2010 Final
MIFC CLUB SELECT PROGRAM AND POLICIES
1. Mission Statement; Program Overview; Philosophy
1.1 Mission Statement
The mission of the Mercer Island Youth Soccer Club’s Select soccer program, known as Mercer Island Football Club (MIFC), is to provide an opportunity, primarily for Mercer Island youth, to develop and play at the highest level of soccer within the local community while maintaining balance between school, family life and other sports.
1.2 Program Overview
The level of play in Club Select typically falls somewhere between recreational and premier soccer. MIFC’s program is designed for the player seeking a high level of development and competition, without the greater time and financial commitments of premier soccer, and to help prepare those who aspire to play high school varsity soccer to compete with premier level players for positions on those teams.
Club Select soccer generally is at least a 7 to 8 month commitment. Teams are together from completion of the selection process at tryouts through the end of the regular 10-14 week league season or completion of post season state tournament play. This is longer than recreational soccer. It is important to be well rounded and have a balance of school, family life and other sports. With that said, it is also important that if a player makes a commitment to the team, he or she remain dedicated to his or her teammates and Club Select team coach. It is expected that all players attempt to make every practice (normally, 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours twice a week) and game unless otherwise discussed with the Club Select team coach. Each player should plan on being available for late spring training as well as various summer tournaments and practices.
Club Select team coaches frequently are parent volunteers selected by the Select Committee, a committee comprised of members of the Board of MIYSC, and/or active and retired club select team coaches and others. All Club Select team coaches are required to meet certain minimum qualifications prescribed by EYSA and MIYSC and, together with their trainers and any assistant coaches, are evaluated annually through a confidential parent/player survey. MIYSC provides our Club Select team coaches with educational resources and all Club Select team coaches are encouraged to continue their education throughout their tenure.
All Club Select teams utilize MIFC approved licensed professional trainers or coaches throughout the season to provide essential development for players and coaches in furtherance of the mission of MIFC .
1.3 Philosophy
MIYSC and MIFC ascribe to the youth player development and curriculum guidelines established by the US Soccer Federation[1] and the US Men's and Women's National Teams,[2] including the US Women's National Teams Position on Playing to Develop versus Playing to Win,[3] and the Positive Coaching model developed by Stanford University's Positive Coaching Alliance.[4] The emphasis of the MIFC Club Select Program is on having fun, and developing technical and tactical skills in an age appropriate, positive coaching environment, as opposed to winning at all costs. Club Select team coaches are expected to master and adhere to these guidelines/philosophy.
At U-14 and above, playing time is at the discretion of the Club Select coach based on effort, individual technical and tactical skills, practice and team function attendance, contribution to the success of the team, and other discretionary factors.
At U-12 and U-13, the program is "developmental". The emphasis is on having fun and instilling a passion for the game of soccer, developing individual technical skills, and encouraging the players to think and problem solve for themselves in game and game-like situations in practice. A few key observations are worth highlighting in this regard:
· League and tournament matches are an integral part of the player development process, i.e., they provide an opportunity for the players to showcase the skills they have been working on in practice and their creativity on the field. While Club Select teams will strive to win, the emphasis, and measure of success, will be on individual and team effort and improvement, and the quality of individual and team play, and not the results of the match. Club Select team coaches at these age groups will strive to select league placement with this developmental philosophy in mind. The objective is to play against opponents at a level of competition that will enable the players on our Club Select teams to demonstrate their newly acquired skills in a highly competitive environment which will stretch them physically, technically, tactically, and psychologically. Club Select team coaches and parents are expected to work together to ensure that the proper emphasis and perspective is placed on matches.
· Players will have ample opportunity to play in their "preferred" positions during the course of the program year. However, Club Select team coaches are expected to rotate players through a wide variety of positions on the field to facilitate their development as "complete players" who appreciate and understand, through personal experience, the roles and relationships of all the other players on the field.
· The best way for young soccer players to learn the game is by deciding for themselves when to dribble, when to make a run, when to hustle back on defense, when to push up, when to pass, when to cross, and when to shoot, and learn from their mistakes. Club Select team coaches and parents are expected to give the players the freedom to express themselves, make their own mistakes and learn from trial and error. Players at this age are at a level of cognitive development that they can process situations and make decisions during competition using their own analytical abilities, and the role of the Club Select team coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and parents is to facilitate this within their defined roles.
· Each player will on average, have roughly equal playing time, provided he or she attends most practice sessions. A player may receive less playing time if he or she experiences a significant number of absences from practices or team functions. However, a player will not be penalized for missing a team function or practice due to occasional pre-arranged “excused absences” such as religious, illness, family events or school activities.
MIYSC recognizes that at the younger developmental ages it is difficult for an untrained eye to make an accurate assessment of the quality, ability and developmental potential of youth soccer players. MIYSC also believes that it has a paramount obligation to our youth, particularly at the younger age groups of U-14 and below, who subject their self identity, self worth and self esteem to the scrutiny of adults in a player selection process to ensure that the selection process is fair, transparent and impartial. To best achieve an fair, transparent, impartial and accurate selection process, MIYSC relies substantially on independent, impartial evaluators who have the requisite experience, skills, training and credentials to accurately assess the quality, ability and developmental potential of each child.
