Raven s Bantam Football Team Parent Information Package

Transcription

1 Raven s Bantam Football Team Parent Information Package Welcome to the 2010 Raven s Football Season! The following pages will have all the information needed to keep everyone in the know of season activities. It will also explain expectations associated with this level of football for both player and parent. First, an introduction to our volunteer staff: Head Coach - Mike Powlesland Offensive Coordinator - Jason Caruso Defensive Coordinator- Peter Evans Assistant Coach Randy Snow Assistant Coach - Grant Malloy Equipment Manager- Ken Sitko Trainer- Administrators Kathy Flett (Team Manager) Janet Pardy Tamra Powlesland These are the people you can depend on to work hard making this season as successful as it can be. Keep in mind; we can t do it without parental support. Over the following pages you will find information regarding practices, player conduct, parent conduct, games (home and away), details regarding travelling out of town, team building events, the Banquet, volunteer opportunities, and a general idea of what to expect over the months ahead. You are encouraged to keep this package handy throughout the season as questions do arise and you may find the answer is already here. As you work through these pages, keep in mind the Raven s Team is the Fort McMurray Rep Team for the Capital District Minor Football Association (CDMFA). We play against the best and are therefore required to be at our best physically and mentally. Coaches, players, and parents are all representing Fort McMurray at every game. As such we want to ensure our region is being represented positively and accurately!

2 Player Code of Conduct Being a part of the Raven s Football Team incorporates an expected level of conduct both on and off the field. Playing for the Raven s means players will adhere to the following: 1. Attend every practice and contest, unless the coach has been informed in advance of the upcoming absence. 2. Give support and show respect to teammates. 3. Emphasize family and academics over athletics. 4. Express oneself intelligently and appropriately. 5. Work hard in practice. 6. Practice sportsmanship at all times. Winners don t brag and losers don t make excuses. 7. Respect coaches and parents. 8. Strive to be a positive influence in speech and actions. 9. No use of alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal drugs. 10. Strive to maintain the best physical shape possible, eating right, resting properly, exercising regularly. Should a player choose not to follow the Player Code of Conduct, that player is forfeiting any and all opportunities to participate in Team activities. Final decisions are made at the discretion of the Coaching Staff and are to be respected.

3 Parent Code of Conduct As a parent of a Raven, there are certain principals you are asked to uphold as well. 1. Accept the authority of the Head Coach and his staff. 2. Accept the authority of the Administrators. 3. Help your player follow the Player s Code of Conduct. 4. Attend as many games as possible. 5. Encourage your player during the games and leave the coaching to the coach. 6. Ensure your player attends all scheduled practices and games, arriving on time. 7. Encourage your player to participate in Team Fundraising events and Team Building events. 8. Participate on volunteer events. 9. Stay informed of Team Activities by visiting the website. 10. Plan to attend the Banquet. Remember, you too, are a representative of our community. 11. Smoke only in designated smoking areas, and NOT ON THE FIELD AT ANY TIME. 12. Help keep our field and stands clean, picking up after yourself and those with you, refraining from discarding shells anywhere other than the garbage. Policy regarding communication: There is a method of communication set up to ensure parent comments, positive or otherwise, are heard. One of the roles of the Administrators is to be a link between parent and coach. Parents are not to go to the coaching staff or to Larry. Proper protocol is to speak to one of the administrators who will then take the information to the Head Coach. It is a system that works very well and we ask that it be respected.

4 Practices Are held four (4) times per week until school starts, at which time the schedule will be adjusted to three (3) times per week. August practice days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. September end of season practice days are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Start time is 6:30pm SHARP! End time is 8:30pm, except on Friday s before Game Day, when it is 8pm. Players are expected to be ready and on the field at 6:30pm, not just pulling into the parking lot. Full gear and lots of water are expected to be brought to practices. All practices are held at Merc Field. Games There are nine (9) games in the regular season. Five (5) of them will be out of town. There will be a minimum of two (2) Playoff games and depending on our success it could be up to five (5) games. They are all held on Saturdays. The schedule will be posted on our website as soon as we have it. Home Games are held at Merc Field. HOME GAMES - Players are to arrive for warm up at the time specified by the Coach. - Players are to come with clean Game Jersey s, pants, and socks. - Water bottles are required for Game Day. - Eating a healthy breakfast will help ensure Players are well fuelled and ready to play. - Energy drinks are not allowed. G2 is the only sports drink allowed on Game Day. AWAY GAMES - There are two meeting points for players to board the bus; one is the Clubhouse, the other is at Beacon Hill Shell. - Players are to arrive 15 minutes before departure time; they will be informed of the departure time at Friday s practice. Expect it will be around 6am. - If a player comes without their proper gear, they will not be allowed on the bus; this includes wearing the Raven s hoodies/jackets required for Away Games. - Injured players are ALWAYS welcome to join their Team at all Away Games. - Lunches and water are provided on the bus to ensure players have eaten a good meal before the game. - The bus will stop in Grassland to allow Players a chance to get out, walk around, use the facilities, and purchase snacks if desired. Items that can

