May 22, 2013 Attention Dutchmen Players, Parents and Guardians: Along with the warm weather and sectional playoffs, spring brings us the start of football season! Whether attending a parent meeting or contributing to a fundraiser, thank you to everyone who has helped get us ready for the 2013 season. Welcome to the new faces in Dutchmen Football and, to all, thank you for taking the time to read through this important program material. And congratulations to former Guilderland Dutchman Drew Smith! Drew, who played in our program from Modified through Varsity and led us to the Section II Superbowl in 2007, was recently signed by the Buffalo Bills and is currently in their training camp. Tough and confident while caring and humble, Drew represents the best of what our school and our football program have to offer. The tireless work and dedication he invested in the classroom, weight room and athletic fields got him to where he is today. What advice does he have to offer our 2013 players? “Squat and do sprints. Squat and do some more sprints. Squat again and if you’re tired, do more sprints” --Drew Smith, Class of 2008 When it comes to effort, he shares the sentiments of recently retired Coach Bob Ladouceur: "Preparation is not fun. It's hard work and difficult, but doing something difficult builds character. It's difficult to have fun with drudgery and repetition. The fun is on game night, making it pay off." Bob Ladouceur, De La Salle Football (CA) 33 year record of 399 wins, 25 losses and 3 ties Coach Ladouceur retired this past January as the winningest coach in high school football history. His record is one to which only a few can even aspire; however, the values he taught and standards he sought translate to any and every program, and are what make football such a character building and life affirming experience for young people across the country. We all have commitments elsewhere – family and social, religious, academic and athletic – but our players know that, for us to be competitive at a championship level, we must commit to a high level of training and football development throughout the year. There are no shortcuts. This letter outlines the expectations and opportunities for all of our players in the program, from the players who envision earning a football scholarship to those whose goal is to make the team. Every player can support our mission by training in our strength and conditioning program, clearing his schedule during preseason practice and attending our team camps - Black and Blue and Team Camp at Union College. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPEED, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM SUMMER SCHEDULE June 24 – August 15 Monday through Thursday: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. and 6:15 – 7:45 p.m. New this year – Wednesday sessions: Freshmen Team Lift! Our lead coaches for the speed, strength and conditioning program this summer are Coach Schewe, Coach Usher and Coach Penna. Each will lead the players through an intense 60-75 minute workout that will be tailored to each player’s ability and development. Players should arrive 510 minutes before the start of the session. They attend one session per day, 2-4 times per week (Freshmen strive for two minimum, JV and Varsity attend 3 or 4). Through this program we are: BUILDING BETTER ATHLETES: Our training program builds strength, stamina, agility and speed. We build core strength and flexibility in the abdomen, hips and lower back. We prioritize ground-based athletic movements that train the whole athlete. We perform agility/speed drills and Strongman activities. We emphasize proper form and movement before encouraging athletes to perform heavy lifts. AVOIDING INJURY: Studies in all sports continue to prove the advantages of proper strength and conditioning. We continue to heighten our awareness regarding head and neck injuries and incorporate techniques and routines in our summer program to minimize these risks. Participation in our program greatly reduces the chance of injury during the season. PROMOTING TEAM: Players will push each other through team competitions, timed workouts and competitive goals they set each workout. They push each other and protect each other just as they will do on the football field. ENSURING PROPER PREPARATION: Training at the ‘Y’, in your basement, or even with some of the personal trainers and coaches out there will not meet all of the above criteria. Our program ensures each player will excel through the rigors of organized football. HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE: No more are players “off the radar” for the summer. When a player is with us, we know he is preparing. If he is not with us, we know to contact him. Questions? Interests? Concerns? Contact us anytime or stop by our sessions and see for yourself. Please note: During Regents exams, June 11th – 20th, the weight room will continue to be open after school; players are encouraged to check in with Coach Jensen for specific times to train. COMPLETE LIST OF FOOTBALL EVENTS DUTCHMEN FOOTBALL SPRING/SUMMER CALENDAR Date Event Time Place May 28 – 31 Athletic Testing (Varsity and JV) 2:30 – 4:45 p.m. Weight Room May 28 – 31 Equipment Distribution (Varsity and JV) 2:30 – 4:45 p.m. Locker Room May 31 Ath. Testing and Equip. Distrib. (Freshmen) 3:45 – 6:00 p.m. Weight Room June 1 Linemen Challenge 6:00 p.m. RPI June 2 RPI 7 on 7 Passing Tournament 9:00 – 3:00 p.m. RPI June 3-7 Black and Blue Camp 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. GHS West Fields June 3 Physicals (by appointment) 4 – 5:45 p.m. Health office June 10 Physicals (by appointment) 4 – 5:45 p.m. Health office June 5 Parents Meeting 6:30 – 7:15 p.m. New Cafeteria June 11–20 Regents/School Exams 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. GHS June 15-16 College Prep Football Camp TBA Syracuse, NY June 27-28 Utica College Lineman Camp OVERNIGHT Utica College June 27 SUNY Albany 7 on 7 Passing Tournament 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. SUNY Albany July 7 Cohoes Tiger Shootout Passing Tournament 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cohoes, NY July 29–Aug 2 Team Football Camp (FR, JV and V) 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Union College Aug. 19-31 Preseason Practice (Freshman start Aug. 20) Varied Practice Fields Sept 2nd