Bennington Youth Football, Cheer Squads Take the Field at Memorial Stadium

By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photos

A group of cheerleaders posing together in front of a large red letter 'N' with a gate in the background. They are wearing blue and black cheer outfits, and some have blue bows in their hair. A coach stands to the left, smiling.

More than 200 Bennington youth athletes had the opportunity to play and cheer at the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, creating memories that could last a lifetime.

For many young football players and cheerleaders, Memorial Stadium is more than just a football stadium. It’s a place they’ve watched their favorite athletes compete, imagined themselves performing or playing someday, and dreamed of experiencing firsthand.

On October 24, that dream became a reality for hundreds of Bennington youth athletes as six Bennington Youth Football teams and four Bennington Youth Cheer squads traveled to Lincoln for an opportunity to play and cheer inside the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Approximately 150 football players, representing fourth, fifth and sixth grades, participated in the event, alongside 71 cheerleaders representing four squads.

A group of young football players posing together on a field at night, wearing white and blue uniforms and helmets, with bleachers in the background.

A youth football team posing for a group photo on a football field, wearing blue jerseys and white pants, with coaches and team members smiling.

For the kids, it was an opportunity unlike anything they’d experienced before, one that brought the excitement of Husker football a little closer to home.

“Our youth playing football is something they do out of love for the game. These boys dream of playing for high school and then one day playing in college. Most born and raised kids have the dream of playing in Memorial Stadium – this event allowed that to happen,” said Shawn Ekker, president of Bennington Youth Football. “There was a feeling these kids had when they walked on that field some of us only dream about.”

The opportunity came together after Ekker was contacted by Zay with Playbook Sports, an organization that coordinates youth football opportunities at college stadiums across the country.

For Bennington’s cheerleaders, the invitation came through the football program, which reached out to the cheer organization to see if squads would be available to support the teams during their games.

A group of young cheerleaders in blue and white uniforms posing in a cheerleading stunt formation on a football field. The background features empty stadium seats and a cloudy sky.

A group of young cheerleaders posing together on a football field, wearing black and blue uniforms with pink pom-poms and hair bows.

Amanda Thome, Bennington Youth Cheer board member and cheer commissioner, said the organization was excited to bring the girls along and give them the chance to experience such an iconic setting.

“It means everything! For so many of these girls, this is truly a dream come true. They look up to the Husker cheerleaders and watch them perform, so getting the opportunity to step onto the same field where the Nebraska Cornhuskers play is incredibly special,” Thome said. “To stand under those lights, look up into the stadium, and cheer their hearts out on that field is a moment they will never forget.”

Excitement had been building for weeks leading up to the event. Thome said the girls had been counting down the days, with some squads even extending their regular practices from an hour to an hour and a half to prepare.

“We’ve been working on our cheers nonstop, really focusing on execution, energy and making sure everyone knows exactly what they’re doing,” Thome said. “We want them to be able to step onto that field feeling prepared, confident and ready to cheer their hearts out.”

A group of young cheerleaders in blue and black uniforms holding pom-poms, posing cheerfully on a football field.

A group of cheerleaders in black and blue uniforms holding pom-poms, posing on the sidelines of a football field at night, with an empty stadium in the background.

For the third-grade girls on Thome’s own squad, the news was met with plenty of enthusiasm.

“When I told our third-grade girls, they were literally jumping up and down with excitement!” she said.

The football players shared that same anticipation. Ekker said the possibility of playing at Memorial Stadium, and potentially meeting some of the Huskers, was a highlight of the season for many of the kids.

“Pure joy and excitement,” Ekker said of their reaction. “Many kids commented how cool it was, how lucky they are and something they will never forget.”

The experience became even more memorable for some players who had the chance to see and meet Husker football player Jacory Barney. Barney also FaceTimed quarterback Anthony Colandrea, adding another unexpected highlight to the day.

A youth football team posing for a group photo on a field, wearing blue jerseys and helmets, with coaches and parents in the background.

While the setting itself was enough to make the event memorable, both organizations emphasized that the experience was about much more than stepping onto a famous football field.

For Ekker, opportunities like this are part of what makes youth sports meaningful. Whether teams travel out of state to compete against other programs or get the chance to play at Memorial Stadium, he believes those experiences help young athletes become part of something bigger than themselves.

“My hope is that our players take away what real teamwork is,” Ekker said. “We get these opportunities and our league stands out. Our coaches stand out. Who we are truly lays the groundwork for these kids. Sportsmanship goes a long way, we play fair, we play honest and we play with passion.”

