News and Announcements

Thank you for registering your player for the Spring 2021 season. We are excited to get started. Your player’s team coaches will contact you soon. Please see the general football information below. Note that Buckeye Cheerleaders will receive a separate notice regarding their practice schedule.

Grades 3-6 Equipment handout:
Will be held at the Liverpool Community Center (6801 School St, Valley City, OH 44280). See the dates and times listed below. Please do your best to arrive during the specified time per grade to minimize the number of people in the building at a given time. $125 payment will be due at this time. Face coverings are required in the building and please maintain social distancing. Players are required to supply their own padded girdle. Girdles may be an offseason item in the sporting goods stores so please ensure they are ordered in time. Players are recommended to wear them to try on the football pants.

Attend one of two dates:
Wednesday, March 10: 3rd grade 6-6:45pm, 4th grade 6:45-7:30pm, 5th grade 7:30-8:15pm, 6th grade 8:15-9:00pm
Saturday, March 13: 3rd grade 9-9:45am, 4th grade 9:45-10:30am, 5th grade 10:30-11:15am, 6th grade 11:15-12:00pm

Grades K-2 Equipment handout:
At the first practice the $75 payment will be collected, mouth guards handed out and shirt and pants sizes will be taken. BYFA will provide flag belts to be kept with the team equipment.

Grades 3-6 Physicals: Reminder that completed physical forms must be turned in at equipment handout or by the first practice. Players may not participate in practice without a physical. Grades K-2 do not require physicals for flag football.

Football Practice (Not Cheer):
All practices at the Buckeye Youth Football fields. (Again note that Buckeye Cheerleaders will receive a separate notice regarding their practice schedule.) Please check your email, Facebook or buckeyeyouthfootball.com for cancellation notices due to extreme weather. Players shall not enter the practice field without a recorded temperature check, individual water bottle and a face covering to be used at all times when off the practice field. Face coverings are required at all times for EVERYONE when off the field.

Grades 3-6 will begin the required acclimation practice week on Monday, March 15th with helmets only. Practice for the first week will be M-T-W-Th 6-7:30pm. All weeks moving forward practices will only be T-W-Th 6-7:30pm.

Grades K-2 will begin practice Tuesday, March 16th 6-7:30pm. Practices throughout the season will be Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-7:30pm.

Games:
A 6 game LEYFL season will be played on Sundays beginning April 11th running through May 16th. Schedules will be out at the end of March.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Thank you and Go Bucks!

Eric Keller/BYFA President – erickeller@buckeyeyouthfootball.com – 216-570-1546

We hope this message finds all of our BYFA families healthy and well in this holiday season.

This past week the new Lake Erie Youth Football League (LEYFL) board of directors instructed the league communities to begin planning for a 2021 Spring youth football and cheer season. Overall league interest in having football in the Spring was very positive. This is great news in light of the Fall 2020 season cancellation.

As we know, much can change with COVID regulations through the spring. The LEYFL and BYFA are hoping and planning for the best. The success of the Fall 2020 Buckeye Youth Football and Cheer Camp and its COVID protocols was recognized by Buckeye Schools. We plan to have the youth football fields available considering the entire campus is open for athletics.

Below is general information we can communicate now with more details to follow.

LEYFL Season dates:
Practices to begin the week of March 15th. A 6 game season will start the weekend of April 10th running through May 15th. The first 5 games will determine the 6th and final Bowl Game week. LEYFL and BYFA know there will be conflicts with other Spring sports and will do our best to be flexible with practice and game schedules. Sunday afternoon games are a possibility as an example.

Registration:
Documents submitted for the Fall 2020 season (form, birth certificate, grade card, picture) will carry over to Spring 2021. However each cheerleader and football player must confirm their Spring 2021 participation by completing the attached additional waiver form that is also on our website. New registrations will also be accepted. The Buckeye registration period will be January 16th through February 27th. Drive through registration dates shall be Jan-16 10am-12pm, Feb-6 10am-12pm and Feb-21 4-6pm at the Buckeye Youth Football Fields. Mail in registration will also be accepted during this period (BYFA, P.O. Box 570, Valley City, OH, 44280). Any Spring 2021 registration received beyond the deadline may be placed on a waiting list.

Physicals:
All 3rd to 6th grade football players need to have an active physical on file before participating in practice. Physicals completed for the Fall 2020 season shall carry over to Spring 2021. Grades K-2 do not require a physical

Fees:
Grades K-2 Flag and Cheer: $75
Grades 3-6 Football and Cheer: $125 (reduced from Fall fee)
Fees will not be accepted until equipment handouts prior to the start of practices
There will be a $20.00 discount per child after the first child registered for Varsity Tackle, Rookie Tackle and Padded flag
players and cheerleaders. There will be NO discount on Flag fees.

Divisions: Same as planned for Fall 2020
K-2: Flag
3-4: Padded Flag
4-5: Rookie Tackle
5-6: Varsity 11v11

The next BYFA Board Meeting will be January 10th, 2021 5:30pm at the Litchfield Town Hall. Please plan on attending with your questions or concerns or feel free to contact the Directors per below.

Thank you and Go Bucks!

Eric Keller – BYFA President – erickeller@buckeyeyouthfootball.com

Stacey Weckesser – Cheer Director – staceyweckesser@buckeyeyouthfootball.com

www.buckeyeyouthfootball.com

Voting for the 2021 board nominees was completed at the December 13th, 2020 monthly meeting. Welcome new Buckeye Youth Football board members Stacey Weckesser as Cheer Director and Adam Piovarchy as Secretary. Returning members are Eric Keller – President, Travis Perkins – Vice President and Matt Wilhelm – Treasurer.

BYFA owes a very special Thank You to outgoing Cheer Director Dina Harvey for her many years of volunteer service. Dina’s dedication to developing Buckeye’s young girls and women has advanced a strong Cheer program that is integral to the past and future success of the BYFA.

The next public monthly meeting will be Sunday, January 10th, 2021 5:30pm at the Litchfield Town Hall. Please plan on attending.

Thank you and Go Bucks!

CHANGE IN VENUE for 5:30pm December 13th Meeting

Please note that the meeting will take place at the Litchfield Town Hall Annex which is located right next to the Town Hall (closer to the gas station.) No other changes to the date or time. See you then!

Nominations were made at the November 8th monthly meeting for the 2021 BYFA board, and are as follows:

President: Eric Keller
Vice President: Travis Perkins
Treasurer: Matt Wilhelm
Secretary: Vacant
Cheer Director: Stacey Weckesser

Please note all nominations are unopposed, and the Secretary position is currently open. We will be accepting nominations via email to one of the below up until the day before the next meeting where voting will take place which will be December 13th, 5:30pm at the Litchfield Town Hall Annex. If you have interest in any of these positions, please email either:

erickeller@buckeyeyouthfootball.com OR

dinaharvey@buckeyeyouthfootball.com OR

Send a private message via Facebook messenger through the Buckeye Youth Football page.

Thank you!

Our next general board meeting will be held on 11/08/20 @ 5 PM. We will be accepting nominations at this meeting for new board members for the upcoming 2021 year. Please plan on attending. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of the below. Thank you!

When: 11/08/20 from 5-7 PM

Where: Litchfield Town Hall
9266 Norwalk Rd.
Litchfield, OH 44253

What: Monthly BYFA Meeting
Nominations for 2021 Board

Contact Information:
dinaharvey@buckeyeyouthfootball.com
erickeller@buckeyeyouthfootball.com