Saturday, November 7, 2015

Final week for fall soccer


Hi folks.

This is the last week for fall soccer.  I would love to hear how your season was.

Please take a moment to register for the winter session.  Be sure to specify requests when you register.

I dont have to tools with me to create my normal chart for field assignments, so this will have to suffice this week...

9:00
Portland Timbers vs LA Galaxy
Montreal Impact vs DC United
  Houston Dynamo vs Columbus Crew

10:30
  New York City vs Orlando City
Colorado Rapids vs Chicago Fire

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Week 7 - Official "Bring-your-coach-a-piece-of-candy" day!

Fact:  Halloween candy makes coaches coach better. 

Reminder, next week (November 8) is the final day of Fall soccer.

Please take a moment and register for winter soccer.  It U7 will be Sunday mornings between January and March.  http://www.maldenyouthsoccer.org/register.html

If you are interested in coaching, please shoot me an email.

Here are the field assignments for tomorrow...


Sunday, October 25, 2015

General U7 rain policy... We play in it!

It looks like it will be a little wet for today's U7 soccer.  That almost always guarantees a fun experience.  Soccer will be played today.  We may combine teams and/or play smaller games on shorter fields and/or skip the practice session... depending on attendence.

You should, of course, use your judgment for you and your family and dress for the weather.

I hope to see you today!

Friday, October 23, 2015

Week 6

Hello Everyone,

Registration for the winter season has opened... Click here.  The winter season starts in January and goes into March.  We play indoors at the Salemwood School in Malden.  There is limited space in the winter season.  Register as soon as possible to reserve your spot!

Here are the assignments for this Sunday.  Please remember to dress appropriately for the New England fall weather!


Saturday, October 17, 2015

Hello Parents,

Welcome back.  If you are checking this on Saturday morning, please do join us at Soctoberfest at Devir Field in Malden from noon till 4 today.  There will be lots of activities, snacks and soccer.

Here are the field assignments for tomorrow.

It may be cold.  Please dress your child accordingly.  You are not required to wear the uniform shorts.  Feel free to wear pants.  Wear a jacket or sweatshirt under the team jersey.



Friday, October 9, 2015

No soccer this week

Enjoy the long Columbus Day weekend practicing soccer.

We will resume the regular schedule next week.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Week 4 Feels Like Fall Soccer

Hello Everyone,

Please keep these important notices in mind as you plan your October...

TOPS Soccer Event

Incase you did not know, Malden Youth Soccer offers a TOPS Soccer program:
"BeyondTOPS is a 501c3, non-profit organization serving more than 125 special needs children in 22+ communities."
We are looking for a volunteers for a special Halloween event on Sunday October 25, 2015.  It is at 11:00am to 1:00pm at Shawsheen Field Complex in Wilmington, MA 01887
All players and volunteers can register at http://beyondtops.com

Soctoberfest

MYS' annual Soctoberfest is planned for Saturday October 17.  Please save the date.

Week 4 Schedule

We will play, rain or shine.  Only lightening will stop us.





Saturday, September 26, 2015

Week 3 & Soctoberfest volunteers

Hello Parents,

Welcome to Week 3.

The field assignments are below, but first please save the date of October 17 for Malden Youth Soccer's annual SOCTOBERFEST!  

We are always looking for volunteer bakers to make treats for sale at the event.  If you are interested, send me an email.



Saturday, September 19, 2015

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Fall Week 1 (Sept. 13) - Here we go!

Hello Parents,

Welcome back.  I hope you found some rest during the summer break because...  soccer starts now!

If you have not already seen the welcome letter, check it out here.  If you have not gotten your team assignment, something went wrong.  Let me know.

We always have a lot happening on our first day.  It is important to arrive 15 minutes early.  You will get your uniforms, meet your team mates, and deal with some challenging parking.

If you have not claimed your trophy at the spring banquet, you can get it this Sunday as well.

