2019 Next Level Flag Football Season - Berkeley Location

Welcome to our inaugural season of Next Level Flag Football at the University of Cal @ Berkeley! Registration for the 2019 Flag Football season will launch on April 1st at 12:00 noon PST. Next Level Flag has partnered with the Cal Bears to bring Next Level Flag Football to Cal's Memorial Stadium: Our first Division 1A partner! Have you ever had a dream of scoring a touchdown in the Cal Stadium? Have you ever wanted to get to know Cal Football Players and other Cal Student-Athletes on a deeper level? Well, now you can by registering for Next Level Flag Football @ Cal Berkeley.

Next Level Flag Football @ Cal Structure

• Next Level has rented Memorial Stadium
• Next Level will hire and train Cal Football Players and other Student - Athletes to operate Next Level Flag @ Cal
• Next Level will pay all Student-Athletes to be Student Head Coach Mentors and Referees for the program
  
• All additional donations are tax-deductible and will help fund operations at CAL
• You will have to create a separate account from www.nextlevelflag.com

We are excited to combine the quality and class of the nations #1 Public School - The California Bears, with the Nations #1 Youth Sports Program, Next Level Flag Football. 

General Overview of League Operations

1. The Next Level Flag Football season operations from early January through mid-March with a 10-week season schedule (1 scrimmage, 7 regular season games, 2 playoff games).
2. Games are on Sundays 
3. All practices and games are on the SAME DAY - parents need only allocate a 2-hour window of availability each week for their child's involvement in the program. Practice hours take place immediately prior to a participant's scheduled game time.
4. Per Next Level Flag Football rules, equal playing time is governed on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and shall be administered by the Student Head Coach Mentor and Parent Volunteer(s) Coaches.
5. Each Next Level game is played as 5 versus 5 in a non-contact environment. Field length is 40-yard long - up to 4 games operate simultaneously on the same regulation football field.
6. All teams are assigned a Student-Athlete as a Head Coach/Mentor. Parent volunteers are to ASSIST our Student-Athletes and ENABLE them in their role as the head coach of their respective team(s). The interactions and expectations of the Student Coach and Parent Volunteer Coaches are governed within the Next Level Rule Book.
7. Teams are comprised of 10 players maximum, limited exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
8. Season Fees: $295 - fees are inclusive of a participant's custom jersey, shorts, use of flags, and other equipment/offerings.
9. Uniform Delivery - shipping fees for home delivery of a participant's uniform are included in the Season Fees. Next Level will again be shipping uniforms directly to the home this season! Delivery will occur via USPS and a valid USPS delivery location is required. Participants must keep their shipping addresses up to date for proper delivery. Replacement uniforms will be at the cost of the participant should inaccurate addresses be provided at the time of production.

Site Logistics & Schedule

All games are played on Sundays unless otherwise noted. Practices and games will be played under all conditions unless noted otherwise due to extreme weather or other issues. Throughout the season, any changes to the 2019 Season Schedule will be made with appropriate lead time yet our aim is to maintain a consistent and predictable schedule for all grade levels and subsequent teams.

Preliminary practice and game times for the 2019 season are listed below - NOTE THAT THESE TIMES ARE NOT FINAL. Final scheduling for the season will occur in late November to early December (or earlier!). All final schedules will be posted and announced when finalized.

Practice & Game Times: 2019 Season Schedule

• Kindergarten/1st Grade - 9:00 AM Practice/10:00 AM Game
• 2nd Grade - 10:00 AM Practice/11:00 AM Game
• 3rd Grade - 11:00 AM Practice/12:00 PM Game
• 4th Grade - 12:00 PM Practice/1:00 PM Game
• 5th Grade - 1:00 PM Practice/2:00 PM Game
• 6th/7th Grade - 2:00 PM Practice/3:00 PM Game

Note: Practice and Game times are NOT FINAL and will likely change prior to the season!

Game Schedule: 2019 Season Schedule

Note: All teams will play games through the entire 10-week program schedule regardless of their seeding in the Playoff Weeks.

Additional Information: Next Level Flag Football Program

The Next Level Winter Flag Football program seeks to foster an environment to teach and instruct the principles and techniques of flag football in a safe environment. We encourage all prospective participants to enter at their comfort level and grow their individual skills at their own pace throughout the season. Both male and female participants are welcome! All teams will have student-athlete assigned as the Head Coach of their team. An adult volunteer will support the student as an assistant coach within the program.

For our parents, we seek to keep your weekends free of tangled schedules - team practice times will occur on the same day as your games, always one hour prior to game time. Practices scheduled outside of this time period (during any day other than game-day) are at the discretion of both the parents and the coaches yet are outside of the Next Level structure and not supported by Next Level.

• No prior flag football experience is required to participant in the Next Level Flag Football Program.
• All flag football equipment will be provided.
• It is suggested that all players wear cleats or athletic shoes.
• Uniforms are included in the league registration fees, inclusive of home delivery of your uniform (for all registrations received before Dec. 15th).
• Our program is community-based - teams are formalized by schoolmates, buddy lists and friends where possible.
• All teams will be assigned a Student Mentor Coach from a represented high school or college.

We strive to strike an ideal balance between healthy competition and player/character development. Next Level is always a 'one trophy' league as we believe that recognition for participation is not an effectively means of helping develop young athletes. In fact, we believe that many of life's best lessons are learned through struggle, achievement, success and of course disappointment. We strive to foster competition yet to also find balance in the ever-changing world of youth sports.

Site Director: Bradley Northnagel

Coach Bradley was one of the first staff members of Next Level, way back in 2011.  He began his illustrious Next Level career as a student head coach at Serra High School, working his way up the ranks, managing referees, and most recently assisting operations at Next Level Marin.  Bradley balanced his Next Level workload while attending UC Berkeley and starting for the Cal Golden Bears football team.  Coach Bradley is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Public Health at UC Berkeley, where he also received his undergraduate degree in Social Welfare.

Bradley will be bringing the energy, passion, and knowledge of the game to your children every weekend.  He is determined to give every player the best possible experience.  He will teach your child the fundamentals of the game while you and your family enjoy the beautiful California Memorial Stadium.