Sports
Belton starts football league
Friday, 20 April 2012 by Chuck Kelly
With the growth of Belton and areas associated with Belton, it was only a matter of time in terms of starting their own football league.
Kids in Belton now have an option and with the recent turnouts in 7-on-7 and the summer football camps this new league will draw athletes in major numbers.
The new football league is called the Belton Tiger Youth Football League. It has 13 board members and the president of the organization, Allan Evans, does not have a child playing in the league.
The mission statement of the league is clear on the high standards that are being set.
"BTYFL seeks to provide fun athletic learning opportunities for children, while emphasizing the importance of academic success. Specifically, BTYFL seeks to familiarize players with the fundamentals of football as related to the Belton Independent School District football program. BTYFL strives to inspire youth, regardless of race, creed or national origin, to promote the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship and physical fitness."
There are several key points for kids in the school district that are attractive for youth. There will be on-field coaching for younger age levels. The offenses and defenses used by each team will be based on what the Tigers use at the junior high level. Also, players will be matched by age and weight with rules based on national guidelines for youth football.
Background checks on each coach will be done along with coaching clinics for both players and coaches.
"I know there a lot of leagues already established," Evans said. "We are targeting kids in BISD and home schooled kids in the BISD area."
Playbooks for each team in the league have already be developed for both offense and defense. The games will be played on the junior high school fields in Belton. Each team will be called the Tigers with the difference being the head coach's last name added.
There will be 22 players to a team with registration starting April 24 and ending May 15. Information on rules, board of directors, meetings, medical forms, by-laws and more can be found on the leagues website at www.leaguelineup.com/beltontigeryouthfootballleague.
Volunteer coaches are needed and there will be a coach's board meeting at 6 p.m. on May 8 in the Belton Field House. There will also be a player's skill camp for the league on June 23, which is free to all paid members. The first practices will start at the end of July and the season will begin in late August. Cost is $100 per athletes. Families with multiple players will pay $75 for the second sibling. Financial assistance is available on a case-by-case basis. Phone numbers for questions can be found on the website.
"What we are trying to do is get everybody on the same page. There has been a need for this for some time," said board member Paul Seiler.
