The Central Ohio Youth Athletic Association (COYAA) was founded in Fall 2018. The desire to host more competitive sports teams for the youth of Central Ohio was, and continues to be, the motivation for creating and expanding the Tomahawks. While the founders searched for a compatible team name alongside the Canal Winchester Indians, they came across the Waxahachie Youth Athletic Association Tomahawks (WYAA) based in Waxahachie, Texas. The founders reached out to WYAA and proudly became a sister organization. The founders traveled to Waxahachie, Texas to meet and learn from the WYAA organization.

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In Spring 2019, our first baseball team took to the field with our first football teams following shortly behind in Summer 2019. Winter 2019 brought the introduction of our first basketball teams and Summer 2020 marked the introduction of our first cheerleading squad. Our teams and sport offerings continue to grow each season.

 

COYAA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All donations, registration fees, and funds collected fund the programs for our youth. Funds support equipment, facility rentals, officiating and game/tournament fees, background checks on coaches/volunteers, insurance, and sports scholarships. If you are interested in supporting a sports scholarship for one of our youth, please click on the “Donation” page for more information.

 

Volunteerism and supporting our local community are important aspects to our organization and we strive to instill this into our youth participants. COYAA relies on the community in which we work and play and continues to give back. Some examples of our community contributions are donating visors to the high school girls’ softball team, hosting a tournament to raise money for the BrockStrong Foundation, taking tickets for high school sports games, and participating in Adopt-a-Highway.

 

Sports provide a needed outlet for our youth. It encourages discipline, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle. With the support of our local Canal Winchester High School football team, we have been fortunate to have these athletes speak and interact with our football players. At least once a season, athletes from the high school football team come speak to our youth about the importance of fitness, health, and education. One of COYAA’s goals is to instill the importance of taking care of your body and making education a priority. In Fall 2020, Coach John Holman came to speak with our youth and stressed the importance of taking care of yourself, grades, and overcoming hardships. COYAA believes the whole child approach is important for development of our youth as both an athlete and a person.