Traditions are woven through the fabric of varsity athletics across Minnesota. Some are decades old, like hockey hair at the state tournament. Others only recently started paving paths toward the time-honored status.

Strib Varsity intends to take occasional looks at traditions as the high school year goes on. Watch for Varsity Traditions in the headlines.

Within the past decade Maple Grove launched a tradition of its own: Dave Malenke Youth Football Night. It’s held every year on the Crimson football team’s home opener, this fall landing on Sept. 5.

Click the video box to see and hear more from the youth football night.

Kids in the Maple Grove Youth Football Association were invited to run onto the high school field, line up and create a tunnel for the varsity team. This year the association boasted a record number of more than 600 tackle and flag football players, their chants of “Let’s go Crimson” rattling around the stadium.

“I can remember all the high school football games I came to wishing that that would be me one day. And now it’s cool to be on the other side of that,” senior quarterback Kaden Harney said. “All the youth kids, they dream to be us. They dream to be on this field. So it’s cool to see the impact we’re making on this community.”

The Crimson keep expanding their programs, with the launch of girls flag football this year

“Maple Grove has got a great thing going with our community, with our youth, with our boosters. Everybody fully supports us. Our school, our parents. It’s an awesome thing,” coach Adam Spurrell said.

Nominate a tradition: Want to nominate a program tradition for Varsity Traditions consideration? Email alicia.tipcke@startribune.com.