REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR 2024-2025

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WHO: This program is ONLY for COMMITED tackle football athletes that love the sport, love practice and want to be the best player possible through hard work, learning fundamentals and understanding how to run a spread offense and defend against the spread as well as other current offensive schemes.

Many of our athletes train year round to maintain and continue to develop their fundamental skills throughout the year in our ESC Football Academy Offseason Training and 7v7 program.

ELIGIBILITY: All Erie metro and country athletes, grades 3 to 6

• Grades 3-4 (Division II) – players must be no older than 10 on October 1 of the season.
• Grades 5-6 (Division I) – players must be no older than 12 on October 1 of the season.

WHEN: Practices are YEAR ROUND!

APRIL - Fridays from 6:00-8:00PM during offseason training

MAY - Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00PM during offseason training

WHERE: Erie Sports Center Sports Dome or Outdoor Field

What to bring:

-Cleats

-Gloves

-Athletic apparel

-Water

-Good attitude

Questions? Email jrexpress@eriesportscenter.com

The ESC Jr Express youth tackle teams provide a high-level, positive football experience for committed athletes. Our coaches look for athletes that work hard, have a positive attitude, love football and are coachable. Our team members are expected to practice or schedule a workout with coaches once a week in the offseason and 3x per week in season. This program allows players to develop their individual skill during the offseason and in-season focuses on team training.

The following is included with team membership:

• Offseason training (1x per week) 
• In season training (3x per week August to end of season in Mid to Later October)
• Summer camp
• Skill training (by position)
• League dues
• Custom home and away jersey

REGISTRATION:$150 payments will be scheduled monthly upon registration

REFUNDABLE EQUIPMENT DEPOSIT BILLED AUTOMATICALLY IN JULY: $150

The equipment deposit will be refunded at the end of the season when the equipment is returned to the Erie Sports Center and is in good condition.

Are fundraisers and sponsors mandatory? Yes. We consider all of our athletes scholarship athletes and they are required to sign contracts to maintain good grades, be in good standing off the field and help with fundraisers to support the teams. As with college and high-school programs fundraisers are mandatory.

At younger ages we believe in staying close to home and limiting travel. This makes it easier for families and coaches. However we also believe in challenging our athletes to play equal competition. In some cases teams will travel around 1.5 to 2 hrs for a game.

Our coaches are CERTIFIED and EXPERIENCED coaches. Athletes receive training from former and current college, professional, semi-professional and high-school players and coaches. Our program leadership has over 10 years of experience developing youth, high-school and college athletes as well as 20 years of experiencing leading and developing organizations on and off the field.

Our coaches take pride in creating a positive environment for athletes to train hard, have fun and practice with purpose. In this environment athletes have a great opportunity to accelerate skill development in a controlled, intensive environment.

This group of men believe that football is the greatest game on earth and have partnered together to create a movement to relentlessly focus on the details and the fundamentals to help grow and accelerate skills. It is our mission to develop athletes and help them achieve the ability to earn the opportunity to play at the next level. Through this process athletes will learn values that will help them become the best they can on and off the field.

We also work to train the next level of Middle School coaches. As the athletes rise in grade levels, assistant coaches typically travel with the athletes. Through our programs we believe it is necessary to train these coaches to help build a strong community of leaders throughout our region. This makes Erie strong and helps us beat our rivals in other cities throughout the state!

There is no maximum weight limit for participation however, there are weight limitations pertaining to all “skill” positions handling the ball (QB, RB, WR, TE). Weight limitations are as follows:

• Division II (Grade 3-4) – 100 lbs.
• Division I (Grade 5-6) – 120 lbs.

Our youth football teams were developed by our 2x National Champion Erie Express football players, local football youth coaches and the Erie Sports Center. The purpose of our program is to unify our Erie football programs to teach young football players the current game of football with modern techniques, terminology and schemes in a fun environment that promotes hard work, discipline and self-motivation.

Our program is for families committed to helping their athlete(s) develop their techniques and skill and are looking to align with a program that will help them achieve their short, mid and long term goals in a supportive and professional environment.

We believe in developing young players to understand the modern spread formation game of football with college style passing offenses, formations, plays and appropriate defenses and defensive strategies to counter opponents. These youth teams are the foundation for the tackle football player pathway program in our Erie Sports Center Football Academy.

We are directly connected with the 2x National Champion Erie Express. We have full support of the entire Erie Express 2x National Champion football organization. One of directors and Head Coaches of our program, James Zigler, plays for the Erie Express and many of the Erie Express players will support our events and practices. The Erie Express team will share their inflatable football helmet with us for home game entrances and we will have special promotional events together.