We get this question all the time. It all started with a little boy (who isn’t so little anymore) that wanted to play football, and was told he couldn’t.
Over ten years ago, Ray Henriksen Jr. tried to register his son Kyle to play football. He was told that he was outside of the weight boundary players were required to be in to register. As a result, a sad little boy did not get to play football that year. But, a determined father decided to make sure it never happened again. With the help of friends, family, and a small group of investors, Ray Henriksen Jr. began one of the most successful youth organizations in the city of Las Vegas.
His dream for youth football and cheerleading was simple. Every player that wanted to play football could play. At the time, some children were restricted from playing football because of weight, geographic location, or other reasons. To Ray, this just didn’t seem fair. The NYFL used a system to place children onto teams by both age and weight. With an age/weight chart, the goal is to ensure the safety of the athlete, as well as allow every player the opportunity to compete. Ray also removed the geographic restriction. He lobbied for the city to assist in his dream, by allocating practice fields all over the city to the NYFL. This system has allowed the NYFL to keep football in the neighborhood.
The NYFL was officially organized in 1997 with the help of friends, family, and a small group of investors. Ray wasn’t sure the community was ready for a football league of this size, but the community response after the first year in operation was overwhelming. Many people saw and heard the message of the NYFL and they wanted to be part of an organization that promoted the same type of values they were teaching at home.
Using small allocated spaces in the back of sports retail shops, Ray was able to begin the registration process. During these early years, the league did not have computers, or automatic team assignment based on zip code entry. Parents and players registered with the league by hand, and Ray would place them on a team manually by recalling the rough location of every zip code in Las Vegas.
Over time, the NYFL grew to the largest youth football organization in Las Vegas. Largely due to the support of volunteers and donations, the league has become more organized. Registration in person is still required, but pre-registration makes the process of registering much easier. We receive more volunteers every year and welcome new ideas for improving the success of the organization. In 2009, we lost our founder and president Ray Henriksen Jr. He was able to see his dream become a reality. Those who knew and loved him know that the success of this league was extremely important to him.
Ray’s son Kyle Henriksen has been elected as President of the NYFL. It seems only fitting that the little boy for whom this league was started now continues running it to this day. Kyle has finished two seasons as President, and has done an amazing job. We look forward to the future success of the league under his careful direction.
Over the last 10 plus years, we have learned a tremendous amount about football. We are still committed to providing the best football experience in Las Vegas.
