2026�DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTBALL�PARENT/PLAYER�SUMMER INFORMATION MEETING

Huskie Quarterback Club – DC Football Booster Club

Program Fees/Volunteer Outline

Huskie Quarterback Club Purpose

The Huskie Quarterback Club (HQBC) is the DC Football Booster Club. The HQBC is a not-for-profit

organization whose primary purpose is to encourage, promote, and aid the football program at Douglas

County High School. The HQBC helps to raise the funds necessary to provide our coaches and players

with the resources they need to be a competitive force within the league, as well as helping our kids

experience the best that high school athletics has to offer. The HQBC is committed to providing a quality

program that encompasses the total development of our student athletes. The HQBC accomplishes

these goals through the continuing support of our community and the parents, friends, and relatives of

Huskie players and coaches.

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What does this really mean?

The HQBC is a parent organization that:

• Coordinates fundraising activities to help players offset their program costs.
• Partners with the Coaching Staff to provide the resources needed for the football program.
• Bridges communication and connection to the parents.
• Organizes events that bring the players together as a team.
• Plans events like the Parent Mixers and Tackle the Town.
• Brings the Huskie Football Family together with events such as the Family BBQ and Special
• Events during home games.
• Links the Castle Rock Community to the Football Program through events like the DC Fair
• Parade and business partnerships.
• Helps build school spirit and support for our football team – Dog Pound Reserve Seating.�� 

Who is the Booster Club?

You are the Booster Club. As the parent of a player involved in the DC Football program, you are part of the HQBC. Your participation and support are essential to our ability to deliver on the Club’s mission to support the football players and coaches at Douglas County High School.

HQBC Executive Board and Leadership

President: Celestie March - president.huskiequarterbackclub@gmail.com

Vice President: Todd Peterson - tpeterson61@mac.com

Treasurer: Jen Peterson - treasurer.huskiequarterbackclub@gmail.com

Secretary: Lauren Wilson - secretary.huskiequarterbackclub@gmail.com

Senior Liaison: Jean Vaughn

Junior Liaison: Maureen Warbington

Sophomore Liaison: Brittany Williams

Freshman Liaison: OPEN

Dog Pound Reserve Seating: OPEN

Huskie Cards Fundraiser Coordinator: OPEN

Team Meals: Senior Moms

Team Meals Food Coordinator: OPEN

Spirit Shack Management: OPEN

Purple Bus Management: OPEN

Trailer Management: OPEN

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HQBC meetings are open to everyone and held once a month. You can find them on the calendar. This is the best place to get current information on the Football Program.

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Program Cost

The Annual DCHS Football dues are $850.  The dues for Summer training camp are $350.  The HQBC provides multiple options for fundraising to cover the annual dues.   These fundraising options are outlined in the Huskies Fundraising document. Any player who is unable to raise this money through the fundraising options offered, will be asked to pay the difference in funds to the program.  An outline of program expectations is below:

1^st Fee: $350 due on or by June 5th or June 6th 2026. This amount pays for Football summer training camp.  Summer workouts include practice, weights and speed/conditioning development each day.  This fee also helps pay for the players spirit packs which includes 1 compression shirt, 1 dri-fit t-shirt and 1 pair of shorts. This fee can be reduced and in some cases waived entirely for families in need. Just communicate your need with Coach Rice.

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2^nd Fee: $850 due on or before August 19th, 2026 (If participating in Huskie Fundraising). This amount

pays for the cost of the season. If you are choosing the pay in full option without Huskie Fundraising your

$850 will be due on or before July 23rd, 2026.

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Separate from the above payments, is the $200 that is paid directly to the Douglas County Athletic

Department and is due by August 3rd, 2026. This amount is a requirement of every athlete who plays any sport at DCHS. Go to the Douglas County Athletics website to register your player with the Athletic Department and pay

the $200 fee: https://douglascountyhuskies.org/

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What the $850 Fee covers:

Remember we are not asking people to pay this fee, but rather to fundraise this amount of money through Huskie Raise, Huskie Card Sales and by your King Soopers Card rewards

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Administrative Expenses ($100)

Insurance fees for the program - Office Supplies - Subscription fees/Post Office Box Rental

PayPal Fees - Game day experience (Programs/Banners/Balloons/Flags/etc.)

End of Season Banquet ($30)

Freshman, JV, and Varsity Banquets (food/decor)

Coaches Salary/Development ($150)

Coaches training seminars

(1-4) Coaches’ salaries (DCSD only pays for 9 coaches)

End of season gifts / awards

Nutrition/Team Hospitality ($120)

Transportation to and from games

Team meals, snacks, and nutrition

Uniforms/Training Reconditioning ($450)

Helmet reconditioning - Helmet decals

Headset reconditioning (Coaches Communications System)

Sideline recording and replay system

Equipment and ipad upkeep

10-20 new shoulder pads each year - Field equipment for practices��

Booster Club Volunteer Expectations

The Booster Club is dependent on volunteers to accomplish everything we do to support the Huskie Football Program and our players. All freshman football families are required to work our stadium concession stand for at least one home varsity football game during the regular and potentially playoff season. We also ask that all football families volunteer 4-6 hours to HQBC activities and events throughout the year. Volunteer opportunities are available to fit all schedules and interests including: fundraising, social events, game day activities, and administrative jobs.

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The reason we need Freshman families to work our concession stand at varsity home games is because it brings in about $6,000 or more per season!

Ways parents can participate throughout the year:

• Attending games and helping to coordinate game day activities
• Attending and working at the various events and fundraisers.
• Bringing in Partners and Sponsorships for the Huskie Football Program
• Being an active part of the Booster Club, Executive Board, or Committee Chair

Also…It’s FUN!!! Volunteering at activities and events that support the Football Program is a great way to get to know the players, coaches, and families in our Huskie Football Family.

