Fall Meeting Notes

Notes for the Fall 2015 U8 Coaches and Team Managers Meeting

Last Update: August 26, 2015

Our Coaches/Managers meeting will be Tuesday, August 25, 7:15pm-8:15pm in the gym of St. Paul’s school, 124 Montecito Avenue, Oakland.    All coaches and team managers are welcome.  Each team should have someone there.  If you can’t make it, the information will be in this document.     This document will be posted on our web site and I’ll keep updating it as we finalize details of the season.

  • List of Key Dates
    • Coaches and Managers Meeting:  Tuesday, August 25, 7:15-8:15pm,  in gym of St. Paul's School, 124 Montecito Avenue, Oakland
    • Submit uniform order to get uniforms by the first game: now
    • Pre-season Coaching Clinic: Saturday, August 29, 9-10:30am, Bushrod Park, Oakland
    • Coaches PCA workshop: September 9, 7:00pm-9:00pm, Holy Names High School, 4660 Harbord Dr, Oakland
    • Parents PCA workshop: Monday, September 14, 7:00pm - 9:00pm, Saint Theresa's School, 4850 Clarewood Dr, Oakland
    • First games of the season: Saturday, September 12
    • Photo Day #1, October 3
    • Photo Day #2, October 17
    • Photo Day, make-up day TBD
    • Last games of the season, Saturday, November 14
  • List of things to do:
    • NOTE: As much as possible, the coach should just handle the practices and games.   The team manager and other volunteers should handle everything else.   Coaches should not try to do everything.
    • Coach and Manager: Contact all your families.  Meet with your team.
    • Coach or manager: Submit practice day/time/field request (see below)
    • Coach: attend pre-season coaching clinic
    • Attend PCA if you haven't done it.
    • Manager: get a Uniform Coordinator volunteer to submit a Uniform Order Form (details below)
    • Manager: confirm teamsnap account has all the right contact information for your families.  Enter practice and game schedule information in teamsnap.
    • Manager: enlist parents for other volunteer positions: see our web site for information the positions.
    • Coach (and Manager if interested): attend our Coaches and Managers meeting.  Get balls, t-shirts, and medical release forms.
    • Coach: get equipment using budget at Soccer Post (see below)
    • Ask for whatever help you need!   My job is to answer your questions.  Don't hesitate to ask as many as you need.
  • Contact Information
    • Karl Haas, [email protected].   I'm the East Bay United U8 Commissioner and am your first contact for issues or questions, especially administrative issues.  I am also the U8 Match Secretary for the fall 2015 season.   The Match Secretary handles flighting and game scheduling.   I don't handle the practice scheduling.  Practice scheduling is covered below.
    • Mark Grody is the East Bay United Associate Director in charge of our U8 programs, among other things.
    • Mike Woitalla is a very experienced club coach and Executive Editor of Soccer America Magazine.  He will provide coaching guidance and advice to our U8 coaches.
  • Web sites
    • The East Bay United Soccer Club web site is www.eastbayunitedsoccer.org.    We will try to put all information that you need on that site.   Give us feedback on what you'd like to see there.   The web site includes a calendar with date, time, and location for key events.
    • The U8 information on that web site is under U6-U8 Soccer > U8 Rec Program.
    • The Sportability web site (www.sportability.com) has team contact information (coach, manager, assistant coaches) and game schedules.    When it's available, you can get to the sportability schedules through our web site: eastbayunitedsoccer.org > U6-U8 Soccer > U8 Rec Program > Teams and Schedules (Fall 2015) or (here TBD)
    • www.teamsnap.com is the recommended site for communicating with your team.   Each team gets a free teamsnap account.
  • East Bay United Philosophy
    • Our club focuses on developing our players and coaches.
    • Winning is not the goal.   The goal is making sure each player has fun, is safe, and develops as a soccer player.   Players, coaches, and parents should be having fun.
    • In U8, every player must play at least half the game.
    • The coaching focus in U8 is on developing the individual skills of players.
    • To develop the skills of our coaches we have coaching clinics, coaches available to answer questions and give advice, and online coaching information.    For any of our coaching events, assistant coaches and team managers are welcome, not just head coaches.
  • U8 Game Rules
    • The game rules for U8 are online at eastbayunitedsoccer.or > U6-U8 Soccer > U8 Rec Program > U8 Game Rules and Game Monitor Role  or here
  • Rosters and Sportability Login
    • You will receive an email with your team roster and login information for your coach Sportability account.   Use the Admin Login section on www.sportability.com to log into the account.   CHANGE FOR FALL 2015: coaches won't have a sportability login.  If you need to update sportability contact information, send it to Karl Haas ([email protected]) and I'll update it.
    • You'll use sportability to find the contact information of other teams.
    • Contact all of your parents to give them information about the season, share the roster and contact information, confirm their contact information (phone numbers and email addresses), and decide how you're team will communicate (we suggest using your teamsnap account).
    • U8 rosters are strictly limited to 12 players.  With more players, each player does not get enough playing time during the game.  We don't make exceptions to this policy.
    • For liability/insurance reasons, don't let unregistered players participate in your games or practices.
  • Teamsnap accounts
    • All teams in our club get a teamsnap account, at no additional charge.
