New Hampshire's premier youth football and cheer organization

The Pelham Razorbacks are a proud member of the American Youth Football and Cheer (AYF) organization, the largest youth football and cheer organization in the country.

The Razorbacks organization encourages the highest levels of sportsmanship, teamwork and fair-play.  Our affiliation with AYF ensures our kids play football and cheer in a safe, competitive and fundamentally sound environment.

Razorbacks Updates and Board Members Needed

2020 was a year none of us will forget and we are setting our sights on 2021 with the hopes that COVID is a thing of the past.  Our plan is to gear up for a Fall 2021 season and that starts on Monday, November 30^th when we have nominations for the 2021 Board of Directors.  This is a huge opportunity to be a part of shaping the future of the Razorbacks and youth sports.  No experience is necessary but a positive attitude and willingness to learn and volunteer time always leads to success.  The following positions are open for nomination and anyone who was an active member during the 2019 season is eligible to run for a position.  These are two-year roles once elected:

• President
• Secretary
• Football Director
• Field Director
• Fundraising Director

If you are interested in learning more about any of these positions, please reach out to me directly at or 603-556-1091 prior to November 30^th.  For anyone wishing to be nominated, we want to take safety precaution and will not have an in-person meeting.  You do however, need to send an email to BOTH Kelly Vanti ( )& Timm Haskins ( ) with your name and position you wish to be nominated for.  This must be received by them prior to 6pm EST on November 30^th.  If more than one person is nominated for any position, we will then have voting in December.  On November 30^th, we will then have our monthly meeting at 730pm EST with conference call dial-in phone number to be posted on our website and Facebook page soon.

I am nominating myself for President in what I expect to be my last term on the Board.  I know Kevin Poliquin wants to return as Field Director and I fully support him and will nominate him.  It is with mixed emotions for that I report that Timm Haskins, Jay Travis and Denise Capua have indicated they will not be pursuing their positons of Secretary, Football and Fundraising Directors respectively.  If you are interested in one of these roles, I strongly urge you to reach out to me anytime to talk through the position, the time commitment and expectations of a board member. 

 Even if you are not sure, but want to learn more, please contact me as I have said for many years when it comes to volunteering in youth sports – “if not you, then who”?

Sincerely,

Lou Longo – President

603-556-1091

Dear Razorbacks Families Present and Past

It is with mixed emotions that I notify you that after many weeks and countless hours of diligent research and deliberations amongst our board and the other NHYFSC associations, I inform you the Razorbacks will not be participating in the 2020 NHYFSC season for football and cheer.

We appreciate the input and dialogue that has taken place amongst the NHYFSC over the past several months.  However, without firm guidelines to ensure a safe environment for children and spectators coupled with the uncertain impact of the COVID-19 virus throughout the upcoming months, it is in the best interest of our athletes, families and communities to forgo the 2020 season.  Due to the enormous time constraints we face, it is imperative we make this decision today.  We did not make this decision in a vacuum and I worked closely with our Razorbacks Board and the Presidents from Derry, Hudson, Salem and Windham.  We all came to this same decision along with our Boards and together we submitted our decision to the NHYFSC and all the other associations.  At the last State meeting half of the associations indicated they did not think they would field teams for the 2020 season.

Please know, we respect the opinions and decisions of the other associations who want to try to offer a season.  For those organizations that choose to field teams this year, we wished them nothing but the best and hope they all experience a safe and happy season.  However, current guidelines presented only address a small amount of the outstanding questions and concerns of our members.  Furthermore, we were not confident that the NHYFSC will be able to provide answers in a timely manner as they will be contingent upon the Governor’s office.  The proximity of the football and cheer athlete make the potential consequences associated with the COVID-19 virus far outweigh the positive experience a child may have while participating in sports this summer/fall.  As such, this is the safest and most prudent course of action.

Although we will not be participating in the 2020 NHYFSC season for games and competitions, we will still keep our organization active.  At some point this year, the Razorbacks will be honoring our 8^th graders as some of our athletes have been with us since 1^st grade.  All families who have registered will be contacted by a member of our Board and receive a full refund.  Also, we will work with any athlete interested in participating with another town offering football or cheer and assist with the waiver process for this year.

Finally, this decision was not an easy one. We wish everyone a safe and successful summer and fall and look forward to competing again in 2021 as we have not ruled out exploring a youth football and cheer season in the Spring 2021...

Sincerely,

Lou Longo - President

Hello to all of our Razorback Families!

We realize what a difficult time we are all currently facing and we hope that you are all doing well under these conditions. We can only take it one day at a time and hope that the conditions will improve sooner rather than later. We all try to continue to do our and staying home whenever possible. For those of you with essential jobs, we commend you
for your service and wish nothing but good health and your safety as you venture out each day.

We wanted to let you all know that as of early April, the 2020 Razorbacks’ Football and Cheer season is scheduled. We are well aware that this could change and like you, we are all just waiting to see how this virus is going to play out. The Razorbacks’ will follow the lead of the National AYF/AYC organization, as well as the NHYFSC for further guidance
through these trying times. As we receive updates from them, we will be sure to pass that information along to all of you.

Where does that leave us? Here is how we would like to proceed under the current situation:

• Registration is open for all football players and cheerleaders.
• We are extending our Early Bird Registration Fee until April 30, 2020.
• Due to some families possibly being out of work, you may register this month and not pay until a later date. If you register by 4/30, you will only be charged the discounted rate. Registration fees will return to full price on 5/1/2020.
• If you are able to pay the registration fee when you register, that would be helpful, but if you cannot please reach out to a board member prior to April 25th.
• If the 2020 season gets canceled, you will receive a full refund.
• It is critical for us to get an estimate of team counts to determine equipment purchase and appreciate you signing up by the above date.

We realize that these times are unprecedented and everyone is taking daily tasks day by day. We are optimistic that these times will pass soon and we can carry on with our ‘normal’ lives. After lots of time spent at home, we hope to be on the field and competition mats soon! 

Speaking of competition, we wanted to share with all of you that we have a fun change this season. Pelham and Salem have joined forces for the 2020 season to host a “Battle at the Border” cheer competition at Salem High School. We will have a lot more information into the summer months, but thought you would all enjoy some uplifting news. Please feel free
to reach out to us if you have any questions and know that all of you are in our thoughts as we navigate these challenging times.

