FAQs
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Below is a list of some of the most
commonly asked questions by parents. If you do not find
the answers to your questions, please speak with your team mom
and she will help you get the answers you need. To view the specific CHEERLEADING FAQs click here.
Q: What is the Due West Hoya Football and
Cheerleading Assoc.?
A: We are a not for profit,
all volunteer football and cheerleading
association. We had approximately 400 football players and
150 cheerleaders, ages 5-12, in 2007. We are a member of
the North Georgia Youth Football League, Inc. (NGYFL). We
play highly competitive tackle football. Our cheerleaders
participate in cheer competitions in addition to game day
cheering.
Our goals are to:
- Teach the fundamentals of football
and cheerleading
- Teach discipline
- Teach team work
- Teach the children to hustle
- Have Fun!
Q:
When and how often do we practice for football?
A: Practice begins at 6:00 sharp for weight groups 70#,
80#, and 90# (5, 6 & 7 year olds) and ends at 8:00.
Practice will begin at 6:30 sharp and end at 8:30 for all other
weight/age groups. Please arrive at the fields 15 early
and ready to begin practice. The first day of practice is
July 28th. For the first 2 weeks, we will practice
Monday-Friday. The 1st three practices will be in helmets
only while every practice from there will be in full pads.
After the 1st 2 weeks, our normal practice schedule will be
Mon/Tues/Thurs. We will make up any cancelled practices on
the off nights…Wednesday or Friday. All games will be on
Saturdays.
Q: When and how often do we practice for cheerleading?
A: Practice begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. The first day of practice is
August 1st. For the first 2 weeks, we will practice
Monday-Friday. After the 1st 2 weeks, our normal practice schedule will be
Mon/Tues/Thurs. We will make up any cancelled practices on
the off nights…Wednesday or Friday. All games will be on
Saturdays and competitions will be held on Sunday.
Q: What do I need to bring to practice for my son?
A: Make sure that your son has his practice
pants, with all pads in place, his shoulder pads and a practice
jersey and his helmet with chin strap and mouth piece. The
Spirit Shack sells practice pants, practice jerseys, chin
straps, and mouth pieces. You should also make sure your
child has plenty of water to drink. It is especially
important early in the season when temperatures are very high.
During practice, water is better than Gatorade/PowerAde.
Sports drinks tend to be high in sugars and can cause cramping
and nausea.
Q: How do I know where to go on the 1st day of
practice?
A: We will have plenty of board members available
on Field 1 with instructions on where everyone needs to meet.
There will also be signs indicating where each age/weight group
is meeting. If you need assistance, please locate someone
with a Due West Board member shirt on and they can help direct
you or answer any questions.
Q: Does my child have to attend every practice and
what happens if he misses practice?
A: Football is a team sport and every player has
an essential role for each team. It is imperative that
your child make it to practice. Imagine that your team
needs to work on offensive plays and your quarter back takes
that night off from practice…that will affect the practice for
the entire team. We understand that emergencies and
illnesses happen but, please try to understand that football is
a team commitment and you need to make sure that every effort is
made to be at each practice. If you do need to miss a
practice, please contact either your team mom or head coach as
soon as you know that you will not be there. In certain
cases, if your child misses too many practices or has missed an
essential practice, the head coach may decide that they are not
ready to play in the game that week. The coach can then
fill out a missed practice form and although your child may
still play, they are not required to play them the minimum
number of plays. This is not done as a form of punishment.
This is done in protection of the child as they may not be
physically ready to play from having missed practice or they may
have missed the instruction of plays or changes to plays and we
do not want to put them in a situation where they do not know
what to do and may get hurt.
Q: Do we practice in the rain?
A: Yes, we will practice in the rain.
Games are not called due to rain so the boys will need to learn
to play in these conditions. In some instances (fields
holding too much water or lightning in the area), practice will
be called early and you should be contacted by your team mom
when this happens, generally by a calling post message and/or
email. So, when in doubt, be sure to check your messages
or call the DWFA hotline at 770-439-2050. If practice has
not been called in advance, please show up at the fields
prepared to play. If weather develops at 6:30, we will
assess the danger and make a decision based on the current
conditions and what is expected to happen (i.e. quick shower or
large storm). If lightning is in the area, please remain
in your cars until you see your coach taking the field.
Q: Do I have to remain at the entire practice with
my child?
A: Yes, either a parent or another
responsible adult must remain at practice with your child at all
times. This is for the safety of your children as we do
not want anyone wandering off alone. You are also needed
there in case your child gets injured and needs medical
attention or if a practice is suddenly cancelled because of
inclement weather. In the rare occasions that you may need
to leave practice, please make sure that your team mom or a
coach has your contact information and that you are available,
if needed.
