2024 INFO GUIDE

QUICK FACTS
Founded: 2019
Parent Website: PBYFA.Com
Location: West Palm Beach
Current Sports Offered: Tackle Football, Flag Football,8Man Football.
Practice Days: Tuesday- Thursday (2-3x a week)
Colors: Orange, Green & White
Conference: Mid Fl Youth Conference (MFYC)–> https://mfycfootball.com
Team Nickname: IBIS: Folklore maintains that the Ibis, a symbol of knowledge found in the Everglades and Egypt, is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane and the first to reappear after the storm. IBIS also stands for: I BELIEVE IN SUCCESS
President: Javaris Neely
Vice President: Arron Christiansen
Commissioner: Jorge Negron

GAME UNIFORMS

THE BENEFITS OF CHILDREN PLAYING SPORTS

  • Physical Benefits – One of the main benefits of sports for children is its physical benefits. There are many physical benefits of children playing sports, including promoting healthy growth and development, strengthening bones and muscles, boosting the immune system, and decreasing the risk of developing certain diseases and illnesses, like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and obesity.
  • Mental Benefits – Other health benefits of children playing sports include mental benefits. Being physically active, and playing team sports especially, have been shown to help improve mental health by decreasing stress, anxiety, and depression, while also improving self-esteem.
Additionally, playing sports can help children perform better academically by helping them focus, giving them breaks, and boosting their energy.
  • Social Benefits – There are also social benefits that kids experience when they play sports.
Playing sports, especially when it’s on a team, allows them to meet other kids, bond with others, create new friendships, and actively develop social skills through those interactions.
  • Teaches Important Lessons – Sports also benefit children by teaching them important life lessons. Playing sports teaches the importance of hard work, and that no matter who you are, you work hard to be the very best you can be. It also teaches you to respect and accept others, including your teammates, your opponents, the officials, your coaches, and everyone involved in the sport. One of the key lesson’s sports teach is teamwork, which is an invaluable life skill.
*Coach Neely addressing the team*
Four Reasons Why Sports Help Kids in School
Learning is a full-time job for children, but so often their days are filled with other activities like sports. Some parents question whether these extra-curricular activities might take time away from studying or hurt their child’s academic performance. The truth is, there are several reasons you should encourage your child to join a sports team. Not only do sports help children stay active and healthy, but they also make a difference in academics, both now, and in the future. If you’re debating whether to let your child play a sport or you’re questioning if you made the right decision when you’re picking your child up from a late practice or sitting in the cold watching a game, remind yourself of the following:
1. Children involved in sports perform better academically. It may seem like this would be hard because kids who play sports usually have less time to study and do homework, but it’s a phenomenon that many parents notice. Sometimes having less free time forces children to manage their time better which can result in better grades too. Also, a report from the Institute of Medicine explains that kids who are very active excel in areas of attention, cognitive processing, and performance on standardized tests.
2. Kids who play sports are more likely to go to college and achieve a higher degree. A study by the US Department of Health showed that students who played sports in school were more likely to get a bachelor’s degree. Students who were in a leadership role on the team, such as a captain or MVP, tended to secure higher leadership positions in future employment.
3. Sports help children develop other character traits that transfer over to the classroom. Leadership and the ability to work cooperatively with peers increases when kids play sports. These skills are useful in the classroom as well. Sports players often have higher self-esteem which can influence their ability to persevere when things get tough. They also learn how to cheer for others and serve as an encouragement to those around them–another perk that extends to the classroom!
4. Kids who play sports are less likely to choose risky behavior which could derail their academic career. A recent study in Iceland found the number of teens engaged in drinking alcohol dropped from 42% (in 1998) to 5% after the country started offering more opportunities to get involved with sports and other after-school activities. Kids involved with athletics don’t have a lot of idle time on their hands to get involved in drug and alcohol usage. It also helps to have another layer of accountability to their coaches and teammates. Avoiding these dangerous behaviors prevents kids from declining academically as well.  Some children are naturally interested in physical activity and sports, while others shy away from athletics. Children can usually find a sport they enjoy when given the opportunity to try several different things. Many students find they enjoy sports that give them the opportunity to compete individually, rather than as a team. In sports like track or swimming, athletes can strive to improve their times without pressure from an entire team. In gymnastics and golf, athletes focus more on their individual games. As students improve their individual performance, the team as a whole will benefit.

Parents may question whether sports are a good idea when they’re up late helping their child with homework or a science project, but, in the long run, the benefits outweigh any inconvenience and prepare children to excel on and off the field.

STATISTICS
  • Juvenile obesity, according to the CDC, has tripled in the last 30 years. This is due to poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles and the growth of technology (video games, internet and TV). Youth sports implements physical conditioning and promotes proper nutrition-which help kids maintain a healthy weight.
  • According to the Juvenile Justice Bulletin, juveniles were responsible for 26% of all property crime arrests and 16% of all violent crime arrests in the country.
  • Crime sprees organized via social media (flash mobs) have increased dramatically. Have you noticed who these culprits are? Teenagers.
  • com says kids set 50% of all fires. Boredom could be a key factor. Youth Football will keep kids busy and out of trouble. When kids have nothing to do that is when they get themselves into trouble.
  • A comparison study called ‘A Qualitative Analysis of the Educational Performance of Athletes vs.

Non-athletes in High Schools of North Carolina’ by Gary Overton showed the average GPA for athletes was greater than non-athletes (17 percent to 23 percent higher); hard work and determination on the football field transfers to academia.

