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FAQ
ERAA Frequently Assked Questions (FAQs)
Why do we need another Athletic Association?
QUESTION #1:
“Why did the East Ridge community form its own athletic association?”
The reason ERAA was formed was to offer local student athletes high quality youth sports programs, and maintain a focus on developing future East Ridge Raptor (ERHS) athletes. East Ridge High School faces the unique challenge of bringing students together from multiple communities (Cottage Grove, Newport, Afton, Denmark Township, and Woodbury). Youth athletics is a great opportunity to break down some of the current geographic boundaries that exist and help bring the entire East Ridge community together.
ERAA offers both in-house and travelling programs that are targeted at student athletes that reside in the ERHS attendance boundary, attend any school in the ERHS attendance boundary (SOUTH WASHINGTON COUNTY DISTRICT 833 public school or parochial school within the ERHS attendance boundary - this includes: Lake Middle School, Cottage Grove Middle School, Middleton Elementary, Liberty Ridge Elementary, Bailey Elementary, Newport Elementary, Cottage Grove Elementary, Grey Cloud Elementary, or St. Ambrose). ERAA also offers “club” sports (like soccer, wrestling, track, etc.) that are “open boundary” and as such, includes athletes from outside of the boundary definitions described above.
ERAA is a feeder program for ERHS and a very tight alignment and collaboration exists between ERHS varsity coaches and ERAA exist to build a strong foundation of athletic excellence at East Ridge.
ERAA – Future RAPTORS Built Here!
What is the difference between WAA, CGAA and East Ridge Athletic Association (ERAA)?
QUESTION #2:
What is the difference between Woodbury Athletic Association (WAA), Cottage Grove Athletic Association (CGAA) and East Ridge Athletic Association (ERAA)?
There are many similarities between existing Athletic Associations in the district (WAA and CGAA) and ERAA. All of these non-profits exist to provide quality developmental in-house and traveling youth sports programs to local student athletes.
The main difference between ERAA and these other organizations is that its main charter is to develop future ERHS (Raptor) athletes and it serves as a direct feeder program for the new high school. While CGAA is the primary feeder program for Park High School and WAA is primarily a feeder program for Woodbury High School (and some students that will eventually attend Tartan and Stillwater High School), ERAA is focused on developing a tradition of athletic excellence for students with the intention of attending ERHS in the future.
Does my son or daughter HAVE to participate in ERAA sports programs if I live in the ERHS attendance boundary?
QUESTION #3:
Does my son or daughter HAVE to participate in ERAA sports programs if I live in the ERHS attendance boundary?
The great thing is you now have a choice of high quality programs to participate in! We suggest you compare the advantages of each organization (ERAA, CGAA, WAA) and decide which is the best fit for your family.
If I live in Woodbury, which association should I have my kids play in, WAA or ERAA?
QUESTION #4:
If I live in Woodbury or Cottage Grove, which association should I have my kids play in; WAA, CGAA or ERAA?
If you live in the East Ridge attendance boundary and a youth program is offered by ERAA (in-house or travelling) at the grade level that your child is in, it would likely make the most sense for you to enroll in that ERAA program. If you live in Woodbury and are not in the ERAA attendance boundary, you would likely want to play in WAA programs. Likewise, if you live in Cottage Grove and are not in the ERAA attendance boundary, you would most likely want to continue to play in CGAA.
ERAA offers high quality youth programs and is closely aligned with the ERHS varsity athletic programs. If your son or daughter will be attending East Ridge and has an interest in playing high school athletics at ERHS, it would be to their advantage to get involved early in the ERAA program where player development, coaching principles, and clinics will be in close collaboration with ERHS varsity coaches.
Can I play in ERAA if I don’t live in the East Ridge attendance boundary?
QUESTION #5:
Can I play in ERAA if I don’t live in the East Ridge attendance boundary?
The answer is: IT DEPENDS. Some sports, like soccer and track are “club sports” that are less boundary-dependent and by nature are not tied to city or school boundaries. In these cases, teams could include participants from outside the ERAA attendance boundary.
Sports like baseball, basketball and football are targeted to be played by youth athletes that reside the ERAA attendance boundary, attend a school in the ERHS attendance boundary, or have an older sibling that has open enrolled in ERHS (and also have the intention of open enrolling in ERHS in the future). The ERAA board is in ongoing discussions with the exec boards of both CGAA and WAA to discuss how it can best handle boundary exceptions (waiver process) on a sport by sport basis.
Above all, ERAA wants to work closely with WAA and CGAA to ensure that every student has an opportunity to play. Especially in the early years, this may require co-op or combining of athletes (across associations) to give all of our district students the opportunity to play at the level they deserve.
I’ve heard that ERAA does not have the same operating overhead as WAA, is that true?
QUESTION #6:
I’ve heard that ERAA does not have the same operating overhead as WAA, is that true?
Yes, that is true. Because ERAA is staffed almost exclusively by unpaid volunteers (including its executive board members), ERAA has significantly lower annual operating expenses than WAA.
ERAA’s goal is to continue to avoid all unnecessary expenses and run as lean an organization as possible without sacrificing quality. Especially in today’s economy, we want to be able to provide the highest quality sports programs possible to local families at an affordable price.
“Why should I choose to play ERAA sports?” (ERAA Value Proposition)
QUESTION #7:
“Why should I choose to play ERAA sports?” (ERAA Value Proposition)
- Fair Tryouts and team selection process
- Positive coaching principles
- Responsive communication with parents
- Rich web content and easy to work with (customer service focus)
- Easy registration and sports sign ups
- Competitive program fees
- Tight alignment with ERAA varsity coaches and programs
We have a unique opportunity to bring students and parents from multiple communities to achieve a COMMON GOAL. The opportunity to build a strong East Ridge tradition starts TODAY!
