Frequently Asked Questions about the Cherokee Youth Football Association

A: CYFA offers 4 age divisions for football and cheer. Those divisions are: 6/7, 8/9, 10/11, 12/13. The age of the child is determined by the child’s age on July 31st A: CYFA has a petition process. If you feel your child is ready to play/cheer with 6/7 yr olds you may petition. In order to be considered, you must first register your child with CYFA. Then contact the Vice President and Secretary by email (see contacts) and let them know of your desire to petition. You and your child MUST attend the petition board meeting held on July 11 time/location TBD. This will be the only opportunity to petition. If your petition is denied, your registration price will be refunded in full. Board decisions are fina. A: Each cheerleader needs to be fitted to ensure she is getting a properly fitting uniform. CYFA orders uniforms specific for each cheerleader. Participants get to keep their uniforms. Cheerleaders attending uniform fittings in July will be charged a late fee A: There are several ways you can find out this information. First, you can fill out our registration form. When you enter your elementary school or middle school information, you are automatically placed in the correct High School District for your area. Second, you can look at the maps on our website to determine your location. Third, you can call your elementary/middle school A: Practice starts July 26th. The first game is Sept 4, 2010 A: You will receive a newsletter from CYFA telling you where to go and what time to be there for football conditioning/assessments or cheer practice. Expect a CYFA newsletter a week or two before the start of practice. This information will also be covered at the parent meeting. A: Teams are allowed two two-hour practices per week in full pads, and one one-hour practice (called a “walk-through”) in shorts, helmets and cleats, no pads. The walk-through is usually held on Fridays, but it is up to the head coach which day he holds his walk-through.

Practice usually begins at 6:00pm but may be adjusted due to lighting or heat. Please be as flexible as you can. Practice days will be determined by the coach’s schedule and practice facility availability. Your coach will give you that information after you have been drafted on a team A: Football players will receive registration t-shirt, magnet, 2 game jerseys, game socks, helmet decals and name lettering on the jerseys. Your registration price also pays for referees, field usage and maintenance fees.

Cheerleaders will receive registration t-shirt, magnet, uniform, pom poms, hair bow, and hoodie. A: Equipment will be issued according to a schedule posted on the home page of this website. Each team will be assigned a time to be fitted for equipment and equipment will be issued at that time. Registered players will also get a reminder email a week or two before equipment day. Equipment will be needed for assessments this year so be sure to attend your scheduled day. There will be a $25 non refundable late fee due for anyone receiving equipment on the make up day. An Equipment Agreement will be filled out for each football player and a $100 deposit will be made by cash or check only for each player obtaining equipment. If you have your own equipment, you MUST bring it to Equipment Day so that it can be approved by CYFA personnel. For those who have their own equipment, game pants will be issued for a $20 deposit. Game pants need to be returned at equipment turn in at the end of the season. Game pants ARE NOT practice pants, please do not use them as such! Practice pants can be obtained at our sponsor Play It Again Sports with your 10% discount card or any other sporting goods store. Play It Again Sports Kennesaw will have a kiosk at each equipment handout with practice gear, mouth guards and other football related items at a special CYFA discount. A: The equipment deposit includes the helmet, shoulder pads, leg pads and game pants. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO BANG THEIR HELMETS AGAINST WALLS OR CONCRETE. This will result in a reduction of your refund. Helmets are only to be used on the football field!!!

PLEASE NOTE: Equipment MUST be returned to the league at the assigned time. The $100 deposit will not cover replacement cost of the equipment. If you miss the equipment turn in date, please contact the equipment director (see contacts) and make arrangements to get it to him. No refunds will be issued without the equipment being returned. Outstanding checks will be cashed after the last equipment hand in dater. A: No. Your check will be held until the end of the season and returned to you when you return your equipment promptly and in good condition. No equipment checks will be returned after Dec 31 A: You may not use equipment issued the previous year and not turned in. Equipment is serviced on a regular basis and keeping equipment keeps us from properly caring for it! You will have to pay a new deposit and have new equipment issued so we can service the old equipment. A: You will need to supply practice pants, practice jersey, cleats, and a mouth guard. We supply a soft chin strap with each helmet. You may purchase your own hard chin strap if you wish. You may also supply your own football equipment. If you do, you need to bring it to equipment day to have our staff sign off on it. Also, don’t forget water bottles!!! Athletic cups are not required but may be used. You may also wish to provide a five-pocket girdle for your football player, especially for the larger football players. The tailbone pad, hip pads, and thigh pads go in the girdle and help keep them in position. Under Armor makes a youth six-pocket girdle that has a place for an athletic cup, also. Some athletic stores carry them, most do not, but it is available by ordering on-line. There will also be some practice pants and practice jerseys (culled from previous game pants that retained some damage) available for sale from CYFA at equipment handout. This availability is on a first come basis. Play It Again Sports Kennesaw will have a kiosk with all needed equipment available for purchase as well. A: CYFA supplies trophies for first and second place in each age division. If your team does not attend the championship game and you wish to supply trophies, then your team will be responsible for that cost. Homecoming expenses are not covered by CYFA. Football team moms are encouraged to get with their corresponding Cheer team moms to come to an agreement concerning homecoming festivities. End of the season parties are also the responsibility of each team. Coaches’ gifts should be included with the end-of-the-year party expenses. A: There will be team and individual photos taken on Saturday, August 28th, the week before the regular season begins. Please make every effort to reserve this date and make sure your football player and cheerleader gets to their teams’ assigned picture time. These are the pictures that will go in our Program/Yearbook and it’s important to have everyone included in the team photos.