New Parent FAQ
Q: Where do I find information about New Canaan High School sports?
A: The website www.ncrams.com has information on all sports teams including game schedules, live streaming, coach contact information, registering for tryouts, camps, and clinics and much more!
Q: How do I find out about New Canaan high school sports teams?
A: Email notifications are sent to all high school families at the start of the year. As each season ends, additional emails will be sent for the forthcoming season sports. Also, every June the athletic department hosts a “Meet the Coaches” night where all of the high school coaches are in attendance to answer questions from parents and students. This evening is targeted to incoming freshman (8th graders) and their parents.
Q: What do I need to do if my child wants to try out for a team?
A: The athletic department uses a family registration system called FamilyID. For the three sports seasons, registration for tryouts opens approximately one month prior on ncrams.com. Once your child is registered, most of the questions will be saved for future registrations and you only need to select the child you are registering. NOTE: All participants must have a valid physical on file with the athletic department before they can try out for a team. The CT health form is here. CT Health Form
Q: What happens after I register for a team tryout?
A: The athletic department uses an app called SportsYou that is used to communicate all information to players from coaches. During tryouts, players are invited via their school email used in FamilyID to join the “All Players” team. Coaches will communicate tryout information via this platform. Parents will be invited to join the “All Parents” group to receive information via the email used in FamilyID.
Q: What happens after tryouts?
A: The SportsYou app will create the teams for each level within the sport, i.e., Varsity, Junior Varsity, Freshman or other levels as needed. Players and parents will be invited to their specific team or group in SportsYou. Coaches and players will communicate by sharing posts or using the chat feature for their specific team. Parents will only be allowed to communicate on their specific parent group.
Q: Do I need to purchase uniforms and equipment for my child?
A: This depends on the specific sport. For example, football provides all equipment but lacrosse does not. Except for certain sports, the school provides uniforms to all players that must be returned at the end of the season. Each sport will also offer specific online stores to purchase additional team gear. The coaches or captains’ parents can answer team specific questions on uniforms and equipment.
Q: How does transportation for their sports team work for my child?
A: Transportation to all away games is provided by the school. The coaches or captains’ parents can answer team specific questions on timing of when a bus will depart for a game. Parents are not allowed to drive their child home from an away game without the Travel Release Form filled out. This form can be found here. Travel Release Form
Q: How often and what times are practices and games?
A: This depends on the specific sport. Most teams practice 4-6 days after school and can last from 1-3 hours. As expected, the varsity teams practice more days during the week and the other teams may be less. Usually the different level teams, i.e., varsity, JV will have different blocks of practice times after school, i.e., 3-5 pm, 5-7 pm, etc. Game days and times are scheduled via mutual agreement with each school. Note: There will be games and practices for most sports during the school breaks. The school seasons are short and necessitate this scheduling during school breaks.
Q: What if my child needs to meet with a teacher or counselor after school?
A: Most practice times allow for 15-30 minutes after school to have meetings or eat a snack. Please make sure your child communicates with the coach to let them know about these meetings beforehand!
Q: Are the summer camps, clinics, and pre-season camps mandatory?
A: No, these are offered in conjunction with the All Sports Booster Club to provide additional training if students want to participate to get ready for tryouts. FamilyID is also used for registration and payment to make it easier for families.
Q: Do I need to join the All Sports Booster Club to participate in high school sports?
A: No, but the mission of the All Sports Booster Club is to provide additional enrichment for ALL high school student-athletes. For example, the booster club pays for additional assistant coaches, coach training, extra training equipment, etc.
Q: Where can I buy New Canaan spirit wear and accessories?
A: The All Sports Booster Club has a spirit wear store at the high school that attends certain games and events. Items include hoodies, t-shirts, pajama pants, ¼ zips, tumblers, and more! The spirit wear store also offers online stores multiple times a year. Look for emails starting in August!
Updated July 2023