Minnesota Soccer Times July 2017 by Varsity Communications

VOLUME 30VolumeISSUE JULY 30 Issue4 2 March 20172017

MINNESOTA

SOCCER TIMES

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Soccer Times Minnesota Youth Soccer Assoc. 10890 Nesbitt Ave. S. Bloomington, MN 55437

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IN THIS ISSUE Coaches Corner • Page 4 Tryout Tips • Page 7 Competitive News • Page 15

KICKS FOR KIDS

Dou lele bb Dou lezle zz PuPzu Page 19

MINNESOTA

SOCCER TIMES

For the Love of the Game By Kent Campbell | MYSA Executive Director

The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted; all rights reserved. Articles may not be reproduced without written permission. The advertising space provided in Soccer Times is purchased and paid for by the advertiser. None of the products or services are necessarily endorsed by MYSA or its affiliates. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of its advertisers or MYSA. Printed in the United States of America.

Minnesota Soccer Times Official Publication of the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association is published six times per year by Varsity Communications, Inc. U.S. Subscription Rates: $9.95 for 1 year; $19.95 for 2 years; Single copy: $2 Minnesota Youth Soccer Association Officers: Steve May – President Sean Beggin - Vice President John Conte - Treasurer Mark Mahowald - Secretary Member Representatives Marty McDermott - East District John Kinsey - North District TBD - Northwest District Todd Loose - South District Matt Nielsen - Southwest District Susan Farbo - West District Minnesota Youth Soccer Association State Office 10890 Nesbitt Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55437 Tel.: (952) 933-2384; (800) 366-6972 Fax: (952) 933-2627; www.mnyouthsoccer.org State Office Staff Kent Campbell - Executive Director Chato Alvarado - Coaching/Player Dev. Administrator Andy Coutts - Director of Education John Curtis - Dir. of Coaching & Player Development Katie Flakne - Manager of Special Events Sue Gjerset - Website/Technology Manager Ayla Lokkesmoe - Member Programs Specialist Norine Olson - Financial Specialist Cam Stoltz - League Commissioner Iván Woyno - Director of Member Services Production Varsity Communications, Inc Editor Brian Beaky

e all need a bit of positive motivation and to hear reassuring words of guidance from time to time. This month, I am drawing from John Wooden, who was a great coach and had some awesome thoughts to live by each day. Some may be pertinent today and some in your future. They are all just common sense, but it is nice to read and think about them. Coach Wooden used them to motivate his players to become better individuals: 1. 2. 3. 4

Happiness begins where selfishness ends. Discipline yourself and others will not need to. Tell the truth. That way you do not have to remember a story. Do not let making a living prevent you from making a life. 5. Don’t be afraid to fail. 6. Be confident, not arrogant. 7. Do not permit what you cannot do to interfere with what you can do. 8. Be slow to criticize and quick to commend.

Minnesota Youth Soccer Bylaw and Rule Submittals By Kent Campbell MYSA Executive Director

EXEC

MESSAGE 9. The time to make friends is before you need them. 10. Treat all people with dignity and respect. 11. Acquire peace of mind by making the effort to become the best of which you are capable. 12. Remember that success is not defined by victories. 13. To get cooperation, you must give cooperation. 14. Make each day your masterpiece. These words may have been spoken more than 45 years ago, but they are still gems to be used today. If we were to look at a wellperforming team on the field, these simple principles of wisdom would apply.

CONTENTS Departments Executive Director’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Coaches Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Honor Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Space for ‘Rents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Competitive News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Referee Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Infographic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

ach year, the member clubs of the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) have an opportunity to submit new bylaw or rule proposals, or amendments to existing bylaws or rules. Bylaw or rule proposals may also come from an MYSA Committee or MYSA Board member. It is important to remember that the bylaws and rules that govern MYSA play come from the members of our organization. The state office implements and enforces the membership’s decisions. The submittal process helps ensure that all members are treated in a fair and consistent manner. Minnesota Youth Soccer is the governing body for all of youth soccer in the state of Minnesota and the bylaws and rules that govern the state youth soccer association and its member clubs. In November, at the MYSA Annual General Meeting (AGM), the membership discusses, and then votes on, any bylaw or rule submittals from member clubs. To propose amendments to any existing bylaws or rules, the member club must complete an MYSA Submittal Form for Proposed Amendments. This form can be found on the MYSA website under Member Services > Forms > Administrative. If you do not have computer access, call the MYSA state office at 952-933-2384 (800-366-6972) to have a copy emailed or sent to you. This form must be completed and received in the MYSA office no later than 5 p.m. on Aug. 1 to be considered in November.

Kicks for Kids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Features Rules and Bylaws Submittals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 MYSA Annual Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Mike Warter Scholarship Recipients. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Minnesota State Cup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 MYSA Winter Symposium Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 District Select Identifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Tournament Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 MYSA Youth Academy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

For all the latest Minnesota Youth Soccer news visit mnyouthsoccer.org

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Kids Page Answers: 1. focus • 2. strength • 3. energy • 4. coordination 5. temperature • 6. essential • 7. performance • 8. choices 9. before • 10. during • 11. after • 12. endurance • 13. function Mystery Message: Every sip counts!

