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Published: Wed September 09 2009 @ 10:51 AM
A number of updates as we get ready to head into the Regular Season: - Our 1st game is this Saturday (Sept 12) at Our Lady of Fatima (Ashland Middle School). I will be sending out directions to the field tomorrow. Game times are: - 7th & 8th - 10:00 AM (players will be told to be at the field by 9:15 AM) - 5th & 6th - 11:30 AM (players will be told to be at the field by 10:45 AM). This is a Pre-Season (non-league) game. The League / Division Schedule will begin Sept.19th and run thru November 14th, with the Parade of Champions / Coaches' Invitational scheduled for November 21-22. The league schedule will be released by the end of this week, and I will distribute it as soon as I receive it. - We will be distributing game pants tonight (Wed) and game jerseys tomorrow night (Thurs).
A Games are played on Saturday mornings, with the 7th & 8th kick-off at 10:00 AM and the 5th & 6th kick-off at approx. 11:30 (15 minutes following the end of the 7th & 8th grade game). Players will be told to be at the field 45 minutes before kick-off.
Now that school is back in session, our practice schedule is now Tuesday thru Friday nights. As it is beginning to get dark earlier each day, beginning next week (Sept 15th), we will move up our practice start time to 5:45 PM, with practice ending at 7:30 PM. It is extremely important that players do not miss practice - two of the things that we emphasize with the players is that they are now part of a team, and the committment that is involved in being part of a team.
At the 5th & 6th grade level, we will field a B team this year. As I have mentioned to many of you, the approach that is taken with B team football is quite different from that in place for other CYO sports, for example basketball. For B team football, players are NOT assigned to separate teams, with separate coaches, playbooks, etc. The purpose of the B team is to get players quality playing time each weekend (you will quickly see at a 5th & 6th grade game that the 4 - 7 minute quarters move quite quickly, and the math of getting 40 players into a 28 minute game really does not compute). B games will begin on September 27, and run thru November 8th. They are played on Sundays with kick-off time at either 1:00 PM or 2:15 PM.
For the 1st 2 weeks of the season (Sept 12 and 19), we will dress the full 5th & 6th grade team for the games. There is no guarantee, however, that we will get everyone into those games. Part of the reason for dressing everyone is to get players used to being on the sidelines for a game, and getting them to focus on what is happening on the field. It is also to encourage the idea that they are part of one team. Once the B games get underway, A team players are encouraged to come and watch and support their teammates. As we breakdown our line-ups, it is likely that we will have 8 - 10 players that will dress each week for both the A and the B game. Most likely, these are players that will be a 1st unit back-up to the A team, and a starter on the B team. This approach has worked well for us over the years.
The players and coaches have been working hard gearing up for the upcoming season, and I am looking forward to another successful one (and by successful, I am not necessarily speakig of wins and losses, bit more importantly how players develop, learn the game, and have fun in the process) .....
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Jim Pachioli
