NEW BRAUNFELS JR COUGARS
NB JR Cougars Youth Football and Cheer was founded in March 2014. We are made up of Military Active, Retired Veterans and Volunteers that are bringing a NEW Competitive Youth Football and Cheerleading Program to the New Braunfels area. We want to provide a place where parents have another choice to bring their kids too. An organization where there's NO favoritism and EVERY child gets an opportunity to play and or start.
However, in order to do so we need every player and Cheerleader at every practice and game. Playing football or doing cheer is a privilege and an commitment. If you and your child cannot commit to our organization and will miss practices and games then please, sign up elsewhere. Here at the Jr Cougars we want and need dedicated parents!
Here at the JR Cougars we believe that it's not always about the win! First and foremost we want the kids to have fun! Does that mean we don't like to win? Of course not. Everyone wants to win. But we have to keep in mind that these are children and not NFL players! However, keep in mind that we are a very competitive and its our job as coaches to prepare the kids to play.
Youth Football is the FOUNDATION about teaching the fundamentals of football. It’s not about winning or rankings. Youth Football is where Volunteers come together and are mentors and teachers for these young men and women to help them develop a love and appreciation for Football or Cheer. Where they learn the proper fundamentals of football and cheerleading techniques. Youth Football and Cheerleading is about where EVERY child deserves a chance to play or cheer at any position, have fun, and make dreams come true.
We are a different program than all the others and ask that you not compare us to others. We are a competitive flag and tackle football program that focuses on being safe, teaching the proper fundamentals of football, and teaching life lessons through our character development program. Our goal is to learn the game, learn a few life lessons, and have fun every time we get together. In addition we also have a competitive cheer program that focuses on pride and spirit while having fun and being safe as well.
THE LOVE OF THE GAME: This is an important part of any football player. A good football player enjoys the competition of a depth chart, and is willing to work his or her way up the ladder to starter. They have the willingness to play any position. They have the motivation to study the playbook and be responsible to their teammates.
TEAM RULES
- Keep up with your schoolwork. Poor grades in school and not completing homework will result in disciplinary actions by the coaches.
- If you don't practice, you don't play. All excused absences must be coordinated with the coaches. If you don't make an effort to attend practices, we as coaches are not required to play you. Generally a missed practice will result in a missed quarter of that week’s game unless the absence is excused.
- What the coaches say goes. Back talking, profanity, or any form of disrespect will result in disciplinary actions. With the high quality of kids we have on this team, this is not expected to be a problem.
- Respect other players. Remember your teammates are working with you, not against you. Any unnecessary aggression or violence towards another player will result in disciplinary actions. This also goes for our opponents. Without them, there would be no football game, so treat them with respect.
- Take care of your equipment. Let the coaches know if your equipment needs repair. This is the key to safety.
- Wear your mouthpiece when required and keep a spare. On game day, if a player draws a safety penalty for not having a mouthpiece in, he will sit out the remainder of that quarter.
- Come to practice prepared to work and play.
- Learn the rules of the game. Remember especially the safety rules. Players who draw flags for unsportsmanlike conduct, clipping, late hits, or other serious safety violations will be removed for the remainder of the game.
- Know the name of each position.
- Arrive on time for practices and games. Six pm means you are on the field and in position at six pm, so you must be a few minutes early. A six pm practice begins at 5:50pm.
- Bring your playbook and a pencil to each practice
- If you have a playbook, study your playbook daily. The shortened season makes it all the more important for each player to learn his responsibilities early and well. This can only be accomplished by studying the playbook outside of practice.
REWARDS
Rewards can come in two forms: verbal and material. Many of the rewards a player receives are positive reinforcement from coaches and parents. Often the coaches will not require individuals to run sprints at the end of practices if the player has showed some exceptional behavior. However, the best reward is always a smile and a pat on the back by a parent. Game captains will be used to honor our hardest workers. A game captain has shown, through considerable effort that week, that he deserves the honor of representing our team to the officials. Typically game captains will be drawn from the ranks of offensive and defensive linemen, because it is their hard work and determination that will make us successful this season.
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
Running is an everyday part of practice. On those few occasions when it is necessary to discipline a player for a minor infraction, like failing to pay attention, or talking while the coaches are talking, the player may be asked to run additional laps around the practice field, do pushups, or perform another exercise. Normally that will be the end of disciplinary action. A player will be asked to leave practices early for more severe incidents (i.e. fighting or profanity). If a parent is not present the player will be supervised until the child is picked up. The last resort is to use game suspensions. Coaches will use each of these sparingly. With such a high caliber of kids, severe disciplinary problems are not expected to be a problem on this team.