Soccer Times

JULY 2017

COACHES CORNER

Relative Age Effect By Andy Coutts | MYSA Director of Education

t’s tryout season and time for most coaches to pick up their evaluator clipboards to help their club or school assess players for team-formation purposes. Unfortunately, this process is likely to contribute to the Relative Age Effect (RAE), resulting from a talent selection bias that will negatively impact many youth players (and positively impact others, but not by their own merits). What Is It? RAE is a bias toward selecting older players within an age group. With the switch to birth year registration, it now favors the players born in the earliest months of the calendar year. The chart below shows that in the 2016 U17 UEFA championships, the participation rates for January-March (Q1) players are much higher than those born later in the year. RAE stems from advantages enjoyed at developmental ages by Q1 athletes being selected based on greater maturity than those born later in the year. Even though physical and psychological attributes equalize by young adulthood, the differences in opportunities at pre-teen and teen years can have a lasting effect. So What? When we evaluate young players based in part on short-term maturation differences, we unintentionally put those at the younger end of the age group at a long-term disadvantage. Consider this example: A technically solid December-born 12-year-old who is a half-step slower and a few pounds of muscle smaller than his peers is placed on a lesser team because his athletic elements don’t match up with other athletes in the age group, especially those born January-March. Even when this player catches up to his peers in physical characteristics post-puberty, the development advantages for the Q1 kids — a few years of better coaching, more training, etc. — have a lasting impact. The effect is seen in the U17 teams at the UEFA Championship having nearly half their players born in the first three months of the year. It’s by no means impossible for later birth month athletes to reach the highest levels of play, but it’s a taller mountain for them to climb. Now What? Countering RAE is difficult, but there are some steps to take. Changing the age cutoff often would be the best solution, but that’s wildly impractical. Removing some of the pure physicality from the game has and continues

JULY 2017

Soccer Times

to be done, with small-sided adaptations like the pending no-punting and build-out line rules. Clubs can minimize RAE by allowing open training sessions and using age-group trainers, so that all players have access to the best coaches. Having kids try out within half-year bands and selecting a certain number from each would be an interesting experiment, but quotas are hard to justify. The Minnesota Olympic Development Program has created older-younger teams within the U13 and U14 age groups for many years, but they have the luxury of staying in those bands throughout their trainings and competitions. What are coaches to do at tryouts? The best antidote is for coaches to be aware of RAE and be intentional about reducing your reliance on physical attributes to assess players. When that big, fast player with bricks for feet scores on a breakaway, pay attention to the small, crafty player who delivered the through ball. It’s easy to see the shooting star, but we should aim to do better at giving the rising star a fairer shot.

MYSA Annual Awards

MYSA HONOR ROLLS

By Katie Flakne | MYSA Manager of Special Events

May Honor Rolls

ow at the peak of the summer soccer season, the number of hours that coaches, referees, club administrators and volunteers have put into the season are racking up. As they continue to dedicate their time and hard work, how can you possibly show your appreciation and gratitude? One way to recognize and thank these individuals is by nominating them for one of 10 awards presented by MYSA each year. Competitive Coach of the Year — This award is given to a competitive coach for both a boys team and a girls team. This person exemplifies leadership both on and off the field and goes that extra mile to ensure a great soccer experience for all participants. Recreational Coach of the Year — This award is given to a recreational coach for both a boys team and a girls team. This person exemplifies leadership both on and off the field and goes that extra mile to ensure a great soccer experience for all participants. Administrator of the Year — This award is given to those that have worked hard within their club to help provide opportunities for children to not only play soccer, but to play in a safe and fun environment. Volunteer of the Year — This award honors those who are excellent role models for their community, and who generously give of their time and talents for the good of the game.

By Chato Alvarado | MYSA Coaching/Player Development Administrator

TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year — This award is given to an extraordinary individual for their accomplishments as a TOPSoccer Buddy. This person demonstrates patience, understanding, dependability, flexibility and the ability to adjust to ever-changing on-thefield situations. TOPSoccer Coach of the Year — This award is given to an individual who facilitates the program by filling many roles, including a coach, cheerleader and role model, as well as assisting, guiding, directing and teaching the game of soccer and its skills while creating a fun learning experience. Young Referee of the Year — This award is given to a young male and female referee (19 years of age or younger as of Aug. 1 of the current year) who have a strong work ethic, knowledge of the rules and are positive role models to other referees, as well as players. All nominees receive two complimentary tickets to attend the MYSA Annual Recognition Banquet, where each person will be honored for their contributions. This year’s banquet will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. Minnesota award winners will be forwarded on for Regional and possibly National consideration. Please visit www.mnyouthsoccer.org for complete details and online application. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30, 2017.

YSA is proud to present the Club and Coach Honor Rolls. The Club Honor Roll lists the clubs that have recently offered coaching education courses for their coaches. The Coach Honor Roll includes coaches who have recently completed a USSF Coaching License in Minnesota. Thank you all for your efforts to improve the level of soccer for all players in Minnesota. Congratulations to all clubs and coaches for making the MYSA Honor Rolls! CLUB HONOR ROLL

Club No. of Coaches Coaching Education Course Blackhawks............................. 15.................................... Youth Module Buffalo/Wright County............ 19.................................... Youth Module Monticello............................... 17.................................... Youth Module Owatonna............................... 18.................................... Youth Module Park Valley United FC............. 29.................................... Youth Module St. Anthony............................. 20.................................... Youth Module Thief River Falls...................... 13.................................... Youth Module Waseca................................... 22.................................... Youth Module Woodbury............................... 28.................................... Youth Module Central Minnesota.................. 16.................................... Technical Certificate Grand Rapids.......................... 10.................................... Technical Certificate COACH HONOR ROLL: “E” License (49) Apse, Jeffrey Baker, Eli Baldwin, Greg Batista, Julio Beaverson, Tracey Budish, Jason Buechler, Jason Burgess, Julie Caouette, Christina Cargeor, Josiah Ciszewski, Molly Claiborne, Todd Clemens, Brian