Q: Can I come out on the field to help during
practices or games?
A: Only certified coaches and board
members are allowed on the fields. This is for
both practices and games. We have limited space to practice in
and if we allow one parent on the field, we have to allow them
all. Plus, for the safety of the children, each adult on
the field must have passed a criminal background check. If
you want to help on game day, you can volunteer to be on the
chain gang during home games. The only other people
allowed on the game fields are 6 certified coaches, 2 water
boys, and a ball boy. The water boys and ball boys must be
under 18 years old.
Q: Why do I have to turn in my child’s original birth
certificate? Is anything else acceptable in its place?
A: Every football player must be certified by the
North Georgia Youth Football League (NGYFL) prior to playing in
a game. This is to protect all the player’s and ensure
that the player’s are of accurate age for the team they are on.
Your team mom will collect all birth certificates and will have
you sign when you give them to her and when she returns them to
you. They will be retuned once your head coach has
certified the team with NGYFL, usually the 3rd or 4th weekend in
August. An original birth certificate with a raised seal
is preferred however; a passport, adoption records, or a Georgia
issued Identification Card are also accepted. Absolutely
no copies will be accepted.
Q: How long will the season last?
A: This depends on how far your team makes it in
the play-offs. Some teams will be done by the beginning of
November while some will play until mid-November. We ask
that everyone plans to play until the middle of November.
Q: Besides registration costs, what other expenses
should I expect during the year?
A: Everyone should expect to have to purchase
practice pants and jersey (game pants and jerseys cannot
be worn to practice), additional mouth-pieces, and
cleats. Beyond that, some teams will collect funds to
cover certain items (i.e. team moms making folders for each
family, the cost of a calling post account, etc…). You
will also be asked to contribute to thank you/end of season
gifts for the coaches and team mom. This amount is
determined by each team and depends on the number of families
and the cost of the items being purchased. There will be a
gate fee at each game. Players and coaches do not pay the
gate fees but, everyone else is
expected to pay (this includes parents, friends, team moms,
etc…if you are not a player or a coach, you must pay). It
is a minimal amount, usually only $2 or $3 and is used to pay
for the officials at each game. It is not for the profit
of the associations. Your team mom will schedule each
family a game to bring either half-time or end of the game snack
for the players and coaches. Any additional costs for the end of
the season banquet (this should be decided as a team).
Optional expenses would be: concession stand purchases, spirit
wear, Parents/Business Sponsorships.
Q: How are the coaches chosen and approved?
A: Coaches are volunteers although they must meet
certain criteria to be a coach. The first thing is that all coaches and board members must pass a
criminal background check. All coaches are then certified
through the NGYFL. We also rely on parental input when
choosing coaches so; we do read the coach evaluation forms from
the previous season.
Q: Why was my son placed on a DII (division 2) team and
just what is the difference? What if I want him to play on
a DI team?
A: NGYFL allows only one Division I team per age
group for each association so; the majority of players will be
on DII teams. DII has also been called the “Instructional
League” although the games are just as competitive as DI games.
You cannot choose to have your child play on DI however; you can
choose to play on DII. The reason behind this is that DI
has some very aggressive players and we do not want anyone
getting hurt.
The main differences between the two divisions are:
DI
8 minimum plays per game (10 at Due West
fields)
8 regular season games
Coaches on field until 100#
Full play-off system and NGYFL sponsored Super-bowl.
DII
12 minimum plays per game
10 regular season games
Coaches allowed on field until 120#
Top teams from each division will participate in an “unofficial”
Bowl game. (We are hoping to have this changed.)
Q: Why can’t I choose my son’s head coach?
A: Once DI teams are chosen, the DII players are
then assigned to each team using a draft procedure. We do
it this way because DWFA does not believe in stacking a
“winning” team. We think each team should have an equal
opportunity to win so; we do our best to balance the skills per
team.
Q: Where and at what time are games played?
A: Home games are played on the 3 fields at
Lost Mountain Park. The field closet to the field house is
field 1; the one next to it is field 2; and the field up by the
covered playground is field 3. Away games will be played
at the home field for the opposing team. Directions to all
fields can be found on
www.ngyfl.com. All games are played on Saturday.
Due to the rapidly increasing number of teams in the NGYFL,
games times are not the same each week. You can play
anywhere from 8:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. although, they do try to
schedule the younger players in the earlier games and the older
players in the later games.
