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Colchester soccer Colchester, Vermont - USA
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Colchester Soccer FAQ Table of Contents
How do I sign up for Fall Soccer?Registration for our 2009 Fall Recreational Soccer League will be done online this year. This will be our first online registration and we are all very excited about it. Please visit the Registration Page for more information. You will be able to register to play, choose a volunteer position and make payment all online. Back to TopFall Soccer is setup by grades, which grade do I list my child as in?The grade you should enroll your child is the grade they will be in when fall arrives. If your child is in 1st grade now and expects to be in 2nd grade next year, enroll for 2nd grade soccer. Back to TopIf I miss the April registration dates, is it too late to sign up for Fall Soccer?It is not too late to sign up, however, you will need to pay the late registration fee per player as specified on the registration form (unless your child is in kindergarten). You will also be subject to a wait list. Generally, most or all wait list registrants will be offered a team placement near the start of school. Back to TopWhat is the wait list, and why does it exist?The wait list is a record of all registrations we receive after our spring registration nights. The list is kept in order of date completed form & payments are received. In an effort to have continue our league philosophy of maximum play time, team numbers are established after the spring sign up nights with limited team members. Uniforms are then ordered. Our first priority is to allow new residents to Colchester the ability to sign up for the program, generally because they were not residents at the time of the spring sign ups. After giving those new members of Colchester the opportunity to play soccer, if teams have space and uniforms, the wait list is opened. Back to TopWhat is needed to play soccer?The league provides uniform shirts which must be worn each game day. Comfortable shorts, pants of any style and sneakers or cleats, whatever they child already has is fine. Cold weather days sometimes necessitate wearing layers, but they must be UNDER the uniform shirt. Soccer shin guards are mandatory. Most players also purchase the soccer socks to wear OVER the shin guards. Back to TopAre Shin Guards Mandatory?Yes, for the safety of your child, shin guards are mandatory at ALL practices and games. A child will not be allowed to practice or play in a game without them. Shin guards are sold at most sporting goods stores and at resale sport shops. They should cover most or all of the shin. Soccer socks are typically worn OVER the shin guard. Back to TopAre Cleats Mandatory?There are special soccer cleats available, a little different style than football, golf or baseball cleats. They are NOT mandatory. Sneakers are fine. Cleats used in other sports are NOT allowed. When will practices start?Coaches will be presented their rosters at a meeting late in August. Games begin the first Sunday after Labor Day. Practices usually start during the first few days of September, about the time school gets started. Coaches are instructed at the August meeting to contact all players at least 2-3 days before the first game.Why are some teams practicing, but we haven’t heard from a coach yet? Coaches are given their rosters at a coach meeting held late in August. Some coaches are prepared and anxious to get started and begin practices within a day or two of the meeting. Others may be busy with work or the start of school and begin their calls and practices later. Remember, they are all just volunteers and they will contact you at least 3-4 days before the first game which is the first Sunday after Labor Day. If this date goes by without a call from a coach, contact our league office. Grade coordinators establish the teams. Keeping teams balanced in terms of numbers, ability, gender while trying to honor requests for teammates is a challenge. Generally teams begin by be organized according to neighborhoods. In many instances, teams set up in grade 1 stay together for a number of years. However, in an effort to balance all teams, sometimes team changes occur. What if I can’t make the practices the coach sets up? In some instances, if the coach is not able to accommodate your needs, a team change is made. Often middle school students who play daily with a school team do not attend additional recreation team practices, and simply participate in the Sunday games. What is the philosophy of play with the fall recreation league? Our league philosophy is this is a beginning recreation program. It is designed to give equal opportunity to all players without concern for game outcome. Each player is given the instruction needed to be successful at a beginner level. Team rosters are kept to a minimum allowing players to have ample play time. Touching the ball, playing the game, making mistakes is the way children learn to be team players and successful at soccer. Everyone is encouraged to reach their own personal success. Competition is minimized. For those players seeking more competitive soccer programs, we have a traveling spring program and can also direct families to year round indoor and outdoor club programs. If I have a concern about the soccer program, who should I address it with? In most instances, problems or concerns can be addressed with the coach. If this is unsuccessful, the grade coordinator is the next person to talk to. If this is not satisfactory, contact the league president. Sometimes issues are sent in writing and are then addressed at board meetings held 3-4 times each year. The Fall season ends with our annual board meeting. Feedback is encouraged to make the league better. Why does the program mandate family volunteers? Our fall recreation program is the largest in the state with over 700 players and 60 plus teams. The entire organization is run by a team of dedicated volunteers, but to ensure the optimum environment for all our young athletes, some 300 volunteer positions need to be filled. Although we have a board of over 20 volunteers that put in multiple hours over the course of the year to ensure the league is