• Is there an AED unit at the field, and which coaches/parents are CPR/AED certified? - added 11/1

• I missed all the designated sign-ups! What can I do? Is it too late?

• Are coaches and GS personnel required to have background clearance?

• How dangerous is youth football?

• What does it cost to play football for Good Shepherd?

• Who can play football for Good Shepherd?

• Why is my son not the Quarterback? - added 11/19

• Why are games played at Our Lady of Lourdes in Enola?

• I thought my son had to play at the school's program, like CV or East Penn?

• What other teams are in the CFA League?

• What is the proper technique for a 3-point stance?

• What size of football will my child need?

• What can I do, as a parent, to help my child prepare for football?

• Are there tips to help a first-time coach?

• The forecast is rain or a wet field. Any tips for parents about this?
  

Question - Is there an AED unit at the field, and which coaches/parents are CPR/AED certified?

Answer - Yes, we have an AED Unit at the field. It is located in the concession stand, which should be unlocked for all practices. The unit is hanging right in side the door.

For 2011, the following parents/coaches are CPR/AED certified:

• Chris Ammirati - Midget coach

• Chris Bodle - Peewee coach

• Scott Foster - Midget coach

• Chuck LaPorta - Peewee coach

• Chris Zampogna - Peewee parent

We are holding two sessions of the two-hour CPR/AED certification course at OLOL in October 2011. Parents and coaches are encouraged to attend.

Question - I missed all the designated sign-ups! What can I do? Is it too late?

Answer - Absolutely NOT! At GS football, one of our mottos is "The More The Merrier". We will take players up to the latest deadline allowed by the CFA League (no later than the 2nd league game).

To Sign-up By Mail

• Visit our Documents/Forms webpage

• Print and fill out these forms: Registration Packet Cover Page, CFA Registration Form, Parent Participation Form and Medical Information Card
  Be sure to indicate one or more EMAIL ADDRESSES

• Physical - each player MUST have a doctor's approval to play football. There are two ways to submit proof of a physical:

  • Have the doctor sign the CFA Registration Form in the section titled "Physician's Affidavit"

  • Submit a copy of the physical paperwork you received from the doctor
    NOTE: If the player had a physical in say, March, and you didn't have the form then, you probably will be able to set up a "Nurse Visit", where they will sign the form for only a small fee. 

• Make a copy of the player's Birth Certificate

• Enclose a check for the registration fee. Make the check out to "Good Shepherd Football"

• Mail to: Jim Durham, 14 Stone Spring Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011

• An email "notification of receipt" will be sent upon receiving the paperwork (if no email is supplied, you will be called).

Because of our association to Good Shepherd church and school, we must also follow the "Harrisburg Diocesan Procedures for obtaining Criminal record checks".  Good Shepherd church supports this with their detailed "Instructions for Obtaining Clearances" process. Our football program is required to participate in this mandatory comprehensive process, which includes:

• Signing a Harrisburg Diocese Volunteer Information & Consent form.
• Obtaining Pennsylvania Access of Criminal History (PATCH) clearance.
• Obtaining Pennsylvania Dept. of Welfare Child Abuse History clearance.
• Obtaining final Good Shepherd and Harrisburg Diocesan approval.
• Annually completing Harrisburg Diocese On-line Training Course "Creating a Safe Environment".

Clearance must be obtained or the individual cannot coach or volunteer.

This applies to all coaches, weigh-masters, and equipment managers.

Insuring the safety those associated with our program is our top priority.

CFA Bylaws - Article V, Section 1, a, 3.
Diocese of  Harrisburg - click on "Youth Protection" on left side menu.

Question - How dangerous is youth football?

Answer - Not as dangerous at you might think. As an April 2002 study by the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic shows, among other things, that "the risk of injury in youth football does not appear greater than other recreational or competitive sports."

While many studies have been done on football players in the past, most of them focus on the high school age or older. As outlined in the report, "the purpose of the project was to determine the risk of injury in youth football games."

The study concluded that "youth football injuries are uncommon. Most injuries are mild."

Click here for the American Youth Football page on youth football safety. It includes:

• Avoid unsafe weight loss
• Safety: Age vs. weight
• Football is as safe as other sports
• Prevent Heat Illness
• Practice and Training Safely in the Heat
• Lightning Safety
• Be Active for Good Health
• NATA Good Practices for Youth Sports

Answer - It is $60 per player. Then $45 per additional player per family. This costs cover all equipment except cleats, socks and any under-garments. The equipment is to be used all season, then returned at season's end.  There is ONE fundraiser for the program.
 

Question - Who can play football for Good Shepherd?

• Is a parish member of Good Shepherd or Our Lady of Lourdes OR
• Lives in Camp Hill, Enola, Cumberland Valley or Wormlysburg OR
• Attends a Catholic Church that does not have a football program (St. Theresa, St. Margaret Mary, Cathedral, Nativity, Holy Family, St. Patrick Carlisle, etc.) OR
• Lives anywhere, but has a CFA-approved waiver to play for Good Shepherd

With many sports, there are certain "glorified" positions. In baseball it's the Pitcher, in soccer it's the Goalie and Striker, in football it's Quarterback and Running Back.  Thanks to newspaper and media coverage, it's certainly understandable. Rarely is an offensive guard interviewed after a game.  Many football positions are rarely mentioned, and when they are mentioned, it's usually a negative ("...that was pass interference on #44, fifteen yard penalty...").

The key thing to remember is that football is a TEAM sport, and it takes multiple skills to make the team work.

If a child or parent sets limits on what the player is willing to do for the team, they may be limiting the child's playing time. Why?  It's simple - if the player is not the top performer at their "desired" position, they will not play ahead of the better player.  If the parent and player are not locked into certain positions and are willing to try and play other positions, their chances of getting into a game greatly increases.

