Version ?
Proposal
Moving forward for Premier/ Regional level
Seamless Soccer Opportunity System
and
Resolving Washington Youth Soccer/ PDL alignment
Contents
Background 3
District Leagues/ WSYSA Premier/ PDL 3
Changed situation 3
Seamless Soccer Opportunity System, Premier/ Regional level 3
Thinking bigger – formalize structure/ roadmap for Premier/ Regional 4
Executive Summary of Proposal 5
Value Proposition 5
Key structures 6
Dual affiliation for Premier/ Regional clubs 6
Regional Club subcommittee 8
Organization Structure, Roles and Responsibilities 9
Washington Youth Soccer league modifications 10
Washington Youth Soccer Cup Modifications (proposed) 11
Action Plan 13
Stakeholder review/ buy-in 13
Appendix 14
Appendix A – Association and Player Count table 14
Appendix B - Reference materials from WYS Strategic Plan 16
Background
There are a number of factors driving the approach recommended in this proposal that need to be considered.
District Leagues/ WSYSA Premier/ PDL
• As Premier Clubs developed, WYSYA remained relatively stagnant
• Prior to recent years, WSYSA leadership was non-responsive to requests/ concerns raised by Premier clubs regarding quality and consistency of competition and development
• In Spring 2006, a group of clubs and their district leadership came together to develop the PDL, introducing a change agent into Washington Youth Soccer. The initial focus was on organizing league play for U11-U13, with strict requirements for club participation to ensure a common approach to development and quality competition
• As WSYSA continued to be inflexible, this was expanded to include older groups as the PDL continued to grow, with the 93 year leading the way
• As a result, many of the top competitive clubs in Washington Youth Soccer are now playing in the PDL, outside of the Washington Youth Soccer league structure
There have been a number of unintended consequences of this change, including the dilution of district leagues, the dilution of the WSYSA Premier league, a reduction in WSYSA revenues, the eventual elimination of LPTs, and issues with structure/ seeding for state cups.
Changed situation
• Washington Youth Soccer leadership recognized the problems with the state organization over two years ago
• Major changes have been implemented in the past 3 months, including the restructuring of Washington Youth Soccer leadership, the initial design of a “seamless soccer opportunity system”, and the introduction of a new Executive Director with greater capabilities and responsibilities
• The Washington Youth Soccer league has been redefined, and now has the flexibility that was introduced in the PDL structure; serving ages U13 and up
• The Washington soccer community has been fragmenting. A new league (PSPL) has been introduced as an alternative to Washington Youth Soccer sanctioned leagues, threatening to further dilute soccer development and competition
• USSF/USYSA have raised concerns over the PDL structure and perceived exclusivity
Seamless Soccer Opportunity System, Premier/ Regional level
In the appendix is the material regarding the Premier/ Regional level of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System. Please review this material prior to evaluating this proposal. To summarize a few key points:
• The focus is on a system of development for players, not the development of teams or specific leagues
• The standards that are discussed are much more aligned to the current definition of a Premier club than a team or even multi-purpose/ select club environment
• The principles are very aligned with the current approach of the PDL, including standards of conduct
• Implementing a consistent program aimed at the Premier/ Regional level of play is more effectively executed in a centralized fashion
Thinking bigger – formalize structure/ roadmap for Premier/ Regional
Rather than approach this situation as the simple forced integration of the Washington Youth Soccer Premier leagues and the PDL – the opportunity is to “reinvent” the approach to the Premier/ Regional level of development and play, in alignment with the vision of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System. What follows is a proposal for how that can be accomplished, including a high-level action plan.
Executive Summary of Proposal
Value Proposition
Washington Youth Soccer will gain an accelerated implementation of the Premier/ Regional level of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System through:
1) The dual chartering of the current top premier clubs by local association as “Regional Clubs”
2) The servicing of those clubs by a dedicated Washington Youth Soccer league
3) The participation/ leadership of those clubs in the refinement and implementation of the Premier/ Regional level of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System through membership in the Regional Club subcommittee of the Oversight Committee for Washington Youth Soccer
The top –performing Premier clubs based on competitive results (currently from the PDL) will gain a permanent voice in the Premier/ Regional level of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System through:
1) Dual affiliation through registration with their “home” association and a direct Washington Youth Soccer “chartering” as a Regional Club, with consistency of charter coming from Washington Youth Soccer
2) Voted representative membership on the Regional Club subcommittee of the Oversight Committee
3) Regional Club subcommittee direction of the Regional Club league structure – a Washington Youth Soccer-operated league
Associations will gain the ability to ensure representation for their membership in the Premier/ Regional level of play through:
1) Investing in meeting well-defined criteria for formation/ support of an association Premier/ Regional club
2) Partnering or consolidating with neighboring associations where necessary to provide a deep, quality program
3) Partnering with Washington Youth Soccer staff, committees, and board to address issues/ concerns with the performance and value of their designated Premier/ Regional club
Players, coaches, and families will gain a clear path to the highest level of development and play as envisioned and sanctioned by Washington Youth Soccer and their local association:
1) Well defined, consistent developmental standards as established by the Technical Director, the Regional Club subcommittee, and the Oversight Committee
2) Structured, sponsored communication/ education on the role of the Premier/ Regional level of development and play
3) Continuous innovation and education related to this level of play from a strong, facilitated community
4) Continued competition among Premier/ Regional clubs to ensure a competitive, market-aligned service
Key structures
There are a number of structures required for the successful implementation of this proposal.
