F.A.Q

We always work diligently and try to get everyone adequate playing time. However, e do not guarantee playing time, at any level.

As a base policy, we cannot guarantee playing time - as games are dynamic, and don't always lend equal opportunity to get everyone in the game. As a baseline, we evaluate and measure all players on three primary criteria: Trust, Work Ethic, and Ability.

Trust is forged all year long - does your son go to class, does he respect his teachers, does he carry through on his commitments?

Work Ethic is also a year-long process - does your son not only show up, but work with tenacity? Does he go '2 Steps' beyond what is expected? Does he study his playbook?

Third, his Ability - more importantly, does your son maximize his ability? Select players will play, and not always is that the player with the most ability.

Lastly, we do our best to place players into positions, and corresponding playing time, to maximize team effectiveness.

The first practice is scheduled for August 3, 2020 (excluding any future COVID-19 restrictions).  All paperwork, fundraisers, fees, and physicals must be turned in prior to August 3, 2020, in order to practice.  Our calendar is up to date with all of the important times/dates for the 2020 off-season.

Not exactly ‘equally’.  

We certainly will treat all players fairly, but not necessarily equally.  Players are always rewarded relative to their commitment to the process.  All players will have a fair and equal opportunity to participate and earn their place on the team, but not all will maximize that opportunity, and that can result in different outcomes (i.e. playing time, carries, etc.). Those who do more most often earn more, and will subsequently have more... similar to the real world.

Usually (barring any COVID-19 restrictions), we welcome incoming 9th Graders to introductory weight room sessions in early May.  The freshman will also be part of our summer workouts beginning in June.

** Currently, COVID-19 restrictions do not allow NHS Students from participating in summer workouts.

There are two different fees for playing football at Northfield High School.  

Program Fees: First, the program fees for a season is $250 (and $100 for student-athletes who qualify for free and reduced lunch). There are multiple volunteer opportunities during the summer for our student-athletes to reduce their Player Program Fees.

District Participation Fees: Second, the District Participation Fees are $60 per season (or $10 if a student-athlete qualifies for Free/Reduced lunch).

Our Program Fees enable us to elevate Northfield Football to an elite experience for out student athletes.

First, Program Fees provide for our general operating budget, which includes helmet supplies, team meals, footballs, wristbands, banquet supplies, senior banners, among other necessary supplies.

Added, Program Fees also provide for Spirit Wear Packages.  A spirit wear package includes:

• Personalized Hoodie
• Personalized Sweat Pants
• Personalized Back Pack
• Program T-Shirt

YES!  Remember, your season fees help support/provide Gatorade Protein Bars/Shakes prior to practice, their 2020 Spirit Pack Gear, Thursday Team Meals, and administrative costs.  

Our team fees are separate from DPS Participation Fees.

YES!  You can reduce team fees through our team volunteer opportunities during the summer.  The opportunities differ each year, and our announced in our Hudl (our team application), and through our Team Newsletter sent to parents weekly during the summer and the season.

Champions Club is a system we use to measure the performance of our student-athletes, off the field.  So we measure the student-athlete attendance in class, their grades, their volunteer efforts, and attendance to off-season activities.  A false start is counted against a student-athlete when they are late to class, or late to a scheduled activity.  Too many false starts and it can impact their overall score.  

Then we RANK ORDER the team, and reward our players accordingly (i.e. who gets to eat first at team meal, who gets to choose their jersey numbers first, who gets to choose bus seats first, etc.).  Ultimately we hope to instill a very real and tangible lesson that inputs are directly correlated to outputs, and that football is just a small part of being a student athlete - that their are other important parts have a significant impact.  

That's Champions Club.   

We will issue equipment for Summer Camp in late July. Athletes are allowed to retain their equipment with the start of the official season, August 10, 2020. We will issue helmets for 7on7 after Memorial Day, in compliance with CHSAA bylaws.

