Ridge Youth Sports Inc. Tackle Football welcomes grades 3rd through 8th. If your child is in grades K through 5th and would like to play flag football, please see the Flag Football League tab, under the football tab on our home page. RYSI provides all equipment needed to participate, EXCEPT YOUR HELMET. Due to supply chain delays and shortages, we strongly recommend that if you intend to purchase a new helmet for the 2022 season, you do so as soon as possible.
We welcome every player, of any weight. Games are played throughout the day on Sunday and maybe a Saturday night or two, September through November. RYSI has partnered with Pop Warner and will be competing in the Central Jersey Pop Warner League. Through this partnership, we are able to bring to RYSI an established conference (and steady flow of games) offering unlimited weight football with a local presence. We feel this partnership is in the best interest of Ridge as we usher in the next decade of youth football with a conference alignment offering nearly 20 competitive towns.
Pop Warner requires alignment of teams by age (utilizing a July 31 birthday cut-off). This will allow Ridge to offer tackle football across the following age brackets: 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U. Accordingly, the breakdown is as follows:
10U - 8, 9/10 yr. olds (8-10 as of July 7/31/2022)
11U - 11 yr olds (11 as of July 31 2022)
12U- 12 yr. olds (12 on 7/31/2022)
13U - 13 yr olds (13 on July 31, 2022)
14U - 14 yr. olds (14 on 7/31/2021)
Please be aware that this is the first season that Pop Warner has offered “odd number year” teams and our ability to offer these odd number year programs will depend on two factors:
- sufficient interest and player registrations to field both the even and odd year teams (example: a minimum of 18 players for both the 10U and 11U age groups)
- sufficient parent volunteer coaches who are able and willing to complete the necessary safety, coaching and background check certifications. Our success as a program depends on parent volunteers.
Please note some key dates that will help you manage your calendars appropriately:
1. Practice begins Monday, August 15th (practices are Monday-Friday, through August 31.
2. Beginning September 6th, practices will be held on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings;
3. Regular game season is 8 weeks long followed possibly by a post season.
THE COST FOR THE SEASON WILL BE $400 AND CAN BE PAID IN FULL OR SPLIT INTO TWO DIFFERENT PAYMENTS ... now and August 1st.