Parents

Some Tips For Soccer Moms and Dads

Dear Parents:

The coaches are excited and pleased to have your children on our team. We will try our best to do all the right things for the team and your child. We will teach them good sportsmanship, how to work together as a team, how to improve their soccer skills through practice, hard work, and hustle, and most of all, have FUN.

We will try the best we can to give all players as much playing time as possible. The exceptions to this rule are if players are consistently late or exhibit inappropriate behavior. Our philosophy is to try to expose players to as many positions as their ability allows as well as their physical safety.

Oceana will provide your child with a team jersey (which must be returned at season’s end), black soccer shorts and black team socks. Please see below for additional equipment requirements.

All the coaches are volunteers who are willing to devote a lot of time and effort to work with your child. We are licensed by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (MAYSA) (www.mayouthsoccer.org).

You can help us in the following way:

For All Practices

Please be on time, players dressed appropriately, with plenty to drink. No jewelry of any kind is allowed. Please try to let us know if your player will be absent.

For All Games

Again, please be on time and call your coach if your child will be absent. Players should arrive a minimum of 30 minutes before game time for warm-ups.

Required equipment: team jersey, black soccer shorts, black socks, shin guards, soccer cleats, and water bottle. No jewelry of any kind is allowed.

During The Game

Parents and friends must remain on the side of the field opposite the teams. Please do not stand behind the goals or allow siblings to do so.

Encourage your players in every possible way. Please do not coach from the sidelines-it is very distracting to the players.

All cheering and fan support should be in the form of positive encouragement. We ask that parents and fans refrain from negative criticism, especially of the referees (please read the “Zero Tolerance Policy” for coaches and parents), who after all, are only trying to do the very best job they can. Coaches are responsible for parent’s behavior at games. If the referee complains to the coach, the offending parent will have to leave the field or the team will forfeit the game.

We ask that you support the MAYSA methods of teaching and coaching even if you disagree. We welcome any discussion of our philosophy. However, for consistency, we want all the players working with us together.

Please keep abreast of team news, announcements, and the upcoming schedule at our web site. We will always phone you personally with any last minute scheduling changes.

We welcome and encourage your input. Feel free to contact any one of us either personally, by phone or email. We will try to address your concerns as best we can.

Thank you for the opportunity to coach your children! It is a priviledge.

Your Oceana Coaches

10 Commandments for Parents of Athletes

1) Thou shalt not impose your ambitions on your child. Remember that the sport is for your child's own enjoyment and education. Do not emphasize winning over teamwork. Do not judge your child's progress based on the performance of others, but rather how he is improving in relation to his previous ability.

2) Thou shalt be supportive, no matter what. If you want your child to continue in a sport over the long run, she must have fun. If she doesn't enjoy the sport, it will never work out.

3) Thou shalt not coach your child from the stands. You have taken your child to a trained and certified coach. If you can do a better job get out of the stands and in the trenches. Otherwise, do not give conflicting messages that will only confuse the athlete.

4) Thou shalt say only positive things at games. Be supportive, cheer and applaud. Never criticize your child, other children, officials or coaches. This is your big chance to set a good example for behavior you expect from your child.

5) Thou shalt acknowledge your children's fears. What might be very entertaining for you can be very stressful for your athlete. Don't belittle that fear or your child. Quiet support will go a long way.

6) Thou shalt not criticize the officials. If you yell at or abuse an official, don't be surprised when your child models your behavior and acts out against other authority figures in his life. He learned it from you.

7) Honor thy child's coach. If you have a legitimate complaint, approach the coach in private and be reasonable. It will be much easier for both of you and not send conflicting messages to the athlete. All of us accept criticism much better without a crowd.

8) Thou shalt set more important goals than winning. You can win many games with poor effort and attitude, depending on your opponents. Remove outsiders from the equation of success and concentrate on team work, personal growth and mental maturity .If you set success based on the weaknesses or strengths of your opponent, you will never push yourself to the limit.

9) Thou shalt place your child first. Ask yourself if you are trying to live your life through the successes of your child. If her success means more to you than it does to the athlete, you are in serious risk of pushing your child too hard. If you want to be that driven, go out and play a sport yourself (you are never too old!).

10) Thou shalt not expect your child to become a star. Every parent dreams of their own child becoming a major league player. It is more realistic to use sports to teach your child work ethics, teamwork, and the value of not giving up when you are down.

**********************************************************

As an Oceana Parent I will:

(1) be encouraging, supportive, & affirmative in regard to my child's play on the field

(2) respect officials & accept their decisions (See Zero Tolerance Page)

(3) support the coach, manager, the team, & the club

(4) volunteer my services & talents to the club when possible

(5) familiarize myself with the Laws of the Game

(6) comply with rules, policies, & procedures of the team & Club as they apply to me

(7) discuss my child

*only with the coach

*not with the manager or any other person

*only at a time mutually agreed upon with the coach

*never prior to, during, or directly after a game

Further, I will never :

(1) engage in dissent directed toward an official

(2) engage in any kind or type of unsportsmanlike conduct with any official, coach, player, or parent

(3) interfere at any time with the duties and responsibilities of the coach or manager

(4) act in any manner which is detrimental to the team or the Oceana Club

SCSL Zero Tolerance By-Law

Section 13. Zero Tolerance http://www.scsl.org/ftp/docs/constitution.pdf

13-1 General

All persons responsible for a team and all the spectators shall support the referee. Failure to do so will undermine the referee's authority and has the potential of creating a hostile environment for players, the referee and all the other participants and spectators.

13-2 Addressing the Referee

No one shall address the referee during a game except as allowed in the SCSL Policies Manual. Any violation shall result in penalties as specified in the SCSL Policies Manual .
********************************************************
South Coast Soccer League Policy Manual

Section 900 - Zero Tolerance http://www.scsl.org/ftp/docs/policies.pdf

901 General

All persons responsible for a team and all the spectators shall support the referee. Failure to do so will undermine the referee's authority and has the potential of creating a hostile environment for players, the referee and all the other participants and spectators.

902 Addressing the Referee

No one is to address the referee during the game except as allowed below.

1. Coaches and Managers During the Game:

a) May respond to a referee initiating a communication

b) May ask for substitutions

c) May point out emergencies or safety issues

At halftime or at the end of the game:

a) May ask a referee to explain a rule(s) in a polite and constructive way

b) May give a polite and friendly feedback to the referee

c) Absolutely no sarcasm, harassment or intimidation is allowed in any conversation with the referee

Penalties:

a) 1st Minor Infraction - The referee should ignore

b) 1st Serious Infraction - Caution or ejection depending on the seriousness of the infraction (FIFA)

c) 2nd Minor Infraction - A verbal warning

d) 3rd Infraction - Caution

e) 4th Infraction - Ejection

2. Spectators During the game:

a) May respond to a referee initiating a communication

b) May point out emergencies or safety issues

Penalties:

a) 1st Infraction - Referee should stop the game and ask the coach to quiet the offending spectator

b) 2nd Infraction - A verbal warning. Referee should stop the game and ask the coach to warn the spectator that the next infraction will be an ejection or the referee will abandon the game.

c) 3rd Infraction - The referee shall instruct the coach to direct the spectator to leave the field. The referee should abandon the game if the spectator refuses to leave the field.

d) If the referee abandons the game, the referee shall file a report and the SCSL may impose a forfeit on the spectator's team.

Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association Application (MAYSA Form)

Oceana SC Webmaster

Host your Web site with FatCow!