Coffee, Matt Early, James Farnham, James Fette, Lonnie Garita, Enrique Ginsburg, Joe Heffernan, Kevin Heuer, Michael Heywood, Kristin Hogan, Kelly Hoivik, Craig Hough, Alyssa Kachian, Ben

Kochanek, Jillian Kraines, Nathan Kuehn-Hajder, Mike Kurtzweg, Nathaniel Lafave, Jared Little, Michael Lopez Varela, Mickey Lor, Xiong Macmillan, Thomas Martin, Charles Mauch, Joshua Maynard, Terry Meyer, Todd

Oien, Marc Olson, Callianne Patrick, Thomas Peterson, Emily Peterson, Shane Puff, Sam Schuldt, Robert Stevens, Savannah Vroman, Brooke Vroman, Nicole

Tryo u t s in Jul y! JULY 30TH - AUG. 3RD at Kingston Fields

Check calendar on website for age group times: www.cottagegrovesoccer.org Make-up (rain/weather) dates are the August 4th - 6th Any Questions or interested in trying out for CGU competitive program, please email Jeremy Handler, Director of Coaching, at doc@cottagegrovesoccer.org

Soccer Times

JULY 2017

Rylee Whiteside & Jonathan Carman Announced as 2017 Mike Warter College Scholarship Recipients By Katie Flakne | MYSA Manager of Special Events

innesota Youth Soccer players Rylee Whiteside and Jonathan Carmen are the recipients of the 2017 Mike Warter College Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded for postsecondary education. The two $500 scholarships are awarded based on community service and giving back to the game of soccer. They honor the life of Mike Warter, who was a true pioneer for women’s soccer in Minnesota. This fund is a reminder to all of Mike’s commitment to the development of players by nurturing good play, good friendships, better facilities, proficient coaching and the happiest of times for all participants. Both Rylee and Jonathan have taken the important life lessons that soccer offers its participants and given back to the game and their communities. Minnesota Youth Soccer is proud to remember Mike Warter by contributing to the lives of these young adults.

Rylee Whiteside Rylee is a graduate from Jordan High School and will be attending the University of Minnesota-Morris. Her plan is to take Pre-Physician’s Assistant courses at Morris. Rylee has been playing soccer since fifth grade for the Shakopee Soccer Association. While attending Jordan High School, Rylee didn’t have an opportunity to play high school soccer until her sophomore year. As a seventh grader, she had a goal of getting soccer added as a sport at her high school. She worked with her athletic director to conduct surveys and research and, after three years, Jordan High School officially added a soccer program. She was named team MVP for two years and will be continuing to play soccer at Morris. Outside of soccer, Rylee has been involved with several community activities. She was part of the Student Council for four years and served as president for two. Rylee was also the treasurer for Jordan’s National Honor Society, where she helped keep records of money collected for service projects and made decisions with the other officers. She was also part of Spanish club, the prom committee and a peer tutor. Rylee is an extraordinary leader, both on and off the soccer field. She has learned that hard work, focus, commitment and dedication are essential to achieving goals and overcoming obstacles, a life lesson she will carry with her for continued success.

Jonathan Carman Jonathan graduated from Rosemount High School. He plans to attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and major in business/ administration. At a young age, Jonathan was diagnosed with a form of mild autism called “Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified’ (PDDNOS). This obstacle has led him to work hard and keep a positive attitude. Through this ambition, he achieved a place on the varsity high school soccer team, maintained a 4.0 GPA and was named valedictorian. Jonathan has been playing soccer since kindergarten and will be playing this summer on the Eagan Wave U19 C1 team. He made the varsity team his senior year, was named to the Section 3AA Coaches All-Section Academic Team and was awarded the Irish Elite Award, Outstanding Academic Athlete Award and the Scholar Athlete Award. Besides playing soccer, Jonathan is very active in his community. He is a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers at Shannon Park Elementary School, where he works in the special education classrooms with his former teacher. Jonathan has been praised for his hard work ethic and respectable character. No barrier is too high, nor any obstacle too difficult for him to tackle. These values will carry him far in his future pursuits.

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Soccer Times

SPACE FOR ‘RENTS

TRYOUTS: Not Necessarily a Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Week By Andy Coutts | MYSA Director of Education

he month of July represents the end of the MYSA summer season and, for a majority of youth clubs and players, the start of tryouts for the next soccer year. Among my Coaching Director and club leader friends, the tryout period is considered the toughest week of the year. The prep process includes arranging tryouts and evaluators, refining the evaluation process, communicating to current and potential members, and hoping for both quantity and quality in the players who participate. And that’s the calm before the storm. The real fun begins in offering roster spots, monitoring responses, forming teams and then experiencing a certain amount of fallout from those decisions. From a parenting perspective, it’s no walk in the park, either. Your son or daughter has finished a long season and may be ready physically and mentally for a break that isn’t coming. Despite the bruises that remain from the summer season, they aim to be at their freshest in a very short tryout window for one or more clubs to earn their place for the new soccer year. Whether your child is staying with the same club where she or he has a track record, or auditioning for a new club, your child’s performance on one or two tryout dates may impact their team placement. What’s the parent role in this process and how do you support your child? Maybe it would help to work from both ends towards

