General Questions
Q: What time should the player show up for a game?....A: Generally 15-30 minutes prior to the game. Your coach will let you know when to get there.

Q: What should I do with a player who only wants to play offense?....A: Try to have players (especially at a young age) play all different positions at times. This will help them understand all parts of the game better. It will also make them more diverse/valuable as they get older.

Q: As a parent, what should I do if I feel my child is not getting treated fairly with playing time, etc.?....A:You should discuss this with the coach. Coaches can not resolve situations they may not realize. Remember that soccer is supposed to be fun for all players and the coaches. You should never be "afraid" to talk to your child's coach.

Practice Tips
U6-U10 Basic's
At this age level, focus team play on small sided games, 1 vs 1 to 3 vs 3. Place emphasis on active, fun soccer allowing many touches on the ball while introducing and developing basic techniques-dribbling,kicking,control and heading.

Dribbling/Control Example:
10 players each with a soccer ball. Arrange cones in a large circle. All the players dribble around inside the circle (forward, backward, zigzag, change directions). The objective is to try to kick everyone else's soccer ball outside the circle of cones while protecting your own ball.

U12-U14 Basic's
At this age, the emphasis shifts from small sided games to a concentration of small group practices-5 vs 5, to 7 vs 7. These focus on team formations and shape.

Teamwork,Passing, Field direction change Example:
Using markers, outline an area of 50 yards by 50 yards. Use cones to make a small goal, 3 or 4 yards wide, in the center of each of the 4 sidelines. Divide players into 2 teams of 5-8 players. Game starts with kickoff from center field. Each team defends 2 goals and can score in 2 goals.(Coach will decide which). Team gets a point by scoring a goal, waist high or below. (no goalies). Limit advanced players to 2 touches. Play this game using 2 soccer balls at one time. This will increase field awareness and help players to be alert and keep head up.