American Youth Football begins spring practice

The American Youth Football (AYF) organization, which will make its competitive debut in Fallbrook when the league spring ball season starts April 5, began practice March 5.

Approximately 90 players will participate on seven teams during the eight-man spring ball season. Two of those teams are in the Mighty Mites division, two are in the Junior Pee Wee division, two will play in Midgets competition, and one will represent Fallbrook in Pee Wee play.

“We had a great turnout for spring,” said Fallbrook organization president Jill Crosswhite. “I was really surprised, pleasantly surprised.”

Fallbrook parents began researching an AYF organization in November, coordinating with the existing Oceanside chapter during the research and application process.

The Fallbrook organization was sanctioned in early February. “It moved pretty fast,” Crosswhite said.

AYF allowed signups for the Fallbrook organization to take place while the sanctioning was in progress. Sign-ups for spring ball ended March 3, and that night saw a meeting in which parents met the coaches.

A signup period for fall play, which will involve full 11-player teams, will include the Avocado Festival in April as well as two other signup sessions in Fallbrook and one on Camp Pendleton.

In addition to the four divisions which will see Fallbrook teams during spring ball, a Junior Midgets division also exists, although due to turnout numbers the Fallbrook players were placed in other divisions.

The age and weight minimums and maximums of various divisions overlap. The 11-player fall league also includes a weight-unlimited division for sixth-graders and up who weigh at least 165 pounds.

“The main thing is to teach the kids from a very young age how to play the game and have fun,” Crosswhite said.

Each of the Fallbrook games will include a food drive which will benefit the Fallbrook Food Pantry. “It’s a huge thing for our community,” Crosswhite said.

Businesses will be encouraged to adopt a player, thus allowing the registration fees to be paid. “Basically, anybody who wants to play the game is able to,” Crosswhite said.

The organization does have academic standards players must meet on a weekly basis, but AYF also has a homework helper program. The minimum age is 7 for eight-man spring ball and 5 for 11-man fall football (the youngest 11-man groups do not play tackle football), while the maximum age is 15 as long as the players have not completed eighth grade.

The spring ball season will run for eight weeks.

Sign up for fall AYF season

Fallbrook American Youth Football and Cheer will hold registration for the fall season on March 16 from noon until 4 p.m. A free grilled hot dog lunch during the signups will be sponsored by Fresh & Easy.

Lunch and registrations will be set up in the Fresh & Easy shopping center and coaches from the AYF Spring 8 Tackle teams will be taking turns grilling hot dogs for all the registrants.

Anyone who would just like to stop by and check out the program or talk to a coach is welcome to stay for lunch as well.

All kids who are 5 to 15 years old in Fallbrook, Bonsall, Camp Pendleton, Rainbow, Pala and De Luz are invited to join Fallbrook AYF.

For more information on this signup and others, call (760) 728-4293 or visit http://www.fallbrookwarriors.org.