WELCOME BACK! 
to the South Gate Youth Football and Cheer programs 2021!

WHO'S READY? 
Youth Flag Football (Ages 5-6), Tackle Football (Ages: 7-14) and Cheerleading (Ages: 5-14)

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! All registrations are now being taken "in-person" while we are at our football & cheer academies at South Gate Park every Tuesday & Thursday evening, 6pm-8pm. 

Also referred to as "UNWEIGHTED" football teams. The decision to develop teams under the classification of "Unlimited" was solely based upon the needs of our community. Our kids have suffered greatly during this time of quarantine and without much opportunity to socialize and exercise by participating in youth sports programs. It is now almost 12 months since our children have been isolated from these types of open activities. It is our hope and prayer that soon we will be able to begin our operations by first introducing our youth football and cheerleading academies, whereby we will provide "free" training and conditioning in a series of physical outdoor drills and activities designed to develop physical conditioning, speed, agility, skills building and stamina. These key components are essential in providing the basics in pre-season training and conditioning of the youth tackle football player and cheerleader. Based upon the philosophy that youth football & cheerleading is training for life; it teaches toughness, promotes physical fitness, teaches work ethic and creates friendships/camaraderie. Drills are designed by age groups and performed on an individual or 2-man basis. There is no physical contact or competitions in this training academy.

Many of our returning players have gained weight during the past 12-months and under the traditional "age & weight" division teams, many would have problems in making the weight aspect of qualifying for participation. We have been contemplating the "unlimited" or "unweighted" football team composition for many years, since most surrounding youth football conferences have gone exclusively unlimited weight within the last five (5) years. 

Our plan is to develop our football teams without consideration of weight, but by two (2) age groups as follows:

• Flag (Ages: 5-6)
• 8U (Ages: 7-8)
• 10U (Ages: 9-10)
• 12U (Ages: 11-12)
• 14U (Ages: 13-14)

We understand that tackle football is not for every child. Particularly when considering this a sport for the first time student-athlete. However, we want as many children in our community to participate in our football and cheerleading academies to see if this is something they may want to be a part of. Please understand, there is no registration requirement, or commitment to participate in our youth programs at this time; but an opportunity for our children to experience the kind of conditioning and training it will take to develop football players and cheerleaders. Being a "tackle" football player does not mean it is only for the BIG or HEAVY student-athlete! There are many positions within football that will require a certain physical skills ability. Because we have been around for over 32-years developing student-athletes into excellent football players and cheerleaders when they reach high school, we have been the training and developing start of the success in our local high schools. 

Lastly, as you consider if tackle football is right for your child, please know these facts: 

1. Youth football's highest priority is the safety and well-being of its participants. California children must have the right to be protected with safe youth football standards and practices empowering parents to make informed choices regarding the elected activities of their children. 
2. Nationwide, over 2.5 million players, coaches, cheerleaders, and parent volunteers participate in youth football.
3. Youth football promotes the values of teamwork, self-discipline, diversity, academics, nutrition, leadership, and acceptance.
4. Youth football promotes an active lifestyle that helps combat obesity rates in youth, which have increased by 300 percent over the past four decades and that lead to a broad range of health problems previously not seen until adulthood, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and elevated blood cholesterol levels.
5. Youth sports have become increasingly expensive due to elimination of after school sports programs and the proliferation of travel teams and tournament-centric scheduling, but youth football remains an affordable neighborhood-based sport that is accessible in every community in California, irrespective of socioeconomic status or geographic location.
6. Football is one of California's most popular sports, and the safety and well-being of the players is youth football's priority. Many youth football organizations have implemented policies requiring the annual or biannual recertification of all football helmets by the helmet manufacturer or by an independent third party and the replacement of helmets that are damaged or that do not meet the current safety standards or recertification requirements. (We clean, sanitize and certify our equipment every year). 
7. New helmet testing standards are being implemented to enable players to wear the safest helmet possible, and manufacturers continue to advance helmet technology.
8. Blocking and tackling techniques designed to remove the head from contact have become the nationwide standard for teaching blocking and tackling, and coaches are required to complete annual certification and continuing education in blocking and tackling techniques that emphasize the removal of the head for any blocking or tackling and that provide coaches with noncontact drills designed to reinforce this training. (Our coaches are trained every year under the USA Football Heads Up Program). 
9. The federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Concussion Protocol Training has become standard for many youth football organizations and coaches in an attempt to minimize the risk of injury for youth football players, and the training is designed to identify those players who exhibit symptoms of a concussion, to prescribe protocols for the immediate removal of those players from the game or practice, and to outline stringent "return to play" protocols that coaches, players and parents must follow after a youth football player has received clearance from a medical doctor before that player is allowed to return to full participation.
10. Youth football organizations have implemented policies for concussion response, proper hydration, equipment fitting, and age and weight requirements.
11. California prohibits high school and middle school football teams from conducting more than two full-contact practices per week during the preseason per week during the preseason and regular season, and California also prohibits the full-contact portion of a practice from exceeding 90 minutes in any single day and completely prohibits full-contact practice during the off-season.
12. The awareness of the possible injury risks associated with football are now widely known and accepted by parents, players, coaches, officials, medical professionals, and the general public.
13. The decision to play youth football ultimately rests with the parents, after their thoughtful consideration of the risks and benefits, as to whether participation in youth football is in their child's best interest.

