Eagan Athletic Association

EAA Football is looking forward to another exciting season building on our tradition as a tremendously successful youth sports program. This year promises to be a very exciting year with the addition of a 7th & 8th grade ERAVE YFL program to the existing 3rd – 6th grade program. Teams are put together by the grade the participant will be entering in the fall of 2010. If the number of participants works out, we will be playing 9 man football at the 3rd grade level. This will allow more teams to be formed and give first year kids more of an opportunity to be on the field. The formation will look the same, except for the removal of the offensive and defensive tackles. All other grades will play 11 man football. The 4th graders will play in their own division and the 5th & 6th graders will be combined to make teams for their division. There are rules specific to the position the players play based on their weight. Parents are asked to enter a participant’s weight when registering, but all kids will be reweighed during equipment handout/evaluations the first week of August.  All teams play an eight game schedule which leads into an end of the year playoff tournament. All teams advance to the playoffs and are guaranteed at least two playoff games. The season finale is a championship game for each division played at the high school football stadium on Saturday, October 9th.

Last year, EAA sponsored a 7th & 8th grade traveling program and entered a team at each grade level in the MDFL. With the cancellation of the middle school football programs, EAA has withdrawn from the MDFL and joined forces with the football associations in Rosemount, Apple Valley and Eastview to form a new league called ERAVE
YFL. The program will be an extension of the current 3rd – 6th grade program but will play teams outside of EAA and will also have an end of season playoff in late October. We are excited about this expanded offering that gives our kids a chance to continue playing with other EAA players and also a chance to play against kids in other communities. The 7th and 8th grade programs will focus more on season long conditioning and skill development. We believe by offering this 7th and 8th grade program, we will retain the passion and enthusiasm for football that these players learned playing in the 3rd-6th grade program along with improving their skills to better prepare them for high school football.

All age groups will start the first week of August with Boot Camp/Evaluations. The 5th-8th grade program will start with conditioning and evaluations on Monday, August 2nd. The 3rd and 4th graders will start with conditioning and evaluations on Tuesday, August 3rd. At the end of the evaluation period the grade level coaches will assemble and rank the players in their respective grade levels. Although it is not a perfect process, it is a process that has been implemented with the goal of assembling evenly talented teams. More details on the evaluations and equipment pick up will be sent out via email and will also be posted online.

Parents with a desire to act as a head coach or assistant
coach in the football program may indicate that on the registration form. Coaches may request to coach with one other parent, but the EAA football board reserves the right not to honor the request if they feel that an unbalanced team will be formed. Requests to be placed on the same team as a friend are not honored, nor are teams formed by schools. This is a great chance to meet new friends from other parts of Eagan and develop long term friendships.

Teams are limited to four practice/games sessions per calendar week. If your team has a game on Tuesday and Saturday, the team will only have two other practices that week. Equal participation is the standard, with every participant having a starting position on either offense or defense and one of the kickoff teams. The one exception to the four session rule will be the 5th annual EAA Football Jamboree on August 22. All teams will play in controlled scrimmages on that day in preparation for the upcoming season. This is a great kickoff event for EAA football that gives the players and parents a first chance to see their teams in action.

Registration for EAA football open in mid-June and will continue online until the end of June. The registration fee for the 3rd – 6th grade program is $135 which includes a jersey and helmet decals. The 7th & 8th grade program registration is $200 which includes a practice jersey for them to keep. Football is a contact sport. EAA provides very high quality equipment that will be properly fitted for the participant’s protection. EAA supplies all football equipment except shoes, athletic supporter and protective cup. The equipment deposit will be $100 this year and be required by check at equipment checkout. The check will be returned uncashed at at the end of the season when equipment is handed in. All families will receive a schedule for parent meetings, equipment checkout/check-in, evaluations, and game schedules. The information will also be available online.

At the end of the season, we will ask every family to give us feedback on the season and your child’s experience with EAA Football. Volunteers are always needed for the football program to run smoothly. Please consider helping out with equipment checkout/check-in, coaching or other special events. If you need to contact me, please use the link on the EAA website at www.eaasports.org.

Finally, football is a competitive and physical sport. It is very easy for parents, coaches, and spectators to get excited during a game. We have to remember to always support our kids and the teams on the field in a positive way. We want every child to succeed on their team and in their role. We encourage parents and fans to applaud ALL successes from all players on the field. Remember we are all part of Eagan Football. We expect players, parents, and coaches to remain positive at all times towards their fellow participants. Always remember, this is not college or professional football. This is an instructional league and the kids are learning a sport and having a lot of fun. No matter what color jersey a kid is wearing this year, he may be your child’s teammate in the future, perhaps even at EHS. Let’s root for every kid to succeed!