Be safe and stay healthy!

Razorbacks Board of Directors

As we prepare for the 2020 season, I want to provide some perspective on the state of football both within the Razorbacks but also throughout the NHYFSC (the New Hampshire conference we play in comprised of 25 other towns). 15 years ago when I signed my oldest son up in the program, he was a 7 year-old and it was the first year the Razorbacks were part of American Youth Football (AYF). It was this season that Pelham, along with most other towns in New Hampshire, made the switch out of Pop Warner as their national affiliate. We were known as the Pelham-Windham Razorbacks as Windham did not have their own program at that time.

As I look at my son's first year in 2005, our program had 7 teams with most teams having between 25-35 players, including kids who were in high school. We were in the minority as back then, only a handful of towns had teams at each level and many had combined teams of 9/10 or 11/12 for example. When Windham started their own program, we still had a team at each grade or age group but instead of 25-35 players per team, we were between 20-30 players. Fast forward to 2019 and we fielded 4 teams with an average of 22 kids per team. Yet we are still in the top tier of towns in terms of total football teams as Londonderry has 6 teams. Salem, Windham, Man East and Nashua PAL have 5 and 5 others have 4 teams like us. The rest of the towns have anywhere between 1-3 football teams in their program.

I share all of this as participation numbers for tackle football are down across the state with some programs like Goffstown and NorRock, with much larger draw numbers than us, no longer offering tackle football. As we look at our registered boys in PES and PMS, there is an average of 60 boys per grade. To field a competitive tackle football team, you should look to have between 22-28 players on a team. Thus, half the boys in town need to sign up to play Razorbacks at each level to field a solid team…and that is a challenging number for our program or any other town.

We think we can achieve it and hopefully you have seen our advertisement for an early bird registration where we are discounting our registration fee by $100 (for football and cheer). Our reason behind this is 2-fold. First, because we can as we currently have a solid financial base thanks to good fundraising and prudent spending. The bigger reason is we are confident we provide a great experience for boys and girls and want to encourage them to check us out. This is critical for the football side because we must know numbers sooner than later for purposes of buying equipment, forming teams and selecting coaches. We need a commitment from families and we are confident that if your child has an interest in football, they will enjoy what our program can offer.</p>

I would like to invite any current and potential football players or cheerleaders and their families to an Information Night on March 30th @ 630pm at Pelham Town Hall. At this time you can meet various board members and past football and cheer coaches and ask any questions as well as share ideas or feedback on how we grow the program. We will also be available to help with online registration and you can take advantage of the discounted rate. For football players that register, we will also fit them for a helmet as safety is a huge focus four all our athletes and we are in the process of purchasing new helmets and other equipment for the 2020 season.

Lastly, if you are unable to make it right at 630pm, please come when can as we plan to be there until at least 730pm that evening. And one more thing; we will have pizza and refreshments so no need to cook that night if do not want to!

​Good evening - 

Banquet season is here - Doors open at 5:30 and dinner will be served at 6:05.​

• Wednesday, November 6:  11U/12U/D12
• Thursday November 14: 9U/Tiny Mites/D10
• Monday November 18 - 13U/D14

​Also, Razorbacks Board nominations will be at the next meeting on Thursday, November 11 at 6:30pm at the Pelham Police Community Room.  Positions up for election this year are:

• Vice President
• Program Administrator
• Concessions
• Cheer director
• Treasurer

If you are interested in any position, please reach out to Lou Longo to find out more information.

Still Hot but Cheer and Football in Full Swing

We are in week 3 and the kids are all doing great on the mats and grass.  Opening Game will be here on Sunday August 25^th and we hope to have all teams at home.  As soon as the schedule is released we will post it.  But scrimmage action starts this Sunday at the Londonderry Jamboree.  Please see some information below but always confirm up to date team activities with your child’s coach and/or team mom.

• The Londonderry Football Jamboree is a chance for our football players to practice against other teams.  These will be controlled scrimmages against other towns so please remember this day is about practice, instruction and evaluation for our coaches and teams.

• Town alert on EEE – as you may be aware, mosquitoes in Pelham tested positive for the EEE virus and as the town put out in its release – the mosquitoes tested positive – there are no reports of humans testing positive.  The Razorbacks work closely with the town and take precautions.  The town is spraying Muldoon this week and we remind all parents to spray their kids prior to practice.  We have also equipped all teams with bug spray.

• Picture Day is set for football and cheer teams
  • Football is Saturday, August 24^th starting at 9am (see team for specific slot)
  • Cheer is Wednesday, September 25th starting at 5pm (see team for specific slot)

All details and order information is posted on our Facebook page and available through your head coach or team mom.

• Apparel – will be available for purchase and ordering (specifically sweatshirts) on the following dates and times:
  • Tuesday, August 20^th from 6p-730p
  • Saturday, August 24^th from 9a-11a

• Cheer – a reminder that all cheerleaders should have joined their team’s “BAND” app to ensure they are getting all team updates.

Lastly, I am appealing to all parents as a fellow parent and former coach that has been to 1000’s of youth sporting events through the years.  The Razorbacks have always been a good example of spectator conduct at practices, games and cheer events – but situations seem to arise each year.  Football games, even scrimmages, have high intensity and cheer competitions can be as stressful as anything to watch.  We need all fans to realize that games and competition is about the children, by the children and for the children.  Referees will make bad calls and judges may not score as we think they should.  It is NOT personal against our team, kids or program.  Please help us ensure we show great fan behavior even when calls or scores do not go our way.  Our coaches, other board members and I will always have the kids’ best interest at heart.  Please RESPECT our coaches, team moms, referees, board members, opponents and all others we come in contact with.  If a situation arises, whenever possible, please encourage your child to speak to his/her head coach prior to you doing it.  I am confident we can come to good resolutions and continue with a great experience for the child.

