Relentless.Ravenous.Rebels.
Youth tackle football and competitive cheer for kids from Utica, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights, Romeo, Washington Township and other surrounding areas. Work hard, play together, and join #RebelNation.
Pick your sideline
Football
Ages 8 to 12. Freshman and JV teams in the Northern Youth Football League, with a shot at the NYFL Championship.
Cheer
Mascot, Freshman and JV squads for K through 6th grade, cheering every game and competing at Mini and Mega.
2026 highlights
Local businesses behind the Rebels
Sponsors help hundreds of kids from Utica, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights, Romeo, Washington Township and surrounding areas each year.
Football
Youth tackle football for ages 8 to 12, with teams grouped by grade and weight.
How it works
Players are divided by grade and weight under Northern Youth Football League rules. Teams compete for a spot in the postseason, and teams that advance through the playoffs play for the NYFL Championship in the Super Bowl.
Twelve-year-old players cannot turn 13 before December 1, 2026. Weight requirements follow the NYFL rules, and all waivers are subject to the football GM's final decision and league approval.
Practice schedule
Teams practice 5 days a week for the first four weeks, until the season starts. After that it drops to 3 or 4 days of practice, film review and game prep.
Practice generally runs 6 to 8 PM. Weather and the game schedule can change things. Practices are held at Christ Lutheran Church in Sterling Heights.
X-man and Super X-man
X-man
Players weigh in at natural weight with no pads. They line up only on the offensive or defensive line, between the tackle positions.
Super X-man
Players can weigh up to 165 lbs without pads and play offensive line only.
Your football coaches
Freshman
JV White
JV Red
More than 10 years coaching youth sports. Played quarterback and defensive back in high school.
JV Blue
Played at Harper Woods Notre Dame H.S. and is a lieutenant with 28 years on the Detroit Fire Department.
More than 15 years coaching youth and high school football. Played wide receiver at the University of Maryland.
Cheer
The Lady Rebels cheer every game and compete against squads across the NYFL.
Divisions
Grade is determined as of August 1 of the current year. All waivers are subject to the cheer managers' final decision and league approval.
Squads cheer on the sideline at each game and compete twice: Mini Cheer midway through the season and Mega Cheer at the end.
Your cheer coaches
Mascot
Freshman
Cheered for Rochester Schools.
JV
Cheer practice
Squads practice 5 days a week for the first four weeks, until the season starts, then 3 or 4 days a week. Practice generally runs 6 to 8 PM, and weather and the game schedule can change it.
Register
Registration is closed for 2026. Here is how it works when it reopens.
Questions, or curious how an athlete can play for free? Ask us.
How registration works when it opens
Pay through the secure form
Select Register Now to pay through our secure Intuit form. It collects payment information only and does not ask for player details.
Finish in TeamSnap
After payment you will get an invite to TeamSnap to set up your account and complete registration.
Shop the team store
Once you are registered, check the team store for Welcome to the Rebels gear.
Show up ready to practice
See the football and cheer pages for practice schedules, and the parents page for fields and forms.
For Parents
Forms, fields, and answers in one place.
Helpful documents
- PDF2026 Shelby Rebels Handbook
- PDF2026 Cheer Rules and Guidelines
- PDFMHSAA Physical Form
- PDFNYFL Competitive Class Waiver
- PDFNYFL Registration Card
- PDFPhoto and Media Release
- PDFHeads Up Concussion Information
- PDFParent Code of Conduct
- PDFParent Volunteer Policy
- PDFBylaws
Also helpful: Northern Youth Football League, MHSAA, and CDC concussion training for coaches.
Common questions
How do I register my child?
Registration is closed for 2026. The Register page explains how it works, and our social pages share when the next window opens.
Who can play?
Tackle football is for ages 8 to 12, and 12-year-olds cannot turn 13 before December 1, 2026. Cheer covers K through 6th grade, with grade set as of August 1.
When and where are practices?
Practice generally runs 6 to 8 PM at Christ Lutheran Church in Sterling Heights. Teams practice 5 days a week for the first four weeks, then 3 or 4 days once the season starts.
When does the season start and end?
The official season typically starts the last week of July and ends the first week of November. There are optional camps and workouts in the spring and mid-summer.
When are games?
Games are on weekends, mostly Saturday, and sometimes Sunday because of field availability. They start as early as 9 AM and as late as 5 PM. Away games are against league teams such as Oxford, Lake Orion, Lapeer, Davison, Stony Creek and Clarkston.
What if we have a vacation or event planned?
Each coach may have team attendance rules, but the club requires you to give your coach notice. No-call, no-shows may result in missed playing time. We suggest planning vacations before the end of July and keeping your head coach in the loop. There are no weekend practices.
Where do I buy practice gear?
Through the team store, which links to Detroit Thread Company and Fan Gear Junkie.
How do I volunteer or coach?
The Rebels are a volunteer club and always looking for coaches and board members. Contact us to get started.