Dual affiliation for Premier/ Regional clubs
In order to ensure a consistent approach to the Premier/ Regional system and enable fairly rapid changes to the Premier/ Regional club charters as the system evolves, we are proposing the introduction of a Regional Club Charter, sanctioned directly by Washington Youth Soccer. Clubs with this charter would participate in the Regional Club subcommittee of the Oversight Committee. This subcommittee and Washington Youth Soccer (office, Oversight Committee, and Board) would have shared responsibility with the local Association for the governance of the Premier/ Regional Clubs and their charter. This is spelled out in more detail below, but at a high level:
• The Regional Club subcommittee would control developmental policies and standards, ethics, governance structures/ requirements, to be reviewed and approved by the Oversight Committee
• The Regional Clubs would implement the practices and policies defined by the Regional Club subcommittee, working with their local Association
• The local Association would facilitate and enable communications, ongoing alignment with mod and select programs, and field access as required, and would continue their responsibilities for governance related to organizational compliance to bylaws and financial practices. The local Association will also be responsible for implementing bylaw changes to align to approved changes to the Regional Club charter
• The Regional Club subcommittee and local Association would work together to address issues/ conflicts, facilitated by the Washington Youth Soccer Executive Director and where required the Oversight Committee and/ or Washington Youth Soccer governing board
• Player counts would still reside with the local association for Washington Youth Soccer votes
• The Regional Club charter establishes a baseline that the Regional Club must be allowed to implement, although a Regional Club may form fewer teams based on their particular situation. While the local Association along with the Regional Club may choose to expand on that charter (fielding more than the minimum number of teams), there are limitations on the number of teams that can participate in the Regional Club league (see League Modifications section):
Age group Minimum as allowed by charter Regional Club league maximum
• U10 • Academy training program, no formal teams • N/A – Academy players will participate in jamborees/ events with other Regional Clubs; no formal team formation
• U11 • 3 • 3
• U12 • 3 • 3
• U13 • 2 • 2
• U14 • 2 • 2
• U15 and above • 2 • 1 A team, B team if qualified. Non-qualified B teams move to Open league; A teams have that option as well
• Additional teams above the Regional Club League Maximum; requires a request to the Regional Club subcommittee filed by both the Regional Club and their Association
a. Associations greater than 6k may be provided an extra slot for U11 and U12 development in the RCL
b. Associations greater than 8k may be provided 2 extra slots for U11 and U12 development teams in the RCL, and 1 extra team at U13 and U14 in the RCL.
c. All mergers of clubs currently in the RCL will waive the team limitation for a minimum of one year upon review of the RCC.
d. All mergers of Associations currently represented by clubs in the RCL will waive the team limitations for a minimum of one year upon review of the RCC and the Oversight Committee.
e. Additional teams from regional clubs wishing to participate in the RCL may petition the RCC for inclusion on the basis of:
? Cost containment (ie: coach runs the groups as an Academy format)
? Travel considerations (pairings, etc)
? Competitive ability
• Clarifying U15 and above:
o Aligning to the concept of seamless soccer, allow high-performing club select/ developmental teams to be placed in the Regional Club league brackets. This placement would need to be based on either CAPS or finish in State Cups. (NOTE –to enable this but also ensure adherence to rules/ development, approach is to have these teams “sponsored” by their association Regional Club and the local association)
Similarly, move lower performing Regional Club B teams (and potentially some A teams) to the Open league
o This process and structure will need to be refined as part of the Regional Club Subcommittee startup activities
Regional Club chartering is based on the following:
1) Initial membership would be the current PDL clubs; followed by a review of Association coverage to determine if additional clubs should be added to represent Associations that do not have a Regional Club in the initial membership group (see appendix A for list of Associations/ clubs). This review will take place within the first 3 months of subcommittee formation, with recommendations due to the Oversight Committee. Recommendations subject to the additional criteria below
2) Charters will be limited to one per Association
3) Participation/ leadership in crafting and complying with developmental standards and the responsibilities of the Regional Club subcommittee, including enabling the development and implementation of “Long Term Player Development Pathway (LTPD)”
4) Adherence to the following criteria. Failure to adhere to these criteria will result in a review of the Regional Club, with remediation required. Failure to address shortcomings may result in a revocation and/ or reassignment of the Regional Club charter as a last resort, requiring approval by Washington Youth Soccer (office and Oversight Committee)
a. A properly licensed Coaching Director (UEFA/USSF B or higher) in charge of coach education, assignment, and behavior
b. An Association endorsed and subcommittee approved development program that works with either coaches or players from other clubs within the Association and drives the development within the Regional Club
c. Attached to a local association (or associations) with a minimum total player base of 4000. This number should be modified as future guidance is issued by Washington Youth Soccer (office, Oversight Committee, and Board) regarding the appropriate minimum and maximum size of an association. Exceptions:
i. Part of initial grandfathered group of current PDL clubs, in which case there is a 3 year grace period to enable club and/or association mergers
ii. The Regional Club subcommittee grants an exception based on geographic accessibility. This does not excuse that Regional Club from complying with all other standards, including CAPS performance standards. Appeals may be made to the Oversight Committee. (NOTE – this section requires specific criteria to use to determine a geographic exception)
d. Adherence to club Governance standards to be established by the Regional Club subcommittee in conjunction with the Washington Youth Soccer office
e. Club CAPS performance standards, to be established by the Regional Club subcommittee in conjunction with the Washington Youth Soccer office and Oversight Committee
Regional Club subcommittee
As part of the rollout of the new governance structure for Washington Youth Soccer, a subcommittee on the Premier/ Regional level of play was defined. Rather than have this be selected directly by either the Oversight Committee or the Washington Youth Soccer Board, the proposal is to have the chartered Regional Clubs elect 8 members. These members include 5 Directors of Coaching, and 3 Presidents, only one representative per Regional club. In addition, Washington Youth Soccer provides the Technical Director, the Executive Director, and an appointed staff member to act as chair and facilitator. The Oversight Committee will provide one non-voting member to the subcommittee from their ranks to ensure consistent communication. In addition, the Regional Club subcommittee will select one member to be a non-voting member of the Oversight Committee. This enables continuous alignment between these bodies.
