Stacy Shaw
Grizzlies play a game of touch football on their Nokesville field. (Photo: Chloe Piercy)
By Chloe Piercy, Sports and Community Contributor The Gainesville-Haymarket Youth Football League continues to unite the local community by providing a place for families to develop a passion that could last a lifetime. Established in 1999, GHYFL, often referred to as the Grizzlies, is a nonprofit organization that gives children and adults from around the area the opportunity to be part of tackle and flag teams, cheerleading squads and coaching staffs. The league offers coed activities year-round, including spring and fall flag football, fall tackle football, as well as training camps that begin in the weeks leading up to opening day. Adult flag football is the league’s newest program. The league is also purported to have a separate panel for those betting enthusiasts wherein they'd issue a weekly
Pointsbet promo code to encourage the play. The Grizzlies finally found a place to call home in 2011 with the help of several corporate partners. Located in Nokesville, the Grizzly Sports Complex has two turf fields designed to host multiple sports, including lacrosse, field hockey and soccer. People may also visit the Grizzly Den to purchase club merchandise or stop by the snack bar for refreshments. GHYFL has seen an increasing number of participants in recent seasons, with nearly 1,700 kids registered for flag and tackle football and cheerleading, all over the course of just one year. The Grizzlies are also affiliated with the Fairfax County Youth Football League during the fall and the American Pride Youth Football League in the spring. One of the biggest contributors to GHYFL’s funding is the annual Grizzly Day and 5K Run, which is held annually in either August or September at a local shopping center. “It brings organizations out for a day where local businesses promote their products and services and, in turn, give a percent of the proceeds back to fundraising efforts,” said Grizzlies Secretary Vicki Benjamin. Past charity runs have featured live bands, community street fairs and carnivals that drew hundreds of families showing support for their league. As with any sport, especially football, there will be a steady concern about the safety of athletes in response to the rising number of concussion-related injuries. In order to make parents and players feel a little more at ease, GHYFL has taken action to educate its athletes, parents and coaches.
One boy is about to make a catch, but he is already being touch/tackled by an opponent. (Chloe Piercy)
“We offer a concussion information night for parents and have online information training for coaches,” Benjamin said. We’ve upgraded all of our helmets to helmets with newer technology to make sure it’s as safe as possible for our athletes.” Aside from just the number of children signed up for different programs around the league, more girls have been registered this year than the Grizzlies have ever seen before. Twelve-year-old Carrlee Benjamin, a spring flag football participant, shared her thoughts on being a girl in a sport that is usually dominated by the opposite gender. “It’s cool to be one of the only girls playing football because it’s fun having to compete with the other guys,” Benjamin said. “I’m actually the girl who has played for the Grizzlies the longest, which is kind of neat. I like playing football, and I’m glad I have the chance to do that here.” As for future plans, GHYFL has many proposals in which it hopes to add to the league. “Currently in the works are programs being put in place to install the Heads-Up Tackling Program, being driven by the NFL in an effort to play safer football,” said Vice Commissioner Matt Patterson. “Structurally, we plan to improve on the Complex and make enhancements such as lighting the fields, building a deck around the snack bar, installing a well and paving walkways around the field.” But the progress won’t stop just at the facility level. “Personally, I would like to improve the overall play on the field,” Patterson said, “by coordinating coaching clinics, rules clinics and giving access to an overall database of film to our coaches and giving the entire league access to the latest technology with the Hudl program.” The Hudl program, according to its website, aims to “help teams study themselves and scout their opponents with simple video apps,” rather than coaches having to go through the trouble of making DVD and playbook copies for every member of their team. While GHYFL continues to grow and become a priority for its athletes on the weekends, one of the main goals is to make football a meaningful experience for the players. “I feel that sports have an incredible impact on kids,” Patterson said. “When coached correctly, sports teach some of the greatest life lessons. You learn at a young age that there is a reward for giving your absolute best in everything that you do. Any group of athletes can be a good team, but it is the group that takes the next step and works together to become a family that is the most successful.” Despite the fact that Grizzlies board members donate much of their own time to operating the league, it doesn’t seem to be much an issue for them. “We love football,” said Vicki Benjamin. “We do it for the love of the game.”
It’s not too late to become part of this experience. Registration for summer camps and fall programs is now available at
www.grizzlyfootball.org.