FIELD POSITIONS
During the first few weeks of practice the coaches will decide the best position for each player. In general, the fastest kids play in the backfield on both offense and defense. The biggest most heavily built kids play on the line. Aggressive kids who combine speed, strength, and agility play linebacker. Taller kids who have some quickness play end, offensive end if they can catch and block, or defensive end if they have the discipline required for that position. The quarterback is the one who has it all: He must know every position, and have agility, good hands, and a strong arm. He must be able to receive snaps, remember plays, and hand off the ball securely. Throwing the football is secondary when compared to the player's ability to lead the offensive unit and earn the respect of his teammates. The Quarterback must know every position, every play for the entire offense. He is the field general of the team, and the coach on the field.
OFFENSE
A key thing to remember is the importance of the offensive line. Without a strong, motivated, and disciplined offensive line our offense will go backwards more often than forwards. Without dominating linemen to block for them our backs cannot run for touchdowns. Therefore, it is important to understand that lineman is a coveted position on this team. Although you cannot carry the ball, you, more than any other person, are responsible for the success of this team. A player is never condemned to play offensive line; they earn the right through hard work and effort. To be an offensive lineman on this team is to be one of the elite: you will be stronger, faster, and better trained than any other player in this league. That is our coaches’ promise to you.
DEFENSE
Defense is the key to winning football. Vince Lombardi once said, “A good offense will win you games, but a good defense will win you championships.” Playing defense requires a more aggressive mentality and a desire to make an impact. The coaches have put in literally hundreds of hours of research in order to find and develop the most effective defense for this level of play. Our defense requires much more discipline than some others, so our defensive players must be ready to do the right thing, first time, and every time. The defensive unit also uses a quarterback, called Sam, who is the strong side linebacker. Sam must be the most "football smart" player on the team, and a strong leader as well. He must also know every player's position and responsibility for the defense. In the defensive huddle, Sam is the only player who talks.
A kid's attitude plays a large role in the position they play. The kid who has a bad attitude, who is oversensitive, or who demonstrates any sort of problem with a position will be passed over. A negative attitude is costly. When selecting starting players, attitude and desire wins over ability every time. Can’t has no place on this football team or in this organization.
If you wish to play a particular position, then make an effort to study the playbook for that position’s responsibilities. We will give you the chance to earn any position on the team. Make certain you do not neglect your assigned position while you are learning the new one though!
WINNING
Nothing in life, including football, is worthwhile unless you enjoy it and gain something from the experience. Sure, we're trying to win football games and we are going to set our goals high, but it shouldn’t ruin our lives if we lose. Our football team should not believe that a football loss is a tragedy. All you can ask of our kids is to do their best. If we win, Great! If we lose, it's not the end of the world. There will be another game along in a few days. Try this: Ask your child if they had a good time instead of whether they won or lost.
By the same token, we feel that we owe it to the players to do everything we can to make them winners. We plan to win every game, because if you don’t, then you need to ask yourself which game you plan to lose, and if you’re planning to lose, why show up, or practice the week before?
We’re going to practice hard, we’re going to play hard, and our scores will reflect this.
PARENTS
Parents are as important to the success of the team as the players. Coaches and parents must work together. Please keep the coaches informed about problems that may be going on with your child. If the child has been sick, taking medication, or going through some emotional trauma please make sure the coaches are made aware of the problem as soon as possible. Parents and coaches must communicate with mutual respect. Parents and coaches reserve the right to postpone conversations that are getting out of hand. Heated discussions have no place in front of the players. Here is where our 24 Hour Rule is applied. Sometimes we say things that we don't really mean out of anger. We ask that you wait 24 hours to cool off before talking with parents, coaches and or Board Members.
Although many parents have coaching experience, and may have played on a higher level then the current coaches of this team, the coaches must ask that you refrain from coaching your kids at home. These kids are being taught to play as a team, each player performing a set function that his teammates can rely on. A player who abandons his teammates to do something his parents coached him to do is letting down his team, his coaches, and himself. At best he may open up the door for the opponent to win the game, at worst he may cause himself or a teammate to be injured.
HOME CONDITIONING
Proper nutrition and hydration is very important to a young football player. Players need to drink as much water as possible every day; at least four to six glasses. Heat stroke is always a danger, despite cooler weather during fall, so it is very important to stay hydrated at all times. It is also recommended that players wear a tee shirt under their pads and jersey to help keep them warm during the colder practices and games.
Players need a high-carbohydrate diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables and few fats and sugars. We will not be teaching any form of weight lifting other than standard calisthenics like pushups and sit-ups. If your child wishes to lift weights during the off-season he is encouraged to do so, provided he obtains a doctor’s permission to do so and has his workout designed by a specialist in youth fitness. Improper weight lifting can cause irreparable damage to young joints and bones. We will be discussing proper nutrition and fitness throughout the season in our nightly “Chalk Talks”, but we will not at any time be engaging in weight lifting.
