MGK League Details
OVERVIEW
We are the Madison Grid Kid Youth Football League, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the benefits of organized football to the residents of the Madison School District. MGK is a part of the Upper Valley Grid Kid Football Association, serving the whole upper valley from Firth to Ashton. We provide opportunities for children from the 4th through 8th grades to participate in full-contact organized football. Our organization is run entirely by volunteers, most of whom have children in the football program. We are known as the Madison Cats Red, White, or Gray. Our three main goals are Safety, Development, and Fun.
FOOTBALL DIVISIONS
MGK sponsors football teams at several different divisions based on the players current school grade level. In previous years the 4th and 5th grades were combined, this year and going forward they will be separate. Upper Valley Grid Kid has subdivisions at each grade level and are designated "Division I" ,"Division II", and "Division III". The teams are placed based on their previous years record. The 4th grade teams are under the "Division III" of the 4th/5th.
Teams only play other teams from their division.
WEIGHT LIMITS
There are weight restrictions in each division. Any player weighing more than the limit will be designated an "X man", and will be restricted to interior line positions (center, guard, tackle) on offense and defense. This year and going forward their is no weight requirement that requires them to play up a grade. All kids regardless of weight can play with their grade. All players are encouraged to play with their own grade level; however, if the player's parents, the coach, and area director agree a player can play one grade up.
The weight limits for 2020 "X" man designation are:
4th Grade 98 lbs
5th Grade 118 lbs
6th Grade 138 lbs
7th Grade 158 lbs
8th Grade 178 lbs
Age limit: Any player, whose 15th birthday is prior to September 1st of the given year, is not eligible to play Grid Kid Football.
FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT
Every tackle football player must wear equipment, including: helmet with face guard and chin strap, mouth guard, shoulder pads, Jersey and pants, belt, and knee, thigh, hip, and tail bone pads, socks and cleats.
MGK will provide helmets, shoulder pads, game jersey(yours to keep), game pants and belt.
Each Player must provide their own mouth piece, chin strap (MUST BE THE SAME BRAND AS THE ISSUED HELMET), red socks and cleats, practice pants and jersey, and the 7 leg pads. Rubber molded cleat shoes, bar cleat little league baseball shoes, Soccer cleats, and tennis shoes are permitted. Steel, aluminum, hard rubber, or nylon with metal cap cleats are not permitted.
A player with missing or improper equipment may not play in the game.
Because we depend on the return of football equipment to support other youth who participate and to minimize the cost of participation, you will be financially responsible for the replacement cost of any equipment that is lost or not returned. The replacement costs are as follows:
Football helmet - $110
Shoulder pads - $75
Game pants and belt - $50
Please do not abuse the equipment. At the end of the season, please return the equipment during the equipment hand-in times.
If the equipment is not returned you will be charged, and if not payed, your child will no longer be allowed to play in MGK.
FOOTBALL PRACTICE
Practices will begin an August. Teams will practice where they are directed by the Area Directors. Under no circumstances will practice exceed 2 ½ hours a day. A team shall not practice more than 5 times in a given week prior to the first game of the season. After the first game of the season, a team will be limited to four activities per week (i.e. 1 game and 3 practices, or 4 practices). No practices may be held on Sunday.
Each player, prior to involvement in full contact, must participate in at least ten (10) hours of conditioning/non-contact activities during a team practice and have five (5) practices completed. No practices, or pre-season camps with equipment, will be allowed prior to the official start date of the Grid Kid season. Teams violating the start date will forfeit post-season play.
Scheduling of practices is at the discretion of the head coaches.
Practice Participation Critical
We cannot overemphasize the importance of participating in practices. We stress individual player development and commitment to the team. Precious practice time is spent conditioning, learning and practicing individual skills, and learning and practicing team plays. All of these activities are critical to a player′s individual growth and to the teams.
Playing Time - 10 Play Minimum Rule
Each player shall participate in any and all games for which he is eligible. This means that a player shall have the opportunity to play in a minimum of 10 plays during the course of a game. Please note that this includes ALL games.
Eligibility - A player shall be considered eligible if he or she has attended all practices for that week and given his or her full effort during practice. As a coach it is your foremost responsibility to ensure the safety of your players and to help them reach their potential.
