Coach to Customize the Blue Font for Their Team

Recreational Season Parent Information

(Coach to customize the blue font for their team)

Birth Year/Gender xxxxxx

Team Name: xxxx

Parent Meeting Information Package

1. Introduction of Coach and Assistant Coach

Coach xxxxxx Asst. Coach xxxxxx

Coach Phone Number xxxxxx Asst. Coach Phone Number xxxxxx

2. Philosophy of Recreational Soccer Play

Recreational soccer’s main objective is to keep our kids enjoying soccer while continuing to improve their skills. Our program is intentionally designed to progressively introduce more skills and competition as the kids move through the age groups. However, this is still recreational soccer! Please remember to control your competitiveness, be cooperative with the referees, other coaches, and parents, and set a good example for our children. Please encourage your child to play hard and have fun!

3. Practices: Schedule, Location, and Organization

Our Team’s practice will be on day and times at the Field Location. Please arrive ten minutes early and make sure player has all his/her equipment. Bring water or sport drink bottles with your child’s name marked on it, but no food to practices. Make sure the child has eaten something healthy prior to practice. Players should arrive fully dressed and ready to practice. PLEASE DOUBLE KNOT THE LACES ON YOUR CHILD’S CLEATS.

4. Player Equipment:

Soccer ball: Each child needs to bring an ‘Inflated’ Size xxxx soccer ball to every practice. These soccer balls are available at any sporting goods store or wherever sporting goods are sold. Please make sure it is properly inflated before practices. Write your child’s name on the ball in permanent marker. Do not bring soccer ball to the games, as it will definitely become lost.

Soccer Cleats: Cleats are required playing equipment for soccer on grass. Your child would be at considerable disadvantage without cleats and may be at more risk of being injured due to slipping. Cleats can be hard to find in all children sizes this time of year so get them early.

Shin Guards: Required playing equipment to protect the child’s lower leg. Children are not allowed to participate in games or practice without shin guards.

5. Parent Protocol and Responsibilities:

·  Remember this activity is for the children, not the parents. Being positive and supportive of whatever they do is the most valuable interaction you can have. The children learn winning and losing attitudes from us, so be mindful of what you say to the children to encourage them.

·  Always be respectful to the coaches and to the referees. We make mistakes and so do the referees! Many of the refs are young teens from our community. It is our job to support them and be respectful.

·  Don’t call to your child by name while they are playing. Let them play and us coach. Although we as parents want to provide as much guidance as possible, parents tend to distract their child’s attention away from the game or practice. Your guidance will be encouraged and requested for practice at home.

·  Be organized about having your child’s equipment prepared for practices and games, and be prompt about arriving at practices and games. Practices begin at x-time so have you child to the field 10 minutes early. Arrive at games at least 20 minutes before game time so that we have time to warm-up and discuss the up-coming game. If you will be absent, please be sure to communicate with me so I can plan accordingly.

·  If at any time you have concerns about what I, as coach, am doing, or want to discuss specific items regarding your child, please come and tell me. I would prefer to speak face to face with parents, and preferably after soccer practices or following games.

6. Game Days

Playing in a soccer game (particularly the first few games) can be a very intimidating experience for these young children, especially if they have not participated in such an event previously. Parents need to be very calm and supportive about the game, as the children feed off the parent’s emotions. Try to explain that the game is really just a practice, but together with another team of children. Don’t make the game a big ordeal at home, as this makes the children very nervous. They assume that they are suppose to be doing something extra or unusual to please you, since you are making a big ordeal over this “game”. Please plan ahead and be organized about getting the child ready for the games. If you are running late to get to the game, it will make all involved nervous and anxious.

The first team listed on the schedule is home team and coach of home team picks which side of field to have team on. Parents should not come to the team section of the sideline area during the game as this is usually a crowded area, and your presence there is a distraction for the children. Parents should stay on our team’s side of the field and there is no coaching from behind the goals.