Single-session practices begin TBA Practice Fields Sept 6th VARSITY OPENER @ BALLSTON SPA! 7:00 p.m. Ballston Spa ATHLETIC TESTING AND EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION – NEXT WEEK! Players perform running and lifting exercises this week and receive their equipment after completing their tests. LINEMAN CHALLENGE – Saturday, June 1st: Linemen who are interested in participating in a oneday test of strength and skill have two events this year in which they can compete. We are looking to take ten linemen. Contact Coach Schewe for signups and details. RPI 7 on 7 – Sunday, June 2nd: Our first of several passing tournaments we will compete in as a team, this event is for offensive backs, receivers, defensive backs and linebackers. We compete against local and statewide competition in developing our passing attack. VARSITY PLAYERS should set aside these dates and contact Coach Childs or Coach Penna about signups. BLACK AND BLUE FOOTBALL CAMP: Our tenth annual contact camp will run from Monday to Friday, 3:30 – 6:30, with our official starting time being 4:00. At 3:30 and after 6:30, players will have the opportunity to practice additional drills (kicking, snapping, QB-Center exchanges, etc.) and get one-on-one attention from the staff and trainer. Cost is $100, and scholarship and multi-camp discounts are available (see Coach Penna). Players may register up through the first day of camp. Brochures are located in the weight room and players can bring them in or they can be sent in to the school. This is a high priority camp; players should see Coach Penna if they cannot attend. PARENTS’ MEETING JUNE 5TH: We highly encourage all parents to attend this information meeting. We will explain our expectations for the summer, update signups for events where we need parental help (the chain gang, concession stand, etc.) and answer questions. PHYSICALS: In order to compete in August, all players MUST turn in the Parent Consent/Emergency information and Health History form. Everyone also needs a physical, offered for free at GHS. TEAM FOOTBALL CAMP AT UNION COLLEGE: This is our second opportunity for all Freshman, JV and Varsity players to work together with their teammates and coaches in developing their skills. We introduce and reinforce the techniques specific to our team offensive and defensive schemes. Cost is $150, with a $50 discount given to campers who attend Black and Blue Camp. Register and pay through Coach Penna at GHS. Registration sheets will soon be available in the weight room. ADDITIONAL FOOTBALL CAMP OPPORTUNITIES: Of the many football camps available, we attend Union and Black and Blue so we can best learn our schemes and come together as a team. Linemen are encouraged to attend the Utica T-N-T Camp with Coach Schewe for the same reasons. Interested in attending other camps as well, including single-day college camps or the College Prep Football Camp? Please feel free to seek out the advice of the coaching staff for the quality and reputation of those available. PRESEASON: Preseason camp performance dictates the success of the team and of an individual player. At the JV and Varsity levels, any player who misses more than one day will be INELIGIBLE for the first game and will jeopardize the success of his team. Please make your vacation plans for other times during the summer and arrange transportation plans in advance. Also, given the grueling nature of double-sessions, players are advised to drastically cut down their work hours or stop any part-time work altogether. Daily schedule will come in our summer mailing. FUNDRAISING: Our fundraising efforts have begun as we prepare to fund 50% of the Freshman Team. Please contribute your dues and get involved! We need to have this fee paid before the Freshmen can take the field in August. BOOSTER CLUB: The Guilderland Football Booster Club works hard behind the scenes to provide positive team spirit, organization of team events and financial support to the Modified, Freshman, JV and Varsity teams. We ask each player’s family to donate $75 to help contribute to the events and resources that create the highest caliber experience for our players. See attached sheet. FURTHER INFORMATION AND HELP: Coaches are available each day during school and in the weight room. Longtime Dutchmen Football supporter Dom Paratore updates our team website (www.dutchmenfootball.com) weekly with announcements and events. Our program continues to grow; contact Booster Club Co-Presidents CJ and Krista Gallup (ganggallup@hotmail.com) to get involved. Final reminder: Our next informational meeting will be June 5th at 6:30 p.m. in the New Cafeteria at GHS. Please call or email the high school to contact any coaches, nurses, etc. with any questions or comments. Upcoming Freshman players may contact Coach Cahill at coachcahill1@gmail.com, JV players may contact Coach Usher at usherj@guilderlandschools.org and I can be reached through email (pennad@guilderlandschools.org) or at 861-8591 x 5501. Best of luck to our track and field athletes and lacrosse and baseball players competing in Sectional and State play as we eagerly anticipate the start of the 2013 season. Go Dutchmen! Sincerely, Daniel Penna Head Coach Guilderland Football 2013 Season Football Dues - Level (circle one) Modified Freshmen Player______________________________________ Amount $75 $100 $125 JV Varsity Parent__________________________________ Other______________________ Please include this detachment, make check payable to “Guilderland Football Booster Club” and mail to Guilderland Football Booster Club P.O. Box 728 Guilderland, NY 12084 2013 Season Football Dues - Level (circle one) Modified Freshmen Player______________________________________ Amount $75 $100 $125 JV Varsity Parent__________________________________ Other______________________ Please include this detachment, make check payable to “Guilderland Football Booster Club” and mail to Guilderland Football Booster Club P.O. Box 728 Guilderland, NY 12084 2013 Season Football Dues - Level (circle one) Modified Freshmen Player______________________________________ Amount $75 $100 $125 JV Varsity Parent__________________________________ Other______________________ Please include this detachment, make check payable to “Guilderland Football Booster Club” and mail to Guilderland Football Booster Club P.O. Box 728 Guilderland, NY 12084