Coaches, first game is coming up.  By now, your teams should be a well-oiled, crisp passing, and relentless defensive team.  OK, maybe not, but try to see the that way!  Final thoughts before we get going on Saturday.

1.       OPENING DAY:  An email has been sent out to all parents about opening day.  If your team is bringing a banner (you would have signed up to do this), then you know what to do (picture at pavilion).  For all others, we need to go to our games and listen for the National Anthem at around 7:45.  Be on the lookout for new parents trying to locate the proper fields.  For instance, U5 plays on the U10 fields at 10:30a every Saturday.

2.       PARKING IN SHEPHERDSTOWN:  For teams that practice in Shepherdstown: please do not park near the pavilion on these week days: September 3, 4, 10, 14, 17, 26 and October 3rd.  Parks and Recreation, our landlord, is hosting events during these days and will be posting No Parking and Rental signs, so please park in the lower lot.

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Coaches, most of you should be on the field now with your players. Hopefully it has been fun and will continue to be fun for you and the kids. A few items.

1. PLAYER FORMS: Remember kids being added to your team are to bring the signed player form with him/her. Also, I have heard stories of kids playing as their registration form gets processed. Remember – No form, no play. Don’t jeopardize the league’s insurance with that type of situation.
2. SO & SO CAN’T MAKE MY PRACTICES: We can’t move a player because he/she cannot make practice times. Why? We balance teams. Why? Uniform swaps are complicated. Why? If we honored all of those requests (trust me, there are plenty and would be more if we opened the door), we would have board members for 1 season and then they would quit (i.e., way too much work). Kids get to play Saturday, regardless of how many practices s/he attends. Control over practice times means you decided to coach. That is the only way.
3. INCREDIBLY SHRINKING ROSTER: Tell your Division Director if kids are not showing up. We need to prioritize where kids get placed. Remember, if you are short for a game, then both teams can play down 1 or 2 player OR you can borrow players from the other team. Less players means more touches and more conditioning for those kids. That is not so bad.
4. KEEP AN EYE OUT: You should have heard by now that one of the neighbors near the U8 field closest to McDonalds came onto our fields intoxicated this week. Quick thinking by our parents and our great coach Mike Gore made sure everyone was safe. Police were called in and the man was ticketed for public intoxication. We ask the kids to play “with their heads up” and so should we. On the other end of the spectrum, a coach noticed kids removing flowers from the nearby cemetary. Please empower yourselves and your parents to handle that situation. We should not be in the cemetery.
5. POTOMAC CUP: At the coaches meeting, you heard about a potential one-day (November 3rd) “7 vs 7″ tournament for U12, U14, U16 and U19. What a great way to develop our players by entering into a tournament! If you are SERIOUSLY considering taking a team, then we also need you to talk to your parents about enlisting their help. We need the following jobs fulfilled before we can move forward:
a) Gifts Coordinator (orders trophies, string bags and t-shirts); b) Safety Director (assess fields, goals, handles incident reports – this position requires free training); and c) Volunteer Coordinator
Have interested parties contact Steve Kubik (smkubik@me.com) as soon as possible.
6. WHAT TO DO AT PRACTICE: Show a new move (e.g., fake left, take ball to right w/outside of right foot and explode past the defender). Let them practice. Then reward the move in games or other drills. 1 pt for trying (encourage trying), 2 pts for successfully completing the move (you’re the judge). Kids are afraid of failure when it comes to footwork, so any way you can encourage it is good.

Schedules are close to coming out. I suspect by the weekend we will see them. Keep checking the website.

David P. Simmons
Harpers Ferry, WV

Coaches, hopefully you are through most of the administrative part of your job.  The fields are ready for kids to play some soccer.  A few items to think about.

1.       FORMS & TRAINING:  In order to get on the field with the kids, you need to 1) send in 2 signed volunteer forms; 2) complete Safe Haven training (one time training, good for your lifetime); 3) complete age-specific training (required for U6 through U10, highly recommended for U12 and above).  Make sure you have completed these steps before you practice with the kids.

2.       PRACTICE TIME:  Most of you have signed up for time.  If you have not, contact your Division Director.

3.       PLAYER FORMS:  With you at all times (you do not need to sleep with them, however).  If you have a player w/out a form (registered late) ask the parents to bring a signed form to the first practice.  No form, no play.

