What is the Oregon City Youth Football Association (OCYFA)? OCYFA is an organization dedicated to the development of tackle football skills in our student athletes. We focus on the students in 3rd through 8th grades who reside in the Oregon City High School boundaries. We are the football feeder program for the high school. Our home field is Pioneer Stadium. What is the Tualatin Valley Youth Football League (TVYFL)? TVYFL is the organization that coordinates the play between the 31 individual youth football associations in the Portland metro area. They provide the rules, the schedules and the officials for the approximately 200 teams and 6000 players. For more information, see the TVYFL web site. What is the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)? The NFHS is the authoritative body for the rules used by the TVYFL. For more information, see the NFHS web site. What is the time commitment? Compared to most other youth sports, a lot. There are ten hours of practice per week before school starts, dropping to six hours per week after school starts. After school starts there is one game per week. See the sections on Games and Practices for more information. Who can participate? Any child in grades 3 through 8 who lives in, or attends a public or private school in, the Oregon City High School boundaries, as defined by the Oregon City School district. What if I'm outside of Oregon City HS boundaries? TVYFL teams are organized by the high school which you would normally attend. Please go to the TVYFL web site to find the contact information for the team that supports youth in your area. If you live in an area that is not served by a TVYFL association, you would be more than welcome in OCYFA! If for some reason you do not wish to play for the association to which you would normally be assigned, contact your association president to discuss and understand your waiver and transfer options. I have a medical condition or disability. Can I still play? Probably. If your doctor is willing to sign your medical release and you are willing to work hard and play your best, you can generally have a good football experience. However, we would recommend contacting our President, Sonja Bialy , to discuss your specific details and any concerns you might have. Do I have to start playing in the 3rd grade? No. We have successful first time players at every grade level, including 8th. Registration How late can I sign up? The earlier you sign up, the better we can provide the equipment you will need to play. And you save money by registering early. Since OCYFA wants to offer football to anyone who wants to play, you can generally sign up any time before the OC Pioneer camp begins, however once teams become full you might be placed on a waiting list, with no guarantee that you will play. In that case your money would be refunded back to you. OCYFA reserves the right to close registration at any time with no advance notice. When do I turn in my Medical Release form? It is nice to receive these forms at Registration, and we would prefer to have them by July 15th. They must be turned in before you can receive your equipment. Does my Medical Release form need to be signed by a doctor? No, It can be signed a nurse practioner also. Do I need a physical? That depends on your doctor. If your last physical was recent enough, they may not require another one before signing your Medical Release. Why does it cost so much? OCYFA is a non profit organization whose sole income is registration fees and fund-raising. As you can see from the chart below, the 2008 registration fee paid does not cover the cost of each participant. We are all volunteers who are continuously struggling to provide top notch safe and affordable equipment. Tualatin Valley Fees.......................................................Association Office Expenses.................. ......................Equipment Totals ..........................$69.46..........................................$51.84................................$96.31................................................146.72 Total cost per player is $354.33........... Total fee paid is $250.00 Equipment What equipment is provided? Almost everything you need to play: Helmet, mouth guard, all needed pads, and game jerseys, practice and game pants, The game jersey (with your name on it) is yours to keep at the end of the season. A deposit is charged for this equipment, and you will be billed if any part is not returned at the end of the season beyond what you provided in your deposit. What equipment do I have to provide? Cleated football shoes (a.k.a. "cleats"). See this answer for more information. If you choose to use your mouth guard as "chewing gum", you will need to replace it as needed. If you have braces, please consult your Orthodontist for proper mouth protection. You may also want to have other personal equipment such as gloves, braces, etc. We recommend that you discuss your need for such equipment with your coach before actually purchasing it. Athletic supporters and cups are not required but very much recommended. Where do I get the equipment you don't provide? Football shoes and equipment can be purchased at any sporting goods store such as Oregon City Sports, Sports Authority, Fred Meyers and, and Big 5. What if there is a problem with my equipment? Many problems can be corrected using the tools and supplies that each team has, so contact your coach for assistance. If they can not resolve the issue, then they will arrange to get you a replacement. My helmet hurts, can I get a different one? It is extremely common for your helmet to hurt your head for the first couple of weeks. They must be tight fitting in order to protect the head, and this tightness can result in some