A lawsuit against a youth football league that was dismissed Apr. 22 has been refiled by the Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association against a rival league, the upstart NEO Flag Football, headed-up by Peter J. Raptis, of 5720 Sharon Dr.
      Youngstown Youth Flag Football is headed by former Youngstown State grid player, Elliot Giles, and for the past eight seasons has played its games on Sundays at Boardman High School.
      The Youngstown Youth Flag Football Association will no longer play its games at Boardman High School.
      “We have informed the Youngstown Flag Football Association they can no longer play their games at Boardman High School,” Tim Saxton, director of operations for the Boardman Local School District said last week.
      Registrations for Youngstown Youth Flag Football and NEO Flag Football are currently underway.
      Several parents told The Boardman News the Youngstown-based league has not informed participants where games will be played this fall, while the NEO loop will play its games at a middle school in Canfield.
      In its second attempt to quash the NEO league, Youngstown Youth Flag Football (YYFF) claims that Raptis was a former coach in YYFF and was required to sign a non-compete agreement to coach in the league.
      “On or about Dec. 2, 104, Raptis registered the domain name and created a web site for NEO Flag Football, and operated a youth football league in Canfield, in violation of his confidentiality and non-compete agreement,” says the YYFF suit filed by Atty Bruce Broyles.
      The YYFF claims it will “suffer great or irreparable harm results from [Raptis and NEO] competing with its youth football league.”
      In the suit, the YYFF seeks a restraining order that would prevent NEO and Raptis from operating a youth flag football league for three years within a 100 mile radius of Youngstown, “either directly or indirectly through this persons.”
      The suit filed last spring also sought a restraining order that was denied by Magistrate Dennis Sarisky.
      According to court filings, Raptis signed a non-compete agreement with the YYFF on Aug. 29, 2014.
      The YYFF agreement filed with the court says that “Coaches acknowledge that the trade secrets derive independent economic value not being generally known to, and not really ascertainable by proper means by either persons who would obtain economic value from their disclosure or use.”
      That agreement also notes “This in no way prevents a [YYFF] coach from participating as a coach in any other league, but [YYFF] coaches should not be involved in the organization or creation of competition with the [YYFF] league.”
      Atty. John Shultz is representing NEO football in the suit.
      According to the YYFF web site, the league provides “a structured, organized non-contact league that focuses on the basic fundamentals of football while targeting the world wide dilemma of juvenile obesity.”
      The NEO web site says its primary focus is to “ensure all kids get the opportunity to learn and play during every game...Your child will feel like a real star and learn the fundamentals and skills for football, while staying active.”