7. Uniforms

Uniforms will be distributed before the first game. Please reserve wearing the uniforms for games only. Do not have them wear the uniform to practices. We want each child to have a clean, neat uniform for game days. Once the season is over they will be able to wear the uniform all they or you want.

List of Players for Team #______:

Player’s Name Home Phone

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

List of Dates for Soccer Activities

Date Here Parent Meeting

Date Here First practice begins at ______

Saturday, Sept 10 First Game of the season, with a game each of the next 11 weeks.

Sunday Oct 2 OPENING DAY --- Community Park

Opening Day at Community Park is the opening ceremony for the start of soccer season. Sunday is also Picture Day. Team Pictures will be taken and the exact time and location to be announced later. Please note that the team cannot take pictures until ALL the players arrive, so please be considerate and arrive on time. Parking is also challenging so this should be taken into consideration. This is a Scripps Ranch Soccer Club special event. The proceeds go to the Soccer Club to offset player costs.

Soccer Game Schedules will come out later in August. At this time no game schedule info is available.

Tentative Season Timeline:

Parent Participants and Their Assignments

The coach is ultimately responsible for everything that goes on with the team. However, other parents participating in team activities is what makes a soccer program like the one here in Scripps Ranch possible. As such, we need you to volunteer to do your part. At our first parent meeting you will be require to sign up for a few jobs, so review these assignments in advance of our meeting.

1. Snack Scheduler: Let’s face it! The snack is the most important part of the game for many kids!! This parent will be responsible for setting the snack schedule for the games. Examples include orange sections and water for half-time, and a small snack and drink for after games. The snack could be cereal bars, fruit roll-ups, or the like, and a juice drink: one for every player, plus a few extras for the siblings that typically attend the games. Please, a few extra drinks and snacks saves everyone involved a lot of sad little children! Please also be sensitive that many kids have allergies to foods so the Snack Scheduler should ask the parents for any special considerations.

2. Field Set Up: Several times during the soccer season our team will be scheduled to play either the first or last game of the day. When this happens, we will be responsible for helping to set up the field or storing the equipment away. This parent volunteer will be responsible for taking care of this task. The dates for this task will be available when the schedule comes out, and specifics about what needs to be done can be discussed with the individual volunteer.

3. Shirt Names and Numbers:

This parent volunteer will be responsible for affixing the player’s name onto the jerseys. This includes gathering the preferred name from each child (they can choose first, last, or a nickname), collecting the money and drop off and pick up of the jerseys. There is a local shop in Scripps - Champion T-shirt (858)566-3395, if you are interested.

4. Picture Coordinator:

This parent volunteer will be responsible for helping to coordinate picture day for the team, distribute pictures, etc.

5. Team Party Coordinators:

These two parent volunteers will be responsible for helping to organizing the end of the season party for our team.

6. Banner Coordinator:

The banner coordinator will be responsible for making a team banner to display along the sideline. This also requires setting it up for each game. It typically has the team name, player names, etc. on it, as well as a sponsor names and logos (if available). The banner can be either homemade or purchased (there is a homemade banner competition on opening day).

7. Sponsors Coordinator:

The coordinator will be responsible for soliciting sponsors for the team. A full team sponsor donation is $300, and other donation levels are available. Usually one local business sponsors each team. More information regarding this is available from the SRSC website: www.scrippsranchsc.com

8. First Aid Coordinator:

The coordinator will be responsible for obtaining a first aid kit, keeping it stocked with ice packs, Band-Aids, etc. and having available at each game.

Please discuss your ideas and plans for these activities with the coach, if necessary. The coach does not have the time to be involved in all these activities, but it is helpful that the coach knows generally what you are planning, so as to be aware, for the teams sake, as well as being able to communicate these plans to other parents and the soccer club organizers. It would be particularly helpful if each coordinator would provide the coach with updates as necessary.

1 Revised July 2016