Welcome to Space City U5-U8 Soccer for Fall 2010!

The members of the U5-U8 Committee are happy that you have decided to play in the club and hope that your child has a lot of fun while learning the game of soccer.

Important Dates

·         Registration –05-April thru 30-June

·         Late Registration – After 30-June as space is available on teams.

·         Teams formed by 25-July

·         Coaches given roster by 01-August

o   Coaches will begin to contact players this week.

·         Coaches Meeting Friday, 06-August

o   More info on time and location as we get closer

·         Practices can begin week of 01-August

o   Recommend not until 09-August since many families will still be on vacation.  Even 16-August will be OK.

·         First game on  11-September (first Saturday after Labor Day)

·         Last day of the season: 21-November

Format

·         U5/U6 play 3v3

·         U7/U8 play 4v4

Because this age group is completely run by volunteers, parents are expected to play an integral role in the club.  Without your support and involvement, the club cannot function in a smooth manner.  Please be willing to help out in any of the following areas:

·         Coach/Assistant Coach – organizes team practices and games.  Also is the main point of contact with the Division Director for Club information.  Note that a KidSafe Card will need to be applied for to accomplish a background check.

·         Team Parent – organizes contact lists, snack lists, end-of-year party, etc.

·         Field Preparation – prepare and line fields at the beginning of the season and maintain these lines throughout the season.

·         Field Referee – referee games ... simply keeping track of throw-ins, kick-offs, etc.  We do not keep score, hand out yellow/red cards, etc.

·         Division Director – form teams, coordinate with the teams/coaches information pertaining to schedules, practices, club policies, etc.

·         Scheduler – create game schedule and assist with make-up games

·         Registrar – assist with registrations and team entry into the club’s database.

·         Vice President 3 – serve as voting member of the club’s board, represent U5-U8 interests at the club level, chair U5-U8 committee, address coach/player/parent discipline issues as necessary.

What are the goals of this program?

In what age group will my child play?

Are teams single gender or mixed gender?

When will practices begin and where are they?

When will games begin and what is the game format?

When and how will teams be formed?

Does the club offer assistance to new coaches?

What equipment does the club provide to players and/or coaches?

Can I request my child play-up to an older age group?

Who can I contact with additional information?

The goals of our U5-U8 recreactional program are:

1. Ensuring the kids have fun with friends, old and new.
2. Getting exercise and improving their aerobic stamina.
3. Becoming the best player that they can be.
4. Learning the basics of soccer, such as ball control, dribbling, and shooting.
5. Learning to love the game and wanting to progress to the next level of competition.

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Age Ranges

Children will be placed in an age group depending on their birth date per the following table.  We cannot accept children who are not 4-years old by 31-July-2010.

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Gender Grouping

U5 teams are mixed gender.

U6 teams are mixed gender.

U7 teams are single gender.

U8 teams are single gender.

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Team Practices

Practices can begin in August.  Practice day(s), times, and locations are determined by each team separately and are not assigned by the Club.  One of the best ways to ensure you get a day/time that works with your schedule is to volunteer as a coach!

U5 and U6 teams typically practice 1 day per week (on either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday).

U7 and U8 teams typically practice 2 days per week (on either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday).

Typical practice locations for the different regions are as follows:

Clear Lake:  Dave Finkel Field or Clear Lake Park

Friendswood:  Centennial Park

League City:  League City Sportsplex

Teams are free to find their own area for practices (local church, elementary school, etc.).  Be sure to check with the “owners” of that space.

Link to field locations:  http://www.spacecityfc.org/FieldsLinks/tabid/10309/Default.aspx.

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Games

Fall games are on Saturdays, with the potential for some Sunday afternoon games to make sure everyone gets an equal amount of play time.

Games will begin the Saturday after Labor Day, 11-September-2010.  Games will end by Sunday, 21-November-2010.

Each team will play approximately 10 games during the season.  There are no playoffs or standings/stats kept.

Make up games are not automatically scheduled by the club.  If a team has a game rained out or otherwise cancelled, then the coaches must contact each other to determine a mutually agreeable make-up date.  This date and location should then be coordinated with the Scheduler to avoid field conflicts.  Note that this same process can be followed to reschedule a game.  Friday evenings are typically a good time for make-up games.

Game formats are small-sided in order to promote as many touches on the ball as possible.  Games are Dual-Sided, meaning that each team plays on two fields at once.  Half the team will play on one field and the other half of the team on the other.  Kids can switch between either field at any time.  There are unlimited substitutions per game and all kids should play a minimum of 50% of every game.

U5 & U6 teams have a roster of 10 maximum and play 3v3.

U7 and U8 teams have a roster of 12 maximum and play 4v4.

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Team Formation

At the U5-U8 level, the Division Directors attempt to assign teams based on the selected region and elementary school.  Therefore, please be sure you identify the SCFC Region in which you would like to practice (League City, Friendswood, or Clear Lake) and the Elementary School which your child attends (or will attend).

Returning players are placed on their previous team (known as the team core).  However, the registration form offers you the opportunity to not return to a particular team.  Selecting this option will place your child back into the draft pool for team reassignment.

