Plot Synopsis

FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES is a one-hour reality series that follows five youth teams in the San Antonio region of the Texas Youth Football Association (TYFA). Season 1 focuses on 8- and 9-year-olds, who play in the Rookies division, while the second season centers on the 10- and 11-year-old age group. With no size or weight limit for its players, TYFA is one of the most competitive youth football leagues in the country. Throughout each season -- from pre-season training through the state championships -- these young players face some very adult pressures and concerns, including extreme training drills, heckling from rabid fans, and balancing on-the-field expectations against a typical off-the-field childhood. Plus, the coaches and parents offer insight into why they believe football is important, what motivates them as individuals, and what valuable lessons they believe the children learn from their discipline and dedication. FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES opened with a bitter rivalry between the Junior Rockets and the Northeast Colts, as the two teams met in the opening game; meanwhile, a Junior Bronco's mom was upset about his lack of playing time. In subsequent episodes, a player was forced to spend practice running laps in 104-degree heat because he missed four weeks, and questions of parenting and safety arose when a player got injured. FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES returned for its second season on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT on Esquire Network. In the new season, FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES again follows five teams in the San Antonio division of the TYFA -- from registration and pre-season practices through the playoffs and championships -- but this time the action centers on the 10- and 11-year-old age group, where the players are bigger, faster and the game more explosive...and dangerous. Also in the spotlight are the changes teams have made to their training methods after several coaches were suspended last season for encouraging dangerous play and profanity. The league implemented newly designed programs to improve safety and conduct while attempting to maintain its reputation as the most competitive youth football league in the country. After the Bronco's coach Charles Chavarria was suspended for encouraging improper tackling techniques, his former team attempted a gentler approach that resulted in fewer wins for the season. The football fanatical Hurt family parted ways with the Lobos after accusations of favoritism led to a nasty incident on the sidelines. Tempers flared and a verbal altercation ensued. Coach Marecus Goodloe led the Colts to a turbulent and emotional season before stepping down as Head Coach. Meanwhile his good friend, Fred Davis continued to lead TYFA's pre-eminent franchise, The Outlaws, to an undefeated season and a second consecutive championship title. Season 3 of FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES premiered on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT on Esquire Network, following the players, families and coaches of the San Antonio Outlaws, Texas Storm, San Antonio Seahawks, Yoakum Outlawz, San Antonio Predators and Jr. Broncos. The new season kicks off with all-star tykes dominating the Jr. division and Goodloe and Davis joining forces and taking the San Antonio Outlaws national to join the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL). Raising the bar, this places the Outlaws in direct competition with select youth teams from Texas, California and Colorado, with a chance at winning the National Title. These seasoned young athletes embody the intense passion of Texas football where everyone lives and breathes the sport. And while their focus is on wins over losses, an underlying question presented in the series is if there is a better way to define victory. Season 3 also introduces a revamped Predators, whose philosophy is "Smashmouth: Aggressive and Confrontational football." Lead by head coach John Collins, they practice hits every single day. On the opposite end of the spectrum and field sit the Yoakum Outlawz who take a drastically different approach and practice only one day a week to avoid overexertion. They've seen great success with this approach and look forward to proving this on the field. The 10-hour fourth season of FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES premiered on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT on Esquire Network, returning to take an unfiltered look at the 10, 11 and 12-year-old divisions of the Texas Youth Football Association (TYFA) and the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL), viewers meet the future of professional football, their coaches, parents and mentors. The six teams featured in Season 4 include: San Antonio Outlaws, led by head coach Fred Davis and assistant coaches Marecus Goodloe and Clayton Guillory; Judson Jr. Rockets, led by team president Keith Dyson, a former serviceman in the United States Army who has vowed to bring the team back to its former glory; JYSF Venom, a new organization in TYFA led by team president and TYFA commissioner Chris Davis; Texas Storm, a second-year team started by Paul and Lori Hurt, although their son Justice has aged out of the league; 210 Outlaws, an offshoot of the San Antonio Outlaws organization, led by team president Jay Joplin; and Austin Steelers, led by team president Shannon Crenshaw and head coach Sedrick Alexander -- and the odds-on favorite to win the TYFA Championship this season.
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On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT, Esquire TV premiered the Season 4 finale of FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES. In the season ender, "If You Wanna Show, I'll Give You One," the TYFA championship game pits the 210 Outlaws against the mysterious Farm League Hurricanes; the San Antonio Outlaws go on the road looking for their second straight Snoop National Championship.