*** 2009 Football Application and 2009 Player Registration Document("PRD" form) ARE NOW AVAILABLE!
Click "Applications/Forms"

Note the identifying information on the Medical Form MUST BE TYPED.
REGISTER EARLY! TEAMS ARE CLOSED OUT BASED ON APPLICATIONS POSTMARKED ON MAY 29th 2009!

*Thunder Football Equipment Days will be held on June 7th and June 14th in the morning (exact times TBD). For those new to the program, these are dates/times in which you can purchase football equipment from a Riddell representative (helmets, shoulder pads, pants and pads, etc.).

*June 14th will be the date for our annual Thunder Football Clinic, again time TBD.

*This year the Thunder program is attempting to field a 12 year old team, for those interested in having their son participate applications are being accepted to all interested.

*Be on the look out for more updates coming shortly regarding the 2009 Summer Football Jamboree as well as Thunder Football merchandise!

Click on "Accepted Applications 2009" on the left tabs to see if your player is registered

GO THUNDER!
==========================================================================
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING REMINDERS:
REMINDER: NO SCREW-IN CLEATS IN THUNDER FOOTBALL. ONLY MOLDED PLASTIC OR RUBBER CLEATS ARE ALLOWED.
If a player weighs in wearing screw-in cleats he is NOT allowed to play in the game. If he is caught wearing screw-in cleats during a game he is thrown out of that game and suspended suspended for the next game.

REMINDER: GCAA SPECTATOR CODE OF CONDUCT APPLIES AT ALL THUNDER GAMES, HOME AND AWAY
1 - Support and contribute to the coach's and organization's effort to create an environment in which children and adults have fun with sports.
Encourage all players on the team and the opposition team. Engage in only positive cheering and cheer effort as much as outcome.

2 - Cooperate with efforts to teach the basic skills, rules and strategies of the sport.
Insure that your child is able to attend the majority of practices and games. Become familiar with the basic rules and strategies of the sport and the coach's plan of instruction. Inform the coach of any ongoing scheduling conflicts in advance. Refrain from sideline coaching. Practice with your child and help them identify how they can contribute to their team as well as setting personal goals.

3 - Model appropriate fan behavior and good sportsmanship.
Encourage through positive cheering competitiveness within the bounds of good sportsmanship. Show respect for the officials all the time, especially when you disagree. Acknowledge good plays of the opposition. Treat players of the other teams as members of our community first and as opponents secondarily. Refrain from actions or words that undercut the self-esteem of players on the other teams. Don't make negative comments about the other team as a means of encouraging or cheering for you child's team.

*** SPECIFIC RULES FOR GCAA THUNDER FOOTBALL ***
1) All spectators (even parents with cameras) are required to stay behind the ropes at all times, home and away. Only tagged coaches, chain gang operators or league officials are permitted inside the ropes. THIS IS A SAFETY MATTER - YOUR TEAM WILL BE FINED IF YOU VIOLATE THIS RULE.

2) All spectators are expected to conduct themselves in the appropriate manner at all times and show respect for your Garden City team and its coaches, the opposing teams and coaches, and most of all the referees.
It is a new league rule for 2008 that any spectator (including parents, relatives, etc) ejected from a field for inappriopriate behavior by a referee or a Field Director MUST ALSO REMOVE THE PLAYER THEY ARE SUPPORTING FROM THE FIELD. That player is then punished for their parent's behavior by being suspended for the following game also. If a team does not give the player's name, the league will look into the matter and force the team to forfeit each succeeding game until the player is properly suspended for the following game. This rule may seem unfair, but the rule exists as a result of the negative trend in parent behavior at youth sports events.