WHY DID WE MOVE TO AYF/AYC?

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The Venice Vikings are excited to announce that we have joined the Suncoast American Youth Football (AYF)/American Youth Cheer (AYC) League!

WHY?

• AYF allows for more flexibility and decision-making at the local level, allowing us to design our programs and make decisions that are best for us.
• AYF’s streamlined organizational structure reduces costs, ensuring families receive great value while maintaining high-quality programming.
• AYF/AYC will allow for enhanced opportunities and flexibility for our athletes and their families.
• AYF/AYC Nationals are held in Florida.
• For football, there is no stay to play requirement at Nationals.

FAQ about AYF & AYC:

• How many organizations are in the AYF/AYC Suncoast League? 12 currently
• Where are most of the teams from? As far south as Englewood up to Tampa (a Ft. Myers organization is also expected to join the Suncoast conference of AYF/AYC).
• Will 6U football tackle? 6U football (ages 5 & 6) will be flag. In order for us to have a 6U tackle team, they would need to play outside of the conference, which would mean that families, coaches, and association members would be required to be at a different location from the rest of our teams.
• What football rules does AYF follow? NFHS rules above 8U. For 8U and below a coach is allowed to be on the field for the first TWO (2) games to help develop the athletes.
• Will moving to AYF affect football team age groups? We plan to compete at the same age levels (6U, 8U, 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U. The exception is 9U, which may be added depending on enrollment demographics.
• When is the age cutoff for AYF and AYC? July 1 (new for 2026)
• When will our season start? Mid-July (exact date TBD)
• When will optional free summer clinics be held? Tuesday and Thursday’s during June from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• AYF is all ages at the Regional and National levels, how can an odd age team make it there playing in an older age division? The top odd age team will advance to the regional playoff and face their appropriate age group. There are even wildcard opportunities for more than one team to advance.
• Under Pop Warner, it was difficult to schedule scrimmages and have make-up games, will that change? YES! As an organization, we will now be able to coordinate scrimmages as we see fit.
• Will we have game film? YES
• Are there weight restrictions under AYF? NO, unlimited weight for every level.
• Will moving to AYC affect cheer team categories and size? YES, teams are either Small or Large in size and will fit into the six categories and levels listed below:

What about our Junior Tiny Mites (ages 3 & 4)? We will have our Jr. Vikings cheer at home games!
What cheer rules does AYC follow? YCADA
As an organization, can we hold clinics? YES
Does AYF/AYC have a scholastics program? YES
Where are cheer Nationals held? Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee
Where are football Nationals held? Paradise Sports Complex in Naples
Where can I go to learn more about AYF & AYC?

https://www.americanyouthfootball.com/

https://suncoastayf.com/suncoastayffootballandcheerleading

We are excited for this new chapter and are working hard to ensure a smooth transition for our families, players, and coaches.

For any additional follow up questions, please reach out to venicevikingsregistrar@gmail.com.