Important Things for a Team Manager to Know....
AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCSC SOCCER "YEAR"
Historically, SCSC only sponsored soccer teams in the Spring season. Over the years, the soccer "year" has expanded to include Fall and Indoor/Winter teams too but each season has its own little quirks so it’s important that you have an appreciation of how each season is different from one another.
FALL SOCCER
SCSC now sponsors a developmental soccer program for players 5-10 that consists of one weekday practice and 4v4 games each weekend at Eldridge Park (yeah, no traveling!). This program is for new and younger players and focuses on the development of the fundamental foot skills that form the foundation of all advanced soccer skills.
SCSC sponsors U10 through U12 travel teams in the Tompkins County Fall Soccer League (TCFSL). The website for the TCFSL can be found at: http://www.tompkinssoccer.org/. For detailed info please check the website. Generally, teams in this league play 8-9 games starting just after Labor Day and going into late October.
Fall Tryouts
Team Selections for the Fall season are usually held in July. Check the SCSC calendar for the dates which are usually posted in mid-June.
Fall Registration
Fall League Registration Fees are $50.00 per player. Players should be strongly encouraged to register online at www.soaringcapsoccer.com . Online registration makes everyone’s lives much easier!
Fees are payable in full at the time of registration or at the time of tryouts if players are registering at tryouts. For those people unable to register online, there are registration forms on the Forms page of the SCSC website that can be filled out by hand. In that event, the fee and registration form should be sent to the SCSC Registrar, Dee Patrick, 4 Algonquin Road, Horseheads, N.Y. 14845. If you have any registration questions or problems, feel free to E-mail Dee at registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com.
If for some reason, a player is not selected for a Spring Team (i.e. there are not enough players to field a second team), the fee WILL be promptly refunded.
If however, a player IS selected for an SCSC team, but the player/parent chooses to NOT play for the selected team, there will NOT be any refund as that player has taken a team position that could have been given to another child.
Certified Rosters
Just a Certified Roster (and not Player Passes) is required for the Fall League. Once your team is selected, you should request that the SCSC Registrar, Dee Patrick (registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com) E-mail you a roster so that you can confirm everything is correct. The final rosters have to be submitted to the Tompkins League in late August.
Medical Release Forms
The SCSC Registrar will give you a copy of the player’s registration/medical release form. If you have not received the copies as the season starts, please E-mail registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com and request a copy of the forms for your teams. These forms must be available at all tournaments and games because it provides the authority to treat any injured child.
Fall Tournaments
In addition to League Play in the TCFSL, a number of the Fall SCSC teams also participate in 1-2 tournaments (ie the Vestal Tournament in late Sept is popular with our teams).
All SCSC teams practice at the Eldridge Park Fields. Once teams are finalized a Practice Schedule for all teams is posted to the SCSC website.
WINTER/INDOOR SOCCER
1. Although SCSC strongly encourages its teams to play indoors, SCSC does not formally administer the winter/indoor season. All League fees, referee fees and/or tournament fees are the responsibility of the individual team and players.
Many teams play in league play at the Sportsplex in Johnson City (http://programs.thesportsplex.org/soccer.htm), the Southern Tier Sports Center (http://www.familysportspalace.com) in Vestal, or The Field in Lansing (http://www.tompkinssoccer.org/TCSA-WL/TCSAwLframe2.html).
One thing to keep in mind is that some fields have un-boarded fields (ie Sportsplex, STSC) while others (ie The Field in Lansing) have boarded fields. The boards are like hockey boards and the players may play/bounce the ball of the boards which makes the game totally different. Many SCSC coaches prefer the unboarded fields as it more closely simulates the outdoor game where there are no boards. Make sure to check with your coach to see if he/she has a field preference. If you have any questions, feel free to E-mail the SCSC Director’s of Coaching at doc@soaringcapsoccer.com.
Other teams just play in indoor tournaments every 2-4 weeks over the course of the winter. The Wyoming Valley Sportsdome, www.wyomingvalleysportsdome.com is a very nice indoor facility outside Wilkes Barre that features very high quality tournaments virtually every weekend throughout the Fall. Additionally, there are indoor tournaments in Lansing, Ithaca, etc.