4.       COACH SHIRTS:  For new coaches who do not have a coach shirt, the league plans to buy one for you.  By no later than 5pm on August 27^th, please email our uniform coordinator, Kim Fortney at kbfortney@yahoo.com, with your a) division (U10, U6, etc.); b) name; and c) shirt size.

5.       U6 FACILITATORS:  We will need more facilitators for the U6 division.  We are offering the following and need you to encourage kids and U6 parents to attend.   This is a 30-minute training that will give kids and parents the ability to “run” a U6 game.  Kids interested in becoming a youth referee should try this to see if they like the idea and want to referee older kid games.

a.       Kids age 10 and Up:  Saturday August 25^th at 2pm at Charles Town Middle School (meet at the front entrance).  Have them email me if they plan to come.

b.      U6 parents: Tuesday August 28th from 5:30 to 6p at the Charles Town fields (go to picnic table near the U16 fields).

6.       TEAM MANAGEMENT:  Don’t forget to delegate.  Have a solid 1^st team meeting and walk away from it with 90% of your paper work in your packet gone!

7.       ENJOY THE SEASON AND THE KIDS!

David P. Simmons

JCYSL Coach Administrator

Harpers Ferry, WV

Coaches, thank you for stepping up to coach our young soccer players this year.  As always, we hope it will be a great year for you and your players.  I am the JCYSL Coach Administrator and will send out an email with important information each week.  Take the time to read these as they are designed to answer common questions that new and seasoned coaches have had over the years. 

1.       BECOMING A FULL-FLEDGED COACH:  There is a 3-step process you must complete to become a coach – 1. Send in 2 signed volunteer forms; 2. Complete Safe Haven training (if you’ve done it once, you do not need to do it again); 3. Complete age-specific training (mandatory for U6, U8, and U10).  Always know where you are in that process.  Ask your Division Director if you are unsure.

2.       COMMUNICATION:  Your first line of communication is through your Division (i.e., U6 or U8 or U10, etc.) Director.  Make sure you have his/her contact information.  Also, please check your email regularly as that is the most efficient way for us to communicate with you.

3.       COACHES MEETING:  Wednesday – August 15 7:15p to 9p (hopefully it will end sooner) at Harpers Ferry Middle School Auditorium.  You will be given your roster, uniforms, and other key information at this meeting.  If you are unable to attend, please send someone in your place if possible.

4.       COACH CLINIC: There will be a coaches clinic just before the Coaches Meeting on the field behind the school that will be put on by the AYSO Camp Counselors.

5.       COACH TRAINING:  All at Harpers Ferry Middle School (trailers in back)on August 18 – U6/U8 from 9a to 12p; U12 from 8:30a to 2:30p; U10 field portion from 11:30a to 2:30p (with U12 group).  Contact your Division Director to determine if you need this training.  If you attended our training on July 28^th, you will not need to attend these trainings.

David P. Simmons

JCYSL Coach Administrator

Harpers Ferry, WV

Coaches, this week is Silent Saturday, so please take a moment to read the information below.

1. COOKIES:  Fundraiser forms and money are due this Saturday.  If you have a bye this week, please make sure your team forms get in at some point during game day.
2. SILENT SATURDAY FOR COACHES:  “American players generally do not make the extra read.”  This is a quote from AYSO’s former National Coach (John Ouellette).  He means that our young soccer players need to be better thinkers and anticipate more quickly during the game.  This week of silence is by design.  It gives the kids a chance to take ownership of the game and to know that no instruction is coming from the sidelines.  If you listen carefully, you will hear players you didn’t think were communicating out there.  If you have the urge to speak, take notes.  Talk to the kids at halftime.  Encourage talk during practices this week.  In my years of coaching, I see the kids start to get excited about Silent Saturday at the U12 level if they have been through the process in the lower levels.  Lastly, if it is too hard to stay silent, walk away or have someone who is a trained volunteer to cover for you.  I love this week because I see and hear things from players that I don’t see/hear while I’m “yapping” in other games.
3. SILENT SATURDAY FOR PARENTS/SPECTATORS:  Please talk to your parents about this weekend and let them know what we are trying to accomplish.  All families should have received an email today (Tuesday) explaining the rationale behind Silent Saturday.
4. REFEREE COVERAGE:  You may not have a referee for your game.  Even if you see referees nearby, please understand that they have signed up for specific games and need breaks in between.  Most of our referees work multiple games, while most of us work only one.  Also, they run around, while we stand.  Please appreciate what they do each and every week.  Without them, it just feels like a scrimmage to the kids.  The mere presence of that yellow shirt (or red or blue) with vertical stripes makes the experience safer and better for all.  Thank yous and snacks go a long way toward showing that appreciation.
5. SPECTATOR SIDE OF FIELD:  Please ask your parents to respect the locations designated for spectators.  Behind the goals are not allowed.  They are always on the coach side of the field.
6. PRACTICE IDEA:  When communicating on the field with other players, encourage kids to say where they are instead of just the name of the player with the ball.  “Down the wing”,  “On your left”, “Drop” (for a back pass), etc.  instead of “Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma…” – - you get the picture.