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DCHS SPORTS MEDICINE

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Kasey Jahnke (Chapman) MS, LAT, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer

Douglas County High School

C: 602-826-6153 | O: 303-387-1278 | kjahnke@dcsdk12.org

�Each DCSD High School employs one Athletic Trainer responsible for:

● In-season sports per CHSAA calendar

● On-campus/ in season practices 2:55-6pm, on school days

● Varsity home games, sub-varsity home games as schedule allows

● Football: all varsity games and sub-varsity home games

● Evaluate & treat sports-related injuries

● Emergency medical care

● Administer treatments/ modalities and provide rehabilitation instructions

● Communicate with coaches, parents, school nurse, physicians

● Refer to sports medicine physician when necessary

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DCHS SPORTS MEDICINE

Medical Clearance note is required after ANY doctor visit per DCSD Policy

● Provided to athletic training staff - or to Coach during Off-Season

● Must specify clearance for sports/football

● The practitioner that removes you from activity must be the one that clears you

• Exception ER visits.

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Athletic Registration must include:

● Guardian name and contact information

● Emergency contact - someone other than guardian contact

● Allergies and medical conditions

● Consent to treat

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Athletes with medical conditions must bring supplies

● Asthma inhalers, diabetic meds/snacks, allergy epi pens

● Designated bag/backpack

● Inform coaches

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DCHS SPORTS MEDICINE

Injury Prevention

● Attend pre-season workouts

● Learn proper technique, gain football knowledge

● Build strength, speed, and endurance

● Perform warm up & cool down

● Stretch often

• Eat more and eat right, drink more water, avoid caffeine/ nicotine, get more sleep.

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In Pain? Come see me!

● The sooner, the better.

● Learn the difference between soreness and pain.

● We have lots of tools in the training room to help decrease pain while keeping you on the field.

● Play through pain, not through injuries.

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Lightning Policy

• Perry Weather
• “Warning” at 15 miles, clear fields at 10 miles
• 30 minutes without new strikes = return to play

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DCHS SPORTS MEDICINE

Heat Illness - 100% Preventable

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• Hydration, nutrition, proper clothing, acclimatize, be aware of symptoms, rapid cooling
• Hydration Guidelines- BW x 0.66 = min fl oz / day
• Symptoms: Heavy sweating, cool/pale/clammy skin, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, muscle cramps, headache, fast/weak pulse, stopped sweating
• Immediate treatment: Move to a shaded or air conditioned area, remove excess clothing.
• Rapid cooling in an ice water tub. Apply ice to the back of the neck, under arms, groin, hands, and feet.

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DCHS SPORTS MEDICINE

Concussion - when in doubt, speak up

• Can occur from blow to head or whiplash motion
• Common symptoms: headache, dizziness, nausea, vision changes, confusion, imbalance, light or noise sensitivity, ears ringing, feeling anxious/emotional
• Emergency: passed out/blacked out, vomiting, slurred speech, convulsions, increased confusion or agitation, weakness or tingling or numbness in arms or legs, extreme drowsiness
• MOI → On field evaluation → Sway test → Concussion protocol/ academic accommodations
• → Daily Symptom Check → Sway test returns to baseline → Return To Play
• Step 1: Return to daily activities without return of symptoms
• Step 2: Light cardio- 15-20 minutes of stationary bike, elliptical, and jogging just to increase heart rate
• Step 3: Moderate cardio- 30 minutes of running, and conditioning (burpee, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, etc.), enough to break a sweat and maintain an elevated heart rate.
• Step 4: Non-contact practice- no live drills
• Step 5: Full contact practice
• Doctor’s Note!!
• Step 6: Full clearance from RTP and concussion protocol
• Nutrition, hydration, sleep, and avoidance of screens promote healing.

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CONCUSSION POLICY FOR ATTENDING GAMES AND PRACTICES

• Any player that gets diagnosed with a concussion is still expected to be at practices unless told otherwise by our team trainer or personal doctor.
• To assist the team by helping set up and take down the water stations, potentially helping set out some field equipment and most importantly being around the team to still watch, learn and take mental reps for their eventual return to the field so they know what is going on.

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• If one of our athletes has a concussion that requires them to miss any practices, then we will not allow that player on the sidelines and do not want the player to attend in any way that week's game.

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• The reason for this is…..if a concussion is severe enough, many times that means light and sound sensitivity are a problem for that athlete. Therefore, the sideline of a football game is the worst place to be in most cases. Also at a varsity game, being in the stands is just as bad.
• A night varsity game affects all of those factors. The bright lights of the stadium. The loud sounds of the crowd and band. All of these factors can make recovery time longer in coming back from a concussion.

INJURY PROCEDURES

Players need to see our trainer during or after any team activity if they become injured or sick at any point in time.

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• Players need to let a coach know what is going on before they just take off to go see the trainer.
• No matter what the reason, ALL players start practice ALL together on the field for team stretch and pre-practice announcements before they are allowed to head off to the trainer for treatment that they might need.
• Our training staff and I have discussed this policy and are in 100% agreement on this as our practice policy.
• Parents…..please have your son report to Kasey if they get a hit to the midsection or middle-lower back and are feeling any type of pain as a result of that hit.
• It could be a lacerated or ruptured spleen/kidney and there could be internal bleeding occurring.
• This needs to be treated immediately! Internal bleeding can be life threatening!

