Program Information
Below is a complete overview of what to expect from the Football Program at Grosse Pointe South.
We encourage all athletes and parents to read this page carefully.
MAIN CONTACTS:
Chad Hepner – Varsity Head Coach
hepnerc@gpschools.org
(313) 717-0963
Brandon Wheeler – Athletic Director
wheeleb@gpschools.org
(313) 717-0963
Mission Statement
The Grosse Pointe South “Blue Devil” Football Program exists to develop its members as students, athletes, and citizens; to prepare them to take their place as contributing members of our community. It is a comprehensive football program which not only emphasizes the skills required for football, but also the development of lifelong values through hard work, dedication, discipline and teamwork. This is based on a foundation of mutual respect among coaches, athletes, parents and officials. It serves as a positive and productive force for the school, community, and most importantly the student-athlete. Success will be achieved through preparation, execution and belief in our team and our program goals and measured through the experiences and character of our young men.
Communication
The Grosse Pointe South football program and its coaches have an open-door policy for the facilitation of communication. The football program maintains a website, email database, Facebook, Twitter & Remind accounts for the dissemination of information. Any questions or concerns by parents should be brought to the attention of the coach in question or the Head Coach directly. Please be advised that per GP South Athletic Department policy playing time, game strategy and/or other athletes will not be discussed. There shall be no communication between parents and coaches until 24 hours after a contest. No persons other than team members and staff are allowed on the field during practice or games without permission from the Head Coach. No one should attempt to contact players or coaches during games for any reason. In the case of an emergency contact the A.D. who will in turn notify the coaching staff.
Physicals
Every football player must have a complete physical examination and be cleared to participate prior to the first practice. A physical card must be on file and a completed gold emergency card stamped by the athletic department must be given to coach prior to participation in practice. Physicals will be offered by the athletic department at South prior to the start of the season for approximately $25.
Gold Card
Gold Emergency Cards must be filled out completely and signed by the players and their parents. Every player must have their gold card stamped by the Athletic Director and they must be turned in to their coach to be eligible to practice. If an athlete shows up the 1st day of practice without a stamped gold card, he will be sent away to remedy the situation and it will be counted as an unexcused absence. See the GPSFB Code of Conduct attendance policy.
Participation Fee
Each player is required to pay a participation fee of $220.00 payable to the Grosse Pointe South athletic department. This fee goes for such things as field maintenance, officials, transportation, and the athletic trainer. The participation fee is due prior to participation in a game.
DO NOT Pay this fee until your child has passed the physicals, and try-outs and has officially made the team.
If you are new to South Athletics, you will need to create an account with FamilyID before you are able to pay the participation fee.
Create or Login to
FamilyID HERE
Then pay your
Participation Fee HERE
If there are any questions regarding fees or exemptions, please contact the athletic office.
Practice Pack
Each Athlete in the Grosse Pointe South football program is required to pay a practice pack fee ($150). The items included are all required to participate in football and are the athletes to keep. The practice pack includes:
- Practice jersey
- Practice shirt and shorts
- Hex pads
- Hoodie
- Two pairs of game socks
- Mouth guard
- Combination lock
- Locker name tag (varsity only)
The practice pack fee is due on the first Friday of the first week of the season. (mid-August)
If paid by check the check should be made out to “GPS Football”.
The Blue Devil Coupon App
The football program is mainly self-funded. The GP South Gridiron Club raises a large sum of money for the operation of our program. The biggest fundraiser of the year is our Blue Devil Coupon App (formerly the Blue Coupon Book) sale.
Each athlete in the football program is required to sell 24 coupon books at $25.00 each. The coupon app has thousands of dollars in valuable coupons from local Grosse Pointe establishments. We take one Saturday out of the pre-season for our “Coupon App Blitz”. This is a very important endeavor for our program and we can show our appreciation to the Gridiron Club by doing our part and selling the app.
Strength & Conditioning
The football program offers an extensive S&C program. The Strength Program will run right after school during the off season school year and four mornings a week in the summer. All football players not participating in another sport are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to train four times a week. Football players currently playing another sport should attempt to train at least twice a week with permission from their in season coach. Our S&C program is designed to create superior athletes, not power lifters or body builders. The focus is on injury prevention, the core, and strength, speed and agility training.
Summer Camps
The football program operates four camps for the improvement of football skills and orientation to our system.
The Passing Camp
is designed to prepare the team for 7v7 competitions and gives the varsity staff the opportunity to evaluate players.
The Linemen Camp
will run concurrently and prepare offensive and defensive linemen through technique and fundamental training.
The Freshmen Football Camp
is for athletes entering the 9th grade and is designed to orient them to HS football and prepare them for the upcoming season.
Team Camp (4-day)
Right around mid-summer to best utilize the 15 practice dates the MHSAA allows.
The “Little Devils” Camp
is intended for future Blue Devils and will expose them to all skills and positions related to football in a fun-filled learning environment.
7-on-7 (Varsity)
The varsity team competes in multiple 7-on-7 (passing) tournaments and scrimmages in the summer. The competitions are intended for varsity candidates only, but the entire program is encouraged to attend and observe. The positions that participate in 7-on-7 are QB, RB, TE, WR, LB, & DB.
The Passing Camp is designed to prepare the team for the competitions and give the varsity staff the opportunity to evaluate players. The varsity will be traveling out of town for an overnight trip for one passing tournament. There is an extra cost for registration, transportation, room & board for this trip.
Varsity Game Jerseys
Our Varsity Game jersey policy has changed. We will now have a program-owned full set of jerseys that players will wear for one season. They will turn in the jersey at the completion of the season. There is no need for the players/families to purchase the jersey. Players are responsible for the care of their jersey for the season.
Shoes
Football shoes should be purchased prior to any summer activity so they can be properly fitted and broken in. The only requirement of the football program is that they be Grosse Pointe South team colors. This means that the shoes should be either navy (blue) or white or black with a contrasting insignia.
If you are unsure whether a shoe fits our uniform requirements you should get it approved prior to purchase. Athletes should not focus on a specific brand because proper fit is the most important consideration. If an athlete or parent is not sure whether a specific model shoe meets our policy, they should ask the Head Coach prior to purchase.
College Recruiting
All student athletes who aspire to play college football should make their intentions known to the football staff via the GPS football questionnaire. The coaching staff compiles a list of these athletes and sends their information to various college coaches around the country numerous times throughout the year. There is a very valuable recruiting timeline and information sheet on the GPS football website, and a recruiting video on www.MHSFCA.com. Once coaches start to contact you, stay in contact and advise coach if any further info is needed. All DI/DII college football candidates should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center after your junior year football season. Most DI colleges will recruit athletes during their sophomore and junior year, while DII and DIII schools generally will recruit football players during and after their senior year season.
Varsity Letter Policy
Because football is a no-cut sport, each athlete must exhibit commitment to their team and the program to earn a varsity letter.
Eligibility:
The athlete must compete at the varsity level.
Letters are awarded based on input from all the varsity coaches, but the final determination will be made by the head coach. Playing time and on-field contributions are factored in but are not the chief requirement. Other factors are adherence to the athlete’s code of conduct, attendance, teamwork, and passion. If an athlete is in jeopardy of not earning his letter, he will be notified in advance and explained as to the rationale.
