Huddle | April 2020

JOE GALAT SCORING POINTS

Joe Galat, President

Allow me to say it one more time: youth football is under attack.

Vote-seeking politicians are making their move. Recently, four state governments introduced bills that would ban youth tackle football entirely. They justify this legislation by quoting scientific research, which is flawed and incomplete. Unfortunately, by picking low hanging fruit (the issue of CTE) legislators have neglected to address the facts: youth football, when coached well and...

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THE PLAYBOOK

Craig Karahuta, Vice President

Football & Cheer Operations

The 2020 season National Leadership Convention kick-off in Phoenix on April 4, 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic - but as we do so well at AYF/AYC, we called an audible and hosted the meeting virtually online on April 4, 2020 with 200 leaders from around the country participating.

To view the National Leadership Convention and Sponsor Presentations, click here

Yes, times are different, but we need to continue to move on and be prepared so when the pandemic breaks, we will be ready to get on the field as soon as we can. For now, enjoy your time with your families, have dinner every night, watch movies, and play board games because once this is all over, it will back to dinner on the fly, watching game film/cheer routines, and preparing practice plans.

I am certain we are all chomping at the bit to return to everyday life, but I have a hunch that in some odd way we will miss this family time.

Enjoy your family... Football and cheer season is coming back SOON!

THE GAME PLAN

Dee Grayer, National Football Commissioner

STAY INSPIRED!

I have always had a passion for expression and communication through video, film, and images. Many of you have seen the 'Who's In' National Championship slide shows that began as far back as Flipagram and now onward to YouTube via the http://www.OnWatchShow.com Episodes and http://www.CompeteBeyond.com Chapters, Slideshows, and Vignettes.

The latest Compete Beyond video dropped during the AYF National Leadership Online Meeting. This vignette captures that passion directly from the incredible members and leaders of AYF in their own words, produced nicely by Fadi and Josh, as they followed teams all week during the 2019 AYF National Championships.

Click here to watch the video: More Than The Game"

Volunteers are precious! We all became involved or thrust into volunteerism for many different reasons and under many different circumstances. These background stories are not only inspiring, but they are very special. No matter the reason, the service you all provide to your community is appreciated.

During this down time, please take time to add to your greatness and commit to learning something new. We don't know when we will be back, but we will be back, and we will be ready!

Stay Safe, Stay Connected, Stay Healthy!

THE FULL LAYOUT

Tara Rachele, National Cheer Commissioner

Even though this current pandemic has certainly "poured" down on us, we CAN'T let it rain on our parade!!! We can! We will! We MUST keep up our positive energy in these trying times. We need to continue to spread good vibes down to our cheerleaders, dancers, and community! We will get through this and get back to a sense of normalcy. So, let's keep moving forward and plan for the upcoming season.

As you prepare for the 2020 season, be sure to join us on our upcoming AYC/YCADA webinars offered at the end of this month. Your awesome Region Cheer Directors will be forwarding information to your organizations with registration details. We will discuss the 2020 rule changes, review the scoresheets and offer some choreography preparation and tips. The YCADA website is also up and running with the latest updates! To register, simply go to www.ycada.org/ayc where you can sign up and access the resource center.

In the meantime, continue to reach out to your cheerleaders and dancers. They look up to you for guidance and motivation. Keep up their spirits! I have seen teams post videos, conduct a Zoom call, organize a parade of cars to cheer someone on, painted rainbows in their windows and more! Don't let this crazy time bring us down. We need to unite, work together and keep on inspiring our young community! Continue to stay safe and healthy!

With cheer,

Tara Rachele

AYC National Cheer Commissioner

SOCIAL MEDIA

THE BENEFITS OF JOINING AYF

The benefits of joining AYF are endless! Click above to check out why AYF has grown to be the largest youth football and cheer organization in the World!

NEW CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUES

● Metro North New York Football and Cheer - New York

● Empire State Youth Football & Cheer - New York

● Pac 20 Conference - California

● Legacy Athletics Youth Football & Cheer - Ohio

● Tennessee Pressure Youth Football - Tennessee

● Metro Atlanta Youth Football and Cheer - Georgia

● Texas Youth Football Alliance - Texas
● Texarkana Youth Football League - Arkansas/Texas

● D1 Mesquite Football & Drill - Texas

● Central Oklahoma American Youth Football & Cheer - Oklahoma

● East Texas Youth Sports League - Texas

● YFA Youth Football Alliance - Georgia