NYFC was founded in 2005 to provide boys and girls in Mendon, Upton and the surrounding communities with the opportunity to participate in football and cheerleading in a safe and highly instructional environment. From its inception, NYFC has subscribed to the following simple governing principles:
- Safety,
- Fun,
- Sportsmanship, and
- Full Participation, (Everyone gets to play)
We believe that the All-American format of play; grade based, age protected with no weight restrictions, is the program that best aligns with our principles and will offer youth the most beneficial and fun experience playing football.
Change can make people nervous, raise many questions and if not well explained, can cause misunderstandings and the spread of misinformation. Some of our families may initially look at this new program and have real concerns for the safety of their child playing a contact sport with kids that may be physically larger than their child. Scientific evidence from the available published research does not support the idea that body weight is a factor in injury rates. A Mayo Clinic study of youth football showed that older players appeared to be at a higher risk and that no significant correlation exists between body weight and injury. The authors of that study cited potential contributing factors to older players in the higher grades being more susceptible to football injuries were the combination of increased size, strength, speed and aggressiveness.
Anecdotal evidence exists all around us that lighter kids playing with heavier kids of the same age poses no increased risks. We observe uncompetitive matchups where older kids are playing against younger kids. Older kids are generally more emotionally and physically developed and on average stronger, faster, and more aggressive. The differences are even more pronounced between pre-pubescent and pubescent youth. Let's consider the fact that traditional youth football age/weight matrices allow kids from 2-3 years difference in age play on the same field. No other sport allows this. For example, at the Pee Wee or "C" team level, you could have your 120 lb 9 or 10 year old playing with 100 lb 12 year olds. Who do you think is stronger, faster, and more aggressive and thus has the higher potential to cause injury? Regardless of size, you probably wouldn't be comfortable with your son facing a pitcher or a batter in baseball that was 2-3 years older than him. But, that is what we observe when traditional age/weight matrices are used. Let's look at it a slightly different way. Would you be concerned with your child rough housing with friends his age and grade, even if they were 30 lbs bigger than your child or would you be more concerned if your child was rough housing with a child 2 or 3 years older than yours? The evidence, researched or anecdotal does not support the concern that body weight differences within the same age group poses a significant risk for injury.
We have presented above why we believe the All-American playing format supports our programs first priority, Safety. Now we would like to share with you our other assertions that support our claim that the All-American playing format best aligns with our other principles. First, let's talk about fun. It's fun for kids to play with their friends, kids in their class and grade, and kids of their own age and mental and physical development. It's no fun for kids to play against kids 2 to 3 years older than them that most likely are faster, stronger, more aggressive and more mentally developed. Pitting younger kids against older kids, regardless of size does not create a competitive match-up or instructional environment. It's no fun for kids to worry about making weight or worse, dieting or restricting calories or water at a time that their young bodies are growing and need all the nutrients they can get.
Second, let's address sportsmanship. This is where the ugly side of youth football using traditional age/weight matrices comes out. It is a known fact, that in general, teams with more older lighters (older but lighter in weight allowed by traditional age/weight matrices) tend to win more games. This has caused more problems in youth football than any other issue. As an organization, NYFC has never turned away a child at the scale because they were too heavy. By contrast, we have experienced our own players being told they could not play for being less than 1 lb over the weight matrix limit. We have had our players, just kids, being held up at the scale and questioned about their experience level, etc. because they are ¼ lb over the weight limit. We have observed players changing shoulder pads, shoes, etc after weigh-in because they needed to make weight. We have observed the stress on young kids who were near the weight limit all season and were worried before each weigh-in that they might not make it. We have witnessed opposing coaches use the weight limit to prevent their own players from playing in a playoff game because the child was less than 2 lbs over the limit even though NYFC cleared the child to play. In this case the player they turned away was not a starter so they did this to avoid minimum play rules. These are just a handful of cases that we have personally experienced that are examples of poor sportsmanship. We believe that eliminating the older lighter rules through the All-American playing format will result in fewer opportunities to stretch the rules, provide for more competitive games and promote greater sportsmanship.
Finally, we believe in full participation for any child that wants to learn and experience the great game of football. We believe in providing all kids with the opportunity and incentive to get off the couch, walk away from the video game, and get outside with your friends and participate in a team sport. We also believe that the All-American playing format better prepares youth players who wish to pursue football at higher levels where kids of all sizes play together. No weight limits equals no scales equals more kids playing and having more fun.
In conclusion, we believe that the All-American format of play; grade based, age protected with no weight restrictions, is the program that best aligns with our principles and will offer youth the most beneficial and fun experience playing football. We are not alone in this belief. American Youth Football and Cheer, the largest youth football and cheer organization on the planet, supports this format. While we are early adopters of this format in Central Massachusetts, youth organizations throughout the country has been using it with great success. Most recently the entire Mid Connecticut Conference has voted to go All-American, joining a number of other leagues in New England in moving to this format. If you have any questions or concerns, we are more than happy to discuss this program with you.
Thank you.
NYFC Board Members
Chris Behrikis
Todd Murphy
Walter Siryk
NOTE: We will be adding more information on the American Youth Football All-American Division. Please check back.
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