PROGRAM DETAILS
OVERVIEW
We are the Pleasant Grove Youth Football (PGYF) District, a non-profit corporation dedicated to bringing the benefits of organized football to the residents of Pleasant Grove and Lindon – Pleasant Grove High School boundaries. We provide the opportunities for children from 1st through 9th grade to participate in full-contact organized football. Our organization is run by volunteers, most of whom have children in the football program. Our district was formed in 2006 and, along with five other Districts (American Fork, Lehi, Lone Peak, Timpanogos, and Westlake), make up the Utah County Football Conference (UCFC). Our teams are known as the Pleasant Grove & Lindon Vikings.
Last year we fielded twenty three football teams.
FOOTBALL DIVISIONS
PGYF sponsors football teams at several different divisions based on the players current school grade level. The three younger divisions, 1st/2ndGrade (Combined), 3rdGrade, & 4thGrade, are non-tryout teams. The teams are formed by drafts if there are enough kids to form more than one team. The four older divisions, 5thGrade, 6thGrade, 7thGrade, & 8thGrade, are split into subdivisions through tryouts. These subdivisions are termed “A” & “B” and play only teams from their subdivision.
In 2010, the Conference added a 9th Grade division. Teams are formed along the high school boundaries. The 9th graders will work closely with the high school football program.
All players who register before the registration deadline will be placed on a team, as long as we have enough volunteer coaches to coach them. Late registrants will be accepted on a space-available basis.
There are weight restrictions in each division. Any player weighing more than the limit (and “X man”) will be restricted to certain positions on offensive ONLY – there are no defensive restrictions. These weight limits are:
1st & 2nd Grade: 75 lbs.
3rd Grade: 85 lbs
4th Grade: 95 lbs.
5th Grade: 105 lbs.
6th Grade: 120 lbs.
7th Grade: 135 lbs.
8th Grade: 165 lbs.
9th Grade: No Weight Limits
The Conference also has an “older but lighter” rule. Because divisions are formed by grade level and not by age, there is the possibility of a player having too much of an advantage because of age. Therefore, “older” players must weigh 10 pounds less than the X man weight in order to play without any position restrictions. Following are the weights and ages for each grade:
1st & 2nd Grade: If 8 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
3rd Grade: If 9 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
4th Grade: If 10 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
5th Grade: If 11 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
6th Grade: If 12 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
7th Grade: If 13 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
8th Grade: If 14 before May 1st – older but lighter applies
FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT
Every tackle football player must wear equipment, including: Helmet & face mask, mouth guard (can not be white or clear), shoulder pads, game pads, belt, and knee, thigh, hip, and tail bone pads. PGYF provides all this equipment for each player as well as a game jers ey. Except for the jersey, ALL equipment is the property of PGYF and must be returned upon request. You will be required to provide a deposit of $150 before you pick up any equipment.
Players must provide their own footwear. NO METAL CLEATS are allowed. Each player will also be required to provide their own practice pant (and pads if the practice pants require snap pads).
A player with missing or improper equipment may not play in the game.
Because we depend on the return of football equipment to support other youth who participate and to minimize the cost of participation, you will be financially responsible for the replacement cost of ANY equipment that is lost or not returned. The replacement costs are as follows:
Football Helmet – 7th– 9th $140.00
Football Helmet – 1st– 6th $100.00
Shoulder Pads $ 60.00
Game Pants $35.00
Pant Pads, belt $ 3.00 EACH
Please do not abuse the equipment. At the end of the season, please return the equipment during the equipment hand-in times. Any equipment returned without being cleaned will be subject to a $25.00 cleaning fee. Equipment returned after the scheduled hand-in times but before the month of December will incur a $50.00 late fee. After December 1st, the deposit checks will be cashed to cover the cost of replacement.
FOOTBALL PRACTICE
Practice will begin on Tuesday, July 26th, 2011. Practices can be held six days each week for two hours per day, until school starts. Saturday practices or scrimmages are at the discretion of your coach. After school starts, practices will be limited to 3 per week for two hours ea ch. Scheduling of practices is at the discretion of the head coaches.
Practice Participation Critical
We cannot overemphasize the importance of participating in practices. We stress individual player development and commitment to the team. Precious practice time is spent conditioning, learning and practicing individual skills, and learning and practicing team plays. All of these activities are critical to a player’s individual growth and the team as a whole.
10 Play Minimum Rule
All players will play a minimum of 10 plays per game PROVIDED the player has attended all team practices during the prior week. If you as a parent believe that your child was not given the required number of plays, please speak with the head coach. If you continue to have concerns, please contact us at pgyffamily@aol.com or Joe Slade at 801-319-0727.
PGYF PLAYER & PARENT CONTRACTS
All players and parents must agree to abide by the rules and regulations as set forth in the UCFC and with your team Bylaws as well. They will also be required to sign a participation consent form during the registration process.
FOOTBALL COST
Philosophy
We are a non-profit corporation and budget to operate on essentially a break even basis. To make the program as affordable as possible, we re-use equipment each year and engage in various fund raising activities. Our expenses every year include, among others: (1) replacing uniforms and equipme nt as necessary, 2) reconditioning helmets and shoulder pads, (3) team and player fees payable to the UCFC, (4) field & facilities use, (5) general & administrative expenses.
Participation Fees
Participation fees are $175. Please note that before a player will be considered registered in our program, all fees much be paid in full.
Refunds
Refunds will be issued in the following circumstances:
If the PGYF District is unable to field a team at a particular division, full refund will be given to everyone who signed up for that team.
PGYF has a NO REFUND POLICY for any other reason, no exceptions.
TEAM ROSTER LIMITS
Our goal is to provide an opportunity for every PGYF District youth who wants to play football to do so. Unfortunately, our ability to accommodate players is not unlimited and we may not be able to accept every prospective player. UCFC and PGYF rules limit the number of players per team; additionall y the availability of coaching staffs, field space and football equipment all impact how many players we can serve. Nevertheless, we endeavor to serve as many players as we can.
PGYF rules establish a maximum of 26 players per team. Our ideal size is between 18 to 22 players. When additional teams are needed, we will attempt to form them. Our ability to do so will depend on securing a coaching staff, among other things.
APPLICATION PROCESS
An application must be completed for every prospective football player. An application must be accompanied by payment in full of the registration costs. Register online at the website by clicking on the link Registration or you can mail your registration to PGYF - P.O. Box 226, Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are Critical
Simply put, our program would not exist without volunteers. We do not compensate any of our volunteers, including coaches, board members and team moms, yet they and many others devote a substantial amount of time and energy to support our youth sports program.
For example, consider the time our coaches devote. They attend 10 hours of practice per week during pre-season and attend PGYF meetings and training sessions. During the season, they participate in 6 hours of practice per week and game. On top of this, most coaches spend additional time each week preparing for games by participating in coaches meetings, reviewing game films and scouting upcoming opponents. They also spend time talking with parents and their players outside of practice and helping PGYF with activities such as field officiating, fundraising, and equipment hand-outs.
This year we will serve approximately 600 players from the time practices begin in late July until the season ends with the Championship games in early November. If you would like to volunteer at any level, please contact us.