Thank You,

Lou Longo - President

2019 Season Fast Approaching

When hot weather hits, we know Razorback season will soon start.  As we head into 2019, we are seeing many changes within the NHYFSC on both the football and cheer side.  On the cheer side, a new format has been introduced for competitions as AYC has adopted the YCADA (Youth Cheer & Dance Alliance) rules.  Our cheer directors took extensive training on these new rules and judges scoring back in May and our coaches will also complete a YCADA course.

On the football side, this looks to be a transition year for the NHYFSC and many towns, including us in Pelham.  Participant levels are down across the state and country with fewer kids starting to play tackle football prior to middle or high school.  New programs such as “flex football” are being offered and have been explored by the NHYFSC and flag football is still a popular option.

The Razorbacks have always taken great pride in the programs they offer with the emphasis always being on creating a great experience for all kids who participate and not being a “win at all costs” program.  We feel winning is important but equally important is teaching life lessons through sports and teamwork for our young athletes that will help shape them as they get older. On the football side, the media, especially social media, has tried to cast negativity on tackle football with various opinions on concussions.  There are also others both publicly and privately trying to smear our program with false rumors and we have made a conscience choice not to respond to those attacks. We will always offer an inclusive program for all kids who choose to participate and not focus any team around one or a few star performers.

Registrations for cheer will be hard closing on June 15th and are still open for football.  Many have asked what age levels we will be offering for football and we will announce that once we have our final numbers.  Therefore, we need all those interested in playing football to register by June 15th so we can get accurate team counts and for you to avoid late registration fees (sign ups after June 15th will be subject to $50 late fee).  Currently we anticipate football teams at 9U (for ages 8 and 9), 11U, 12U and 13U.   If you have any questions, please reach out to Football Director, Jay Travis at .  Cheer levels will be determined during first week of practice.

Below are some important upcoming dates:

• Thursday, June 6th @ 630pm – Meat Bingo Fundraiser at A Brews in Dracut

• June 11th and June 12th @ 530pm – Football Combine and Skills program at Muldoon Park

  • This is a public event open to all kids ages 8 to 13

  • There will be Punt, Pass and Kick events

  • Registration help will be available

  • Great raffle prizes including Red Sox tickets, Dick’s Sporting Goods gift cards and more

• June 11th and June 12th @ 530pm – Cheer Combine and Skills program at Pelham Memorial School

  • This is a public event open to all kids ages 5 to 13

• June 15th – last day for football registrations to avoid late fee

• July 29th – Football practice begins

• July 30th – Cheer practice begins

We are adding an addition to the shack – by the start of the season, you will see a nice covered extension to provide shade and rain protection – keep checking our Facebook page for updates and pictures.

Further information on the above dates and events, including registration links, can be found on our home page (www.pelhamrazorbacks.org) and our Facebook page.  We look forward to seeing you soon and as always, please reach out to any board member for additional information or with questions.

Sincerely,

Lou Longo – President

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION!!!

New this season, the Pelham Razorbacks are using a paperless system for registration.  This means that all of your douments need to be uploaded by you and there will be not be paperwork turn in nights like we have had in the past.

When you log in or make an account, you will fill in all the same information as in the past. The difference this season is you will be uploading all copies of your forms:

• Birth Certificate – required at time of registration​
• Returning players/cheerleaders must upload this to
• Current 2019 Medical Release – copies of physicals are not accepted.
• Report Card for entire 2018-2019 school year – this can be added at the end of the school year
• Anti-Bullying Contract – required at time of registration
• MBTI Concussion Acknowledgement form – required at time of registration
• Social Media Contract – required at time of registration

These Items can be uploaded as a .pdf file or a .jpeg and there are a couple of ways to do this:

• You can fill out the documents on line, then save and upload
• Print and scan the documents, then upload
• Take a picture with your phone and upload

All forms can be found in the Documents section at www.pelhamrazorbacks.com

Payment is required at time of registration.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please reach out to Tricia Pellerin at and we will also be available for questions on Wednesday, April 10th from 7pm-730pm at the Pelham Police Station Community room (prior to our monthly meeting which starts at 730pm).

At last nights' November member meeting, the following individuals were nominated and accepted for the 2019 Razorbacks Board.  Congratultaions all, and thank you for you future efforts.

President: Lou Longo

Field Coordinator: Kevin Poliquin

Fundraising Coordinator: Denise Capua

Football Director: Jay Travis

Secretary: Timm Haskins

Other board positions include:

Vice President: Kelly Vanti

Concessions Director: Paul Leonard

Cheer Director: Melissa Rickards

Program Administrator: Tricia Pellerin

Treasurer: Katie Ketelaar

Thank you to retiring Football Director Kenny Eaves for his years of tireless service to the organization.

End of Season and Celebrating

This week starts the first of our 3 banquets where we celebrate another great year of youth football and cheer within the Razorbacks organization.  We still have 2 teams going as 13U football are State Champions (again…) and D14 Cheer is also off to Regionals. Both these teams will be in action the weekend of November 17/18 in Nashua (football) and Manchester (cheer).  Last weekend, our D8 Cheer team took home the State title but that level does not advance to Regionals.

On Tuesday November 6th, we have our 9U/10U/D8 banquet at the Harris’ Pelham Inn.  On Thursday it will be 11U/12U/D10 and on Wednesday November 14th, we finish with 13U/D14.  Although many have been to their share of banquets (Travis and Muise families must be 20+ ☺), each year we have many new families to the program where this is their first one.  I share the following:

• Dress is casual to semi-formal as it is a beautiful venue.  The kids always look great in their dressier clothes. Men wear anything from jeans to suits and all look good and women always know what to wear and look good doing it…

• We need to ensure the venue is ready so we do not open doors until 530pm so we have check-in ready and the staff is set for us.  Please plan accordingly.

• We look to start having dinner served about 610pm so 530pm-610pm is social hour and there is a full cash bar

• We set up enough seats for all who have tickets and tables are 10 seats  per. If planning to sit with other families, it is best to be in a group of 10 and go in together.

• Dinner is family style with chicken on Night 1, Turkey on Night 2 and Chicken on Night 3.  Feedback was overwhelming that although the ham was good, many did not want again. And yes, my fellow board member’s protest on no ham has been heard and noted.  Fixins with the main course as well as ice cream & dessert.