the middle. On the front end, review the rules governing registration, including section 1.3 of the MYSA Rules Manual, to understand the big-picture registration rules to which member clubs are accountable. That doesn’t mean that all clubs are alike in how they run tryouts and form policies surrounding registration. Each club is its own entity with its own policies and procedures, and players register with clubs first before they are subsequently registered with MYSA for league play. You should review the documents you sign, and the policies for each club tryout that your child is attending, to understand what you’re paying for and the expectations that come along with that fee. For example, a club’s refund policy would be a key piece of information in case it gets to the point where your child has to ask to be released from a commitment to a club. If that last statement sounds like a paradox, it is. Making a commitment to a club, whether that’s per a single season or a full year (based on each club’s way of doing business), implies that you’ve made your choice and will make the best of that decision. The commitment is mutual, in that the player commits to play for the club and, in turn, the club commits to the player by holding a roster spot, appointing coaches, organizing a calendar, ordering uniforms and the like. When one party doesn’t hold up their end of the commitment for any number of reasons, there is

a release process. But, that gets messy, and could be another article entirely. Let’s say you’re going to make one decision and honor it, and the next paragraph offers some help in that regard. This year, based on the membership vote at the Annual General Meeting last November, there is a statewide, eight-day waiting period from the first possible day of tryouts until a club can require a commitment from a family and be bound to that club for the year. The rationale is to give families a chance to explore options and participate in multiple tryouts before being pressured by a club to commit to a roster spot. This has created some challenges with various interpretations of the rule as written, but I’ll try to simplify here. For U9-U11 players (2007 birth year and younger), it means that tryouts can begin on July 12, and while you can register with a club anytime on or after that date, an athlete can’t be officially bound to the club until after the eight-day window has passed — in this case, on July 20. For U12 and older players (2006 birth year and older), the first tryout date is July 30; the first day these players can be bound to a club is Aug. 7. This is meant to cut down on the incidence of buyer’s remorse from players and families who accept an offer under some duress without being able to see what other options exist. This is the first year with this rule in effect, so it remains to be seen if the intention will

live up to the practical reality. Ideally, families will make better choices and clubs will be able to set rosters early and focus on training and developing those players, without players continuing to shop around to see if the grass is greener somewhere else. Working backwards from the end, consider what you want your child to experience and learn through their soccer career, and how this upcoming season can offer opportunities to move towards those goals. Belonging to a club with a sound philosophy about development and a comprehensive plan would be a good starting point. I received an email recently from a player who had played for five different clubs in four years. It’s possible that each club wasn’t doing a great job of suiting her needs, but then, it’s on the family to do a bit more research to figure out what environment suits her best, so that her soccer resume doesn’t look like someone who can’t deal with adversity or is never satisfied. When I was a college coach, those resumes were huge red flags. Would you hire an employee who had that many jobs in as many years? They could be fantastic, but moving for a better offer that frequently also could indicate a lack of loyalty or perseverance. Instead of stressing about all the things we can’t control during the tryout week, think ahead about the things you want for your kids by the end of the season.

Soccer Times

JULY 2017

2017

MINNESOTA STATE CUP

Winners Crowned at 2017 Minnesota State Cup By Katie Flakne | MYSA Manager of Special Events

innesota Youth Soccer Association is pleased to announce the 2017 winners of the US Youth Soccer Minnesota State Cup. The Minnesota State Cup is the first leg of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and is home to the highest level of club soccer in the state. Fourteen winners and one U13 Boys wildcard (Fusion) have advanced to represent Minnesota in the Midwest Regional Championships being held in Sioux Falls, S.D. Those who are crowned champions at the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships in the U13-U19 brackets earn a place to compete in the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships to be played in Frisco, Texas, at the end of July. The tournament started with play-in games that took place on May 2-5 at Caswell North Soccer Complex in Mankato, Minn. Due to unplayable field conditions from overnight rain, games were cancelled on Monday, May 1, and moved to Friday, May 5. Unfortunately, this was not the only time the tournament would deal with weather issues. Group play ran the first two weekends in May, with 231 games played over that four-day period. The tournament started with 184 teams in the U13-U18 age groups and finished with 48 teams heading into the semi-finals and finals weekend. The Minnesota State Cup finals weekend was scheduled for May 20-21. On Saturday, May 21, the State Cup Committee decided to cancel all matches for that weekend. The rain leading into the weekend and that morning had caused the fields to be underwater. Also, games from Saturday were not able to be transplanted to Sunday due to field conditions, as well as a potential shortfall of referees required for 24 matches. After a break for Memorial Day weekend, semi-finals and finals were set for June 3-4. This weekend also showcased the U19 semi-finals and finals. The U19 age bracket can be tricky to schedule due to college players, prom, graduation and extracurricular activities. The State Cup Committee tested self-schedule games for this age group and hope to use it again in the future. Even though we faced some bumps along the way, the best thing about the Minnesota State Cup was that it showcased the exceptional talent and sportsmanship within our state. More than 65 college coaches from across the Midwest were in attendance watching the tremendous ability the players displayed on the fields. Thank you to all the teams, coaches, players and parents for your patience, flexibility, positive demeanor and for giving it your all. Thank you also to the State Cup Committee, referee assignor Jon Cooksey, and the host, Mankato United Soccer Club, for their time and hard work.

