OBJECTIVES OF THE PUYALLUP ROUGHRIDERS
1. To inspire young boys and girls to practice the ideals of health, citizenship, scholarship, and character.
2. To give interested young boys and girls opportunity to participate in an organized and controlled program of tackle football and cheerleading.
3. To bring area youths together by means of common interest in sportsmanship, fair play and fellowship.
4. To impart within the activities, elements of safety, sanity, and intelligent supervision.
5. To keep the welfare of each boy and girl first, foremost, and entirely free of adult ambition and personal glory.

2007 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AND HEAD COACHES

Board Members

President, Jeff Skoda
Vice President, Chimene Ehli
League Representative, Gary Southworth
Secretary, Joe Bridgman
Treasurer, Krystal Skoda
Athletic Director, Ray Wilson
Cheer Director, Stephany Johnson
Equipment Manager, Eric Sano
Director of Publicity, Mary Bridgman
Director of Special Affairs, Melissa O'Neil
Director of Concessions, Candice Ramos


Head Coaches

Eighty-Niners, Nick McKechnie
Sweet Peas, Ron Totten
Bantams, Jeff Skoda
Midgets, Gary Southworth
Pee Wees, Rudy Shimada

Our association is made up of a board of directors and coaching staff consisting of volunteers, following a set of association and league bylaws. These bylaws are available for any parent to read and copy and are posted on the website. The board and coaches are dedicated to seeing that the program is a positive, safe activity for our children and is self-sustaining financially. Everyone in this organization is a volunteer. No one claims to be an expert or professional at these jobs -- we are people who believe this program has something positive to offer children in the Puyallup area. We have offered to help the organization run as smoothly as possible and we are dedicated to using our efforts to make a positive contribution to our community.
We understand there can be frustrations with the program and the people who run it and those things may not always run as smoothly as planned. We value your suggestions and ideas that are intended to improve the program, but please take care in how you offer them. Volunteers are people with feelings just like you, so please present your suggestions in the manner that you would like them offered to you.
The members of the Board and Coaching Staffs have given many, many hours of their time during the off-season to help put this year's program together. This dedication will continue throughout the season and play-offs. Working together, this team and you can make the 25th season of Roughrider Football an awesome and fun experience.
All of the board members and coaches can be contacted at the Roughrider Hotline Voicemail 253-840-1548. Please leave a message and your call will be transferred to the appropriate person. You can also meet with coaches and board members at practices and games. Please meet with coaches after practice and games. Our coaches need as much time as possible to spend with the players getting them prepared for games.


PARENTS' CODE OF ETHICS
Our children learn more from their parent's behavior than anyone else in their lives, so we ask that you interact with all participants in a positive way while you are attending any activity associated with PJFA. Consequently, we offer the following Parents' Code of Ethics:
I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches and officials at every game, practice or other youth sports event.
I will place the emotional and physical well being of my child ahead of any personal desire to win.
I will provide support for coaches and officials working with my child to provide a positive, enjoyable experience for all.
I will demand a drug, alcohol and tobacco free sports environment for my child and agree to assist by refraining from their use at all youth sports events.
I will remember that the game is for children and not for adults.
I will ask my child to treat other players and coaches, fans and officials with respect regardless of race, sex, creed, or ability.
I will promise to help my child enjoy the youth sports experience within my own personal limitations by assisting with coaching, being a respectful fan, or whatever I am capable of doing.

ROUGHRIDER INFORMATION CENTER
ADDRESS: PUYALLUP JUNIOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
P.O. BOX 73533
Puyallup, WA 98373
PHONE: 253-840-1548
E-MAIL:   PuyRoughriders@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: www.eteamz.com/puyalluproughriders

WEIGHT LIMITS
TEAMS AGE GROUPS WEIGHT LIMITS

Eighty-Niners   
7 year olds No minimum - 90 lbs.
8 year olds No minimum - 80 lbs.
9 year olds No minimum - 75 lbs.

Sweet Peas      
8 year olds 81 lbs. - 110 lbs.
9 year olds 76 lbs. - 100 lbs.
10 year olds No minimum - 90 lbs.
11 year olds No minimum - 75 lbs.

Bantams            
9 year olds 101 lbs. - 120 lbs.
10 year olds 91 lbs. - 110 lbs.
11 year olds 76 lbs. - 100 lbs.
12 year olds No minimum - 90 lbs.

Midgets            
10 year olds 111 lbs. - 140 lbs.
11 year olds 101 lbs. - 130 lbs.
12 year olds 91 lbs. - 120 lbs.
13 year olds No minimum - 110 lbs.

