Welcome to AYSO Region 253 Serving the communities of Bentley, Halstead, Kechi, North Wichita, Park City, Sedgwick, Valley Center and Whitewater.
	Please visit www.aysotraining.org if you have not earned your Safe Haven or Age-Appropriate Coaching Certificate!!! Professional coaches measure success in rings.  College coaches measure success in championships.  High School coaches measure success in titles. Youth coaches measure success in smiles. Thank you for volunteering!  Your time and effort is appreciated.  Without your support, our program wouldn't be what it is today.  Below you will find some information to keep in mind. Changes for 2008-2009 Fall and Spring Season Beginning in the Fall 2008 season, the area and region has adopted the following changes that will effect coaches in our region: We are excited to announce that Nick Schuessler has agreed to take on the role of Coach Administrator this season. Nick can be reached on the Coach Hotline number at 303-4957 or at coach@ayso253.org . Coaches will not receive player rosters until they have completed Safe Haven training either online or at Heskett training on September 5th or 6th. Click Here for Heskett Schedule . Assistant coaches are required to have Safe Haven training, too. All coaches will receive lanyards once training has been completed. These lanyards must be worn at all games, including inter-regional games. All teams are required to have one trained referee, one volunteer field worker and one team parent. All volunteers must complete a volunteer application or they are not covered under the AYSO insurance. Please click on each volunteer position to read the job description. You should choose these volunteer positions at your team meeting and ask each volunteer to complete a volunteer application form at the meeting. Volunteers may also choose to visit www.eAYSO.org to complete their application. They must print and sign copies of the application to turn in to the region before they are considered active volunteers. Please turn these forms in to a board member at the Coach's Meeting on September 7th. Our region has adopted a Zero Tolerance Volunteer Abuse Policy. The purpose of this policy is to make clear that verbal abuse of youth volunteers is as unacceptable as verbal abuse of youth players and to adopt basic standard sanctions for improper conduct. We now have an online game rescheduling calendar to help you schedule make-up games. Fields are assigned on a first request, first assigned basis. Please contact the Coach Administrator or RC to get your rescheduled game on the calendar to secure the field for your use. We will attempt to provide a referee if at all possible. Click here to see the make-up game calendar. We will again schedule an awards ceremony on the last day of regular season games in the spring season. We need every team to help by taking snap shots to their team during practices and games. Please help us to notify the players and parents on your team during the spring season and plan to attend this fun and rewarding event for your players and their families. We have developed several partnerships this year for our fundraisers. Please encourage every player and family on your team to participate. If we can raise enough money in this fashion, we will not have to go back to door-to-door sales types fundraisers. Our partnerships are with Uniroyal/Bear Tire in Park City, Picateers Sports Photography, Funding Factory Recycling Program and Online Magazine Sales. Please see more information about these partnerships on our home page. The Herbalife logo will appear on all player's jerseys this year. Herbalife is a new national sponsor of AYSO and our region will receive 50 cents for every jersey with their logo printed on it. This is yet another fundraiser for our region to help offset the costs of operation. The Region Mailbox is new to the region this year and will be used to help better communication within the region. The “mailbox” is a plastic bin which will be kept at the information table on the game fields at Wheatland Elementary. Inside are hanging file folders, one for each team in the region, which will hold information that you need to distribute to your parents, or information for coaches from the coach administrator or other board members. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK YOUR MAILBOX BEFORE YOUR GAME EACH WEEK, even if you are playing at a different region. You may choose to send your team parent or assistant coach to check your mailbox. The region is currently invesitgating the use of an automated call list for game cancellation notifications and other important information for coaches.This will hopefully improve the speed of contacting coaches in the event that games need to be cancelled. Coaches will be required to provide a phone number where they can be reached on game days. This phone number will not be shared with others. Home phone numbers will be posted on the web site, as usual, so coaches can contact each other if necessary. All head coaches will receive a coach jersey that is theirs to keep. They will also receive a coach's kit that includes: cones, a whistle, a ball bag, a coach's bag, a ball pump, a coach's portfolio planner, and captains armbands. These items are for coaches to keep, or they can be returned to the region at the end of the spring season. Coaches will also check out a first aid kit, goal keepers gloves (for U8 and up) and goal keepers jerseys (for U8 and up). These items will be checked back in at the end of the spring season. All make-up games should be scheduled through the Coach Administrator or Regional Commissioner. Fields will be assigned on a first come, first served basis and referees will be provided to the greatest extent possible. Please DO NOT reschedule your games without notifying the Coach Administrator or the Regional Commissioner. Coaches will be expected to adhere to the NO SLAUGHTER rule, which states that coaches are expected to take any appropriate actions to make sure that neither team has any more than a 5 goal differential over the other team at any time in the game.  