If you need advice regarding tournaments or indoor leagues, feel free to Steve Mastronardi, Zach Sarno, or Kerry Hill at doc@soaringcapsoccer.com and they will be happy to help.
2. Each team sets it up differently as to how the indoor costs are assessed. If everyone plays every week you can add up all the fees and divide by number of players. If some kids split a position they would split a fee, etc.. Establishing the anticipated fees up front and collecting for most, if not all, of the season’s league games and tournaments is easier than trying to collect piecemeal for each separate thing. Because of this, it’s best if you sit down with the Coach well before the scheduled season and clearly understand exactly what that coach wants to do in regard to league play and exactly what tournaments the coach wants to play during the season.
3. You usually will only need a Certified Roster (and not player passes) for indoor tournaments but please check the tournament rules carefully as some facilities (ie the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome) DO require BOTH a certified Roster and Player Passes. See detailed info below under the Spring Season regarding the Certified Rosters and Player Passes.
4. Make extra copies of the Certified Roster so you can give the copies, rather than the originals, to the tournaments, refs, etc.
5. The SCSC Registrar will give you a copy of the player’s registration/medical release form. If you have not received the copies as the season starts, please E-mail registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com and request a copy of the forms for your teams. These forms must be available at all tournaments and games because it provides the authority to treat any injured child.
SPRING SEASON
Spring soccer is SCSC’s main season of play. Most teams participate in either the:
Broome County League (http://www.broomesoccer.org/) or the
Upstate NY Premier League (http://www.upstatesoccer.com/)
Both leagues operate under the New York State West Youth Soccer Association (http://www.nyswysa.org/). NYSWYSA establishes rules and regulations applicable to travel soccer teams throughout Western Upstate N.Y.
A Certified Roster and Player Passes ARE Required for Spring Season for U12 & Older Teams (Teams younger than U12, just use a Certified Roster)
1. Once Spring teams have been selected and announced by the Coach, you should e-mail the SCSC Registrar, Dee Patrick (registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com), and let her know you will be the Manager for the team. The Registrar will then e-mail you a team roster that you can print. This roster is considered the Certified Roster for your team. The Roster is a VERY important document so print several extra copies so you have at least one roster available when you need it. A game will NOT be played if you don’t have your roster so please make sure you ALWAYS HAVE A ROSTER WITH YOU AT EVERY GAME (DITTO FOR PLAYER PASSES FOR U12 TEAMS AND OLDER).
2. In addition to the roster, for all teams U12 and older you will also need Player Passes for every player at every game. The SCSC Registrar prints the passes up for you and you then attach a small photo. The easiest way to get the photos is to use a digital camera and take all the kids pictures one by one and then just print all the pictures very small (ie 2" X 2"). They can be printed on regular white paper they do not need to be on photo paper.
3.Each child must sign the pass, in cursive, in pen exactly as his or her name is printed on the front of the pass-- passes that are signed at all differently than the name on the pass (ie no middle initial, Jim rather than James) will be rejected by NYSWYSA so please be careful about this. The passes are now pre-certified when they are printed so thankfully there is no longer a need to run the passes to Corning to be certified). Once the player has signed the pass and their picture is affixed, the pass can be laminated and you are ready to go.
4. For Spring games, both the passes and the roster are collected by the referee at the beginning of the game so it is a good idea to punch a hole in the corner of each pass and place them all on a round metal key ring.
5. At home games, the Manager is responsible for getting the corner flags out of the SCSC Shed (you should have a key-- if not, ask the President or DOC for one) and for supplying the game balls.
6. During the Spring Season, SCSC provides a coaching stipend of $175 and a manager’s stipend of $75 to each team. This stipend is intended to help cover miscellaneous expenses such as gas, equipment, etc.
7. The SCSC Registrar will give you a copy of the player’s registration/medical release form. If you have not received the copies as the season starts, please E-mail registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com and request a copy of the forms for your teams. These forms must be available at all tournaments and games because it provides the authority to treat any injured child.
8. GAME RESCHEDULING-- it is critical that you learn the rules for game rescheduling whether you are playing in BCSA or Upstate Premier as there is nothing more embarrassing than showing up for a game and the other team or the refs are not there. Both BCSA and Upstate publish their Game Reschedule rules on their websites and it’s important that you print and read the rules so you make sure you do it right. A few general observations that will help:
- If rescheduling a Home Game at Eldridge Park, ALWAYS check with the Referee/Field Assignor (in 2008, Larry Shapiro, E-mail at elmirarefs@hotmail.com) BEFORE proposing a rescheduled date to the other team so you can make sure a field is even available.
