Post Season Events

Well, the season has been over for a month now. However, events keep moving along. November saw us participate in a great banquet - thank you all for your support and efforts to create a great night.

The kids once again proved how fun they are to work with, as they helped us take first place in the Christmas Parade in the Marching/Walking division!

On to a Football Board meeting Wednesday night, and then marketing planning for the off-season. Watch for information to be sent around in late December and early January regarding early registrations for the 2010 season.

Busy as always,

Coach Rob

Go Hartford Football!

Another Season Ends

We played our last game in 6th grade today. We treated the kids to drinks and cookies at the end of the game (they ran out of hot chocolate, so I got the Slinger concession guys to give us a break on gatorades) to reward them for their season long efforts.

Be proud of your sons. They played hurt, sick, cold, and wet for most of October. This was a group of kids that was challenged by all those things this year, and they never let it get them down. I am very proud of every one of them, and am honored to have coached your sons.

Remember that even though this is their last game this year, it is only the start of their football careers. Coach Mike and I coached many of the 8th graders that finished 6-2 this year.

Our focus is not on winning - it is in laying the foundation and teaching fundamentals. We did that, as we saw improvement in everyone as the season went on.

Now my focus moves to post-season activities, and there are a lot. Starting with the banquet, November will be busy. 

Thanks for all of your support this season - it is always greatly appreciated!

Go Hartford Football!

Coach Rob

Hard Work Produces Results

Our 6th grade Orange team worked hard in practice all week, and our conditioning showed today. We never gave up, even when we were down 14-6, with only 1 minute to play in the game. Our kids played hard, and managed a long TD run and 2 point conversion to finish in a 14-14 tie.

I know ties don't sound exciting, but our kids loved that they could come back at the end. The coaches were really proud of the effort, and to me, it shows we are making progress game to game. For me, it's about getting better every week.

Our mental discipline is something we will work on this week in practice. We also told the kids it is hard conditioning from here on out, so we can play 4 quarters, like we did today.

On another note, the program had a significant step forward today with the 5th grade program's first ever victory, against Slinger 6-0. Congratulations, Coach Precord!

And. 8th grade Orange is now 4-0. 

Not a bad day for the program. Go, Hartford Football!

Another Challenging Day

Losses are tough; nobody likes to lose. However, at our level in 6th grade, the most important thing is teaching the fundamentals of the game, Interesting that the word "mental" is part of that word fundamental. Most of our errors tend to be mental, which lead to physical errors. We struggled on offense today, and on defense in the first half.

The kids picked up some valuable learning experiences, and another game day will only help to add to this. We continue to be proud of all of our players and the progress they are making.

This week in practice we will work on adding a little more dimension to the offense. We also really need to focus on pass protection.

Congratulations to the 8th grade Orange team - 2 wins in a row! Plus, 8th grade Black won today as well to even their record to 1-1.

Hopefully, you had a chance to catch a T-shirt, or enter the raffle for a youth autographed ball. Some of the fun things we have added this year to the home games.

Let us know how you enjoy game days now with our new efforts. As always, thank you for your continuing support of the club!

Oh, and don't forget to check us out on our website or on Facebook.

Until later,

Coach Whitemore

A tough start to the season

We found out today what game speed really means, as we came up against a quick Wauwatosa East team with a very good running back. We fell 40 - 6, but only gave up 13 points in the second half. We began to see positive improvement already in the second half of today's game - something to build on.

We know we need to have better discipline in maintaining outside containment on defense, finishing tackles, and work on pass blocking.  Coaching opportunities for practice this week.

The kids all said they had fun. We told our players they all gave a great effort. and we were impressed with how many of them came back from game injuries to head back in to play. I am very proud of the effort every one of our players gave today. You can all be very proud of your sons!

Thanks to the Varsity players that came today as well. Hopefully, you had a chance to meet them. We held t-shirt tosses, a team autographed football raffle (congratulations to Dawn Schultz), and generally had a good day - great weather, great fans, plus an 8th grade Orange victory.

Looking forward to seeing you at next week's game!

Coach Whitemore 

It's Game Week

Well, scrimmages are behind us now, Picture night took place last week, and now it is game week! From here on out, we will expect players to practice at game speed, and be mentally sharp. "You play how you practice" is so true - we want to make sure we are sharp. We ran a game simulation in our practice tonight, and found some coaching opportunities. It's also important for the kids to know sideline behavior on game days, so we focused on that as well.
Look for a little different experience on game days this year, as the Hartford High School Varsity will have representation at our games; we will have a football raffled off each week, and a halftime T-shirt toss.
Tell your friends about this great free experience on Saturdays this fall, with full concessions and some great fun!
See you on game day!

Coach Rob

Another Rainout

Well, another rainout. And we thought that was only in baseball. Not true - when you have thunder and lightning with kids wearing metal shoulder pads and helmets, it's a no-brainer to cancel practice. We hope you all made it through the bad weather with no issues.

