Youth football league kicks off this year

Jason Parrott

A youth tackle football league that will give students in third through sixth grade a chance to suit up and play against area teams is starting late this summer in Le Mars.

The league is a full-pad tackle football league for boys and girls with practice beginning Aug. 11.

Jason Parrott, the local organizer, said he had coached flag football in the past and heard a lot of requests from students to play tackle football.

He heard about a league, the Northwest Youth Football League, through his niece who plays for a team in Cherokee. He decided to see if the Le Mars community was interested. The response was resounding.

"We've already had 162 kids sign up," he said.

There is a fee for the program, and students can sign up until June 15 before a late fee kicks in. Aug. 1 is the final deadline to register.

With the exception of shoes, the fee covers the equipment, which is provided on a rental-like basis through the Northwest Youth Football League.

There will be three Le Mars teams of third and fourth graders, and three more teams of fifth and sixth graders. Parrott said that if more students sign up, they'll add more teams.

"Every child has to play in every game, no matter what," Parrott said.

Students will play in three home games and three away games, mostly on Saturdays.

The program, Parrott said, compliments the sports programs at the middle and high schools.

"It's designed to help the school and get kids started early learning the fundamentals of football, and just let them have some fun out there," Parrott said. "The league follows Iowa High School Athletic rules with some modifications for children's safety."

Teams are also forming in Akron-Westfield, Remsen and Kingsley.

Parrott said they'll try to keep away games as close as possible. Parents will be responsible for transporting players to games.

The season will wrap up with playoffs with the winners competing in a championship game at the stadium at Buena Vista University on Oct. 18.

"The kids are excited," Parrott said. "Some of the kids wanted to start now."

All of the coaching is done by volunteers.

"We've already had 40 or so people volunteer to coach, plus volunteers for the concession stand and to work the chains on the sidelines," Parrott said.

The community, he said, has rallied behind the youth league, and both Le Mars Community Schools and Gehlen Catholic Schools have been supportive of the program.

"We've had a lot of businesses donating money -- that will help buy things like tackling dummies and water bottles for the kids, and the kids have done a fundraiser," Parrott said. "All the donations will stay local."

For more information, people can contact Parrott at 548-4323 or visit the Northwest Youth Football League's website at www.nyflhome.com.