Q. Who are we? TOP
A. Fountain Valley Junior All-American Football and Cheerleading is a non-profit organization made up entirely of volunteers offering youth football and cheerleading to the youth of Fountain Valley and the surrounding areas.
Beginning this year we will be known as the Barons. For
the past 10 years we've been known as the Jaguars.
Our primary goal is to provide an affordable, character-building program for the youth of our area. The success of our program will not be measured by a win-loss record or a competition placement, but by the sportsmanship, teamwork, responsibility and the fun we will experience through working together as a single unit.
The program is open to all boys and girls ages 5 to 14, whether for the first-time or as a seasoned veteran. Both the football players and the cheerleaders are placed into divisions based on their age and the football players by their weights, as well.
Q. My son or daughter has never played football or cheered before. Can he or she participate? TOP
A. Yes. There is no prior experience required. On the younger aged teams, many of the players who will sign up this year have had no prior football or cheerleading experience. As the age of the player increases, generally the number of players or cheerleaders on team who have no experience will decrease. However, every year there are players and cheerleaders who sign up for even the oldest level team who have had no prior experience. Our coaches are able to teach players and cheerleaders with no prior experience the fundamentals.
Q. Where do I have to live in order to play on a Fountain Valley team? TOP
A. Cheerleaders can live anywhere. Football players must come from either within the city boundaries of Fountain Valley and certain portions of Huntington Beach or they must come from an area without a Jr. All-American program (Santa Ana, Tustin, Anaheim, Stanton). Additionally, 15% of the composition of any team can be comprised of players from outside of our boundaries so it’s necessary to sign up early and to check with the registration agent regarding the eligibility of your football player (registration@fvjaaf.com).
Q. I have heard that tackle football is a sport in which there are many injuries. Is that true? TOP
A. No. Like all activities in life, there is some risk associated with playing football, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission bicycle and basketball injuries were more prevalent than football injuries based on estimated projections of all medically treated musculoskeletal injuries in 2000 which were derived from estimates of hospital emergency room-treated injuries reported through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. For more information go to www.momsteam.com/alpha/news/bone_muscle_injury.shtml.
Also, according to a Mayo Clinic study of youth football, most injuries that occurred in youth football were mild. The study was published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings and found that the data for athletes grades four through eight indicated that the risk of injury in youth football did not appear greater than the risk associated with other recreational or competitive sports. "Our analysis showed that youth football injuries are uncommon," said Michael J. Stuart, M.D., a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and the principal author of the study. Dr. Stuart and his colleagues studied 915 players aged 9 to 13 years, who participated on 42 football teams in the fall of 1997. For more information, go to http://www.norcalsa.com/docs/02will_my_child_get_hurt.pdf.
Orange County Jr. All-American and all of its participating chapters strive to make playing football as safe as possible by grouping players together by age and weight. This policy is strictly enforced by requiring that every tackle football player be weighed within an hour of the start of every game to be sure he or she does not exceed the maximum allowable weight for that division.
Q. Do the coaches get training? TOP
A. Yes. Both the football coaches and the cheerleader coaches attend training and clinics within the chapter and outside of it. Football coaches attend several days’ worth of training both on the field and in a classroom environment receiving information on safety, organization, teaching football skills, problem solving, and motivation.
Q. I have heard that football coaches are constantly yelling at the players. Is that true? TOP
A. No. We insist that the coaches make playing football a positive experience for the players and conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times. The use of profanity is absolutely forbidden and coaches are never allowed to yell at a player in a belittling fashion. Any violations by coaches, which are reported, will be dealt with swiftly.
Q. Practice starts on July 24, 2006. Our family will be on vacation after the first practice begins. Can our son or daughter still sign-up? TOP
A. Yes. We realize that August is probably the most popular month for summer vacations. Of course, in a perfect world every kid would attend every practice. However, we understand that isn’t always possible. Merely because a player or cheerleader misses a week, or in some instances two weeks, of preseason practice does not disqualify them. If a player is going to be absent because of a vacation, it is important to talk to the coach and to notify him or her of the absence. However, football players are required to participate in 10 hours of conditioning before they practice in pads so any absences during the first week result will result in a slight delay in joining contact drills.
Q. What’s included in the cost of my registration fees? TOP
A. All football players and cheerleaders are provided with trophies, pictures, physical examinations, and tackle football players get to keep their game jerseys at the end of the year. Tackle football players are provided with all the equipment they will need to play and practice with the exception of an athletic supporter and cleats. Flag football players will need to provide their own black shorts in addition to an athletic supporter and cleats. Cheerleaders are provided with a loaned uniform, which includes a shell (blouse) and skirt, to be returned at the conclusion of the season. They will receive a Spirit Pack/Scrimmage Wear, which includes a shirt, shorts, a pair of socks, and briefs. The OCJAAF Cheer Competition entrance fee and transportation costs to the competition in Santa Ana in October will also be included in your registration fee.
Q. What do I need to bring when I sign up? TOP
A. When you register you will need to complete a one-page application that asks for various information including addresses, telephone numbers, etc., but it’s important that you know the name of your child exactly as it appears on his or her birth certificate, the name of someone we can contact in the event of an emergency, the health insurance carrier that covers your child, and whether he or she has any allergies. You will also either need to bring your football player or know his or her weight so that we can place them in the appropriate division.
You do not need to bring a birth certificate or proof of residence to registration. Those items will be needed on the day of physicals.
You will need to pay your registration fees and buy the mandatory chapter fundraising raffle tickets by cash or check. Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to accept credit cards.
