FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• When does football start this year?  August, 1, 2011 @ 6:00 p.m.

• What is the minimum age requirement to participate in this program? Your child must be 8 years old by August 1, 2011 in order to participate in the program this season.

• Do you offer a flag football program for younger kids?  No. However, the Pittsford Jr. Panthers program supports the BIG CATS FLAG FOOTBALL program that is run by the Pittsford High School Football Staff.  Information about this program can be found on our website.

• When does the season run?  The season starts on August 1st and runs through the first week of November.

• We didn’t participate in the Pittsford Panthers program last year. Are we allowed to signup during the preregistration period?  No. Preregistration is only for returning participants or new participants with a sibling that completed the previous season with the program. All other registrants must wait for the open registration process in order to sign up.

• What is the pre-registration process?  The pre-registration process will start March 5 (and run through April 9).  Alumni and siblings of Alumni can go online and fill out the 2011 participant contract.  You must submit the participant contract electronically.  However, you are also required to print out the player contract and bring it with you to one of the in-person registration dates, along with a current photo (2”x2”), check made payable to “Pittsford Panthers” for $245 (family maximum of $550), and a copy of the participant’s birth certificate (if not on file from last year).  Online registration during the pre-registration period is required to secure a spot on a team.  Only complete packages will be accepted at in-person registration to secure a spot on a team.  In person registration dates for returning players and their siblings will be held on March 19 from 9-11 am at Barker Road Middle School in the Cafeteria commons area and April 9 from 8:30-9:30 am at Barker Road Middle School in the Cafeteria commons area.  Alumni and siblings of Alumni who have not fully complied with the registration requirements will be required to go through open registration.   

• What is the open registration process? The open registration process is a period of time where anyone that does not qualify for preregistration (or has not completed the pre-registration process) is allowed to sign up for the program. Depending on the number of available openings, this process may require a lottery. Starting March 19^th, you may access an electronic copy of the participant contract on the website, fill it out, submit it electronically and print it.  Bring the printed participant contract with you to one of the open registration dates along with a current photo (2”x2”), check made payable to “Pittsford Panthers” for $245 (family maximum of $550), and a copy of the participant’s birth certificate.  Only complete application packages will be accepted.  Open registration will be held on April 9 from 9:30-11:00 am at Barker Road Middle School. Registration will remain open after April 9 only for teams with available openings, in which case we will hold an additional in-person registration on May 4 from 7-8:30 at Barker Road Middle School in the Cafeteria commons area.

• Who is eligible to participate in the open registration process?  Any child that lives in Pittsford or attends school in Pittsford and meets the following age (football and cheerleading) and weight (football only) limitations:

-       A Team – Ages 11-13 under 155 lbs. & Age 14 under 125 lbs.

-       B Team – Ages 9-11 under 130 lbs. & Age 12 under 90 lbs.

-       C Team – Ages 8-9 under 105 lbs & Age 10 under 70 lbs.

            * 9 year olds will be eligible for B team only if they cannot meet the weight requirement for C team.  11 year olds will only be eligible for A team if     they cannot meet the weight requirement for B team.

• What is the lottery all about?  If the number of children signing up during open registration exceeds the available number of openings, a lottery will be held to pull names at random from those that signed up during open registration.  The lottery will be held on April 9, if necessary, immediately following the completion of open registration.  If there are still available opening for any teams as of April 9, open registration will remain open only for those teams that have available openings through May 4,

• Do I need a practice jersey?  All new football players must purchase a practice jersey.  Practice jerseys can be purchased for $20 online at through a link that is available on our website.   

• My son/daughter wants to play/cheer with their friends on a particular team. Can they request that team?  Requests to play/cheer on a particular team will not be honored.  New participants are placed on teams through a draft process that is overseen by the board of directors.  

• My son/daughter played/cheered on a particular team last season, but this season wants to move to the other team. Can they do this? No. We do not swap kids back and forth between teams. Once a participant has been assigned to a particular team, the participant will remain with that team for his/her duration with the program.

• What time are practices held throughout the season? In August, football and cheerleading practices generally run Monday – Thursday from 6-8PM, and Saturdays from 9-11AM. There may be circumstances that cause deviations in those plans, but changes are communicated well in advance. Once school starts in September, practice schedules generally change to Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8PM and Saturdays from 9-11AM.  As daylight diminishes, we scale practice times back during the week.

• How long are practices?  Both football & cheerleading practices last 2 hours per night/day during August (10 hours per week).  In September and October, practice times and duration may vary but generally will not exceed 6 hours per week. For the most part, practice times are planned around the available light.  Some families have both football players and cheerleaders to drop off and pick up, so we attempt to keep the logistical issues to a minimum and maintain the same times for all participants. There will be occasions that cheerleaders may be asked to stay longer (for instance, if a cheer competition is approaching), but you will be notified in advance of these changes.  Keep in mind that as daylight diminishes in the fall, so will practice times.  Depending on how cloudy and overcast the fall days get, practices may be as short as 75 minutes long.

• Where are practices held?  We are currently working with the Pittsford Athletic Department to arrange for field usage for the upcoming season.  Last year practices were held at Barker Road Middle School and Hopkins Park.  Specific locations will be communicated well in advance of the start of the season.

