THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM

THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM WHAT IS THE MISSION AND OBJECTIVE OF PELICAN PARK S FOOTBALL PROGRAM? The mission of the Pelican Park Youth Football Program is to: Teach and allow players to develop the fundamentals of the game of football. Introduce the team concept to participating children, coaches and parents. Teach the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, promoting self-esteem and confidence Establish an understanding of the commitment necessary by the parents and the athletes in order to enhance their success, both on and off the field. The objectives of the Pelican Park Youth Football Program are to: Develop the physical and mental skills of individual responsibility and teamwork through playing the game of football and its related activities. Instruction in proper techniques, attitudes and character development are the top priorities of this football program. To provide a safe, fun, equitable recreational environment for all participants ages 7-12; which will foster the teaching of sportsmanship, fundamentals of the game, social interaction, participation, and a fun, positive experience. HOW DOES PELICAN PARK S FOOTBALL PROGRAM DIFFER FROM THE SURROUNDING ORGANIZATIONS? Professional Paid Staff - Pelican Park has a paid staff whose primary job is to provide the District s residents with a first class recreational program. Decisions regarding the Football program are based on what is best for the child/children or the program as a whole. This eliminates the good ole boy network and politics that are normally associated other organizations. Pelican Park s philosophy is that our programs are designed to develop the fundamentals of the sport, build character, self-esteem, leadership abilities and teach the value of teamwork. Football Advisory Board Although Pelican Park has paid staff to run the day to day aspects of the program, the Football program has an Advisory Board which is a very vital part of the Football Program. This board is elected by the coaches to help recommend and guide the Park on setting rules and evaluations for the program. They are the eyes and ears for the Park and are volunteers. Blind Team Formations The Football program has a completely blind team formation. In order to create teams that are as even as possible, the players are placed onto teams based on the scores that they receive from the evaluations. The coaches will pick a team number and receive that team and trade for their child and one assistant. They are not allowed to pick players and stack a team. Evaluations The players will participate in 6 stations which are scored by a coach. The players then have their scores input into a spreadsheet which is sorted to generate

team formation from the best to the weakest player. Most other organizations have the coaches score the players themselves with their own scoring system for them to use at draft day. Minimum Play time Players at Pelican Park are guaranteed a minimum amount of playing time at every game. The amount is determined by the amount of players on a team. This is explained a little bit more in detail further in the questionnaire. Area leagues have no minimum playing time and coaches might not play the weaker players. Player per team Football at Pelican Park generally has 17-19 players per team. Area leagues have 24-30 players per team with no mandatory playing time. Practices Football at Pelican Park for the benefit of the players, limits the number and the length of the practices. The practices are scheduled through the Park and are consistent week to week as far as time and location. All practices are at Pelican Park. Most area organizations do not give practice times or space for the coaches. They are allowed to practice as many times they would like in a week and have to find a spot at an area park, field or lot every time they practice. Weight Limit Pelican Park has weight limits for each age group. If they exceed the weight limit for their age group they cannot play a skills position, which means they basically cannot carry the ball. This is for safety purposes only. In area organizations if you exceed the weight limit then that child is moved to an older age group, which means they can have a 7 or 8 year old playing with the 9/10 age group. We allow them to stay in their age group with their peers, just restrict what positions they are allowed to play. Pelican Park s primary focus is to keep the recreation aspect of football in the football program. Although there will be a level of competitiveness that comes with the sport of football, Pelican Park ensures that each player will be treated fairly and equally. HOW MUCH TIME IS INVOLVED IN FOOTBALL? Football is a BIG time commitment on the part of both players and parents. It will be much different than other recreational sports (soccer, basketball, baseball). Football has three weeks of practices prior to the start of their season. The first 3 weeks of the season are considered "conditioning" weeks. Practice will run a maximum of 1 1/2 hours 4 times a week (3 weekdays and 1 Saturday practice). Once games start, practices will be cut to three times a week with a maximum of an hour and ½ per practice. WHY DOES FOOTBALL PRACTICE 3 TIMES A WEEK? At Pelican Park we offer our sports a minimum of 3 contacts (game or practice) a week, Football gets 4 due to it being a contact sport. While most other sports play games twice