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Soccer Times

Congratulations To The Following Teams: Age Group

Champion

Runner-Up

U13 Boys............ Minn. Thunder Acad. Elite.............. Fusion U14 Boys............ Sporting St. Croix........................... Minneapolis United U15 Boys............ REV SC........................................... Minn. Thunder Acad. Elite U16 Boys............ Minn. TwinStars Acad. West.......... Tonka United U17 Boys............ Eden Prairie.................................... Prior Lake U18 Boys............ Sporting St. Croix........................... Blackhawks U19 Boys............ Minneapolis United........................ Sporting St. Croix Age Group

Champion

Runner-Up

U13 Girls............ Eclipse Select................................. Minn. Thunder Acad. Elite U14 Girls ........... Fusion............................................. MapleBrook U15 Girls............ Minn. Thunder Acad. East.............. Minneapolis United U16 Girls............ Eclipse Select................................. Woodbury U17 Girls............ MapleBrook.................................... REV SC U18 Girls............ Minneapolis United........................ Shattuck-St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U19 Girls............ REV SC........................................... Minn. Thunder Acad. Elite

Soccer Times

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Soccer Times

JULY 2017

MYSA Winter Symposium Changes for 2018 By Andy Coutts | MYSA Director of Education

he Super Bowl will bring an international spotlight to Minnesota in February 2018. That spotlight will shine on an incoming wave of people; to accommodate them, the NFL has booked all major Twin Cities facilities for a month surrounding the game â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including our usual Winter Symposium home, on the first Saturday in February. Thus, MYSA will make some changes to accommodate our members and continue our Super Bowl of educational events by turning to our new office facility in Bloomington. The current vision is for a Winter Symposium split into two parts on consecutive Saturdays. The first Saturday, Feb. 3, would have a coaching focus, with expert presenters on a variety of coach-centric topics. The second Saturday, Feb. 10, would cater to club leaders and administrators, with sessions about operational aspects of clubs. Both programs would take place in the MYSA Development Center, a large and modern classroom with capacity for 100 participants. Individuals will be able to register for either date for a $25 fee that includes lunch and a thank-you gift. Other benefits would include easy access, free parking, a catered lunch and a 9 a.m.-3 p.m. schedule, with social time afterwards for those interested. We hope your club will consider sending a number of people to each event so that our Winter Symposium can continue to be a lively function that brings people together. More details will be available in the November issue of Soccer Times, with online registration opening around the same time. Your ideas for the event are always welcome.

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Soccer Times

US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program For boys and girls born in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 ONLY

he District Select Program is open to all players and includes four training sessions and two one-day festivals, one in the fall and one in the spring. After the process, a pool of approximately 36-50 players for each age group and gender will be identified for further training and potential selection to an ID camp/regional showcase/development camp in July 2018. District Select offers an ideal opportunity for players to sample the program without the pressure of a traditional tryout situation. Players are encouraged to attend as many sessions as possible and can sign up for whichever district they prefer, based either on geographic location or day of the week. More information about the Olympic Development Program can be found on the MYSA website. IDENTIFICATIONS Day: Sundays • Dates: Aug. 27, Sept. 10, 17, 24 • Time: 5:30-7 p.m. Locations: East (Cottage Grove, White Bear Lake), West (St. Louis Park), North (Coon Rapids) Northeast (Duluth), Northwest (St. Cloud), South (Prior Lake), Southeast (Rochester) and Southwest (St. Peter).

Festivals Date

Time

Location

Fall Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017

Boys: 9 a.m.-Noon Girls: 1-4 p.m.

Coon Rapids Soccer Complex

Spring Saturday, May 5, 2018

Boys: 9 a.m.-Noon Girls: 1-4 p.m.

Coon Rapids Soccer Complex

Please visit the MYSA website at www.mnyouthsoccer.org/odp for more information and to register. Online registration is available through Friday, Aug. 18, 2017. For players who cannot participate in the District Select Program this fall due to high school soccer, you will be able to participate in the Spring Festival on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Questions may be directed to Chato Alvarado at 952-252-1688 (800-366-6972) or chatoalvarado@ mnyouthsoccer.org.

Invitational Tournament, Festival and Jamboree Planning for 2018 By Kent Campbell | MYSA Executive Director

osting a tournament is an exercise in commitment. It requires commitment from all involved, starting with a club’s Board of Directors, and moving on to the Tournament Director, committee members, volunteers and all others who are stakeholders in the event. The sanctioned tournament environment in Minnesota is very competitive, with 40-50 tournaments being hosted each summer. This competition involves not just booking teams to participate in the tournament, but also the fields to play on and referees to officiate. Because of this, the commitment of the club is extended to also doing their homework before deciding to host a tournament, to ensure that they have the capability of offering a quality event for all who participate. After the Board, once they have considered all of the above factors, has voted to host a tournament (recorded in the meeting minutes), the work begins. The first step is to apply for sanctioning through Minnesota Youth Soccer. There are several important deadlines that need to be met for hosting tournaments in the calendar year for 2018. They are as follows: Sept. 29, 2017 Intent-to-host forms (along with minutes of Board of Directors meeting with approval of tournament) due by 5 p.m. at the MYSA state office (NO EXCEPTIONS). Oct. 21, 2017 Mandatory Invitational Tournament/Festival/ Jamboree Directors meeting at the MYSA office. Nov. 13, 2017 International and National Invitational Tournament Sanctioning applications due by 5 p.m. at the MYSA state office (NO EXCEPTIONS).

