Incoming Freshman, New Players and Parents: Start Here
Links: Incoming Freshman Parent Links
Rules & Communication: The Basics
Volunteers: Joining the Football Booster
Open Enrollment: Joining MHS
Preseason: Current 7th and 8th Grade Players
Summer Travel Camp: Team Building
Registermyathlete.com: MUSD Athlete Registration System
ECA Fees: Extracurricular Activity Fees
Tax Credit: Direct your taxes to MHS football
Hudl: Film, Practice, and Communication App
Equipment: Provided, Required, Optional and Donations
Dress for Success: Pregame Dress Code
Practice: What to Expect at Practice
Games: Game Day and the Season
On this page, you will find information for players and parents new to our program. This is mainly aimed at Incoming Freshman, but has information for all new players. Scroll down for the following.
What are the Team Rules?
Download the PDFs attached below. ALL of this information from beginning to end is thoroughly discussed at the beginning of each season with the team. Important portions are emphasized throughout the season repeatedly. Not knowing the rules does not exempt your player from being accountable to them.
Where do we go for information?
There are four ways we get information out to parents and the players.
The Booster Club: Our boosters will send out info that affects the entire program, from volunteering, sponsorships, fundraisers and specifics that effect Varsity, JV and Freshman
Coaches: Important or time-sensitive info may come directly from the coaches.
Band App: The bulk of all team communication goes through the BAND app or website, directly to the players’ phones in the group text function.
Where do we go to add someone to the Communication App?
Contact the head coach to be added to the Band App. P.d.steward@maranausd.org
Team Communication & Rules: The Basics
All players will be asked to read, sign and abide by the team rules listed above.
OPEN ENROLLMENT: Joining MHS
Parents are asked to read and abide by the Parent & Coach Communication guidelines above.
Volunteers: Joining The Marana Football Boosters
What is the Marana Football Boosters?
That is the official name of the MHS booster club. They make sure players are fed their pregame meal, set up team-building events, organize fundraisers and help in a variety of ways. The MHS football program would not be what it is today without its past, present and future volunteers.
How do I join the Marana Football Boosters?
Head over to the Volunteer Page and see where your skills might fit best. Otherwise, contact the head coach and find out how to help. P.d.steward@maranausd.org
The 2025-26 PDF application may be submitted via email to the school's registrar beginning at 7:30 a.m. on December 1, 2025. Applications sent before that date/time will be returned for resubmittal. Please submit the correct school year application when applying.
View application and procedures links.
2025-2026 Open Enrollment Procedures:
2025-2026 Open Enrollment Application:
The 2026-27 PDF application may be submitted via email to the school's registrar beginning at 7:30 a.m. on December 1, 2026. Applications sent before that date/time will be returned for resubmittal. Please submit the correct school year application when applying.
2026-2027 Open Enrollment Procedures:
2026-2027 Open Enrollment Application:
Marana HS Freshman Registration Information:
https://hhs.cusd80.com/parents-students/registration-information
Preseason: Current 7th and 8th Graders Info
When can my player start working with MHS?
Our Strength & Conditioning program is for current 7th- and 8th-graders in the winter. Freshmen are also encouraged to attend our Summer Camp, Heber, AZ, Camp Shadow Pines. Our Freshman coaches run the New ERA 7v7 Club Team for 7th- and 8th-graders.
Should my player be working out before the season?
If the goal is to maximize their chance for success, the answer is yes. Players who push themselves with bodyweight exercises, runs, stretching, and cardio work in other sports all set them up for success their freshman year. Players can succeed by beginning their season without training. However, given the competitive nature of our program, preseason work at home, in the gym, and our camps and clinics will serve all incoming freshman players well.
If your player is using free weights, please make sure they are doing so safely, with proper form and under trained supervision. Poor form while lifting can cause injury and limit their progress in gaining strength. It can also be very hard to unlearn a bad habit with improper form.
What is Summer Camp?
Each summer, the program gathers all players, Freshman-Senior, to travel to Heber, AZ, Camp Shadow Pines to come together as a team
Camp Dates: July 16th -19th
This is the single best experience our players will have to bond as a team, while also improving their football skills and character.
What will the players do at the camp?
Coming together as a team is a big part of the process. Eating, sleeping and sweating together allows players to bond in ways that are more difficult to do during practice. On the field, they will be doing positional work, installs and conditioning. Off the field, they will have meetings with chalk talks that elevate their football IQ, as well as character-building exercises. They will also have a chance to have some fun with supervised events like a bonfire, Team Movie, and other things we have on the agenda.
What is the cost to attend the camp?
The cost is generally around $350 and includes 4 meals per day, an all-day snack bar and charter buses to & from camp. (if attending Camp Shadow Pines). It is all inclusive.
It’s important to note that we want EVERYONE to attend and that assistance may be available to help with the cost.
Where do I pay for the camp?
There will be a link sent out, and you will have the option to pay in full or in a two or three-payment plan.
What should my player bring?