Q: Are there any special procedures for Game Days?
A: Every player on every team must weigh-in 1
hour prior to each scheduled game time. So, all players
are asked to arrive 1.5 hours before their scheduled
game time. This will give the coach 30 minutes to be sure
everyone is there, in full uniform, and to get them lined up in
alphabetical order. If your child does not make it in time
for weigh-in, they cannot play in that game.
You will notice that every NGYFL game field will have a
Spectator Barrier. It is very important that you stay
behind this barrier. Only certified coaches, the chain
gang, water boys and ball boys are allowed on the field during
games.
Q: How does the Game Day Weigh In work?
A: Each player, alphabetically, enters the weight room,
states their name and number (They must have their game jersey
on or in hand) and steps on the scale. The weight commissioner
or viewing coach for the other team says OK then the player
leaves the room. Your son must make the division base weight or
less for the 1st 4 games in order to play. After the 1st 4
games, a 5 lb weight increase is allowed. If a player is
overweight then they may, with the parent’s permission and with
the parent present, strip down to their boxers or shorts and see
if they can make weight. No sweating down will be permitted.
Your Head Coach knows how to handle this situation.
Q: Just how many times am I expected to work the
concession stand? How long is each shift?
A: We now have the following three options
available:
- Option 1 is pay $65 ($50 each sibling) without a
deposit and you will not have to work any game day or
practice concession shifts.
- Option 2 is to pay $35 with a $40 deposit ($25 with
a $50 deposit for each sibling) and you will not have to
work any game day concession shifts and only 2 practice
shifts per child.
- Option 3 is to leave a $75 deposit check per child
and you will be required to work 4 concession shifts.
These shifts could be games, practices or a combination.
A shift can last anywhere from 2-3 hours. All
deposit checks will not be cashed unless you fail to meet
the required number of shifts. Failure to work the
shifts, as agreed, will result in the forfeiture of your
deposit check. You can chose any number of these
options for your children. The 1st child will have to
pay the highest option you chose and then each sibling will
get the sibling discount for either option 1 or 2. An
example would be:
1st child-Option 1 ($65) 2nd child Option 1 ($50)
3rd child Option 2 ($25 with a $50 deposit)
You would pay a total of $140.00 and only be required to
work 2 practice shifts total without any game day concession
shifts. Your $50.00 check will be returned to you at
the end of the season so long as you fulfilled your 2
practice shifts.
Q: Can someone else work the concession stand for
me? Is anyone excluded from working the concession stand?
What happens if I do not work my shifts?
A: Anyone over the age of 16 can work the
concession stand in your place. Please be sure to tell
your team mom who will be working and make sure they sign in
under your child’s name when they arrive. The only people
excluded from working the concession stand are the Head Coach
and their families and the Board Members. This is only
because we feel that they already give so much of their time.
Of course, if they want to volunteer, they are more than
welcome. We do not like to cash anyone’s deposit checks
and will work with you as best as possible to see that you are
able to work your shifts. We understand that sometimes the
scheduled
times do not work for you, especially when you have other
children playing but, please remember that it is your
own team parents that will suffer when you do not work as they
will have to cover your spot. If you do not want to work
the concession stand at all, please let your team mom know ASAP.
Please know that we will cash your deposit
check in lieu of you working. It is easiest if we are
informed of this right away so the team mom knows who she can
and cannot schedule.
Q: Who do I speak to if I have a problem or
complaint?
A: Your first source should be your Team Rep as
he/she will act as a liaison between you and your coaches.
If this does not provide the results you are looking for, you
should then speak to a board member and they will schedule a
time to meet with you and discuss the problem. Please
understand that you may not always agree with the decisions that
your coach makes regarding your child but, they have to do what
is best for the entire team, too. Also, be sure to
remember that everyone here is a volunteer from all of the Board Members down to the
Coaches, Team Moms and Team Reps. Nobody in this entire
association gets paid for what they do. They are
not professionals. They all volunteer their time
because they love football/cheerleading and they love the children.
They are all parents that are giving of their time for the
betterment of this park and youth program and for the benefit of
every child and family that play here.
Q: How can I become involved?
A: You can volunteer as a Team Rep, Team
Parent, Coach, or become a sponsor. Stay involved and stay
positive. If you would like to become a board member,
nominations and elections take place in October.
Q: Does DWFA have a website?
A: Our website address is
www.duewesthoyas.com.
This website will be updated frequently and will provide tons of
information for you. You can also go to
www.ngyfl.com to find game
schedules and directions to other parks.
