This area is for MSP Coaches and Assistant Coaches.
Coach Meetings/Clinics - TBD
Age Group Coordinators/Commissioners -
Each Town of Play has Age Group
Coordinators. For example, there are five AGC's in Leesburg: U3, U4, U5, U6
Girls and U6 Boys. There is one Commissioner for each town except Sterling
where there is one person who does it all. You will work directly with your AGC for everything from team assignment to end of season awards.
Medals/End of Season Awards - The medals will be given to Age Group Coordinators this
season. The AGC's will contact you. Coaches only may get them or request you
Asst Coach to get them for you. As a coach, you decide when you would like to
distribute them - at a party, during the 6th session or wait until the last
session. It's up to you. Here's are some tips: 1) survey your parents to see
who is going to attend the last session. If there are going to be players
missing and you are going to distribute them with pomp & circumstance, you
may want to do it at the 6th session; 2) if you are not going to attend the
last session, you should do it at the 6th session; 3) if you have players whose
parents have been motivating them by telling them they will get a medal (trophy)
if they play, you may want to wait until the 7th session; 4) hide the medals
from the players until you hand them out; 5) wait until the end of the session
to hand them out; 6) please be careful if you demonstrate how they can put the ribbon on their
finger and twirl the medal in the air.
Lost and Found
items (cloths, balls, water bottles) will be left at the field. Valuable items
(cell phones, keys) will be given to the Site Coordinator to bring back the next
week.
Pinnies and Cones U4 teams have a trainer who will bring all of the necessary equipment. The U5/U6 coaches who will each be given 4 cones and 3 pinnies. The U5/6 coaches will not need the equipment until after the first three sessions as the trainers will bring the equipment until then.
Picture Day -
Picture
Day Schedules are posted in the Coach Corner when ready. All Coaches receive a
complementary team picture as well as one for the Assistant Coach. Please email opphoto@aol.com or 703-392-7551 to change your
appointment if needed. Pictures will be sent to directly to Coaches to be distributed to the team.
Please contact Olson Photography if you have any concerns or problems with your
pictures - opphoto@aol.com.
RAINOUTS - Make sure to read the Weather link under the Resources tab and understand what to do in case of inclement weather. Rained Out is a notification service available on the Loudoun Soccer website that provides cell phone notifications which you should share with the parents. A leaguewide rainout is when absolutely nobody is playing and this will be posted on the website (in most cases), communicated via Rained Out and the weatherline (703-777-5897). Sometimes only a few areas are closed and these may be posted on the website, Rained Out and the weatherline. Many times, there is what we call "Game Time Decision". This is when some areas have the ability to play while others may be questionable. In these circumstances, the Site Coordinator will decide for the Mini Soccer Program if the field or other conditions warrant suspension or delay of play. Lacking a Site Coordinator, the coach will make the decision. Thank you for your understanding during these types of weather issues as it is difficult to second guess nature - and many times we just get it wrong but we always try our best.
U5/6
Coaches - We switch fields each week so we can play a different team
each week. Please make sure you look at the schedule before
going to the field. As a matter of fact, it's a great idea to have a copy with
you at the field. Only two teams are to be on each field so being able to refer
to the schedule helps direct the lost team in the right direction. If there are
less than 9 players or more than 16 or 17 on a field (unless you are in Sterling), that's a clue that
something is amiss and either the missing teams needs to be found or the extra
team needs to find the correct field. Don't forget, you can always call me at
703-618-6076.
Medical release &
Code of Conduct forms - found in the Coach Corner are to be completed
the first session and kept with
you or the AC if you are not there.
Schedules - Will be posted when
available.
Coach Letters to
Parents - There are three examples below of very well written coach
letters (Thanks to Coach Strite, Coach Foley, for sharing) to parents at the
bottom of this posting. Feel free to tweak them for you own use.
MSP Director -
Please contact Sharon at msp@loudounsoccer.com, 703-777-9977 or 703-618-6076. We
appreciate feedback so if you see errors or have comments/ complaints/ compliments/ suggestions please let us know. The coaches,
assistant coaches, parents and trainers have worked together to develop the best
soccer program available to families in Loudoun county and only you can help us
continue to meet and exceed that commitment.
