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 GCKA Knights Football

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Come join the Grove City Knights Football Program

Mission

The GCKA football program is dedicated to provide quality training and an equal opportunity for every child interested in learning more about football. We offer divisions for kids from grades 1st through 6th.

Offered Programs:

• Tackle Football:
  Football offers three age/weight divisions. The league maintains a competitive environment with proper instruction and opportunity for every child. Our coaches are trained as part of the USA Football program and are motivated to build both quality athletic skill and character in our players.

Player Evaluations:

ALL players, new or returning must attend evaluations. Evaluations are June 23-25) from 6-7:30PM at Murfin Fields. Players will be fitted jerseys at evaluations, so they MUST come for at least one day!

**Players not attending will be subject to "non-attending player" draft rules and guidelines.**

Practices: TYPICALLY Mon-Thurs until school starts then the teams will go down to 3 days a week - days to be determined by the individual coach.

Games: Home games will be played at Murfin Fields and away games will be played in surrounding areas. Games will typically be played on Sundays. Games times will vary by location.

Equipment/Uniforms Provided: Helmet w/ chin strap, practice and game jerseys, practice and game pants, shoulder pads, and 1 mouth piece supplied as part of your fee.

Items Needed: Football cleats, extra mouth piece, football girdle with hip and thigh pads, knee pads, any special equipment (i.e. rib/lower back protection.

Honoring Requests: Teams are drafted after evaluations and the goal of GCKA Football is to assemble balanced teams.  This is based on skill, size, experience, and many other things.  Requests to have players on the same team cannot be honored due to this process. Divisions are based on grade.

Players must not exceed the maximum age for each division regardless of the grade that they are in. Players that are in violation of this rule may request to play up a division, with the proper approvals, up and until the Senior Division.

• Mini Division – A player cannot turn 9 years old prior to August 1^st of the current year.
• Junior Division – A player cannot turn 11 years old prior to August 1^st of the current year.
• Senior Division – A player cannot turn 13 years old prior to August 1^st of the current year.

Draft: After registration will be evaluations, then a draft will be held.  Coaches will select players accordingly, in the same fashion as the NFL draft. The coach then contacts their teams' players/parents. If you have any questions or have not been contacted by the Sunday Evening after the Draft please call the GCKA office at or email GCKAKNIGHTS@gmail.com

OPYFL League : GCKA plays in the Ohio Premier Youth Football League.

• For more information on OPYFL league rules please click here.

Volunteer Coaches: Email GCKAKNIGHTS@gmail.com and our Asst. Commissioner will contact you about available opportunities and answer any additional questions you may have. All coaches will go through an application and interview process along with a background check.

Player Selection and Cost Breakdown

Team Size:

Our objective will be to have 22-25 players per team depending on registration numbers per division this may vary.

• More is not always better – but we must balance team size with Coaches and playing time.
• The Advisory Board has agreed to target team sizes and will attempt to adhere to that goal.
• Since 2022 we have been apart of the Premier League

· SIBLING RULE – Siblings will play for the same Color Team at each Level.

· PLAYING TIME – Each Team is to ensure, to the best of their ability, and game situations that each player will receive playing time on the field during regular season. In addition, players must attend practice and display great sportsmanship to be included in the play rule. It is the Coach's discretion if a player has missed practice, has not displayed great sportsmanship, or has negative issues at school to not allow the player to receive playing time.  Playoffs/Championship does not guarantee everyone will play and is up to the Coach's discretion.

Returning Players:

Players that do not wish to remain with the same color team from the previous season must select that on their application and will be placed in the draft. This is NO guarantee that the player will not be drafted back to their old team.

A player that was a "Protected Player" in the previous season, and is staying within the division is now classified as a "Returning Player".

Players may return to the team they were on the previous year, as long as the following criteria is met:

• The player is remaining in the same division.
• The player has selected on their registration form that they wish to return to their previous team.
• The player has registered prior to the first scheduled evaluation period, and draft.

Any player not meeting the above criteria, who is not a “Protected Player” is not guaranteed to return to their team and could be placed into the draft, or any future supplemental or blind drafts for selection to a team

Cost Break Down:

Everyone asks "What are our fees used for?" - $135 of the $200 is just on facility cost, referee fees, and insurance.

Here is a breakdown of the cost for one football at a very high level:

2025 Player Cost Breakdown
New Item	Cost		Reconditioned Cost	Cost
Schutt A3+	$175.00		Helmet	$65.00
TPU Ear Pads	$25.00		Ear Pads	$25.00
Helmet Decal	$8.00		Helmet Decal	$8.00
Total Cost	$652.00		Total Cost	$367.00
Fee per Player	$200.00		Fee per Player	$200.00
Net	($452.00)		Net	($167.00)