PHOENIX — The owner of a Valley youth football league died on Saturday as the league was getting dissolved.
Arizona NYS Tackle Football had abruptly stopped scheduling games in the middle of the season, leaving players and parents scrambling to reschedule games on their own.
An attorney representing James Vieth, the league's owner, confirmed that the league was shutting down and Vieth was expected to file for bankruptcy.
“We were literally left with nothing. No money to pay refs. No money to cover fields," one parent told 12News last week.
The situation suddenly took a turn over the weekend with the announcement of Vieth's death.
Vieth died on Oct. 21 from complications related to cardiovascular disease, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office.
Vieth's family said in a social media post that his death was the result of "stress and harassment" related to the football league.
Parents and coaches involved in the league told 12News their thoughts and prayers are with the Vieth family.
“It was heartbreaking—I really wish that wasn’t the outcome," Junior Tigers Co-Director Kirsten Flowers said.
The teams formerly managed by Vieth have since found ways to finish the season without his ownership, but said they struggled to find somewhere to play after the league allegedly racked up unpaid field fees at schools across the Valley.
“We were almost preparing to tell our parents our season was over because we weren’t sure what our next step would be," Flowers said.
Millennium High School Athletic Director Remigio Gordillo immediately stepped in, allowing former NYS team Junior Tigers to practice and play games on their fields for the rest of the fall season at no cost to them.
“Mentality became how can we create something where they can still have a season and eliminate the barrier of field costs or not being able to get on fields because of money that had already been spent for that," Gordillo said.
Gordillo told 12News Millennium is one of the schools with outstanding payments from NYS.
“There was an impact there in regards to field usage not being paid," Gordillo said.
Other teams announced they are raising money to pay back those fees.
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