Toothbrush, toothpaste, twin bed sheets, pillow, blanket or sleeping bag, sunscreen, towel, toiletries, notebooks, writing utensils, T-shirts/Shorts/Socks for 9 practices, tennis shoes, cleats, Gold Bond, shower footwear, temperature-appropriate clothing for low in 50s.
Summer Travel Camp
Registermyathlete.com: MUSD Athlete Registration System
What is Register My Athlete?
MUSD uses Registermyathlete.com (RMA) to collect all documents and waivers, as well as distribution and cataloguing of all district-mandated training. Players can not practice or compete until they are eligible in the RMA system.
What does a parent need to do with RMA?
As a parent, you need to collect documents, get your player a sports physical on an AIA Physical Form, have your player read some information and watch some videos. Only once everything in RMA is completed can players fully participate in practice or games.
How do I use the RMA system?
If your child has played a sport with MUSD, you will have a login and an athlete set up already. For each sport your child competes in, you will need to complete a separate registration.
To complete a registration, you will need to fully complete the Electronic Documents, Physical Documents and Final Signature portion of the registration.
What are the Electronic Documents?
The Electronic Documents section is a series of checklists to read through, watch and then electronically sign, which can all be completed through the RMA system.
What are the Physical Documents?
These are documents that are not yet available in digital form or must be uploaded by you. The Sports Physical form is one example of a Physical Document. With each Physical Document, RMA will provide a download option for you to print, complete, and sign. You will then scan or take a picture of the document and upload it to RMA. Occasionally, there will be a document to physically turn in.
How do I upload documents?
Follow all instructions given on the RMA site. Scanned documents are usually the safest and easiest to approve. However, most documents can be uploaded with a clear picture taken from a cell phone. However, even if a document is posted, your player will not be eligible until all posted documents are approved by MUSD (not coaches). Unapproved documents are usually due to missing or unreadable information.
When posting uploaded photos of documents, avoid cropping important info or glare from flash. Also, avoid using the "Live Photo" option on your phone, which creates an animated rather than a stationary picture. The HEIC format used by the "Live Photos" are not compatible with RMA.
Can my player practice with something missing from RMA?
Some documents are mandatory, and others can be completed a little later in the beginning of the season. We will advise through Band on the various deadlines. However, once they are required, they are required by the district and can not be influenced by anyone at MHS.
The AIA Physical Form, however, is required before any on-field activity (other than spectating) is allowed.
Can I turn in a physical form from my doctor, and not the AIA Physical form?
No. ONLY AIA Physical Forms will be accepted.
Every doctor has their own physical forms with information that may or may not match the AIA form or might be in different locations on the sheet. By having all Arizona Athletes use the same form, it allows anyone involved to quickly and easily verify that a player is cleared by their doctor.
Be sure to download and print the form before going to the doctor, or your doctor may require a return visit to fill out the form.
Extracurricular Activity (ECA) Fee
What is the ECA fee?
Sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities have a cost associated with them at the school. These fees are mandatory and collected by the school. The ECA fee for football is $75.
How do I pay the ECA fee online?
Click Here for instructions on how to pay the ECA fee online.
How does my player pay the ECA fee at school?
The ECA fee can be paid in person at the Bookstore. The bookstore is outside the cafeteria and is open during school hours.
What happens if we are late paying the ECA fee?
Your child can’t participate until paid.
What is the tax credit, and how do I use it to pay my player's ECA fee?
The tax credit is a critical tool for our successful football program. Please see below for information about what the tax credit is and how it works.
What is the AZ Tax Credit?
The tax credit is critical to funding our football program in ways that funds donated through the Football Boosters can not. One example is the payment of coaches’ stipends, which allows us to continue to recruit quality coaches.
Arizona law ARS 43-1089.01 enables taxpayers a tax credit contribution of up to $400.00 per calendar year if filing status is Married, filing Joint Return; $200.00 per calendar year if filing status is Single or Head of Household; and $200.00 per calendar year if filing status is Married, filing separate return — for contributions that fund extracurricular activities in public schools. A tax credit is a full refund, not a deduction.
Contributions eligible for a tax credit are donated directly to schools, not to the state or the school district.
Parents donating on behalf of their child online
Can I use the tax donation to pay for my player's Extracurricular Activity (ECA) Fee?
Yes, but only if done at the time of the donation.
Where can I find more information about the Tax Credit?
MUSD page by Clicking Here
Tax Credit Donations
Equipment: Provided, Required, Optional and Donations
What Equipment does Marana Provide?
Marana will provide the following
Certified helmet with a chinstrap
Home and Away jersey
Game pants (shells worn over girdle)
Belt
One set of knee pads (can not wear during games)
What equipment is required?
Parents are expected to provide the following
At least one mouthpiece (mandatory for practice)
Cleats (Comfortable Shoes)
A Lock for locker
A padded girdle
A player must have thighs, hips, and knees covered by pads, or they will not be able to practice or play in games. The best solution is a girdle that is worn under practice shorts and game shell pants. Due to hygiene and laundry concerns, parents may want to invest in more than one.
What equipment is optional?
The following items are allowed but not required. Receiver or Lineman gloves. Additional pads such as neck rolls, lower back pads, rib protector shirts, knee braces or QB towels.