I often wonder how we can get you info quicker. I'll be trying to with a twitter account. Be patient with me as I work througfh the technology to get you more real time info. Follow me on Twitter, and I'll try to update you when we have to cancel, or give you real-time info if I can during the season.

We'll see you at Germantown tomorrow for scrimmages.

Until then,

Coach Whitemore

Parent Support Is Great

I'd like to thank the parents who were able to make it to our scrimmages this past weekend. The best part was the positive support you all gave the kids. Scrimmages are not about winning, they are about learning where we are, and what we can improve on. For more on that, check Coach Mike's blog on 6th Grade Orange. Thanks 6th Grade Orange parents; it was great to hear the cheers and support you gave everyone. It is also appreciated that you showed great sportsmanship.

I thought our kids did well to begin with. We struggled a little bit, but no more than I expected. If you watch us in practice this week, you will see us run a little more at the end of practice. The kids need more stamina to play for 4 quarters. We'll get there -we do every year.

The most important question I posed to them I held until the very end - "did you have fun?" We heard a resounding "Yes!" from all of them. THAT is what it's about at our level - having fun and learning the game. Winning is great, but teaching is more important, and the chance to play, and the kids having a positive experience. With our team size, everyone got good playing time on Saturday. I'm looking forward to that all season.

Hopefully, your son's team had fun, too, at the other grade levels. And, I hope all the parents had fun as well!

Until next time,

Coach Whitemore

Scrimmage Update

Well, sometimes you have to call an audible. Through some unfortunate miscommunication between organizations, we had the incorrect date for the Grafton scrimmages. They are actually next Saturday, August 22, 2009. A Grafton offical on site confirmed it for us this morning.

We all headed back to Hartford, some of us to practice, others released with some extra free time today.

We managed to roll with the punches at 6th grade, and the Orange team actually had a good practice on our home game field at Town Hall. We added some new plays, and looked good generally.

So apologies to all for the extra ride today, but thanks for your understanding. It's great to see how flexible and forgiving all of you are. The only bonus is that now you know how to get to Grafton next week!

Reminder that practices for teams will be at Town Hall fields this week, unless you have heard different from your coach.

Thanks,

Coach Whitemore

It's Scrimmage Season

It is that time of year. Scrimmages begin tomorrow (Saturday) for some of the teams at Grafton High School (you can find details on our Schedules or Calendar page). Make sure your player is there by 8:00 AM if your team is participating.

We were able to put in a basic offense at 6th grade, so it will be fun to watch the kids execute the plays. This is a full contact scrimmage, so there will be hitting, and some dings and bruises as there always are. Team managers will be there to help out.

If this is your first experience, there is nothing like the thundering sound of cleats approaching you on the sideline as a play goes by (make sure you sit far enough back from the sideline!). It sounds like wild horses on the run - very cool.

More importantly, now all the lower grades (5th through 7th) team coaches are posting to their blogs. Follow your team on our website, so you know what the coaches are talking about each week.

I'll be more focused now on coaching the 6th grade Orange team offense, but will still blog on other club news. Read the website regularly, we'll keep it updated - even in the offseason.

Enjoy the season!

Coach Whitemore

Cancelled Practices

You may have noticed we cancelled practice this morning. Not a common thing for us to do, but with this heavy rain that came with thunder and lightning, it was an easy decision. While 6th & 8th grade teams cancelled practices outright, 5th & 7th grade coaches met with their players in the eqipment shed. They did this to share information with their players, then released them early.

Head coaches at each grade level have this prerogative to keep the kids for a meeting if they want to, or to wait out the rain and practice when it ends (as long as it is safe and lightning has left the area), and will and should let parents know when to pick up players early.

We hope to not have many of these situations, but when they do occur, the kids' safety comes first. As a parent, you have the final decision on whether your son will be at practice. Please check with your coach if you have any doubts or questions. It is what we are here for.

As a reminder, chedk the website and our blogs for current information. In the future, we'll try to give you advance notice here and on the website if we know we are going to cancel.

Thanks, and stay dry today!

Coach Whitemore

Practices Are Fun To Watch

The kids are now in pads, and the real hitting will start on Saturday, after the required 10 hours are met by the kids. If they do not have 10 hours in, they will not be able to hit. So, if it looks like your son is not participating in some drills, keep that in mind.

Also, some of the teams have Varsity help. The 5th grade team will have Damien Van Altena, a varsity lineman (and former AAYFL player), helping out on a semi-regular basis. The 6th grade team had Tyler Whitemore, a varsity tight end (and former AAYFL wide receiver) helping out with receivers last night; he will be helping on a semi-regular basis. The 7th grade is scheduling a varsity quarterback to help out with QB drills.

And, occasionally, we may have a varsity coach help out as well.

So keep your eyes out as practices evolve over the next week into hitting with pads on. Also, since we will be able to hit, you will see some new drills we have not run yet!

Coach Whitemore

The fun has started!

Thanks to all the players and parents that attended our first practice. It was a busy morning with equipment handout, new registrations (it's not too late), equipment fixes, 6 teams practicing on the fields, and the parent/player picnic.