Dec. 1, 2017 MYSA-only Invitational Tournament/Festival/ Jamboree Sanctioning applications due by 5 p.m. at the MYSA state office (NO EXCEPTIONS). Minnesota Youth Soccer’s fees for Tournament Sanctioning applications in 2017-2018 will be as listed below: International: $500* National: $400 MYSA-only: $300 Festival/Jamboree: $125 *U.S. Soccer Federation fees also apply

Organizations must be in good standing with Minnesota Youth Soccer before they will be considered for sanctioning. Also, if you hosted a tournament, festival or jamboree in 2017, all post-tournament reports must be filed with the Minnesota Youth Soccer state office in a timely manner before you will be considered for 2018. This includes the referee report with the list of referees and the games they officiated. Questions may be directed to Norine Olson, Financial Administrator, by email at norineolson@ mnyouthsoccer.org.

Soccer Times

JULY 2017

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JULY 2017

Soccer Times

Competitive News Fall’s Changing Season

Coaches and Fans, Take Notice

By Cam Stoltz | MYSA Leagues Commissioner

By Ira Gurewitz | MYSA Competitive Director

ver the last year, MYSA has been implementing directives from the U.S. Soccer Federation. The upcoming MYSA Fall season will be the first time we see all of the new rules resulting from U.S. Soccer mandates take effect in league play. The major change felt this last year was when clubs and players adjusted to the “Birth Year” mandate, which recategorized players, resulting in reshaped teams and club plans. Our developmental ages (9-12) also saw the impact of a national ban on heading the ball, which had MYSA change its league rules to restrict intentional heading in ages 11 and under. This next MYSA season will install the final needed rule changes to our league and tournament operations. These last changes will occur in our developmental-level games (ages 12 and under). The application and learning of new rules will impact coaches, players, referees and, yes, fans and parents. It is important to realize these changes are designed to better develop our game at the young ages. Our young players will be better off as they discover their ability to play the game with a higher understanding as they approach their cognitive years. While rule changes have been communicated in detail to clubs and their Directors of Coaching, the following is a simple layman’s summary of the changes that will be applied to all future league and tournament play (as of August 1): More players on the field: At ages 10U and 9U teams will field seven players a side, up from six a side. 12U and 11U will go from eighta-side to nine players per team. While field size will remain the same, the additional player per team will encourage more technical play.

Players and teams age up on August 1: As part of the “Birth Year” mandate, players and teams are now categorized by year. Our league calendar will now coincide with the national and international soccer calendar, where the soccer year runs from August 1 through July 31. As an example, if your player was a 12U (2005) this summer, they will become a 13U player on August 1. We all realize changes can be difficult, especially in a game so many care about. At the same time, we know our kids are resilient and always respond to challenges. The game will always go on and will continue to get better. Friendly Fall League Reminders Below are some important dates for families, teams and clubs to be aware of in planning for the fall season: July 12 July 30 Aug. 7 Aug. 14 Sept. 9 Sept. 22 Sept. 30 Oct. 14-15

Tryouts for 9U-11U teams (players born in 2007 or younger) can begin Tryouts for 12U & older teams (players born in 2006 or older) can begin Player-Commitment Day (the first day a club can require players to commit) Leagues deadline for clubs to enter teams into Fall Leagues Fall League Season games may begin Last day to add new players to a team 9U/10U Fall Jamboree MYSA Fall State Championships (Rochester, Minn.)

t the time of this writing, we are roughly a month into the summer season. Referee abuse and assault continues to be a major problem. Last year, I spelled out the problem and warned that if this continued, the opportunity for many youth teams to play soccer with assigned referees will be going by the wayside. This year, once again, referee numbers have declined, with games having to be rescheduled because of a lack of referees. Coaches and fans need to learn to keep their negative thoughts and comments to themselves. It is sad to see that many adults who are supposed to be good role models for the players instead act like children themselves. It has to stop, beginning NOW. Already this season, the State Referee Administrator has had calls from parents saying that their children were going to quit refereeing, because they are tired of being yelled at by the fans and coaches. It is really sad. The adults may think that they are not doing anything wrong, but they are destroying the self-esteem of many young referees, and causing them to hang it up. If they think the young referees are bad or making mistakes, guess what? No one is perfect. The only way for them to get better is to learn from making mistakes, and being corrected in a positive environment by a referee mentor or another very experienced referee. Adults on the sidelines, yelling at them does nothing but get them to quit, resulting in a self-perpetuating problem of having many young, inexperienced referees that don’t stick it out long enough to become strong and experienced. If this continues, the number of experienced officials will continue to dwindle, and in time, competitions will have to become self-officiated. There have already been a few cases of referee assault and abuse this year. Adults need to realize that there are very specific consequences for these types of actions, which are passed down from US Youth Soccer. These types of behavior are taken very seriously and do not result in just a game or two of suspension. Physical contact with an official results in much more severe consequences. Coaches have been suspended for a minimum of three months and up to a lifetime. Some fans believe that nothing can happen to them for yelling at the referees. However, they need to realize that they are impacting the referee’s

performance, and probably not the way they wish. The referee isn’t going to change their calls when they are yelled at. In fact, we don’t like to believe so, but they could be causing the referee to give the benefit of the calls to the other team, especially on close calls. Fans have been sanctioned by their own clubs, from attending games for a specified amount of time. No fan should believe that they have a free pass to harass or abuse the referee. So, if you are one of the level-headed fans, please help promote the enjoyment of the game for everyone involved by helping to control your fans. Pass this information on to your friends who attend the games, as well as grandparents. We want everyone to enjoy the game which can only be accomplished by adults acting like adults. Keep in mind that this is only a game. Do referees make mistakes? Sure, however, I can almost assure you that the players you are rooting for are also making mistakes. Sit back, enjoy, cheer on your favorite players and teams, but also remember to show restraint by keeping negative comments in check. You can be the catalyst for creating a more enjoyable environment for all, today and for many years to come.