It is highly advised to write your player's name in Sharpie on all personal gear not provided by Marana.
What equipment is not allowed?
Jewelry. Helmet visors, unless prescribed by a doctor.
Can my player buy his own pads and helmet?
Yes. (All Equipment must fit or will have to wear what’s provided)
Helmets: Must be an Adult Size and painted "Royal Blue", have a black or blue facemask, and we recommend the Riddell Speed Flex for safety. Properly fitted helmets requires training and practice.
Shoulder Pads: sizing and fitting are subjective and vary from player to player and manufacturer. Some players and positions want less restrictive movement, while others want maximum protection.
Click Here for links regarding Shoulder Pad sizing.
When will I know what my player's jersey number is?
The short answer is around two weeks before the first game. With no guarantees made in regards to number requests.
The long answer is that there are a number of considerations to be made before assigning jersey numbers. This usually brings us close to the date of our first game.
1) Numbers are position-specific in High School tackle football. Some numbers make a player ineligible to catch passes. It is impossible for Freshman coaches to know who is going to be in a position until players have demonstrated their abilities with their pads on.
2) The school can not carry all sizes of all uniforms with every number. The number your player wants might be okay for his position, but the jersey with that number is the wrong size for your player.
3) Your player’s number may be claimed by an upperclassman when moving up to JV and Varsity
If possible, do not buy any gear with your child's number on it until after numbers are official, or leave the number field blank when ordering. Or simply understand their number is likely to change.
Dress for Success: Pregame Dress Code
What is Dress for Success?
As a program, we want to instill pride and a sense of professionalism in what we do and who we are as football players. To aid in this, we dress professionally as a team on games.
What do they wear on game days?
On Gamedays (for Freshmen, usually Wednesday), players are required to Dress for Success. They must put on some decent clothes, no basketball shorts, or No Slides.
Where do Freshmen Practice?
Generally, we practice in the NW corner of the school on the Freshman Practice Fields, located directly behind the Softball Field. Occasionally, this will change due to flooded fields or other unusual circumstances.
What time are practices?
The Freshman locker room opens at 3:45 pm. Players are expected to be in full uniform and on the field by 4:00 pm. Practice lasts until around 5:45 pm. All Freshmen are required to leave on the after-school bus at 6 pm.
How should my player prepare for practice?
Before worrying about football, please ensure your player has completed all schoolwork.
Secondly, encourage hydration! The number one cause of missed or shortened practices early in the season is dehydration. Hydration must start the night before practice, not the morning of. It is still around 90-100 degrees out when our season begins.
With schoolwork and hydration out of the way, focus on healthy nutrition, getting eight hours of sleep and then some time looking at Hudl for plays and film analysis.
Practice: What to Expect
When are Freshman Games?
Freshman games are almost always on Wednesday nights. Occasionally, they may be Thurs but usually with significant advanced notice. Kickoffs are usually at 6:00 pm, but can happen anytime between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm.
Where are Freshman Games?
Home games are on the Main Football Field. Our opponents' names and locations can be found on The Calendar
How many games do Freshman play?
Freshman play nine games with no playoff games. Some players may be asked to move up and practice with Varsity at the end of the Freshman season, as Varsity moves into the playoffs. This is based on Varsity's need for each position, player grades and ability.
How to buy tickets?
You can buy at the gate or through the GoFan app. Freshman games do not usually sell out.
What happens on Gameday?
Game day begins the night before, as players should try to get ahead of as much school work as possible, as they will have little time on Game Day. Please make sure your player is well fed, well rested and well hydrated. It is a long day. Practice, classes, team meal and the game keep players at school from sun up until as late as 10:00 pm (for some away games).
After school, no players can leave and go home, then return again for the game. This keeps parents from making multiple trips to the school, keeps players out of trouble and gets everyone on the buses and the field on time.
In general, players will meet after school and hang out in the Cafeteria. Then we eat a team meal provided by Football Boosters, get taped (if necessary), and then head to the locker room to change into equipment. Finally, we either head to the bus or to the field if a home game.
What happens after the game?
Players are encouraged to leave the field quickly. We ask that parents refrain from pulling players over to the bleachers and instead meet them as they exit. Especially during away games. Players will greet parents, friends and family at the field exit.
For away games, when the buses are boarded, all players will be told to send a text to their guardians, saying when the buses leave and an eta for arrival at MHS. With Home games, players are allowed to leave with guardians after checking out at the locker room.
Please do everything in your power not to leave your player stranded at the school after a game. Coaches will not leave players alone. Many coaches will have been at the school since 6:00 am and would like to get home to their families.
Can a player play on Varsity as a Freshman?
Varsity slots are earned and not given. A freshman who can demonstrate the strength, speed, agility, football intelligence and maturity to play at the Varsity level will be given a chance if there is a need in their position group. Given the competition at Marana, playing Varsity as a Freshman is rare.
In most cases, having a season to dominate and earn confidence at the Freshman level is deemed more valuable than being a backup at the Varsity level.
Games: Gameday and the Season