a week and practice once a week, Football plays a game once a week and practices three times a week. Remember, since this is a contact sport, the coaches are working with age groups that need direction and need to learn the fundamentals of the game in a safe environment. These 3 practice days allow the coaches to provide the teaching and techniques to players in order to give them the direction needed to not only hit and learn how to get hit safely, they are also teaching them plays offensively and defensively to keep the contact at a minimum. Players need to learn both sides of the ball because they will be expected to play both roles. IS FOOTBALL TOO ROUGH FOR MY CHILD? Only you and your child can answer this one. Pelican Park makes arrangements to insure that coaches are knowledgeable, well trained individuals with the abilities to teach proper technique and skills and that all equipment is inspected and in condition to provide proper safety for all players. But, keep in mind...this is tackle football. It is not a sport for every child. SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT MY CHILD S SAFETY AND INJURIES? Every sport presents safety issues. As a parent you are expected to be concerned about your child's safety. From concussions to dehydration to proper techniques, the coaches are committed to make sure they recognize potential issues and do not jeopardize your child's safety. If a coach suspects an issue, they will make sure you are made aware of it and in some more severe cases, they are required to get a doctor release before your child is allowed to return. Safety is our number one concern and you should feel comfortable knowing that the Park and the coaches will work hard to try to eliminate situations that could cause an issue. WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR MY SON TO PLAY FOOTBALL? As part of your registration fee you will receive a uniform shirt, socks and team decals/stripe for the football helmet. You will be required to purchase the additional equipment needed. The mandated equipment to play football is a helmet (fit by someone that knows proper fitting and no more that 3-4 yrs old - the support tends to dry rot and not be as effective to prevent head injuries), shoulder pads (properly fitted and not too old - padding needs to still be visible and supportive), football cleats (suggest: with good ankle support), a mouthpieces (gel), and proper chin strap (preferably padded). It is suggested that you purchase practice pants, practice jersey, and a extra mouthpiece. Remember you are practicing three times a week and that the practice uniforms will help keep the washing of clothes to a minimum. Once you obtain a team, you may be asked to buy a uniform pant with a specific color for game day but you are not required to purchase it.

WHAT TIME DO THE KIDS PRACTICE? The coaches will pick their practice times according to their busy schedules. The Park will offer each age group practice times on every day of the week. The Park will typically offer the youngest of the age groups the majority of the earlier practice times, but there will be later times offered also. The practice start times are typically 5:30, 5:45 and/or 6:00 for the early practices. For the later practices they are 7:00, 7:15, 7:30. No practice should go past 9:00-9:15. HOW SHOULD MY CHILD PREPARE FOR PRACTICE? Ideally the player should start a jogging/ exercise program when they register for football building up to 1 mile or more prior to the start of practices. This will help get them in shape and acclimated to the heat. It is imperative that your child drink plenty of water NOW as well as during the football season. This includes the night before practice and during the day before practice. We cannot stress this enough. DRINK WATER! Drinking plenty of water prior to practice is the key, especially in warm weather. We do not recommend that they eat heavily before practice. It's also a good idea to skip sugary drinks or soda on practice days. Once school starts, it's a good idea to make your child responsible for their gear and to set it up at night before they go to sleep. We see players show up at practice missing gear all the time. If they aren't fully dressed, they can't practice and this is detrimental to the team. The most commonly forgotten items are mouth guards. WHERE WILL MY CHILD HAVE PRACTICES AND GAMES? Practices and games will be at Pelican Park. Practices will be held at Grey 2, Silver 3, or the Gold complex. Although the coaches try to have the practices at the same complex to keep it easy and consistent for the parents, sometimes it s just not available. The games will be held at the Gold complex. WHY DO PLAYERS HAVE TO GET TO THE GAME SO EARLY? The coaches will determine how far in advance of the game time they would like the players to arrive. Players are typically expected to get to the game site at least an hour before game time. This ensures that there is adequate time to warm up. Being late for warm ups can increase the chance for injuries. It is important to be properly stretched and warmed up prior to game time. HOW MUCH WILL EACH PLAYER GET TO PLAY IN THE GAMES? Pelican Park has a minimum playing time rule. This means that you will play in at least the minimum active plays per game as shown below. Additional playing time can be earned in practice. The position, skill - and the especially the willingness to work hard, will often determine how much a player plays beyond the minimum plays.

