Youth Football Online was first started with the sole intention of getting children involved in football. The positives of playing the sport are abundant. There should be no child deprived of the benefits that come from playing the great game, especially due to financial difficulty.
We urge state and local governments to allot funding to youth football organizations via re-allocation of budget and/or political fundraising specifically for youth football. This will allow organizations to reduce or eliminate registration fees, ultimately allowing more children to play the game.
Why do kids NEED youth football? Why should there be free youth football? Take a look at these stats:
- Juvenile obesity, according to the CDC, has tripled in the last 30 years. This is due to poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles and the growth of technology (video games, internet and TV). Youth football implements physical conditioning and promotes proper nutrition-which help kids maintain a healthy weight.
- According to the Juvenile Justice Bulletin , juveniles were responsible for 26% of all property crime arrests and 16% of all violent crime arrests in the country.
- Crime sprees organized via social media (flash mobs) have increased dramatically. Have you noticed who these culprits are? Teenagers.
- Stopfiresetting.com says kids set 50% of all fires. Boredom could be a key factor. Youth Football will keep kids busy and out of trouble. When kids have nothing to do that is when they get themselves into trouble.
A comparison study called ‘A Qualitative Analysis of the Educational Performance of Athletes vs. Non-athletes in High Schools of North Carolina’ by Gary Overton showed the average GPA for athletes was greater than non-athletes (17 percent to 23 percent higher).
Contrary to popular belief, the ‘jock’ is not very dumb at all. Hard work and determination on the football field transfers to academia.
The NYVPRC reports youth gangs have close to 800,000 members nationwide with half of them being under age 18.
Youth football puts kids in controlled; structured environments
We believe that every child has the right to reap the benefits of youth football regardless of financial situation. Free or reduced cost will benefit society immensely. We encourage state and local governments to give money to youth football programs. If local politicians put a 25% of the effort they give when they are trying to get re-elected they would be able to generate plenty of funding for youth sports in their town. They can even offer incentives for local businesses to donate money towards youth sports programs in their town.