“Does ERAA be offering “in-house” programs or only travelling teams?”
QUESTION #8:
“Will ERAA be offering “in-house” programs or only travelling teams?”
ERAA offers a full complement of both travelling AND “in-house” programs, and currently offers programs in 9 different sports. Please refer to the sports specific section of this web site for more detailed information by sport.
“What will ERAA’s sports programs cost? Will they cost more (or less) than similar WAA or CGAA programs?”
QUESTION #10:
“What will ERAA’s sports programs cost? Will they cost more (or less) than similar WAA or CGAA programs?”
ERAA will be offering high quality youth programs at a competitive price. In pricing our programs we will not lose sight of the fact that… we are a NON-PROFIT organization serving kids!
Your fees will not being allocated in any way to a “general fund”. Each sport will be priced to pay for uniforms, field/gym time, officials/referee costs, tournament registrations and little else. ERAA wants to give parents and student athletes the most positive sports experience they can have for a very fair price.
“How will ERAA come up with the money to launch their programs in year one? Doesn’t ERAA have to sign up and pay for travelling tournaments well in advance of receiving payment from sport sign-ups?”
QUESTION #11:
“How is ERAA doing financially after one full year in business? Are they financially stable?”
ERAA is on very sound financial footing after its first full year of operation. Balance sheets and cash reserves vary by sport, but successful fundraising efforts in year one combined with a conservative approach to financial management has put ERAA in very strong position to grow and offer additional programs/services in the years ahead!
“Will ERAA teams be competitive? My son or daughter plays on a great travelling team today and I’m concerned about breaking these kids up. Won’t moving to ERAA just dilute the talent level of teams? Should I just stay with CGAA and/or WAA?
QUESTION #12:
“How Will ERAA teams be competitive? My son or daughter plays on a great travelling team today and I’m concerned about breaking these kids up. Won’t moving to ERAA just dilute the talent level of teams? Should I just stay with CGAA and/or WAA?”
This is a very difficult question and there is no easy answer. When boundaries were establish for the new high school the change for many families in District 833 was significant. Youth athletics is just one of many things aligning to the new boundaries. The good news is that ERAA, WAA, and CGAA will all continue to offer quality programs and the good news is you DO have a choice. In general, we are blessed with deep travelling programs and the split is creating significant sports opportunities for MORE students to achieve their full potential. As parents, you will have to weigh many factors when making the final decision on where your student will be playing in the months/years ahead. In general, if your son or daughter plans to attend ERHS in the years ahead, we believe the decision to participate in ERAA youth programs is quite compelling!
“ERAA seems to be trying to ‘ease the burden’ on local families that want their children to participate in youth sports, is that true?”
QUESTION #13:
“ERAA seems to be trying to ‘ease the burden’ on local families that want their children to participate in youth sports, is that true?”
Yes. The majority of the volunteers on the ERAA board have current or past coaching and/or board leadership with CGAA or WAA. They bring experience, but also a passion for making the “customer experience” of participating in youth sports programs as EFFICIENT, INEXPENSIVE, POSITIVE and EASY as possible. Most families today are stretched in many directions and we want to make sports accessible to as many student athletes as possible, without any excess complexity. As an organization, ERAA is trying to live by the following motto: “YOUTH SPORTS MADE EASY”.
“When are tryouts scheduled for each of the travelling sports?”
QUESTION #14:
“When are tryouts scheduled for each of the travelling sports within ERAA?”
Tryout dates and methods are defined by sport specific boards within ERAA. In general, they are held on the SAME date as WAA and/or CGAA tryouts to discourage athletes from trying out in multiple associations.
“What are the cut-off dates for signing up for different sports in ERAA?”
QUESTION #15:
“What are the cut-off dates for signing up for different sports in ERAA?”
These dates vary by season/sport, but details can be found on the registrations tab or on landing page of the ERAA sport you are interested in.
“Can my child tryout at 2 associations (say CGAA and ERAA) and then just pick which team or coach “we like the best” when teams are formed after tryouts?
QUESTION #16:
“Can my child tryout at 2 associations (say CGAA and ERAA) and then just pick which team or coach “we like the best” when teams are formed after tryouts?
On behalf of all the athletic associations, we would strongly encourage you to compare and make a decision which program you want your son or daughter to play in PRIOR to registering and/or trying out. Registering in one (or multiple associations) and then making a last minute decision after tryout results to play somewhere else will be highly disruptive to everyone involved (especially to the other kids on the team your son or daughter was assigned to). Tournament registrations, what level to compete at, etc. are made based on the number of children that register and try out. Roster shifts and changes AFTER tryouts are conducted and teams are formed can severely impact the team formation process and can negatively impact those teams that are impacted. Do yourself, your neighbors and the kids a favor: Pick an association for the season you are registering for and stick with them!
“How does ERAA select its coaches and how as a parent can I be sure that coaches will provide a POSITIVE experience for my student athlete?”
QUESTION #17:
“How does ERAA select its coaches and how as a parent can I be sure that coaches will provide a POSITIVE experience for my student athlete?”
This is a sensitive subject and one that we do not take lightly. If you have not experienced it yourself, you have certainly heard the horror stories of kids quitting sports because of poor sportsmanship and the antics of some over the top volunteer youth coaches. ERAA has a comprehensive application and interview process and background check for all of its youth coaches. We also provide end of season coaching surveys ONLINE, and they are weighed heavily by the board when ranking returning coaches. We will strive to provide coaches that are committed to developing everyone on the team (and not focused on developing/showcasing the skills of their own kid). A “win at any cost” attitude will not be permitted. We have three primary goals for our coaches. 1. Develop the kids 2. Have FUN 3. Make sure they have a positive experience and come back again next year!