Enjoy the week.  I don’t think any snow is in the forecast for us!

David P. Simmons
JCYSL Coach Administrator

Coaches, hope all is well.  Sorry this is so late (I’m on travel this week).  Some information below.

1. PICTURE SCHEDULE:  The picture schedule is on the website under “Latest News”.  Please take a moment to look at when your team is scheduled and  communicate that with parents.
2. COOKIES:  Encourage the kids to sell those cookies.  The more we fundraise, the flatter the fields will become.  They are due APRIL 28TH.
3. CANCELLATION OF GAMES:  Please do not cancel games.  Any kids who show up can play some form of game.  We should try to create a game day experience with the numbers we have.  Also, if the weather is questionable the game is on until cancelled by the board.  Encourage families to sign up for weather alerts on our website.
4. COACH SHIRTS:  Should be in this week.  Look for someone peddling them at the fields on Saturday.
5. REGISTRATION:  Encourage your parents to make the first two registrations (lowest fees on these days) – Tuesday May 7th and Thursday May 24th at Harpers Ferry Family Medicine (website has details).  Our registration is different this year in that players signing up after the final registration (June 14) will be on a wait list and will only be allowed to play if we find enough coaches within that pool of players.
6. PARENT VOLUNTEERS:  Please ENCOURAGE YOUR PARENTS to consider becoming a coach, referee, fundraiser, or line painter next year.  You have stepped up to take on probably the most important job in our league, so share your experience with them to eliminate the fear of “jumping in”.   We had 99 teams this spring, so it takes a lot of people to make this league run.
7. SKILL DEVELOPMENT:  Pick a skill and find a drill in the coach manual.  Try it and develop that skill in the kids.  Be persistent about it.

QUOTE TO COACH BY (from George Kuntz, AYSO Player Development Technical Advisor):  Kids can pick up things really quickly. Instead of holding kids back saying they can’t — encourage them. If they struggle, you can always scale it back to a simpler form.

As always, we thank you for stepping up to give the kids a fun and meaningful soccer experience.

David P. Simmons
JCYSL Coach Administrator

Coaches,  I hope you have been enjoying the weather out there.  The first week of play seemed to go off well.  Some items to think about as we move into the 2nd game.

1.  LAST GAME OF THE DAY DUTIES: If you are the last game on your field, then you need to take the flags back to the shed.  In U6, you need to put the goals back in the shed (i.e., channel your inner ninja to twist those goals so they fit back in the bags).
2. TOO FEW PLAYERS: With the spring break, there may be very few players at your game on April 14.  DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CANCEL A GAME.  The board has the authority to cancel games.  If you are short by a little, borrow a player or have each team play with less players.  If you are short by a lot and know this ahead of time, talk it through with your Division Director (they are really, really smart) and we may be able to come up with a plan.
3. BALL CONTROL:  I still see players who won’t poke that toe up while either delivering a push pass or using the foot for ball control (a “trap”).  Less room for error when they do that, so encourage this whenever you can.
4. LINEUP CARDS AND COACH BOX: Hopefully you saw the black box that has blank lineup cards.  It is next to the big red tub which has pinnies and other items you may borrow (not take).
5. THANK YOUS:  Don’t forget to thank the referees.  An extra snack to the refs may just land you a ref for the entire season.
6. PREP FOR SILENT SATURDAY: Each week, I recommend you get quieter than the previous week.  You will see the players taking control of the game.
7. FUNDRAISER:  Don’t forget to give out those cookie forms and get the kids selling.

Hope you and the kids are having fun!  There’s really no other way to do it!

David P. Simmons
JCYSL Coach Administrator