Youth Football still in need for Vegas Trip

“Set, hit!” said the coach. The boys lined up again to repeat the drill. “Set, hit!” he repeated.

As the 12-year-old spun, bounced and leaped his way through the crowd of aspiring linemen, he finally made his way across the goal line.

“Touchdown!” he screamed.

This is one of many practices members of Maricopa Youth Football (MYF) are going through this week as they prepare for a division tournament in Las Vegas next week where 250 teams play in a West Coast Division tournament.

“We want to give the younger kids something to stay focused on and look forward too,” said coach and MYF vice president Joe Griffin. “The league has been around for about three years, and this is the first year they will be going up to Las Vegas for a tournament.”

He said East Coast teams play in Daytona Beach, and it is possible to go there after the West Coast tournement, but they are focusing on getting to Vegas for now.

MYF falls under the Pat Tillman Football Federation, which covers Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Tempe, Coolige and Casa Grande. The local league hosts three age groups: 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.

Coach Griffin got involved with the league when he and his family moved to Maricopa from Texas. This was a way to spend more time with his 12-year-old son, Desean, who had played for several years already.

When Griffin’s family arrived in Maricopa two years ago, the league was pretty small. He explained how it started as an eight-man team three years ago, growing to 70 last year and now they are up to 150 youth.

“Next year we are expecting about 300,” he said.

With that kind of growth in that short time, the team has come across many challenges when it comes to having a place to practice and getting more equipment.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on in Maricopa,” said Griffin, “so field usage is kind of limited.”

One of the league’s long-term goals is to raise enough money to acquire a field, but in the short term they are focused on getting to Nevada.

“It’s tough enough to raise money for Vegas,” he said.

He said they have received about half of the $9,000 in donations they need from Pinal County and City of Maricopa Parks and Recreation, but they need more to meet their goal before their Nov. 21 planned departure.

As the team resets for the drill, Coach Griffin reminds his players to maintain focus and discipline before initiating the play.

“That was out!” yelled one of the linemen as he forced the offensive player out of bounds.

“They love to hit,” said the coach with a smile.

For those interested in supporting the Maricopa Youth Football trip to Las Vegas, contact Coach Griffin at (520) 494-7453 or via e-mail at [email protected]. For more information about the league visit maricopayouthfootball.com.