• After dinner we will go team by team to allow coaches to speak about their year and present trophies/medals.  After each team goes, we allow a 5 minute break for those who wish to leave. There is no offense taken as the team next up actually appreciates so it is not loud.  But if want to stay, we welcome it; we just ask to always respect speakers and limit conversation at tables.

• We will have fun cash raffles each night for a variety of prizes.  We will also offer a separate raffle that will span all 3 banquets for one free registration including calendars – a $265 value.

• Lastly – the first banquet is always the most challenging as it has the youngest age group.  Last year was one of the best years because parents did a great job ensuring their kids remembered this was not a practice night and were well behaved.  Please help ensure this occurs again at all our banquets as this is a chance for our coaches and their families to also celebrate the season.  The wait-staff have huge trays and we need to respect them, the venue and each other and ensure kids act appropriately. Outside and downstairs are off limits and younger kids need to be accompanied to the bathroom by an adult.  

Equipment and uniform turn-in will be occurring soon so be on the lookout for emails and posting on when.

Our November monthly meeting which includes nominations for board positions will take place on Monday, November 12th at 730pm at the Police Station Community Room.  If you are interested in running for a board position, please contact me directly for an overview and expectations.  Meetings are always open and you are encouraged to attend to see the nomination process and see what we discuss on running the program.  There is so much more that goes on that many do not realize.

This past Sunday, we put on our annual Fall Classic cheer competition with the Londonderry Wildcats.  This is a huge fundraiser for our program and special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this a great day.  Many board members and others were there for a 10-14 hour day on Sunday and it is greatly appreciated.

See you all soon –

Lou

It Goes Fast  

I say it every year at this time that the season flies by as we have completed our regular season and even had a playoff football game this week.  Our 9U team sent a message early going up 6-0 on Londonderry but came up short despite a tough effort in cold conditions.  We still have 2 more football teams going for a state title starting this weekend in Salem.  See below for this and other important information.

• 11U Football Semi-Finals vs Salem at 1pm in Salem this Saturday – October 27^th
  • There is a cash admission fee to all playoff games
• 13U Football Semi-Finals vs Merrimack at 5pm also in Salem this Saturday –
  • Also a gate fee but come early and pay once!

ALERT - we all have seen the nasty weather predicted for Saturday.  As of now these games are on as scheduled, as soon as we get updates, we will post and blast out

• Football Equipment Turn in for those no longer playing is Tuesday October 30^th from 6p-7p at Muldoon.
• Cheer Uniform turn-in will be at future date as we still have a lot more events
  • We are exploring new uniforms for next season so you will have opportunity to purchase all or part of your child’s uniform as a keepsake

• Friday Night Lanterns is tonight, October 26th from 6-8:30pm.  Come join us for a pumpkin display, candy dig, outdoor movie and lots of fun at Muldoon!! Wear your costume!!  The cost is $5.00 per person, $4.00 with a canned good.  (One adult free per paying child)  Please invite all your family and friends.  A huge thank you to all the families that have carved pumpkins and donated candy and other items, the event would not be successful without your help!!  

From our Cheer Director Melissa:

State Championships are this Sunday at SNHU in Manchester! The girls have worked so incredibly hard for this day & we hope as many of you as possible can join us in cheering them on.  Our D8 team will perform in session 1 at 9:50am, D10 is session 2 at 11:25am, and D14 will be the last session, session 4 performing at 4:50pm. 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place will advance on to Regionals on November 17th! (Except for our D8 team, who does not compete past the state level.  This venue is cash only & there WLL NOT be an ATM available. Remember to bring your presale tickets with you if you took advantage of that opportunity. 

See you Sunday...Go Razorbacks!!!

Banquet Ticket Sales

Purchase of your tickets are all on line now via the link below so please ensure you order by Friday November 2^nd at noon – each attendee requires a ticket and it is family style servings.  The main course will be chicken for the first one, turkey for the second and chicken for the last night.  Although many enjoyed the ham last year, the overwhelming feedback was that chicken or turkey just can’t be beat!  I cannot stress enough to purchase your tickets by Friday to avoid a late fee and please respect we need to get our seating counts in so the Harris Inn can set up properly.  If something unforeseen comes up, please contact me but once our counts are locked a few days prior to each banquet, we own those plates and no refunds can be issued.

http://assn.la/Store/Store.asp?id=7893&org=PELHAMRAZORBACKS.COM

I think that’s it for now – stay tuned for updates for the Saturday football games.  Thank you to the Board of Directors, coaches, team moms and countless volunteers who made this a very smooth and successful regular season.  Sunday home games are a long day with many at field as early as 7am and not leaving until after 7pm.  A huge shout out to the parking volunteers as you have to admit, nice little experience for you seeing how some people just don’t get it and can’t read signs….

Sincerely,

Lou

Where Did Summer Go?

I can remember the days when we were worried about the heat and as I started to type this on Tuesday, I saw animals walking 2 by 2 towards a boat – that can’t be good!  We are heating up as we have had 3 weeks of games on the football side and cheerleaders are gearing up for tournament season as they prepare for States.

Our first weekend of home games was a light one with one team on the road and another with a bye and this weekend (September 23^rd), we welcome our neighbors Salem and Windham to Muldoon Park for 4 games.  Whenever these towns visit, it brings a lot of excitement and a lot of fans … and also some challenges that we need all Razorback families’ help with:

• We have a plan for game day that requires all fans to be aware of and help with
• Razorback families are doing great with parking – thank you all!  Also please ensure your guests know our process of not stopping, finding a true space and following the vested helpers.  There is always space by the Little League Baseball fields and playground. 
• Handicap parking is behind the shack – please ask for it and you will be directed.
• No pets are allowed inside the main football field – you may have noticed, I love dogs and would want nothing more than to allow but it is a town rule and I support it.
• There is no smoking or vaping allowed inside the main field or around the shack – please respect this if you choose to partake.

