BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — To many, football is just a game.
In Boynton Beach, the game has changed countless young lives.
City leaders say Boynton Beach has one of the top youth teams in the state, and now with renovations, the league has amenities to match.
On Wednesday afternoon Bill Tome and Woodrow Hay share smiles and high-fives. It's a friendship that started 30 years ago.
"Bill and I have worked together for over 30 years and always had this vision," said Hay.
A vision to take the at-risk youth of Boynton Beach off the street.
In fact, in 1994, the Boynton Beach Commissioner appointed Officer Bill Tome as the athletic director of Ezell Hester Park.
"During that time, my job was to incorporate the kids in the surrounding areas and provide positive programs," said Tome, athletic director for the Boynton Beach Police Department.
He and his volunteers created the Boynton Beach Bulldogs.
"We started with three teams and are up to nine now with over 300 kids in the program," said Tome.
The team had instant success, but one thing that always stood out was the poor condition of the field.
So six years ago, the NFL and the Dolphins contacted Boynton Beach about revamping the field.
"The community outreach program submitted a grant to the Dolphins," said Tome.
The grant from the NFL and Dolphins was approved, and $250,000 was given for field upgrades.
"It looks nice," said Markel Permenter, a Boynton Beach Bulldog 9u player.
"I mean, it looks really good. It looks like a college field," said Kamil Tyson, a Boynton Beach Bulldog 9u player.
Permenter and Tyson play for the Bulldogs 9u program and couldn't resist taking the field.
"We didn't have turf. We didn't have these types of designs," said Tyson.
The city of Boynton Beach says the field now features:
- 75 additional parking spaces
- Synthetic turf field
- LED light upgrades
- Walking trail
- New park benches and a picnic table
While future generations will now enjoy the new amenities, Tome's impact will live on, as the field will be named after him.