Sample Letter #1
to Parents
My name is Walt Wonderboy and I am
the coach your child's U4 Soccer coach for this upcoming season. This is my
seventh season as a coach for Loudoun Soccer, and I am very excited about this
upcoming season. I am also very pleased to teamed up with Peter Piper, as this
is our fourth season working together. While I will be contacting each of you
by phone by next week, I wanted to send out a note with an overview of the
upcoming season. Looking at the roster, there are a few names that are familiar
and returning from last season and a few that are brand new.
As part of the
Mini Soccer program in the Loudoun Soccer our U4 soccer meets once a week.
These weekly sessions will be held on Saturday mornings @ 10:00am at Blue Ridge Middle School in Purcellville. There are three
mini-soccer fields, all in a row, and they are the first ones that you walk up
to at Blue
Ridge. While I don't
have our official assignment yet, just ask one of the coaches (Black LS shirts)
to point you in the right direction (Coach Walt - U4CPURXX).
Our first session is scheduled for
this Saturday, April 18th @ 10:00, baring any inclement weather (see
weather line below). The full schedule for this season is: Spring 2008 April
18, 25 May 2, 9, 16, 20 June 6 Rain Date (May 23).
Please make sure that your
child has shin guards, their own #3 soccer ball and a water bottle for breaks,
and brings them to each session. I will provide each of our soccer stars with a
T-Shirt/Jersey during their first session. Each of the sessions will be filled
with games and soccer related activities that are geared to introducing the game
to them and most of all having fun. If you are new to this program, this age
level is on the field and all parents and guardians are on the
sidelines.
Bring your voices to cheer
on the action and your cameras to capture the memories. Please make note that
my right side is my best side and Petre doesn't have one. :)
I will also be putting
together a snack schedule and sending that out via email. Please let me know if
you would like to volunteer for snack duties on week #1, as then I will make
assignments for the rest of the weeks. If you know that you will be out for a
specific week, drop an email to myself or Peter so that we know how many we
should expect on the field each week.
Two final notes for you
all. As the players are 3-4 years old, please note that this is not a drop off
practice and one parent or guardian must be at the field during the each
session. If you do need to leave, please make arrangements with one of the
other parents in advance and then let me know as well. Lastly, Darin and I
will handle everything on the field, but I do ask in the event of any potential
outbursts, that you please assist us by taking responsibility for your own
children.
Now that all of that is out
of the way, both Darin and I are really looking forward to this season and we
hope that your soccer players are also. To get them excited about this season,
please ask them to think of possible team names prior to our first session. Use
the following list as suggestions, but let them come up with ideas on their own.
Firecrackers (Last years name and was a big hit), Tadpoles, Comets,Puddle
Jumpers, Little Strikers (email me with other ideas).
If you have any questions,
please contact me either by Phone or Email, as listed below. I have also
included Peter's contact information as well.
Thanks,
Walt Wonderboy 703-999-9999
Email address here
Sample Letter #2 to
Parents
Parents: First, let me welcome you
and your child to our team for the Spring 07 Mini-Soccer program! My name is
Sam Superboy, and I am excited to say that Phil Losophy and I will be your
child’s U3 soccer coaches this Spring season
and we look forward to getting started this Saturday, April 14th at 12pm at Hutchison Elementary school Field #1.
We wanted to wait to get
this initial contact out to you until our roster and schedule were solidified,
which they are now – there are so many kids and teams in the Mini
Soccer program that things are somewhat fluid until a week or so before the
season starts. At the risk of sending out what will appear to be a massive
email, we want to ensure that we provide you with all the information you will
need to have your child prepared for the season. Either Phil or I will follow
up with you by phone individually in the next day or two to discuss any
questions or concerns you might still have before our first session on 4/14, but
hopefully this email covers all of your initial questions.
Phil and I will continue to
monitor the website and other information sources for updates, but this is the
latest, as we know it. In an effort to cover all the important topics, in no
particular order, here is the list of information for your
review/understanding: Most importantly, Coach Phil and I share the Loudoun
Soccer philosophy, which is to teach your child the basics of soccer and to have
a whole lot of fun.