Pee Wees         
11 year olds 131 lbs. - 162 lbs.
12 year olds 121 lbs. - 157 lbs.
13 year olds 111 lbs. - 142 lbs.
14 year olds No minimum - 132 lbs.

Cheerleaders 7 to 15 years old.


OBJECTIVES OF THE PUYALLUP ROUGHRIDERS
To inspire young boys and girls to practice the ideals of health, citizenship, scholarship, and character.

To give interested young boys and girls opportunities to participate in an organized and controlled program of tackle football and cheerleading.

To bring area youths together by means of common interest in sportsmanship, fair play and fellowship.

To impart within the activities, elements of safety, sanity, and intelligent supervision.

To keep the welfare of each boy and girl first, foremost, and entirely free of adult ambition and personal glory.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR PARENTS
1. Win or lose, your child is important, loved, appreciated and you are not disappointed in them.

2. Be honest about your child's athletic capability, attitude, sportsmanship and skill level.

3. Be helpful, but do not over coach your child.

4. Teach your child to continuously work on improving skills, attitudes and to always try their best.

5. Explain to your child that courage does not mean an absence of fear, but rather means doing something in spite of fear or discomfort.

6. Do not compete with the coach.

7. Do not compare the skill, courage, attitude and knowledge of other players with your child.

8. Get to know your child's coach. He has tremendous potential for influencing your child.

9. Always remember that children tend to exaggerate criticism and praise. Be careful not to over react with tales that are brought home.

10. Try not to live your athletic life through your child

COACHES RULES FOR PLAYERS
1. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP.
2. NO HORSE PLAY.
3. NO FIGHTING, WE’RE ALL BUDDIES
4. TELL THE COACH IF YOU ARE HURT
5. WE NEVER QUIT!


IMPORTANT INFORMATION
BIRTH CERTIFICATES

All children participating in Roughrider Football must have a birth certificate on file with PJFA before the first practice. Your child will not be allowed to be on the field if we do not have a copy. You can obtain a copy of your child's birth certificate at the Health Department of the County where your child was born.


REFUNDS

A full refund will be given if requested before the first practice. Once your child walks onto the playing field (to play football or to cheer) we are paying insurance on them so we must retain a $20.00 fee for insurance costs. There are NO REFUNDS after Wednesday, August 10th 2005.


INSURANCE

The insurance that PJFA provides for our players is a secondary insurance. If your child is injured and receives medical attention, it must go through your insurance carrier first. There is a $100 deductible for the insurance provided by PJFA. If your child is injured during a PJFA activity notify your Team Mom first. For additional insurance information and necessary forms, please see the Vice-President or another Board Member.


PRACTICES

Practices will be held Monday through Friday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm starting August 1st.
When school starts, practices will be held Tuesday through Thursday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm (unless otherwise noted by your coach).
Practices are held rain or shine. Please dress your child appropriately.
Please be prompt and ensure your children are picked up at 8:00pm.
We recommend that you attend practices and games as player injuries do occur. If you are not able to do so, please ensure that the emergency number provided on the registration form is current.


PRACTICE & GAME FIELDS & OTHER SCHOOL PROPERTY

There is absolutely no weapons, tobacco, alcohol or drug use anywhere on school property (including Sparks Stadium). The use of profanity by both adults and children will not be tolerated.
Please pick up all garbage and help keep the fields clean.
No pets are allowed on school property.
Please park in designated areas. At Stahl Jr. High, please do not park on the field since the parking near the field needs to be kept available for board members and coaches who are bringing in equipment.
Please be sure to lock your vehicles and secure all valuables. PJFA is not responsible for any theft or vandalism.
PJFA has to apply for field and facility usage each year, our acceptance for usage is based on the School District's past experiences with us, so it is important that we follow all their rules and not abuse the privilege.
We pay by the hour to play at Sparks Stadium. To keep our fees lower, it is important that we clean up the Stadium after each use and follow all Stadium rules.


NEWSLETTERS

Look for the weekly newsletter that will be handed out on Thursdays or Fridays of each week. The newsletter will give information about game times, directions and other important information. The newsletters also contain comments from the coaches about the previous week's game.


PARENTS AND FANS

Please support all the teams from the stands. Parents and fans are not allowed on the field or sidelines at any of the games. It is important to the players to have their parents at practices and games, providing support and encouragement. Please give all the players, cheerleaders, coaches, and referees positive encouragement and support. Avoid negative comments, profanity and other inappropriate remarks. Please save criticisms and complaints for an appropriate, private time between you and that person. If your complaint cannot be resolved, please take the matter to a Board Member.


FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT

Each football player will receive a pair of practice pants, a game jersey, and game pants, one set of hip, knee and tail pads, shoulder pads, a helmet and one mouth guard.

Mouth guards wear out, please replace your child's mouth guard when it starts showing wear.

Mouth guards are for sale in the concession area for $1.00 each at practices and games.

For practice, a player can wear his own personal jersey or x-large T-shirt (needs to fit over shoulder pads). We have practice jerseys for sale at the clothing table too!

Metal cleats are not allowed at any time. Molded rubber cleats are advised for grass fields and practice but are not worn on astro turf fields. Wear regular tennis/basketball type shoes or "turf" shoes on Astroturf.

Optional equipment such as rib protectors, forearm pads and athletic supporters are recommended and can be purchased at sporting good stores such as Athletic Supply in Lakewood or Guys and Dolls on South Hill in Puyallup. They all look alike so mark these items with your child's name.

Game pants and a game jersey will be issued in August.

Game pants and game jerseys are to be worn for games only. Do not wear game uniforms to practice or you will not be allowed to practice.

Jerseys and pants should be washed in cold water, mild detergent and hung to dry. Please DO NOT put game jerseys and pants in the dryer. NO BLEACH. Wash jerseys separately so they do not bleed.

Players are to wear just their helmets to the first 3 practices. These are "no contact" practices.

All equipment is to be used for PJFA games and practices only.

Do not make any alterations to any equipment. If you need help with any of your equipment, please contact the Equipment Manager.

No stickers or other objects are to be applied to any equipment unless otherwise specified.

Please clean all clothing and equipment before returning at the end of the season.


A $350 fine will be imposed for all equipment that is not turned in November.
PJFA is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal equipment.


CHEERLEADING EQUIPMENT

The Cheer Director will distribute cheerleading uniforms and equipment with instructions.


ATTENDANCE

Attendance at practice and games is critical to your child's success with the Roughriders. Our coaches will track attendance and will rely on each player to attend practice and games when scheduled. If your child will not be able to attend, please call your coach. If you can not reach your coach, call the hotline (840-1548) and leave a message. Practices will always be held on their regularly scheduled day, regardless of weather. The ONLY time we will suspend practice is in the case of thunderstorms and lightening. Be prepared to return for your player if thunder and lightening develop after you have dropped him or her off.


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Puyallup Junior Football Association is strictly a non-profit organization. We have no paid positions or large corporate sponsors. In order to run a successful organization, we need volunteers. Volunteering is a great way to get to know other parents in the organization and make it possible for everyone to be able to watch their child play. The following is a list of some of the volunteer needs of PJFA. If you have other skills which you think may be valuable please let a Board Member or Coach know.


CONCESSIONS - Volunteers are needed to work in the concession stand at practices and home games. During home games we need 8 - 10 adults per team to help out with cooking and serving. Help is also needed to help clean up after the games.

TEAM PARENTS - Each team needs a parent to help the coaches with organizing snacks, making phone calls and handing out information. Team Parents are also needed to help the Director of Concessions to schedule volunteers for shifts in the concession area at home games.

GAME CHAINS AND DOWN MARKERS - Three volunteers are needed to work the chains and down markers.

SPOTTERS, TIME CLOCK & SCOREBOARD - Two or three volunteers are needed to help the announcer spot at each game and run the clock and scoreboard.

SECURITY - Volunteers are needed to help out at each game.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS POSITIONS - Board Members are elected each year by the PJFA membership at the year-end banquet. Available positions will be posted during the season. A detailed description can be found in the PJFA Bylaws.


PARENTS' CODE OF ETHICS

Our children learn more from their parent's behavior than anyone else in their lives, so we ask that you interact with all participants in a positive way while you are attending any activity associated with PJFA. Consequently, we offer the following Parents' Code of Ethics:

I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches and officials at every game, practice or other youth sports event.

I will place the emotional and physical well being of my child ahead of any personal desire to win.

I will provide support for coaches and officials working with my child to provide a positive, enjoyable experience for all.

I will demand a drug, alcohol and tobacco free sports environment for my child and agree to assist by refraining from their use at all youth sports events.

I will remember that the game is for children and not for adults.

I will ask my child to treat other players and coaches, fans and officials with respect regardless of race, sex, creed, or ability.

I will promise to help my child enjoy the youth sports experience within my own personal limitations by assisting with coaching, being a respectful fan, or whatever I am capable of doing.


PLAYING TIME

Our program is first and foremost a teaching organization. Our coaches are dedicated to doing their best to teach their players good work habits, self-discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship and commitment. Winning football games is a byproduct of doing these things right.

