The BIg East Region got a MAJOR boost thanks to the arrival of New Jersey AYF, which has close to 30 associations!

We want to extend a warm welcome to  a conference with a long history of excellence.

AYF is gaining a stellar football program and a cheer program that has won more than 90 national titles since the early 90s!

Learn more about New Jersey AYF on their site                                                 

JERSEY SHORE HAS VOTED TO LEAVE POP WARNER

AND JOIN THE LARGEST AND FASTEST GROWING

YOUTH FOOTBALL/CHEER PROGRAM IN THE U.S.

"The American Youth Football League"

NEW JERSEY AYF – JERSEY SHORE CONFERENCE

1901 Route 71 Suite 3D Wall, NJ 07719

March 3, 2011

Dear Parent, Participant, and Coach

JSPWFL will be leaving Pop Warner and joining the largest and fastest growing youth football organization in the U.S. the "American Youth Football League" (AYF - web address is www.americanyouthfootball.com ). At the March 2011General Membership Meeting the JSPWFL General Membership voted 28-7 with 1 Abstention to not renew our yearly charter with Pop Warner and to join AYF/AYC. Since the meeting we are now 30 Organizations STRONG and anxiously awaiting our friends who have not committed to join us in our new league.

Because Jersey Shore has such a steep tradition in Pop Warner and has won 1 Division one Football, 1 Division 2 Football, and 97 Cheer/Dance National Championships, deciding to make the move from Pop Warner was very difficult and emotional for our franchises. However the reason the Majority voted to make the change is they feel AYF BY FAR gives the children in our league better options and safer conditions.

Before going into the reasons for the move we want to address the most frequently asked questions –

What about National Championships? The AYF National championships are run in the same manner and the same week as Pop Warner. There are 8 regions. Regional Championships are held right here at the Jersey Shore. National Championships are held in Orlando Florida. Because it is not mandatory to stay at a Disney Hotel or purchase park hoppers the average cost is approximately 50% less per family for the week. For some a negative might be that, the nationals championships are not held on Disney property. AYF/AYC offers discounted tickets to Disney, Universal, Seaworld, etc, if a family chooses to purchase them. The Cheer/Dance Competition is held at the 10,000 seat Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Fla. not a Disney property.

Are we still Jersey Shore? YES!. While we are changing to AYF there is no real change for any Jersey Shore member. Jersey Shore is an independent organization. Regardless of what people tell you, we are free to join any league or conference we choose with no repercussions. The organizations that voted to leave Pop Warner like yours will see a seamless transition to AYF. We feel the Quality and Teaching of Football and Cheer will only get better with this move.

The reasons we are leaving Pop Warner and joining AYF are as follows:

1. 1) AYF is an organization with integrity. The only games played are the ones on the field. AYF volunteers are treated with respect.

1. 2) BETTER CHILD SAFETY - AYF rules discourage child weight loss. There is no 1 lb increase per week in AYF. A child that is 5 pounds over the starting weight limit is less likely to have to lose the weight to be certified, he would only have to maintain the weight to participate.. AYF and Pop Warner end of season weights are identical – Ages and weights are identical with the exception of a New Division of play. If your organization chooses to field a Cadet level team it will consist of 8, 9, and 10 yr old O/L.

1. 3) NEW FOOTBALL STRUCTURE – Each year we practice for 20 hours, then scrimmage for 10 hours followed by playing an IMPACT SPORT? This is done because Pop Warner requires us to play backwards from the Disney Calendar. We must play our 9 game season, then only a 2 week post season which limits us to only qualifying the top 2 teams in each division for post season play. After our playoffs, under the current structure we must declare 14 JS Champions. Those 14 teams move on to the Eastern Region playoffs and if lucky enough to Disney World. The AYF Structure will allow us to practice and scrimmage for close to 5 weeks before playing the first game. This allows a much needed period of time for your coaches to evaluate and teach the children the greatest game in the world… FOOTBALL. In the new structure we are afforded our 9 game regular season, then an expanded 4 week playoff allowing for the top 4 teams in each division a chance to compete in post season play. After 4 rounds of playoffs we will declare one (1) Jersey Shore Champion at each of the 5 competitive levels. Those 5 Champions will then advance to the AYF National Championships in Orlando, Fla and compete for a National Title, In football this is what it’s about…. Jersey Shore teams playing Jersey Shore teams to an overall champion. When we play each other, unlike in Pop Warner Regional Championships, we know the team on the other side of the field plays by the same rules each and every week.

