Spring 2011 Kindergarten Coaches Meeting

March 22, 2011

What is WYSAWhat is WYSA• Non profit organization run entirely by volunteers• Coaches are the most important resource• 1,200+ children in our programs this season

– Intown – instructional play for K-8 grades (70 teams, 500+ kids & 125+ coaches)

– Travel - competitive & instructional play in the Middlesex Youth Soccer League for kids in grades 3-12 (50 teams 700+ kids & 130+ coaches)

– TOPS – The Outreach Program; Soccer for special needs children aged 4-18 (physically & intellectually challenged children paired with WYSA players ages 8-18 every Saturday at 10:30am)-volunteers always welcome, contact Caryn Goulet or tops@wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org

WYSA Board of DirectorsPresident Ed RiekstinsVice President Caryn GouletTreasurer Chuck OtisSecretary Eric FortierTravel Committee Jon Snider, Chair

John Fitzler, Mark WatsonIntown Committee Chris Alberti, Chair

Mike Fischer, Jamie Ward NE Revs Liaison Caryn Goulet, Jamie WardCoach/Player Development Joe HaddadIntown Referees Mike FischerTravel Referees Caryn GouletFields & Building Stan SouzaRegistrar Chuck OtisConcessions Tom Genthner, Chair

Marianne GallezzoEquipment & Merchandise Ray MasielloTOPS Caryn Goulet

Interested in helping? There are many opportunities to help improve our program. Join the Board, participate in a committee, volunteer at the fields, and many others.Talk to any BOD for what options exist - catch us on the fields or send an e-mail

Your Intown CommitteeYour Intown Committee• Who is responsible for what:

– Chris Alberti, Chairperson • Boys & Girls 2nd grade and Co-ed

– Mike Fischer • Girls Kindergarten & 1st grade, Boys & Girls 3/4, Intown Refs

– Jamie Ward • Boys Kindergarten & 1st grade

– Joe Haddad• Player and Coach Development

– Caryn Goulet • TOPS

• Questions? We are here to support and assist you.– We’re on the fields every Saturday– E-mail us: intown@wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org

Intown PhilosophyIntown Philosophy• FUN - Recreational, Developmental, and Instructional

• For many of players, this is a social event, not an athletic one

• First time many of them will have played on a “team”

• It is NOT about winning the game, but rather participating, teaching, encouraging and creating a love for the sport

• Coaches set the tone and set the example

Player & Coach Development• Director: Joe Haddad

• Objective: To develop age appropriate soccer foot skill through fun small sided games. It’s that simple

• How will we be doing that– WYSA partners with Challenger for curriculum, player &

coach development and clinics for Kindergarten – 12th Grade– Goals of our partnerships - Staying current with or ahead the

needs of the players and coaches.– Saturday Program (Kindergarten) – Observe, Deliver, Play– April & Summer Vacation Clinics

• Your role in Coach & Player Development– Activity leadership focused on soccer skills– Develop yourself for the next stage

Player & Coach Development• Things to keep in mind with kindergarteners (U6)

– First and foremost… HAVE FUN with them– See the game from the child’s perspective, not the adult’s– Use positive language – instead of “don’t do it that way” say “that was good,

can you try it this way?”– Keep the players moving. Limit standing around to about 1-2 minutes– Priority for this age is ball familiarity and control through dribbling – Encourage players to “get the ball”; get every player engaged

• Do not give them positions• Do not make them stay in a certain spot

– Encourage players to use BOTH feet– Let them learn through experience; no long explanations– Keep you focus on the individual player, not the team– Look at the Saturday activities during the week to get familiar with them– Take the ‘G’ course (3/28/11) to help you with coaching this age group– Last but not least… HAVE FUN with them

Coaches Are So Important

• Create a performance-oriented atmosphere (NOT results-oriented)

• De-emphasize winning (it is out of a player’s control and is unrealistic)

• Emphasize controllable, realistic goals (skills development, fitness improvement, learning & fun)

• Although you have a ‘team’ development is ‘individual’ based

• Create opportunities for fun & socialization

CommunicationsCommunications• WYSA Main Number: (978) 657-8889

– General information will be on greeting– ext 1 Intown program mailbox– ext 2 Travel program mailbox– ext 3 Referees and training mailbox– ext 5 President WYSA mailbox

• Web Site www.wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org• We will communicate by email as much as possible.• Email us:

