He still has a room full of original trophies, patches, team photos and newspaper articles from 45-50 years ago. John D'Onofrio/Staff
Celebrating Lockport Little Loop Football's birth
Norman Steblein says it took a team effort to get the league started in 1962
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