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• With all this being said, we want our players to be tough and not complain about every little thing. Be tough, but be smart…..when in doubt see our trainer!
• Being injured is NOT a reason skip practices. We still expect players that are injured or a little under the weather (Covid, Flu or seriously ill…..please stay home) to still attend ALL practices and help out with water and equipment and pay attention to what is going on.

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MY BACKGROUND – RICE FAMILY

• I have been a high school football coach since 1996 and have been the Head Football Coach at Fort Collins HS and Douglas County HS for the past 24 years.
• I have also played/coached college football and arena football.

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• Link to my Philosophy and Bio
• https://sites.google.com/dcsdk12.org/douglas-county-football/home

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• My wife Laurie has been a teacher at Fort Collins and now here at DCHS with me for going on 23 years.
• Laurie is the Head Boys Track Coach here at DCHS and was a 2 time 5A state champion in the 400 meters in 1998-99.
• She ran on a full scholarship at Penn State and still to this day holds the 100 meter and 200 meter school records at Fort Collins HS.
• She will be assisting us in various ways in our program here at Douglas County HS as well as continuing to teach English.
• Laurie and I have been married for going on 20 years now and we have 3 children.
• Hayley – age 17 (Junior at DC this year)
• Chaz – age 14 (Will be part of our incoming frosh class)
• Payton – age 7

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FIRST THINGS COMING UP FOR OUR TEAM

• Practice for all levels on May 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 26^th, 27^th and 28^th
• We will not be in the stadium, but on our top practice field for these practices.
• All of these practices will be from 6:00pm to 7:45pm.
• Equipment Check Out on June 5th and 6th
• I’ll go into greater detail on a later slide in this presentation.
• Team Summer Weights, Conditioning, Practices
• Begins on June 8th
• Mondays – Thursdays (most weeks)
• 7am – 10am Daily (Please try to be at the school by 6:45am for attendance to be taken)
• Go to our Football website to pay for the summer program (Forms and Docs.)

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New DCHS School Leadership

• Please welcome our new athletic director…….Shawn Larkin

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• We also have a new principal this year. Jarod Nicholson

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YOUR PLAYERS GRADES

• If you have a player that will be in 10^th, 11^th or 12^th grade for this next upcoming school year, and they ARE GOING TO FAIL 1 or more classes, then you need to immediately look into summer school or some type of on-line credit recovery.
• See your students school counselor or Casey Turnbaugh (one of our school A.P.’s) for more information on making up failing grades over the summer.
• If you end this final semester with 2 or more F’s and do not make up 1 of those F’s in summer school, CHSAA will put you on the ineligible list that lasts for the first 6-11 weeks of the fall sports season.
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• THIS YEAR (AS OF NOW) AGAIN IS NO PASS = NO PLAY!

YOUR PLAYERS BEHAVIOR IN CLASSES AND IN OUR BUILDING IN GENERAL

• I send an email to the entire staff at DCHS at the beginning of each year letting them know that if anyone in our building has any problems or issues with any of our football players to email me and let me know what is going on so I can act on their behalf.

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• I send our DCHS staff the list of names of our football players so they know who our players are and can have our players on their radar right away to begin the school year.

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• We fully expect our players to be well behaved in their classes and anywhere they go in the building! We fully expect our players to be respectful and to not back-talk any of our teachers, administrators or any DCHS support staff that works here in our building. DO NOT BE DISRUPTIVE IN YOUR CLASSES!

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• Follow our two team rules…….Be a good person and do what’s right!

MANDATORY SUMMER THINGS TO BE HANDED IN

Equipment WILL NOT be checked out to any player and no player may participate in our summer or fall program unless they have completed handing in the following items. Forms can be scanned and emailed to Coach Rice right away (the sooner I get them the better) or they can be handed in on equipment check out day on the Friday or Saturday that your player is supposed to attend. You can also leave forms in an envelope with our front office workers in our main office here at DCHS. Ask them to please put your envelope in Coach Rice’s mail-box.

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• Code of Conduct Form
• Summer Weight Room Form
• Google Docs On-line Forms (2 of them…..player/parent contact info and acknowledgement of reading through this summer/fall information slide show)
• Fundraiser Agreement
• Settled all football related fines from any of your players past seasons.
• $350 Football Training and Team Camp fee.

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• This summer weights and conditioning fee can be reduced if necessary or in some cases waived completely! We will still ask that the family pay at least $75.00 - $100 for charter bus travel and the team spirit pack that all players MUST have for lifting and practices this season if they can afford to.
• Simply call or e-mail Coach Rice and explain your family situation.
• This $350 summer fee has nothing to do whatsoever with Douglas County schools free and reduced lunch fees. This fall you will have to pay another fee of $200 which is fall sports here in Douglas County. This is a separate fee that goes to pay for officials, game workers, etc. during the fall sports season.
• The fall sports fee can be reduced by DCHS or waived completely if you are on free and reduced lunch.

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WHAT DOES THE $350 SUMMER FEE PAY FOR???

• Summer Spirit Pack (T-Shirt and Shorts) - $75.00
• The boys all get 1 compression shirt, 1 dri-fit t-shirt and 1 pair of shorts.
• The boys are expected to be dressed in their spirit packs for every shells or helmet only practice as well as lifting and conditioning session during the summer/fall.
• Always bring both of your practice shirts with you to weights, practices and lifting sessions!
• Players will not be allowed to practice with the team if they are not dressed in their spirit pack team issued shirts and shorts. They MUST have the correct shirt on. We will look like a team at all times.