Why is equipment issued so late?
There are specific CHSAA guidelines that we must follow concerning football equipment. Schools may issue equipment for ONE contact camp at any point from Memorial Day to August 1st. Schools may not issue equipment to their team or any individual player for a second contact camp. Following a school’s team camp, coaches may not allow the players to have access to their equipment prior to the start of the CHSAA season. This is one of the places you can use for adding FAQ answers on your website. You can edit all of this text and replace it with anything you want to answer for your client. Edit your FAQ page from the Pages tab by clicking the edit button.

Student-athletes need to provide the following equipment:

• Provide own cleats
• Compression shorts (athletic supporter if desired)
• 7-piece football girdle (ideally white in color, similar to here). Make sure it is a 7-piece girdle.
• Practice socks
• Desired mouth guard (one that attaches to the helmet is helpful)
• Spiral notebook for notes and diagrams during film study

NHS will supply a mouth guard if the student does not have a preferred mouth guard. NHS will supply helmet, chinstrap, shoulder pads, and uniform (practice jersey, game pants, game jersey).

Below are some equipment items that, while popular, are items that you shouldn’t waste money on when outfitting your son for the season. They include:

• Helmet Visors?  NHFS rules limit which visors can be worn, often get scratched or fog up (limiting vision), and they are more trouble than anything.  Our policy is that if the 
• Arm Sleeves?  These items only create slippery surfaces that result in fumbles. Don’t waste your money.
• Back Plates?   I'd only recommend a back plate for players who carry the ball, catch the ball, or play defense as a linebacker or defensive lineman.  
• Custom Mouth Gaurd?  I don't know of any data that suggests a $25 mouth guard is any more protective than a $8 mouth guard. It's important that it is formed to your student-athlete's mouth, and attached to the helmet (to prevent loss). 

You can find girdles throughout the Internet, and at some local athletic supply stores.  The cheapest, yet quality, girdles we have found are found at Epic Sports.  You can find their site HERE.

While football is a physical sport, and naturally injuries occur, the NHS Football Coaching Staff has intentionally designed our program to maximize safety.

• Our  practice plan (with accompanying drill design) is scrupulously combed through to maximize safety. 
• Every year, each of our coaches, takes and passes the Concussion Protocol Awareness classes through NFHS, as well as the CHSAA Coaching Test which also addresses safe practices.
• Our program has adopted the Atavus Tackling System, and incorporated USA Football's Five Fights Tackling System principles to ensure we are teaching tackling with a safety first mindset. 
•  Lastly, we have a strong working relationship with the school trainer to evaluate all injuries, should they occur.

It is important to know that neither a parent nor any coach on the NHS Football Coaching Staff (including the Head Coach) has the authority to determine if a player can return to play, if injured during a game.  Our team trainer, and accompanying medical personnel, has the final say on who can, and cannot return to a football game if an injury occurs.  

Often, a team trainer will refer an injury to a physician, and the authority is passed along to the physician. Parents and coaches cannot overrule either of these factors in an attempt to return a player to the game.

The same protocols used in a game are enforced during practice as well.

Our regular schedule/protocol plans have been adjusted to increase safety.  First, temperature scans are conducted every day.  Additionally, each player is surveyed daily for COVID symptoms prior to getting on the field.  If a player misses a symptom or temperature threshold, they are not allowed on the field.  

Second, our coaching staff has  increased the amount of time our players practice individually and have lessened "team vs. team" exposure.  When the boys are in 'team practice' situations, more hand shields are used, which reduces our physical contact, and also reduces the amount of force (through physical contact) our players experience during the week.   Additionally, each player brings their own water bottle, and they are instructed not to share water.  

Lastly, the boys stretch in pods, more than 10' feet apart from each other. The team has hand sanitizer on site. Last fall, every player was required to wear a mask during practice - no mask, no practice.

Next spring, it is expected that the team will have limited use of the locker rooms, weight room, a limit of 50 players on the sideline (all socially distanced)... similar to the conditions set forth during the fall season. As conditions change, safety will remain a top priority.