This group forms the Regional Club subcommittee, part of the Oversight committee of the Washington Youth Soccer governing board. Washington Youth Soccer will appoint a chair, and that chair is responsible for coordinating with the Oversight Committee. The Regional Club subcommittee would be responsible for:
1) Ongoing refinement of the Premier/ Regional level of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System, including interaction with the Select/ Developmental level and Mod/Local level, including enabling the development and implementation of a “Long Term Player Development Pathway (LTPD)”
2) Governance of the chartered Regional Clubs regarding soccer matters and compliance with league and developmental standards
3) Representation to any leagues serving this community, including primary input for the Washington Youth Soccer Regional Club League
Organization Structure, Roles and Responsibilities
There are a number of organizational entities interacting in this area, as presented in the organization chart format below.
In addition, roles and responsibilities are spelled out below.
Regional Club Charter related
Topic Regional Club Subcommittee Oversight Committee Governing Board
Scope-related (age groups served, number of teams, etc.) Recommend/ propose change in charter Review/ approval Resolve conflict (if required)
Regional Club qualifications/ requirements Recommend/ propose change in qualifications Review/ approval Resolve conflict (if required)
Regional Club charter/ qualification compliance issues Monitor and require improvements/ corrections Hear appeals Hear appeals
NOTE – Regional Club and Associations are responsible for implementing charter related changes
Soccer and League-related matters
Topic Regional Club Subcommittee Oversight Committee Governing Board
League rules Formulate rules, make changes Address changes that cross league boundaries Resolve conflict (if required)
League formation Establish seasonal bracketing Hear appeals Hear appeals
Disciplinary (league) Responsible n/a n/a
Player development policies and practices Define for Regional Club level, provide input for Select/ Developmental and Mod Coordinate across seamless soccer opportunity system Address any issues with alignment to strategic plan
Organizational and Financial compliance matters
Topic Regional Club Association Governing Board
Adherence to bylaws Responsible Monitor/ address issues Hear appeals/ provide support
Financial compliance Responsible Monitor/ address issues Hear appeals/ provide support
Washington Youth Soccer league modifications
The Washington Youth Soccer strategic plan envisions a consolidation of associations, and eventual elimination of the district layer. Based on that, league structures will evolve over time. Given the current structure, the initial recommendations are:
Washington Youth Soccer Regional Club League
Key considerations include:
1) Made up of teams from chartered Regional Clubs
2) Primary governance support through the Regional Club subcommittee
3) U10-U19, although it would start U10-U17, grandfathering the older P-x leagues
4) Age groups would be modified as developmental approaches are addressed. As an example, the PDL this year introduced U10 rather than play-up U11 development teams.
5) Fall and Spring seasons through U14; Fall for boys and Spring for girls from U15 and above
6) Implement CAPS, use to determine competitive groupings (rather than simple promotion/ relegation) . This is necessary because it also feeds inter-league play and cup qualification/ seeding
Washington Youth Soccer Open League
This league is most easily understood as the current Washington Youth Soccer league.
1) Divisions established/ adjusted using CAPS to ensure competitive play
2) Primary governance support through the Select/ Developmental subcommittee
3) U13-U19, although consideration should be given to regionalized U11/U12 and potentially for the lower competitive tiers at U13-U19 as association/ District changes move forward
4) Fall and Spring seasons through U14; Fall for boys and Spring for girls from U15 and above
Washington Youth Soccer Player Pass
Allow the player pass across both the Regional Club League and the Open League for the purpose of playing “up” for development. Potentially expand it so that within an association, a player from a Select/ Developmental Club could use it to participate with a team from the Regional Club. This will further enable the concept of Seamless Soccer.
Washington Youth Soccer Local Area Leagues
Future – something to consider with Association/ District consolidation
Inter-league play
Because there are a limited number of Washington Youth Soccer chartered Regional Clubs, and many competitive teams outside of that group that will play in the Washington Youth Soccer Open League, there is an opportunity to introduce limited inter-league play as teams get older and CAPS provides a strong objective measure.
1) Beginning at U14, finish the season by aligning the upper division of the Washington Youth Soccer Open League with the appropriate division(s) from the Washington Youth Soccer Regional Club League based on CAPS, playing two crossover games
2) Expand to 3 games at U15 and above
3) The Oversight Committee and the Regional Club subcommittee can recommend an alternative approach
This approach will help validate CAPS accuracy and enable the Cup seeding process.
Washington Youth Soccer Cup Modifications (proposed)
Championship and Challenge Cup seedings were originally designed around the Washington State Premier League divisions. The introduction of the PDL and the migration of most of the top teams to that league created significant problems in the affected age groups. With this proposal, Cup structure needs to be addressed. Following are some initial approaches; however, this should be finalized by a combination of Washington Youth Soccer staff, the Regional Club Committee, and the Oversight Committee.
