Summerville Sertoma Football Player Information

While we have many players that have been playing Sertoma football all their lives, we also have many players that are new to Sertoma and some that are new to playing football. It is our aim to make sure that all of our players are given the opportunity to learn the game of football, improve on their skills, and become better people. We encourage a competitive, safe, and fair environment that focuses on teaching discipline, respect, and how to play football.

The information contained herein is provided to assist you in becoming familiar with Sertoma football and to answer some of the questions that you may have.

Our Football Season at a Glance

Football is a year round event for Sertoma. Every season, the following activities take place both publicly and behind the scenes to prepare for and run the Sertoma Football Program:

Sertoma Club meets and selects commissioners.
Commissioners meet and discuss rules and program changes.
Football Camps and other fund raisers are planned, scheduled, and executed.
Program logistics are planned and scheduled with various local agencies.
Head Coaches are selected and begin the application process.
Head Coaches select their assistant coaches and ensure they complete the application process.
Football Camps are executed.
Coaching Applications are reviewed and assignments made.
Jerseys and other equipment are selected and ordered.
Sponsor information is updated and posted on website and applicable banners, jerseys, etc.
Registration is held over the course of several weeks.
Skills day is held for new players and players moving up to a new division.
Blind draft assignments are made for players unable to attend skills day.
A draft is held with 2 coaches from each team present.
Rosters are finalized and coaches reach out to parents and players.
Practice starts and is executed by individual teams.
A schedule is generated at random utilizing a football scheduling program
Picture Day / Jamboree takes place kicking off the season.
Game play commences M-TH, SA.
Commissioners attend each division game and preside over their entire division for concerns with players, parents, and coaches.
Sertoma members attend each game to announce the games, keep statistics, run the clock, and set up and break down the field.
Championships are held and winning teams awarded.
Commissioners meet to discuss the season, annotating what went well and what can be improved.

Next time you see a Sertoman running around at a game, know that he is volunteering his time to make this program possible both at the game, and throughout the rest of the year as well. We are not perfect, but we continue to strive for improvements. If you would like to become a member or volunteer, please do not hesitate to contact us and request more information.

Team Selection

To avoid team franchises and ensure that all teams remain competitive year in and year out, team assignments are made as follows:

New players and players moving up to the next league attend a skills day where they are assessed by the coaches for the league that they are entering.
A subsequent draft is held where 2 coaches from each team can select these players in a round-robin fashion.
Players returning to the same team and the same league will automatically be assigned to that team and do not attend skills day.
In the event that a players' parent has been approved as a Sertoma coach, that player "may" in some circumstances be protected by the team. (The Sertoma rules outline this process in detail).

Coaching

Sertoma strives to ensure that our players are not only safe, but are also taught to be better football players, better students, and better people. We encourage a competitive, safe, and fair environment that focuses on teaching children. It is for these reasons that we have implemented coaching programs, selection processes, and evaluation systems for our coaches. To find out more about how to become a Sertoma coach, visit the Coaches page.

Practice

Practice locations, schedules, and techniques are the responsibility of the individual team coaches. Sertoma provides guidelines and rules that the coaches must adhere to. Some of these rules include:

No practice on Fridays or Sundays.
Football sessions are limited to 4 per week and 2 hours per session, including games. That means that if a team has a game on Saturday, they should only practice 3 times during the previous week.
No contact during the first week of practice. (Pads can be worn)
All practices must end by 8:00PM

Players will be expected to actively participate in practice to receive playing time during games. For more information, please contact your head coach.

Equipment

Your Sertoma registration fee includes your game Jersey. All other equipment must be acquired by the individual. Mandatory equipment includes:

Helmet
Shoulder Pads
Practice Pants
Pads for Pants (knee, thigh, hip, and tailbone)
Mouth Piece (Clear mouth pieces are NOT allowed. Mouth pieces must be molded by following the included instructions.)
Practice Jersey or large shirt that fits over pads
Football Cleats (No metal or baseball cleats.)
Game Socks
Game Pants

For more information on sizing and resources, please visit the Player Equipment Sizing or Player Equipment Needs page.

What to Expect

Football is a physical game that is played with controlled aggression. Played properly, it requires effort, discipline, and both physical and mental toughness.

The best athletes are not always the best players!
The number one thing that players should understand is that regardless of athletic ability or previous experience, effort is the key to success in football. The best players are those that give their best effort regardless of the situation every time they step on the field both in practice and games. Lack of effort in football can lead to serious injury, and we expect that players will give their best effort at all times. It is ok to try and fail, but if players are not showing effort, they should expect some extra "motivation" from their coaching staff. (*This should under no circumstances include a coach using profanity or physically harming a player.) Winners are not those who never fail, but those who never quit!

The best players don't always make the best team!
Football is a team sport and while individuals make up the team, they must work together in order to be the "best" team. Players should expect that they will often be treated as a team wether good or bad. It is important to keep this in mind and instead of getting down on a team mate for doing something wrong, encourage him to do better next time. If everyone follows suit, it can only make the team as a whole stronger.

"Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability."
~ Roy L. Smith
A disciplined player, student, person, or team will go much further toward achieving their goals than will the undisciplined. Players will be expected to show discipline not only by listening to direction when given by coaches, but also by taking the imitative to do what is right when they haven't been asked or are not being watched. Lack of discipline in football leads to poor execution, penalties, and sometimes injury. We expect that our players will remain disciplined both on and off the field, in school, and at home. Failure to follow instruction, fighting, talking back, poor grades, foul language, and other displays of "lack of discipline" may lead to "extra conditioning drills", reduced playing time, and dismissal from the team.

To sum it up in a few short sentences, player are expected to show up on time, fully equipped, and with a good attitude. They should expect to work hard for approximately 2 hours during each practice and will be expected to follow direction and give 100% effort at all times. Games will likely be 1x per week after the initial few weeks of practice. Practices will vary by team, but the fundamentals remain constant. All you have to do is give great effort, remain enthusiastic and disciplined, and NEVER quit and you will have a fun and successful season!

Skills Day

Players will come out to skills day at the beginning of each season so that coaches may meet new players and returning players that are moving up to the next higher league. Players will be asked to run through skills at various stations where that leagues coaches will evaluate them. Skills day usually lasts approximately 1.5 - 2 hours. Players should bring the following: