About Us

About Danbury Athletic Youth Organization

Mission ---Danbury Athletic Youth Organization (D.A.Y.O.) is a year round, self-supporting, non-profit organization committed to offering high quality athletic activities to the young people of the Danbury area from ages 3 through 18. We believe in providing a variety of programs with the goal teaching sportsmanship, teamwork in an organized sports environment, building on excellence to offer an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Offered Programs

Basketball:
The basketball program offers boys grades 6 through 12 and opportunity to play organized competitive basketball during the winter. The D.A.Y.O. league teams play each other for the championship. The athletes learn the value of an important lifetime goal: individual achievement through team participation. The emphasis is on learning the fundamental mechanics of the game and the importance of sharing the glory for the benefit of the team.

Basketball is a demanding sport both physically and mentally. The players end their season with visible improvements in conditioning and with sharper minds. In addition, there is an end of season awards banquet where each player's accomplishments are recognized.

Cheer:
For girls ages five to fifteen, the cheerleading program is designed to provide support and increase spectator participation at the football games. Sanctioned by Pop Warner, the cheerleaders compete with other squads throughout the region. Cheerleading teaches the individual discipline and team cooperation necessary for cheers and routines. The program is offered in the late summer and through the fall, and there is an awards banquet to recognize the contribution of all participants.

Four levels of cheerleading are offered, allowing the girls to grow in ability and confidence and to test the limits of their skills. Many D.A.Y.O. cheerleaders go on to become members of area high school teams and continue cheering in college.

Flag Football:
Played in the spring and designed to be an introduction to football with an emphasis on passing, catching and learning the basic fundamentals of the game. There are three divisions of play for boys and girls ages 5 - 14, playing 7 x 7. All divisions use flags that stop play when an opponent removes flag from the belt. Games are played on Sunday's at Kaplanis Field at Broadview Middle School from May - June. All players receive a reversible jersey that represents and NFL team. Teams practice once a week.

Tackle Football:
D.A.Y.O. is the sponsor of the nationally renowned Danbury Trojans Pop Warner football program. The Trojans have consistently won league, state, regional, and even national championships. The D.A.Y.O. Pop Warner football program is acknowledged to be among the best in the country.

Pop Warner football is offered on multiple levels for boys and girls ages 5 to 14. The teams are set up by age categories, ie: 6 U, 8 U, 10 U, 12 U & 14 U. At the 6 U level flag football 7 X 7 is played, 8 U, Rookie Tackle, is the newest version of football 7 X 7 with modified rules for player development, the emphasis is on the fundamentals of the sport and coaches are allowed on the field during games. Players wear regular football equipment and play on a smaller field. As the athletes advance through the upper levels of the program 10 U, 12 U, 14 U, they learn the finer aspects of the game, and increase their understanding of the importance of individual performance in the context of teamwork. Every position is equally important to the success of the play.

Football is a physically demanding sport. Top conditioning is stressed from the first day with running, calisthenics, and drills. The players are outfitted with the best protective equipment available, and are carefully monitored by the coaching staff.

Football is also mentally demanding. Each player is required to memorize and execute a variety of plays and frequently in a number of different positions. In addition, he or she must be constantly aware of changes on the field and quickly adjust to provide the appropriate response.

The program begins August 1st and ends in the fall. Practices are held in the evening during the week with games played on the weekends. At the end of the season there is an awards banquet. Each player's contribution is recognized and each player receives an award for his/her accomplishments.

Lacrosse:

Danbury Youth Lacrosse realizes that the sport of Lacrosse may not be for everyone. We encourage any potential player of any age to come to one of our Indoor Practices in early January. While there, new players will be introduced to the fundamentals of the game of Lacrosse, including Scooping, Cradling, Catching, Passing, Shooting, the concepts of Offense & Defense, and the basic rules of the game. We are confident that once exposed to this great sport, your child will be hooked!

The indoor practices are an excellent opportunity for new players to learn the fundamentals of the game, while allowing returning players the opportunity to continue developing their previously established skills before the program moves outdoors.

PLEASE NOTE: All registrants must establish membership with US Lacrosse prior to taking part in any DAYO LAX activities. The online membership registration includes your US Lacrosse membership and is built into your price for spring registration. There is no need to go to US Lacrosse separately. We will handle that process. Make sure you complete the US Lacrosse section of your registration when registering for spring play.

Program Fees include the following:

· US Lacrosse Registration Fee

· Weekly Practices with dedicated coaches

· Indoor Practices - Starting mid-January (schedules TBA).

· Outdoor Practices - Starting mid-March (weather permitting - TBA)

· Winter Clinics - great for both new & returning players!

· Scheduled games - both home and travel

· Officials & Referee Fees

· · Danbury Youth Lacrosse T-Shirt - you get to keep it!

· Participation in Tournaments & Jamborees throughout the season

· End of Season Picnic

T-Ball:
With over 350 (3-7 yr old) children playing T-Ball, this is D.A.Y.O.'s largest program for the youth of the Danbury area. The game gets its name from the "T" that is used to hold the ball for batting (simular to teeing up a golf ball, but at the right height for hitting). There are three levels of play for T-Ball. Rookie Ball for 6 - 7 year olds, this level uses a pitching machine along with a T. Regular T-Ball for 4- 5 year old level uses the T for batting. Born to Play is for 3 year olds and is comprised of small groups of players learning the basics of playing together in a hands on environment where they learn agility, balance, throwing and catching techniques and well as running the bases. This level prepares them for T-Ball the following year.
The program is designed as an introduction to baseball, but the game is focused on non-competitive instructional play. No score or standings are kept Action on the field is frequently stopped so that the coaches can teach the players or correct their techniques.
T-Ball is a program for both boys and girls. The season runs late April thru mid June, and ends with a T-Ball picnic for the players and their families. For many children, this is their first experience in a team sport where they can learn the benefit of cooperation with others for a common goal while developing the skills they will use later in competitive baseball.

Track and Field
The Danbury Lightning offers boys and girls in grades 3 through 8 the opportunity to get into great condition while learning about and competing in Track and Field. Practices are designed to allow each athlete to reach their potential in a fun, competitive environment. Practices are held in the evening during the week, with meets in the afternoon during the week or on the weekend. Coaches will work with the team as a group and work with individual athletes independently on specialty events, such as hurdles and field events to ensure that they are prepared for success. Our focus is on building character, self-esteem, and teamwork in our athletes.

We have three seasons:

The Spring Season is run during the school year, beginning in March and ending in early June. At the end of the season there is an awards banquet. Each athlete is recognized for their participation with a certificate, with outstanding accomplishments being recognized with medals.

The Summer Season begins in early June and ends in early August. It presents a great opportunity for athletes to start or continue their training while seeing increased competition. It’s also a great way to stay in shape going into the Fall.

The Winter (Indoor) Season starts in November and runs into late February. It is perfect for preparing for the Spring!

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