Upcoming Dates:

• Sunday, September 23^rd – home games at Muldoon with 12U in playing in Nashua – see schedule on our home or Facebook page.
• Friday, October 5^th – Mother/Son Dance at Nashua Country Club – This is open to the Pelham community and tickets available at Parks and Rec with cash or check made payable to the Pelham Razorbacks. 
• Saturday, October 13^th – Cheer Explosion cheer competition in Concord
• Saturday, October 20^th – Season Premier cheer competition in Bedford
• Sunday, October 28^th – State Cheer Competition at SNHU
• Sunday, November 4^th – Pelham/Londonderry Fall Classic * in Londonderry
  • * we will need many volunteers to help with this as this is our biggest fundraiser of the year – volunteer requests coming soon – 2 hour shifts is our ask

Lastly, in my opening paragraph, I mentioned things are heating up and that is both on and off the field.  I want to remind all parents, family members, friends and guests about fan behavior and our expectations on how we “Do Things Here”.  We are not perfect and our coaches and others volunteer give countless hours to try to create a great experience for kids.  Football games are intense and our bar is raised very high when it comes to winning.  But we are and never will be a win at all costs program as of course it feels great for the players and fans to win but our program is also about the life lessons that sports can teach kids along with the relationships they create.  Coaches coach, players play, officials officiate and fans are there to watch and cheer/clap.  Please trust me from very personal experience, your kid DOES NOT want to hear you giving them or their teammates feedback or instruction during the game, practice or cheer comp.  My ask is to please stop and/or don’t do it and cheer them on with support.  I know it can be hard, again trust me from very personal experience, as it does not help and is counter-productive to the team and coaching staffs.  We have some of the best coaches in the state – hands down!  There is enough chaos during a game without more being added as the kids are nervous enough and hearing family and others in the stands yelling at them combined with coaches yelling instructions is not easy for any kid.  If you have questions or concerns, game day is never the time but before you want to discuss anything with a coach, ask yourself, is this what your child wants or is this what you want?  One thing we often ask of participants at the end of a game or competition, win or lose, is always “did you give it all you had on every play or every move”?  Then we focus on moving forward, improving on where we just came from.

Thank you for your continued support, cooperation and to everyone who volunteers, especially our coaches, team moms, board members, home game day helpers and all others that help create a great experience for all.  A special shout out to Kim Travis and others who coordinated the Kickoff pizza party last month.

Sincerely,

Lou Longo - President

Here Comes Opening Weekend

We have 3 weeks behind us and now we prepare for opening game. We had a sample of football game
day in Londonderry at the Jamboree and the rains left the fields in rough shape but kids got some
preparation for the real thing in. My thanks to all our coaches and families that made the best of a
rough situation as Londonderry commended us on how we conduct ourselves. I would not expect
anything less but always good to hear that we continue to be the model organization for others to
emulate.

Lots of information below and it should always be reinforced by your coaches and team moms but please plan accordingly:

General Information:

• On Wednesday, August 22 nd , we will have a season kick-off pizza party starting at 745pm at the soccer field. Pizza, hot dogs and drinks will be served. Parents are welcome and please ensure all kids are picked up by 845pm. Special thanks to Kim Travis for recommending and organizing!
• Picture day is this Saturday, August 25 th at Muldoon – see Facebook and your teams for specific times.
• Apparel will be for sale during picture times including orders for sweatshirts and jackets. This is the only time for jackets and sweatshirts so if interested, you MUST do it on Saturday. Credit cards will be accepted so buy in bulk!
• Turn in your calendar raffle tickets as drawing will start soon.

From Football:

• New Razorback eye black for sale for players – 1 pair for $3 and two pair for $5. Great for gameday. Get them while they last. See Kenny after practice this week on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday as well as Saturday from 9a-10am. Let me repeat – see Kenny, our Football Director to purchase.
• Teams open on the road this weekend with most in Nashua – the full schedule will be posted on our website and Facebook soon.
• Game socks will be provided to Coaches and/or Team Moms for distribution this week. These are to be worn for pictures and games only and are part of the complete game day uniform.
• Team moms have game day uniform washing and drying instructions. Use cold water and please DO NOT put game shirts or pants in dryer – allow to air dry.

From Cheer

• Choreography went great and girls are progressing awesome!
• Girls will be outside as much as possible over the next few weeks so always dress accordingly for weather and wear bug spray.
• Bows will be distributed on Tuesday along with signed permission forms for competition.
• The practice schedule will often change due to school availability so please ensure you are staying on top of all updates through coach/team mom and Facebook
• First game this Sunday and all cheer teams will be in Nashua.

Week 1 ended with a literal bang as the thunderstorms hit.  Safety is always our number one concern and for those that were at field this past Thursday, you would have seen multiple board members carefully monitoring the situation.  Please remember the following:

• Anytime there is potential for bad weather, we need families close by as we may end practices early.  Thus, please plan accordingly and be ready to pick your child up or arrange for another parent to take so we can get all kids away from field timely. 
• When we see lightning nearby, we will pull kids off field and wait 30 minutes of no strikes and then return if field is safe.  If lightning is off in the distance, we may not pull kids off right away so please rest assured we are on top of it and will err on the side of caution.

Last week, parking and drop off looked pretty good but there are still a few that do not understand or possibly think your quick stop by main gate or between shack and soccer field does not create any issues.

• When dropping kids off, pull directly into a spot - please do not stop on the roadways. 
• DO NOT move cones or drive around caution tape.
• Please pick up kids on time or arrange rides home as after a long day, our coaches want to go home too.

There is still no update on the game schedule however opening day will be Sunday, August 26th.  

• Hopefully we are at home and that means we need volunteers
• Team moms will coordinate help as it takes many people to have a successful home day.
• With fewer kids in the program and 1 less football team, we need everyone's help on game day with small roles to be filled.  When everyone does their small part, the day runs great.

Picture Day is set for Saturday, August 25 - your Team Mom or coach will provide details.

Labor Day - no activities will be planned on August 31st through September 3rd so enjoy the long weekend.

Lastly - this organization has been so successful through the years thanks to the hard work and time given of countless volunteers of board members, coaches, team moms and others - many of who no longer have child in the program but still come to help.  My thanks to all of you!  We may not be perfect and I am living proof but it is not from lack of trying and I and the Board always strive to do what is best for our entire organization.  Sometimes, families may not agree with our decisions.  As President, my role is to work with the Board to run this organization as best we can and I am always open to constructive feedback and I thank those who provide it.  My ask is to have a solution or specifics on how it can be done better.  Someone once said "I may not know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody".  Along with "This is how we do things here", these are two mottos I use as a leader.

