There is a well-heeled adage that there are "no stupid questions, only bad answers,"  but whoever said this was obviously not involved with youth sports. That being said, you won't, however, find any stupid questions here!

Q: I am trying to fill out the application, the participant's code of conduct, the parents' code of conduct and all this paperwork!  Are all these forms REALLY necessary?

A: Yes. Yes, they are.  We understand that this is a great deal of work, and yes many of these forms WERE drafted by a team of lawyers. Unfortunately, however, they are all necessary and no one can participate until we have them all.

Q: Why do parents need to sign a Code of Conduct? I am not participating, my child is!

A: Sadly, parental misconduct in youth sports has reached a new high (or low, depending how you look at it).  It is becoming commonplace. 

Q: I am struggling to decide where to enroll my child. My child is big, should I move him up a division or should I keep my child down with kids the same age?

A: This is a dilemma.  As a general rule, kids should play down if possible. At a lower division, they will probably play more and have a more enjoyable time with kids their own age. That being said, size does matter and you don't want to spend the upcoming football season policing your child's room for contraband doughnuts and Twinkies to make sure your child makes weight at Certification and on game day.  If your child is big and does not carry a lot of extra weight, your child should probably play up a division. If your child is carrying a bit of extra weight, keep them down. (They will lose the extra weight ... I promise.) 

Q: I live in an area outside La Canada. We have several football teams here, but none affiliated with the San Gabriel Valley Jr. All American Football Conference.  Am I free to enroll my child in the Gladiators?

A: Yes. Yes, you are. For more information on this, check out the Eligibility/Boundary Info link on the main page.

Q: I live in an area outside La Canada. One of the football/cheer programs in our area is affiliated with the San Gabriel Valley Jr. All American Football Conference.  Am I free to enroll my child in the Gladiators?

A: The answer is no with a "but." According to our Conference bylaws, if you reside in an area that has another Gan Gabriel Valley Jr. All American Franchise you must obtain a "cut contract" from that franchise in order to enroll in a different franchise.  You need to contact the President of the local franchise to request a cut contract. Most franchise Presidents are pretty cooperative, but being polite and understanding when submitting your request goes a long way. If you call them and "demand" a cut contract you will likely be refused - and if you are refused there is nothing anyone can do about it. If you need more information, email our President at klacey@lcgladiators.org.

Q: OK, I live in an area outside La Canada and one of the football/cheer programs in our area is affiliated with the San Gabriel Valley Jr. All American Football Conference, but my child goes to school in La Canada.  Am I free to enroll my child in the Gladiators?

A: Nope. Still need that cut contract.

Q: I sent in my application and check, but still have not heard from the organization!  Have you people taken my money and fled to the Cayman Islands?!

A: No!  We fled to Lisbon. Extradition is far more difficult from Portugal.  Most of the time you will not hear directly from us until May.  After that, you will be getting so many emails you may wish you never hear from us again.  In the meantime, any information you need regarding dates and upcoming events are on the calendar.  Anyway, don't panic. Your first email contacts will likely be from your team Athletic Director sometime in late April or early May.

Q: OK, but I need to talk to someone now, and I can't wait until May! How do I get in touch with you?

A: You can reach us through the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, or email our President, Kevin Lacey, at klacey@lcgladiators.org.   You can also contact our Treasurer, Ted Jope, at twjope@aol.com. Ted keeps track of all pre-season rosters so any questions related to that should be directed to him.  You can also email or call our City Athletic Director, Nancy Rappard at rappardnancy@gmail.com or text her at 818.399.1655 

Q: May I have my child's personal physician perform the physical?

A: Of course, but we would not recommend it. The forms needed for the physicals are specific and our insurance company will not accept any other forms. Also, physicals performed before June are invalid for the upcoming season. (Don't blame us. Insurance requirements ... more lawyers.) There will be a physician available to perform physicals at the equipment distribution.

Q: We are planning a family vacation and will be gone during the summer.  How will this effect practice?

A: If you are in Portugal, stop in and say hello. Just make sure to let us know before you go so we know you have not dropped from the program. We will work around it. All that being said, there you need to keep this in mind: Each participant must have ten hours of physical conditioning and ten hours in "pads" in order to certify.  If your vacation prevents this your child's certification process will be delayed. After Certification is completed any child that did not certify with his or her team cannot practice in pads - the player can only condition - until they attend a make-up certification with Conference.  

