The Buckeye Youth Football and Cheer Association located in Medina, Ohio, has earned Gold Level status through USA Football’s League Excellence Program for the 2021 season.

The League Excellence Program is a way for youth football organizations to earn recognition for a commitment to raise operational standards and provide a great environment for athletes and their families.

Buckeye reports an adherence to high standards in skill development and player safety as well a as commitment to young athletes who gain on and off the field from the fun of football. The club is led by Matt Wilhelm, Eric Keller, Travis Perkins, Adam Piovarchy and Stacey Weckesser. Buckeye teams compete across grades K-6, comprised of more than 150 kids across, four game types, affording parents choices of football play that best suit their children. Buckeye also supports a strong Cheerleading program to involve everyone in their families. 

The club’s game types include flag football for kids in kindergarten, first and second grade. Limited Contact options like padded flag for grades 3 and 4 as well as Rookie Tackle for grades 4 and 5. Tackle is an option for kids grades 5 and up. “This is one of the main reasons we believe we are one of the premier leagues in Northeast Ohio,” Wilhelm said. 

Buckeye has 40 coaches in its organization and requires each of them to complete USA Football Coach Certification and complete a background check before stepping on the field. 

The club is a member of the Lake Erie Youth Football League in Northeast Ohio. “Our league is really just a chance for us to gather the local communities together,” Wilhelm added. 

The club also has a great relationship with its area’s high school football program. Buckeye champions a “big brother” advocacy system, giving children more role models while inviting high school students to give of themselves to benefit others. High school students support youth players by attending their practices. Youth players are ball boys at the high school games. The high school and youth program also share common foundations in their playbooks, employing common terminology when teaching and playing the game to advance young players’ skill development and deliver an advantage for success on the field.