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Things continue to look up for the Etobicoke Eagles Football Club.

Several games into the season and the provincial level Varsity and Jr. Varsity teams are off to hot starts this season.

After seven seasons of building, things are just starting to take flight for the Eagles operation.

With the Varsity team going 2-0 and the Jr. Varsity team at 2-1 right now, the tackle outfit - which also provides programming for Tyke, Atom, Peewee and Bantam house league divisions - is beginning to make some noise, however.

"It's been a slow building process but it's beginning to pay off," said John Engel, a Bantam coach and organizer since 2003.

The 300 player strong club has won several championships in its short existence - in 2006 the Varsity and Atom squads took provincial crowns and in 2004 the Jr. Varsity program won one - but it's not championship titles that drives the club. The Eagles sent 19 athletes to college and university football programs last year.

"We don't gauge our success on wins or losses, we gauge our success on how many guys we send to the next level," said Engel, who is also an offensive coordinator with the University of Toronto.

He and others are at issue with the ways in which the city looks at permits and youth sports - particularly the high cost of facility fees for sports Engel believes are invaluable to city kids.

"We pay thousands and thousands of dollars on permits to the city of Toronto every year and where is the money going?... For something that gets kids off the street and gives them an opportunity to learn the game, some discipline... it's ridiculous what they charge.

'This (football) is paramount in these kids' lives and we're all struggling to pay fees, it's just crazy. This is a community service they should be paying us instead of us paying them."

Ward 2 (Etobicoke-North) Councillor Rob Ford, a voice for Etobicoke at city hall, has been advocating on behalf of the league, noted Engel, but "there's only so much he can do."

"He supports us and has given us a lot of help, that's for sure," he said.

Don Panos, the director of house league, said the numbers for the recreational side of the club are going up incrementally every year.

"On the whole, interest is up for Tyke, Atom and Peewee again this year," he said.

The younger three divisions (TAP) compete out of a Brampton league while the varsity team line up against Ontario's top rep OVFL squads.

"I think people are just starting to realize that we are here. That's what we've been doing in the seven years, trying to let people know we're here," said Engel.