Policing - The policing of this rule shall be the responsibility of the head coach. He or she must have a system to ensure that each player has the opportunity to play 10 plays.The coach can create whatever system he or she would like but records must be available should a players playing time be in dispute. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action for the Head Coach.
Should a player′s parents be concerned about playing time they must first approach the Head Coach. If the Head Coach does not provide a reasonable explanation the parents should then approach the Area Director. Parents approaching League officials prior to meeting with the Head Coach and the Area Directors will simply be directed to do so.
Should this reach the Area Director the league expects that he or she will discuss the situation with the Head Coach and the parents and attend and observe practice should it be necessary. The Area Director should also review the coach′s records to ensure that he or she is maintaining adequate records. Should this reach the Executive Board they will visit with the Area Director and the Head Coach to review their explanation for the amount of time the player in question is receiving. Absent a reasonable explanation the Head Coach may be suspended for 1 game.
Important note on policing this rule: This is strictly the concern of each team and their players. Any complaints from parents other than the player′s parents or other teams WILL NOT BE HEARD!!!! If an Area Director has a concern he can contact the other Area Director but it is not the opponents place to police this rule !!!!
FOOTBALL COST
Philosophy
We are a non-profit organization and budget to operate on essentially a break even basis. To make the program as affordable as possible, we re-use equipment each year and engage in various fund raising activities. Our expenses every year include, among others: (1) replacing uniforms and equipment as necessary, (2) reconditioning and re-certifying helmets and shoulder pads, (3) team and player fees payable to the UCFC, (4) individual trophies, (5) field and facilities use, and (6) general & administrative expenses.
All of our board members, officers, coaches and team helpers are volunteers and none of them are compensated for the hundreds of hours they devote to our program.
Participation Fees
Participation fees for 2022 are $250 if registered by June 30th. If your child requires a concussion test which most do this year, the fee is included in the fee. After July 10th there will be an additional $50 late fee. If you want to choose your number and have your name on your jersey, you must register by June 30th. If you are new or have extenuating circumstances, we still want you! Please contact a coach, myself, or an assistant to get registered. Please note that before a player will be considered registered in our program, all fees must be paid in full. Payment is made by credit card, debit card, electronic check (bank transfer on payment option), check, or cash.
If there are payment difficulties or special circumstances, please contact me at madisongridkid@gmail.com.
Refunds
Refunds will be issued in the following circumstances:
If a player drops prior to the registration deadline, a full refund less a $10 processing fee will be given.
If a player drops after the registration deadline but before the first day of practice, a refund of half less the $10 processing fee will be given. If a player drops on/after the first day of practice, no refund will be given.
Late fees and a $10 processing fee are not refundable. * If a players uniform has been ordered, the cost of the uniform will not be refunded.
In all circumstances, any equipment issued to a player must be returned before any refund will be processed. We depend on the return of football equipment to support other players who participate and to minimize the cost of participation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
An application must be completed for every prospective football player. All registrations are done online by clicking on the registration link on the home page of the website.
All information requested during registration must be provided accurately. This information is used to establish each team. An incomplete application will not be accepted and may result in a prospective player losing a spot on a team or priority on a waiting list. Incorrect information may preclude participation in football.
The following things are needed for each player: Completed registration, paid fees, a physical (within last 2 yrs and copy on file with MGK), a signed parental approval form, a liability waiver, player and parental agreement to uphold the Grid Kid Code of Conduct, and concussion test.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers Are Critical
Simply put, our program would not exist without volunteers. We do not compensate any of our volunteers, including coaches, board members and team moms, yet they and many others devote a substantial amount of their time and energy to support our youth sports program.
For example, consider the time our coaches devote. They attend 10 hours of practice per week during pre-season and attend Grid Kid meetings and training sessions. During the season, they participate in 6 or 7 hours of practice per week plus games. On top of this, most coaches spend additional time each week preparing for games by participating in coaches′ meetings, reviewing game films and scouting upcoming opponents. They also spend time talking with parents and their players outside of practice and helping the MGK with activities such as fundraising, field preparation, and equipment hand-outs.
If you would like to volunteer at any level, please contact your coach or us at madisongridkid@gmail.com.