PARK RIDGE D-1 Football

Where will we play our home games? In a normal season, we would play home games at Maine South High School. During this alternate season, we will play all games in Crown Point, IN.

What teams will we play in Crown Point?  We will play many of the same Chicagoland Pop Warner teams that we would be playing normally here in Park Ridge.

What will practices look like at the Barry Rec Center in Rosemont?  Players will continue to have a warm up and conditioning period, and then will be in full equipment for non-contact drills/practice in order to abide by all State of Illinois and Pop Warner rules.

What days will we practice?  Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays from 5:30 – 7:30pm as well as Saturdays from 9:00 – 11:00 am. Practice schedules are subject to change. 

What options are available for my player? Either a player is invited to play on a travel team (and will be issued a uniform, continue to condition and play games each week) OR a player is not invited to a team but instead asked to continue to work out each week to condition/develop skills (and will not be issued a uniform and does not play games). Players who make a team for the fall can play both fall and spring seasons. Players who do not make a team in the fall have the opportunity to be reevaluated and possibly make a team for the spring season. 

If my child makes a Fall Team, do they automatically make the Spring Team and do I need to re-register and pay another registration fee for the Spring Team?  If you were evaluated in the fall and made a team, you automatically make the spring team. The one time registration fee of $250 covers the fall season, the spring season, all practices fees and uniform use (they must be returned). There is no need to reregister assuming your player will be playing both seasons.

What if my player makes the fall team but they are going to play another sport in the spring and therefore will only play in the fall? There is no reduction in fees if you choose to play only in the fall season, and forego the spring season, as we still have to cover costs for uniforms, practice facility fees and coaching. The spring season is considered a “bonus season” that does not require additional costs to fall players. 

What if my child is asked to continue conditioning and does not make a fall team? What will that conditioning option look like? Your child will be able to come to the first 45 minutes of the Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday practices (Saturdays are not a conditioning day) and will do cardio, strength and plyometric training with our strength and conditioning coach at Barry Rec Center with all of the teams. The players who do not make a team or choose this conditioning option only will not be issued a uniform and will not play weekly games but will be learning and developing as players with the hopes that they try out in the spring. 

If my child chooses the conditioning work out only or does not make a fall team and wants to continue working out each week, how much is the registration fee? The cost for three 45-minues weekly conditioning sessions at Barry Rec Center is $100 for the fall season. The $100 fee will be applied to the full registration fee of $250 if your child is reevaluated and is placed on a travel team in the spring. If your child decides not to try out in the spring, the fee is just $100 for the conditioning. 

If my child does not make a team and does not want to do conditioning, will my registration fee be refunded?  Yes absolutely, if your child does not make a team and they do not want to continue conditioning, you will be refunded the entire $250 registration fee. We just ask that a decision be made either way by August 15.  

If my child did not make a fall team, can they be reevaluated for the spring team and play games in the spring?  Yes! If your child was not placed on a travel team for the fall season, they have the opportunity to continue conditioning and be reevaluated in the spring.

If my child makes a fall team and we decide to opt out due to COVID-19 or other concerns, do we get a registration refund? If you opt out prior to the first game, we will refund your fee in full. If you make a team, but choose to opt out any time after the first game, you will NOT receive a full refund of the $250 registration fee. 

What if my child makes a team but Pop Warner ends the season due to COVID-19 or other concerns OR if we as a team have to opt out of playing for some reason, do I get a full registration refund?  We understand the fluid nature of the current COVID-19 situation, however we cannot offer a refund once the season begins. 

I don’t feel comfortable having my child play football games yet given the current COVID-19 situation, so can my child just play in the spring? At this time, we are offering players the options to condition only in the fall or to play games on a fall team. Everyone who made a fall team automatically makes a spring team and there will be additional spring evaluations for anyone else who is interested in playing games at that time. The spring season is a bonus season and subject to change.

Is there minimum playing time? We are a competitive evaluation based program for the competitive player. But we also want as many kids as possible to play the sport they love, so we have chosen to keep team sizes small to allow for maximum playing time for as many players as possible. We have also chosen to offer conditioning for those that opt out to help find a place for all interested athletes to continue to learn, develop skills and gain reps in the game of football. We see potential in all players and hope to foster the love of the game. Pop Warner has a Minimum Mandatory Play Rule(MPR) for all Pop Warner teams. Teams with 16-25 players play a minimum of 10 plays per game. Teams with 26-30 players play a minimum of 8 plays per game and teams with 31-35players have a MPR of 6 plays per game. We have a specified coach for each team who will track playing time for each player during each game.  

What safety provisions will be in place at the travel games?  We take your child’s safety seriously and will ensure we follow all appropriate rules and guidelines as set forth by Pop Warner. Please check the Pop Warner website for Game Day Safety Protocols, www.popwarner.com 

What safety equipment will be provided to my child?  Your travel team player will be issued standard football pants, uniform jersey, shoulder pads and helmet. Your child needs to bring a face mask to every practice and all games and should bring their own water bottle, properly labeled with their name. Coaches and sideline staff will wear face masks and PRTF staff are responsible for wiping down all equipment daily.  We also recommend players wear gloves during practice and play. 

What are the teams and when do I find out if my child has made one?  After the mandatory parent information meeting, you will be asked to complete a declaration form stating what option you would like to have your child participate in (fall travel, spring travel and/or conditioning only), an email will be sent to you regarding what team your child has been placed on and the next step. If you have not yet registered and paid the program fee, you will need to do so in order for your child to continue to condition/practice and pick up their uniform.  Teams are made according to the age/weight matrix set and managed by Pop Warner. 

Do you offer scholarships? If there is need or hardship, we will find a way to make football available for every child who is interested in our program. Please reach out to one of our board members or coaches to find out more. 

What drills would prepare my child for games given that Illinois practice is non-contact?  We practice using USA Football guidelines and the Heads Up Football program which limits contact anyway but during the current pandemic, we are limited to NO contact at all, therefore we use drills to increase speed, improve technique and develop footwork and will be using sleds, pads and shields to simulate contact and prepare our players for game days.