Field Assignments

We will play at the field inside the track at PineBanks field.  NOTE THE CORRECTION from the original communication.  We are playing inside the track, not at the artificial baseball field.



Friday, September 11, 2015

Open Letter to U7 Coaches

<EDIT 9/12 - Added a rules section>

Hello U7 Coaches,

Welcome to the new Fall season.  Thank you for stepping up for this important job.  I know you understand how valuable your contributions are to your family, your community and yourselves.  Thank you for helping to make Malden Youth Soccer the pure community gem that it is.

There are a few important things to communicate as we start the new season...

Philosophy

We have a specific philosophy for the younger ages.  We aim to introduce the benefits of soccer and develop a love for the sport.  Our primary objectives are for the kids to Be Active, Have Fun and Learn Soccer Skills.  These aspects are the direct responsibility of the coaches.

"Winning" is not primary objective.  To that end, we do not keep official score.  I go so far as to deliberately try to NOT keep the score in my head and to NEVER comment on it.  I always reply "I think we're tied" if the topic ever comes up.

I get the other perspective of "winning" being the goal, but based on everything I have observed so far, it is entirely unnecessary and can be detrimental to the primary objectives.

That said, awesome play and goal scoring are hugely exciting and it is entirely beneficial to encourage and strive for those.  But... if you get the sense that you are crushing the other team, try to incorporate some more challenging alterations into your play, such as "only So-n-so can score, let's all pass to him/her".

Some rules related to philosophy coaches are expected to enforce:

  1. Everybody gets equal playing time.  Do not favor better players.
  2. Everybody plays every position.  Yes, this sometimes means your best players are on defense or goaltending during your hardest games.
  3. Do not loose your temper with players, parents or other coaches.
  4. Do not tolerate inappropriate treatment or taunting of your players toward other teams or other team mates.

Game-Day Logistics


Each 90 minute session is split between 3 game fields.  2 teams will occupy half of a game field for the first 45 minute practice session.

The coaches with the early 9:00 session are responsible for setting up their own nets.  This takes 15 minutes, including the walking.  Please be early enough to setup your net and start the practice on time, every week.

Coaches should keep an eye on their opposing team incase that coach is running late.  If necessary, coaches should incorporate the opposing team into their own team's practice.

Coaches should keep the number of players balanced at game time.  For example, if the RED team has 9 players and the BLUE team has 6 players, one player from RED can play for BLUE to balance the teams at 8 and 7.  Ask for volunteers...  you always get some.

We normally play 5v5 plus goalies.  Coaches can alter this if needed.

U7 Rules

Here are the rules we use when refereeing the U7 games:
  1. Throw-ins:  If the ball goes out of bounds on either side, the ball is thrown in by someone on the team who did not touch the ball last before it went out of bounds.  Enforce the overhead throw and ensure child's feet are planted on the ground when throwing.
  2. Corner Kicks: If the defending player last touches the ball when it goes out of bounds behind their own goal line, the offensive team gets a corner kick.  Place the ball in the corner of the field and one player from the offensive team may kick it into play.
  3. Goal Kicks: If an offensive player last touches the ball when it goes out of bounds behind the goal line, the goalie gets a goal kick.
  4. Center Kick:  At the start of each half, and after each goal, there is a Center kick.  Place the ball at the center of the field and the kicking team initiates play by kicking the ball.  The ball may not move backwards and must complete a full revolution before being touched by another player.  The opposing team should give at least 10 feet of space to the kicking team.
  5. Indirect Kicks: If any of these violations occur, the opposing team gets an indirect penalty kick.  The kicking team places the ball near the violation and may kick it into play.  The ball may not be kicked directly to the net.  It must be touched by somebody other than the kicker before being scored.
    1. Hand balls
    2. Side tackling
    3. Pushing or checking
    4. Tripping
    5. Headders - Striking the ball with the head is not allowed at this age
  6. We do not have penalties for these violations
    1. Off sides
    2. Too many players on the field

The First Day

All teams (except 1) have received the team bag.  This includes uniforms (shirt, socks, shorts).  Pass these out to players.  Keep a shirt for any player who did not show up.  Keep one extra shirt in the bag for subs.  RETURN THE REST TO ME AT THE END OF THE GAME!

