Q: How are teams selected?
A: MYSA requires all affiliate clubs to submit teams and coaches by the beginning of March. We cannot register a team with MYSA without a minimum number of registered players. Once teams are registered, clubs may begin filling the team rosters until limits, set by MYSA, are reached. LFYS typically does not hold team tryouts unless registrations number warrant such. Tryouts are held at the discretion of the LFYS Board. It is always the goal of LFYS to provide as many players as possible the opportunity to play soccer.
Q: What if the team roster is full for my player’s age group?
A: When a team is full, players may be offered a spot as a practice player. Practice players are eligible to play in games when rostered players are unavailable (vacation, illness, injury, etc). The board may also opt for try-outs, if needed. Depending on numbers, practice players may pay a reduced registration fee.
Q:When will my player have practices and games?
A: Practice schedules are determined by the team coach. Some coaches are college students who are not available to work with teams until later in the season (sometimes after the first week of games). If this is the situation, we invite a team manager (parent) to step forward and work with LFYS Advisory Team to:
a) provide options for players to work with one of other LFYS coaches until the team coach is able to join the team;
b) parents of players coach during the interim or
c) combine with another team temporarily to practice together until the coach is available.
Game schedules are set by MYSA. Game nights are typically either Monday and Wednesday evenings OR Tuesday and Thursday evenings (generally played between 6:00-8:00 p.m.) depending on age group, gender and level of competition. Rescheduled games are determined by both the home and away team coaches and may be scheduled on an alternate day of the week as agree upon by the teams. Games are usually scheduled beginning the first week of April through July 3.
Q: Why is my child on a team with older/younger players?
A: There are two things are play here:
- Beginning in 2017, US Youth Soccer changed team registration to a system that matches the calendar year. That means your child may be in school with younger or older players that they play with in the summer with our club. This is not something that we have any control over.
- MYSA generally brackets teams together with even numbered ages: 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, etc. That means we often (though not always) register teams spanning two ages (9/10U, 11/12U etc.).
Q: What if I don’t know anything about soccer? How do I help with my player(s)’ team?
A: MYSA provides resources for those interested in learning the laws of the game as well as coaching resources and licensing at all levels. Additionally, there are great FREE resources available online (Youtube) which demonstrate skills, drills and games at all levels of play. The only requirement to assist with a LFYS team is to submit to a background check through MYSA (paid for by the club), and do concussion and Safe Sport training online. You will then carry an adult (coaches) pass and be eligible to coach or assist with the team during games.
Q: How much travel is involved?
A: MYSA has improved the scheduling and bracketing process the last couple of years and has worked to group clubs closer together. However, in order to play competitively against other teams, some travel is required. Typically the younger the team the less travel required because there are more teams with younger teams. There are normally an equal number of home and away games (generally 5 and 5), and many parents will carpool for games that are further away.