Team Composition

Team enrollment is open to all high school students who meet SAD #15’s eligibility requirements. Currently, the team can suit 55 players. Students may be required to try-out for the team if the number of interested students exceeds the available positions.

Game Schedules

As per rules established by the Maine Principals’ Association, our high school team must play a junior varsity schedule for its first two years of existence, namely 2003 and 2004. Beginning in the fall of 2005, the high school team will join the Western Maine, Class B Campbell Conference and will play both varsity and junior varsity games each week. Varsity games are normally scheduled on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons. Junior varsity games are normally scheduled on Monday afternoons.

Practice Schedules

Football practice for the fall season begins the third week of August on the date established by the Maine Principals’ Association. The first week of practice is affectionately known as “hell week”. During hell week, players are required to attend two practices a day, normally 7:30 to 10:00 am, and 2:30 to 5:00 pm. After the first week, practices are scheduled for 2:30 to 5:00 pm each weekday.

Practices are mandatory. Unexcused absences from practice or any other team obligation can lead to a player being benched, suspended, or even dismissed from the team.

In order to practice and play with the team, players must meet the academic requirements of the SAD #15 athletic department.

Summer Practice Program

The GNG football coaches run a non-mandatory summer program for any interested high school and middle school players. This program is designed to teach and enhance basic football techniques while stressing the importance of overall physical fitness and weight training. In 2004, this program began on June 28th and ran from 7:30 to 9:30 am, three days a week through the end of July. The schedule for 2005 will be announced at fall sports night in June 2005.

Physical Requirements

Football is a full-contact sport, and proper physical preparation is necessary to protect players from injury. Practice will include, but is not limited to, basic physical fitness exercises, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and running; stretching; weight training; agility drills; and specific football instruction, such as passing, tackling, and blocking drills.

Team Composition

Team enrollment is open to all 7th and 8th grade students who meet SAD #15’s eligibility requirements. Currently, the team can suit approximately 30 players. Students may be required to try-out for the team if the number of interested students exceeds the available positions. If all available positions are not filled by the second week of practice, the team has the right to open its enrollment to 6th grade students.

Game Schedules

Middle School games are normally scheduled on Thursday afternoons.

Practice Schedules

Football practice for the fall season normally begins the week that school opens. In 2004, practices were held initially from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, and later moved to 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The practice schedule for 2005 will be announced at a parents’ meeting that will be held in August 2005. This meeting will be announced in all local newspapers and by email to the parents of current players.

Practices are mandatory. Unexcused absences from practice or any other team obligation can lead to a player being benched, suspended, or even dismissed from the team.

In order to practice and play with the team, players must meet the academic requirements of the SAD #15 athletic department.

Summer Practice Program

Middle School players are welcome to participate in the summer practice program run by the GNG high school coaches, as described above.