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Q. What is the Open Draw?
SYSA is a member of Kentucky Youth Soccer
Association and United States Soccer Association.
According to their rules and regulations, all
recreational soccer teams must be formed using a draw,
balanced by birth age (so many juniors and so many
senior players, depending on how many children are
registered). Players are divided between juniors and
seniors and their forms are placed in folders. The
process always starts with the fall season. In the
spring, players who are new to the program fill spots of
non-returning players and are drawn, by age, to fill
those spots evenly among all of the teams.
Q. Can I request that my child
be placed on a certain team?
Because we must follow
the open draw, we cannot place children on teams.
The only children placed on a team are that of the head
coach. He can request 1 assistant coach and his/her or
child(ren) will be placed on the team also. If the
assistant coach does not return to assist the following
season, his/her children go back into the draw.
Q. Can I request a certain
practice night?
It is very
difficult process to make sure all teams in an age group
are drawn according to the rules and are balanced. If we
tried to accommodate everyone (with almost 300 children
in the league) it would be too difficult to keep the
teams balanced. The coaches are the ones who get to pick
their practice nights, and most of the time this is done
after the draw.
Q. If I don’t get the night
I want, may I get a refund?
We cannot
refund the registration fee, however, we will give you a
voucher for next season. Refunds are only given if a
team is not formed because of lack of players. We are a
non-profit organization and we have already purchased
uniforms, etc. based on the amount of players that were
in the draw.
Q. How can I be assured of
getting the practice night I want?
Coach. Only
the coach can decide what practice night he/she prefers.
Q. But I don’t know
anything about soccer.
Most of the
people that coach recreational soccer knew nothing about
the sport when they started. SYSA and KYSA both give
soccer clinics to help you in learning drills, the rules
of the game, etc. If we can, we try to pair together a
head and assistant coach where one has experience.
Coaching is a very rewarding experience that gives you
an opportunity to spend quality time with your child.
Give it a try!
Q. How many nights a week
do you practice?
Under 6
practices one night a week. All other age groups
practice two nights a week.
Q. How many games do you
play and when?
Eight
regular season games. These are played mostly on
Saturday, with some Sunday games. Some age groups will
have post-season tournaments. A SYSA in-house for U8 and
U10 if there are at least 4 teams in their age group.
Q. What equipment do we
need?
Shinguards
are mandatory for all practices and games. Cleated
soccer shoes are needed if play will be on wet, muddy,
or soft surfaces. For very young players sneakers will
probably do fine. Older age groups should probably wear
cleats.
Q. What about a cost?
$40 for U6
teams and $90 for U8 - U14 teams.
Q. What about a uniform?
Each child
receives a full uniform of shirt, socks and shorts every
fall, except U6. They receive a reversible jersey with
their one time payment of $20.00. They will wear the
same uniform the spring season. This is paid for out of
your fees.
Q. What else does my fees
cover?
The
greatest portion of your soccer fees goes toward field
maintenance. There are also fees that we pay to E.P. Tom
Sawyer State Park to lease the land. We also pay fees to
Kentucky Youth Soccer Association (a Player fee and an
insurance fee.)
Q. Insurance?
We have
insurance, the insurance (which is through USYSA) is
secondary coverage that may cover the cost of your
deductible. If your child is injured during a game or
practice, contact your age group commissioner
immediately. There are forms that you, the coach and
possibly the referee will need to fill out to get the
process started.
Q. What do I bring to
practice?
A ball,
soccer shoes, shinguards and plenty of water.
Q. What size of ball?
U6 & U8 use
a size #3, U10-12 a size #4, all players U14 through
adult play with a size #5.
Q. How much playing time
does my child receive?
Every child
in recreational soccer gets one-half of a game playing
time. However, if you are late to a game, that time
could be deducted from your child’s playing time; or, if
your child regularly misses practices. That is up to the
discretion of the coach. If you feel at any time that
your child is not receiving his/her share of playing
time, contact your age group commissioner (see Contacts)
to advise that there is a problem. You should advise the
age group commissioner of any concern that you have.
(See Player & Parent Guidelines). Remember, you signed
your child up to play soccer – a team sport – if your
child does not attend regular practice or is late to
games, it is not fair to the others.
Q. What if it is raining?
Soccer is
played in the rain, cold, sleet and snow, but never
during a thunderstorm. A referee is the only one that
can call the game. If it starts to thunder during a
game, the referee usually will stop the game for 10 to
15 minutes to see if it stops. If not, he will probably
call the game. If it is thundering before you leave to
go to a game, contact your coach to see if your game has
been cancelled. If you can’t reach anyone, you should
probably go to the field – it might not be raining
there. Always make sure the coach has every number you
can be reached at in case a practice or a game needs to
be cancelled for any reason.
Q. Can I wear a cast (or
earrings, religious medals, eyeglasses?)
The Laws of
the Game (a copy of which can be purchased at any soccer
store) prohibit anything, which is dangerous to a player
or other players. Referees determine if an item can be
worn without being dangerous.
Q. How can I get
information about coaching license courses?
Contact
either the SYSA Director of Coaching –
Coaching@sawyeryouthsoccer.com - Kentucky Youth
Soccer Association –
www.kysoccer.org or
www.us-soccer.com
for information about the different coaching clinics
that are offered.
Q. Do you use certified
referees?
SYSA uses
certified referees. A lot of our referees are young (You
can become a referee at 13. We always ask that parents
remember that these are young adults and that refereeing
any sport is not easy and mistakes are made. Please try
to refrain from making comments about calls regardless
of the age of the referee. If you are interested in
becoming a referee, please contact
referee@sawyeryouthsoccer.com to find out when the
next certification class will be held. We always need
referees, especially adult (male or female). This is an
excellent way to learn the rules and really understand
the game (then when you are screaming handball –
handball and the referee does not call it, you will know
why). We also pay our referees.
Q. Where can I find out
more about soccer?
We have
provided links to soccer web sites on our links page.
You can also find lots of books at either bookstores or
soccer specialty stores, along with videotapes that will
explain the game. We encourage all parents, especially
if their children like the sport, to find out more about
the game.
Q. I would like to become
more involved. What can I do?
Sawyer Youth Soccer Board positions are frequently open.
We also need volunteers for field day or special events.
Contact
president@sawyeryouthsoccer.com Most importantly,
you can volunteer to be a “Team Parent”. This is a
parent who helps the coach with organizational issues
such as team snacks.
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