Championship Cup
By rule, this is an open championship. Recommendations below consider that:
1) Encourage participation in the appropriate level cup, using CAPS to promote participation in the Championship Cup by the top 24-32 teams per gender/age group. CAPS can be used to highlight the competitive grouping that is most appropriate for this cup. The top 16 teams based on CAPS would be required to play in the Championship Cup.
2) Seeding: use CAPS for seeding purposes, and do seeding for all teams entered in the cup. With this approach to seeding, byes can also be used to support a “play-in” approach when the cup entrants are more than 24.
Challenge Cup
1) Following the same principle, use CAPS to target a logical competitive group of 24-32 teams. Consider whether it should be a requirement that all teams participating in the Regional Club league participate in at least this level of cup.
2) Seeding: use CAPS for seeding purposes, and do seeding for all teams entered in the cup. With this approach to seeding, byes can also be used to support a “play-in” approach when the cup entrants are more than 24.
Commissioners Cup
1) This cup is aimed primarily at the Select/Developmental level of the Seamless Soccer Opportunity System.
2) CAPS may be useful for seeding or at least structuring of brackets; needs to be researched
3) Not open to Regional Club league teams (NOTE – might need an exception through U12 or U13, depending on final decisions regarding the number of teams per gender/age group that Regional Clubs are allowed to field).
Action Plan
Stakeholder review/ buy-in
Oct 5-Dec 31 – review with key stakeholders, starting with PDL and Oversight Committee members, expand to targeted associations, then through an open conference call with associations
Jan– finalize initial documents supporting Regional Club charter process, form initial Regional Club subcommittee
Feb onward – complete transition plan to:
• Make or initiate any required changes to any state, club, or association bylaws to comply with new approach
• Launch Regional Club league for 2010-2011 seasonal year, replacing PDL leaguesDefine and rollout changes to cup processes
Appendix
Appendix A – Association and Player Count table
Non-PDL Premier/ Select Club list needs to be completed
Association Player Count PDL Club non-PDL Premier/Select Clubs
District 1 34528
North County Youth Soccer Association (NCYSA) 8763 Evergreen Tynecastle, Washington Rush Soccer
Seattle Youth Soccer Association (SYSA) 13331 ECFC Seattle United
Skagit Valley Youth Soccer Association (SkVYSA) 3106 Northwest United FC
Snohomish Youth Soccer Association (SnYSA) 2061 Snohomish United
South Snohomish County Youth Soccer Association(SSCYSA) 2236 Northwest Nationals
Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association (WCYSA) 3752 Whatcom FC
Whidbey Island Youth Soccer Association (WIYSA) 1279
District 2 23324
Eastside Youth Soccer Association (EYSA) 8373 EFC ISC Arsenal, multi-purpose clubs
Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA) 7147 Crossfire Premier Crossfire Select
Northshore Youth Soccer Association (NYSA) 4978 FC Alliance Northshore Select
Snoqualmie Valley Youth Soccer Association (SnVYSA) 2826 Cascade FC
District 3 23152
Auburn Youth Soccer Association (AYSA) 1008 Synergy
Federal Way Soccer Association (FWSA) 1863 FWU Reign/Storm
Greater Renton Junior Soccer Association (GRJSA) 2332 GRFC Multi-purpose clubs
Highline Soccer Association (HSA) 3408 HPFC
Kent Youth Soccer Association (KYSA) 1512 DOS FC SCFC
Maple Valley Soccer Association (MpVSA) 1437 MVP
Mount Rainier Soccer Association (MRSA) 2538 MRFC
Narrows Youth Soccer Association (NarYSA) 723
Tacoma-Pierce County Junior Soccer Association (TPCJSA) 8331 WPFC, Harbor FC SH Revolution, Norpoint FC
District 4 7590
Kitsap Peninsula Youth Soccer Association (KPYSA) 4107 Westsound FC
Northwest Sound Youth Soccer Association (NSYSA) 2327 Bainbridge FC
Olympic Youth Soccer Association (OYSA) 1156
District 5 10883
Columbia Youth Soccer Federation (CYSF) 5473 Columbia Timbers FC Salmon Creek
Cowlitz Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) 2495
East County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA) 2915 FC Vancouver
District 6 19368
Columbia Basin Youth Soccer Association (CBYSA) 1356 CB United
Kittitas Valley Junior Soccer Association (KVJSA) 684
Lower Yakima Valley Youth Soccer Association (LYVYSA) 790
North Central Youth Soccer Association (NCenYSA) 765
Pullman Youth Soccer Association(PYSA) 211
Spokane Valley Junior Soccer Association (SpVJSA) 2556 River City, Spokane Soccer Club
Spokane Youth Sports Association - Soccer (SYSAS) 5772 Spokane Shadow
Tri-Cities Youth Soccer Association (T-CYSA) 2236 Three Rivers and yet to be announced second club
Walla Walla Youth Soccer Association (WWYSA) 206 Blue Mountain Soccer Club
Wenatchee Valley Youth Soccer Association (WVYSA) 2737 Wenatchee Fire
Yakima Youth Soccer Association (YYSA) 2055 Sun City
District 7 8607
Deschutes Youth Soccer Association (DYSA) 1694 Black Hills
Foothills Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) 1459
Grays Harbor Youth Soccer Association (GHYSA) 1405
Lewis County Youth Soccer Association (LCYSA) 1962
Thurston County Youth Soccer Association (TCYSA) 2087 South Sound FC
Appendix B - Reference materials from WYS Strategic Plan
Primary Goal for 2009-2012: Develop a Seamless Soccer System Providing Developmentally Correct Playing Opportunities for all Players
Objectives
? Developmentally correct playing opportunities for all players (regardless of potential or obsolete administrative barriers), with seamless access to, and movement among, leagues, cups and programs
? Increased flexibility to provide more user-friendly experience (both players and parents) and reduce conflicts between skill levels/levels of play
? Expanded opportunities for like vs. like competition with less travel and reduced administrative burden
Overarching Principles
Flexibility: The system and structures within Washington Youth Soccer should allow maximum flexibility for players and parents to understand and navigate the system, especially to allow easier administration of player movement to an appropriate level of play.