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• Lifting/Conditioning Camp Fee - $275.00
• Payment of our Athletic Trainer(s) and Coaches. Coaches only make $10 per hour.
• Transportation (we have to pay for charter buses to travel to Fossil Ridge and those are not cheap!)
• Payment for officials to work scrimmages and 7 on 7’s
• Registrations Fees for 7 on 7’s
• Any extra field or personal player equipment we might need during the summer.
• If any player does not have all forms signed, filled out the google docs forms and summer fee with them or turned in ahead of time, we WILL NOT check out any equipment to any player.
• If you have two children in our football program then the summer fee is $350 for the first player and only $200 for the second player. So, $550 total instead of $700……yeah!!!

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EQUIPMENT CHECK OUT

This can be a long process so be patient and be prepared to wait for your turn especially for freshmen who may have never put on football pads and equipment yet!

• Our equipment room is located in the south building next to the gym. We provide all the equipment the boys will need except for their cleats and hip and tail-bone padding.
• A girdle that contains at least hip and tailbone padding is mandatory.
• Any extra equipment you choose to buy is up to you….but please read the extra equipment do’s and don’ts on our forms and docs tab on our team website.

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• Friday, June 5^th
• Seniors will check out equipment from 8:00am to 9:00am.
• Juniors will be issued equipment from approximately 9:00am to 10:30am.
• Saturday, June 6^th
• Sophomores will be issued equipment from 8:00am until 9:30am
• Freshmen will check out equipment from 9:30am until approximately 11:30am/noon.

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• If you DO NOT bring a combination lock for your locker on equipment check out day, then we WILL NOT issue you any equipment until you have one. No KEY locks. Combo locks ONLY. We will record the players combo and give it to them in case they forget it. This way we do not have to try to find the lock cutters to remove a lock.

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• You are not permitted to take your equipment home with you! In fact, once we issue the players their equipment, the only thing they will go home with is their helmet and their spirit packs. We will keep the rest of their equipment in the bag we issue to them in our equipment room and when we get to our padded portion of our summer team camp in July, we will then give the bags with the rest of their protective gear and uniforms to them.

EQUIPMENT CHECK OUT

All equipment and uniforms that are checked out to me are my responsibility to care for and turn in at the end of the football season. Any lost or stolen items are my financial responsibility not the coaches, Douglas County HS or Douglas County School District. I will be expected to pay for any items that I do not turn in at the end of the season that were checked out to me at any point in time during the season. I also understand that I will be fined $20.00 if I do not clean out my locker at the end of the football season and force the coaches to do so for me. I also understand that I will be fined $10.00 if I turn in any of my uniforms (practice or game) and they are still dirty or soiled in any way. I understand that when I do this, I force the DCHS coaching staff to do all of my uniform laundry for me and that takes a considerable amount of time. Also, if I return game or practice pants without the drawstring in them, I will be fined $5.00 for every pair of pants I return that does not have the drawstring in the pants. Finally, any items that are not returned by the beginning of March 2027, I will owe the team for those items…..whether I turn in the items or not. I understand that uniforms and equipment must be re-ordered by the first of March 2027.

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COST TO REPLACE EQUIPMENT

Helmet - $495

Shoulder pads - $250

Thigh Pads - $20

Knee Pads - $10

Practice Jersey - $50

Practice Pants - $55

Game Jersey - $120 - $135

Game Pants - $105

Equipment Bag - $50

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CARING FOR UNIFORMS

• Please DO NOT wash any of your white game or practice jerseys/pants with any other colors……and only wash in cold water
• Spray and Wash is your friend! Use it on soiled parts every wash to get stains out.
• Do not use bleach!
• Do not use fabric softener.
• Air dry…..do not put in the dryer.
• Last season, several times we had white jerseys and pants get turned into many different colors other than white because of them being washed with other darker colored articles of clothing.
• If you turn in a jersey or a pair of pants this year that are stained from a laundry accident, you will be financially responsible for replacing that part of the uniform that now is no longer a normal color like it is supposed to be.

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TEAM RULES

• We only have 2 main team rules. They are easy to remember, and we will ask the player to be able to recite them back to us when asked…….”What are our team rules?”

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• BE A GOOD PERSON! - DO WHAT’S RIGHT! (Examples)
• We don’t want our boys swearing, absolutely no using racial slurs and no using sexual preference slurs ever. These are all ways to certainly get yourself into a lot of unwanted trouble.
• Treat your peers with respect. In the hallways at school and in the classroom act appropriately!
• Go to all of your classes and practices…..do not skip and if you have to miss, you need to let a coach know ahead of time!
• BE ON TIME! - If you are early, you are on time, if you are on time….then you are late!
• At practices if players show up late (without a valid reason), or not dressed properly they will have to give a coach some T.I.M.E. right as they arrive.
• Toughness Installation Mental Encouragement – Military burpees usually for about 30 seconds.
• Hand in all of your assignments and be proactive with your teachers about getting make-up work when you miss for hopefully a valid reason.
• Be courteous to all staff members, security, custodians, etc.
• I encourage all DCHS teachers to tell me when our players are not acting appropriately or working hard in their classes. Being reported by another teacher to us as a coaching staff can lead us to suspend players from games if we feel it is warranted.
• We WILL have a FAMILY/BOTHERHOOD mentality on this team.
• Our players will see this logo again on this year's travel shirt for our team.
• Always Faithful, Often Tested, Brothers Forever!

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EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR TEAM

I expect us to be a TOUGH Football Team!

• Mentally Tough and Physically Tough
• THE = Toughness, Hustle, Effort
• I expect us to compete in everything that we do.
• Many things in life force us to compete…...applying for a job, getting accepted into college, etc.
• Know how to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
• I expect us to play with poise, control and be first class in the face of someone who is not being first class out on the football field.