- When sending confirming emails regarding game reschedules, always put the Game # (ie Game #427) in the subject line of the E-mail and be very specific in the E-mail about the fact that you are changing this game time from original date at original time to new date at new time.
- When sending confirming emails, make sure to copy EVERYONE on the E-mail-- coaches, managers, ref assignors, and Age Group Coordinators. The key is to make sure everyone is on the same page as to the reschedule. Keep a copy of your confirming E-mail in your Manager’s Notebook in the event there is a problem later.
- WEEKNIGHT GAMES AT ELDRIDGE-- sometimes there is no other alternative than to reschedule a game on a weeknight. However, if you have to do so for a home game at Eldridge, please make sure to contact the manager and coach of any SCSC team who has been assigned a practice field time for the field where your game is to be played. While games DO take priority over practices, common courtesy suggests that we all work together so the team with practice time is aware of the game conflict and can make alternative practice arrangements.
GENERAL MANAGER INFORMATION
Spring practice before the opening of Eldridge
Historically, the City of Elmira does not permit SCSC to start using the soccer fields at Eldridge Park until May 1st so each team needs to find its own place to practice before May 1st. Finding playing fields is not easy during late March and April. CVSA reserves the fields at Miniers Park Big Flats, Broadway School in Southport and most fields in Horseheads. Even if they are not practicing on them, SCSC is not given permission to use them. Some elementary schools will allow you to use the outdoor play areas, which may or may not have goals with nets- you need to contact the individual schools. Ask your parents for help- many times you will get the inside track to a school (parent is a teacher there, parent is on the PTO). Please do not use Eldridge before the date given to us by the City of Elmira which is usually May 1st.
Uniforms
Dee Patrick (uniforms@soaringcapsoccer.com) is responsible for coordinating SCSC uniforms year round. She will have a limited size selection of extra uniforms available for late additions to teams. Please let her know as soon as you need it. We would hate to see a player miss a game because his or her uniform is not ready. Official uniform information and details can be found at on the SCSC website.
Remember: all teams must use the official, approved SCSC uniform unless you have obtained prior approval of an alternate uniform design from the SCSC Board of Directors. NO EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE WILL BE PERMITTED SO MAKE SURE YOU ARE EITHER WEARING THE APPROVED UNIFORM OR HAVE PERMISSION OF THE BOARD TO WEAR AN ALTERNATE UNIFORM.
FINES
Any fines or penalties imposed on a team or player are the sole responsibility of that player or team and SCSC shall not be responsible for the payment of any fines/penalties. In the event that the player or team fails to promptly pay any fine/penalty and SCSC pays such fine/penalty on the player or team’s behalf to protect SCSC’s good standing, the player or team is responsible for reimbursing SCSC within 10 days of the payment. In the event that a player or team fails to honor these obligations, that player/team will not be permitted to participate in any SCSC activities.
Managing in general.
Here are some other tricks of the trade:
Be organized:
1. Get yourself a large 3 ring binder. Create dividers for Player Info, League Info, Tournament Info and $
2. Get plastic sheet protectors-- one for each player. Use these protective sleeves to keep all the info regarding each player in one place (ie Birth Certificate, registration form, etc.)
3. The SCSC Registrar will give you a copy of the player’s registration/medical release form. If you have not received the copies as the season starts please E-mail registrar@soaringcapsoccer.com and request a copy of the forms for your teams. These forms must be available at all tournaments and games because it provides the authority to treat any injured child.
4. You will also want to have a copy of the birth certificate for each player (ask parents for this)
5. When the player passes have been signed, pictured and laminated, punch a hole in the corner of each pass and put them in alphabetical order on a large key ring or lanyard. Securely fasten the passes in your notebook except for when you have to provide them to the refs before each game. Protect the passes with your life as it is an incredible pain in the neck to have to do the entire pass process all over again!!