Choice:
? Provide playing choices that allow play within a recreational values system as well as different choices that allow play within a competitive values system.
? Provide mid-tier choices that allow a middle ground between these two poles.
? At recreational and lower levels of select play, players should have options for playing & practicing close to home, as well as for additional training, coaching and play that improves their level of play.
Collaboration: All administrative levels (state, district, association & club) should recognize that youth soccer is a very complex system with a long history and established culture. If organizations and individuals don’t work together, we won’t be able to create a seamless system for players and parents.
Sprit of Reinvention [if at one you don’t succeed, try, try again]: Developing a truly seamless system that provides flexibility and choice will take time, creativity, risk-taking (in program/system design), etc. Just because a problem has seemed insurmountable in the past shouldn’t stop future proposed solutions. New ideas should be welcomed; people should not be blamed for failed efforts or false starts.
Organizational Principles
Separate Governance from Management: Governance functions such as financial management, fundraising, board of directors’ development and evaluation of executive staff are often under-performed by non profit boards, and soccer organizations are no exception. By separating governance functions and committees from operating functions and committees, such as player development, fields, competition, etc., more refined and better processes can be developed to address all relevant issues. For example, the state board has proposed eliminating the VPs of recreation, competition, development and administration, with the various functions being replaced by a combination of staff and operating committees, thereby allowing the board members to focus on governance functions, with more resources and energy applied to all functions.
Evaluation, Data Gathering & Feedback: Washington Youth Soccer is in the midst of reinventing itself, with the process likely to evolve over many years. Both existing process and changes should be carefully considered and evaluated both prior to and after any changes, with an objective being continuous improvement. A process for feedback and evaluation, based on sound data, should be built into state, district and association level processes.
Apply a can-do approach to barriers: Solve problems through solutions that allow flexibility; solve player play and placement issues/problems through a can-do approach instead of limiting choices to old paradigms. For example, when faced with the issue of 8 and 9 year old players (who should be playing 6 a side), playing up in the PDL’s U-11 at 9 a side, Washington Youth Soccer reinforced using a mini-soccer program open to all 8 and 9 year olds instead of setting down a hard and fast rule to stop the PDL practice.
Principles for Soccer Play
Create Rules based on Policies and Principles, that Allow Situation-Specific Interpretation: The Washington Youth Soccer Board of Directors is currently developing a revised set of rules that are policy- and principle-based. The draft new rules documents will be user-friendly, with rules simplified when possible. Policies, Procedures and Rules of the Game will each have separate sections
Apply United States Soccer Federation Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States; allow local organizations to determine how to implement these practices
? Recognize that Directors of Coaching at many of the state’s top teams are in conflict with these practices
? Educate parents that travelling away from their home area to find the most competitive team for ages 4 to approximately 13 is inappropriate. Strongly recommend playing in home association for recreational play up to age 13.
Reduce barriers to play across organizational and league boundaries to allow player development options and flexibility:
? Develop a system that allows opportunities play across geographical boundaries.
? To limit games, add training and monitor youth soccer development on a more professional level, player movement flexibility is desired. In order to have players passing between leagues at all levels, however, there needs to be coach accountability and rigorous tracking and recording of player registration and movement. For example, if the league administrative body says a player must only play two halves in a day, then there needs to be consequences for a coach if they violate the policy, and, each competition needs to be tracked. Ideally, such tracking (rostering per game by half) could be done electronically, but if such technology is not available, a manual system should be used.
This relates to the higher end players/teams/leagues, but this concept could also be applied to the player pass with consequences for violation. To achieve this objective, a player pass concept can be implemented as a developmental tool for U-11 to U-14 select play, coupled with the following conditions to avoid abuse:
o Limited number of uses
o Guaranteed half game playing time
o Registration (ideally online) to record player affiliation, and rostering per game by half
o Evaluate player pass system to determine extent to which it is working; set up evaluation system in advance
? Find a way to allow player movement within recreational play, across teams. One option is to change registration to be at association level
Seamless Soccer: Concept Overview, Goals & Principles
Note: Details for each level on subsequent pages
Recreational/Local Flexibility between recreational & select to allow movement both ways Select/Developmental ? Seamless & more flexible coordination between select and premier
? Emphasis on providing player-centric placement & coaching Premier/Regional
Goals Fun, exercise, teamwork, sportsmanship, listening, basic soccer skills, self-discipline, friendships All recreational goals+ focus on skill development, preparing for next level of play. But – freedom to play other sports as well All select goals, + developing players to their fullest potential through coaching, individual feedback, and developing passion for the game.
