Frequently Asked Questions

 

• I'm concerned about my child’s safety. OYFL and the Lasalle County Youth Football Conference takes safety with the upmost importance!  With any sport there’s always the risk of injury but by taking the proper steps and having the proper training we can prevent most injury’s and provide a safe fun environment.  We make sure our equipment is always up to date and our helmets go out every other year to be checked and re-certified for the season. All our coaches are required to be USA Football certified and required to take a safety class before the season starts. We take pride in teaching our kids the game of football and have a safety coordinator that stops by practices to make sure everyone is following the proper guidelines in keeping the kids safe. While tackle football is a contact sport we do everything to make sure the kids learn the proper techniques and discipline that go into keeping the game safe and fun. 

 

 

• What sets OYFL apart from other football programs? We get this question a lot and one of the major areas is playtime. OYFL and our league have mandatory rules that every child regardless of skill level is guaranteed at least a half of game playtime whether on offense or defense for the 5th through 7th grade levels and all kids will play in the entire game both half’s whether on offense or defense for 3rd, and 4th grade levels  Other programs limit kid’s playtime by as few as 5 plays per game which means a child may only play in a game for 5 plays in which kickoffs, and extra points are counted towards those plays. OYFL exists to provide kids a fun, safe environment to learn teamwork, discipline and all the aspects of football that will help guide them in their future whether on the field or off.

 

 

• When does the season/practices start?  The pre-season starts around the end of July with a combine/draft then once kids are drafted the following week practices will start. The practice schedule is dependent on coaches some may only practice 2 days a week while others may start off with 5 days of practice until the season starts then no one will be allowed to practice on Fridays (We encourage the kids to attend the high school games on Fridays) Our season starts in August then finish up mid-October. All the games are played on Saturdays (unless a makeup game is needed)

 

 

• Where do we play our games? Our games are played at, Ottawa Central School, 2024 season may require some travel. TBA  All flag games are played at Central School Football field K-2nd. 3rd and 4th grade will play home games at central with the possibility some games being played out of town at one of the fields mentions above.

 

• How do I properly wash and dry my child’s uniform? Instructions for properly cleaning and drying your childs uniform can be found here, Rawlings Uniform Cleaning and Drying instructions

 

 

• What age does my child need to be in order to play? Any child going into 5th through 8th grade at the start of the new school year can play tackle football and K through 8th grade for cheerleading. Any child going into k through 4th at the start of the new school year can play flag football.

 

 

• My child does not live in Ottawa can they still play football or cheerlead in Ottawa? Yes, we do not have boundaries any child is welcome to join the league from any area.

 

 

• I see it says my child can play for free, yet I have to pay to sign up. How does that work? OYFL is a nonprofit league and we do our best to keep the signup costs to a minimum no child will be turned away. Every child who registers will receive raffle tickets, so say you paid $200 to sign up you will recieve 20 raffle tickets to keep or sell upon your choosing if you choose to sell all 20 raffle tickets the money is yours to keep thereby offsetting the costs of signups. For questions about raffle tickets contact staff.

 

 

• Does my child have to have a physical from a doctor in order to play? At this time we don’t require a physical to play but if your child has a medical issue which could become aggravated during football practice or games we ask parents to disclose that information and discuss the condition with your child’s coach. 

 

 

• I'm interested in coaching or I just want to help out with the league how do I become a board Member or Volunteer? As a nonprofit league we are always looking for volunteers and board members to help. If you would like to become a board member or volunteer, you will need to attend a board meeting and express your interest. All meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month @ 7pm above JJ's in Ottawa. A volunteer form, USA Football certification (To coach) and a positive back ground check are required.

 

 

If you have a question that is not addressed here please email oyfl50th@att.net with "Youth Football" in the subject line.