discomfort. Every effort will be made during equipment hand out to ensure a correct fit. We recommend that once you get your equipment, you wear your helmet, before camp and practice start, in order to break it in. And remember, when you wear it, pull it all the way down, hard. When and where do I get my equipment? Equipment handout date will be posted on the calendar page. Equipment hand out takes place at the Oregon City High School on Beavercreek Road at the tennis courts. You can only pick up your equipment if you have registered, paid in full, and turned in both your Grade Verification and Medical Release forms. If you do not have the forms completed, you can be fitted, but you will not be allowed to take your equipment home with you. What if I can't make it to the equipment hand outs? We do ask you to make every effort to make it to this date, and the hand out date is selected to cover most families. However, it you find it impossible to attend either session, let us know as soon as possible, and we will work with you. Can I get my equipment early for a camp? If you are scheduled to attend a full contact camp that does not provide the equipment, please contact us as soon as possible to arrange for an early pick up. As with normal hand out, you must be fully registered, paid, and have both your Grade Verification and Medical Release forms completed. No exceptions. What kind of cleats do I need? TVYFL rules require that our players wear football cleats that are designed for youth football. They must be either a molded cleat or internally threaded shoes where no post is extending from the shoe (instead, the cleat post screws internally into the shoe). Maximum size of cleat is ½ inch (measured from tip of cleat to base of shoe). No all metal, primarily metal, or metal tipped cleats may be worn. How do I take care of my equipment? Practice jersey and pants - remove pads and belt (if any) and wash in warm water. These can be washed in hot if particularly dirty. Do not bleach. Air dry or use low heat in a dryer. Game jersey and pants - remove pads and belt (if any) and wash in cool water with like colors. Pre-treat stains if necessary. Do not bleach. Air dry if possible as name lettering may come off otherwise. Do not wear game jersey or pants to practice in. Game socks can be washed in warm water. Shoulder and other pads - Wipe off with clean, damp cloth. Allow to air dry. Helmet - Hand wash off dirt and clean interior pads with clean, damp cloth. Allow to air-dry. Parents, have your child take responsibility for keeping track of all of the equipment and keeping it clean. Teams How are different grades grouped? Players are assigned to one of four divisions based on their school grade level: 8th grade - Varsity, 7th and 8th grades - Junior Varsity, 5th and 6th grades, and 3rd and 4th grades. During the conditioning portion, all teams of similar level are combined. How are players assigned to teams? The had coaches meet and select teams. TVYFL rules and OCYFA policy dictates that all teams be evenly matched across talent and skill levels, with no "stacked" or "developmental" teams, and no "core" or "continuing" teams. Each team in a division will have the same number of players of a given grade level. Can I request a specific coach? No, see above. Can I request friends I want to be on a team with? If your brother (or sister) is in the same division, you can request to be on the same team. Otherwise, no, see above. How do I find out what team I will play for? You will receive a call from your coach after the draft. How are coaches picked? Applicants for head coaching positions are reviewed and selected by the OCYFA board. Assistant coaches are selected by the head coach, usually from among the parents of their players. All coaches are subject to a background check. How many teams are there? This will depend on the number of players that sign up. Do I have to try out? No. As long as your registration is complete and paid, and you are not on a waiting list, you will be placed on a team. Practices When do practices start? The first week in August. How long are practices? Most practices are 2 hours long. Practice time does NOT include water breaks, so plan on two and a half hours for each practice. How many practices are there per week? Between August 1st and the start of school, each team will practice 5 days a week. Practices may be held on Saturdays. After the start of school, each team will practice 3 days a week. Game day is not considered practice time. Why are practices so late? There are two reasons for this. First, most of our coaches have regular jobs and they find it hard to be at a practice before 5:00 PM. Second, we have a large number of teams and a limited number of practice fields. These combine to ensure that many teams will be forced to practice from, say 7:30 to 10:00 in the evenings. Every effort is made to see that the younger teams get the earlier time slots. What about the vacation I have scheduled? Go and enjoy yourself. Football will be still be here when you get back. But please tell your coach as soon as you can. With that said, if you have any flexibility, try to schedule around the football season, especially August because your player will have to make up the time missed if it was in the first two weeks of conditioning. Games How long are the games? Games are made up of four 10 minute quarters. With clock stoppages, half time, moving the chains, etc., most games last nearly two hours. In addition, players are expected to be at the field at least an hour before the game to warm up and weigh in. So count on spending 3 hours at a game. If the game ends in a tie, time is available, and the officials allow, there may be a "Kansas Plan" tie breaker to determine the winner. How many