He also hopes the experience reinforces the value of hard work and perseverance, particularly for the young athletes who someday hope to wear the Nebraska red and white themselves.

“If there is one thing I want to stick with these players is that hard work pays off and if they want to wear red and white on that field one day … don’t give up,” Ekker said.

A youth football team in blue uniforms poses for a group photo on the field of Memorial Stadium at night, with coaches and players smiling in front of the stands.

A group of cheerleaders poses together on a football field, wearing blue and black uniforms and holding pom-poms. Behind them, players are visible in football gear.

Thome hopes the cheerleaders leave with a similar sense of confidence and possibility. While not every girl will grow up to become a Husker cheerleader, having the opportunity to perform in the same stadium gives them a glimpse of what pursuing that dream might feel like.

“Not every girl will have the opportunity to become a Husker someday, but getting to step onto that field, under the lights at Memorial Stadium, gives them a little glimpse of what that dream feels like,” Thome said.

She also hopes the girls recognize how much they can accomplish when they work together. Through cheer, participants learn confidence, leadership, accountability and the importance of supporting their teammates.

“Cheer teaches them that every person has a role and that the team is stronger when everyone does their part,” Thome said.

A cheerleading team performing a stunt in a sports stadium at night, with cheerleaders in blue and silver uniforms and pom-poms.

Cheerleaders standing on the sidelines of a football field at night, wearing blue and black uniforms and holding pom-poms, with a stadium in the background.

That sense of teamwork extends beyond the individual squads and onto the sidelines, where football players, cheerleaders and their families come together throughout the season.

“Our program is sideline cheer, which means we’re not just performing a two-minute routine—we’re cheering alongside the football players for an entire game, performing at halftime and helping create that energy and excitement for the families in the stands,” Thome said.

She said seeing both programs represent Bennington together at Memorial Stadium reinforced the sense of community that makes youth sports special.

“The football players, cheerleaders and their families are all part of the same Bennington community. We’re watching each other’s kids grow, celebrating their accomplishments and supporting them through the season,” she said. “To see our cheerleaders and football players come together at Memorial Stadium, representing Bennington side by side, is incredibly meaningful.”

Behind the scenes, making opportunities like this possible requires a tremendous amount of support from families, coaches and volunteers.

A group of seven individuals wearing matching sweatshirts posing on a football field at night, with stadium seating and a lit scoreboard in the background.

Ekker said the Bennington Youth Football program relies on more than 100 volunteer coaches each year across its flag and tackle programs, along with the countless parents and community members who help make the season possible.

“It’s not possible without them. These kids don’t know how loved and supported they are,” Ekker said. “This program wouldn’t be where we are today without the volunteers, parents and community support.”

For both organizations, the hope is that the young athletes remember more than the games they played or the cheers they performed. It’s the feeling of being part of something special, sharing the experience with teammates and realizing that opportunities they once only imagined can become reality.

Five young cheerleaders in blue and white uniforms smiling at the camera, with a football stadium in the background.

A youth football team poses for a group photo on the field at a stadium, wearing white and black uniforms. Coaches are standing behind the team, and the bleachers are visible in the background.

Thome said the moment she hopes the girls remember most is the first time they step onto the field and look around the stadium, realizing they’re actually there.

“I want to see the look on their faces when they’re standing under the lights, looking up into the crowd and realizing, ‘I’m really here.’ I want them to remember how it felt to stand on that field and how big they felt in that moment,” she said.

For Ekker, the final score was never the measure of success.

“The score never mattered; the experience did. Just the opportunity to be on that field with their football brothers, to have fun and play the sport they love made it a success,” he said.

And while the opportunity to play or cheer at Memorial Stadium may have lasted only a day, the memories could last well beyond the season.

Some of the young athletes who stepped onto that field in October may someday return as high school athletes, college players or even members of the Husker program.

A group of young cheerleaders in blue and white uniforms holding pom-poms, lined up on a football field at Memorial Stadium, with a large scoreboard in the background.

Group of young cheerleaders posing in front of a large red letter 'N', wearing black and blue cheer uniforms with bows in their hair.

As Thome reflected, “Some of these kids could someday be the ones playing football or cheering on the sidelines at Memorial Stadium. They may look back on this weekend and remember being a little kid, standing under those lights, cheering for Bennington and dreaming about their future.”

For now, they got to experience the dream together, representing their hometown, supporting one another and making memories on one of Nebraska’s most iconic fields.