    • Your team manager should enter your game and practice schedule information into teamsnap.   Players can then mark their availability so you know who to expect.
    • You can send emails through teamsnap to all of your families.   You can set it up to send email reminders of games and practices.
    • You can have families sign up to provide snacks for the games.
  • Medical Forms
    • You must have a roster and medical contact sheet for each player at every practice and game.   The medical forms will be given out at the Coaches/Managers meeting.
    • If you don't get them at the meeting, contact our registrar at [email protected].
  • Coach/Manager Contact Information
    • Check that your contact information is correct in sportability.   Other coaches may need to contact you to reschedule or cancel a game.   Also, if your email address isn't correct in sportability, you won't receive coaching announcements.
    • You can change your contact information or add team contacts (manager, assistant coaches, etc.) through your sportability account.   Log in, go to the Team Info section, then the Team Contacts section.
  • Team name
    • If you want to change your team name, send me an email.
  • Store for Uniforms and Club-provided Equipment
  • Ordering Uniforms
    • All teams use the blue/white reversible East Bay United U6/U8 recreational uniforms.
    • You should have received the Uniform Order Form in the email with your roster.  The order form is also online at eastbayunitedsoccer.org > U6-U8 Soccer > Uniforms > Recreational Uniform Order Form or here
    • If a player has a uniform that fits, either from U8 last year or U6, she/he doesn't need to get a new uniform.   U6 and U8 uniforms are the same.
    • Get a parent on your team to volunteer as Uniform Coordinator.   The Uniform Coordinator will:
      • Find out which players on the team need uniform parts (socks, shorts, jersey) and what sizes they want
      • Fill out the Uniform Order Form and email it to Soccer Post (address is on the form).   Soccer Post will send an email when the order is ready for pick up.
      • Collect payments from the team families, pick up and pay for the uniforms at Soccer Post (address is on the form), and distribute the uniforms to the team.
      • Note: the order form asks for shirt numbers.   The shirt numbers are not important for U8.  It's ok if multiple players on the team have the same number.    You don't need to collect existing numbers from any players who already have uniforms.
      • If a player doesn't have a uniform in time for the first game, she/hee can still play.   Just use a pinney, etc.
  • Player Equipment
    • Players are required to wear shin guards at all games and practices.
    • Cleats are not required.   For some kids, turf shoes may be better.  Sneakers are ok.  No baseball cleats or other metal/sharp cleats are allowed.
    • It is a good idea to remind parents to check that players' cleats still fit.   At this age players grow a lot between seasons.
    • No jewelry of any kind is allowed.   Game monitors should check for earrings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, etc.
  • Team Equipment
    • At the Coaches/Managers meeting, we will give each team ten size 3 balls.
    • Each team gets $75 equipment allowance to use at Soccer Post.   The order form is online at eastbayunitedsoccer.org > U6-U8 Soccer > U8 Equipment Form or here
    • Email the order form to Soccer Post.   They will reply when your order is ready for pickup.   Soccer Post will record your purchase and bill us, so you don't need to pay for anything, assuming that you stay within the $75 allowance.   In addition to the items on the order form, you can use your $75 to purchase any other coach-related items that Soccer Post has IN STOCK.  You must do this in one visit.  Soccer Post won't keep a running tab of what each team has spent over multiple visits.   "Coach-related items" means you can't buy things like personal apparel, cleats, referee equipment, gum, etc.    For items not on the order form, please do NOT ask Soccer Post to order items, pick from what's in stock.
  • East Bay United T-Shirts
    • At the Coaches/Managers meeting we will give teams T-shirts for all their players and for the head and assistant coaches.
  • Flights
    • Teams are split into flights based on age, experience, and skill level.   Teams only play games against other teams in their flight.
    • We usually have 3 flights:
      • Red: 2nd year teams/2nd graders/more skilled younger teams
      • White: mixed-age teams or medium skill
      • Blue: Reserved for 1st-grade teams.
    • Coaches submit flight requests to the Match Secretary (Karl Haas)
    • We make the initial flights, schedule the first 3 weeks of games, then move teams between flights if necessary.   After the first 3 games, coaches can request to move flights.   When requesting a move, include the results of your first 3 games (who'd you play and how competitive was the game).  Send the flight move requests to Karl Haas.
    • After the first 3 weeks, we don't keep track of U8 game results.
  • Schedule
    • The schedule for the first 3 weeks is available on our web site.   eastbayunitedsoccer.org > U6-U8 Soccer > U8 Rec Program > Teams and Schedules (Fall 2015) or (here)
    • The first games are on Saturday, September 12.
    • The last games are on Saturday, November 14.
    • All games will be on Saturdays at Bushrod Park in Oakland.  Bushrod Park is between Shattuck Avenue and Racine Street, between 61st Street and 59th Street.
    • Your team manager should enter your schedule into your Teamsnap Account.
    • Make sure your families know how to view the schedule.
    • Bushrod has grass fields, so games are subject to rainout.   Rained out games are not rescheduled.
    • Start times range from 9:30am to 3:45 pm.
    • Start times are 1 hour and 15 minutes apart, which should leave enough time to stay on schedule.
