Our Mission
The mission of the Optimist Youth Football program is to teach youth important life lessons while at the same time letting them have fun playing football. Since 1949 the Optimist Youth Football program has been touching lives, giving families and children a place to grow and learn together in an atmosphere of fun and football.
Optimist Football doesn’t have tryouts, there are no players cut instead kids learn basic life skills with friends and neighbors. Building teams around the player’s neighborhoods helps to build better football players and better people; if you can form a team of only the most talented players then they don’t have to work as hard. Optimist teams are only as strong as their weakest link and must work together to get better…that is the mission of Optimist Youth Football.
The objectives of the Optimist Youth Football program are:
• To provide a wholesome, enjoyable experience of playing football for youths from ages 6 to 12 years of age, while teaching the basic fundamentals of the game, teamwork, good sportsmanship, discipline and response to leadership.
• To encourage the players to maintain satisfactory grades in school and to emphasize the importance of keeping a proper relationship and balance between scholastic and athletic endeavors. To provide a satisfying, rewarding experience for coaches, sponsors, and those persons administering the program through their relationships in teaching and working with youth.
• To provide a well organized and implemented program that is appreciated and favorably received by the parents and the community.
The Basics: Tackle
Ages: 8-12 years
Season: Early August through October
Games: Saturdays, 7 games, Optimist Youth Sports Complex; Hill Rd, Boise (may include some limited travel to Treasure Valley towns; may include additional championship game)
Practices: In your neighborhood, 4 times/week (5 times in first 3 weeks)
Teams: Boise and surrounding towns
Cost: $150/season; jersey and helmet provided; other equipment available as package from area sporting goods stores
The Basics: FLEX
Ages: 8-12, Boys & Girls
Season: September
Games: FLEX football games will be played during the week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, during the month of September, with an end-of-season FLEX tournament the last Saturday in September.
Practices: In your neighborhood, once a week week (3 practices/week pre-season)
Teams: Boise and surrounding towns
Cost: $125/season; jersey and flags provided
The Basics: Safety First
• All coaches are certified in the USA Football Heads Up Coaching techniques
• Head Coaches are required to attend annual training by high school staff
• OYF Player Safety Coaches monitor and attend team practices
Siblings and friends: join Cheer! Cheer squad is a great opportunity for a sibling of a player, or a friend or neighbor, to be involved with Optimist. Each team can have a squad, and there is guidance and an early-season camp for participants. Cheer squad members practice at the same time and location as the football team, making it easy on families. Cheer squads add to the game-day spirit and perform at halftime. Open to ages 4-12 years.
