Seasons
News and Announcements
Lake Erie Youth Football League Fall 2020 K-6 Season Postponed to Spring 2021
Buckeye Youth Football Families,
As we continue to learn, plans can be modified quickly in this global pandemic. LEYFL held an emergency meeting on Friday, July 17th to discuss the latest developments with the Ohio Governors Responsible Restart with sports requirements. We have confirmed the July 7th Governors orders for contact sports have been extended to July 22nd. Please see the links below. Among other requirements athletes and team staff members must receive a negative COVID-19 test result before traveling to each competition.
The vast majority of LEYFL communities do not have the resources to safely organize Youth Football under these requirements. Most communities also need adequate time to prepare for the season by organizing equipment purchases, ensuring municipal field use, etc. Waiting for further guidance on or after July 22nd is not an option for all. In a nearly unanimous community decision, LEYFL voted to postpone the Fall 2020 Youth Football season until Spring 2021.
Ideally our pandemic situation greatly improves by the Spring. Initial plans call for a March to May 2021 season. We understand the conflicts with other Spring sports and activities that this introduces but feel this is the best path forward. Registration forms submitted for the Fall will be kept for use in the Spring but can be returned or destroyed upon request. Physicals recently completed for grades 3-6 last one calendar year and can also be used for Spring football. Flag players grades K-2 do not require physicals. There are then further plans to have a traditional Fall 2021 LEYFL season.
Buckeye Youth Football is investigating if non-contact football skill development practices/camps can still be held in the Fall. These would be for the surrounding Buckeye Community only and meet the Ohio non-contact sports requirements. BYFA requires further guidance from Buckeye Schools and will need to account for unknown Ohio requirement updates. Buckeye High School continues to move forward as if sports will begin on August 1st and our practices/camps could potentially start soon after. We will update our families as soon as possible by email, Facebook and our website buckeyeyouthfootball.com.
Thank you for your understanding and more information to come in the near future.
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
Sunday, July 19th Parents Meeting Postponed
The previously communicated parents meeting scheduled for Sunday, July 19th at the Buckeye Youth Football fields has been POSTPONED. More information will be provided by the BYFA soon.
2020 Buckeye Youth Football Season Information
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
2020 BYFA Registration Information
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
CANCELLED - 2020 Buckeye Youth Football Camp
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.