The registration form will contain a box for comments where you can enter any specific requests, but because of the many competing priorities, the club cannot guarantee placement on a specific team or with a specific player.  However, the Division Directors do their best to honor as many requests as possible.

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New Coach Assistance

The club offers several means of assistance to new coaches.  First, the club will provide a youth soccer coaching guide which contains age appropriate activities for the U5-U8 age group.  There are entire practice sessions laid out with a description of how to run each session.  Additionally, the club will pay for you to attend a Youth Soccer Coaching Module.  We recommend either the U6/U8 Module or the U10/12 Module.  Courses are offered through the South Texas Youth Soccer Association and the listings can be found at http://www.stxsoccer.org/CoachingEducation/CoachingEducation/index_E.html.  These are very informative sessions.  Look for the courses offered near the Houston area for convenience.  Please contact the Club’s office if you are interested … if we can generate enough local interest, our club’s pro-staff will put on these modules for us.

Another method of assistance is coach mentoring.  We encourage our veteran coaches to team up with a new coach and run joint practices.  This allows a new team to benefit from interaction with an established coach and helps the coaches to learn from one another.  Please contact the Division Director in your region if you are interested in being either a Mentor or Mentee.

A new item with which we are experimenting is the Big Brother/Sister Assistant Coach program.  This is when a local High School player with a need for community service hours helps out with your team.  In past trials, the older kids serve as great mentors to the younger kids by demonstrating activities/skills, and let’s face it … they are cooler than us Moms and Dads.  If you are interested in this option, please contact your Division Director with the time, day(s), and location of your practice and the Club will attempt to get you scheduled.

Finally, there are many books available on coaching youth soccer.  Several of these are at the local library.  Check these for great games, drills, and fun diversions.

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Uniform, Player Equipment, and Team Equipment

Each child will receive a uniform consisting of 2 jerseys, 1 pair of shorts, and 1 set of stockings.  In the Spring season only - be sure to check the box on the registration form to opt out of receiving a new uniform (you will not be charged the uniform fee if you select this box).

The child will need to have a size 3 soccer ball and a pair of shin guards, provided by the parents.  Note that new U5/U6 players will receive a Soccersaurus ball to go along with the coaching manual.  Returning players should have theirs from the previous season.  Rubber soled cleats are not required, but do help kids with traction in wet condition.  If you do decide to have your child wear cleats, they should not have a toe stud like baseball or football cleats.  During practices and games, children should not wear jewelry (ear rings, rings, watches, necklaces, etc.) or hard hair clips.  This is for their safety.

Team equipment provided by the club is available for a deposit.  In addition to a game ball, each coach can receive the following:

• U5/U6:  Puggs, ball bag, pinnies, cones - $40 deposit
• U7/U8:  Ball bag, pinnies, cones - $25 deposit

Deposits can be made by check (preferred) or cash and will be returned at the end of the season when the equipment is returned.  Equipment will be handed out at the Fall U5-U8 Coaches meeting.  If you or a team representative are unable to attend the coaches meeting, you can pick up the equipment at the SCFC office.

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Play-Up Policy

U5-U8 Recreational Group

The goal of the SCFC U5-U8 recreational program is to provide an introduction to the game of soccer and allow children to socialize with others their own age.  The emphasis is on fun, sportsmanship, and social development.  Play up requests will only be approved for the following cases.  Also note that a Play up request and evaluation must be completed every year.

1. A child with an August birthday will be approved for play up so that he/she can play with other children in their school class.  No evaluation is needed, but the parent still needs to select the play-up option.
2. A sibling that is one age division younger will be approved for play up so that they can be on the same team as the older sibling.  Please note that the U7/U8 age divisions are single gender so a brother/sister combination will not be approved in these divisions.  No evaluation is needed, but the parent still needs to select the play-up option.
3. Upon recommendation by the previous coach and approval by the Division Director.  The recommendation should include supporting descriptions of the player’s ability.  Note that this must come from the coach … not the parent.

For these cases, a Play-Up Request Form (PURF) must be completed and submitted to SCFC Vice President 3, who oversees the U5-U8 Divisions.  VP3 can be reached at vp3@spacecityfc.org.  Please note that if a U8 player desires to play up to U9, then the PURF must also be sent to the SCFC VP2, at vp2@spacecityfc.org.  No Play-ups will be permitted without the PURF.  We are working to automate this request as part of the registration form.  If we cannot, a copy will be placed in the documents section of the U5-U8 program webpage:  http://www.spacecityfc.org/Programs/RecreationalU5U8/tabid/12290/Default.aspx.

Players approved for play up will be put into the player pool for the higher age-group and assigned to teams as follows.

1. Form teams with core including August core play-ups with a PURF.
2. Fill in with of age pool players
3. Fill in with August birthday play-ups with a PURF.
4. Fill in with sibling play-ups with a PURF.
5. Fill in with non-August core play-ups with a PURF.
6. Fill in with remaining play-ups with a PURF.

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Contact Info

For specific information about a particular region, please contact the Division Director for that age group.  These can be found at the club’s website:  http://www.spacecityfc.org/About/ContactUs/tabid/10113/Default.aspx.

The SCFC office hours, location, and times are also available at:  http://www.spacecityfc.org/.

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