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• I expect our players to work hard in everything that they do.
• Outwork our opponents every single day.
• I expect all players on our team to take part in the summer speed/weights/practice camp.
• We will have fundamental work and scheme install periods every day that we practice during the summer.
• Dates and Times are Monday’s – Thursday’s beginning from 7am – 10am.
• Freshman and Sophomores will begin on the field for practice and Juniors and Seniors will begin in the weight room. The two groups will switch at 8am and then we will all do speed development and conditioning together at 9am.

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SOME MORE BASIC EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR TEAM

• I expect every player that is going to be in 10^th – 12^th grade to be in our 7th Hour Weights class (if you can, based on class size availability)
• Players that will be seniors only need to be in that class the first semester of the 2026 school year.
• We will expect freshmen to be in 7th hour weights 2^nd semester.
• I expect all of our coaches and our players to attend all practices, lifting sessions, team meetings, 7on7’s, scrimmages and games.
• If you have a scheduling conflict of some kind then myself or your players position coach needs to be notified ahead of time by e-mail, text or phone call.
• 3 unexcused absences can lead to a player being dismissed from the team.
• Parents, we ask you to please NOT schedule appointments for your child during practice times unless it is a doctor's appointment for an injury that occurred during a football game or practice and you are not able to practice or play because of that injury.

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EXPECTATIONS CONTINUED

• We WILL hold all players accountable at all times to team rules, school rules and all the things that we ask our players to do on a daily basis.
• Basically, if players on our team are doing things wrong in any aspect of school, daily life or sports, WE WILL talk to them about it and try to correct improper behaviors.
• For practices, players must be dressed out in the same gear as everyone on the team or they will not be allowed to practice.
• Example…..when we have a helmet only practice and we tell the players that they need to be dressed in their purple spirit pack shorts and black spirit pack shirt, if they don’t not have these exact items, we will send them in to locate them and they can practice with the team once they are dressed like everyone else on the team.

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO GET ONTO OUR TEAM BAND ACCOUNT.�

COMMUNICATION

Team Website and BAND Announcements.

• It is very important for all players and parents to have your cell phones set up to receive our team BAND announcements as this is one of the major ways that we message the team.

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• We will not respond to BAND comments or questions. If you need to personally communicate with me or any of your coaches, please either call, e-mail or text us. If you text, then please tell us who you are in the text.
• Please see our team website for mine and most of our coaches’ contact information.

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• Please remember that it is a CHSAA rule that prohibits coaches from responding to phone calls, voice-mails, e-mails and text messages on Sundays.

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• We can send out a group message on our BAND account and a mass informational e-mail on Sunday’s, but that is all.

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• Make sure you have your BAND notifications turned on so you can know when a message gets sent out by myself, my asst. coaches or from our booster club.

COMMUNICATION

We WILL also use our team website for a lot of communication!

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• Please make sure you frequently check our football website routinely.

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• Knowing the team calendar on our BAND app.

• It is very important for all players and parents to view our calendar often so you can know when all meetings, equipment check out days/times, practices, lifting/conditioning sessions, 7 on 7 games/tournaments, scrimmages, team events/fundraisers, regular season games and even off times are during the summer and throughout the fall.

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COMMUNICATION

How to contact Coaches or our Team Trainers.

• Kasey Jahnke MS, LAT, ATC
• Head Athletic Trainer - DCHS
• C: 602-826-6153 | O: 303-387-1278 | kjahnke@dcsdk12.org

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• To contact coaches, go to douglascountyhuskies.org Then click on fall sports, Next click on Varsity Football. Scroll down a bit from there to see a link that says DC Huskies Football and click on that to get to our team website that we are using. Click on the coaches tab to navigate to our coaches profile page.
• Intro new members to our coaching staff.
• Again, please keep in mind that coaches cannot call, e-mail or text you back on Sundays as it is a CHSAA violation. All we can do is send messages to the entire team using the BAND app.
• Players and parents please let Coach Rice know if you are going to miss a practice or any football related event/activity.
• Again…..3 unexcused absences can lead to a player being dismissed from the team!

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SUMMER AND FALL PAPERWORK

So, what’s the difference?

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• The documents we made available to you here this evening is due to me (Coach Rice) for us to allow your son to participate in the summer activities that we do. You may scan and email these forms into me.

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• The things that you need to do to be ready to play in August are all available on our DC Huskies athletic Website.
• https://douglascountyhuskies.org/

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• The fall sports fee is $200 for all DCSD students. Charter or home-schooled parents might want to check with Susie Eilers in our athletic office (South Building) to see if this fee is the same. In other districts, charter or home school kids in some cases have been required to pay more to participate.

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• You WILL NOT be allowed to practice beginning on Aug. 5^th unless you have all fall paperwork submitted, you have done the online registration through our DC Huskies athletics website and have registered your player on the Arbiter website as well.
• Players cannot participate in our zero week game beginning on August 21st or 22nd until they have accumulated at least 9 practices! This is another strict CHSAA regulation for player safety.

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• Get your physical scheduled early this summer if you plan to have it done by your family doctor!

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USAGE OF THE LOCKER ROOM

All of our players are required to use the locker room and taking their football equipment home with them in their cars on a daily basis is NOT permissible once we formally issue the lockers to the players on July 13th.

• The only time it is ever OK for a player to take his gear with him out of the locker room and keep it at home is when we are on our way to a game, a 7 on 7 or some kind of competition where a player needs his pads/uniforms and then at the completion of that event, there is not an opportunity for the player to return their gear back to the locker room.