No punting at 11 and under: The no goalkeeper punting rule is now extended to ages 11 and under. This aligns with the fact that players are not allowed to head the ball at this age. This change also addresses safely issues created with long and high bouncing balls, high kicks and the practical ability to play soccer balls you cannot head. Build Out Lines: For ages 11U, 10U and 9U, a new build out line will be marked just shy of the center of the field, where defending teams will need to retreat to restart after a goal kick is awarded. This will allow and encourage goalkeepers to play the ball out, quickly and on the ground, prioritizing team possession. Offside in Maroon and Gold Leagues: Offside will now be enforced at 10U and 9U. This will require additional coaching and understanding of offside principles. Players should come out of their formative years with more experience and a better grip of how the full-sided, big-field game is to be played. Soccer Times

JULY 2017

MYSA Youth Academy Program By Academy Program Directors: Sean Baker ( Keliix-Intra ) | Jeremy Driver ( Park Valley United FC ) | Andy Lynch ( White Bear ) | Andy Seidel ( Woodbury ) | Garth Thoulouis ( Prior Lake )

s we prepare for the fourth year of the MYSA Youth Academy Program, we, the Academy directors, would like to share with you some information about the program. It has not been without challenges and changes. While it will be a few more years before we are able to tell the success or failure of the program, we continue to see the benefits over the traditional program, and these benefits compel us to keep moving forward. The Academy Program is based on developing all players over a 10-month period with qualified coaches. The Academy directors meet and set the schedule for the entire year. This schedule includes fall game days, winter games and spring games. Each club then adds their own training around those games, as well as any additional games or tournaments outside of the Academy schedule. With our traditional program, we would form teams at the U9 and U10 age groups, assign coaches and send these teams off to play on their own. Most of the time, we would put the top players on one team and the others on the next. These teams would go off and have successful seasons. The top teams would usually have the more qualified coach and the other team may have a parent coach. The coaches and parents do their best to have the players enjoy the season, which they normally do, and the players would return the next year. This model tends to work through the U12 age group; when the players get to U13, and the two teams have to be combined, we start to see the gaps in the development. We also see the difference in the structure and standards of the group. For example, one group had been training twice a week, while the other was training four times a week. The two groups play, or try to play, differently. There tends to be some discord between the two groups when they come together — we are the top group, you are bottom players; those guys think they are better than us; etc. The combined team cannot compete at the highest level; ultimately, the top players leave to find a team more fitting to their ability, while the bottom players decide soccer is not for them and choose another sport or activity. Now, we have gone from 20 kids on two teams at U9, to only 14 kids on one team at U14. Then, with the experience of this team nothing like what the kids had at U9 and U10 age level, a few more quit. I refer to this model as the “throw away” model. What we are actually doing is taking the top kids at eight years old and providing them everything they need to succeed, while not giving the rest of the eight-year olds the same opportunity to be successful. We believe we are all experiencing some level of the above scenario; this is why we choose the Academy program to help address some of these issues within our own clubs. Pool Training The pool play really helps us deal with the historical issues we have at U14. Since all of the players have been training together, we expect to not have the same level of issues as we have had in the past when we go to one team.

Less Travel with Weekend Games All Academy games are scheduled on the weekend — Sundays in the fall and and Saturdays in the spring. On game days, teams play two games within a four-hour time frame. Parents no longer have a long travel day mid-week during rush hour. Even when we have to travel across town, it is on a weekend for a few hours and the kids get to play two games. No more hour-and-a-half hour travel for one game in rush hour, with a late arrival back at home on a school night.

Now, those 20 players are all training together with our best coaches (all of our Academy coaches are licensed coaches). The training habits, requirements and lessons are the same for all of the players. When we play on game days, our teams have the ability to change. Sometimes it is tiered, top to bottom; sometimes we have level teams. The players all get to know each other and we put a lot into developing the training habits of all the players. Each player has the same opportunity to be successful and be the best that they can be. Being in a pool training environment gives players the opportunity to learn how to lead, as well as how to be led. It opens the dialogue between coach, player and family about player development and what that truly means on an individual level. Club vs. Team Development We feel that this type of training allows the players to feel and understand that they are part of a larger group than just their “team.” It provides a player-centric development with a “we” concept. In the traditional club format, directors of coaching have a difficult time applying their agenda, goals and process to all of their teams. With Academy pool training, these objectives are more easily applied across the board to all players. 10-Month Program Schedule In August, when we form our pool for the new soccer year, the entire schedule for the year is known to the parents. We know in August when we train, play and have time off for the entire year. This up-front schedule is a great resource for our parents. Being able to plan other events and activities around the soccer schedule for an entire year is of significant value to our parents.

