Are you ready for some football and cheerleading?
The Seymour Area Youth Football League is offering an opportunity for local youth to participate in both sports this fall.
The nonprofit league was formed in November 2013 and had its first season in the fall of 2014 because football no longer was offered at the Seymour elementary schools.
Seymour High School’s head coach at the time, Josh Shattuck, turned to people in the community who had a vested interest in football, and five of the six board members were former Owls.
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Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the current league board members wanted to keep the league’s momentum rolling, so they opted to move forward with the seventh season.
"Every year, we always have some standout students that we know this program made a difference in their life," league President Tara Johnson said.
"Everybody has seen ‘The Blind Side.’ Everybody knows that there are athletes out there that just need to try, and if they get a shot and they get a chance to (show) their talent, they can become great and they can figure out how great they can be," she said. "If we don’t open up the field to them, they would miss that opportunity."
That’s a big reason why the board chose to offer football and cheerleading to boys and girls in grades 2 through 6 this year.
"I couldn’t imagine not doing this," Johnson said. "My kid got a chance with volleyball where she found out ‘There’s my power, talent, opportunity to express myself.’ I can’t imagine somebody’s kid not getting that. That keeps me up at night."
The USA Football-affiliated league will be following Seymour Community School Corp. guidelines, constantly sanitizing kids’ hands and ensuring fans can safely attend games to watch their kids do something they love, Johnson said.
"We have done everything possible to make football exceptionally safe," she said.
Any parents with questions may get them answered during the 2020 season volunteer meeting and walk-up early registration event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. today outside the Seymour High School commons.
The cost is $100 for football and $60 for cheerleading through Aug. 11, and the league is open to kids in the Seymour area.
For football, the cost includes a jersey, pads, a helmet, a mouthguard and a T-shirt. The only thing players have to provide is shoes.
Applications and scholarship information will be available at tonight’s event. If applying for a Goodman Scholarship (50% or 100% coverage), bring necessary proof of income documents for league officials to review. The scholarship is named after Joe Goodman, a former Seymour football coach who died in November 2018.
"At the end of the day, we’re not going to turn a kid away if they can’t pay," Johnson said. "We’ll do everything we can to find extra sponsors. We want to make sure your child is safe. Payment is not an issue if that’s something you think is going to keep your kid off the field."
This is the pilot year for giving second-graders a chance to play football. Those interested can schedule a short screening to register. Screening and registration will be available at all SAYFL events or parents can email [email protected] to schedule a screening.
Then from 6 to 8 p.m. July 21 at Bulleit Stadium, there will be a coaches clinic for those interested in coaching this season. League officials will review the expectations and guide people through the steps to be a youth football coach. No prior coaching experience is required. Training and seasonlong support will be provided.
Each football team will have a head coach and an assistant coach, and Johnson expects to have four teams for each division (third and fourth grade and fifth and sixth grade), so 16 coaches will be needed.
A player combine is set for Aug. 12, 13 and 14 at Bulleit Stadium. Kids signed up for football will be evaluated through skills and drills. On the final night, they receive their equipment and are put into a draft to form the teams. The evenly divided teams will have 12 to 18 players each.
Grades 2 through 4 will use tackle bars, while grades 5 and 6 will have tackle football.
Last year, Schneck Medical Center donated tackle bars to the league.
"It’s the happy space between flag football and contact," Johnson said of tackle bars. "It’s a tool that just teaches really good positioning so the kids know where their bodies should be when they make contact, so that way, they are not putting their head down."
Football practices will be Tuesdays and Thursdays the two weeks after the combine, and games will start in September and go for six Saturdays. Cheerleaders will practice an hour before each game and then perform during the games.
"We’re teaching the fundamentals, the foundation, the teamwork, working together, contact safely, show how to be a good sport and coachable because that’s something they need to learn sooner than later," Johnson said of football.
"Hopefully, by the time they get to the higher skill level at middle school and high school, they have those fundamentals, they are ready to be coached, they are ready to be led to a successful season," she said.
The Bull Award is given after each game to a player who goes above and beyond. It’s named after Tracy Bullard, one of the league’s founding board members who died in December 2018.
"Football is a sport where every kid plays. Every kid has a place on a football team. That’s important," Johnson said.
"Your level of speed, your level of experience does not matter," she said. "As long as every kid can learn a lot from that sport, they can have that camaraderie, they get a chance to relate to each other on a field that has no socioeconomic effect, it has no personality effect. It’s just ‘We’re here to complete a mission,’ and they go out and they get it done."
Johnson said the league is fortunate to receive support from the Seymour football coaches and administration as well as the community.
"The administration in Seymour has been exceptional with giving us support," she said. "All of the coaches have been integral. The amount of help they give us and support, it’s great."
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Seymour Area Youth Football League key dates
6 to 7:30 p.m. today: 2020 season volunteer meeting and walk-up early registration event outside the Seymour High School commons; applications and scholarship information will be available (if applying for a Goodman Scholarship, bring necessary proof of income documents for league officials to review)
6 to 8 p.m. July 21: Coaches clinic at Seymour High School’s Bulleit Stadium; no prior coaching experience is required
Aug. 11: Football and cheerleading registration ends
Aug. 12, 13 and 14: Football player combine at Bulleit Stadium
The cost is $100 for football and $60 for cheerleading through Aug. 11. The league is open to kids in grades 2 through 6 in the Seymour area. For football, the cost includes a jersey, pads, a helmet, a mouthguard and a T-shirt. The only thing players have to provide is shoes.
This is the pilot year for giving second-graders a chance to play football. Those interested can schedule a short screening to register. Screening and registration will be available at all SAYFL events or parents can email [email protected] to schedule a screening.
For information, call 812-525-9539 or visit sayfl.org or facebook.com/seymourareayouthfootballleague
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