SCSC Code of Conduct
It is VERY important that you have each player, each parent and the coach, sign the SCSC Code of Conduct (COC) which is on our website on the Forms page. Keep the COC in your team notebook. It is important that everyone associated with SCSC agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the Code of Conduct. As manager, you can, and SHOULD, supervise the conduct of your team. Poor behavior is a poor reflection on your team and our club and should NOT be tolerated. If you have a player or parent who is not responding to subtle or direct requests that they refrain from such conduct, you should report that conduct to either the SCSC President (president@soaringcapsoccer.com) or the Director’s of Coaching (doc@soaringcapsoccer.com). We feel very strongly that SCSC should be a club recognized for good sportsmanship and we appreciate your efforts to assist in building that reputation.
Tournaments:
It is never too early to think about Spring tournaments- you need to talk to the coach about which ones he/she is interested in. The New York State West website already has winter and some spring dates on it. The Booth Tournament is our local SCSC tournament and almost all travel teams from our club participate. The Booth Tournament is usually held in June so get it on your calendar early.
SCSC will pay for your team’s registration into one Spring season tournament each year. This will either be State Cup registration (plus the ref fees involved) should you wish to enter, or the club’s Booth Tournament. Any other tournament registration fees are the responsibility of the team.
TIP: When you register your spring team in January with the Broome League, you can request not to have regular season games scheduled on weekends you know you will be participating in a tournament. This will save you a lot of grief and hassle trying to reschedule away and home games with other team coaches, field coordinators and referee associations.
Away tournaments:
Away tournaments can be a lot of fun for the players and families. If doing an overnight tournament, remember the following:
1. As a courtesy, hotel and gas expenses for away tournaments for the coach are usually covered by the players’ families. It’s a good idea
to include this routinely in the cost of the tournament. For example, with a tournament fee $250, hotel designated by the tournament $95, add a reasonable gas gratuity one tank $35. So the figure would be $380 divided by the number of players participating in the tournament. Just add this amount to each player’s amount and you have the total tournament cost for each player. Sometimes a coach is also a parent of a player on the team and they may not want to receive reimbursement so it’s a good idea find out before hand.
2. If you are playing a tournament outside of N.Y., there are Permission to Travel forms on NY State West website (http://www.nyswysa.org) that must be filled out because of insurance coverage if you are playing in a tournament outside of the normal league teams and district. You can now submit an e-travel form which is an instanteous process where you can fill out and print the online form. For details on this process check the NYSWYSA site mentioned above.
3. Some hotels offer discounted hotel rates, these must be reserved as a block of rooms. You will need to use credit card numbers to secure the room. Ask parents for their credit card number that they will use on check-in.
Computer Messaging:
If you are lucky your entire team will be on email. It is the most effective way to communicate with the families. Some families may not have email at home but most will have one family member that can receive email at work. Unfortunately, not everyone checks their email daily so be considerate and try to email reminders 24-48 hours ahead of time. Try to encourage parent’s to check their E-mail frequently particularly if there is a possibility a change of practice time or a cancellation. You can always request a reader message receipt, then only call those families not available. It’s a great idea to train your parents right away that they should always check their E-mail if the weather looks bad or before starting a long drive to an away game. Better safe than sorry.
Player Injury:
We hope injuries never happen but unfortunately they do.
Common sense prevails- if you have any doubt about the nature of the injury suggest the parent (if present) seek medical care. It is a good idea to have a cell phone with you at all practices and games in case an ambulance needs to be summoned. The club supplies you with a first aid kit but additional bandages, icepacks, rubber gloves and gauze may be needed. The Manager’s stipend of $75 is to help cover these additional costs.
For insurance purposes the family has to file a form with NYSWYSA: it is found on the website http://www.nyswysa.org/pdf/insurance.pdf. On the form is an area that the coach or manager fills out (time of day/location/disposition(on-site care only/ambulance etc)surface/condition of the surface/- make a record of that information. So if an injury occurs make sure you write down all the particulars as parents or guardians may come to you later to fill out this information.
We ask that you email the Director’s of Coaching (doc@soaringcapsoccer.com) and the President (president@soaringcapsoccer.com) when you have an injury so that they are aware also.
Our sincere thanks go to the managers who give endless hours of their time to make competitive soccer a reality for the children of our club!!
If you have any additional questions, feel free to E-mail the SCSC Manager’s Coordinator, Susie Vertoske, wvertoske@stny.rr.com.
