FAQs

What is Summer Football?

For current high school players, this is a opportunity for the coaches to discuss changes from the previous season, to work on various drills, and get some conditioning prior to the end of the school year. 

For incoming freshmen,  Summer Football is a way to introduce new players to the high school program.  Incoming freshmen will meet the coaching staff and other players, learn drills, and see how a high school practice is run.  In August, incoming freshmen who attended Summer Football will already have some knowledge of what to expect during practices.

When is Summer Football?

• May 30 - July 1st for current high school students

• June 5 - July 1st  for incoming freshmen

How do incoming freshmen sign up for Summer Football?

Parents must register their player on the LWSD website by going to Final Forms, filling out and submitting the 3 required registration forms, then pay the district managed fees using Online Payments  during each enrollment period. This can only be done during the open registration periods.

Can incoming freshmen participate in summer weightlifting workouts?

Yes.  Summer weightlifting is strongly encouraged.  Studies show that participation in off-season workouts helps to reduce the risk of injury during the season.  Also, this is a great opportunity to meet other players and members of the coaching staff.  Workout times will be posted in late spring.  If players cannot attend summer workouts, physical exercise is encouraged including weightlifting, running (sprints and distance), and stretching/flexibility.

Is there supervision during summer workouts?

Yes.  There will be at least one member of the coaching staff present during workouts.  Coaches can assist with technique and will monitor safety.

Do incoming freshmen attend GRIT Camp?

YES!!!  All players are encouraged to attend Camp. 

Where can I find more information about GRIT Camp?

All of the details about GRIT Camp can be found here.

What football equipment is provided by Lake Washington High School?

The school provides helmets, shoulder pads, practice pants, game belt, knee pads, home and away game uniforms (jersey and pants), and an equipment bag. 

Players are accountable and responsible to return all equipment at the end of the season that has been signed out by them.  The replacement cost for any missing items will be applied to the player's LWHS Student Account.  The average cost of equipment issued to each player is $1,100.

What equipment should players provide?

Players must provide football cleats, mouth guards, and an integrated girdle.  It is recommended that players purchase two mouth guards, and have both on hand (one always gets lost or chewed during the season).

Additionally, players may want to acquire other equipment such as padded shirts, long-sleeve shirts for warmth, gloves, arm pads, etc.  Personal face shields can only be worn upon approval of Coach Arena in cases of extenuating circumstances. 

If a player wants to wear a long sleeve undershirt (like an Under Armour shirt), does it have to be a particular color?

No, although purple , black, or white are preferred colors.

When do players register for the fall season?

Parents must register their players through Parent Access on the Lake Washington School District website.  Registration for fall sports typically opens in the first week of August.  Make sure you're on the Mailing List to be notified.

What is Athletic Clearance, and when does that occur?

In order to receive equipment and participate in practices, players must be cleared by the Athletic Office and receive a “Golden Ticket” as proof of clearance.  PLAYERS THAT ARE NOT CLEARED WILL NOT RECEIVE EQUIPMENT AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE—NO EXCEPTIONS!

How does a player receive Athletic Clearance ?

The Athletic Office has created a checklist regarding how to get cleared.  Please review the checklist to ensure that all forms are completed.  In particular, players must have a medical history form on file with the Athletic Office (valid for one year) and a physical evaluation form on file with the Athletic Office (valid for two years).  DON’T WAIT TO GET YOUR SPORTS PHYSICAL COMPLETED!!!!!

Do players need to obtain a physical in order to play?  How often?

All players are required to have had a recent physical to participate.  Physicals last for two years; however, if the player’s sports physical expires anytime during the upcoming regular season, they must have a new one before they will be cleared to practice.

Do players need to provide any relevant medical history to the school?

Yes.  In addition to having a physical form on file, a medical history form is required to be on file with the Athletic Office in order to participate.  Medical history forms are valid for one year.

How much does the Lake Washington School District charge to play high school football?

For the 2022-2023 school year, the Lake Washington School District charged a participation fee of $200 for each sport and student athletes must purchase a yearly ASB card for an additional $50.  There is a maximum individual player cap of $400 per school year, and families have a $725 same school family cap.  Parents of students who are unable to afford the fee should contact the Athletic Office and complete a Sports Fee Waiver Request Form.  

When and where do practices occur?

The first practice is August 16, 2023, at Lake Washington High School.  Typical practice times during school are 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Meetings and weight lifting are included in this time and practice on the field never exceeds 2 hours. Prior to the start of school, there are Saturday practices.  Specific times for all practices will be posted on the website calendar.

How long do practices last?

On field practices last two hours or less.  In addition, there is usually an additional 30 minutes of film review or weightlifting during the season.  The website calendar will list the specific practice times for each team.

What day of the week are games played?

C-Team (primarily freshmen) games will be played on Wednesday nights, Junior Varsity games will be played on Monday nights, and Varsity games will be played on Friday nights. There are changes to the schedule based on opponent stadium availability. 

When will the game schedules be posted?

The C-Team and Junior Varsity schedules will be posted in late August.  The Varsity schedule will be posted in the Spring.

Is bus transportation provided for football players to games? 

Yes.  All players are required to take the team bus to away football games.

Will there be "two-a-day" practices prior to the start of the season?

No.  It is not our philosophy that more practices make better players or football teams. Players at the age of 14-18 need rest to recuperate from workouts/practices so they can perform at an optimal level. 

Who should be notified if a player is going to miss a practice?

Players are to notify their Head Coach or Coach Whaley if they will be absent.  Coaches should be notified in advance if a player is going to miss a practice.  More specific information will be provided by the coaching staff and team representatives but please plan to have your player be in charge of letting the coaches know about absences.

Players can contact the coaches through Sports Engine.  Asking another player to inform the coaches of a missed practice is not acceptable.  Players will be given a review of the policy including a list of excusable absences (school, family, drivers ed, medical appointments, illness, etc.) during Logistics Day.  Missing practice without contacting any of the coaches listed above in advance will be considered an unexcused absence. 

Is there a parent organization that supports LW Kang Football?

Yes, the Gridiron Booster Club is the main supporting group for Kang Football.  This is strictly a voluntary organization, and your help is greatly needed and strongly encouraged for this program to work and be successful.