Travel Low. Objective = practice and play close to home Moderate; Balance of practice & play near home & need for more competition Higher; Statewide play and more frequent competition beyond local
Competitive Emphasis See goals above; not a competitive emphasis While a competitive environment, primary emphasis is on skill development and improvement o Team success (i.e. winning) is a factor.
o Player development should be at the foundation of the premier mission at all ages.
Flexibility Yes – see details of plan Yes – see details of plan Limited
Age factors ? Need new guidelines for age appropriate practice & play for U-7
? Need better programs, greater emphasis on recreational options ? U-11 to U-13 = transitional period; players explore higher levels of play; accepted into these programs, not cut, encouraged to participate in other sports and activities.
? Focus on creating dynamic, challenging, fun environment; establish sound technical and tactical habits.
? U-14 Players can decide to remain with premier club, move to select or return to the recreational level ? U-11 to U-13 currently places too much emphasis on winning; needs to be more fun.
? Goal = insure that rec. goals such as sportsmanship & friendship are equally important esp. for U-11 to U-13.
Coaching design & objectives ? Create age-appropriate environment
? Promote fun, enjoyment
? Positive role model
? Playing is more important than winning ? Create age-appropriate environment
? All recreational objectives + Prepare kids for next level of play
? A goal is to reduce poaching/recruitment ? All select objectives + following:
? A goal is to reduce poaching/recruitment
? Help establish coaching standards and evaluation criteria (see following pages)
Coaching Management ? Set standards based on Washington Youth Soccer certificate classes
? Train coaches re: non competitive goals; coaches don't "own" players;
? Allow players to move to higher levels based on ability Professional development & performance standards for both volunteer and paid coaches
Rigorous coaching standards (see following pages)
Seamless Soccer: Recreational Play (Proposed new name: Local)
Note: As per overview on previous page, the recreational system below is envisioned to connect to the select system (on the right side) as shown below, in a continuous, seamless way.
Recreational/Local Play Flexibility between recreational & select to allow movement both ways
Goals ? Fun
? Exercise
? Teamwork
? Listening to & working with a coach
? Basic Soccer Skills
? Self-discipline;
? Sportsmanship
? Socializing and friendships
Travel Low: Objective = Practice, train & play close to home
Number of games Low-Moderate; with flexibility
Cost Low
Parent education, expectation & family impact ? What is expected of parents and what do they expect at recreational level?
? Family impact -- How are families affected by children playing rec soccer? Expectations and mitigations?
Competition ? Reduce emphasis on competition and teams at ages 10 and under.
? Principle = Establish/shift toward players and parents seeing value in, and having pride in their club and association to a larger extent, instead of so much emphasis and pride in the team.
Flexibility & Choice factors ? Implement player pass concept as a developmental tool for U-11 to U-14, coupled with guaranteed half game playing time to avoid abuse.
Age factors ? USSF guidelines for age appropriate practice & play
? More & better programs, greater emphasis on recreational options such as free and/or low-cost, fun, flexible training modules for all rec. players, clubs and coaches
? Statewide soccer development program in partnership with primary schools and local coaches, to bring free and low-cost soccer options to more interested players and families
U-7 U-8 to U-10 U-11 to U-13 U-14 to U-19
Coaching Design & Objectives ? Age appropriate, fun environment (different from U-8 to U-10)
? De-emphasize “teams,” playing more important than winning
? Small sided play, selected randomly, weekly
? Take pressure out of playing environment
? Positive Role Model ? Age appropriate environment
? Age appropriate technique & tactics
? Promote enjoyment of game
? Create an age appropriate environment
? Development of age appropriate technique & tactic – coaches handbook
? Promote enjoyment of game ? Needs more work
? Co-ed teams
? Reduction in roster to support playing time?
Volunteer Coaching Management ? Set standards based on Washington Youth Soccer certificate classes
? Provide mentoring for parent coaches
? Train coaches on philosophy of recreational soccer; non competitive goals
? Create understanding that coaches don't "own" players;
? De-focus winning or team centric outlook
? Get coaches to release players to the game; give up control as a coach; allow players to move to higher level teams/leagues based on their ability if that's right for them
Paid professional coaches N/A
Seamless Soccer: Select Play (Proposed new name: Developmental)
Note: As per overview page, the select system below is envisioned to connect to the recreational system (on the left side) and premier system (on the right side) as shown below, in a continuous, seamless way.
Flexibility between recreational & select to allow movement both ways Select/Developmental Play Coordination required between select and premier to address skill level and placement
Goals All recreational goals (Fun, Exercise, Teamwork, Listening to & working with a coach, Self-discipline; Sportsmanship, Socializing and friendships) + focus on skill development, preparing for next level of play.
Travel Higher; Statewide play and more frequent competition beyond local
Number of games Moderate
Cost Strive to keep costs down
Parent education, expectation & family impact ? What is expected of parents and what do they expect at select level?
? Family impact -- How are families affected by children playing soccer at select level? Expectations and mitigations?
Competitive Emphasis While a competitive environment, primary emphasis is on skill development and improvement. Freedom to play other sports as well
Flexibility & Choice factors ? Implement player pass concept as a developmental tool for U-11 to U-14, coupled with guaranteed half game playing time to avoid abuse.