While this note and
preparation may seem overly formal, we promise that the season will be a lot of
fun, once we get started ! Please check the website regularly for updates at http://www.loudounsoccer.com/ .
Our team: the LS knows our
team as U3SRAXX. If you ever contact the Loudoun Soccer offices with questions
(703-777-9977 or msp@loudounsoccer.com), you will need to
use that team name. We will obviously have our team players select a more user
friendly name the first week, but right now, this is our only team
name.
Location/Time: our team will ALWAYS
meet at 12pm at Hutchison Elementary School in
South Riding on Field #1. Our schedule is for the following 7 Saturday mornings
for 45 minute sessions: April 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, and June 2. Sessions
will start at 12pm sharp, so please make every effort
to be at the field on time. FOR THE FIRST SESSION, IF EVERYONE COULD ARRIVE AT
11:45am, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
This will give Coach Phil and me an opportunity to meet your child, pass out
jerseys and get the necessary forms filled out. We’d like to get the paperwork
out of the way early so that we can focus on having fun.
Format: for those new to
the program; all sessions will have a professional coach assisting Coach Phil
and I and will be heavy with drills and will end with some amount of game action
as the weeks progress, we will start to spend a little more time each week
introducing games at the end of each session; however, the U3 program is really
all about getting these youngsters on the field and introducing them to soccer.
The fun level will be high, but to set everyone expectations, there will be no
keeping score, and games will be light.
Uniform/Gear: all children
MUST have the following to be able to participate in each soccer
session:
Size 3 soccer ball. I’ll
bring extras just in case, but please remember to bring your child’s ball, and
to PUT YOUR CHILD’S NAME on the ball).
Shin Guards (doesn’t matter
what kind, just that they are wearing them,)socks don’t have to cover up the
shin guards at this age… Soccer cleats, indoor soccer shoes, or
sneakers (cleats are optional, and sneakers are recommended for most kids unless
it’s a wet week/season)
Water bottle the kids will
get very thirsty during the session and there are multiple water breaks I will
have the soccer jerseys and will distribute just prior to our initial session on
4/14 the MOST IMPORTANT thing to note regarding what to wear is to dress your
child for the weather, and dress them for comfort (not too cold, not too hot,
not too wet).
Snack and Drink: we
recognize this is for many the highlight of each session!!! ; my wife Pam and I
will be responsible for snack the first week and Coach Phil and his wife for the
second. I will bring a sign-up sheet to the first session and we can fill in
volunteers for weeks 3 through 7.
Weather Line: Please call
the weather line at 703-777-5897 or refer to the notification website at www.RainedOut.com before
coming to the session on questionable days. We do play in light rain or snow
(although let’s all hope for good weather), but these 2 sources are the best for
checking on cancellations due to weather on the weekend.
Other logistics/rules:
Picture schedules will
be posted soon, the pictures take place on one of two Saturdays in the middle of
the season, usually adjacent to our game time slot. There is a NO pets and a NO
SMOKING policy at all Loudoun Soccer activities and fields, and a “leave it
cleaner than when you found it” philosophy so please adhere to these rules and
assist us in keeping the fields clean after our session. Due to insurance
rules, no unregistered siblings are able to participate in the
program.
Again WELCOME to each of
you to our team! Coach Phil and I very much look forward to meeting you and
coaching your child!!! We promise to contact each of you over the next couple
days to answer any final questions please use the following contact information
if you need to reach either of us:
Sam Superboy 999 -999-9999(H)
999-999-9999(C) Email address here
Phil Losophy
999-999-9999(H) Email address here
Sample Letter #3 to
Parents
Hello Parent,
Your child has been placed on my
Mini Soccer Program/Loudoun Soccer team. I'm testing out the email addresses
and letting you know my contact information. Please hit Reply to this email so
that I know you are receiving my emails. Make sure your email provider accepts
my emails and does not send them to the spam file.
Thank
you,
Coach Rodeo
555-555-5555