A new youth football team is giving a group of 11-year-old athletes from Clarendon County the opportunity to compete beyond county lines while building skills, confidence and a strong sense of hometown pride.
The Manning Future Stars 7v7 Football Team was formed this offseason by coach Kris Gorman, who saw an opportunity for local youth to grow through a fast-paced version of football that emphasizes skill development over physical contact.
“When I moved to Manning, I didn’t really know anybody but my wife’s family,” Gorman said. “I started coaching at the junior high, and that’s what got me integrated into the community.”
After coaching several of those players, now flourishing at the high school level, Gorman turned his focus to youth football, eventually coaching his son, Emmett, and a core group of players he has worked with for several seasons.
Gorman said he recognized a strong group of youth players in Manning who were eager to learn the game.
Drawing on his experience in Charleston, where seven-on-seven football plays a major role in offseason development, Gorman decided to bring that model to Clarendon County.
“The kids are here,” he said. “They just don’t have the teams, the direction or the information. So I decided to build my own team here with the kids I was already coaching from tackle football.”
Seven-on-seven football is a non-contact version of the sport played without pads or linemen and designed to highlight passing, route running, defensive coverage and football IQ. Quarterbacks have four seconds to throw the ball before a play is ruled a sack, making the game fast-paced and continuous.
“It’s two-hand touch football,” Gorman said. “It’s not a big man’s game. It’s all receivers, running backs, quarterbacks, corners, and safeties. It’s super fast-paced and really helps quarterbacks and receivers get on the same page.”
Games typically last 40 to 45 minutes, with limited stoppages, and tournament formats often require teams to play multiple games in a single day.
The Future Stars plan to compete in seven to eight tournaments this spring across the Carolinas, with the goal of earning an invitation to nationals in Matthews, North Carolina. Teams must win a qualifying tournament to receive a bid.
“You can’t just sign up for nationals,” Gorman said. “If you win one of these tournaments outright, you get a free bid. That’s the goal.”
The team earned a bid last year after winning a North Carolina tournament but was unable to attend nationals due to short notice and a lack of fundraising.
“We practiced for a couple weeks, took them to the tournament, and they played amazing,” Gorman said. “But we hadn’t done any fundraising, and I didn’t have a couple thousand dollars to take them.”
This season, the team is seeking community sponsorships to help cover tournament entry fees, travel, uniforms and lodging. Donations of $100 or more earn sponsors placement on the team’s tournament banner, along with social media recognition and a personal thank-you letter from the players.
Beyond financial support, sponsorships also allow the team to travel together, an experience Gorman said is central to the group’s bond.
“When I played youth sports, some of my best memories were staying with the team and just being together,” he said. “You’re playing the sport you love, and you’re bonding the whole time.”
For the players, representing Manning is a point of pride that extends beyond the field.
“They’re all at Friday night lights and basketball games,” Gorman said. “Their idols are the juniors and seniors that I coached when they were in junior high.”
That connection fuels a shared vision among the players.
“They want to dominate every level together with this same group,” Gorman said. “They all want to go to Manning High School and win a state championship together. They’re very loyal to the community.”
Gorman said the growth he has seen off the field has been just as meaningful as the team’s success on it. He pointed to one player who stood out early for his natural ability but struggled with grades, attitude and discipline.
“He was by far the most athletic kid when I first met him,” Gorman said. “But his grades weren’t there, he was getting in trouble and he had a bad attitude.”
Over time, that changed. Gorman said the player now spends time at his home, shows respect on and off the field, and recently shared a moment that stuck with him.
“He scored three touchdowns in a game, then came up to me and told me he made A-B honor roll,” Gorman said. “And he was more proud of that than the touchdowns.”
As the season approaches, Gorman said the program remains what it was from the beginning.
“What I’m most proud of isn’t what they do on the field,” Gorman said. “It’s who they’re becoming. Seeing them take pride in their grades, their behavior and each other — that’s bigger than football.”