Fields
Contact
Send us a message and the right person will get back to you.
Before you write
The For Parents page has the handbook, forms, field addresses and common questions.
Registration is closed for 2026. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X to hear when the next window opens.
Team Store
Practice gear and Rebels merchandise from our two partners.
Detroit Thread Company
New for 2026. Order your Welcome to the Rebels packages for players, cheerleaders, parents, family and friends, along with 2026 gear including shirts, hats, coats and more.
Visit the storeFan Gear Junkie
Order a custom football practice jersey and other classic Rebels merch.
Visit the storeJust registered? Look for Welcome to the Rebels gear.
Season
From registration to the Super Bowl.
- January 2026: Registration begins
Join the Rebels.
- Preseason: five days a week
Teams practice 5 days a week for the first four weeks, generally 6 to 8 PM.
- Season: games and game prep
Practice moves to 3 or 4 days. Football adds film review and game prep, and cheer performs on the sideline at every game.
- Midseason: Mini Cheer
The first cheer competition of the year.
- End of season: Mega Cheer
Cheer squads compete in the season finale.
- Postseason: NYFL playoffs
Football teams that advance play for the NYFL Championship in the Super Bowl.
Follow the Rebels on Facebook, Instagram and X for the latest.
Rebel Nation
The people and the spirit behind the club.
What is a Rebel?
Being a Shelby Rebel isn't about not following the rules or resisting authority. It is about not conforming to what others say you can't do.
Rebels follow the rules set by their coaches, competition and communities. But we will always set our own goals and let nobody tell us what we can't accomplish as a team and as a family.
And don't let anyone tell you it's just about football. Our Lady Rebels are just as fierce. They show up to hot, sunny practices and cold, rainy ones, getting better day by day.
Relentless. Ravenous. Rebels.
Our story
Our club
Shelby Rebels Football and Cheer is a youth sports club giving kids in our area a chance to learn how to play and love football and cheer. We believe every child has untapped potential, and we are on a mission to release it.
On the field and the mat, our athletes learn lessons about winning and losing, sportsmanship and respect, hard work and responsibility, and loyalty. Most of all, they learn a love for the game.
Our competition
The Rebels are proud members of the NYFL, which includes Lake Orion, Davison, Oxford, Clarkston, Lapeer and Stony Creek.
Our community
Our players aren't just members of a team or squad. They are members of our community, and sportsmanship doesn't stop at the edge of the field or mat.
Rebels history
- 2019: A different kind of club
Greg and Stephanie Hadfield and Shelby Smith saw the negativity in youth sports and decided to create something different. People said they would fail. That became the fuel for the name Rebels. Later that year the NYFL welcomed the new club into the league.
- 2020: A season put on hold
Registrations were piling in, but the COVID pandemic canceled the first season. The Rebels stayed focused, and the 2020 kids came back in 2021.
- 2021: First time on the field
55 football players and cheerleaders took the field in blue, silver and red. At Mini Cheer, the Freshman squad took 1st and JV took 2nd.
- 2022: Super Bowl champions
The club grew to 122 boys and girls, and the undefeated Freshman Red team won the Super Bowl against the Stony Creek Cougars.
- 2023: Back to the Super Bowl
The Rebels fielded 3 JV football teams, and JV Red returned to the Super Bowl as runner-up. Freshman cheer took 2nd at both Mini and Mega Cheer, and JV took 3rd at both.
- 2024: 158 strong
Three football teams made the playoffs and two won their division. JV Red won the Super Bowl. The Lady Rebels took 1st at Mini Cheer and 2nd at Mega Cheer.
- 2025
The Rebels Freshman team made it to the playoffs, won their first game and unfortunately lost their second, which would have given them a chance at winning the Super Bowl.
- 2026
The story for 2026 is underway.
2026 Rebel board
The Rebel Yell
The latest news straight from Rebel Nation.
Thanks to donors and fundraising, the Rebels invested in a few dozen new Riddell Speed Flex helmets.
Thank you for going above and beyond, and for helping fill numerous extra spots so 2024 was flawless.
2023 would not have been possible without their sacrifice, commitment to our kids, and relentless effort.
They went above and beyond because of their love of kids. They would have won the award in 2021 too, if one had been given.
The group that worked hard to make sure the Rebels got off to a great start. Go do good things, OG Rebels.
Make a difference
As a volunteer club, we are always looking for talented people to join the coaching staff or take other roles. We also need people who want to serve as board members.
Join usSponsors
Local businesses and community partners that keep kids on the field and in uniform.
Become a sponsor
Sponsors help hundreds of kids from Utica, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights, Romeo, Washington Township and surrounding areas each year. Your sponsorship helps our young athletes have the best season possible.
Partner with us as a season sponsor, event sponsor, or anonymous sponsor. Opportunities are also available to sponsor individual athletes.
Thank you
The Rebels also thank all of our anonymous sponsors for their support.