Q. What if I can’t pay all of the registration fees and buy the raffle tickets when I sign up? TOP
A. At the very least, you will need to buy the raffle tickets for each of your children. The cost of the raffle tickets amount to $100 per child. Once you receive the raffle tickets you can begin selling them and recoup your money. The registration fees must be paid in full by the date set for distribution of football equipment, which is usually at the end of the first week of practice. If any registration fees are outstanding no equipment will be issued to your football player and your child will not be entitled to practice.
Q. Do I need to get a physical for my son or daughter? TOP
A. No. Although physicals are required for all football players and cheerleaders, the cost of this physical examination is included in the registration fee if you register before the season begins. If you wish to have the examination performed by a personal physician, the examination will be at your expense. If a private physical is performed, the physician must complete and sign the league-approved contract.
Q. When are practices? TOP
A. Practices are two hours long and begin on Monday July 24, 2006 at 5:30 p.m. on the backfields at Fountain Valley High School (on Bushard between Talbert and Slater). Practices are held five days per week (Monday through Friday) until September 11, 2006, when practices are reduced to three days per week and are moved to Mile Square Park (Brookhurst and Heil). Thereafter, through the end of the season, practices will be the same three nights each week. The three particular days will be determined later based upon field availability.
Q. What is the game schedule? TOP
A. All games are played on Saturdays, with the possible exception of pre-season scrimmages that are arranged by the individual coaches. Each team plays eight regular season games with the first game on September
9, 2006. Every team, regardless of win-loss record will play at least one playoff game. The tackle football teams will continue to play playoff games each Saturday with the Superbowl being played on December
2, 2006.
Q. Where will the games be played? TOP
A. All home games are played on the main field at Fountain Valley High School. We are a chapter of Orange County Junior All American Football, which, although the name would seem to imply otherwise, has chapter cities throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as the western portion of Riverside County. Accordingly, the away games can be played at any of these cities, depending upon the schedule. The actual schedule is not issued until late August.
Q. How do the players get to the away games? TOP
A. It is preferred that the parents remain active in their child’s football and cheerleading endeavors. This would obviously mean attending the games to cheer for their son or daughter and their teammates. However, if for some reason that is not possible, parents can arrange for carpooling with other parents.
Q. What equipment does my son need to play football? TOP
A. For tackle football players, the chapter provides a helmet with chin strap, mouthpiece, shoulder pads, game jersey, practice jersey, game pants, practice pants, belt, girdle, hip pads, thigh pads, knee pads, and tailbone pad. Football players must provide their own athletic supporter and shoes. The shoes must be rubber cleated (no metal spikes allowed).
For flag football players (5, 6, and some 7 year olds), the chapter provides mouthpieces, the game jersey and flags. The players must provide their own athletic supporter and shoes.
Q. Are there any additional costs for cheerleading besides the registration fee and raffle tickets? TOP
A. There are additional personal items that must be purchased for each cheerleader. These items are mandatory and considered part of our uniform: shoes $35, poms up to $30 per pair (to be decided on by your individual team); unifit/body liner approximately $25-30; sweat jacket and pants up to $75 which includes embroidery. We’re working to drastically reduce the cost of unifits and sweats. There will be nominal costs for game day snacks and drinks.
Optional items would include pizza parties and other fun events; extra socks (up to $5 per pair), briefs up to $15 per pair, equipment bag ($20 to $25), JAMZ 2 day, Commuter Cheer Camp (approximately $55); and banquet under $30 per person. We are also privileged to attend JAMZ Cheerleader competitions. The fee for the 2004 Regional Competition at Magic Mountain in November was $27, which included admission to the park for the day. The National Competition in Las Vegas in February was $75. Transportation, housing and food expenses are extra and are determined by individual families. Spectator admission and pictures for any JAMZ competition is extra. Our intent is to provide a fun, safe learning environment at a price that is as reasonable as possible.
Q. What is your refund policy? TOP
A. If your son or daughter drops before the first practice of the first week you will receive 100% of your registration fees back, less a $20 per participant administration fee.
§ If your son or daughter drops before the second week, you will receive 50% of your registration fees back.
§ If your son or daughter drops before the third week, you will receive 25% of your registration fees back.
§ If your son or daughter drops after the third week of practice begins, you won’t get a refund.
§ If a football player is unable to certify because of weight or infirmity, 50% of the registration fees may be refunded if requested in writing before the final day certification day.
§ In the event of over registration a full refund will be granted.
§ All requests for refunds must be submitted to the chapter treasurer in writing prior to the first regular season game. Refund requests can be e-mailed to treasurer@fvjaaf.com. No refund requests will be honored after the first regular season game.
§ The mandatory chapter fundraiser (raffle tickets) is non-refundable.
Q. Where does the money I pay for registration fees and mandatory chapter fundraiser tickets go? TOP
A. We are a non-profit organization and each year a budget is setup to break even. To make the program as affordable as possible, we engage in various fund raising activities. Our expenses every year include, among others, purchasing equipment, jerseys, uniforms, practice outfits, team and individual pictures, leasing fields, paying competition fees and general & administrative expenses. All of our board members, officers, coordinators, coaches and trainers are volunteers and none of them are compensated for their contributions to our program. The board of directors meets monthly at least and a financial report documenting all the income and expenses is reported. Board meetings are open to all members of the chapter.
Q. How can I get more involved in the program? TOP
A. If you’re interested in finding out more about how you can help, thank you in advance. Volunteers are critical; simply put, our program would not exist without volunteers. We do not compensate any of our volunteers, including board members, coaches, trainers, or team moms, yet they and many others devote a substantial amount of their time and energy to support our program. If you would like to get involved, send an e-mail to president@fvjaaf.com.
Q. How can I make a donation to the program? TOP
A. We have a sponsorship program designed to reward individuals and businesses for monetary contributions to the chapter. For more information contact our publicity director at publicity@fvjaaf.com. |
