Kanawha Redskins to change name

The Kanawha Redskins Youth Football and Cheerleading Association in Henrico’s West End will follow the lead of the Washington NFL team of the same name and change its nickname, an organization official told the Citizen Tuesday.

The organization’s board members met last week and unanimously voted in support of the name change.

Kanawha Football President Scott Gaskill said that the decision was made for various reasons.

“Untimely, we made the decision—we’re going to change the name,” Gaskill said. “We agreed that it was the right thing to do.”

Gaskill added that while there wasn’t the same uproar the NFL team experienced, Kanawha officials did have some inquiries about the name.

Much like the NFL team, logistics will be a speed bump for the organization, which is exploring costs for new uniforms, signage and other needs, Gaskill said. The board is in the process of figuring out how and when it can make those changes.

As for a new name, Gaskill says that is still in the works.

“We are going to wait to see what the NFL franchise does,” he explained, “and then decide if we want to follow that or come up with a new name.”

As far as plans to play this season in the wake of COVID-19, Gaskill said that the plan is to begin practices Aug.10. The organization and the Metro Youth Football League in which it competes are monitoring the youth sports guidelines from Gov. Ralph Northam.

“The health and safety of the kids and their parents take priority,” Gaskill said.

The Kanawha organization, created in 1987 by Red Roberts, has served thousands of athletes and cheerleaders. Kanawha includes flag football, 8U, 10U, 12U and 13U teams that play against other MYFL teams including, Western, Tuckahoe, Glen Allen, Westside, Chamberlayne, Highland Springs, Virginia-Randolph, Louisa and Varina.

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