This is not new, but please remember to adhere to the Safe Haven policies that there should always be 2 or more adults with the players at practices and at least one of the adults must be of the same gender as the players. Also, players should never be left alone. Coaches should always have the player registration forms on hand to contact a parent who is late. Coach's Forms Coach's Handbook Coach's Agreement For Player Injuries After 7/1/2007:        Accident Claim Form        Insurance Brochure for New Carrier, Health Special Risk For personal injury, damaged property, or threats of or actual physical violence surrounding an AYSO game, practice, event or property:         Incident Form  It is a good idea to prepare a handout or letter for your team at the beginning of the season. For some ideas about what you might include in your letter, click on the following sample letters. Coach Sample Letter #1 Coach Sample Letter #2 If you are looking for some handouts to share with your team parents to help them understand the philosophies of AYSO soccer, try these sample handouts. Soccer Safety Handout Soccer Conduct Handout Parent Meeting Ideas It is recommended that you plan a team meeting before the season begins. Here are some parent meeting ideas. Send a letter/email to your parents inviting them to your meeting. Here are some ideas on how to run your parent meeting. Typical goals for the parent meeting are: 1 - Introduce all the players. 2 - Explain the AYSO program and its philosophies for new participants and remind  returning participants. 3 - Explain the Coach’s responsibilities 4 - Explain the player’s responsibilities 5 - Explain the parent’s responsibilities 6 - Give out the general schedule of the season with practice nights and times 7 - Fill the team volunteer positions to make it a successful and fulfilling season for all.           8 - Distribute Uniforms Follow up with another letter in case some parents miss your meeting. If you would like to type your players names into an AYSO Line Up Card Template and print it out, Click Here.  Before every game, remind your players about the AYSO kids zone promise: "I promise to Honor the Game.  I will respect all participants, encourage good sportsmanship and keep soccer fun." If you are a U5 or U6 coach, please check the schedule to see if you are scheduled to set up or take down the goals. The first game of the day will need to set up the goals and the last game will need to take them down and put them back in the shed. Check the schedule page to see when you are scheduled to set up or take down. Your assistance is much appreciated!  It is important that coaches bring their Player Registration/Medical Forms to all practices and games.  If you have recruited an Assistant Coach or a Team Parent, please have them complete a Volunteer Form . Every volunteer MUST complete a form annually to be protected under the AYSO insurance . Click here for a Volunteer Application Form if you do not already have forms. Volunteers can also go to www.eayso.org and complete the application online. Click here for more information about online applications. Contact the CVPA for information about how to submit new Volunteer Application forms. Remember, as an Area, we are again enforcing the rule where parents and spectators will sit on one side of the field while the players and coaches will sit on the other side.  Please remind your parents. As a coach, you are already volunteering your time for the kids.  Try to recruit a team parent to help with things such as snack schedules and fund raisers. Don't forget to have your volunteers complete the Volunteer Application Form. Click here for a Volunteer Application Form if you do not already have forms . Most importantly, we are here for the KIDS! Training As of 1/1/2001, by Federal Law (Volunteer Protection Act), coaches and assistant coaches who are not certified (Safe Haven Course and Age Appropriate Coaching Course) are not allowed to coach an AYSO team, and do not have AYSO liability coverage.   AYSO provides the coaches with continuing education (free of any cost): Safe Haven, age appropriate training, soccer balls, first aid kit, whistle, ball pump, goalkeeper vest, coach planner and other training materials. For any questions about coaching, or if you’d like to become a coach please contact our Coach Administrator at coach@ayso253.org. Games and Drills Playing .. Select 1 player who is "it" Mark off a grid with cones 10 yards X 10 yards Each of the remaining players should be standing in the grid with a ball waiting for the coaches whistle. On the coaches whistle, the player who is "it" tags "freezes" as many players as possible If a player is tagged, he/she must pick the ball up, hold it over their head and spread their legs. To get "unfrozen" another player (teammate) must dribble to and pass the ball through the spread legs of the "frozen player". Once the player is "unfrozen", he/she resumes dribbling in the grid. If a player dribbles the ball outside of the grid, that player is "frozen".  Coaching Points Players must dribble and keep close control of their ball. Players must keep their head up and see where the "tagger" is located. Players must dribble away from the "tagger" and dribble toward teammates who need to be "unfrozen".  