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• Players WILL change in the locker room for football games, practices and for Weights/PE classes.
• However, having the locker room to use is a privilege. If players are caught vandalizing the locker room they will not be allowed to use the locker rooms any longer and will have to find a bathroom to change in.
• Vandalizing the locker room includes but is not limited to purposely breaking lockers by kicking them in or forcing them open. Breaking or disrespecting our locker room motivational signs/posters. Also if you are caught bullying, hazing, vaping, using tobacco or any other drugs or alcohol this will result in an immediate removal from our locker rooms.

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• LOCK UP YOUR LOCKERS!
• Stealing from teammates will not be tolerated! Players can be suspended or removed from the team at the Coaching Staffs discretion in collaboration with our athletic director.
• Borrowing a practice jersey or a shirt from a teammate is not OK to do….especially if that player needs his jersey or shirt. If caught doing it, you can be sent in from practice.

LOCKERS – LOCKER ROOM DO’S/DON'TS

• We only have 99 tall and big lockers in the locker room in the North Building.
• Those lockers will get issued to all varsity and JV players.
• Players WILL NOT have locker partners.
• All players are to be responsible for their own gear and maintaining he neatness and cleanliness of their own locker and the entire room in general.
• Our freshman players will have a locker in the locker room located close to our County Power Plant weight room and old main gym in the front part of the north building of the school.
• Names need to be on players bags. Put a piece of tape around the handle.
• It is never OK to take things from a teammate.
• Stealing from a teammate can get you removed from the team immediately!
• Do not loan your gear to other players. You are responsible for it!
• Bullying/Hazing and Vandalizing are never OK anywhere and especially in the locker room.
• Bullying/Hazing and Vandalizing can have you removed from the team immediately!
• This includes on-line and cyber bullying too!
• GET A COMBO LOCK FOR YOUR LOCKER…..NOT A KEY LOCK!
• HAVE IT ON EQUIPMENT CHECK OUT DAY! Once we issue equipment and uniforms to you…..you are financially responsible for them if they become lost or stolen.

EQUIPMENT DO’S AND DON'TS

All players need to have either a purple, black or white pair of cleats this year.

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Any player may wear purple, black or white cleats for practices. If you are trying to get any accent colors on your white cleats, check with Coach Rice first to make sure they are OK to purchase for this season. Check with Coach Rice for approval of your cleats before you custom design your cleats using the Nike Customize design method.

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Visors that attach to a player’s facemask….only clear visors are permitted per CHSAA rules!

• They are really not necessary unless you have had an eye injury or a vision problem. Visors are a pain when it begins to rain and will have to be taken off.
• Chin straps on our team must be white or black.
• So, if you are going out to purchase your own, make sure you buy one that is white or black.
• Mouthpieces must be team colors only! Purple, black, clear, white or silver/grey are the only acceptable colors.

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EQUIPMENT DO’S AND DON’TS CONTINUED

Gloves must be either white, black, grey or purple. No other colors will be allowed.

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No goofy socks at practice!!!

• Team colors only (purple, black, white, grey)

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Undergarments that the boys wear under their pads must be either black, white, purple or grey.

• No other colors will be allowed.

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The boys must play games in the appropriate uniform that the entire team is wearing.

• Jerseys will be pulled down! No jerseys rolled up under your shoulder pads. We will issue team under-tights to all players that MUST be worn in the games. We will look first class as a football team.

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Nothing will be worn in practices or games that adds on to a helmet such as a Guardian Cap, extra inside liners, etc. that might void the manufacturer’s warranty for the helmet.

 Also, if you choose to purchase any protective equipment (i.e. helmet or shoulder pads), on your own, the item(s) must be certified by the retailer your purchased them from each year at your own personal expense.

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EQUIPMENT DO’S AND DON’TS CONTINUED

All players MUST have a three pad girdle to wear. A 3 pad girdle protects the hips and tailbone.

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• We have 3 – 3XL Girdles, 18 – XXL 5 pad girdles, 1 – XXL 7 pad girdle, 1 large girdle, 1 medium girdle, 3 small girdles and 1 large shoulder and rib protector shirt left over that you may purchase for $10.00 at equipment check out if you want to. First come, first serve obviously : )

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• Outside of having to purchase cleats, a girdle and any other gloves, arm sleeves or any other accessories you might want, DCHS football provides all protective equipment your player will need for the season.

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• We have a flyer to an online store through BSN on our google sites website on the forms and docs tab that offers cleats, gloves, girdles, etc.

EQUIPMENT USAGE IN THE SUMMER

If your son wants to attend a college football camp on their own this summer, they are OK to do so but under the following CHSAA regulations regarding equipment…..

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This excerpt is from the Early Season Bulletin that can be found on the chsaa.org website.  Here is the Q/A that will address the summer equipment for students. 

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• Q – Can a player attend both a full contact camp with his team and go to the Mile High Football Camp (or some camp like that for individual players)?

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• A – Yes. This change does not affect an individual player’s ability to go to multiple individual skills camps if he is not issued school equipment for a 2^nd camp.

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• A player is allowed to have their helmet the entire summer, so they CAN take that piece of equipment to additional team camps over summer.

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LIFTING AND CONDITIONING

2026 Summer Conditioning, Weight Room and Practice Schedule

• 11^th and 12^th graders Lift Weights from – 7am – 8am while 9^th and 10^th graders will practice.
• 9^th and 10^th graders Lift Weights from – 8:10am – 9:10am while 11^th and 12^th graders will practice.
• Speed/Conditioning Work – 9:15am – 10am
• The first day of weights and conditioning is on Monday June 2nd.
• We will lift weights, condition and practice each day that is listed on our website calendar.
• No players will be allowed to lift, condition or practice with the team unless they have handed in all summer paperwork and paid the $350 Summer fee.
• Each day the players need to dress in their summer spirit pack t-shirt (always have both of your shirts with you) and shorts and always have your cleats. Players need regular running shoes for conditioning/speed work—no cleats on the track or in the weight room. NO FLIP FLOPS, BIRKENSTOCKS, CROCS, SANDALS or HEY DUDES are NOT ALLOWED to be worn in the weight room.
• Be at the school by 6:45am and then be early on the field by at least 5 minutes for your session as we will take attendance each day before we begin.
• Safety in our weight room is our top priority!
• We teach the proper form and fundamentals of each lift (especially to our new and young lifters) and stress that the players follow this simple motto as they learn how to lift weights properly……
• With beginning lifters, we stress the following. Do it Light…..Do it Right!
• Hydration and making sure kids are eating properly is essential to having success in the weight room and conditioning drills.

