Coaches, this week’s game marks the halfway point of the season.  By all accounts, the kids are having a great experience.  Thanks for giving it to them.  Some important items below.

1. ***BRING YOUR USED SOCCER EQUIPMENT:  A representative from “Cleats for Bare Feet” will be at our fields on Saturday to collect gently used soccer equipment.  Your equipment will find a new home somewhere in the U.S. or abroad.  Please ask your parents and kids to participate.
2. SILENT SATURDAY:  It is this week.  Time for your players to take full responsibility for the game.  Help the day go smoothly by reminding your parents to refrain from the vocal cheering and to clap instead.  This is very difficult for some.  Board members will be present to help you if you think you will have any difficulty.  Remember this is a player development moment in our schedule.  We tell kids to communicate on the field, but on Saturday we really mean it.  This is a message to them that they must “read” the game as it comes to them.    The older players know what to do on Silent Saturday b/c they have been through it in the younger age group games.  Be patient about this process what it gives these players.    Read More→

Coaches, so far we’ve had two great Saturdays of soccer.  Hope you and the kids are enjoying the play and the weather.  As always, a few items to note below.

1. ASSISTANT COACHES:  If you have an assistant coach, make sure that person has volunteer forms into the league and the appropriate training (Safe Haven AND age-specific for U6, U8, and U10).  Remind the assistant coach when he/she is covering for you that the player forms should be at any practice or game with the kids.
2. SELL THAT PASTA!!:  Forms are due this Saturday.  Please hand them in at the field.  If you have a bye, then find a way to get the forms to the field.  A great job for a team parent (not a coach!!).
3. DONATE OLD SOCCER CLEATS:  A representative from “Cleats for Bare Feet” will be here on Saturday, April 27^th to collect used soccer equipment.  Their non-profit connects those with an excess of sports equipment with those in need around the world.  Read More→

Coaches, I hope you all had a great day on Saturday.  The weather cooperated, which makes it seem just a bit better.  Be patient with the players as we’re all learning.   Some important items below.

1. FUNDRAISER:  All teams should have picked up their fundraiser packets and distributed them to all players.  They will be due on April 23, so the sooner we get them in the hands of the players, the more we sell.
2. KEEPER CLINIC:  As I mentioned during the coach meeting, there will be a keeper clinic led by Kevin Mahmot (Assistant Coach at Washington High) on Sunday at the CT fields from 1:30p to 3p.  Please tell your players about this and please come to observe some training techniques and fundamentals of goalkeeping.   I would like to know by Thursday if players are coming, so please email me with numbers from your team so we can plan.  This will be for U10 and older only.  Also, PLAYERS MUST BRING A SIGNED PLAYER FORM WITH THEM TO PARTICIPATE.  I recommend that they print another one out and bring it with them as you want to keep your packet of forms whole. Read More→

Coaches, the run on good weather continues.  Hopefully it has led to some great soccer!  Some items to think about.

1.       SHARING PLAYERS (continued from last week):  Although we encourage the sharing of players between two teams that are playing each other, it is against league policy to borrow a player from a team that is not on the roster of the two teams playing the game.  It is a simple rule.  An easy way to remember is that you would not have a ‘player form’ for a child that is not on either team, so that child cannot play.   No forms on the field, then that player does not play.

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Coaches, more items to think about as we reach the halfway point of the season.

1.  SHARING PLAYERS:  When you have extra players and the other team is down a player, please share one or more of your substitutes to make as full a game as possible.  Also, please accept those players if you are short so that more kids can play.  Proper etiquette is having as few kids sit as possible.  You shouldn’t force a player to play for the other team, but use your best arguments to get the kid to do it.  We have had a situation where a coach refused to take extra players, which would have led to players sitting out when they would not have to – not cool. Read More→

Coaches, I will do my best to make sure the weather from this past weekend repeats itself for the next 6 weeks.  Hope you enjoyed game day as I thought it was fantastic.  A few notes.

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING PINNIES:  I don’t know what happened, but suddenly we only have one color of pinnies (orange) in the big red coaches tub.  Please return any pinnies you have used so we can distinguish borrowed players from their original team.  In U16 in particular, there is a lot of borrowing going on and we need those pinnies.

1. FUNDRAISER:  Candle orders due this Saturday. 
2. INCREDIBLY HELPFUL COACH SIGHTING:  Coach Sandi Wilcox in U6 helped clear the field during the thunder of Week 1.  Thank you Sandi for doing that.  Another reminder that we all have a responsibility for not only our players, but everyone.
3. PLAYER HURT ON THE FIELD:  When one of your players is hurt on the field, the first person on the scene is the referee.  The referee will assess the situation and then call you on the field if needed.  Don’t come on the field if you are not asked to do so by the referee.  Although you will feel a strong urge to get out there, remember that the referee is trained to handle the situation and is as concerned about the safety of the kids as you are. 
4. ADVANTAGE:  A foul may occur during play but the referee doesn’t stop the play.  What’s up with that?  Well, it’s a judgment call by the referee.  If the team that was fouled has an advantage with the ball after the foul, play continues on.  Don’t be outraged, be happy the play continued to your team’s advantage.
5. LINEUP CARDS:  Remember to put player numbers on the cards AND to place completed cards in the clear tub at the referees table.
6. UNIFORMS AND COACH SHIRTS:  Looks another order is in and will be distributed at the Charles Town fields on this Friday from 5p to 6p on the U12 field.    

 U6 Coaches, look for a separate email about your junior facilitators. 

 Enjoy the week.

 David P. Simmons

Harpers Ferry, WV

Coaches, unfortunately the week 1 afternoon games met with some weather.  This weekend looks much better, so think positive (part of positive coaching).  More things to think about.

1.       UNIFORMS:  Keep in touch with your division director about uniforms you may need or have ordered.   I saw a big order come in this week, so I expect everyone will be properly clothed this week.

2.       BYES:  If there are an uneven number of teams in your division, then you may have a bye (i.e., no game on a Saturday).  We’ve had questions about this, so let your parents know why this is happening and that they aren’t being cheated out of a game unfarily.  This concept is one of the aspects we consider when we are creating teams and deciding on your roster size.

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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.

Read More→

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