FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I am new to Football, who are the Halton Cowboys?
The Halton Cowboys Football Club Inc. is a legally registered not for profit Corporation in the Province of Ontario. We are here to help develop minor football for all kids in Halton. We offer tackle and Flag football programs for boys and girls aged 5-19 years old.
We service the Halton Area which includes Oakville, Burlington and Milton.
We are proud to be part of the Oakville Minor Football Association and the Milton Minor Football Association as well as servicing our communities as the Burlington Cowboys, Oakville Cowboys and Milton Cowboys.
Our executive is comprised of volunteers from our community that are eager and excited to develop the sport of football in Oakville, Burlington and Milton. Our staff is comprised of many volunteers that put in countless hours of dedication so your child may enjoy playing for the Halton Cowboys Football Club.
Our Board of Directors is comprised of quality people that have extensive knowledge and expertise in running and developing children’s sports programs.
The Halton Cowboys operate in a professional manner to ensure that every promise is met and every commitment honored. Members of our club have served the Halton Community for close to twenty years and we look forward to years of continued growth and football fun.
What Programs do you offer?
We offer two Tackle Football sessions:
a) Spring/Summer session which starts May 1st and ends July 31st.
b) FALL session which begins Aug 1st and ends mid November.
What is Flag Football?
Flag football is a recreational program. Players wear belts with flags around their waists. Tackling is not allowed in Flag Football. Flag has similar rules to normal football with slight modifications. The Flag Football season begins in May and Ends in June
Flag Football is open to boys and girls from 5-14 year old. All games will be on Saturday morning at Kings Christian Collegiate in Oakville. Teams will have one game a week and may opt to practice once a week as well.
What is Tackle Football?
Tackle Football is the traditional game of football. We offer programs for boys and girls from 7-19 years old. We teach kids how to play so even if you have never played football we welcome you into our club and we will teach you how to play regardless of your age or football experience.
All of our programs are run professionally. Our coaches are NCCP certified and they are knowledgeable, informative and eager to help kids learn football skills, have fun and build a love for the game of football.
We only participate in leagues that are recognized and sanctioned by the Ontario Football Alliance and/or Football Canada. Every player is covered by insurance and is involved in a quality football program that promotes safety and fair play.
My Child has never played tackle football will he/she be OK?
Yes! Over half of our players, young and old, at every age have never played tackle football and they are new to the sport. Tackle Football is one of Ontario’s fastest growing sports. Our goal is to teach all new players the game of football. Our coaches are all NCCP certified. All coaches have been police checked and selected to help you learn where to stand, how to play, how to tackle, throw and receive a pass, how to block and all the basics that you’ll need to become a good player and above all to have FUN!
We offer House League/entry level football programs as well as advanced rep football programs. We are here to help you enjoy football, make friends and have fun.
Is tackle football safe?
Did you know that amateur football is safer than soccer? Football has 12% fewer injuries per capita among 5-15 year olds than organized soccer in the same age range! (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, NEISS)
The injury rate in Amateur Football is:
• less than one-third the injury rate in high school football
• less than one-fifth the injury rate in college football
• less than one-ninth the injury rate in professional football
• Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 50 percent fewer injuries per capita than bicycle riding in the same age range.
• Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 74 percent fewer injuries per capita than skateboarding in the same age group.
• The Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York completed an Amateur Football injury survey in 71 towns covering over 5,000 players in 1998. The injury experience of 5,128 boys (8 to 15 years of age, weight 22.5 to 67.5 kg [50 to 150 lb]) participating in youth football revealed an overall rate of significant injury of 5%, with 61% classified as moderate and 38.9% as major injuries. That's about 1.33 per team per year. No catastrophic injuries occurred, and it was rare for a permanent disability to result from any injury.
Is Football Coed?
Yes we accept both girls and boys into our programs.
When are the Tackle games and practices?
Each team will play one game per week. Our games are usually on Saturdays and you may expect to practice once during the week. We have usage of Kings Christian Collegiate football field in Oakville and we will also be receiving additional City fields in Oakville, Burlington and Milton. Allocations for these fields do not take place until spring.
Once you register you will be placed on a team. The coach will contact you sometime in April since the Spring/Summer session begins the first week in May.
What leagues do the Cowboys play in?
The Cowboys offer different levels of Football, from beginner to elite level Rep Tackle Football.
Developmental/ OMFL- the Ontario Minor Football league (OMFL) is an entry level football program. It is sanctioned by Football Canada and a member of the Ontario Football Alliance. The OMFL has various age groups catering to children 5-18 years old. Many players who enter the OMFL program have never played tackle football before. This is a great league to begin playing Cowboy football. Our coaches will teach you positioning, safe tackling, blocking and all other necessary skills of the game. So if you have never played football or if you have a little background or some experience and wish to improve your game then the OMFL is a great league for you to play in by joining the Cowboys.
Please register online now under: OMFL
OMFL Football begins May 1st and ends July 31st. There are 7- 8 regular season games and playoffs for qualifying teams.
OVFL Football- the Ontario Varsity Football League is the premiere football league in Ontario. Recognized as Tier 1 football many kids have advance and graduated to the Collegiate and some have even gone professional both in the CFL and NFL. We are proud of Phil Gibson, our alumnus. Phil played for us and developed within our club eventually playing pro football in the CFL for the Montreal Allouettes and winning the Grey Cup.
The OVFL offer three divisions: Peewee, Junior Varsity and Varsity.
The OVFL offers protected territories or “home centers”. If you live in Oakville, Burlington or Milton south of the 401, the Cowboys are the only club that may register for.