Age factors,
Coaching Design & Objectives U-11 to U-13 U-14 to U-19
? A goal is to reduce poaching/recruitment
? Create an age appropriate environment
? Develop age appropriate technique & tactic; coaches handbook
? Prepare kids for next level of play
? Promote enjoyment of game ? Create an age appropriate environment
? Development of age appropriate technique & tactic – coaches handbook
? Promote enjoyment of game
Volunteer Coaching Management ? Set standards based on Washington Youth Soccer certificate classes
? Provide mentoring for parent coaches
? Provide feedback to coaches based on parent and player evaluations
? Create understanding that coaches don't "own" players; De-focus winning or team centric outlook
? Get coaches to release players to the game; give up control as a coach; allow players to move to higher level teams/leagues based on their ability if that's right for them
Paid professional coaching Management ? Professional development & performance standards
? Provide feedback to coaches based on parent and player evaluations
? Create understanding that coaches don't "own" players; De-focus winning or team centric outlook
? Get coaches to release players to the game; give up control as a coach; allow players to move to higher level teams/leagues based on their ability if that's right for them
Seamless Soccer: Premier Play (proposed new name: Regional)
Note: As per overview page, the premier system below is envisioned to connect to the select system (on the left side) as shown below, in a continuous, seamless way.
Coordination required between select and premier to address skill level and placement Premier/Regional Play
Goals ? All recreational & select goals (Fun, Exercise, Teamwork, Listening to & working with a coach, Self-discipline; Sportsmanship, Socializing and friendships)
? Focus on skill development
? Insure that rec. goals such as sportsmanship & friendship are equally important esp. for U-11 to U-13.
? Developing players to fullest potential through coaching & individual player feedback
? Developing a passion for the game
Travel Moderate-High, although objective is to practice & train close to home
Number of games High
Cost Moderate to high
Parent education, expectation & family impact ? What is expected of parents and what do they expect at premier?
? Family impact -- How are families affected by children playing soccer at premier level? Expectations and mitigations?
Competition What is the approach to & impact of premier competition? How important? How should it be handled or addressed by coaches?
Flexibility & Choice factors ? Implement player pass concept as a developmental tool for U-11 to U-14, coupled with guaranteed half game playing time to avoid abuse.
Age factors,
Coaching Design & Objectives U-11 to U-13 U-14 to U-19
? Create an age appropriate environment
? Develop age appropriate technique & tactic; coaches handbook
? Prepare kids for next level of play
? Promote enjoyment of game
? A goal is to reduce poaching/recruitment
? Set standards based on Washington Youth Soccer certificate classes
? Train coaches on philosophy of less competitive goals
? Create understanding that coaches don't "own" players; De-focus winning or team centric outlook
? Get coaches to release players to the game; give up control as a coach; allow players to move to higher level teams/leagues based on their ability if that's right for them
? U-11 to U-13 currently places too much emphasis on winning; needs to be more fun & player development ? Integration of psychological & physical aspects of the game
Volunteer Coaching Management ? Specific performance standards including feedback to coaches based on parent and player evaluations
? Provide mentoring for parent coaches
? Board of directors and ED with capabilities to govern and manage the system
? Establish best practice as to # of hours coaching each player and team
? Establish best practice in communication with board, management, parents and players
? Minimum level of coordination and co-coaching with select coaches/teams
Paid professional coaching Management ? Specific performance standards (management by objective)
? 360-degree performance eval’s + feedback for coaching mgrs & coaches; Compensation tied to performance (incl. license level, experience, performance as a coach – i.e. feedback from players, parents, administrators and DOCs; not about winning); minimum hours professional dev’t annually
? Board of directors and ED with capabilities to govern and manage the system
? Establish best practice as to # of hours coaching each player and team
? Establish best practice in communication with board, mgt, parents and players
Strategic Questions/Issues:
? Coaching oversight & evaluation system needs to be designed
? Board of directors and ED at District, Association and club levels all require the capabilities to govern and manage the system
? Can consequences be implemented for too much poaching/recruiting?
Goal 2: Restructure Leagues, Districts and Associations to Streamline Program Delivery and Communication
Strategy 2A: Redesign League and Cup Play into four levels (from the current 5-6)
Note that levels of play defined below will likely be renamed to clarify expectations for players and parents. Current name is shown first, followed by proposed new name, as per USSF guidelines. Naming process TBD)
1. Recreational/Local (Includes club and association leagues)
2. Select/Developmental (Includes some District, Inter-Association and State leagues. Corresponds roughly to lower levels of current select play)
3. Select/Advanced Developmental (Includes some District, Inter-Association and State leagues. Corresponds roughly to upper levels of current select play)
4. Premier/Regional (i.e. Current premier and PDL levels)
League play is independent of being tied to play in any particular Cup
Strategy 2B: Establish Standards to Evaluate Player Skill Level at the club level, and allow placement in appropriate league. Factors to be included in establishing such a standard include an individual’s:
? Technical skill
? Physical skill
? Tactical skill
? Psychological skill
In addition, a player’s commitment and the length of the season need to be considered, as do ties to Cups and weather and field considerations
Establish expectations at each level of play. Explain expectations to parents.
Strategy 2C: Change Soccer Calendar for league play so that all leagues have better defined, and more compatible starting and ending dates, and culminate in a season ending tournament.
Recreational/Local Leagues (Includes club and association leagues)
? 8 week season is ideal, with mid-week games, possibility of 1-2 doubleheader weekends
? President’s Cup is culminating tournament
? Both league play and President’s Cup are completed by Thanksgiving (possibility of August start to accomplish)
? Expectations regarding when and how teams are formed, and play ends, needs to be clarified and conveyed
Possible Issue: Recreational team definition has loopholes such as when players carpool, friends are invited, or teams have insufficient numbers of players.
Select/ Developmental Leagues (Currently within Select Play)
? 10 game season (optional 12 games to be determined at local level?)