– Intown@wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org– Training@wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org

FieldsFields• NO weekday practices for Kindergarten

• Check WYSA website or hotline for game cancellations or field closures (encourage parents to do the same so you don’t have to call everyone separately)

• Please have your team pick up all debris after themselves

• Girls Kinders - Have your parents help set-up one Kinder net before 8:00am each Saturday

• Boys Kinders – Please remove only the inside nets on the field after your game. (TOPs needs outside nets)

• Field Layout – Next Slide

Kindergarten Game Fields

Wait

ing for u

pdated la

yout

Severe Weather PolicySevere Weather Policy

• When you see lightening or hear thunder seek shelter

• Coach’s Intown Hotline– (877) 373-8326– Upon hearing tone, dial ext 2604– Listen for announcement– Not to be distributed to parents – this is an

update line for coaches only (phone system cannot handle 700+ phone calls)

Game Schedule Game Schedule Game Date Day1 April 9th Saturday2 April 16th Saturday3 April 23th Saturday*** Town Meeting Day is Saturday, April 30th – No Intown Games***4 May 1st Sunday5 May 7th Saturday6 May 14th Saturday7 May 21nd Saturday

*** No Games Memorial Day Weekend ***8 June 4th Saturday 9 June 11th Saturday

No make-up games unless notified by WYSA

Intown Game TimesIntown Game Times

8:00 AM – Girl’s Kindergarten, Boy's & Girl’s Grade 3/4

9:15 AM – Boy’s Kindergarten

10:30 AM – TOPS

11:45 AM – Girl’s Grade 1

12:00 PM – COED 5th-8th

1:00 PM – Boy’s Grade 1

2:15 PM – Girl’s Grades 2

3:30 PM – Boy’s Grade 2

Note: All Kindergarten coaches are required to be at the fields 30 minutes before game time to receive training from our Challenger Group for that days activities.

Kindergarten Game DayKindergarten Game Day• Meet your Challenger Instructor 30 min before your time slot• Adjourn to you assigned field 10min before your start time• 8AM slot - Assign one parent to obtain a Kinder net from the

Field House and set it up on your field• Introduce yourself to opposing coach• Check your players - no jewelry, toe cleats, unsafe clothing (i.e.

long strings)• On your ½ of the field spend 25 minutes teaching the two

Activities• 5 min Break• Finish with a 25 min 3v3 scrimmage against the other team• One coach is allowed on the field to encourage players to “find

the ball”• Players and coaches shake hands after every game!

Game Day Reports Game Day Reports • Web based on-line reporting system

– Go to Intown Page: http://www.wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org/

– Then under the Intown section – Game Reports– 8 different pre-defined reports (4 home & 4 away)

• Must be completed & submitted by Sunday at 12:00pm noon for submission to the newspaper

• Town Crier & Wilmington Advocate• Please make sure EVERY player’s name makes

the paper

Intown Rules of the GameIntown Rules of the GamePosted on the WYSA website under the Intown tabPosted on the WYSA website under the Intown tab

• Based on FIFA rules (with age-specific adaptations)

• Ball Size - Spring– (Size 3 – Kindergarten, Size 4 – 1st-8th)

• Format– Kindergarten

• 3 v 3 with no goalkeeper (1/4 sized field)

– Grade 1• 4 v 4 with no goalkeeper (1/2 sized field)

– Grades 2 – 4• 6 v 6 including goalkeeper (full field)

– Grades 5 – 8 (Coed)• 8 v 8 including goalkeeper (Full field)

Competition & Success• Children DO NOT understand the

competition process the way adults do

– For adults…SUCCESS = winning– For kids…...SUCCESS = learning, fun

improvement, confidence, & friendships

– For adults…FAILURE = losing– For kids.......FAILURE = giving up, not trying

hard, poor sportsmanship

Policy on Intown Post Season Awards

  The Board of Directors wants all children to have a great experience with our Intown soccer program. We respectfully request that no trophies, medals or prizes be given out at the end of the soccer season. The program is developmental and stresses participation as well as fun over competition and individual recognition. To help recognize participation for the players in Kindergarten through 2nd grade we are establishing a patch program. For each season (Fall & Spring) that a player participates they will receive a season specific patch. We will continue to recognize all players (Intown and Travel) with the annual spring awards in addition to the patch program. 