• What is certification?  Certification is a process conducted by the AYFCL league to verify the accuracy of the team rosters. Each participant must be certified by a specific date or he/she will be unable to play or participate in league sponsored events.  Certification dates will be listed in the CALENDAR section of this website and are usually held in conjunction with practice sessions (August).  At certification, football players must be no more than 10 lbs. over the maximum weight for their particular team, with the exception of lightweights, who must not be over the lightweight weight limit for that team.

If a football player signs up as a lightweight and cannot make the weight limit at certification, there is no guarantee that there will be a spot available for the player at the next level.  Similarly, if a child signs up for a level and cannot meet the maximum weight for that level at certification, there is no guarantee that there will be a spot available for the child at the next level.  Once maximum rosters have been reached, further additions to the roster will not be made.  Accordingly, if you are considering having your child participate as a lightweight and at the time of registration your child is not more than 5 lbs. under the lightweight limit, you should consider whether to move your child up to the next level.  If your child’s weight at the time of registration is in excess of the maximum for a particular level, you should also consider moving the child up to the next level.  The Pittsford Panthers do not encourage holding/managing weight in order to play at a particular level. 

• When are games held? Most league scheduled games are held on Sundays. There may be instances when a game is moved to a Saturday, but changes are communicated well in advance.

• Where are games held?  Home games are generally held at Pittsford Mendon High School and Pittsford Sutherland High School.

• What times are the games on Sundays?  The start times are as follows: C team – 11:30AM; A team – 1:30PM; B team – 3:30PM (keep in mind, A & B game start times are a general reference. The actual start time is dependent on the completion time of the previous game.)  Players and cheerleaders are generally expected to be at the field at least 1 hour prior to the scheduled start time. 

• How long are the games on Sundays? Each game averages ~ two hours, depending on the number of interruptions that might delay the game.

• What are the attendance requirements  The Pittsford Panthers football and cheerleading organization expects every participant to attend and actively participate in every practice and game/competition. Attendance means arriving before the coach begins warm-ups and staying until the coach adjourns the team.  The Panther organization stresses safety for all participants, and places high value on developing teamwork from the start. Teamwork is created best through demonstrated commitment to teammates, coaches, and oneself.

Pre-Season:  Players and cheerleaders are permitted no more than three (3) unexcused absences during the period commencing on the first day of practice through the beginning of the school year.  Any participant who has more than three (3) unexcused absences during this period will be prohibited from participating in the first scheduled league football game of the season.  Furthermore, any participant who has more than five (5) total absences during this period, whether the absences are excused, will be prohibited from participating in the first scheduled league football game of the season. 

Once School Begins:  Players and cheerleaders are permitted no more than two (2) unexcused absences from practice from the beginning of school through the last scheduled football game (players) or league cheer competition (cheerleaders).  Players and cheerleaders are permitted no more than one (1) unexcused absence from a scheduled league game or competition throughout the season.  Any participant who exceeds the number of unexcused absences once school begins will be prohibited from participating in the next scheduled league football game, including a playoff or championship game, or cheer competition. 

In addition, once school is in session, players and cheerleaders who miss more than one (1) practice during the week, regardless of whether the absence is excused, are ineligible to participate in that week’s game.  This is a safety issue that the organization takes very seriously – safety for participants and their teammates is paramount. 

Finally, any participant who has accumulated more than six (6) unexcused absences from either practices, games or cheer competitions during the season (beginning August 1) will be automatically dismissed from the program. 

Excused absences are limited to those absences necessitated by the participant’s illness or injury or by a family emergency.  A doctor’s note is required for any medical absence in excess of two (2) consecutive practices/games.  Participants or their parents are expected to advise their coaches of absences in advance and with as much notice as possible.  A participant who is unable to practice due to injury is expected to attend practices and games.  Absences due to any other reason, including other athletics, activities, vacations and family events, are not considered excused absences.  Any unresolved issues regarding an absence or the absence policy should be brought to the attention of the Athletic Directors for football players and Cheer Directors for cheerleaders. 

·        What is the nature of the family volunteer requirement?  The Pittsford Jr. Panther Football and Cheerleading program is based on a 100% volunteer commitment from all of its members (coaches, board members, families). In order to support the program and run it to the standard that everyone has become accustomed to, each family is required to donate volunteer hours. These hours can be applied many different ways. Many of the tasks are fun and provide you with opportunities to meet new people, all with a common goal in mind;  to provide the best possible program to the families, relatives and friends associated with Pittsford Jr. Panthers Football and Cheerleading.  We are in the process of reviewing our volunteer requirements for the 2011 season and will communicate the volunteer hour expectations prior to the start of the season.  We also offer a volunteer “buy out” program for those families that are unable to devote their time to the organization.

• Does the program engage in any fundraising activities?  We recognize today's economy is a challenge for all and we are making a conscience decision to avoid multiple fundraising activities. Considerable board emphasis is placed on developing and maintaining an annual budget with the goal of keeping our costs in line.  We utilize our concession operations to raise money to help fund the ongoing operation of the organization.  In addition, in 2010, we reinstated the Golf Tournament, the one ongoing fund raising activity.  Additional fund raising activities will be considered as long as they are not burdensome to our Panther families and fit within the nature of our program.