Fall Tackle Football

Welcome to Northshore Trevians Football. Offering both competitive and developmental tackle football for ages 7-14. Previous football experience is not necessary, we have appropriate placement for all ages, sizes, and experience. Our goal is simple, to teach the great game of football in a safe and nurturing environment while creating a love for the sport. We truly feel that we are coaching more than just football by teaching life lessons that prepare our young athletes for success both on and off the field. 

"Start them early and teach them right makes for a safer and better game for all."

Commitment starts at home. Kids are not making the decision to miss practices or games, mom and dad are.

Unlike flag football and many other youth sports, tackle requires teaching and repetition to properly prepare for the season and opponents each week. We practice 4 nights a week, scaling back to 3 times once school begins. For those new to tackle, it is extremely important to make all practices especially early in the season. We support multi-sport athletes although we expect football to take priority over other sports during the fall season. 

Parents and Players; we expect those registered to play in our program to be at all practices and games. Parents, if you are unable to commit to all practices and games, please consider flag football as an alternative. We purposely keep our teams small so that everyone receives plenty of play. Missing practices and games can hurt the team and makes coaching extremely challenging. 

• Late July - Practice Begins
• Mid August - Full Pads Team Practice Begins
• Mid August - Weekend Scrimmages
• Late August - First Games (location and times TBD)

$850 Includes all equipment needed.

Participants are to provide their own cleats, mouthguard, and practice pants.

We realize many families have planned vacations and summer camps. Many of our families have conflicts during the first several weeks of practice. Although this is not ideal, especially if you are new to tackle, your child will not be penalized for missing during this time. Communication is key.

Each year we have many that are new to tackle football. We do strongly encourage those new to be in attendance at the start of our practice season. This is a time to learn. Arriving after practices have begun will put someone new to the sport well behind those who have been at practice. 

Players will initially be assigned to "Play Levels" based on their age and weight. Team placement is not finalized until ages are verified (provided birth certificate), players are weighed (on our certified scale) and payment is received in full. The following is a rundown of general "play levels";

• Bantam, ages 7-9 (light 9)
• Featherweight, ages 9-10 (light 11)
• Middleweight, ages 11-12 (light 12)
• Lightweight, ages 12-13 (light 13)
• Junior Varsity, ages 12-13
• Varsity, ages 12-14

All 12-14 year olds will be placed at our LW/JV/Varsity Play Level with the opportunity to be evaluated by coaches to play on our top Varsity team. This is truly a badge of honor and should be the goal of all participants in our program. 

We try and cap teams at 18-20 players. 

The health and safety of our young athletes remain our number one priority. Our league follows a very strict “Age & Weight Schedule” to help keep players safe during play. This specifically groups players by their age and weight allowing for safe play with like age and sized teammates and opponents. 

All practices are scheduled at Skokie Playfields in Winnetka. Practice begins in late July with conditioning and evaluations. We introduce pads and contact after week 2. We break into team practice and prepare for pre-season scrimmages in week 3/4.

• Late July (4 days) Mon-Thurs - 6:00-7:30 pm 
• September-October (3 days) Tues-Thurs - 6:00-7:30 pm
• Some coaches schedule Saturday morning walk-throughs before games. 

We will have a full 9 game regular season schedule that mirrors the Illinois State High School Schedule beginning usually the last weekend of August. Games are generally played on Sundays for most teams between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Some communities do play on Saturdays and even on special occasions Saturday evenings. All home games are played at West New Trier High School turf in Northfield on Sundays. We do not see a game schedule until about two weeks before our first scheduled games. The schedule is rolled out slowly to help ensure competitive play. 4-5 games will be played at home and the other half on the road. Most road games are no further than 45 minutes away. 

When possible, Non-Parent Head Coaches will be assigned to each team along with parent assistant coaches. If you wish to help coach, please contact us directly. All coaches are required to pass a background check and be certified by both USA Football and the Positive Coaching Alliance.

We belong to The Chicagoland Youth  Football League. With over 50 participating community programs, TCYFL is the largest independent youth football program in the country. Visit www.TCYFL.net to learn more.

Anyone that wants to play the game of football should be afforded every opportunity to do so. We offer several different options to help those who might need finacial assistance with league fees and other football related items.

• Finacial Support Scholarships
• Military & First Response Discount ($250 off)
• Multipule Sibling Discount ($250 off)



Please contact us to discuss further at 612-207-7141 or cprawdz@yahoo.com.

Jay (parent of 11 year old first year participant)

"I wanted to drop you a quick note letting you know how much Ian enjoyed his first year of Northshore Tackle Football. Not only did he learn about playing football, but the experience of being part of a serious league/team was a tremendous life lesson. The way you instill respect, community and leadership in the kids is impressive. You and all the coaches were awesome at balancing focus and commitment with having fun. Ian looked forward to every practice and game. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication. We'll see you next year."

Mike (parent of 10 year old first year participant)

"We are extremely pleased with our son's participation in the Northshore Trevians Tackle Football program! We only wish we had learned about the program sooner. My son has tried about every team sport you can imagine, but never found the right fit. One season of tackle football has literally transformed him, both mentally and physically! He wasn't the most physical kid in any of the sports he previously played, but he found his confidence early in the football season, he committed to working hard and being the best tackle football player he could be. His coach and his teammates recognized his commitment and his intensity, resulting in him taking a leadership role on the team. His coaches developed in him great sportsmanship, teaming, intensity, confidence, mental and physical toughness and leadership. My wife was initially concerned with safety, but the program's commitment to the safety and well-being of our children was robust and evident during practice and in games. Overall, it's just a great program!"

Rob (parent of 8 year old first year participant) 

"As a parent who grew up playing tackle football and taking some hard hits, I don't think it's possible to enroll your 10 year old in the sport without some level of concern over head injuries. After watching practices for the first couple of weeks, those fears were severely diminished. I am truly amazed at how much has changed in terms of coaching the game over the years! The amount of time, emphasis, and practice devoted solely to teaching players proper form & technique to keep their heads out of the way is incredible! Kudos, North Shore Trevians, thank you for teaching our kids to play safe!

Bob and Christa (parents of 8 year old first year participant)

"First, thank you so much for your time and commitment to coaching the kids and instilling in them a sense of teamwork, pride, hard work, and good sportsmanship. From day one of practice, it was obvious that the coaches were committed to teaching the boys best practices in tackle football. Practices focused on technique in blocking and tackling the right way. Safety of the boys was always top of mind as we could see with quick whistles to stop plays after contact. Coaches have been outstanding in demanding the players are respectful, attentive, committed to their teammates and the position assignments, and emphasizing good sportsmanship. Our kids have frequently extended a hand to help opponents back to their feet. We’ve been so impressed with the coaching staff; they have gained the respect of the players and parents based on their dedication to developing the players in a positive, supportive . . . yet no-nonsense style. When the coaches talk, the players listen. Unlike other coaches we’ve witnessed from opposing teams, our coaches speak firmly, yet supportively to the players. The players carry themselves with confidence and pride. Well done to all involved with the Trevian youth football league.