    • It is very important to finish games on time, even if you start late or don't manage the game time well.   If you're behind schedule, make half-time breaks shorter.   Note: we use running time during the game.  Don't stop the clock during the game.
    • The game monitor is responsible for managing the game time.
    • If there is an odd number of teams in a flight, one team will have a bye each week.  That team will have a reserved field that they can use for a scrimmage.  In the schedule, if the same team is listed as the Home and Away team, that team has a bye, but can use the field at the scheduled timeslot.
  • Field Numbering
    • The schedule will include field numbers (ex. Bushrod 7&8).   There is a picture of the field layout including the field numbers on our web site: eastbayunitedsoccer.org > Fields > Field Locations > Bushrod or here
  • Schedule Requests (for the game schedule, not practices)
    • Coaches or managers submit any game schedule requests to the Match Secretary (Karl Haas).
    • The top priority is for anyone coaching multiple teams.   If you're coaching multiple teams, you won't have your other team's schedule yet.   The way we avoid conflicts is for you to give requests to the Match Secretaries of both leagues.   For example, you could ask the U8 Match Secretary to schedule your games in the morning and ask the other Match Secretary to give you afternoon games.
    • Other reasonable requests are things like coach work commitments or events that will involve many players on the team (ex. school functions).   General preference requests (ex. "I like morning games") probably won't get accommodated.
  • Changing the game schedule
    • Once the schedule is published,  if you want to reschedule a game, you must contact the teams involved (your opponent and the teams you want to change with) and work out a change, then send me a note with everyone's agreement to the change.   I'll update the schedule.   All involved teams must then communicate the change to their families.
  • Cancelling games
    • Try very hard not to cancel games.   Even if you only have a few players, talk to your opponent and see if you can mix players.
    • If you need to cancel, let the other team know using the contact information in sportability.
  • Rainout Notices
    • In case of rain, check the eastbayunitedsoccer.org web site and your email.  We'll post a rainout notice on the top page of our web site.
    • Even if there is no rainout notice, use your judgement and do not play if the field is wet enough that you'll damage the field by playing on it.
    • Never play if there's any lightning.
  • Practices
    • You will have one practice per week on a weekday.
    • Request practice day, time, and location using the form on our web site: eastbayunitedsoccer.org > Fields > Field Request > Practice Field Request or here
    • We'll send out a note when the practice schedule is ready and the fields are available.   We need to wait until we get our field permits.
  • Recreational Soccer Academy
    • We don't run the Recreational Soccer Academy sessions in the fall.  We hold those during the spring season because teams don't get reserved practice fields in the spring.
  • Sportsmanship
    • There will be some games where the teams aren't evenly matched, either in skill or physical ability.
    • Make adjustments to keep the game fun for everyone.   For example, if your team is up by a lot, you can put some restrictions on your players (must make some number of passes before shooting, must do a certain dribbling move before shooting, etc.).   Or, the team that's behind could add a player.
    • Don't focus on winning.
    • Your reaction and your parents' reactions will impact how much your players worry about winning or losing.
  • PCA (Positive Coaching Alliance)
    • Our club is very committed to PCA principles.
    • See the PCA link at www.positivecoach.org for more information.
    • At least one parent from each family must have attended a PCA session at some point.  If they attended PCA for another sport or different season, that meets the requirement.
    • Make sure any new parents are familiar with PCA and know the requirement.
    • Coaches and parents can attend any PCA session.  It doesn't have to be the one sponsored by East Bay United.
    • For coaches who haven't attended a PCA session, there will be one on Wednesday, September 9, 7pm-9pm, Holy Names High School, 4660 Harbord Dr, Oakland..   There is no charge.  Register on sportability: enter "east bay united" in the "Find my league" box then click on "2015 New Coaches PCA Workshop" or here;
    • There will be a parents PCA meeting on Monday, September 14, 7pm-9pm, Saint Theresa's School, 4850 Clarewood Dr, Oakland.   There is no charge.  Register at www.sportability.com: enter "east bay united" in the "Find my league" box then click on "2015 New Parent PCA Workshop" or here.
  • Coaching Resources
    • We will have an optional pre-season coaching clinic.  Saturday, August 29, 9-10:30 am, Bushrod Park..   Our Bay Oaks trainers will show how to run a U8 practice, demonstrate games and skills that are appropriate for U8 players, and answer questions.
    • Some sample lesson plans are available on our web site: eastbayunitedsoccer.org > Coaches Corner > Coaching Resources > EBU_U6_U8_Examples_of_a_Seasonal_Training_Plan or here
    • Mike Woitalla is available to answer questions, give guidance, come to your practice, etc.
    • Mark Grody directs our U8 program and can answer any questions you have on coaching and player development.
    • EBU Rec coaches are welcome at the Bay Oaks coaching clinics.   The U9-U11 Bay Oaks coaching clinics are usually held the first Thursday of the month, 8pm-9:30pm, in the gym of St. Paul's School, 124 Montecito Ave, Oakland.   Check the Club Calendar on the club web site to confirm the clinic is on.

 

 

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