News and Announcements

Updated with Flag Football information 7/14/2020

Buckeye Youth Football Families,

Thank you for registering your player for the 2020 Buckeye Youth Football season. Below is initial information on plans for the upcoming season.

Firstly, Buckeye Youth Football and the Lake Erie Youth Football League will follow the OHSAA’s conformance to the guidance and recommendations on the Governor’s Responsible Restart with sports programs. To clarify, BYFA and LEYFL are proceeding as if the football season will occur. As we have all seen in this pandemic, plans can be modified and cancelled quickly. BYFA will communicate updates to our families as soon as they are available.

The LEYFL season is planned to start 2 weeks later than normal to provide league communities some flexibility to comply with unforeseen guidance and regulations. First practice for grades 3-6 is scheduled for August 10th. Flag for grades K-2 will have first practice August 11th. Firsts games are Saturday, September 12. Please expect announcements on early voluntary camp dates in the 2 weeks prior to mandatory acclimation practice August 10th. Camps are are shorts and t-shirts only sessions where players can get early work with conditioning, agility training and fundamental football skills. Camps will be for grades 3-6 only.

Note that all registration fees have been deferred until the start of the season. Those fees will be due at equipment handout with dates and times in early August that will be communicated in the near future. Planning for socially distanced equipment handout is under way. Physical forms for grades 3-6 completed in full will also be due at equipment handout. Both payment and physicals are required before players can participate in practice starting August 10th. The required physical form can be found on the OHSAA website and also on buckeyeyouthfootball.com .

Flag Football players in grades K-2 do NOT require a physical to practice or play.

Lastly, this season is the first BYFA will participate in Padded Flag Football for 3rd/4th grade and Rookie Tackle for 4th/5th grade. These levels of competition are widely being adopted by youth football leaders throughout the United States and now within the LEYFL. Traditional 11v11 Varsity level will be held but there will not be JV teams as BYFA is accustomed to. Complete division descriptions can again be found in the 2020 season flyer found in the Documents website section.

Overall BYFA participation is up from 2019 with 4 full K-2 Flag teams following national trends of growing numbers. Great news for the future of Buckeye Football. 3rd graders shall participate in Padded Flag. 4th graders have the option for Padded Flag but most will pursue Rookie Tackle. The number of registered 5th and 6th graders will not allow for 2 full Varsity teams his season. Leveraging the new division alignment the vast majority of 5th graders shall play Rookie Tackle. All 6th graders will participate on a single Varsity team.

The BYFA understands there are many questions and concerns on COVID-19 guidance and the new division alignment. There will be an open Parents Meeting Sunday, July 19th 6-7pm at the Buckeye Youth Football fields where BYFA Board Members will be available to answer any questions. Otherwise please direct any questions to the BYFA contacts below.

Thank you and more information to come.

Let’s Go Bucks!

Eric Keller, BYFA President
erickeller@buckeyeyouthfootball.com
216.570.1546

Dina Harvey, BYFA Cheer Director
dinaharvey@buckeyeyouthfootball.com
216.287.5341

Travis Perkins, BYFA Vice President
Shannon Ardito, BYFA Secretary
Matt Wilhelm, BYFA Treasurer

Registration information for the 2020 season of Buckeye Youth Football is updated as of June 28, 2020

Deadline for Mail-In Registration was Saturday, June 20th. However BYFA is in need of more 5th and 6th graders to play football. Please reach out to BYFA contact Eric Keller below that your player is interested and mail in your forms by July 5th.

Mail to: Buckeye Youth Football Association, Inc. P.O. Box 570 Valley City, Ohio 44280
Please ensure COPIES of the players birth certificate, grade card and a wallet size picture are included with the registration form found in the Documents section of this website. Registration cannot be accepted without ALL documents.

Please note that BYFA will NOT be accepting any payment at this time. Payment will be collected before the start of the season at the equipment hand out which will be announced at a later date.

REMINDER: Physical forms will also need to be collected for Varsity, Rookie Tackle and Padded Flag football players no later than the start of the first practice of the season. The form is located in the Documents section of this website. Physicals are not required for Flag Football.

NEW DIVISION FORMAT FOR 2020! See the registration flier for complete details and descriptions.
Flag Football
Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Graders

NEW Padded Flag
3rd & 4th Graders

NEW Rookie Tackle (Availability pending number of participants)
4th and 5th Graders

Varsity Tackle
5th & 6th Graders

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to one of the below. Thank you!

Football questions:
Eric Keller
216.570.1546
erickeller@buckeyeyouthfootball.com

Cheerleading Questions:
Dina Harvey
216.287.5341
dinaharvey@buckeyeyouthfootball.com

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The Buckeye Youth Football Camp organized by the High School Athletic Department originally scheduled for July 1-2, 2020 has been cancelled as of June 26. The High School camp organizers will be sending back registrations to those that have signed up.

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Congratulations to the Buckeye Orange Varsity team on their undefeated championship season! The Bucks won the 11/2/2019 LEYFL Varsity Red Division championship game 12-6 in overtime vs Amherst Gold at Vermillion HS. Their hard work, dedication and determination showed through in the hard fought game.

This gives the Orange Varsity back-to-back undefeated seasons. For the much decorated 6th grade class it was their 3rd championship in 4 years.

Great job Bucks!

Buckeye Youth Football Families,

You are invited to our end of season banquet. We will host TWO evenings to accommodate our large group. Please note which evening your team is invited to attend. If you have children at flag and tackle level, you will attend both evenings.
It is a potluck style dinner so we ask each team to follow the below item request list.

Flag Football and Cheer:
Date: Monday, November 18th
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Buckeye Elementary School cafeteria
Flag upper & lower football: main dish
Flag upper cheer: dessert
Flag lower cheer: side dish
All families are asked to bring drinks for your family or to share.

JV/Varsity Football and Cheer:
Date: Tuesday, November 19th
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Buckeye Elementary School cafeteria
Football varsity: main dish
Football JV: desserts
Cheer JV & varsity: side dish
All families are asked to bring drinks for your family or to share.

Thank you.