Thank you!
As a parent, relative, or guardian, you are the best fan your child and fellow soccer players will ever have. We appreciate your support in reinforcing TAYSA's player development objectives, respecting all players, coaches and referees, and ensuring your player is at practices and games ready to play. Your encouragement of all players on your child's team, even after poor results, will provide a positive experience for everyone involved. You set the example for good sportsmanship by avoiding negative comments about referees, coaches and players, especially your own player, and cheering for players on both teams. Together we can keep our soccer games fun and safe for everyone!
TAYSA Provides
To ensure that your child is prepared to play soccer, and can develop soccer skills in a safe environment TAYSA will provide the following:
- Coach*
- Soccer balls (Players are encouraged to bring their own as well)
- Properly equipped soccer field for practice and games
- Referees for Grade 1 and older games
- Insurance via Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (MYSA)
* TAYSA Coaches are volunteers and must be Credentialed by MYSA, which includes a CORI form (criminal background check), SafeSport Training, and CDC Concussion training, before they can work with children. In addition, coaches are asked to obtain a US Soccer Grassroots Coaching certification.
In the event that you have a concern regarding your child’s coach or team, please address the issue directly with the Head Coach and allow adequate time for resolution. If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, please notify our In-town or Travel Directors.
Parents and guardians are asked to provide:
- Soccer cleats (they are not the same as other sport cleates)
- Shin guards
- Soccer socks
- Water bottle for practices and games
- Transportation to and from practices and games
- For Travel soccer (Grades 3 and up), Jersey, shorts and socks (purchased from Soccer Stuff for uniformity)
Please note weather can be unpredictable. Be prepared by bringing sunscreen, bug repellant, rain jackets, sweatshirts, etc.
Practice
The philosophy of TAYSA is to allow each player to grow and develop to the best of their ability while having fun. Therefore attendance at practices is essential to player development. It is our goal to make the most of our practices and teach your child the skills they need to play in games.
At the beginning of the season your Coach will communicate where and when your practice locations will be. For practice sessions, we ask that your child arrive on time, equipped (shin guards, soccer socks, water, etc.), nourished, and ready to play. Please pick up your player promptly at the end of practice.
Games
- For Travel soccer, arrive 30 minutes before the start time to allow for warm-up drills and any instructions the Coach may have.
- Sit on the opposite side of the field from your team.
- Parents must refrain from addressing the referee at any time during the game. If you have an issue with the referee, talk to your coach after the game or email [email protected].
- Cheer for both teams, remembering that these are young children playing to have fun. Our emphasis is on playing, learning and having fun, not on winning.
Injury Protocol
There are no emergency facilities available at any of our fields. You are the best person to care for your children in the event of an emergency. Please keep this in mind when choosing to drop off your child for practices and/or games.
During a game, if your child gets knocked down or is hurt, resist the urge to run onto the field. Let the referee and coach assess the issue. All coaches have a small first aid kit for minor injuries. You will be called upon if needed.
Siblings
It is the parents or guardians responsibility to watch all children that are not participating in games and practices. Siblings of players can be easily injured when unsupervised at the fields. Children not participating in the practice or game should remain with their caregivers at the sidelines and be kept from entering the field of play. It is not the responsibility of TAYSA volunteers, coaches, referees or other parents to watch out for other children. Your cooperation will help ensure that we keep all of the kids as safe as possible and that everyone can enjoy the games.
- TRAVEL (grades 3 and up) parents should check the NVYSL schedule for a status. NVYSL attempts to make cancelations between 24 and 2 hours before the scheduled game. Travel Coaches will also notify their teams of cancellations.
- All IN-TOWN cancelations are the responsibility of the in-town director or executive board members.
- We attempt to make cancelations at least an hour before scheduled game time. In addition, we will send an email notice to all members affected by the cancelation.
- Postponements may be used to allow time for weather or conditions to improve, at the discretion of the Referee.
General guidelines
Cold is okay, wet is okay, cold and wet together are not okay. Both cold and wet conditions must be reasonable and must not introduce any safety risks or substantial damage to the fields.
TAYSA follows the Mass Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) Codes of Conduct. Each season, review the parent and player Codes of Conduct.
I will:
- Be encouraging, supportive, and affirmative in regard to my child’s play on the field
- Respect officials and accept their decisions
- Support the coach, manager, the team, and and the club
- Volunteer my services and talents to the club when possible
- Familiarize myself with the laws of the game
- Comply with rules, policies, and procedures of the team and club as they apply to me
- Discuss my child
- Only with the Coach, not with the Assistant Coach, Team Manager, or any other person
- Only at a time mutually agreed upon with the Coach
- Never prior to, during, or directly after a game
- Nor his or her playing position or playing time with the Coach
Further, I will never:
- Engage in dissent directed toward a Referee, Assistant Referees, or Referee Evaluator
- Engage in any kind or type of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, player, parent, or fan
- Interfere at any time with the duties and responsibilities of the coach or team manager
- Act in any manner which is detrimental to the team or TAYSA Organization
The following points will be strongly enforced by all coaches. Please do not be offended if you are reminded of these guidelines:
On Game Day:
- Please sit at least 3 feet back from the sidelines. This allows room for proper play and throw ins. By keeping a distance from the sidelines it is also easier to keep small children from entering the field.
- Cheer on your child and the team, but DO NOT COACH THEM. A Player learns best by making his or her own playing decisions. Telling your child when or how to move, pass, shoot, or dribble, etc., is not appropriate and it does not help them to play better. Coaches spend time teaching skills and strategy during practice sessions and then let the players play on Game Day with occasional calm instructions from the sidelines and pointers at the bench during breaks. Please keep in mind it is just a game.
- Good play by either team is reason to applaud. Sportsmanship means not only being a gracious winner, but also a graceful loser.
- Always support the Referee, even when you disagree with the call. Never speak to or about a referee except to alert he/she of an injury on the field. The Nashoba Valley Youth Soccer League (NVYSL) and TAYSA enforce a "ZERO TOLERANCE" policy towards spectator or coach dissent or abuse and it is the responsibility of the coach to control game spectators.?
In the opinion of the lead Official, depending on the severity of the offense, the lead Official may take any of the following actions:
- Issue a verbal warning to the coach of the offending party’s team and have the coach address the parent, guardian or spectator to cease their actions.
- Stop the match and instruct the coaches to direct the parent, guardian or spectator to leave the field area.
- Abandon the match if the parent. guardian or spectator does not leave the field area.
Cheering vs. Coaching
There is no need for coaching from parents. In fact, there is little need for a coach to talk directly to players on the field during a game. Unlike most other sports, soccer games do not provide frequent opportunities for active coaching – no time outs, infrequent substitutions, no huddles. The players on the field must make their own decisions and apply what they have learned during training without input from the sidelines.
Cheering, on the other hand, is encouraged!
What’s the difference between cheering and coaching, you ask?
Cheering
“Go” ,“Good Job” , “Nice Pass” ,“Great Hustle” ,“Unlucky” ,“Well Done” (Positive reinforcement only!)
Coaching
“Kick it” , “Pass it” ,“Boot it” , “Shoot Now” (Telling a player what to do)
Soccer, like all other youth sports, is meant to provide your children with an opportunity to have fun in a group environment. Learning how to love and enjoy an activity is the key to progress in any sport. In order for your child to benefit from the experience, you need to be an active supporter in the process of learning. Personal growth and achievement cannot be forced, it can only be encouraged.
- Support the coach. Think of your child’s coach as his/her teacher. While in the team setting, it is the coach’s responsibility to focus on specifics of teaching skills and running the games. It’s the parents’ responsibility to praise their child’s effort.
- Recognize what your child and the team is trying to do, not the result. Your child is learning the game and mistakes are an important part of learning.
- Stay calm. Its very easy to get emotional on the sidelines of your child’s games, but remember that it is confusing to a child to have many adults yelling different things to them. Avoid yelling directions (Shoot!, Get Open!, RUN!!) and focus on encouragement and positive reinforcement (Great effort!, Great idea, Good try!). Obviously avoid pacing the sidelines and yelling negative comments like, “what are you doing?” and “wake up out there!”.
- Foster the educational benefits of your child’s participation in youth sports. Leadership, commitment, goal orientation and preparation are life lessons taught through youth sports, and are even more important than athletic benefits.
- Be a good example and support the referees. Many of the referees are young and are learning from their experiences in the game. Mistakes will be made. Respect their efforts and encourage your kids to do the same. TAYSA and NVYSL support the zero tolerance policy for berating or verbally assaulting refs which states that “No coach or spectator is to address the referee during the game!”