WELCOME TO OUR REGISTRATION PAGE FOR THE SOUTH GATE YOUTH FOOTBALL & CHEER PROGRAM!
Below is a list of important information about registering your child into one of our programs; (1) Flag Football for children ages 5-6 years of age, (2) Tackle Football for children ages 7-14 and Cheerleading for children ages 5-14.

• League Age is the age of your child as of July 31, 2021. For instance, if your child's birthdate is August 1st, even though he will turn one year older, his league age will remain the age he is as of July 31st. For instance, Joshua turns 10 on August 1st, his league age will be 9...the age he was on July 31st. Got it? 
  
• "IN-PERSON" ONLY OPEN REGISTRATION BEGINS TUESDAY & THURSDAY EVENING STARTING APRIL 6th! Registration for football and cheer teams will continue at South Gate Park, come and see us underneath the covered picnic tables on Southern Avenue, every Tuesday & Thursday evenings, 6pm-8pm. We offer a $25 discount when registration fees are paid in full on or before Thursday-April 29th. 
  
  
• All Registrations will require the completion of paperwork---there is always paperwork. Whether you do so online or in-person, we will require a parent/guardian approval in addition to other documentation requirements.  
• What documents will we require at the time of registration? Rules of the league require an (1) Original Birth Certificate and, (2) a copy of the most recent 12-month Report Card, complete. We can make a copy/picture of your child's original birth certificate should you bring it with you at the time of registration, however, we will require the original document when the time comes to certify our team contract books, around the first of August. (We will keep you informed). We will start to collect copies of your child's 12-month report card about the end of June, at the end of the current school year. 
• Please be sure you review and understand all the information written into our registration documents. It is important you understand your financial obligation as a participant in our programs. Payments of all registration and fundraisers must be made on time. Please see a list of handouts below under Registration Handouts. 
•  Please review our ONLINE CALENDAR here at our website where we will post important calendared events. Registration due dates, the date we will issue tickets for the Kick-Off Breakfast & Parent Orientation Meeting as well as Homecoming and the date ticket sales are due, when we will issue the gourmet popcorn sales sheets and its due date. We will keep this calendar update throughout the year, please check it regularly, you can also print a copy to keep posted in your home.  
• Required Events & Organization Fun-raiser. We are hosting 2-events which will require the sale of breakfast tickets (June) and Homecoming tickets (October) for each participant. We require one (1) organization fund-raiser, the sale of gourmet popcorn. Please be sure to review the Required FUN-Raiser Flyers in the Registration Handouts below for more information. This is not an option, but is required from every player and cheerleader participant. These are required to help supplement the football and cheer budget during the year.
  
• Lastly, we understand the financial commitment our parents must make in order to meet their monetary obligations as requried in our programs, and may be difficult for some with more than one (1) child. The bottom line is football is an expensive sport to maintain; the cost of uniforms and equipment alone is a BIG part of our football budget! And now with the addition of the State of California Assemby Bill No. 1, the Youth Football Act, and the requirements of a "return to play" code of the Los Angeles Health Department; additional monies must now be spent towards providing an EMT at all games and all necessary signages, postings, materials, and Covid-19 fighting sprays and hand sanitizers to be in compliance leading into the New Year.   However we consider our programs to be centered around the "complete student-athlete" building upon skills and providing positive socio-developmental oppportunities for today's youth. Our mission has never waivered, we know our program provides the fundamental nurturing experiences that build a strong foundation for future success in sports and in life! From the begining of April through the end of the year, that's 9-months, or 109 days,  30% of the year, or 272.5 hours that we will spend time watching, teaching, mentoring and recognizing your children at roughly about $2.46 an hour in babysitting fees! We understand this is an investment, but we believe it is well worth it! BUT, please take advantage of our SPONSORSHIP LETTER to help you earn sponsorship monies towards your child/children, but do it sooner, rather than later. Also, this is why we offer a 3-month registration and a cheer uniform payment plan, to help you budget your monies so that we can meet our financial obligations in providing for our players and cheerleaders.