Who are the Calabasas Rams?

The Calabasas Rams organization is a chapter of the Gold Coast Youth Football League (GCYFL) based in Calabasas.  We offer a quality youth tackle football experience for youth ages 8 to 14.  We are structured as a non-profit 501(c)3.

We are a premium, boutique youth tackle program.  We selectively nurture our players and teams and do not have a "factory system" with an excessive number of teams and kids.  Our rosters are limited.  We keep registration fees competitive and much lower than other comparable programs, because we benefit from an extremely generous base of donors.  We practice in the beautiful Santa Monica mountains using the top-tier facilities of Calabasas High School.

What is the GCYFL?

GCYFL is the premier youth football league in Southern California offering the highest level of organization and league integrity.  The GCYFL is organized into carefully managed and competitive divisions that are separated by age and weight.  We believe the GCYFL is one of the best youth football leagues serving Los Angeles and Ventura county and one of the few truly weighted youth tackle football leagues.  To learn more go to www.gcyfl.com.

Is tackle football safe?

Participation in tackle football will present risk of injury.  Many parents view the multi-faceted benefits of sports in general and youth tackle football in particular to outweigh these risks of injury.  We would advise you to personally decide what is best for your child after doing appropriately careful research and due diligence.

The Calabasas Rams organization and the GCYFL are firmly committed to doing what we reasonably can to maximize child safety.  Prior to contact, we engage in extensive training drills using bags in highly controlled settings to learn what we believe to be the safest tackling, blocking, and shedding techniques.  We are proponents of the Rocky Seto rugby-style tackling system to get the head out of the tackle, as adopted by Pete Carroll (who coached our founder Cary Harris at USC).  We are committed to the safest form of youth tackle football and believe the benefits of the sport outweigh the risks.

We note that all of our coaches are required by the GCYFL to submit to background checks and to obtain USA Football certification, including training in concussion protocols.

What is the difference between a "weighted" league and an "unweighted" league?

An unweighted league is solely age-based, meaning players are assigned to divisions and teams based solely on their date of birth (regardless of size and weight).  As a result, there can be tremendous variation in size and weight at a given age division because kids hit their growth spurts at different times, and players who have grown more quickly than their peers can have enormous size and weight advantages.

Conversely, a weighted league uses both age and weight to separate players into divisions based on studies of youth age/weight development and variance to help adjust and normalize for differences in timing of growth.  The end result we believe is a safer youth tackle experience for young kids, that doesn't excessively reward or penalize players solely for differences in timing of growth.  This is especially important at these younger ages when variance in growth rates is extremely high and kids are learning/experiencing tackle football for the first time.  We believe the GCYFL is the premier weighted league serving Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

Do your coaches or staff get paid?

No, our coaches and staff do not get paid.  They are all volunteers who devote an incredible amount of time to creating this experience for the players.  We are a non-profit 501(c)3, and registration fees only partially cover the cost of operations.  We rely heavily on our generous donors who enable this experience.

Is my child guaranteed a roster spot?

No.  Given limited qualified coaching staff and a fixed number of teams, we are unfortunately not able to offer everyone a roster spot.  We would encourage those interested to pre-register as early as possible.  Note that pre-registering does not unfortunately guarantee a roster spot.

How much will my child play?

Each child is guaranteed twelve action plays per game, which is the minimum number of action plays as determined by league rules.  Above that minimum number, there is no guarantee of further plays.  It is entirely at the discretion of the head coach.

When will formal registration open and how much will the registration fee cost?

Formal registration will open in the Spring at a time TBD.  The registration fee will be announced at that time.  2023 registration fees will be $400 per player.  Note that pre-registration will open earlier in Q1 of 2023.

Where do you practice?

We practice on the varsity main field at Calabasas High School unless otherwise specified.  This is the same field that hosts top-tier CIF Varsity Football regular season and playoff games.  Calabasas High School is located in a stunning setting nestled within the Santa Monica Mountains with gorgeous skylines and convenient parking.

How many times a week do you practice?

During the season we typically practice three times a week, with each practice lasting 1.5-2 hours.  Practices are mandatory.  Prior to the start of the season there are a few weeks where we may practice more than three times a week to build a foundation of skills and conditioning.  The specific practice schedule will get announced prior to the season.