Patches for ParticipationPatches for Participation• New program starting this year

• The intent is to provide all Intown players with a patch at the end of the season as recognition for their participation in the program.

• Each season they participate in they will receive a new, season specific, patch to add to their collection.

• Sample:

Concessions and Merchandise Concessions and Merchandise StandsStands

• Open game days 7:00 AM – 6 PM• Helps WYSA to defray registration costs

w/sales• Staffed by volunteers• Volunteers should NOT be you or your family• You, as a coach, are responsible for:

– Procuring five volunteers– Forwarding volunteers’ contact info to the

concessions team

Other WYSA Programs and Benefits

New England Revolution• WYSA has partnered with the Revs!

• Chance to win four (4) Tier 1 tickets for each home game via raffle

• Boston Breakers games, too

• Free reserved parking

• Group outings at discounted ticket prices encouraged

• If interested, please e-mail Caryn Goulet at: revs@wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org

Travel ProgramTravel Program• 750+ players and 50+ teams ages U9-U18 this Spring• Playing formats are age-specific and all games are officiated by

U.S. Soccer Federation certified referees:– U10 – 6 v 6 for (2) 25min halves– U12 – 8 v 8 for (2) 30min halves– U14 - 11 v 11 for (2) 35min halves– U16 – 11 v 11 for (2) 40min halves– U18 – 11 v 11 for (2) 45min halves

• WYSA is part of Middlesex Youth Soccer League• Single-age groups playing within double age-banded divisions• Players may begin playing travel as early as 3rd grade• Tryouts take place over 2-days towards end of Spring season for

subsequent year (i.e. Spring of 2nd grade, players may tryout to start in Fall of 3rd grade)

• U9-U14 team assignments are for a two-season commitment: Fall and Spring seasons

• U15-U18 tryouts take place in the Fall for a Spring-only season (play for the high school in the Fall)

Travel Program Continued• Players are evaluated and placed on teams accordingly• WYSA does its best to make sure all kids are placed on a travel

team.• Each season consists of 9 games (generally half played at

home, half played away)• U10 Post Season play: depending on results of Spring season,

may qualify for Commissioner’s Cup (weekend after regular season ends)

• U12-U14 Post Season Play: depending on results of Spring season, may also participate in Commissioner’s Cup as a playoff process with the possibility of additionally qualifying for Mass Tournament of Champions (MTOC) held the subsequent weekend

• WYSA awards Commissioner Cup and MTOC eligible-teams gifts, as well as winners

Equipment & MerchandiseEquipment & Merchandise

• Merchandise & Equipment Coordinator – Ray Masiello• Coach’s bags – after meeting proceed to Field House

– Uniform shirt & socks– First Aid Kit w/ extra ice packs– Practice cones– Ball for each player and a game ball

• Players to provide:– Shin pads (stop 1-2 inches below knee cap, do not “sit” on shoes)– Shorts/warm-up pants– Soccer cleats, only or sneakers (no baseball cleats)– Water for games

• Merchandise Tent open every Saturday w/ logo items

TOPSoccer• The Outreach Program of Soccer• 78+ special needs children ages 4-18 from

Wilmington and surrounding towns– Autism, Asperger’s, Cerebral Palsy, ADHD,

Down’s Syndrome, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Multiple Sclerosis, Verbal, Non-Verbal, etc..

• Free program for TOPS players (uniform, ball & free concession ticket every week)

• Fostering physical, mental, emotional (social) growth through play & sport

• Fun, energy, acceptance & soccer• Structure without rigidity

TOPSoccer Continued• Coaches - Wilmington players ages 8-18

– Responsibility, companionship, and friendship– Wear coaches shirt– Field set-up– Personally greet all athletes– Focus 100% of attention on athletes– “Control” the experience– Breaks as necessary– Lots of high fives!– Lots of energy– Concession tickets at end

• If interested, contact Caryn Goulet at tops@wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org

You are not on your own

We are here to help… just ask

WYSA Resources

Coaching Certification Classes Lined Fields, Nets & Frames

Game Reporting – Newspapers TOPS Player/Volunteer Involvement

Challenger Online Curriculum New England Revolution Partnership

April & Summer Vacation Clinics Coaching Resources on Website

Season Development Plans Concessions & WYSA Merchandise

Uniforms Website

Game Balls Hotline for Field Closures

Practice Cones First Aid Kits

Spring Awards and many more…

Thank You !Thank You !