Good Advice

There are a few valuable tips that I've been collecting...
  1. Learn every player's name on the first day.  Call them by their name often.  Both parents and kids notice this.
  2. You do not need to be harder on your own kid than you are to others...  the memories you build of this time will literally last a lifetime.
  3. Be on time...  which means BE EARLY!
  4. No, it is not OK to just not show up without making a plan and letting me know.
  5. Go into each practice session with a plan...  What are you going to focus on? what drills will you run?  Remain flexible and keep it interesting.
  6. Use drills that keep all players active all the time...  avoid lines, lectures, long lasting drills and standing around.
  7. Try to keep your assigned equipment in your own bag (cones, balls, etc.)

tl;dr

Please have fun, show up, be prepared and have fun.


Monday, August 24, 2015

Spring Trophy Pickup

We will be distributing any remaining trophies from the Spring Banquet at the field during the first day of Fall Soccer (September 13).

If your child was registered for Spring soccer and you have not yet received your trophy, find it at the booth we setup at the field at pinebanks.  The booth will only be setup during the first session 9:00 - 10:30 on September 13.

If you are not able to make it to the field at this time, arrange with the coordinator for another way.  Unclaimed trophies will be discarded after the Fall season starts.

Fall Soccer is coming

EDITED 8/28/2015 - The season ends 11/8 not 11/15.
EDITED 9/2/2015 - The New England Revolution team was renamed Orlando City, and will wear yellow. Schedule and coaching will remain the same.
EDITED 9/11/2015 - The location changed from the baseball field to the track field at Pine Banks

School supplies, warm clothes and FALL SOCCER...  all knocking at our door.

Our fall season starts on Sunday, September 13 this year, less than 3 weeks away.  Teams are being setup now.  You should get an email welcoming your child to her or his new team by Sunday, August 30.  If you don't get it by then, contact the league.

We still have spots available, but there will be a strict limit on the number of players accepted and remaining kids will be wait listed.  If you have not registered yet, you should do it asap.  If you know somebody who would like to play, please let them know soon.

You can register here:
http://www.maldenyouthsoccer.org/register.html

The Season

We will have an 8 game season this Fall.  All U7 games will be on Sunday morning.

We will have 2 time slots that will changes for each team every day.  The first slot is 9:00-10:25.  The second is 10:30-11:55.  Each 85 minute time slot will be divided into a 40 minute skills/drills session and a 40 minute scrimmage/game, with a 5 minute break between practice and scrimmage.

No games will be scheduled over Columbus Day Weekend, October 11.  The last game will be November 8, weather permitting.

The Blog

This Blog will be the primary source of information for schedules, cancellations, etc. Please bookmark it.  Feel free to use the comments to discuss the league and let us know what we can do to improve any aspect of U7 Soccer.

http://MaldenSoccerU7.blogspot.com/

Cancellations due to weather will be posted to the blog... please check it within an hour of the start time on game-day morning.  If you do not have access to the internet on Sunday mornings, please let me know.

Parents will need to supply...

  1. If you already have the correct uniform, please use it.  If not, the league will supply a shirt, shorts and socks on the first day
  2. Appropriate shoes.  We'll play on artificial turf, cleats are recommended (but are not required)
  3. Shin pads are required.  Your child may be excluded from the game if this important piece of safety equipment is not used.
  4. Players must come to the game with their own size 3 ball with the players name on it
  5. Long pants and long sleeved shirt worn under the team shirt if desired
  6. Water - for frequent breaks
  7. A snack for between the practice and game may be desired
  8. Players must not wear earrings
  9. Parents must remain at the field with their children during the entire session 

Our Philosophy

At the U7 level we continue focusing on basic skills, and begin incorporating more of the basic rules into the experience.