This is not to discourage players from expressing their interest in playing certain positions. It's great to have a goal regarding the position they want to play.  However, coaches, who have years of experience, are going to place the player in the position that will best help the team.  It may be the position the player desires, but realistically there is a large chance it will not be.

Parents and players have to ask themselves one simple question: "Am I here for ME, or am I here for the TEAM?" 

There a old saying, "There is no "I" in T-E-A-M."

LISTEN UP - THIS IS A LIFE LESSON  If you answered "ME", you are likely to have a short and disappointing sports career, and probably a disappointing career outside of sports.  Frankly, it's selfish.  The team has to come first - and football is the ultimate TEAM sport.  

The best teams are full of players who say, "I'll play where you need me, coach". These players are realistic and coachable. These players also usually have parents who support the coaches (and teachers, etc). These parents have properly taught their children how to participate and thrive in team sports.

Conversely, if you are a parent who tells your child, “You are going to be the star QB!” and your parental focus is solely on that ONE position, your child will probably only equate success with playing quarterback. So his chances of feeling successful on the team are 1 in 11, and those are not very good odds.    

It is much better to set realistic expectations in your child.  Stress to them: “Tell the coach you will play whatever position best serves the team”, "Work hard and learn as much as you can!", "Wherever they put you, make the most if it!", "If they put you at center, be the best center you can be!".

See the difference?

In my many years around youth football, I have seen numerous situations where a player could be starting at one position, but is sitting the bench because he refuses to play there.  How unfortunate for that child and the team.  My son, who always played running back, learned a lot about the importance of blocking during his first year on Midgets - the year the coaches needed him to play offensive tackle. It was a critical building block in him towards becoming a much better blocking back in the years to come.  

Here's some quick bullets for Parents to remember:

• Let the coaches coach, and trust their evaluation of players and positions.
• Be ENCOURAGERS to your child when they come home bummed out, and not liking their position.
• If your child has an issue, urge him to speak to the coach himself, and make sure he asks them what he can do to improve.
• Prepare your child in advance that all football position have value, and are equally important to the team.

Answer - When Good Shepherd school was rebuilt in 2005-2006, the "old field" was chosen as the location to build the new school.  It was originally in the plan to build a football field where the "old school" was, but that did not work out.  So the football program had to find a new and permanent home. When we looked around for alternatives, one logical choice was Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in nearby Enola.  They had an open field behind their parish center. The space was larger than Good Shepherd's old field, and it is a well-known fact that OLOL' s priest, Father Acri, was a sports enthusiast.  He agreed almost immediately, and the football team found its new home field.

Since moving over to OLOL, the relationship has merged our two parishes (for football purposes) into one entity, though we are still called the "GS Rams".  OLOL's new priest, Father Grab, also supports GS Football, so we are truly blessed!

The American Conference
Division 1: Cumberland Valley Eagle, Harrisburg, Holy Name, Swatara, York (new)
Division 2: Cedar Cliff, New Cumberland, Good Shepherd, St. Joseph

The National Conference
Division 3: Boiling Springs, Cumberland Valley Power, Halifax, Northern, Seven Sorrows
Division 4: Cumberland Valley Red, Greenwood, Juniata, Lower Dauphin, West Perry

Question - What is the proper technique for a 3-point stance?

Answer - Good question! Here you go!
 

Question - What can I do, as a parent, to help my child prepare for football?

Answer - We have to remember that kids deserve to be KIDS! We do not recommend a strict training regiment at these young ages. The best thing is to make sure your child stays active. Perhaps a sport summer camp or two, which can be fun and will help improve skills. There are some excellent non-contact football camps in the area. However, the football they play during the regular season will be plenty. It is important to not burn them out or turn them off to the sport.

Any type of "play" is good for football. This includes tag, dodge-ball, soccer, climbing a tree, gymnastics, wrestling your Dad, tennis, chasing your big sister, hiking, swimming - basically anything that involves physical activity. As a parent, participate with your child! You probably would benefit from the exercise, too.

Is there any activity "bad" for football? Only hours of watching TV or playing with the gameboy. We are not saying these sedimentary time-bandits aren't fun and (sometimes) educational, but kids today do way too much of it - and parents let them. A good rule is: When the sun is out, the kids should be too!

For young football players, it's always a good idea to start by getting them a football (see sizes above). Simply play catch!.  It doesn't have to be pretty. Just toss the ball around in the yard. As you both grow more familiar with the football, your child's skills will improve. They will get used to how a football feels in their hands, how a spiral pass goes a lot farther, how to punt the ball, etc.

Finally, as parents, we need to watch what our family eats. The American Obesity Association has found that 30% of children ages 6-11 are overweight, while 15% are considered obese. This can, even in children, equate to serious health conditions such as asthma, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. We need to strive to limit fat and carbohydrate intake. Parents need to be offering ice water or milk (instead of soda), green vegetables (over fries), and fruits (rather than candy)  Limit trips to fast food restaurants and buffets. For more information on this topic, visit the US Dept. of Health and Human Services page on Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity.

Question - The forecast is rain or a wet field. Any tips for parents about this?

Answer - Rain and mud are messy, and kids LOVE playing in the mud. So, here are a couple of tips to help you out

1. If you know it's going to be wet and/or muddy, bring along towels to cover your seats.
2. Also, keep a large garbage bag in the car. When the mud-caked player comes off the field, have him take his equipment off and put it in the bag.
3. When you get home, a cool tip for drying out shoes is to place wadded up newspaper inside them, and let sit for a couple of hours or overnight. This will draw the water out and into the newspaper. Repeat until shoes are dry.