Step 3:  PurchAse your SUMMER spirit pack for $20.  Pay in-person At the root beer social.

STEp 1:  Signup Here:  Downey Frosh Football LiNK

Step 2:  Purchase an AAU Card online.  Click here for instructions

Important Dates


May 13th
6:00pm
TDHS Cafeteria 

Root Beer Social: Parent Info & Signups. Bring $20 for Practice Clothing


Tuesday, May 28th

8am, Football Field
First Summer AAU practice. Practices are 8-10:30am, Monday through Friday each week.

Monday July 29th

Fall practice begins, helmets distributed before practice.

To Incoming TDHS 9th graders:


High school will be here very soon.  You can start high school with 60+ friends on the first day of school.  

If you like football, I encourage you to come out for the Frosh football team, even if you have never played before.  Football is a great team sport, and the Knights always do well.


Even if you live on the far edge of our Downey boundary, we have a late bus that will take you home after practice.


So come and join us!!  In the meantime, take care of what's important!  Get your

grades up!


 Go Knights!
​


To participate in a GREAT TEAM sport & make dozens of friends.

To develop outstanding personal strength, speed, and size.

To get proper guidance toward college.  

Look good!!  Downey Football is an UnderArmour program.



Great Role-modeling:  WE employ 20+ quality, fully-certified coaches.
Perform better academically:  weekly grade checks for everyone.

           > Perfect grade checks are rewarded with helmet decals.

           > Oversize 5-foot wall-decal for straight-A’s during football! season.

           > The Downey Football program had a 3.45 GPA avg last season!

Improved citizenship: good behavior is rewarded with helmet decals.

Improve overall work-ethic:  Learn the value of working hard towards a goal.

Join the Knight brotherhood:  Frosh are grouped with peer role-models.

Learn about respect towards cultural diversity.
Physically develop through creative strength training & nutrition education.

           > Downey has sent 51 players to collegiate football the last 8 seasons.

Develop valuable leadership, team skills, and improve self-esteem.

Learn the value of community service.

           > Winner of the 2011 inaugural CIF-SJS Community Service Award.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


When does practice start?

Incoming 9th graders cannot start until their last day of Junior High is complete.  A complete calendar can be found HERE.


My son's middle school goes a week later than most, what should he do?

Start practice the day after he's done with Junior high.


Is summer practice mandatory?

Attending summer practice guarantees all incoming frosh a spot on the team.  


How much does it cost?

We charge $20 to cover the cost of a new shirt, shorts; and you buy a $14 AAU card (mandated by Modesto city Schools).  After that we fundraise in July to cover all other costs.  Each player is asked to fundraise $200 through a text-a-thon that has additional incentives.  If an ANYTIME money is an issue- please talk with Coach Plaa.  Money will never keep a student from playing football.


Why is it so expensive?

Our district provides us with safety equipment (helmets & shoulder pads) for all kids.  As a program, we are responsible for fundraising for uniforms and accessories needed to run a great program.  The money raised through spirit pack funds pay for home and away jerseys, socks, helmet decals, mouthpiece; as well as all technology, weight room equipment and field equipment that we need to run a successful program.


What are the academic requirements to play football?

All incoming frosh have a clean slate.  There is no GPA minimum required to play Frosh football.  During the season, the coaches grade check every Wednesday.  Players with bad grades (2 or more D/F's) for two weeks in a row are not allowed to play for that week.  They can resume playing when their grades are better.  Players that get Straight A's throughout football season earn a 5' wall decal of themselves from a game.


What are Pride Points?

Pride points are a way to reward commitment to the football program.  A full explanation can be found HERE.


Where can I see my son's Pride Points?

All pride points are updated weekly, and sometimes daily, and the online spreadsheet can be found HERE.


Does my son need a physical to play?

A physical is required to start the regular season in July.  The physical must be taken after June 15.  It is not required to participate in the Summer AAU program.  Our district provides a Physical Day in June/July- look at our Calendar for date/time info.


How can I keep up with Downey Football?

We are on social media and post updates regularly.  We are on Twitter @tdfootball and we are on Instagram @tdhsfootball


Is it true that you can ONLY play Offense or Defense at Downey, but not play both ways?

We encourage athletes to try themselves on both sides of the ball, especially as freshman and sophomores.  In our experience, athletes fit the personality of Offense or Defense and we encourage them to spend most of their time in training for the skilled position they are best.  We have multiple athletes yearly that focus their effort on one side of the ball, and then specialize in playing on the other side of the ball in specific situations.  We also believe in protecting the physical and mental health of our athletes.


Can Frosh play JV or Varsity?

We take our best football players, regardless of grade, and put them on Varsity.  The Varsity roster caps at 50 players.