05/01/2025
Big news in Hammond!!
The Vipers Youth Football team has been a staple in Hammond Sports for over 20 years, and during those 20+ years, we have had a wonderful home at Dowling Park. Unfortunately, as times change and progress takes precedent, our beloved field will be repurposed by the city for other uses this year. We have been fortunate to have had a home for so long in Hessville, and we will truly miss our Viper Field and lockup. 20 years is a long time to have maintained a youth football program we have had many great athletes come through our field and have had many great coaches and staff and families, we have made many great friends and have had many great memories, but as times change, we have changed to meet them, from our inception as the powerful Hessville Vipers into our post-Covid NWI Vipers which also yielded 5 Superbowl Championships, we have committed to be the best trained football players in the Hammond/NWI always competing in the hardest leagues available to us. With this new development, our Viper Board has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Vipers will find a new home and continue to offer the best Youth Football Training in the NWI for many more years to come!
We are very excited to announce that the NWI Vipers Youth Football and Cheer Club will become the New and sole Football Division of the Hammond Optimist Youth Sports Organization! As we continue to be the ONLY Indiana Youth Football team competing in an all Illinois League, the powerhouse River Valley Youth Football League, We will move our practice facilities to Riverside Park, and will also be partnering up with the Northwest Indiana Rugby Club to continue our longstanding Viper traditions and commitment to youth sports in the Hammond and NWI Area!
In unity comes strength, and I know that together with Hammond Optimist Youth Sports, we will not only continue our pursuit of excellence and provide the best opportunities to our youth through proper training, respect, discipline, and community, but we will also continue raising the bar for all youth football and youth sports in the area!
We are thrilled to be part of the prestigious Hammond Optimist Family and are excited to introduce you to our new logo as the Optimist Vipers, honoring our past, our present, and always looking into the future!
In celebrating our merger, we are offering sale prices to register for our 2025 Fall Tackle Season. From now through Saturday evening, we have reduced our prices by $50 for football and Cheer for levels up to JV and $20 reduction for Varsity levels. You can register at Camp II and at Optimist Baseball opening day, both on Saturday, or register and pay online at https://www.nwivipersfootball.com/registration
Optimist Vipers! We Teach Good football!
