What is the time commitment for A, B and C leagues?

In order to appropriately prepare your child to play and ensure his/her safety, participation in practice is essential. AYFL expects a child to make most if not all of the preseason practices so that coaches have sufficient time to prepare the entire team for the season. Preseason begins the 1st week of August with practices 4 days a week. Once games begin practices are 3 days a week for 90 minutes and a game on the weekend. Parents that know that their child will miss more than 1 week of practice in August and will be unable to meet the practice schedule throughout the season should reconsider registering their child to play.

When are practices held?

Tackle practices for A league, B league and C leagues start the 1st week of August and are held 4 days a week for 2 hours a night until school starts. Once school begins practices will be held 3 days a week and the sessions will be 90 minutes.
D league practices will be held 2 days a week for no more than 90 minutes. These practices will begin approximately 1 week after the other divisions begin in August.

Where are practices held?

Practices have previously been held at Cedar Lane Elementary, Mill Run Elementary, Belmont Ridge Middle School, Hillside Elementary, Eagle Ridge Middle School. The county has not officially given us fields at this time but the listed schools are where we have practiced in previous years.

When are games played and where?

Games are held on Saturdays at various times. They can start as early as 8:00am or as late as 4:30pm. If Saturday is rained out we will hold games on Sundays. Games will be played behind Belmont Ridge Middle School for all leagues, pending county approval.

How long is the season?

The regular season begins the first week of August and runs through the end of October. Playoffs will begin the end of October and run through the weekend before Thanksgiving.

What equipment is included with registration?

Each registered player will be provided the following equipment:
helmet, shoulder pads, game pants and game jersey

What equipment do I have to provide?

Each registered player will be required to provide the following equipment:
mouth piece, cleats, practice pants, practice jersey and protective cup
(depending on coaches… there may be additional equipment/supplies)

What league should I register my child for?

A Division is for 7th and 8 th graders. 6th graders that turn 12 before September 1st are eligible to advance to A. Any one over the age of 15 on September 1st MAY NOT participate.

B Division is for 5th and 6th graders. 4th graders that turn 10 before September 1st are eligible to advance to B.

C Division is for 3rd and 4th graders. 2nd graders that turn 8 before September 1st are eligible to advance to C. 2nd graders that are 7 on September 1st are eligible to advance to C; however, grade/age exception waiver signed by the parent and approved by the AYFL Board is required.

D Division is for 6 and 7 year olds (*there will be a 72 lb weight limit applied to 7 yr olds for safety reasons - players exceeding that limit may request permission to participate in C league).

1.  What is the cost to cheer for 2010 the season?
a. The price per cheerleader is $105 for the season *$95 if sibling discount applies*

(The reason for the price increase this season is because it is time to order ALL new uniforms! We have not done a complete refresh of uniforms in 10 years. We received lots of feedback on the desire for better quality uniforms so we are raising the cost to make sure we can still provide the other fun “goodies” girls have come to expect over the years).

Save $10 per cheerleader when you take advantage of Early bird sign up April 1- June 1 Same as sibling discount $95.

2. What does my cheerleader get for the $105 registration fee?
a. Uniform to use
b. Poms to use
c. Hooded Sweatshirt to keep
d. Hair bow or socks (undecided) to keep
e. End of season trophy (to keep of course)

3. What other uniform requirements are there?  What are parents responsible for purchasing?
a. Bloomers/spankies should be worn underneath uniforms.  These run about $8 and can be purchased at Cheers Sports (www.cheerssports.com) Mention you are with AYFL and receive a discount.  Leggings or tights are recommended for cold days. Coaches will determine colors for each team.  Athletic shoes required. (Cheer shoes not required; we are outside and shoes will get dirty!)

4. What is the age requirement?
a. A cheerleader for AYFL must be at least 5 years old and no older than 13 (14 if a rising 9th grader)
b. Cheer divisions are mapped closely to the football divisions
i. D league: Ages 5-7
ii. C league: Ages 8-9
iii. B league: Ages 10-11
iv. A league: Ages 12-13

5. My son also plays for AYFL; can I have them placed on the same team?
a. Yes we honor sibling requests, please make sure and indicate your son’s name on registration form. **Please note, for some siblings there are several years difference in age…some parents indicated it was difficult for younger girls in the older leagues.  Parent’s choice, just want to share the feedback we received.

6. When and where are games played?
a. Games are held on Saturdays at the Lansdowne fields behind Belmont Ridge Middle School.  *if games are cancelled due to weather we make every attempt to play Sunday.  All game schedules and weather announcements can be found updated  AYFL’s website: www.ayfl.org

7. How often is practice?
a. Practice schedules are to be no more than 1.5 hours 2x week.  Typically cheer practice is planned at the same location/days of week as the associated football team.

8. I am interested in coaching or helping coach my daughter’s squad, what do I need to do?
a. We welcome interested coaches!  Cheer coaching for AYFL does not require the certifications needed for our football coaches.  Prior youth coaching experience is preferred but not required.  If you have approximately (5) hours per week to volunteer, are good with kids and excited to grow our cheer program than we would like to hear from you.  Coaching applications are accepted through www.sportability.com/ayfl