Gonna be a hot one this week so please ensure kids have plenty of liquids as we will keep them hydrated!

Happy Independence Day!

Please see below for some important dates and information:

We are still collecting paperwork and calendar raffle for kids.  In order for your child to be able to take the field on July 30th and/or get equipment, all the following must be completed, turned in and approved:

• Signed Folder
• Birth Certificate Copy (mainly for new kids as we have if child participated in 2017)
• 2017-18 full year completed report card * (see below)
• Completed Medical Release form, signed and dated by a doctor in 2018.  We DO NOT accept copies of physicals, it must be the Medical Release form.
• Anti-Bullying forms signed by parent and child
• Concussion Awareness forms signed by parent and child
• Social Media policy signed by parent and child
• Purchased calendars to sell.  This is our only mandatory fundraiser and you pay the $50 up front and keep the proceeds should you sell the 5 calendars at $10 each.  If you decide not to sell them, turn them in with your own name on them.

* Pelham School District report cards:

• Elementary School report cards must be printed by parents. We need 1 copy. Directions for printing are at the bottom of the email.  Please note that the Parent Portal for printing report cards is only open for a limited time. 
• Middle School report cards are being mailed. We need 2 copies from Middle School students.
• High School Students that are Jr. Demos must contact the Guidance Office at the HS and request that a report card be mailed. You cannot print them online.
• All Other School Report Cards:
  • Be sure that the school, the schools address, your child's name, grade and FINAL SEMESTER GRADES are clearly printed. Report cards that use a Letter Grade Base system need to submit 2 copies, Number Based only require 1 copy.
• If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jen Maslanek at 

Below are upcoming important dates

• Thursday July 5th - bonus night of paperwork turn-in and calendar purchase @ Muldoon from 430pm-6pm
• Wednesday July 18th - Paperwork turn in @ Muldoon from 530pm-630pm
• Thursday July 19th – Paperwork turn in from 6-715pm @ Muldoon
• Thursday July 19^th - Monthly organization meeting @ Muldoon starting at 730pm
• Monday July 23^rd – Last night for paperwork turn-in @ Muldoon from 530-630pm
• Wednesday July 25^th – Equipment pick up for those who have everything completed (by the 23^rd) and calendars purchased.  This is at Muldoon from 530pm-630pm
• Monday, July 30th – Football practices start
• Tuesday July 31^st – Cheer practices start
• Saturday, August 25th - Picture Day
• Sunday August 26^th – Opening Games

This year we may not have any games on Saturday nights as we have 5 football teams and will play all home games on a Sunday starting at 8am

Labor Day weekend, we do not have any Razorbacks activities on the Friday through Monday so make travel plan and enjoy the short break.

This is it for now, stay cool and enjoy the summer.

Hello Parents…

            I wanted to take a moment to welcome you all to the Razorback’s cheer family!  Whether you are a seasoned veteran or it’s your very first year, I am thrilled to have you joining us this season.  I would first like to take a moment to introduce myself as the new Razorback’s Cheer Coordinator.  My name is Melissa Rickards and my girls have been cheering for a couple of years now.  I am a familiar face to many, as I have lived in Pelham my entire life and I also teach preschool at Kings Kids.  I have had the pleasure of watching many of your children grow up!  I am really looking forward to this new and exciting experience.  I have many goals set for the year, but my main objective is for the girls to have fun, love what they do, and be the best athlete they can be.  Cheerleading is a tough and demanding sport.  We work hard at every practice and it’s so important to come prepared to give 110% each night.  We are there to support our football teams, compete at our competitions, and also to give back to our community that supports us year after year.  I look forward to a great season and cannot wait to see all that is in store for us.

            Now let’s get down to business!  LOTS of important dates and information you need to know before the start of the season.  If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out and let me know.  My email address is

IMPORTANT DATES

* Uniform & Sneaker Fittings will take place on Wednesday, June 13^th from 5:30-7:30 pm at the clubhouse at St. Patrick’s Church. This night is the ONLY night that we will be fitting girls for uniforms & sneakers so attendance is a must.  Girls will be trying on their competition uniforms, game day jerseys, and sneakers.  I will also be asking each parent to check the spelling of your daughter’s last name, as it will be printed onto the back of their game day jerseys.  You may also turn in all paperwork that night, except for report cards.  If you are not sure what needs to be submitted, please check out the document section on our website. New athletes should be sure to check in with Jen Maslanek before you leave that night. (If your child was an early registration, their free t-shirt will be available this night.)

* Our season kick off cheer clinic will be on Wednesday, June 20^th from 5:30-7:30pm at Muldoon Park.  This is an optional clinic for any athlete to attend.  We will be warming up and working with Drive Fitness at the clinic to learn the best ways to strengthen our cores and also allow for optimal flexibility for our sport.  We will also be learning cheer motions, jumps, check out our tumbling skills, and lots more!  It’s a fun night of exercise, games, and meeting coaches and teammates.  I hope to see you all there.

*  Our season begins on July 30^th!  More information regarding teams, coaches,  practice dates and times will be sent out in July.

* Opening weekend is August 25^th.  Game times will be posted at a later date, but please keep in mind this will also be picture day. 

            That should sum it up for now.  I will provide you with more detailed information as the season approaches, but in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Enjoy the last few week of school and I look forward to meeting you all on June 13^th! 

Kind Regards,

Melissa Rickards

Just a few reminders upcoming:

Wednesday is a busy day!  

Owen and Ollie's fundraising: Stop by for lunch or dinner and a portion of all proceeds will be donated back to the razorbacks.

Paperwork: 7pm to 7:45pm is a paperwork turni in night at the Pelham Police conference room - just inside the Pelham Police entrance.  Drop off any completed forms you may have (bully, medical waiver, concussion, etc) and avoid the crowds at future nights.

Razorbacks Monthly Member Meeting at 8pm at the Pelham Police Department.

