Many parents have questions when they first enroll their child in an athletic program, we hope to answer some common questions about Concord Carlisle Youth Soccer here. For specific information about each of our programs, please go to the Programs Overview section of our website.
What will the soccer program be like for my child?
We hope to provide your child with a fun-filled, welcoming, and respectful environment in which to learn soccer and develop an understanding of good sportsmanship. We work on developing ball skills through ball handling exercises, small-sided games, and scrimmages. In the older grades, we introduce offensive and defensive tactics.
What will practice be like?
Your coach should come to the field with a practice plan. Practice begins with some type of warm up and then proceeds to ball drills or small-sided games. Water and rest breaks are taken as needed. Practices typically end with a scrimmage so players have an opportunity to apply what they have learned. With a few exceptions, practices generally should not involve much if any standing in line. Players should be active, with a ball at their feet as much as possible.
For younger children, we ask that parents be present during practices and ensure their players come ready for action with shin guards on, long hair pulled away from the face, and water bottle in hand.
What will a game be like?
Soccer is a player's game; coaches should largely remain quiet on the sidelines. The coach will assign players to positions and make substitutions during the game. At all ages, coaches may call out occasional directions to players. However, we do not want CCYS coaches giving constant direction or haranguing players. Players need to learn to make their own decisions. If a coach needs to correct an important mistake, we expect the coach to take the player out of the game to provide instruction, or to do so at half-time. At no time, do we want parents providing instruction from the sideline.
Note: Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten are important exceptions to this general approach. Until children understand the basic idea of the game, coach participation and encouragement on the field can accelerate their learning... like playing in the back yard!
Fair Play
We do our best to make balanced teams and, for the Travel program, to place them in competitive divisions. Despite our best efforts, mistakes happen. We ask coaches to make adjustments during games as needed to avoid lop-sided games.
Referees
Referees for home games are often local high school and junior high school students. Like the players, they are learning and they need our encouragement and support. Please do so in the same way you would encourage your own players and children. If you experience challenges with a referee, please contact the CCYS Referee Coordinator.