Hingham Youth Football

Our philosophy and mission is to provide a safe, fun and sportsmanlike atmosphere for the Hingham football teams. We have three rules:

1. Safety First.
2. Respect and Sportsmanship
3. Have fun and want to come back tomorrow.

Expectations:

For the coach he/she must:
· Provide well-planned, fun, appropriate, challenging practices in a safe environment.
· Create an atmosphere of fairness, trust and encouragement.
· Maintain discipline at all times.
· Develop, by good example, good sportsmanship in players.
· Maintain control of player s during the games.
· Treat players, opponents, parents and officials with respect and courtesy.

For the player in order to play and participate he/she must:
· Arrive at practices and games at the designated times.
· Bring all of the proper equipment and be ready to play.
· Listen to the coaches and follow instructions.
· Treat teammates, coaches, opponents and officials with respect and courtesy.
· Play the position assigned with enthusiasm.

For the parents in order for their child to play they must:
· Ensure player’s timely attendance and pickup at all scheduled practices and games.
· Ensure players are properly equipped.
· Stay at a respectful distance from players and coaches during practice and allow the coaches to do the coaching.
· Never criticize the coach in the player’s presence.
· Never heckle from the sidelines or stands during practice and or games.
· Never make comments to the officials during a game.
· Understand that playing time, position placement and game strategy, are the sole responsibility of the coaching staff.
· Participate as a volunteer at games and in all fund raising activities.
· Bring any parental issues, questions or constructive feedback to the head coach privately and it should be in a timely manner.
· Maintain and clean equipment during the season and return it in the same condition as it was issued in.

Hingham Youth Football (HYF) recognizes the importance of developing young leaders in the spirit of competition, hard work, discipline and good sportsmanship.

The theme for the HYF program is:

RESPECT (responsibility,effort,sportsmanship,persistence,enthusiasm,commitment and teamwork.)

Respect for the game, yourself, your coaches, your teammates, your opponents, the referees and judges. Youth football teaches players many life lessons they will carry forward long after their competition days are over.

Hingham Youth Football has never used tryouts or roster cuts as a tool for managing team size. This practice, along with the success of the program over the years, has resulted in very large rosters. HYF over the last five years has added 3 more teams and now has a team for every grade. We have also added Junior Varsity (JV) games to each grade level. JV games allow less experienced and/or less developed players to gain game experience to improve their skills and realize the benefits of their participation in practic e. These JV games have become an important part of a player’s development. To this end, HYF has adopted the following policy to ensure consistency at each varsity and JV game and consistency at each grade level.

TEAM FIRST POLICY

1) All players, physically able to play, are required to be present and dressed in full uniform for both varsity and JV games. All players are expected to be ready to play and pay attention to the game and their position on the field- ready and willing to offer their teammates encouragement and advice, as warranted.

2) Coaches will determine the JV participants for the upcoming Saturday JV game by Thursday. No starting varsity player will play his regular position in the JV game. However, he can play another position in the JV game at the Head coach’s discretion.

3) Coaches will review this policy with parents and players before the first game of the season and will enforce this policy within their own teams throughout the season. All coaches at all grade levels will have a unified and consistent approach to adhering to this policy to demonstrate the Team First philosophy of HYF.