Competition, Variations& Restrictions: Coach should keep track of "records" in how many seconds can a "tagger" freeze all the players most number of players still "frozen" after a 30-45 second time frame For many more game and drill ideas, including animations, click here for http://www.joesoccer.com/info/games.html. If you are looking for some guidelines to running a good practice with youth athletes, try our Tips for a Good Practice page! Ten PROVEN Tips for a Successful Soccer Season from www.bettersoccercoaching.com Click Here These coaching scripts help you introduce Honoring the Game, Redefining "Winner", and Filling the Emotional Tank to your players. Tips for New Coaches If you are a new coach and would like some ideas to get started, click here. What is expected of you as a youth soccer coach? Find out more about the Coach Objectives and Responsibilities here. Here is one Soccer Mom's version of her first attempt at coaching her daughter's team. It is good for at least a chuckle. Click Here It is a good idea to prepare a handout or letter for your team at the beginning of the season. For some ideas about what you might include in your letter, click on the following sample letters. Coach Sample Letter #1 Coach Sample Letter #2 If you are looking for some handouts to share with your team parents to help them understand the philosophies of AYSO soccer, try these sample handouts. Soccer Safety Handout Soccer Conduct Handout What Kind of a Coach are You? Coaches nurture good sportsmanship. They should embody parents' values regarding good sportsmanship. A coach must model good sportsmanship at every level and make it a core goal of his/her work with kids. Every youth sports coach should engage his/her players in a detailed discussion of good sportsmanship as soon as s/he forms his/her team. A written contract, perhaps titled The Good Sportsmanship Code, should be given to every child and his/her parent to sign. The contract should spell out what the coach expects from each player in terms of good sportsmanship, including the following areas: Cheating Losing one's temper Negative criticism of teammates, coaches, referees, and opposing players Blaming teammates for mistakes or a poor team performance "Trash talk" and taunting opponents Showboating Arguing referees' calls and judgments The need to congratulate one's opponents after a game Coaching children is an honor and a privilege that carries with it a moral responsibility to contribute to the healthy character development of young players. Coaches who equate "trying your best" as the definition of success -- and who value, expect, and demand good sportsmanship from their players -- help shape the moral, ethical, and spiritual character of children. This test - provided by the National Institute for Child Centred Coaching - should give you some idea if you are a traditional, PE teacher type of coach, a child centered facilitator or somewhere in-between. Click here to take the test. What qualities make up a "good" coach? Here is a list of qualities one soccer mom felt made for a positive AYSO experience for her children. How many of these qualities would describe you? Click here to see the list. Did you know that the majority of over-coaching in soccer occurs on teams of children ages 5 to 11? Do you ever feel like you might be over-coaching? Take some time to evaluate your approach to coaching here, Over-Coaching, Resist the Urge! In your role as a soccer coach, you need to communicate effectively with a lot of different people: your players, parents, grandparents, officials, other coaches, association directors, etc… All of them have different agendas and need communicating with in different ways.Click here to learn more about Effective Communication for Coaches . Kids have shared their tips for their parents who are coaching their soccer teams. Click here to learn more about the wisdom of your child - Top 10 Tips for Coaching Your Son's or Daughter's Team . It is easy for coaches to fall into the trap of "directing" children from the sidelines. Here is one coach's perpspective - Are You a Coach or a Director? What are the Do's and Don'ts of Coaching Youth? Find out! Click Here Coaching Guidelines Mandatory: You must have the original player registration white sheets at every practice and game! No exceptions! All players must wear shin guards at all practices and games Schedule a team/parent meeting at beginning of the season All volunteers (team parent, assistant coach, etc.) must complete and submit a volunteer form and Safe Haven Training – no one on the field without a white sheet! Have a first aid kit available. Always support the 5 AYSO Philosophies – Especially Positive Coaching and Everyone Plays Recommended: Get a team parent immediately! This will lighten your load Have team parent arrange for game treats/drinks. For sample form, Click Here Have team parent coordinate picture sessions Team parent can schedule a team party if desired Recruit an assistant coach from the parents – it will really help you out to have an assistant Learn the Laws of the Game, and make sure you understand correct soccer techniques – you observe and correct technique to improve your players and team performance Coach during practice; observe and take notes during games Come to the field with a practice plan ready to execute; you’ll know what to work on from watching the last game!  Suggested: Provide water for players that may forget – write the players names on plastic cups that they can use all season Carry a coach bag with: White sheets in a folder Game cards and team roster with phone numbers Pen/pencil and notepad, plus coaching manuals and practice sessions Sunscreen, bug spray, zip-loc bags, trash bag, towel, whistle, stopwatch Take the Referee course – even if you don’t plan to ref! And encourage parents to attend as well – good learning experience! And Always: Safe, Fun, and Fair!  Have a great season and thanks! Risks for Injury in Soccer Soccer is a physical contact sport, and can be very rough even when played fairly and by the rules. And about the only protection players wear is a pair of shin guards! We need to educate our players and especially their parents of the inherent risk in playing soccer. We also need to ensure we are doing our best to limit injury and support safe play. Please talk with parents every chance you get and make sure they are aware of the following: Shin guards are mandatory for any player who participates in AYSO, in all practices and in all games. Warm-ups before practice and games are vital! Always let your players work up a sweat before they play. This loosens muscles and joints, reducing the chance of injury. Perform stretching of major muscle groups before and after playing. Be sure players hydrate before games, and bring water to practices and games. Sports drinks are acceptable if they have less than 6% carbohydrates. No caffeine! Physical contact is very much a part of soccer! Shoulder-to-shoulder contact is called “fair charging”, and is not only legal, but necessary for proper play. Pushing, kicking, tripping, striking, charging, and jumping are LEGAL unless the REFEREE judges them to be careless, reckless, or excessive. You can’t effectively shield without pushing, you can’t stop a run without a fair charge, you can’t block a chip without jumping, etc. Kicks, strikes, and trips occur frequently and are part of the game. To help maintain the flow of the game, the referee may apply “advantage” (ignore the foul to the advantage of the fouled team) so the fouled player can play through without a stoppage. Let the refs do their job, which is to judge what is done fairly and what is not. Teach players to give 50/50 balls to the keepers. Keepers are extremely exposed when stopping balls, and no soccer goal is worth a severe injury to one of our children. Explain to players and parents that soccer has very specific rules for the stopping of play for injuries and entry onto the field by coaches and players. The referee SHOULD continue play when a player goes down unless the injury appears severe; the reason is mainly to continue game flow and not shift advantage. However, AYSO refs are very good at immediately stopping play for an injury, especially for the younger ages. Only enter the field when the ref calls you. Always ask your players if they have injuries; don’t play a player that has a significant strain or sprain; these need RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate). Correct sloppy play or overly aggressive challenges in practice; in games, substitute players that do not play safely with those that do. This is one time when the 50% play rule can be overridden. Safety and fair play come first!  Good luck, volunteers – thank you very much for your service and time! Characteristics and Traits of Players Every age group has unique characteristics that need to be considered when coaching. Younger children need a very different coaching approach than older children. For some ideas about working with different ages, click the links below: Characteristics of 4 and 5 year olds Characteristics of 6 and 7 year olds Characteristics of 8 and 9 year olds   Understanding Why Children Participate in Soccer Coaches and parents sometimes have different reasons for encouraging their children to participate in soccer than the youth soccer player does. It is important for adults to consider the motivations for the children in planning their AYSO experience. Click here  to learn more about why children participate in soccer . Youth soccer players need to hear lots of praise from their coaches. It is easy to get into a habit of saying the same positive praise over and over. If you are looking for some new ideas about how to encourage your players, check out the 86 ways to say "very good"! A study conducted by the Youth Sports Institute identified 4 truths about children and sports. Find out more about the Insight into Why Kids Quit Sports here. Give your players a Hustle Award. Click here for Boys. Click here for Girls. How about a Most Valuable Player Certificate? Click Here Here is a B.A. Good Sport Award certificate for players that exemplify good sportsmanship. Click Here For more free printable soccer certificates, Click Here If you are looking for some ideas about awards that you can give to your players, Click Here You can find something for everyone on this list! For other soccer projects you can make, Click Here HP has developed a Soccer Kit, full of ideas and instructions to make things such as tradable soccer cards, t-shirts, certificates and team rosters. Best of all you can customize them for your team! The AYSO Coach Pledge In my words and action, I pledge to: Enthusiastically support and practice the AYSO Philosophies of:Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, and Open Registration. Stay informed about sound principles of coaching and child development. Respect the game and know the Laws of the Game. Emphasize to my players that they must abide by the Laws of the Game at all times. Develop a true respect for the judgment of all referees. Develop a team respect for the ability of our opponents. Ensure a safe environment for my players. Never yell at or ridicule a player. Always set a good example. Remember that soccer is a game and all games should be fun. Links with Ideas for Coaches AYSO Training Games http://www.aysohelp.org/coach_games.htm KY Soccer Net Coaching Articles http://kysoccer.net/coaches/resources/coaching.articles.html FIFA Laws of the Game http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html Footy for Kids Coaches Articles http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/soccer_coaching_articles.htm Ken Gamble's Soccer Drills, Tips, Exercises and Articles http://www.dprsports.com/drills.htm SOCCER-COACH-L Basic Coaching Manual http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~dgraham/manual/ AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches Click Here Soccer is More Than Just Winning at All Costs Click Here Coaching the Parents: A Position Statement Click Here Best Practices for Coaching Youth Soccer in the United States Click Here Information about Preventing Child Abductions Click Here Advice on Talking to Children about Safety Click Here Tips for Soccer Coaches http://www.nasl.com/drills/tips.htm Coach's Safety Checklist Click Here or for a different version Click Here Youth Soccer Coaching Drills Blog by Andre Botelho http://blog.soccerdrillstips.com/  Coaching Soccer 101 http://www.coachingsoccer101.com/  Things We Say or Do That Make Us Look Silly http://www.sayso.org/Silly.htm   Let's have a GREAT season!
Last Updated 8/3/2008