5 be purchased pre-game are minimal!!!! Players are expected to follow Coaches orders regarding what they are and are not allowed to have. - ENSURE YOUR PLAYER HAS WATER FOR THE GAME!!!! Refills are provided, but every Player needs a full water bottle at the start of every game. - Energy drinks are NOT ALLOWED. G2 is the only sports drink Players are allowed to consume on game day. - The bus will stop somewhere after the game so Players can eat before heading home. Funds are not provided for this, players are responsible for their own post-game meal. - Players are required to ride the bus down as game tape and strategies are reviewed on the way to the game. Players are welcome to travel home with parents after the game if they want (though most times, they don t!) - If parents are not able to make it to Away Games, return to Fort McMurray depends on what time the game was played. ETA for 11am games is 9pm; 1pm games is 11pm. Playoff Games- all played in Edmonton - The Team leaves Friday night. - Hotel reservations are made at the Holiday Inn generally. - Parents are welcome to join the Team staying at the hotel; however, Players are to stay with the Team. - Bus leaves Friday afternoon from Father Merc - There is often practice time allotted for the Team Friday night at a field in Edmonton. - Out of pocket expenses are kept to a minimum. - Team returns to Fort McMurray after the game Saturday. Bussing All bussing is paid for by the League. The only time parents will be asked for extra money for bussing is to help cover extra costs associated with possible Team Building Events (more on that to follow). - Again, Players are to ride down with the Team. - Players are expected to behave themselves appropriately at all times on the bus. - Bring water - The busses are equipped with DVD players; Players can bring movies if they want to watch on the return trip. Keep in mind parents have differing opinions on what adolescents should/should not watch. Please be respectful of this and use proper discretion. Coaches and Administrators ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE for any lost, misplaced, or forgotten movies. - The only people allowed on the bus are Coaches, Players, and Administrators. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which pertains to insurance. Many parents carpool and have a great time with it!

6 Team Building Events Through out the season, we try and squeeze in a Team Building Event or two. The Team favourite is Paintball at Excalibur by Boyle. These trips are done in conjunction with an away game. Typically the itinerary for these events looks like this: Leave for Edmonton at specified time Saturday morning Play game (and win, hopefully!) Head to the hotel, clean up, participate in planned activity for the evening (last year, the Team took in a college football game) Sunday, get up, have breakfast, do room checks Leave for Boyle Play Paintball (can last from 4-6 hours) Come home after game is over A fundraising event will be planned to help cover the cost and keep out of pocket expenses to a minimum. The website will have updated information for these types of events. Volunteering There are several volunteer opportunities for parents to participate in that are very easy and do not require a lot of time commitment. As always, all we ask is that everyone do their part. 1. Working the Sticks for Home Games - Three (3) people are required for each Home Game to man the sticks on the sidelines. No previous experience required, the refs are very good at helping these volunteers know where they are to be. - Time commitment is approximately 2 hours. - Committing to this activity once fulfills the volunteer requirements - This volunteer opportunity provides twelve (12) parents the chance to fulfill their volunteer commitments. 2. Casino - Parents who have put their name down to work a Casino are not required to do any more volunteer duties for the Team, unless they want to! 3. Lunches - A Parent is required to make up to forty (40) lunches for the Team s bus ride to Edmonton and bring them to the bus Saturday morning (I suggest

7 making the lunches the night before and storing them in the garage where it s cool!). - Time commitment is 1 ½ -2 hours - All lunch items will be provided to the parent agreeing to this volunteer duty the Friday before. Items generally include: Bread/buns, butter, sandwich meat (ham/turkey), cheese Nutella for those who don t like meat sandwiches Carrots Apples Granola bars Crackers and cheese Paper lunch bags Totes to carry it all in - Committing to this activity once fulfills the volunteer requirements - This volunteer opportunity provides seven (7) parents the chance to fulfill their volunteer commitments. 4. Banquet At the end of each season a Banquet is held to honour the Players achievements and success. It will be held after Playoffs; therefore, the date is determined by the Playoffs. It is a black tie event; all in attendance are expected to dress accordingly. - Two (2) parents are needed to decorate the facility (time commitment, 2 hours max, including picking up any supplies) Not including those who committed to working a Casino, nineteen (19) families can fulfill their volunteer commitments providing two hours each! Other Useful Information Staying Informed: Any updated information regarding the Raven s Team can be found on our website. Make sure to put in your favourites. It s the best way to keep up to date, browse game pictures, check out stats, and even post a comment or two! If you would like to the Team s Lead Administrator, that can be done at FortMcMurrayRavensFootball@gmail.com. Staying Clean: Game gear can be washed so please get your Player to keep it clean! Shoulder pads, helmets and hard thigh pads can be wiped down with mild soap and water. All other padding can go in the wash with the jerseys, pants, and socks.

8 NOTHING GOES IN THE DRYER. Everything must hang to dry. Also, remember all gear needs to be returned at the end of the season. Staying On The Bench: This league of football is not like the Spring League. Not every Player is going to get to play, especially if it s their first year. The reason for this is not because the coaches have something against that particular player. It is vitally important that each team member knows their position and the plays. It is vitally important that each team member is comfortable in their position and has no problem trusting their gear to protect them on the field. It is also vitally important to remember our coaches have these players best interest in mind. Football is a rough game with not a lot of mercy shown. The last thing anyone wants is injuries. Should you want to voice concerns regarding play time, please don t hesitate to approach one of the Administrators. Staying Put: On the topic of injuries, our Team has a trainer whose job it is to watch for and assess injuries. In the event of an injury do not cross the field to see your Player. Should an injury be severe enough to warrant a parent s attention, the trainer or a Coach will come get the parent. If the parent is not present at the practice or game, every attempt will be made to contact the parent and let them know what happened. Practices will be harder in this league than in the Spring League. Your player is going to be tired and sore afterward. Your player will probably complain about how hard Coach was on us today, especially if the Team lost the previous game! This is normal. It pushes the Players to their physical limits, often causing them to surprise themselves at just what they are capable of, strengthening them both physically and mentally. While this League is more serious in nature than the Spring League, it is a lot of fun. Parents are often seen socializing during practices. Whole families come to take in games. Those with family in Central Alberta get a chance to visit and show off their budding CFL-ers at Away Games. Should you have any questions throughout the season, contact one of the Administrators and they will be happy to answer your questions.