When registering for OVFL football, a player will continue to develop their skills. Many novices to the game have chosen to start playing football with Cowboys at the OVFL level. This is OK and we encourage kids that are enthusiastic to join our OVFL squads. Our coaches are all NCCP certified and they will help all children to learn and succeed at this level.
OVFL Football is safe, well organized and super Fun!
OVFL Football begins May 1st and ends July 31st. There are 8 regular season games and playoffs for qualifying teams.
Please register online now under OVFL.
FALL(House League) FOOTBALL- the Cowboys offer "fall ball" for children aged 5-16 years old. We are members in SOFAL, a league that has been operating for over 15 years. The league is made up of the following cities: Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, Brampton, Brantford, Hamilton Wentworth, Mississauga, Halton Hills, and Oakville.
SOFAL provides two divisions, no weight restrictions, for each age group, a REP division and a House League division. In this way, the league provides the challenge of a rep program for those cities that can field those teams, and a full house league program for those cities that do have not have enough teams to form an independent house league, and at the same time, provide the fun element of travel for the teams.
There are specific rules of play in the House league division to ensure fair play and full player development. The level of play for each team is determined by the average age of each team. If there are enough players for two teams for each age group, then one team will play at the rep level, and one team will play at the house league level.
The season begins with practices on August 1st, with our first game on August 22nd. The end of the season is mid October, with sudden death playoff's ending with the championships in the first week of November. There will be generally 8 games, 4 home and 4 away. All home games will be played at our home field at King's Christian Collegiate.
This fall program is a great way for kids to learn the game, with the excitement of travel and the opportunity to represent your home town.
What Equipment do I need to buy?
The Halton Cowboys will provide you with all the equipment needed to safely play the sport of Football. All of our equipment that we supply to our players is approved and is inspected, reconditioned and recertified or replaced each year. The equipment that you will receive will be loaned to you free of charge. All players must return the equipment at the end of the season after they finish the final game.
The Cowboys will provide you with: a helmet, shoulder pads, football pants and jersey.
All you need to buy is your own football cleats and a mouth guard. Football cleats and mouth guards are inexpensive and available at many major sports store. Alternatively you could use soccer shoes.
You may wish to purchase a football girdle. Girdles are inexpensive and range between $20 and $30. Some players also like to buy football gloves; again these are available at many sports stores.
We may miss some practices and games because we take vacation in the summer is this OK?
Yes. We understand that during the summer some families like to escape to the cottage or go on vacation. We ask that you please let the coaching staff know well in advance so we may plan for your vacation time. Football is a fun sport and we will never make a child suffer if the family plans a vacation.
Our Child goes to summer camp and will only be able to participate for part of the season, is this ok?
Yes. While we would like kids to play all season long we understand that sleep over summer camp is fun and many children look forward to that experience. We are here to help your child enjoy football. Whether we have your child participate for half a season or an entire season, we will be here to teach your child all the positives that football has to offer.
Our child wants to play soccer or baseball as well as Football, is it OK to miss a practice or game?
Yes. Our coaches understand that some children like to play several sports. We are cooperative and understanding and here to assist as needed. Kids will not be reprimanded or sat out from games if they miss a practice. Please advise your coach beforehand so he may plan accordingly.
Why is football so affordable as compared to other sports like hockey?
If you are new to football you will be surprised at how inexpensive the sport is, considering we supply you with all the major equipment. Depending on the club, Hockey in comparison can be up to ten times more expensive as most clubs provide little if any equipment and ask players to buy their own sticks, skates and equipment.
Football is one of the best affordable fun filled alternatives available. It is a great sport that continues to grow every season.
We keep our fees affordable so all children may play.
If a child comes from an impoverished home we have programs in place to assist parents that need financial aid. As well we recommend the Canadian Tire JUMP START program. Canadian Tire is a big supporter of youth sports in Ontario.
Is there a deadline for registration?
We recommend that you register as soon as possible as this season we are getting a record number of participants.
Please register now to avoid disappointment. For your convenience you may register Online at www.haltoncowboys.com
How do I register?
Alternatively we may have some in person registration days but we highly recommend the online registration to ensure quick enrollment and guarantee you a space.
Do you offer a winter program?
Yes we offer Winter training for all children enrolled in our Spring/Summer sessions. There is a nominal extra charge for the indoor sessions to offset the costs of using top notch facilities such as the Pine Glen Indoor Soccer Center.
The winter training is optional and available to all Cowboy players as a fitness and football development program. The winter program is offered at Pine Glen Indoor Soccer facility and Kings Christian Collegiate. Please check our website for more details once you have registered with our club. Alternatively you may contact us directly by email. Please forward all questions regarding our winter program to phil@haltoncowboys.com
Do you cut players?
No we will never cut a player. Our program is all about teaching kids how to play football safely. It is more important for kids to have fun and play on teams with their friends.
Once a player has successfully registered into our program that player will be guaranteed a spot and be taught to play organized football.
Can I play with my friends?
Yes, players may play on the same team with friends or class mates as long as they have registered and been accepted into our program.
We recommend that you and your friends register online as soon as possible. Space is limited please do not delay in registering your child. Once spots are filled and the team is full we will not be able to assist you.
What if our plans change, can we get a refund?
It is club policy not to offer any refunds. Football is an expensive sport to operate as we must ensure that we order and stock equipment for every child that registers. Once a child registers we set aside and/or purchase equipment and uniforms for your child.
Children that register and are not able to participate due to illness or injury prior to the start of the season may be given a credit for the following season if approved by the Board of Directors. All requests must be submitted in writing to the Club prior to the start of the first league game.
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