Rift Splits Lake Zurich Youth Football into 2 Leagues

A second Lake Zurich youth football league has formed, the Lake Zurich Bears, prompted by the Lake Zurich Flames decision to switch football leagues. 

Wil Juarez, a long-time coach and former board member with the Flames, said he started the Lake Zurich Bears after the Flames decided to switch from The Chicago Youth Football League (TCYFL) to the smaller Northwest Youth Football League (NWYFL).

Juarez said he was contacted by parents who wanted to remain with TCYFL. 

“I think the parents want to compete and they feel the program was moving backwards instead of forward. That was one of the biggest complaints,” Juarez said. 

Juarez called a meeting last month with the Lake Zurich High School coaches, including head football Coach Dave Proffitt, and the Flames. 

“I met with the coaches who decided to leave the league as well as the coaches who were opposed to leaving. In that conversation, I said it is not up to me as head high school football coach to decide which league the youth program belongs to,” Proffitt said. 

“From my perspective, whether there’s one league, two leagues, three leagues—it doesn’t matter as long as safety is the number one priority of the league and coaching is done correctly and kids are having fun,” Proffitt said. 

He said he told the coaches he supports them 100 percent no matter which league they are in. 

Proffitt added that athletes coming into LZHS, from Flames youth football in Lake Zurich, have always been extremely well prepared. 

Juarez said he has about 80 families who have committed to join the TCYFL Bears youth football program.