2. Coach Selection
MIYSC entrusts to the Club Select team coach the health, welfare, safety and development of each youth member of the club comprising an MIFC Club Select team and expects each Club Select team coach to use his or her best efforts to develop each and every player selected (whether by the independent evaluators or the Club Select team coach) for his or her team. Club Select team coaches also are expected to support players wishing to try-out for higher level teams – if necessary, at the cost of their own team.
2.1 Process
Coaching an MIFC club select team is a privilege offered to individuals who perform capably during MIYSC sanctioned and affiliated association activities. It carries with it an obligation for each individual coach to uphold and promote the letter and spirit of the stated goals, policies, guidelines and objectives of the MIFC Club Select Program.
Following the MIYSC annual meeting, the MIYSC Select Committee will be formed. The MIYSC Select Committee will be comprised of 7 or more qualified members, including the acting VP Select, selected by the VP Select in consultation with the acting President from among the Board of Directors and retired Club Select team coaches and others consistent with the MIYSC Select Committee Description. Members of the MIYSC Select Committee will be selected on the basis of their interest soccer knowledge andexperience, good standing,ability to deal with political pressures from parents, coachesand interestedBoard members, ability to enforce the letter and spirit of the policies and guidelines set forth herein and commitment to support MIYSC's mission, developmental philosophy programs, policies and procedures.
The MIYSC Selelct Committee will vote from among the applicants to assign Club Select coaches to Club Select teams and to otherwise fill any vacancies using the Club Select coach selection criteria in Sections 2.2.1.1, 2.2.1.2 and 2.2.2 and such other procedures as it determines necessary. No member of the MIYSC Select Committee will participate in any decision with respect to which that member or his or her family member is the subject matter. If a member of the MIYSC Select Committee is required to recuse himself or herself from a decision, an alternate may be selected by the VP Select in consultation with the Club President If the VP Select is required to recuse himself or herself from a decision, the disinterested members of the MIYSC Select Committee may select an alternate in consultation with the Club President.
The MIYSC Select Committee shall have the authority to administer and interpret the MIFC Club Select Program and Policies, subject to oversight from the MIYSC Board. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, all appeals of the decisions of the MIYSC Select Committee shall be made to the MIYSC Board of Directors. The MIYSC Select Committee may operate though e-mail, teleconference or other means available.
Each year, MIYSC will advertise Club Select coaching positions through a club-wide broadcast e-mail, its website, and personal contacts of the MIYSC Board members, and solicit interested parties to complete and submit a Club Select team coach application substantially in the form attached as Appendix A. A Club Select team coach, once selected, must re-apply to be the Club Select team coach each following season by notifying the VP Select in writing of his or her desire to continue to be the Club Select team coach and providing such other information as the MIYSC Select Committee shall request. Provided a coach that has re-applied to be the Club Select team coach is in good standing, in the judgment of the MIYSC Select Committee continues to qualify using the criteria set forth in Section 2.2 below, and otherwise has performed in a manner satisfactory to the MIYSC Select Committee, the application process will not be re-opened and the coach will be retained for the season. The criteria by which applications will be evaluated are outlined below.
2.2 Criteria
2.2.1 Licensing; Practical Experience; Other Requirements
2.2.1.1 License
Club Select team coaches are expected to meet the following license requirements:
· WSYSA E license or above for U-12 through U-14
· WSYSA D license or above for U-15 through U-19
2.2.1.2 Practical Experience
Club Select team coaches are expected to have:
· at least 4 years coaching experience in youth or adult soccer; or
· at least 1 year playing experience at the collegiate (Division I, II, or III), professional or National Team level; or
· at least 2 years of varsity play in high school; or
· at least 3 years adult playing experience since high school or college.
Applicants otherwise qualified, but without the required license or practical experience, may coach if approval is given by the MIYSC Select Committee, which approval may be subject to such terms and conditions as the MIYSC Select Committee shall determine.
2.2.1.3 Other Requirements
(a) All Club Select team coaches must sign and have on file with MIYSC:
· The Washington State Patrol background check
· WSYSA Disclosure Statement
· EYSA Code of Conduct
· MIYSC Code of Conduct
(b) A Club Select team coaches' child, if any, must have a skill level which, in the judgment of the MIYSC Select Committee based on personal observations or feedback from knowledgeable observers (other coaches, trainers, referees, MIYSC Board members), is reasonably likely to place him or her in the top 16 (or lesser number pursuant to the rules for “playing up” set forth in Section 4.11) players trying out for the applicant's team.
2.2.2 Other Criteria
While the criteria listed below are somewhat subjective, prospective coaches generally are judged on good character, ability to motivate the children and make soccer fun, licensing and other training, teaching ability, experience, and knowledge, demonstrated success in supporting the mission, philosophy, programs and policies of MIYSC or other sporting programs with similar values, organizational skills and commitment. Different members of the MIYSC Select Committee may value the various criteria to different degrees. Also, criteria are likely to be weighted differently for different age groups. Ultimately, the choice of Club Select team coaches represents the cumulative judgment of the MIYSC Select Committee members, determined through a simple majority vote.