games are there? The 3/4 division teams each play 7 scheduled games and then one "Medal" game against an opponent determined at the end of the season. The other division teams each play 8 scheduled games. Those in the top 4 of their TVYFL league will move on to two playoff games, and those two winners will play a championship game. In cases of tied records, there may be a "Kansas Plan" playoff during the week between the end of the season and the start of the playoff games. See our Calendar page for this year's scheduled game dates. Where are games played? Our home games are played at Pioneer stadium. Most of our away games are played against others in TVYFL's Landry Division: Lake Oswego, West Linn, Lakeridge, Occasionally we might play an away game against any other TVYFL team, and while they try to keep us on this side of the Willamette, we can play anywhere from Banks to Sandy. Why do I have to get to the game so early? Players are expected to get to the game site at least an hour before game time. This ensure that there is adequate time to warm up and weigh in. Being late for warm ups can increase your chance for injuries, while being late for weigh in can cause you to be disqualified from the game. It is important to be on time to the game site. If you are "time challenged", consider carpooling or setting your alarm 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual. You don't want to be hurt, and you don't want to miss a game! How much will I get to play? TVYFL has a minimum 10 play rule. This means that you will play in at least 10 active plays per game (plays ending in penalties, kneel-downs, and for 3/4 division, PAT's are not considered active plays). Depending on your position, your skill, and especially your willingness to work hard, you may play more. Notice that "position" was the first item on the list: if you insist on playing one of the "skill" positions, like everyone else, you will likely not play as much. There are a lot of people who want to be quarterback and receiver. But if you are willing to learn to play a line position, you will have a better chance to play more often. Think about it: there are nine starting linemen and only one starting quarterback. If ten people can play line well, and only four can play quarterback well, individuals from which group will get more play time. What position will I play? Probably several. Most players will play "both ways", both on offense and defense. And most players will play several positions during the season. Your coaches will observe and work with you to find the best locations for you. We want you to be successful! What rules are used? In general we use the High School football rules as defined by the NFHS. There are several modifications to these rules adopted by the TVYFL. For a summary of these differences, see our differences in grade levels handout. What is the Kansas Plan rule? The Kansas Plan rule is a way to break ties, usually at the end of a game, but it can also be used as a playoff at the end of the regular season to determine who makes it into the playoffs. Basically, the ball is placed 10 yard line away from the goal and the offensive team has 4 tries to score. Then the teams switch sides and the new offensive team has 4 tries. If only one team scores, they are the winner. If neither scores after the 4 tries the game remains a tie. OCHS Football Camp The Oregon City High School Football Camp is a camp covering the fundamentals of youth football put on by the coach, staff, and players of Oregon City High School. While OCYFA coaches help out, it is not an OCYFA function. What if I miss the camp? The registration for the camp is provided in your registration fees, we then give the money to the High School Football Team. They use this number to order the t-shirts and plan on the amount of coaches needed. So,your money would not be refunded if you do not make it. What if I miss the first week of practice? The biggest downside to you missing the first week of practice is that you will not be allowed to practice in full gear for the first week of your team's practice, which means you will not be able to take part in any contact (hitting) drills. You will be a little bit behind your team mates for a little while. And practices might be a little boring while you watch others run into each other. But you will catch up and you will still be placed on a team. What do I need to wear to practice? You do not need to wear any football gear to camp, except your cleats. You will be given a camp tee-shirt on the first day, and you will be expected to wear that every day. Otherwise, dress for the weather. Since it the first week or so of August, that means shorts and sun screen! What do I need to bring to camp? A water bottle, please drinks lots of water all day long before the camp, so you are good and hydrated before you get in the heat. What group should I practice with at camp? Practice sessions during the camp are available by specialty: quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, and linemen. It is up to you to decide which group you want to go with. You can go with a different group each day, but remember that you might be at a disadvantage not knowing the drills that were taught earlier in the week. If you know you want to be a specific type of player, then go with that group for the week. If you want to try out a new position, you are welcome to join that group for the week. If you don't know what you want to try, or you don't know what you are good at, go with the linemen. Remember there are more line positions than any other in football which gives you a better chance to be in more plays. And THAT is what playing football is all about, right? |
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