Twelve Bridges Jr. Rhinos looking to start inaugural season in 2023

The city of Lincoln continues to grow, especially with the youth as schools such as Scott M. Leaman Elementary School, John Adams Academy and Twelve Bridges High School have opened in recent years. This growth has also meant an increase in participation with youth sports. The Lincoln Jr. Zebras have four football and cheer squads but that is still unfortunately not enough to accommodate all youth athletes in the Lincoln area. This has spurred the start of the Twelve Bridges Jr. Rhinos which will be a feeder football and cheer program for Twelve Bridges High School and organizers are hoping to have its inaugural season in 2023. The Jr. Rhinos will be a volunteer run, nonprofit organization, similar to the Jr. Zebras, and funded and supported by local parents and the community. The ages for players and cheerleaders in the program will range from 5 years old to 13 years old. "It is very frustrating to see athletes cut, especially good athletes that should have been on a team," said Danielle Sellers, the public information director for the Jr. Rhinos. "It's one thing to be cut from a team when you do not have the skills. However, being cut because there is not enough space on a team is heartbreaking, especially after coming off this pandemic. Kids have been limited in their participation in sports and have been sitting inside on electronics and they need to be out moving and playing sports. This is also very exciting for our parents and athletes that live on this side of town as driving across town five days a week can be difficult for parents. How exciting will it be for these athletes to be Jr. Rhinos when they will be attending Twelve Bridges High School!" According to Sellers, there is currently a list of 73 cheerleaders, 110 football players and 15 coaches who have expressed interest in being a part of the program. Families, athletes, and coaches can sign up to join the Interest List at https://jrrhinos.com/form/6048/Jr-Rhino-Interest-List. The hardest part has been getting the necessary funding to get everything up and running, according to Sellers. The program has currently raised $25,000 with a goal of $100,000. "We would need to order equipment by January in order for us to start this next season, so we are cutting it close and need to raise the funds now," Sellers said. Community members can donate on the Jr. Rhinos website under sponsorships and donations at https://jrrhinos.com/donations. "I would like to add that this program will not start without the help of the community," Sellers said. "We are a nonprofit organization and we need the support of the entire community to make this happen. We will be having several fundraisers coming up, our first will be on Nov. 12th at Infusion Tap Room from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. You can check our website for future fundraisers."