YOUTH CAMP

For kids that are entering into grades 1^st – 8^th in the upcoming 2026-27 school year.

• Dates are July 6^th – 9^th

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• ^{Times are 5pm to 7pm.}
• ^{We need your help in promoting this team camp.}
• ^{The cost is $60 this summer and all campers will receive a camp t-shirt.}
• ^{We’ll use our top practice field, not the stadium field this summer.}
• ^{Campers of the day/week awards will be handed out.}

7 ON 7 GAMES THIS SUMMER

7 on 7 games are passing games for all players that play the following positions on our football team….

• QB, Wide Receiver, Tight End, Running Back, Center
• Defensive Back, Linebacker
• Players always need to have their helmets, cleats, summer spirit pack uniforms on and it’s always a good idea to bring water, snacks and inclement weather attire. Sunscreen too!

We have 7 on 7 games this summer on the following dates, times and locations…..

• June 11^th all levels will play 7 on 7 vs. Chaparral HS. 6pm start time for V/JV and Freshman players.
• June 16^th a select group of varsity players will travel to Dakota Ridge HS for an all-day tournament. It is possible we take a 2nd team of JV players as well. We have the past two years.
• We will post a list of players that need to attend this tournament in the locker room and weight room.
• June 25^th all levels will play 7 on 7 vs. Green Mountain. This will be a 6pm start time for all levels and the games will be played up on our top practice fields.
• July 9^th all levels will play 7 on 7 vs. Cherokee Trail. 6pm start time for V/JV players and a 7pm start time for freshman players. These games will be played at the Legacy Stadium located on Cherokee Trail High School’s campus.

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SUMMER CONTACT CAMP

Our Summer team contact camp runs from July 13^th through July 24^th.

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We WILL NOT allow any players to participate in our padded portion of this team camp that has not sold 15 of our Huskie Cards by the start of camp.

• Please check the calendar on BAND (click on events) for times and activities that are going on this week.
• For example, weightlifting times change, and we only lift 2-3 of the five days each week.
• During these two weeks we have uniform hand out, team pictures and two scrimmages.
• The first scrimmage is an inter-squad scrimmage here at our DCHS upper practice field. Again, please check BAND for calendar for details.
• The second scrimmage is a live half of football for our freshman and JV teams and a full, live game for our varsity against Fossil Ridge HS.
• These scrimmage games vs. Fossil are at Fossil Ridge HS this summer.

RIDING THE TEAM CHARTER BUS

Riding the team bus to and from any team event is mandatory if we have one!

• If you miss the bus for an event because you are late and a parent can get you to the location of the event then great, but we will not hold up a bus departure time for one or two players. Follow our team rule…..if you are early, you are on time, if you are on time, then you are late!

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Are there certain exceptions to riding the bus…….yes, but here is what they are

• You are leaving town for a family trip of some kind.
• Some kind of serious family emergency.
• Other than those reasons right there we require all the players to ride the bus to and from team events at all times.

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• The only time it is permissible for a player not to ride the team bus back to DCHS from any team event is if you, the parent send the coach riding the bus or myself an email or text message explaining your individual situation. If you are not sure of the coach on the bus, e-mail or text me (Coach Rice) and explain your situation and I will relay that message to the coach on the bus.
• Coaches on the bus are responsible for the kids from the time they ride the bus to the team event until the time they get off back at DCHS.

TEAM CAPTAINS - 2026

This season, we will not be voting for team captains by our players; instead, the coaching staff will select captains through a staff vote before the season begins.

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To be selected as a team captain is a huge honor and responsibility. Our 4 captains will represent our team in the coin toss at games and may be selected as speakers at events (rivalry week bonfire and Homecoming assembly). Any players (regardless of grade) can be selected as a team captain. Players will be considered for being a team captain from the following criteria.

• Work ethic, leadership and effort in all lifting sessions, practices and conditioning drills.
• Behavior and attitude in all school classes. If we get negative reports from teachers about any of our players, then those players will not be considered for being a team captain.
• Grades in school and attendance. Anyone that is flagged in IC with an attendance issue will not be considered for team captain. GPA MUST be a minimum of 2.5

YOU MAY BE REMOVED FROM BEING A TEAM CAPTAIN AT ANY TIME!

The process for JV and Freshman level games will be that the coaches will select 3-4 captains for each game based on work ethic and effort in practices, behavior in school and community, and potentially prior performances in games/scrimmages.

LETTERING REQUIREMENTS

• A player must play at least one play in half of the quarters played in a season. Example...if we play a 10-game season, a player must appear in 20 quarters of play. Yes, special teams plays count!

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• If a player scores in a varsity game. Example.....kicking a FG or extra point or scoring a TD or 2 pt. conversion. Throwing a pass that results in a player scoring counts as well.

• Any player that appears in a single play in any playoff football game. Again, yes....special teams plays count in this situation.