  • The NYVPRC reports youth gangs have close to 800,000 members nationwide with half of them being under age 18.
  • Nearly 55 percent of Florida’s four million children are either living in or near poverty, or in households that are one missed paycheck or lost a job away from not being able to meet basic needs. With 20% of Florida children living in poverty, Florida ranks in the bottom 15 states (35th in the nation). The majority of these children (71%) are Black or Latinx. Children living in poverty are more vulnerable to low academic achievement, dropping out of school, abuse and neglect, behavioral and socioemotional problems, physical health problems, and developmental delays. According to the Federal Reserve, 41% of adults nationwide would be unable to pay for an unexpected $400 emergency expense. Altogether, one-third of adults are either unable to pay their bills or are one modest financial setback away from financial hardship. So, a program like ours can help save these kids or at least attempt: Our mantra is: “It’s bigger than football”. When you join our program, you become family.
Moral: Youth sports puts kids in a controlled structured environment. It gives kids something to look forward to; it gives young men the chance to form bonds and relationships that last a lifetime that only come by being a part of a team. It also teaches discipline, self-esteem, education, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership & Character building in a competitive environment while gaining a strong sense of real life through football.
WHY PBYFA?

Year-Round Program: We are the only football organization in PALM BEACH COUNTY that operates year-round. We don’t play sports year-round, but we stay in contact with our participants the entire year and they have access to all scheduled events/functions.

Mentorship:  Research shows that mentoring has a positive impact for youth in their overall social, emotional, and academic well-being. Mentoring guarantees young people that they will have someone who genuinely cares for them, available to them, and affirms that they matter.  PBYFA seeks to make this impact by effectively developing our young people in four critical areas of character development which are Discipline, Accountability, Responsibility and Effort, otherwise known as D.A.R.E. Training.  Each of these areas are critical to the progress of our young people on and off the athletic field of play.  Athletics provide a training ground for our youth; as they participate in our camps, leagues and various workshops they will embark on the D.A.R.E. Training experience. D.A.R.E. Training is not limited to the athletic field. D.A.R.E. Training takes place in the classroom, the home and in the living communities where we offer support as well. Our goal is to develop the whole person so that they can experience success in all areas of their lives.  PBYFA embraces the opportunity to touch as many young people as possible and equip them with tools that will foster success in every facet of their lives.

Travel Opportunities: Traveling is important as it teaches meaningful life skills, provides an opportunity to meet new people, facilitates cultural appreciation, and teaches the ability to adapt to new environments. Rather it’s a Team function or Game we travel via 15 passenger van or charter bus. However, During the football season we normally schedule (4) away games.

Community Outreach: We create opportunities for our athletes to make a difference in someone else’s life and realize the beauty of selflessness. One of the most rewarding aspects of our organization’s mission is to instill a sense of outreach in our athletes and give them the means to better their community. We will address certain community issues and allow them to brainstorm ideas and create projects that can make an impact. The hope is that our athletes will work together to volunteer their time to make a brighter future for those who are less fortunate. It has been proven that:” When kids help other kids, community and friendship can blossom, and good character qualities can begin to grow as well”.

Team Functions to Promote: TEAM BONDING: A connected team = a successful team, so incorporating conversations and activities will help the team get on the same page. The hardest part of building a team is bringing a bunch of individuals together to believe and compete for the same goals. Knowing what your teammates will do in a situation is vital to winning and outperforming your opposition. Youth athletes must be given some special team exercises that encourage them to learn each other’s strengths, abilities, and behaviors. By doing so, youth athletes can then begin to trust one another, and know how their teammates/coaches will respond to situations. We will show athletes how to succeed, and once they get it, their morale will begin to lift and then we can start increasing the level of challenge. You will be quite pleasantly surprised by the positive outcomes of all the athletes. Smiles all round and high fives.

IBELIEVEINSUCCESS Study Hall: Athletes will be required to attend once a week while school is in session, “IBELIEVEINSUCCESS” Study Hall is a day away from the football field where the athletes will partner up in a controlled classroom environment learning leadership skills from our guest mentor speaker. Other activities on this day are, film study and/or chalk talk, and homework completion (athletes

will be assisted completing homework assignments, if no homework is given, your child must bring extra credit work)

TESTIMONIALS
Hi Coach Javaris, I just wanted to give you a heads up that Keondre committed with the University of Bridgeport for Lacrosse. You were the coach that convinced him to keep going, and that he was naturally athletic and to persevere. You always advocated and pushed for him to play and believed in his ability. I realize this isn’t football he’s committed for, but you always worked around his lacrosse schedule and kept motivating and mentoring him when others around him threw in the towel.
I honestly can’t thank you enough and do not have the words to express my gratitude as his mom. When everyone was giving up on him, you were always there and believed in him. I came across a saying and think for our family, and my son this holds especially true – A good coach will make their players see what they can be rather than what they are. A good coach can change a game, but a great coach can change a life.
We truly can’t thank you enough,

University of Bridgeport
NCAA D2 – Men’s Lacrosse

Verbally Committed

*Coach Jorge posing student athlete who wrote him a letter*
We truly can’t thank Javaris Neely & Palm Beach County Youth Football Alliance for empowering our youth. For being a mentor and positive male role model who is centered, grounded and driven. He implements these same values for growth in our youth both on and off the field.