Young Kids in Motion Academy announced Aug. 22 that it is canceling the remainder of its high school football season one week into the 2026 campaign.
The cancellation, announced on Instagram, came fewer than 24 hours after a double shooting near the site of YKIM’s Aug. 21 football season opener against Joshua Christian at The Legends Center and Gymnasium on Jacksonville’s Northside.
That incident, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said, left a 19-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the leg and a 20-year-old man with a wound to the shoulder. Both were hospitalized in stable condition. Police were seeking two men in connection to the shooting.
The school did not, however, specify that the cancellation resulted from the shooting, attributing the decision to “unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.”
“YKIM Academy has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of our 2026 football season,” the school’s athletic department posted to Instagram. “This decision was not made lightly. The safety and well-being of our student-athletes come before any game, trophy, or season. To our players: this moment does not define your future. Stay focused, make positive choices, and keep moving forward. We will continue supporting those who want to pursue football.”
Young Kids in Motion football file
Young Kids in Motion, which lists its location on Terry Road on Jacksonville’s Southside, began its varsity football program in the 2020 season. Paul Maple is the Ravens’ head coach.
The school, an independent team that is not a listed member of the Florida High School Athletic Association, had lined up a partial schedule for the 2026 season. Young Kids in Motion finished 1-8 against high schools in the 2025 season.
With the remaining Young Kids in Motion games canceled, five opponents now have unexpected gaps in their schedules.
Young Kids in Motion had been previously scheduled to meet St. Joseph, on Sept. 3; West Oaks Academy, on Sept. 11; Christ’s Church, on Sept. 17; Englewood, on Oct. 23; and North Florida Educational Institute, on Oct. 30. The school had also planned to meet Jefferson County on Sept. 25, but Jefferson County canceled its varsity football season on Aug. 12, citing low turnout.
St. Joseph head coach Cash Forbrich in a Saturday social media post said that the St. Johns County school is looking for a new Sept. 3 opponent in the wake of the cancellation.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville school cancels football season after shooting near game
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