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Playing Time

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PLAYING TIME

• The simplest fact here is playing time for most on the team is never as much as a player or their parents/family would like.
• Playing time in most cases is never as fair or equal as one might like it to be.

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• At the lower levels, we will do our best to try to get every player into a game for a least a little while, but of course this is all dependent on our team numbers.
• It is also dependent on whether a player knows the plays well enough to be on the field. We cannot and will not jeopardize any of our players safety by putting them on the field when they do not know what they are supposed to do!

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• At the varsity level, we will play the best 11 players on either side of the ball and that might mean that some players play both offense and defense.
• The reason why is simply to give our team the best opportunity to win every game that we play.
• If you fail to attend practices, then don’t count on playing in the games!
• Practice attendance is mandatory in the fall.
• Attendance is highly encouraged during the summer. The more you attend, the better your odds are of getting to play in games as long as you are actively participating in practices.

PLAYING TIME MEETINGS

• Playing time discussions.
• Our team policy will be have your player meet with his position coach, and possibly the head coach too, in order to have a discussion about what they can improve on in order to be able to compete for more time on the field.

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• We will not have playing time meetings with parents. Sorry!
• Playing time is earned by the player.
• A players knowledge of the playbook, where to line up and what to do on any play that is called by the coaching staff is a major factor in a player getting playing time in games.
• Obviously talent levels are different between players. Speed, strength and fundamentals are evaluated by the coaches and that too is a major determining factor in deciding playing time per player.
• We can see on hudl if a player has watched film or studied their plays. Players that DO NOT study film and study the playbook on hudl, DO NOT get playing time.
• Playing time is NEVER as fair as we all want it to be.

Parent 24 Hour Rule

• Parents, our DCHS administration has a policy that if there is something that upsets you in regards to your player or really any negative thing that think occurred at a practice or during a game, to PLEASE wait 24 HOURS before you send an email, text or call and leave an angry voice message.

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• Usually after 24 hours the problem is not as bad as we tend to perceive it to be immediately after something happens.

JV AND FRESHMAN AND POTENTIALLY “C” TEAM GAMES

• All of our JV and Freshman team games will be on Saturdays again this fall with the exception of the Fossil Ridge scrimmage this summer.
• I want parents and players to understand that if you don’t see me at lower-level Saturday games, then that means I am probably taking my daughter to her Raptors flag football game that is usually on Saturdays as well.
• It is possible for us to have to create a “C” or this year just a JV team depending on Freshman numbers this year. A “C” team which is a mixture of sophomores, freshmen and occasionally juniors playing together. However, it is more probable if our freshman numbers are low, to just include them with our JV team for the season.
• Last season we had to cancel 4 of our freshman games due to injuries and ineligible players. Freshmen were given the option to join the JV team for their games that were not hurt or ineligible.
• Two years ago we did not have a JV team due to low numbers, so we played with a “C” team and did not have any JV games in the fall of 2024.

LABOR DAY - FALL BREAK

• Labor Day…..guaranteed that we will have a practice in the afternoon for our players on the varsity roster. It is not a day off! If you only suit up for the JV or Freshman Teams, then you will have labor Day off from practice!
• If a player fails to attend practice on Labor Day, then that player will not play in the game that week!

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• Fall break IS NOT a week off from football!
• If a player misses any practices during fall break, that player will not play in the game that week.

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• We will have practices and games during the fall break week.
• Practice times will still be in the afternoon, but perhaps a little earlier than normal given that the players don’t have classes to attend during this week.
• Please DO NOT schedule a trip or a vacation during Fall Break week.

7TH HOUR WEIGHTS CLASS

• Our weights class for our football team will be held during 7th hour again this school year.

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• Our schools daily schedule is periods 1-4 classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, periods 5-7 with advisement after 5^th on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Friday, students attend all of their class periods minus advisement which is in between 5^th and 6^th period.

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• During the 2^nd semester we will move outgoing seniors into another weights class so that our freshman football players may join 7th hour weights.

THE COUNTY POWER PLANT

• Our weight room fundraiser is still ongoing and will stay in progress until we raise the necessary funds to make the full vision a reality……
• In the summer in 2022 we added over $60,000 in equipment to THE County Power Plant.
• OUR weight room is located toward the front of the school just off the old north gymnasium.
• New Floor Costs $90,000 that we still would like to raise for.
• We need more parent volunteers to assist us with the fundraising goals to make this vision come to life!
• If you can help, please reach out to Celestie March, our HQBC President.

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THE COUNTY POWER PLANT

• There is absolutely ZERO NEED for you to have your player see a personal trainer or join any other outside football programs.
• Our weight room is one of the absolute best in the state and rivals or is better than weight rooms at most D-II colleges.
• Be weary of throwing a ton of money at outside programs. They'll promise you the moon and make you believe that they can get your athlete a scholarship. They cannot fulfill that promise.
• The film your player puts out will be the determining factor of weather they get considered for a scholarship by colleges and universities.

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Parents Scan this to fill out the meeting acknowledgement document.

• Football Families, please take a vehicle magnet or sticker to proudly display on your car.

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• We have to get our DC Football Brand out in the public a lot more than we currently do right now.

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• Social Media Presence.
• We will be on Facebook, Instagram, X and Tick-Tok this year.
• Stay tuned for what those accounts will go by in terms of their official names.

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING

• Please hand in as many forms tonight as you can.

• Stick around to have an individual chat with me or any of our coaches in attendance tonight.

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• Freshman families…..PLEASE sign up with our booster club reps here tonight for a varsity home game to cover our concession stand. If you do not, then you will be assigned a date by our booster club board members.

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• Have a great night! See all you players at practice next week on Monday. We are excited to get started!

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QR Code to pay the $350 Summer Fee