We are lucky to have a wonderful coaching staff -- to a man, they all have a true love of the game of football and a love for the kids they coach. They have experience and a good feel for what will earn each player a spot in the game. Their goal in this program is to give every child the best coaching experience they are capable of and to be fair in their evaluations of each individual. One of the biggest issues that our organization deals with year in and year out is the question of playing time. Ideally, we would like to have every player play in an equal amount of time in every game, but with an average of 40 players on each team, balanced playing time for everyone is practically impossible. As in any youth sports program that relies on experienced coaches to make decisions about player strengths and weaknesses, we will rely solely on our head coach's judgment to determine how much time is an adequate amount for each player on his team. The playing time decisions of the head coach are final.

Our coaches will try as much as possible to allow each player to play to his or her full potential. This demands a strong commitment on the part of each player. Our coaches must rely on demonstrations of the player's abilities and capabilities during practice. The player needs to work hard at practice and have a positive attitude both on the field and off. Playing time is earned by attending practices, but just showing up for practice is not enough to guarantee playing time. It calls for a commitment to learning the game and improving those parts of his game that may be weak. It takes a commitment by the player to his teammates to do his best so they can do their best. Playing time is earned through an understanding of the plays being called and the demands of the position he is assigned. The Roughriders play in a competitive league, meaning that we are playing to win as does each of our opponents.

First year players are welcome in the Roughrider program. The 89ers, Sweet Peas and Bantams have a squad, usually made up of first year players, that will often play a "fifth quarter," consisting of equal parts offense and defense during half-time. These teams provide a great opportunity for the less experienced players to receive instruction from their coaches on the field during a game situation. We encourage all parents to be as supportive to these teams as they are of the rest of the team during the other four quarters.
On the other hand, first year players may face challenges in earning playing time on the regular squad. Unfortunately, it's difficult for most first year players to possess the skills of a more advanced player. A first year player has a lot to learn about football, both physically and mentally, and must remember that every player on the field was a first-year player at one time. If your child is a first year player, he will be on a team that has players in their second or third, even up to their sixth or seventh year of organized football. He will most likely find the competition to be intense. That is not to say he will not play, just that his expectations should be realistic. If your child plays at a higher level, great! If not, he will still have a fantastic time learning football and making friends.

If you have concerns about the playing time that your child receives, please discuss it with your child first. There may be legitimate reasons for the decisions his coach makes that your child has not communicated with you. He may not want to play as much as you think he should, but may be afraid to tell you. He may be afraid of getting hurt. He may be fearful of failing in his position assignment. He may be anxious about doing as well as siblings, friends, or his father's high school "war stories." There are many things that may affect a player's performance that have nothing to do with his physical ability. Do your best to listen to your player's thoughts and feelings about his place on the team and be supportive. The best measure of your child's success is the fun and good feelings he associates with the game of football.


FINANCES

It takes a lot of money to run a successful youth football organization. The funds we receive from sign-ups cover approximately 1/3 of the total operating budget of over $80,000! We have tried to make the burden on parents as reasonable as possible, consequently, fundraising is a vital part of PJFA and we need the support of the entire membership to fulfill our fundraising needs. The following is a brief description of some of the fund-raisers. If you have any other ideas on possible fund-raisers, please contact a Board Member.

CONCESSIONS - Our concession stand is a big fund-raiser for PJFA. Parents are encouraged to help out and to support it by buying our great hot dogs, Roughrider burgers, and breakfast sandwiches at the games.

PJFA PROGRAMS - Each year, we ask players to solicit ads from businesses, parents, grandparents, etc. for the PJFA program. The program includes pictures, team information, advertisements and other fun items. The programs are sold at practices and home games.

PJFA APPAREL - Show your Roughrider spirit by wearing T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and jackets in the Roughrider colors and logo! There are a wide variety of items for sale at the concession stand at both practices and home games.

RAFFLE TICKETS - Raffle tickets are sold during each home game at Sparks Stadium. We sell 50/50 raffle tickets (winner takes 50% of the proceeds).

UNITED WAY - If your work supports United Way, you can request that your donation be sent to PJFA. Our United Way donor # is 111944.

SPRING FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE - This event is held in February & March and continues to be a huge success.

DONATIONS - Donations are always welcome and appreciated! Some ideas are items for concessions, basket raffles, gift certificates, and snacks for the players after the games. If you have an item, idea or know someone who would be willing to make a donation to PJFA, please contact a Board Member.

NSF - PJFA relies on our parents to honor their commitments to the organization as we honor our commitments to players and parents. If there is a problem with payment, we ask that you be honest with us and we will work with you. We will, however, charge $20 for all NSF checks