CYFDTA Tackle Football and Drill Team Alliance "Frequently Asked Questions"
What does it cost to register?
The base registration fee is $280.00. Drill Team has an additional $160.00 for competition expenses such as entry fee, costuming and transportation. We provide multiple ways for this fee to be paid to keep Tackle Football and Drill Team affordable for members of our community:
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The fee can just be paid
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Our FUNd Raiser can be used to finance 100% (or any portion) of the registration fee. (The kids also get to earn prizes and feel more of a commitment to the program.
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Ask businesses in the community to help sponsor the league. We are an IRS 501(3)c tax exempt corporation.
The registration fee may seem expensive but that is the nature of tackle football and a quality drill team. To be safe, the equipment must fit tight on each participant. This means that you can not expect to go and purchase equipment and get more than one season out of it. There has been an instance where a participant has "grown out" of the equipment measured in the summer and had to be refitted for safety. The ability to fund raise and bring in sponsorship money to cover the registration can significantly reduce or eliminate the fee. With the inclusion of the equipment (for the season), our fees are comparable or better than other similar programs.
What are the age ranges?
For football, the following age (as of 6/1/2009) and weight limits apply:
1. Freshman: 7/8 Years Old, 124lbs (heavier players can play up)
2. Sophomore: 9 Years Old, 134lbs, 10 years old, 70lbs
3. Junior: 10 Years Old, 144lbs, 11 Years Old, 100lbs
4. Senior: 11 / 12 Years Old, 154lbs
9 year old football players may play at the freshman level if they weigh less than 65 lbs on all game days and are first time football players.
10 year old football players may play at the Sophomore level if they weigh less than 70 lbs on all game days and are first time players or move up from the Freshman level. Different weight limits are used for players that move up from the Freshman Level.
For drill Team, the age range is 6 through 12.
What is provided by CYFDTA?
CYFDTA provides the following for each football participant: All Riddell Equipment including Air helmets, Pants, Pads, Game Jersey with players name and number. The player keeps the Game Jersey.
There will be a trophy and an end of season celebration (at a private facility). Each participant receives one ticket for the end of season celebration and CYFDTA works hard to keep the cost of tickets reasonable so all participants and their family can attend.
The Panther Paws Drill Team does not just cheer the football players at games. The Panther Paws perform each week during half-time using professionally choreographed routines. There is a regional Drill Team Competition held in November for all participants. This competition combines cheer and synchronized dance to provide an entertaining performance. The Panther Paws compete against other AAYFDT Drill teams. The competition is open to the public and is well attended.
Additionally, the registration money goes towards for a qualified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) to be present at all games in the event of suspected injury, security personnel, supplemental insurance, field rental, professional referees.
What makes us different?
We are a local group of involved parents who want your child to learn and enjoy playing the game of football or participating in Drill Team. Our primary focus is Youth Football and Drill Team in the Cypress, Texas area. We are not so big that you feel like you are just a number. Our coaches and board members are available to hear your concerns. We are associated with the All American Youth Football and Drill Team (AAYFDT) league that have teams that have been playing for decades. We have a "Fair Play" standard that means your child will get to play. This "Fair Play" standard is enforced at games by having a member of the opposing team monitor the number of plays each player participates in to make sure the "minimum play" policy is strictly adhered to. As a result of "weight and age limits" on a per team basis, all players are eligible to be ball carriers. The Drill team also works together as a team to present at every game day plus an end of year competition. All games are played on Saturday at the same time to assist scheduling family activities.
We are volunteers just like you. All monies raised go directly back into the program. There are no paid members on staff. All CYFDTA officers who have children participating either pay or fund raise just like everybody else.
What benefit does your child get out of playing football or participating in drill team?
Your child will be challenged to work with other members of the team to achieve a common goal. Your child will be strengthened physically and mentally. Most children see improve grades in school even with the additional time required for practice. Most children learn "time management" to get homework done early in the week so there is time to practice. We have a "Don't Pass, Don't Play" policy to assist children with balancing their priorities (e.g. watch T.V. or get homework done).
When & Where are practices held?