Registration deadlines:

April 30th is the registration deadline.  Anyone after that date will pay an additional $25 per player.  Registration closes on June 1st.

Fittings:

The dates for football and cheer fittings will be announced shortly - stay tuned to our facebook page for updates.

Click here to register!

Unfortunately, the Razorbacks information night scheduled for Thursday March 8th has been  cancelled because of the storm knocking out power to the town.

2018 Razorback Season

We hope everyone has had a great winter and start to 2018 and believe it or not we are now less than 5 months away from our 2018 season.  2017 ended with our D10 Cheer team taking home 2^nd Place nationally and our 12U football team inches away from a trip to Nationals. 

Please see below to help you begin preparing for the 2018 season:         

• Thursday, March 8^th – Razorback Information Night for returning and new families at Pelham Town Hall from 6-730pm. 
  • This is a great opportunity for any new families to learn more about our programs as well as for all families to meet out new board members. 
  • Football families can see a sample of our new football jerseys.
  • Cheer families can see what our girls wear and new items being offered this year.
• Thursday, March 8^th – Online registration opens
  • For all those who register and pay in full prior to March 31^st, the child will get a free Razorback personalized t-shirt. 
• Monday, July 30^th – Season start so we hope this helps you plan for summer.  It is possible that we may only have a 3-week pre-season so it is important for your child to be there from Day 1. 

On our site you will find a copy of various forms that must be completed, signed and returned.  Each year our Medical Release form requirement poses a challenge for some who do not have their child’s physical scheduled until after the start of the season.  We do not accept copies of physicals to satisfy participation – this is the form that must be submitted.  It is required to be signed off by a doctor with a date after January 1, 2018 for to satisfy this registration requirement.  Get to your child’s doctor sooner than later as no child can take the field or mat unless this form is properly completed and signed.

For those that attended our 2017 Mon and Son Fund Dance, we’d like your help in planning the 2018 event.  Please fill out this survey for us so we can capture your feedback.  Quick survey about the 2017 Mom and Son Fun Dance at Owen and Ollie's last season.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y8FVRQ6

As always, please continue to check our Facebook page for updates and information as we will continue to send emails like this but ultimately, the responsibility is on each family to stay up to date with information and if have questions, contact any Board member (listed on our home page – www.pelhamrazorbacks.com ). 

Sincerely,

Lou Longo - President 

Head football coaching applications are now being accepted and must be turned in by March 5th, 2018.

The form is availabel under Documents in the left menu.

First member meeting of the year will be January 9 at 8 PM at the police station meeting room. All members are welcome to attend.

Preparing for 2017 Season

We are under 6 months away until opening day of Razorbacks 2017.  We have the season start date so please plan accordingly as first day of practices will be Monday July 31st.  We go Mondays-Thursday until our first weekend of games and then teams set their own practice schedules which can include Fridays and Saturdays during the season.  We do not practice over Labor Day weekend so that Friday through Monday is free for you.

Registration for the 2017 season is now open and will again be an online process.  That link is at the bottom of this message as well as available through our home page.  Please note the following important registration requirements as if they are not followed, your child will not be considered registered:

• Payment is expected at time of registration.  Registration not accompanied by payment is considered incomplete unless prior arrangements have been made through one of our board members.

• DO NOT register with a PO Box – we need a physical Pelham address.

• When listing an emergency contact, you must use a different name than the parent registering the child.

• Read the questions carefully.  

  • Grade during the 2016-17 season is the grade your child is currently in.

  • If they are currently in kindergarten – put “0”.

• Returning players/cheerleaders who properly register and pay prior to March 15th are guaranteed a spot on a team.

• New players/cheerleaders (along with returners) are then added after March 15th based on the date they are properly registered and paid.  Although we do not anticipate teams maxing out, if we reach capacity, we place children based on their registration date and then create wait lists.

• Same as last year, we will only be accepting Medical Clearance forms.  The form is provided under Documents on our home page along with the Concussion Awareness waiver and Anti Bullying Form.  If your child’s physical is not scheduled until after the start of the season, you need to get this form signed off by their doctor prior to them taking field.  The doctor must sign and date this form with a 2017 date.

• In June and July, we will have nights for additional paperwork turn in, including report cards.

That’s it for now as continue to check our home and Facebook page for updates.  Below is the link to register your child(ren).

http://nhyfsc.org/Registration/Default.asp?n=101663&org=NHYFSC.ORG

Start of 2017 Season

Happy New Year from the Razorbacks!  It is not football and cheer season yet but as always, our board is in preparation mode.  We will be opening registrations soon and similar to last year, it will be an online process.  The registration dates will be announced within the next few weeks.  Returning players and cheerleaders are guaranteed a roster spot if they register and pay within two weeks of the registration opening.  After those first two weeks, spots on teams are reserved on a first registered – with payment, basis.  Payment is expected at time of registration so please do not register without including payment as spots will not be saved.  If there are concerns with payment as we know other sports are happening in the Spring, please reach out to me directly and we can review payment options.

The 2016 season was another successful one with multiple state championships and our Division 14 Cheer Team taking 2^nd place nationally.  As you have hopefully heard me say many times, we are constantly striving to be the best, stay the best, and improve.  Despite the successes we had last season with our scores on the fields and mats, our number one priority is that children have a great experience and take great lessons and memories from being a Razorback.

One vital way for us to continually improve is through feedback from you.  Let me stress there is a difference between feedback and complaining and for those of you who have gotten to know me, you should understand I do not respond favorably to complaining.  That is because complaining does not offer a proposed solution or specifics.  Thus, I am asking you to provide to me directly any feedback you would like to share on the 2016 season or our program.  Below are some areas but anything is on the table:

• Our Coaches
• Our Board
• Policies & Procedures
• Uniforms
• Participation in Nationals
• Banquets

This is just a sample list.  What I am really after is some concise, tangible feedback on what you feel we do well and areas you feel we need to improve.  Please keep it as objective as possible so that I can process it and either pass it on or look to create action off of it.  Notice I use the word “I” earlier as the pink elephant in the room (on this email) is the disturbing trend in all youth sports nationally that families are afraid to give feedback on coaches or organizations for fear of retribution to their children.  I am not saying it does not happen but in this case – “That is Not How We Do Things Here”.