Two-Year Birth Year Groups: U10s and U12s The two-year age group has not been without challenges, especially with the new birth year guidelines. Our current U12 group is made up of kids born 1/1/2005 to 12/31/2006. Two years’ worth of physical development at these ages, especially for the girls, is noticeably different. There are some significant differences in social development as well. This group has kids that are essentially in three different grades. However, what we have seen with our U10s is that the older U10s (who were the younger group last year) take up leadership roles in their group. They have a better understanding of the training process and game-day activities, and are willing to help the new kids with the process. Their confidence on the field has also grown significantly. We believe that we will have a better cohesion with our U12s when these U10s get there. At that time, when there is more of a difference in the players physically and socially, we will be able to tell the true impact of the program. Flexible Roster/Competitive Teams The ability to form teams differently each week, as well as on game days, provides us the opportunity to have more competitive games. This has not been without challenges, especially at the start of the year, when the level of our players is unknown. We have taken to informing our parents of these struggles at the start of the year and asking them to be patient with us. By the next spring, our games tend to be more competitive. For us, this flexibility is a better development model than labeling a player C1, C2, Gold or Maroon and having them carry that label for a year. Development vs. Winning This is one of the biggest misconceptions of our program. We label our program as one centered around development over championships — a message which is constantly misinterpreted by others. We work with our kids on developing their skills, training habits and mental capacity to be successful soccer players. One of our requirements for our training sessions is to create an environment similar to a competitive game; this is to help prepare our players to compete at their highest level. Our objective during the games is to not allow goals to be scored on us and for us to score goals (WIN). We attempt to create competitive games and play to win. What we try not to do is sacrifice development for winning. Trying to get U9 players to build out of the back, when they are just now learning to pass the ball, will result in bad passes that can then lead to goals. However, we value this as a key development need, and our kids continue to try and play this way at the risk of giving up goals and losing. This is an example of what we mean by development over championships — always playing to win, but not by sacrificing development. Small Clubs with Limited Field Space Another benefit of our program, for our smaller clubs with limited field space, is that clubs no longer need to have fields available for games on Mondays through Thursdays. These clubs can choose to host one event in the fall and one event in spring, and only need to have fields for one Saturday and Sunday for all their U9 to U10 games for the year. This provides a huge reduction in cost and scheduling for the smaller clubs. Academy Directors Run the Program One of the major benefits of the program is that the Academy directors run the program. Since we have all bought into the program and are looking for the same results for our kids, we are better able to work together and agree on activities for the program. We meet monthly and share what we are doing, the progress of our kids and obstacles. When new clubs join, we are able to guide them and provide them with valuable information to help their program be successful. Having dedicated coaches working together towards a common goal provides a wonderful group to work with.

JULY 2017

Soccer Times

REF REPORT

Coaches and Parents, Please Stay off the Field By Bob Petersen | State Director of Assessment

n their match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Minnesota United FC Head Coach Adrian Heath momentarily stepped out on the field during a match to help retrieve a second ball that had gone out on the field just in front of the bench. His actions could be assumed to be wellintentioned. However, MLS reprimanded him and warned him to not enter the field of play without permission. Some people in the sport were speculating that there could be a fine and, potentially, a game suspension before the MLS Disciplinary Committee announced their conclusions. Why be so harsh on something that may seem very innocent? For starters, it says so in the Laws of the Game. The game is based upon that idea that the players decide the outcome, and any outside interference has serious consequences to how the game is contested. If a player or substitute enters or re-enters the field of play without permission, they must be given a yellow card. In the past, if play was stopped for a coach or other bench personnel entering the field, the restart was a dropped ball. Now, it is a direct free kick, and could even be a penalty kick. The changes on the increased punishment shows how serious IFAB and FIFA are about entering the field of play without permission. On a broader scope, allowing anyone to enter the field creates many problems. People that come onto the field without

permission greatly increase the tension in a match. This year, there was an MYSA youth match where a parent entered the field because it looked like two players on opposing teams were about to fight in front of the spectators, just after contesting for the ball. As well-intentioned as that may have been, adding that parent to the incident can create many more problems than just letting the referees do what they need to do. In this incident, like almost always, the players did not fight. So, is it okay for parents to enter the field every time a fight “might” occur, in their opinion? No, it is never okay. There would be people constantly running onto the field in almost every competitive match. The parent or spectator could have been struck, intentionally or accidentally. A player could have been struck by the parent. Then what? Instead of dealing with just the two players,

the referees could have a potentially long list of issues to sort through. This subject also includes when players are being tended to for injuries. Those allowed by the referee to come on to the field are given special permission of only ensuring the well-being and safety of the injured player. This special permission is not a time for a coach to debate or make statements to the referee or players on the other team. Many coaches get upset at referees when they become very strict while injured players are being tended to. These complaints only happen because that coach says something derogatory towards the referee or, sometimes, opposing players. Once a coach does that, they have rightly lost their special permission to be on the field and the referee should immediately tell the coach to leave the field. A referee has every right to be strict in these cases, even stricter than normal. The Laws of the Game are created with the players in mind. Outside interference can have serious effects on the game. Coaches and parents have different interests in the outcome of matches. Even actions that are well intentioned can be seen differently by others. So, just as innocent as Coach Heath’s intentions were, there is something to learn. If anyone sees a reason to enter the field, do everyone a favor and just don’t. You will get in a lot of trouble if you do, no matter how nice or helpful you are trying to be.

Soccer Times

JULY 2017

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JULY 2017

Soccer Times

Champions

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Soccer Times

JULY 2017