Q: What is the practice schedule for tackle football?

A: From late July through mid-August we will be practicing five nights a week, Monday through Friday, two hours per night (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.).  Beginning in mid-August we will drop to three nights a week (Tuesday through Thursday) two hours a night (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.)  We will stick with this schedule the rest of the season.  Precise dates will be on the Calendar.

Q: What is the schedule for flag football?

Technically, it is the same as tackle.  As a practical matter, however, we usually only practice 3-4 nights a week until mid-August.  Flag will then drop to 2-3 nights a week, depending on how the team is doing.  Flag football is akin to herding cats.  Sometimes the kids love it and three nights a week works fine, but at such a young age we don't want to overdue it. So the schedule will depend how they are progressing.

Q: Where are practices for football  located?

All practices in July and August will be at FIS on Cornishon, next to the La Canada-Flintridge Community Center.  Beginning the first week of September, we will move practice sessions to La Canada High School.

Q: When does the season begin?

A:  As yet, we have not scheduled our equipment distribution date, but it will probably be in early June (stay tuned).  Late July -  Practice begins.  The regular season begins the weekend of September 9th and continues through the last weekend in October. Playoffs run from early November until the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Q: How long is the season?

A: The regular season ends at the end of October.  The regular season consists of eight games. Playoffs run for the next three weeks.  The Conference Championship games are always the weekend before Thanksgiving. Every team should play 8 games. Any team that makes the Championship round has an 11 game season.

Q: Are all the games local?

A: Yes, but "local" is a subjective term.  All our home games will be at La Canada High School.  The away games will be in the San Gabriel Valley. You won't be driving to Orange or Ventura counties. One of the advantages of Jr. All American is that we try and schedule all divisions to play att he same location on the same day.  

Q: When are the games played?

A: Games are scheduled on both Saturdays and Sundays.  Generally, about half the regular season games will be played on Saturday and the other half on Sunday.  Also, games are usually scheduled with the younger teams playing first.  So on game days, the schedule is usually Flag (around 8:30 a.m.), Gremlins (10:00 a.m.), Jr. Pee Wee (noon), Pee Wee (2:00 p.m.), and Jr. Midget (4:00 p.m.).  Times are approximations. 

Q: When will the schedule of regular season games be released?

A: This year, we hope to have it sometime late August, but more likely it will be published around Labor Day.

Q: I know my son is talented and probably destined to be a finalist in the Heisman voting and will go on to an illustrious career in the NFL (or at least the CFL). Will your coaches recognize and nurture his superior talent?

A: The Gladiators have been in existence for 49 years. Countless children have participated in this program. In nearly half a century there have been two (yes, two) Gladiator participants who have gone on to a professional career. Only one lasted more than two seasons. While these two players were with the Gladiator organization no one predicted, nor could have predicted without a crystal ball, their NFL future.  No matter what you have been told to the contrary, at this age you simply have no clue how talented a player will become. The Gladiator organization's goals do not include producing or pandering to "potential" future professional athletes. Our mission is to make sure that all the kids who participate in our program have a good time, learn the basics of football, learn how to be a good teammate, learn how to prioritize schoolwork, and learn some valuable life skills. Now, if somewhere down they road they find themselves on the football road to glory, that's gravy (and we WILL take credit for it).

Q: Can you recommend good off-season programs?

A: Sure, try Spartan Basketball or La Canada Jr. Baseball. 

Q: Don't you support year-round training for youth football?

A: Nope. They are children. At this age they should do as many different things as possible.  We do, however, often have coaches who will organize exercise sessions in the Spring before the season begins. These are usually advertised on the web page.

Q: What training do your coaches have?

A: All out coaches go through a training program with Heads-Up Football.  Sponsored by the NFL, Heads-Up focuses on proper technique and minimizing injuries.. It's a great program. Check it our here. They also usually attend at least one clinic. All of our head coaches have been with the program for more than three years.

Q: I would like to participate as a coach or assistant. How do I do this?

A: We can arrange that if you let us know in time. Contact the President at klacey@lcgladiators.org.

Q: Who is in charge of the Complaint Department?

A: Jan Gantney. You  should contact Jan at gladiatormom50@gmail.com. Jan is probably the most knowledgeable member of the board having started with the program in 1863 as Mary Lincoln's Assistant Athletic Director. She has seen it all.