successful, the 300 volunteer positions require as little as an hour a season to as much as 15-20 hours. If every family takes their small part, no one is over burdened. Some families use older siblings, grandparents or uncles to fulfill their family obligation. What is the difference between the coed league and the all girl program? For girls who play fall soccer in grades 1-8, they have a choice of playing with both boys and girls on a mixed team, or on an all girl team. Many girls spend some of their years in each of the programs, based on their needs and interest at the time. You will need to pick one program for a complete season. Many girls choose coed the first few years as there is often little difference in skill between boys & girls in the first years. Some then prefer to be on an all girl team after a year or two and some return to coed as they get older and enjoy the competition and skill development that comes with playing with the boys. What ever feels right for you. Can a make a request for a specific teammate, team or coach? Yes, we try our best to honor requests to play with certain individuals. In some cases it is necessary for car pool reasons which otherwise wouldn’t allow the child to play. Keep in mind we strive for equity and not all requests can be honored. In some cases, 5-7 children have all requested to be together. Honoring all these requests would negate the equity system. Usually asking for a specific coach or a single other team mate can be honored. What if I have no soccer experience. Can I still participate? Absolutely! This is just the program for the beginning soccer player. Each coach will begin with the basics of soccer. Most coaches are beginners themselves and thrive on teaching those basic skills and rules to allow players to begin the team sport of soccer. Unlike many other sports, soccer only requires the ability to run and kick a ball. Most children can do that, no matter their athletic ability. With such simple steps, they can feel the accomplishment of being an athlete and team player. What is the process of applying for a scholarship? We have a very simple form available on our web site or you can simply put in writing a summary of your requests and a small paragraph describing your family needs and constraints. This written request can be attached to your child’s registration. You can also talk to the registration committee or league president at registration nights. Our league has offered ample scholarships in the past allowing all students who want to play the ability to play. Full or partial scholarships have been awarded, as well as delayed payment plans. In some cases, the league has encouraged families to take a more active volunteer role to help defray some of the costs of the program. The scholarship committee is a confidential process designed to allow all Colchester children the opportunity to participate. Do I have to be a resident of Colchester to play in your program? Yes, only residents of Colchester are allowed to play on our soccer teams. Some students reside in Colchester, but attend schools outside of Colchester. Being a student in a Colchester School is not a requirement, simply a resident of the town. Do I have to pay a late fee if I miss the sign up nights? Unfortunately yes, with the exception of the kindergarten and first grade players who are new to the program. We advertise our registration nights in a variety of local media including the Burlington Free Press, the Colchester Sun and the Colchester Schools newsletters. In addition, all past participants are mailed a notification of the sign up nights. We encourage families to sign up BEFORE these nights by mailing applications to us prior to the registration nights. Only applications postmarked BEFORE these days will be accepted at the lower fees. Many families have found this process to help minimize busy lives and when the unexpected occurs, they are not tied to making one of the registration times. With the additional work and expense of then notifying past participants who did not sign up on time, in addition to the delay of team allocation, the extra fees must be charged to help defray costs. Why do sign ups occur so far before the start of the season? With over 700 fall players on over 60 teams, it is an extensive process to allocate all players to teams trying to balance equity, ability, and social requests. Additionally, coaches and assistant coaches need to be recruited to fill the needs. Since not all families sign up at the registration nights, it sometimes takes several weeks to notify each family to allow them a second opportunity to sign up, delaying the team allocation process. The grade coordinators then present their team selections to the board for approval, all before the summer vacations start. Since the program begins at the start of school in the fall, and families are on vacations during the summer, that the process needs to be nearly complete before summer vacations begin. Where can I find directions to the fields?Click on Field Directions. There are directions and maps to help you find the field and even an aerial photo to show you where the fields are at Airport Park. We usually play at Airport Park in the Spring and at Colchester High School in the Fall. Back to TopWhat information is available on the web site?Everything we could think of to make it easier for everyone. Please take some time and check everything out. If you don't see what you are looking for, please make a suggestion or comment. We welcome your feedback Back to TopCan I receive information by email?Yes! Just send us an email message and request to be added to our list. We are still in progress of building this feature, but are hoping to be able to make communication for everyone easier by using email The more email addresses we have the easier and more cost effective it is for us to communicate with everyone. Tell your soccer friends! Back to TopI've heard about indoor soccer. Where can I find more information?We don't actually have a formal indoor soccer club, but many of our players and coaches have formed private teams. Click on the Indoor Soccer link to get more information or contact us by email. Back to Top
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