Our primary focus remains providing a fun and healthy environment for the kids to discover their emerging soccer skills.  We do not focus on winning.  We don't keep official score, celebrate wins, or mourn losses.  We strive for every player to get equal playing time, and try to keep the number of players on the field small in order to maximize opportunities to play.  We reward skillful play, good attitudes and sportsmanship.

Here are some additional notes about the U7 format:
  1. For this outdoor session we will play 5v5 plus a goalie.  We will use the bigger nets. Coaches may decide to change the structure as needed for a fun and fulfilling game depending on attendance.
  2. Coaches may decide to balance teams at game time if there is a need to equalize the number of players on each team.
  3. Substitutions should be made when play stops and should occur approximately every 5 - 10 minutes
  4. We will play with throw-ins, goalie kicks and corner kicks.
  5. The game will start with a kick-off at the center, as will the second half of the game
  6. After each goal, the team scored upon will start again by kicking-off at center.  A successful kick-off means that the ball needs to roll 1 revolution forward and be touched by another player
  7. Hand balls result in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
  8. No slide-tackling allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
  9. No pushing with the arms or hands allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
  10. No tripping from behind allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
  11. No checking with hips allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to opposing side
  12. No off-sides called
  13. The coaches may decide to break for half-time

Basic Rules for Parents

  1. Players must play within their designated age group.
  2. Players must play on the team they have been assigned to.  Requests for specific teams will be honored if availability permits.  Requests made close to the start of the season are often hard or impossible to accomodate for.
  3. At least one adult supervisor must stay during the entire session and is responsible for watching kids if they wander away from play
  4. Parent involvement is appreciated and encouraged when appropriate but please try not to interfere with the session
  5. Due to insurance rules players who are not registered with the league cannot play
  6. Players must not wear jewelry such as earrings, watches, necklaces, etc.  

9 Week Schedule

Be sure to note the time you play each week...  it changes!


DateTimeHome TeamAway TeamField
Sun 9/13/20159:00 AMOrlando CityColumbus CrewField 1&2
Week 19:00 AMDC UnitedLA GalaxyField 3&4
9:00 AMNew York CityColorado RapidsField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMPortland TimbersMontreal ImpactField 1&2
10:30 AMHouston DynamoChicago FireField 3&4
Sun 9/20/20159:00 AMLA GalaxyColumbus CrewField 1&2
Week 29:00 AMColorado RapidsDC UnitedField 3&4
9:00 AMMontreal ImpactNew York CityField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMChicago FireOrlando CityField 1&2
10:30 AMHouston DynamoPortland TimbersField 3&4
Sun 9/27/20159:00 AMOrlando CityColorado RapidsField 1&2
Week 39:00 AMPortland TimbersChicago FireField 3&4
9:00 AMMontreal ImpactHouston DynamoField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMNew York CityLA GalaxyField 1&2
10:30 AMDC UnitedColumbus CrewField 3&4
Sun 10/4/20159:00 AMHouston DynamoDC UnitedField 1&2
Week 49:00 AMChicago FireMontreal ImpactField 3&4
9:00 AMLA GalaxyOrlando CityField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMColumbus CrewColorado RapidsField 1&2
10:30 AMPortland TimbersNew York CityField 3&4
No Soccer 10/11/2015 due to Columbus Day weekend
Sun 10/18/20159:00 AMLA GalaxyChicago FireField 1&2
Week 59:00 AMDC UnitedNew York CityField 3&4
9:00 AMColumbus CrewMontreal ImpactField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMColorado RapidsHouston DynamoField 1&2
10:30 AMOrlando CityPortland TimbersField 3&4
Sun 10/25/20159:00 AMChicago FireDC UnitedField 1&2
Week 69:00 AMHouston DynamoOrlando CityField 3&4
9:00 AMNew York CityColumbus CrewField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMMontreal ImpactLA GalaxyField 1&2
10:30 AMColorado RapidsPortland TimbersField 3&4
Sun 11/1/20159:00 AMDC UnitedPortland TimbersField 1&2
Week 79:00 AMLA GalaxyColorado RapidsField 3&4
9:00 AMNew York CityHouston DynamoField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMColumbus CrewChicago FireField 1&2
10:30 AMOrlando CityMontreal ImpactField 3&4
Sun 11/8/20159:00 AMPortland TimbersLA GalaxyField 1&2
Week 89:00 AMMontreal ImpactDC UnitedField 3&4
9:00 AMHouston DynamoColumbus CrewField 5&6
Second Session10:30 AMNew York CityOrlando CityField 1&2
10:30 AMColorado RapidsChicago FireField 3&4

