Palisades Pirates Youth Football and Cheerleading




	FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) When is registration? When does the season start? Where are practices held? When are tackle football practices? When are cheerleading practices? When are flag football practices? How long are practices? When are games held? How long are flag football games? How long are tackle football games? Will my child play in every game? What happens if we are going on vacation in August? What happens if my child misses practices because he/she attends CCD? What happens if my child misses games or practices because he/she is playing soccer or fall baseball? How do you set your registration fees? Why do I need to volunteer? Can I "buy my way out" of volunteering? Who coaches the teams? How can I be a head coach? When is registration? Registration starts in the spring. Online registration is available on the website under the registration tab. Dates and times for in-person sign-ups are posted on the website and communicated via E-folders through the Palisades School District. Those who register after jerseys are ordered will have a number assigned to them. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- When does the season start? The season usually starts the last week of July. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- Where are practices held? All teams practice at the fields behind Palisades Middle School. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- When are tackle football practices? Tackle football practices 4 nights a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) during the month of August, and then drop down to 3 nights a week after school starts (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). Coaches will modify practices times as needed. The practice times are dependent upon day light. The practices generally run 90 to 120 minutes depending on the age of the child and the availability of daylight. The start time is at 6 p.m. The child should be ready to start practicing at 6 p.m. sharp. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- When are cheerleading practices? Cheerleaders usually practice 2-3 nights a week. The practice times are dependent upon daylight and space availability. The practices generally run 90 to 120 minutes depending on the age of the child. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- When are flag football practices? Flag football teams practice 3 nights a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) in August and then 2-3 nights a week after school starts (depending on whether they are Rookie or Competitive flag). The coach will set practice times/dates as needed. Practice starts at 6 p.m. sharp. The practices generally run 90 to 120 minutes long. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- How long are practices? Practices generally run 90 minutes for the younger children (5-8) and 120 minutes for children ages 9-13. Overall the time period can range from 90 to 120 minutes. This is left up to the coaches' discretion. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- When are games held? Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- How long are flag football games? Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- How long are tackle football games? Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- Will my child play in every game? Yes, CYFL has "minimum play requirements" for all levels of football. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- What happens if we are going on vacation in August? We have families every year that miss some practices in August. We understand that this may occur and can work around a child's absence if we know in advance and if the absence is limited to one week for a competitive-level player (ages 10 and up) and to no more than 2 weeks for a child ages 5-8. Please note that our August practices are very similar to "school" (a lot of instruction) and missing August practices can result in your child being "behind" some of the other players (students) on the team. The families should keep the head coach informed of any vacation plans. Communication between the coach and the parent is the best thing. Please keep in mind though that this is a very intense instructional time for all teams and any time missed may hinder your child's performance. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- What happens if my child misses practice because he/she attends CCD? CCD conflicts occur every year. Please inform and discuss this with your coach as soon as possible so he/she can be aware of the situation. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- What happens if my child misses games or practices because he/she is playing soccer or fall baseball? Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- How do you set your registration fees? Registration fees are based on three primary factors: Value of participation based on number of practice hours and game hours (as compared to their youth sports programs). Football players and Cheerleaders will practice between 30 and 80 hours in a season. Our base registration fee is comparable to all other youth sports (despite the fact that our facility maintenance costs and uniform costs are considerably higher). "Personal" uniform costs. Tackle and flag football players who complete the season will be awarded their game jersey. This cost is added to our base registration fee for tackle and flag football. Cheerleaders who complete the season will be awarded a complimentary piece of apparel. To keep the registration at a minimum, the cheerleader is expected to purchase additional equipment needed such as their sneakers, body suit, bloomers and socks. The football player purchases any additional equipment he/she may need such as, cleats, mouth piece, athletic supporter & cup. Fundraising. We add a "raffle fee" to our registration fee that involves every participant. This is the mandatory fundraiser of the organization. The raffle fee can be recouped by selling the raffle tickets provided at our registration. We opt for the "raffle" as our main fundraiser to enable children all summer to sell the tickets to not interfere with any schoolwork in the spring (after registration) or fall (during the season). We believe that it is far more important for the children to concentrate on school work first, then football or cheerleading second, and not be interrupted by fundraising efforts during the school year. We do not endorse any child going door to door to sell any type of fundraising items. The parents and the children should work together to accomplish the fundraising goal. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- Why do I need to volunteer? Can I "buy my way out" of volunteering? All families must volunteer. Due to the numerous tasks required to run our league, we do not allow families to "buy out" their volunteer commitment. Please keep in mind that there are numerous volunteers (at least 20) who spend at least 200 hours per year volunteering their time. A monetary value cannot be placed on the hours of volunteering. The "hands" are needed in every aspect of running practices and games. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- Who coaches the teams? All coaches, administration, board members (even the webmaster of this site) are VOLUNTEERS. The volunteer head coaches may apply for a coaching position each year to our Football Commisioner. They are then approved by the Palisades Football & Cheerleading Board of Directors. Each coach, head or assistant, must obtain a background check through the Pennsylvania State Police web site and submit it to the Association President. Back to top --------------------------------------------------------------------- How can I be a coach? If you are interested in coaching football or cheerleading and would like more information, please contact the Cheer or Football Commissioners of Palisades Youth Football on our Contact Us page. Back to top ---------------------------------------------------------------------