The rain made us all feel like it was football weather - we are looking forward to the hot days, too. Remember, we practice rain or shine!

Now that we are in full swing, parents should check the News page and the Team Pages section of our website. Coaches will update the Team Pages on a regular basis. You will see a few coaches have already started to post to their blogs. More will follow.

Also, we appreciate the effort all of you are making in helping us with the fundraiser. The goal is to reduce fees for players so as many kids as possible can join/play. Your efforts to get sponsorships will help us to reach our goal.

A final reminder from coaches that players on all teams should get to practice at least 15 minutes early, if possible. We will start on time, and we do not want any players to miss any part of practice.

We hope you enjoy the season as much as we do!

Later,

Coach Whitemore

Practices start tomorrow!

The season is here! Practices start tomorrow, August 1, 2009 at 8:30 AM. We are all looking forward to a great year. Make sure you keep an eye on our online calendar on the website.

Remember, for the first week, only helmet, mouthguard, practice jersey and football shoes are needed.

If your son did not get his equipment yet, he can get it the first day of practice that he attends. It is important that you let us know if he will not be at practice, as we are OK with excused absences.

Parents, we ask that you stay off the practice fields when we are practicing for insurance and liability reasons (coaches are insured).

We hope you join us for the parent meeting & picnic tomorrow at 10:30 AM.

Thanks for all your help, and Go Hartford Football!

Rob

It Really IS Football season

Hello again,

I know it has been awhile, but things have been busy. My attention has returned to football when I am not travelling for work (which has been a lot lately).

Our state football coaches clinic was held 2 weeks ago, we held our Family Fun night fundraiser the same weekend with well over 100 guests in attendance, and the Wisconsin Badgers held their Spring football game today. We are planning to participate in the local Memorial Day Parade, as well as another local opportunity in early May; lots of football to think about.

At our clinic, there were a lot of camp brochures available, as well as combine information. If you have a young athlete entering high school in the fall, you may not be thinking about these things just yet. There are so many things to prepare for - 8th grade graduation, freshman orientation, etc. - and rightfully so.

But, don't forget things like participating in parade walks, local high school sponsored summer camps, and other opportunities to stay sharp. Football camps may overlap with other sports if done on weekdays, but some are held on weekends and may not interfere.

At any rate, as you balance your spring and summer month activities, don't forget about football!

Until next time,

Rob

Fundraisers

Hi everyone,

This week, I have my charitable hat on. Like any non-profit club, we rely on the generosity of our players' families and our sponsors for support.

That support can be financial, which helps offset club costs, like the equipment for our kids. It can be donating materials or posters. It can also be participating in a club-sponsored event. Our next event for our football club is a Family Fun night, with a silent auction, dinner, and comedian. Help is greatly appreciated at these events, from setup to taking pictures. I am impressed by how people are able to coordinate such large activities.

If your club has a volunteer leader, and they ask for your help, please consider that you are doing a great service to them, making their job a little easier, and you are also doing a great service for the kids. The ultimate goal is to help them, and you will have a little fun along the way, not to mention the great feeling of having contributed.

Another great way to support your local club is to become a sponsor - if you run a local business, donate what you can. It's great publicity, and helps a child with positive growth opportunities.

Remember, your local club may be very active in the sport's offseason; when the season is going on, it is all about the sport. At other times of the year, your support is just as important.

Finally, thank you for your support - without your help, we would not be successful. It is always appreciated,

Until next time,

Rob

Greetings,

It has been a football week so far! What could be better than that? Maybe watching the Super Bowl this Sunday?

We held our coaches meeting last night to talk about last season and begin to plan for this fall season, and held our first on-site registration event tonight (1/27/09). It was great seeing kids getting excited about playing already, even though we don't start for another 7 months.

Think about clinics in the offseason for your child, like speed camps for agility training, and the Hartford Oriole Camp at the end of July right before our season starts. Information on the Oriole camp usually comes around toward the end of the school year. Speed camps are available indoors in the winter, and are good for conditioning. If your child is interested in kicking, there are links to the Kohl's kicking camps on the hyfb website. 

If you attended an on-site registration, or even if you mailed it in, the winter is a good time to take a few minutes and read throught the parent handbook (available on the Links page on the hyfb website). That way you will be ready and know what to expect for the season.

Next week, I will share some other current club activities with you. Look for signs of us in the community throughout the year.

Until then,

Coach Whitemore

January 2009 HYFC Notes

It's that time of year - signup for fall football is actually now. We have an on-site event at Hartford High School on January 27th from 5-7 PM. Hope to see you there.

Coaches will actually meet the day before that to discuss how last year went, and to start aligning coaches for this year.

Also, the board meets monthly and right now is talking about a March fund-raiser. Watch for more details in the coming weeks.

Watch for off-season volunteer opportunities to help fill your hours. There will be some new oppportunities this year.

As you can see, we think about football year-round!

Rob