For the Cypress Panthers and Panther Paws, the practices will be on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at Cypress Christian School and the CYFDTA Colts/Fillies practice the same days and times at Bleyl Middle School. Initially, we will start practice around 6:00pm and it will last 1 1/2 hours. As we lose daylight towards the end of the year, we will have to move the practices up. The three days per week, 1 1/2 hours per play is an AAYFDT maximum requirement. We also find that the boys are fairly worn out after 1 1/2 hours of practice so this really maximizes their time. This is competitive football and drill team where your child will gain self confidence by working hard with other team members to accomplish a common goal.
When and where are games played?The regular season games are played on Saturdays with all levels playing at the same field. The regular season game times are 9:00am (Freshman), 10:30am (Sophomore), 12:0Opm (Junior) and 2:00pm (Senior). This consistent scheduling helps families plan their weekends and allows families to enjoy the day together rather than shuttling kids between fields.
The games are played at Cypress Christian School, Klein, Spring and Tomball. The furthest field we played last year was Hildebrandt off of Kykendall (about 30 minutes from SH 249 and Spring Cypress). We will play 2 scrimmages and 8 regular season games. Our regular season ends on October 20, 2007 with the Superbowl tentatively scheduled for November 18, 2007 (just before Thanksgiving). The AAYFDT league sets the schedule and the tentative schedule is posted on their web site. The advantage of this schedule is the season ends before families leave for Thanksgiving vacation.How do I register my child?The easiest way is to register online using the "Online Forms" menu on the left side of your display. If you want to register your child to participate but pay the registration fee in person, you may still use the online registration service. The spinning "E-Mail" on the left side of your display will also get you a response in a few days.
When is the last day of registration?June 1st is the last day of regular registration. We must order Jerseys and get the names printed on this date. We will hold late registration until our first practice date. Our first practice is expected to be July 27, 2009. Those who register late will get Jerseys but the names might not be printed for the first game. If you are even slightly interested, you should register online and we will contact you for the additional information (and money, of course). Registering online will not obligate you until we contact you to arrange equipment fitting and to obtain additional information. Equipment fitting is already taking place as we fill our positions. We must order the player jerseys in June 15, 2009 to have them ready for the first game at the end of August. We do order extra games jerseys and use the average of the current player sizes to purchase them.Oh, you just mentioned "additional information". What documentation is required?In order to insure fair and competitive play, we require proof of age and school attendance. We will need a copy of the birth certificate and the last report card of the 2009 school year. We also ask that each parent and participant review the CYFDTA League Expectations on the application form. We will also provide you a medical form to be signed by your physician which we must keep on file at each game. All of the necessary documentation is available from menu to your left: "
FORMS"
or you may click HERE.
Is Youth Tackle football really dangerous? Youth tackle football is a contact sport. We provide the best equipment available so everybody is equally protected. We use at least two professional referees on the fields during games to insure fair and safe play. Our coaches are trained to teach good football fundamentals that limit the opportunity for injury. There are strict "ejection" rules for those who insist on playing "rough". We have EMT's who will make the decision (if needed) if your child is able to play. This takes the coach (and the child) out of the decision process. All our teams have established weight and weight categories which means your child is playing with (and opposing) children of similar size and maturity. We provide quality equipment to all our participants. All of these factors limit the amount of risk involved.
Registration Refund Policy
Prior to the season some players may decide that football or drill team is not what they want to do. Here’s the refund schedule
Panthers
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Registration Fee: $300.00
Refunds after 07/15/2009:
Petition is made to the CYFDTA President (president@cyfdta.com) for consideration by the board. Refund may only be 1/2 the registration fee depending on what has been purchased on the childs behalf
No refunds after 7/15/2009
Panther Paws:
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THERE ARE NO REFUNDS AFTER 07/15/2009.
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Return Check Policy
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CYFDTA will access a charge of $30.00 for all returned checks in additional to any outstanding fees.
*Fundraising, Sponsorship are non refundable.
All Refund request must be in writing and sent by mail or E-Mail to:
Treasurer
C/O: CYFDTA
PO Box 824,
Cypress, TX 77410
You may come out to the Cypress Panther/Colts practices and games to see us in action during season:
Practice Schedule (August - October):
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday @6:00pm
Campbell/Bleyl Middle School (see below for directions).