PLAYER PARTICIPATION The Pelican Park Football Advisory Board has established a mandatory player participation policy to ensure fair playing time for each participant. Depending on the number of players on a roster the mandatory number of plays per player is as follows; 17 or 18 players per roster 17 plays 19 or 20 players per roster 16 plays 21+ per roster 15 plays Plays are defined as live kickoffs; live kick return plays, live punt plays, extra point plays, offensive plays, and defensive plays. At the end of the third quarter, ANY PLAYER(S) WHO HAVE NOT MET THE PLAYER PARTICIPATION POLICY will immediately be placed into the game, until the minimum number of plays is completed. Those players may not come out of the game, except for injury, in the fourth quarter until their play minimum has been satisfied. Head coaches shall designate a person responsible to track player participation on their team for all games. The head coach must turn in after every game into the game bucket the amount of playing time each player had during the game. A form will be given to the coaches in their coach s packet prior to the season starting. Failure to comply with this rule may result in disciplinary action of the Head coach, i.e. removed from position, forfeiture of game(s), etc. NOTE: If a player will not be eligible to play for a particular game because of injury or disciplinary action, his name and number must be given to a Pelican Park staff member prior to the game. If two practices are missed in one week the coach may enforce a 15 play minimum only, but the coach must notify a Pelican Park Recreation Supervisor prior to that game. It is the responsibility of the head coach to ensure his assistance coaches or other volunteers are aware of the mandatory play time rules WHAT POSTION WILL EACH PLAYER PLAY? Most players will play "both ways", both on offense and defense. And most players will play several positions during the season. Coaches will observe and work with the players to find the best locations for each player. WHAT IS PELICAN PARK AND THE FOOTBALL ADVISORY BOARDS STANCE ON PLAYERS SAFETY? Player safety is the most important focus for Pelican Park and the Football Advisory Board each season. Let s be honest; tackle football is a physical game, and injuries are unavoidable. As we all know, concussions are at the forefront of any injury discussion today. Education and awareness are the cornerstones of addressing the issue. Education comes from teaching kids the proper way to tackle and block. You should never lead with your head. Awareness is only achieved if you know what to look for before, during and after activity. That s why the Pelican Park and the FAB follow the State guidelines on concussions as close as possible. Each family is provided a copy of the HEADS UP Concussion Fact Sheet to read and follow. Any player sustaining a concussion during the season must provide the Pelican Park with a copy of the physician s release to return to play before they will be allowed back on the practice/game field.

THE PELICAN PARK COACHES HOW ARE THE COACHES SELECTED? The coaches are selected by a point system that was created by the Recreation Department. The candidates can earn points for their involvement in the Pelican Park program, such at their attendance at the Football Advisory Board meetings, preevaluation camp, evaluations, and participating in the online coach s certification. They may also receive points from their previous involvement in the sport such as High School, College, Semi-Pro or on a Professional level. The candidates can also lose points for their behavior, not only in Football, but also in any other sport at Pelican Park that they have coached. The staff keeps a folder on every coach that coaches at Pelican Park. In this folder we keep all parent evaluations, coaches evaluations, and or incidents we receive on a coach. The staff also reserves the right to remove a coach s name from the list of candidates. Football coaches at the park have a very demanding role. They practice 3 times a week with a game every weekend. This is a volunteer job that takes a lot of preparation, dedication and time in addition to their full time jobs. DO THE COACHES GO THROUGHT ANY TYPE OF TRAINING? The coaches take an online certification course with USA Football and must pass and have it completed prior to the selection of the coaches. This course will teach them about several things pertaining to the game of football. Safety concussion awareness, injury prevention, equipment fitting, hydration, heat preparedness Practices planning, drills, conditioning, proper tackling techniques Games preparation, plays ARE THE COACHES PAID EMPLOYEES OF PELICAN PARK? NO. They are volunteers who donate their time to help our kids. This entire program, in fact, is run by volunteers who put in a great deal of personal time to make this program available to your children. WHY DO FOOTBALL COACHES YELL SO MUCH? Let us answer this way... Imagine if you invited 18 boys over to your home, put pads and helmets on them and told them to hit each other as hard as they can, knock each other down and then do it again, and again... and again, what do you think would happen?

It would be chaos, mayhem, arguing, eventual name calling, fist fighting and perhaps even a call from your neighbors asking you to move. A polite Let s calm down now boys would not cut it. The answer to this question is--coaches will demand complete attention and sometimes they demand it loudly. This is a contact sport and coaches are responsible for teaching the kids not only how to play football, but how to do it properly so no one gets hurt. This requires a lot of cooperation, teamwork and respect for each other and to this end; coaches will make sure they are heard. Remember a coach is having to yell loud enough for players to hear them not only over the fans, other players, through a helmet and most of the time anywhere from 10, 15 50 yards away from a player. They have to raise their voice to be heard. WHAT DOES THE PARK DO IF I COMPLAIN OR THEY RECEIVE A COMPLAINT ON A COACH? When the park receives a complaint or concern about a coach or player, we investigate the incident or situation fully and address it. When we address any situation, it is in strict confidence and may not be done immediately to protect the anonymity of the person making the complaint. We keep everything confidential. The conversation and consequences of the party in question are also kept private. So many times the public perceives that the park does not do anything, but in fact we investigate all the complaints and concerns that are received. Many times, parents state at practices and games that they are going to call the office but, the fact is that they do not for whatever reason and there are many things that the Park is not aware of. Please make sure you are communicating with the Park any issues that you are concerned about throughout the year so they can be addressed. WHAT ARE THE PARENT EVALUATIONS USED FOR AT THE END OF THE SEASON? The evaluations that are handed out at the end of every season at Pelican Park are used to improve various aspects of the Park. We want to hear if you had problems or how we can improve our facilities, staff, league play and most importantly your experience with your coach. This is a vital important piece of communication with you and the Park.