So now the choice is yours.  If you would like to be heard or offer feedback, please email me directly (see below) and you will have to trust that I will treat the information carefully but will need to share in order to address topics or drive change.  I will not share anything without your permission but if you do not allow me to share, then there may be things we cannot address.  If you do not believe this, that is solely on you as I do not know of any other way to be a leader than creating an environment where people can trust you.  If you prefer to talk, that is great too as I appreciate old fashioned dialogue.  Just email me with a contact number and good times to chat and we will set something up.

I look forward to hearing from many of you as well as to the start of our season.  My contact info is below – please DO NOT reply to this email as it goes to our Razorback mailbox and not directly to me.

Best,

Lou Longo – President

Regional Final Weekend

The Razorbacks invaded Connecticut this weekend as we had 4 teams competing in the New England Finals.  The weekend started with our D12 and D14 cheer teams giving their all against the best of the best in New England and both squads taking home 2^nd place in their division.  Our Division 14 Team will be continuing on to Nationals to compete in the AYF National Championships.  On Sunday, our football teams took on the Connecticut state champs on their home turf and fought hard but could not capture the title.  Congratulations to all our athletes and thank you to all the coaches and supporters on great seasons.

Our banquets were a great time and great food as always.  Next year we are looking to change the menu a bit and try the ham and turkey options to go along with a night of chicken.

Congratulations to our new board members – Milissa Fox who will be our new Fundraising Director and Joy Cawley who will our new Cheer Director.  Thank you to all our board members for their service this year and special thanks to Dawn Tucci for her many years of service as she has been instrumental in building our cheer program to one of the elite ones in the state and New England. 

We are now in close up mode as Kenny will be collecting all outstanding football equipment and uniforms as remember that all teams must return their game jerseys except 13U as they can keep theirs as they bid farewell to our program.  Joy will also be collecting cheer uniforms.

Lastly, with our Division 14 girls heading to Florida along with some 8^th graders for all stars, you will see various fundraising efforts from them.  Please help if you can or spread the word as there will be canning, raffles and other events to help defray costs. 

Keep an eye on our home and Facebook pages for updates from Florida as well as 2017 registration which will be here soon.  Have a great Thanksgiving and holiday season.

What a weekend!  The boys kicked it off on Saturday with 10U, 11U and 13U traveling to Keene and making it a clean sweep as all 3 teams won a State Championship.  10U and 11U posted shutouts and 13U avenged their only loss of the year to defeat Goffstown in a nail-biting game.  As impressed as I was with our teams and coaching staffs on the field, I was equally impressed with our fans in the stands as we all once again proved why we are the class of the state on how we do it here.

Sunday was time for our girls to shine at the NHYFSC state competition with Tiny Mites posting top score followed by Division 8 taking home a State title.  D10 was up against tough competition and Division 12 took 2^nd followed by Division 14 earning yet another State title for our program.  A great weekend and congrats to all!

Next up is our Fall Fest Cheer competition on Sunday November 6^th in Londonderry and we still need help with volunteers.  We have 29 slots we need to fill and I am asking everyone to try to give us a 2-hour slot on Sunday for our biggest fundraiser.  Please sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d44afab2aa1ff2-fall or contact Timm Haskins or Katie Ketelaar if you can help.  All volunteers will be eligible for a raffle to win a single 2017 Razorback registration so sign up now.  Each slot you select and complete on Sunday gives you a raffle chance.

In two weeks we have the New England Regional Competition for some of our teams so please keep checking our website, Facebook page and Twitter for details.

Lastly, it is banquet season with our Tiny Mites, Division 8 and 8U teams on Tuesday night at the Harris Pelham Inn.  You will not be allowed into the dining hall until 515pm so please plan accordingly. Seats are not reserved so please come on time to ensure your family can sit together.

For those attending for the first time, this is a sit-down family style dinner followed by presentations.  There is a cash bar.  Dress code is at your discretion with many wearing what we wear to work for business casual or with our families for holiday mass.  Children for the first few banquets must be seated with parents and accompanied to rest rooms with an adult.  There is absolutely no running around as wait staff has lots of food and please remember that our coaches are there this night to relax and celebrate like everyone else.  We have cash raffles for some fun prizes including a Razorback registration among other things.  Dinner will start being served between 6-615pm.   No tickets for any banquets will be sold at door and purchase nights have been completed.  If something has come up requiring tickets, please contact your coach or team mom.

See you all soon and thank you again for a great weekend!

Regular season just ended for football, but for our cheerleaders, the competition has just begun. On Saturday, our girls picked up where they left off last year with great showings across the board.
Tiny Mites - Top Score
Division 8 - 1st Place
Division 10 - 2nd Place
Division 12 - 1st Place
Division 14 - 1st Place
Upcoming competitions:

10/22: 2016 Derry / Windham Cheer XPlosion Invitational at Sanborn High School.  Competetition begins at 8am

10/30: 2016 NHYFSC State Cheerleading Competition at Southern New Hampshire University

11/6: 2016 Fall Classic Spirit Competition at Londonderry High School

1 Week Away

The season starts July 25th for both football and cheer and we are busy getting ready.  All football coaches have been notified of their team’s paperwork/payment status so if you are cleared for equipment, you can pick up on Thursday July 21st at Muldoon Park.  Contact your child’s coach or team mom for more details and if you still have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to Football Director Ken Eaves at  .

For those still needing to turn in paperwork or make any payments, the last in-person time will be on Thursday July 21st from 6-730pm @ Muldoon Park.  Football players must have everything complete byTuesday July 19th or they will not be eligible for equipment pick-up until the week of July 25th.  There will not be any exceptions so please do not ask.  Any child not having complete folders (all paperwork completed and turned in) and all payments by Friday July 22nd will not be able to take the field on Monday July 25th – again no exceptions.

Reminder that starting on Monday, July 25th, we will go each Monday through Thursday from approximately 530pm-8pm each evening.  The first week is all conditioning so it is shorts, t-shirts, sneakers/cleats, bug spray and plenty of water.

 There will be a final blast email next Sunday – enjoy the week!

Lou