We want to thank Greg, Jeremy and all the gang at Nampa Outback Steakhouse for their donation of food and their time.  They are such great people to work with and we are so grateful for their commitment.  Please visit the Nampa Outback for dinner and tell them thank you for their support of Nampa Optimist Football.

We also want to thank all the NOF Blue Shirts who gave their time to serve, take tickets and bus tables.  You are the reason this event and our program are successful.

Special thanks to Tyler Shoemaker and Shea McClellin for coming in to support the program.  And thanks Brad Larrondo for making that happen.  Tyler and Shea took time to meet with many of our supporters and expressed their appreciation for NOF.

Larry Gebert and Idaho’s Newschannel 7 have always been tremendous supporters of Nampa Optimist Football.  Thanks Larry for your commitment to our program.  Lots of people came in to tell us they saw you and Noe on your morning show.

And a huge thank you to all of the people who came in to enjoy lunch and offer their financial support to Beyond Football.  Through your donations we are able to scholarship more than 130 young football players and cheerleaders who otherwise could not afford to play.

Tackle players (ages 9 to 12) are $85. Flag players (ages 7 & are $50. Cheerleaders (ages 7 to 12) are $85.

If you have any questions about registration, please see our Register page.

Obviously it is still hot and temperatures can reach 100 degrees or more during practice.  Water breaks of at least 5 minutes are REQUIRED every 1/2 hour and players should be allowed to drink water AT ANY TIME. 

Optimist Football has the following rules regarding practice sessions:

Flag - 4 sessions per week not longer than 1 1/2 hours (first two weeks) – 3 sessions/week not more than 1 hour after Jamboree.

Tackle – 5 sessions/week not longer than 2 hours (first two weeks) – 4 sessions/week not more than 1 1/2 hours after Jamboree.

No double sessions (2 a days) are allowed.

NO CONTACT is allowed during the first 3 practices.

These rules are in place to protect the players and we take them very seriously.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact your League Director or send an email to info@nampaoptimistfootball.org.

Jamboree is August 20th.  Your coach will receive a schedule the week of August 15th.  Regular season game schedules are usually distributed to coaches at Jamboree.

Saturday August 27th is first game day for everyone.

This is a very exciting time for all our players, coaches and parents.  As the season begins anything is possible.  We are working hard to make sure you and your child have a great football experience.  Please help us by communicating via email with any questions or comments.  Positive comments are always welcome!

Have a great season!

If you wished to be placed on a waiting list to be notified of late registration opportunities, please send an email to info@nampaoptimistfootball.org.  Put “Wait List” in the subject line and include the player’s name, age as of September 1 and the closest middle school to your home.  Late registration fees are $100 for tackle and $55 for flag.

Please understand that players will be placed on teams on an ‘as needed’ basis.  In other words, players may be placed on teams that are not in their area or on the team they played for last season.

Remember that your player/cheerleader MUST BE PRESENT to register.

Your NOF Executive Committee has been busy setting the calendar and preparing for another season.  It seems early to be thinking about football but we have to submit our team and player information to Boise Optimist by the first of June so they can begin scheduling games.

Nampa Optimist Football is part of the Boise Optimist Youth Football organization, one of the largest youth sports organizations in the entire country.  There are more than 200 teams and about 6,000 kids in our program.  NOF will field more than 40 teams in Nampa, Middleton, Caldwell and Melba with over 1,000 players and cheerleaders.

If you are interested in coaching or serving in another volunteer capacity please send an email to info@nampaoptimistfootball.org.  We are currently looking for help in setting up and running registration events.  We will register from 200 to 300 players and cheerleaders in a typical day and there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to keep the lines short.

Senior (12 year old) players that planned on playing for Nampa middle schools (East, Lone Star, South or West) and did not make the special May 20 registration should send an email to info@nampaoptimistfootball.org. Please put ‘Senior’ in the subject line and include the player’s name, contact info and middle school. Players will be placed on a first come/first served basis and we cannot guarantee a roster spot. Players that turn 13 before September 1st cannot play Optimist football.

NOF Nampa Outback Steakhouse “Beyond Football” Fundraiser is Thursday March 25th. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Greg and the gang at the Nampa Outback Steakhouse ALL proceeds from this event help put disadvantaged kids on the football field. Just $10 per person gets you a great lunch of that famous Outback sirloin, chicken, mashed potatoes, roll, salad and soft drink. Not to mention a great time with your friends from Nampa Optimist. Please come out and support our kids!

Dates have been set for first practice, Jamboree and games. Due to some conflicting dates with Boise State and Labor Day weekend there are some differences from past years. First practice is Monday, August 9th. Jamboree is scheduled for Saturday, August 21st. First games of the season will be on August 28th. There will be NO GAMES on Labor Day weekend with the season resuming on September 11th.

Parents please remember to attend Parent Orientation Tuesday, July 27 (for flag & freshman parents) or Wednesday, July 28 (for soph, junior & senior parents). These meetings are extremely important for you to get the information you need to ensure your child has the best possible experience in Nampa Optimist Football. It will absolutely be worth your time.

Nampa Optimist Players Camp is Saturday July 17. We have a very special guest coach this year, Thurmond Moore of the Tackling Academy has agreed to come in and teach proper tackling technique to our kids. Coach Moore has an extensive professional and collegiate coaching career and has developed a tackling clinic specifically geared to youth players. His camp will teach your young player the safest and most up to date techniques to be a great defensive player.