Pine Banks Field

All games will be played at Pine Banks Field.  We will use the field inside the track with natural grass turf, at the corner of Main St. and Sylvan St.







Friday, June 12, 2015

Final Spring Week - Last chance for discounted banquet tickets!


Final note on the season

This Sunday will be the last week for Spring soccer.  I hope it was enjoyable for you and your young athlete.

At Malden Youth Soccer, the Spring season marks a transition.  Many of our U7 players will age out of U7 and into the higher levels.  It has been a privilege to be a part of these transitioning players' journey.  I hope U7 has been a useful and enjoyable step in their journeys through sports and through life.

For the players who have another year with us at U7, it is so exciting to watch them transition into the role of "the bigger kids" and watch their skills and confidence emerge with their growing experience.

I hope everyone plans to register for Fall Soccer.  I always appreciate feedback.

Have a wonderful Summer off!



Please consider volunteering as a coach or a team parent.
Let me know what questions I can answer for you about this rewarding opportunity.



GET YOUR BANQUET TICKETS THIS SUNDAY!


Malden Youth Soccer Annual Soccer Banquet 

For In-Town Leagues (U5, U7, U9) 
June 15
Doors Open at 5:30, Banquet starts at 6:00, Dinner at 6:15

All registered players are FREE *
Coaches and Assistant coaches are FREE and do not require a ticket for entry
Adults and Siblings must purchase tickets
Adults: $12 pre-purchased, $15 at the door
Siblings: $10 pre-purchased, $12 at the door
Children 2 and under are free
* Players must be accompanied by an adult

We will have another table setup on Sunday to distribute banquet tickets.  This will be your last chance to get the pre-banquet discount.


We have a limited number of tickets.  All In-town leagues will be combined into a single day this year.  Tickets will be sold only as long as tickets remain.

Special note for coaches

Coaches do not require a ticket for entry
Children of coaches DO REQUIRE A TICKET FOR ENTRY
Be sure to pick up your child's ticket if you have not done so already

How to get tickets

***  We will remove the 2 ticket restriction this Sunday  ***

CASH OR CHECK ONLY

If you are on the waitlist for additional tickets

If you were added to the waitlist last week, I have put tickets aside for you.  You may pick them up at the table on Sunday.  Cash may be required.

If I owe you change, that will also be waiting at the table for you.

At the field, June 14

U7 players can get their tickets at the field this week (Sunday, June 7).  There will be a table.

Even though it is free, players MUST have a ticket to enter the event.

The parent ticket MUST be purchased at the time the player's ticket is picked up.  If the parent has already purchased the ticket from another IN TOWN team, another ticket is NOT required.

Contact me (Doug) via email

If you are not able to attend soccer this week but want to reserve a ticket, send me an email.  I will reserve them for you in the order I receive the email.

At the door on, June 15

If any tickets remain, they can be purchased for full price at the door at the event.  Again, tickets are highly limited for this event.

Field assignments for Sunday: