As in other sports and activities, parents directly influence how much their children enjoy participating in soccer.
T-CYSA aspires to instill the highest sense of sportsmanship in its players. Be a good sport on the sidelines. Don’t criticize play or the referee’s calls. Referees are very valuable to us! The primary reason for referees failing to return the following season is abuse from spectators.
Always accentuate the positive. Praise the good that you see, in both your child’s play and their opponents. There may be many mistakes made, but they are learning. We do not wish to discourage them from playing soccer (or all sports, for that matter).
Make sure your child has all the equipment and supplies they need for games and practice. Full water bottles, shin guards, and the proper size soccer ball
are a must. Jackets and sweatpants for the sidelines are also very desirable.
Be sure to check out our information on registration, volunteering, Center of Excellence (for U9 and U10 players), and tournaments.
Recreational Rules of Competition
Everyone who understands the rules of the game will have a better soccer experience. Please be sure that you and your player are familiar with the rules of competition for their age group.
U6-U14 Recreational Programs
Our U6-U14 recreational teams typically follow a schedule similar to the academic calendar. Teams are formed at the end of summer, then play a fall season and a spring season. A common timeline might look like this:
| When | What |
|---|---|
| March – June | Register players for the next fall/spring seasonal year. |
| March – June | Volunteer to coach or help in other ways for the next fall/spring seasonal year. |
| early August | Coordinators finish forming teams. Players are generally assigned to teams based on which neighborhood they live in or which school they attend; there are no tryouts for recreational teams. |
| late August | Coaches contact their team and begin practicing 1-2 weeks before the fall season begins. Younger teams (U6-U7) might practice once per week, while older teams (U8-U14) might practice twice per week. |
| September – October | The fall season usually begins the first Saturday after Labor Day weekend and continues through the end of October. Each team usually plays one game each Saturday. |
| early November | The fall season ends with a Fall Jamboree. |
| February | U9-U10 players can register to participate in the Center of Excellence, an optional soccer camp held Monday nights during the spring season. |
| late February – early March | Coaches contact their team and begin practicing 1-2 weeks before the spring season begins. |
| March – April | The spring season usually begins the first or second Saturday in March and continues through the end of April, skipping the Saturday after spring break. Each team usually plays one game each Saturday. |
| early May | The spring season ends with a Spring Jamboree. |
Programs for Older Players
See the Three Rivers Soccer Club website for descriptions of more competitive programs offered to older players.
Reference Materials
Many fine books and videotapes can help parents and coaches improve their knowledge of the sport. Here are some of our favorites:
- Books:
- Coaching 6, 7 and 8 Year Olds by Tony Waiters and Bobby Howe, World of Soccer, Ltd, Vancouver, BC
- The Complete Book of Coaching Youth Soccer by Simon Whitehead, Contemporary Books, Lincolnwood (Chicago), IL
- Kid’s Book of Soccer: Skills, Strategies, and the Rules of the Game by Brooks Clark, Carol Publishing Group, Secaucus, NJ
- Videos:
- Teaching Kids Soccer (with Bob Gansler), ESPN Home Video, Bristol, CT
- Let’s Play Soccer (with John Harkes and Mia Hamm), ESPN Video, Bristol, CT
Internet Resources
Search these sites for books and video materials on soccer, coaching, refereeing and team management. In particular, we urge you to look for something on the importance of parental involvement, especially in regard to volunteering to dedicate some of your valuable time to the sport. Learn to referee. Learn to coach. The sport needs your involvement. Your kids need your help. Check it out and get involved!