Coach Moore will be working with our coaches before the players camp so they can learn the drills and the techniques to work with our kids during the camp and all season long. We are extremely excited to offer this opportunity for our coaches and players. Coach Moore comes to us on the strong recommendation of Coach Tuivai Viliami of the Boise State Broncos. For more information on Coach Moore and his clinic, please visit www.tacklingacademy.org.

Of course, high school coaches from Vallivue, Middleton, Columbia, Nampa and Skyview will again lend their expertise at different stations throughout the camp. This is a great opportunity for your young player to meet his future high school coach and learn valuable skills from the very best coaches in our area.

We have decided to again hold registration fees at $75 for tackle and $45 for flag. NOF is committed to providing the very best youth football experience at the most reasonable price. To help us maintain the high quality that you expect and keep prices low we continue to seek sponsors for the 2010 season. If you or someone you know is interested in supporting Nampa Optimist Football and the youth in our community please send us an email. We have a number of sponsorship options available to fit all budgets. Of course we are a 501c3 non profit organization and sponsor contributions are tax deductible.

NOF CHEERLEADING IS BACK! After a brief one season break we are pleased to announce the return of Cheer Director Amelia Jensen and the NOF Cheerleading program. All girls ages 7 to 12 are encouraged to participate. Cheerleaders will learn cheers, chants, dance routines and sideline etiquette. Registration is the same as football and the cost is $75. Cheerleading is a traditional and fun aspect of the football experience. Game days are so much better with the cheerleaders!

We’ll see you at registration!

Bring your child and his or her birth certificate to one of our registrations listed on the Events page.

What is the cost?

$45 for flag (ages 7 & 8 ), $75 for tackle (ages 9 to 12) and $75 for cheerleading (ages 7 to 12).

What is the age cutoff date?

Players will be assigned to teams according to the age they are prior to September 1st.

What are the age & weight requirements?

Flag – Ages 7 & 8. No maximum weight. Players exceeding 95 pounds have the option of playing tackle.

Freshman – 9 years of age. 115 pounds maximum (105 in street clothes)

Sophomore – 10 years of age. 130 pounds maximum (120 in street clothes)

Junior – 11 years of age. 145 pounds maximum (135 in street clothes)

Senior – 12 years of age, NO exceptions. 160 pounds maximum (150 in street clothes)

All weights include full pads, helmets, shoes, etc. Pads weigh approximately 10 pounds.

Players exceeding the maximum weight have the option to play up. Players weighing 50 pounds or more under the maximum weight may play down one league.

What equipment do we need?

Flag – Optimist provides uniform shirts. You will need to purchase plain white shorts (no pockets or drawstrings), football shoes, practice shirt and a colored mouthpiece.

Tackle – Optimist provides helmets and uniform jersey. You will need to purchase shoulder pads, all white football pants with pads, shoes, practice jersey and a colored mouthpiece.

Cheer – Optimist provides cheer uniforms.

What team will my child be on?

All teams are selected by age and school attended. Final team rosters will not be completed until June or July.

When and where will we practice?

Practice times and locations will be determined by your coach. Since we organize teams by school, your practice location will often be close to your child’s school. Practice may begin Monday, August 11.

When and where will we play?

All games are played on Saturdays beginning September 6. Roughly half your games will be played in Nampa at Optimist Park. The other half will be played in Boise or other locations.

How many games will we play?

Flag, Freshman, Sophomore and Juniors play 7 games (Juniors have a chance to play an 8th game). Seniors play 8 games.

What is Jamboree?

Jamboree is our season kickoff at BSU Bronco Stadium. All players MUST be present at Jamboree to play Optimist Football. Players are weighed, team photos are taken and teams play a short scrimmage.

We are extremely pleased to announce the return of Amelia Jensen as Cheer Director. Amelia’s return coincides with the return of our Cheerleading program for the 2010 season. Cheerleaders will register the same dates as players and the cost is $75.

We do not yet have dates for the start of the season or for Jamboree. We should have dates very soon and will post them immediately.

We do not anticipate any major changes for the 2010 season. We plan to field approximately 40 teams.

Please plan on attending our Nampa Outback Steakhouse Fundraiser on Thursday, March 25. Cost is $10 and tickets will be available soon from NOF Committee members or NOF Coaches.

Come back to the web site often for updates on NOF Football.

Shannon and her family have been important members of our Nampa Optimist Football community for many years. Shannon served as Optimist Secretary, Fundraiser Coordinator, Blue Shirt and Team Mom for two teams. She was a friend and trusted advisor to both Noe and me.

Shannon gave a tremendous amount of time and energy to Optimist Football. Her joy and love for the sport of football was contagious. She performed her duties without any desire for accolades and with no regard for personal gain. Shannon was the true spirit of a volunteer, performing the real work and accomplishing so much with only the best of interests of our kids and our community as her only motivation.

She attended every meeting, every fundraiser, every game and camp and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly. Shannon helped line fields in the hot August sun and bundled up for the cold fall mornings as a Blue Shirt. She made coffee and sold hot dogs and hamburgers in the concessions stand and made up snack schedules for David and Casey’s football teams. She set up fields in the mornings and helped tear them down at night. She took meticulous notes at meetings and organized our fundraiser. She spent hundreds of hours collecting and handing out Touchdown cards and cleared tables at the Outback Fundraiser. Shannon literally did everything. I don‘t know what we will do without her.

She was always extremely proud of her boys and bragged justifiably of their many accomplishments on the field, in school and in life. Shannon would do anything for her boys. She was a great mom and a loving wife.

We will miss Shannon terribly and again share our sympathies with her family.

The family has requested that donations be made either to Nampa Optimist Football or to a fund set up in Shannon’s memory for her sons David and Casey at Home Federal Bank.