? Commissioner’s Cup is culminating tournament
? League play completed by Thanksgiving
? Length of season, start date and girls season TBD
? State mandated tryout dates tied to PDL need to be changed/resolved (Mid-week games, possibility of doubleheader weekends to accomplish?)
? Commissioner’s Cup completed by mid-December
? No seeding for Commissioners Cup
? Tie players to teams
Select/Advanced Developmental Leagues (Currently within Select Play)
? Emphasis on Ages 13-17
? Challenge Cup is culminating tournament; but very small
? Challenge Cup goal - to be completed by mid-December; possibility that last rounds may fall in January
? Girls Challenge Cup in spring
? Tryout date TBD – May 15 may not be ideal
? Optional tournaments offered locally in January to May allow
o Player-focused time; optional academy-style training
o Eastern Washington spring Leagues
Issue: Let new state league needs to be designed
Premier/Regional Leagues (PDL)
? Champions League in fall
? Championship Cup is culminating tournament, but for top 12 teams only (not for B teams)
? Washington Youth Soccer purchases travel packages to allow scheduling flexibility for teams that advance beyond Washington State
? Girls 15 and above play in spring, beginning in March, with preliminary rounds in early May
Remaining issues:
? How to tier tryout dates so premier tryouts can be first?
? How to design premier league structure?
? How would current district leagues be administered once Districts are de-emphasized (see 2F below)
Strategy 2D: Create and provide a choice of offerings at the local level that de-emphasize games and emphasize academy/jamboree style training at young ages.
? Various play and training options, especially for ages 8-13
? Allows movement of players to play with other coaches and players
? Allow teams to form for short periods of time (i.e. up to 8 weeks)
? Rotate/redistribute players/teams at ages 4-12; randomize
? Educates parents regarding the greater importance of player and youth development compared to team formation and winning
? Strongly recommend that all associations move toward such offerings at young ages.
Strategy 2E: Foster local decision making as to how to achieve seamless soccer objectives, with support by Washington Youth Soccer
Washington Youth Soccer will work to build the capacity of associations to implement a seamless system to provide developmentally correct playing opportunities for all players with seamless access to, and movement among, leagues, cups and programs.
? Assist in reducing/eliminating administrative barriers,
? Assist in building capacity to resolve local league issues
? Assist in building capacity for associations to resolve conflicts locally
? Provisions for consideration of uniqueness of rural and eastern Washington issues
? Washington Youth Soccer provides technical assistance to associations to strengthen their governance and management systems, and align with state
Strategy 2F: Voluntarily Consolidate Districts and Associations to Improve communication between local and state bodies, reduce duplication of efforts, and allow better focus on capacity building at local level
Objective: Three-year emphasis on reducing number of Associations to a number at which they could coordinate directly with Washington Youth Soccer, and thereby eliminate the need for Districts. While a standard of one association per every 5,000 to 6,500 players may be ideal (i.e. approximately 20 associations), a level of approximately 30 associations may be a more practically achievable target, especially considering the rural nature of most of the state.
Strategy 2D1: Pilot Project(s): Work with District 5 (and possibly a second District) to assist in a model consolidation of associations and clubs, thereby demonstrating the potential gains to be realized.
Strategy 2D2: Identify natural partners: By coordinating closely with District Commissioners, natural partners are already being identified, and additional such partners could be found. In these cases, adjacent associations may have synergies in culture, philosophy and programs, making such consolidations possible.
Strategy 2D3: Enforce a size limitation on associations. Currently, there are 6 associations with under 1,000 members, of which 2 have under 250 members. While these associations generally operate in rural parts of the state, several could become programs of larger associations operating in a nearby region.
Strategy 2G: Create a Soccer Oversight Committee to work with the management staff to oversee the Seamless Soccer system to benefit all levels of play.
Purpose of committee:
? Develop and implement the seamless soccer plan
? Work with senior staff to administer and manage organizational resources and programs to provide support for all levels of play and allow growth of each
? Resolve issues and conflicts between level of play interests
Composition:
? 21 or more members, including:
o Washington Youth Soccer Executive Director, Director of Coaching, and Director of Member Services and Communications
o 7 District Commissioners
o 14 or more additional members from across the state
? Some administrative leaders
? Some Directors of Coaching or their designees
? Have a process for self-nomination of at-large members
? Regional representation to foster involvement from across state, and avoid inordinate influence from any single organization.
o Two members of the Washington Youth Soccer Board of Directors will sit as ex-officio chairs of the committee to serve as a liaison to the Board, as required by bylaws.
? Members will be selected for their skills in collaboration and problem solving
? The Board of Directors will establish procedures for membership selection and renewal, subject to the bylaws and operating procedures of the organization.
Structure: Divided into 3 subcommittees:
? Recreational
? Select
? Premier
Meetings
? Retreat culture (problem solving)
? Meets quarterly, possibly more frequently initially to set up systems.
? Full-day or nearly full-day meetings as follows:
o Portion in subcommittee (Rec, select, premier)
o Portion in full committee to resolve system-wide and inter-level issues
? Washington Youth Soccer Director of Coaching, Director of Member Services, and Executive Director will serve as facilitators.
? Decision – making will be on a majority vote basis after discussion to arrive at consensus.
? Recommendations of actions developed by the Committee
o Given to the Executive Director for implementation.
o Reported to the Board of Directors
o Subject to organization’s budget, bylaws and operating procedures
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Topic: The Proposal (Read 12916 times)