1. 4) ALL STAR GAMES/TEAMS – At the end of the season AYF allows it’s leagues the ability to select in a fair and acceptable manner an All Star team. All Star teams can be formed at each competitive level of play. These teams will practice for one week and then compete against each other at the Jersey Shore North vs South ALL-STAR weekend. Our 8th Grade conference ALL-STARS will compete at the National level in the 8th Grade All Star National Championships against other 8th Grade All-Star teams from around the country.

1. 5) CHANGE – AYF prides themselves in being "non-intrusive" this philosophy allows JS to affect change at the local level, on a case by case basis whenever deemed necessary. What that means is, you as a franchise can make motions to adapt our rules at a General Membership Meeting and the other franchises can take a vote to either approve or disapprove the rule change. In Pop Warner this has to be done on first the Regional and then the National Level which to summarize means can usually take up to 3 years to implemented as long as a majority vote of all 8 regions in the country approve it. JS being as large as we are, it is almost impossible to make changes in Pop Warner that suit OUR needs. Because most of the Pop Warner organizations in the US are drastically smaller, their needs tend to be different than our large league.

1. 6) FOOTBALL RULES – YES, AYF has a lower Minimum Play Rule in the National Rule Book. No organization in this league is looking to lower the Minimum Play Rule. We will continue to play by the 6, 8, and 10 play rule… Exactly the way we played in Pop Warner. If you are one of the 5 teams that make it to the National Championships you must play by the 4, 6, and 8 play MPR in the AYF Rule Book but, ONLY during the 3 games played at Nationals. Pop Warner says you MUST start and finish all games with 16 players, AYF allows you to start a game with 12 players, this is important to the smaller organizations that struggle all year to field teams each and every week.

AMERICAN YOUTH CHEER, DANCE, & STEP

BENEFITS TO AYC

Year round – Associations are offered, encouraged and able to participate in cheer all year with initial registration.

EDUCATION/SAFETY – AYC acknowledges the changing environment in cheerleading across the country. They encourage outside experts, especially through their partnership of UCA/UDA, to help our association coaches and participants learn the constant changing sport of cheerleading and dance. There is a continual, open education for basic cheerleading skills and technique, teaching and learning advancing skills and routine material. With the additional availability of practice time, it gives the competitive staffs and participants more time to safely learn skills and a routine to safely perform in a time constrained schedule of eliminating competitions. With the AYC partnership with UCA/UDA, we are offered many opportunities to participate in camps and clinics, directly within AYC, which ensure proper and safer instruction, which is important to all coaches and participants who are beginning their involvement in youth cheerleading/dance.

JUDGING– AYC offers a consistent judging aspect of UCA/UDA across the country, unlike pop warner who hires many different judging companies, styles and training across the country. AYC along with UCA/UDA judges are trained specifically for AYC cheer and dance competitions. UCA/UDA judges are consistent in judging local competitions, region competitions, and the national competition in Florida. All judges at the national cheer competition are UCA/UDA judges, only. This helps the cheer teams and staffs have a better understanding from the beginning of the season as to what the judges are requiring and expecting from a team’s routine for the entire, competitive year. A continual complaint from many associations over the years has been inconsistencies with judges’ scores and comments.

ECONOMICS – Historically, 97 national cheer /dance titles have been won by Jersey Shore. Each year we send no less than 15 teams to Florida. The cost to go to nationals through pop warner in 2010 began with a minimum, mandated package of $411 per person for a three night stay. AYC does not mandate a package, which usually does not get full use, for their stay in Florida. Although AYC does not house the participants in Disney World property, the accommodations are approximately 5-10 minutes from the gates of Disney World. Tickets are available at the same discounted prices as pop warner. The average financial savings for a family of four between the two organizations is approximately $1500 for their stay during the national competition. Also, Universal Studios is partners with AYF/AYC to host an "AYF night" similar to Disney’s "pop warner night" in Hollywood Studios.

LOGISTICS – AYC offers a local, region and national cheer and dance competition. The national competition is held in Florida the same week as pop warner. There are 8 regions in the country all that will be sending their top teams down to the national championship. We are welcomed with open arms, not for just our cheer teams but AYC’s continual support of all leagues ideas and thoughts in the AYC rulebook and general advancement in the competitive cheer and dance program. This will ensure our smooth transition for our teams and level of cheer /dance competition throughout AYC.

If you have any questions please direct them to your organizations executive board as they are your best source of information on AYF/AYC.

Regards,

Board of Directors

NJAYF – Jersey Shore Conference