Coaches Handbook
Camas/Washougal Soccer Club
Latest Revision 7/12/04
Introduction
We have a lot to be proud of regarding the success of our soccer program in the Camas and Washougal communities. We have built our club into the largest in Clark County with approx 1400 kids involved. We can also boast to have the best pitches in the entire Portland/Vancouver area, which include three artificial surfaces to play on. Our rec program is thriving and we continue to improve our Select program while also feeding players into our advanced competition organization, FC Vancouver.
This “Coaches Handbook” provides coaches with a brief summary on a variety of topics that will answer some of the most commonly asked questions regarding our soccer program. I hope this information will better equip you to be a successful coach. You are encouraged to contact any of us on the soccer board if you have any questions this handbook did not answer. Just leave a message on the soccer line 834-6292 or contact a board member through our web site http://www.cwsoccer.com and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible.
I would like to thank the current board members, coaches and referees for the time commitment they have made to develop our soccer program into the best in the area. However, we can’t stand by and just expect things to happen. It takes many volunteer many-hours to make our program run smoothly. We are always looking for people with fresh ideas to serve on the board too so let me know if there is a position you would like to help with. Thank you for your dedication to the wonderful game of soccer.
As the coach, you are the primary spokesman to the players and parents. It is important that you discuss the future with your teams and help each family determine what is best for each player.
Sincerely,
Gary Martschinske
President
Camas/Washougal Soccer Club
Executive Board
The Camas/Washougal Soccer Club Board meets the second Sunday of each month from 7-9 p.m. Board meetings are held at the Camas Police Station’s Community Room on 3rd Avenue. Visitors are welcome to attend. Just let the Club President know you want to discuss a particular topic so it can be incorporated into the agenda. Please direct any questions or concerns you may have to the appropriate Board Member listed below. Here’s the club’s official mailing address, phone number, and web site.
Camas/Washougal Soccer Club
PO Box 981
Camas, WA 98607
(360) 834-6292
Levels of Competition
Governing Organizations
The Camas/Washougal Soccer Club (CWSC), Orchards Soccer Club (OSC), Gorge Soccer Club (GSC) and F.C. Vancouver Advanced Competition Soccer Club form the East County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA). The rest of Clark County soccer clubs together form the Columbia Youth Soccer Federation (CYSF).
The CYSF and ECYSA along with the Cowlitz Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) form District 5 of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association (WSYSA). WSYSA has 7 districts. WSYSA is then affiliated with the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), which is a division of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Dizzy yet!
Recreational Soccer
Recreational Soccer involves over 70% of the players registered to play Youth Soccer. It’s fun. Emphasis is placed on participation and growth of all the players involved. Recreational teams are formed at all age levels if there are enough players and if a coach is available. Recreational teams may not recruit players to ‘stack’ a team and no tryouts are held.
Many of our Youth Coaches move into the Select and Advanced Completion programs along with their children. We need to retain Coaches that are equally dedicated to the Recreational program. The Recreational Soccer Program can be categorized into three groups, U6-U8, U9-U11 and U12 & up. The U6 designation, for example, means that a player will not turn 6 until after July 31st. Matches usually begin the first Saturday after Labor Day and run through the middle of November (slightly longer than the Mini’s). All matches are on Saturdays.
U6-U8
U6 thru U7 teams play 3-a-side, do not have a designated goalie and the home team must provide a referee. The goalie position is added at U8. Small-sided play is designed to get players the maximum amount of ball handling to develop individual as well as team skills. A player must be 5 before July 31 to be eligible to play on a U6 team. Each player is required to play at least 50% of a match and scores are not kept. A mini team coach is typically a parent of one of the players. CWSC will provide information about coaching clinics to help train mini coach volunteers. CWSC strongly encourages all novice coach volunteers to attend a coaching clinic for youth soccer. A condensed set of rules is provided to assist the volunteer referee. The VP of Coaching or the VP of Minis can help you design practice sessions or your first parent meeting.
U6-U8 teams will play other CWSC teams most of the time. CWSC will also schedule with the Orchards SC as needed to ensure that a sufficient number of teams are available to provide a fun season. It is the goal of CWSC that all teams in these age groups be as competitive as possible with the other teams. The VP of Minis coordinates the game schedules for U6-U8. Schedules are usually not available until a few days before our first game, but an electronic version will be published on our web site earlier.
Modified, U9-U11
The title ‘Modified’ means that teams in these age groups do not play full-sided soccer, 11v11. Teams play with fewer players in order to emphasize the development of individual players. Scores begin to be kept/reported at U9. CWSC and Orchards Soccer Club form divisions at U9 and U10 if there are enough teams in an age group. ECYSA joins with CYSF to form divisions starting at U11.
Teams are placed in divisions according to the skill level of the team. The objective is to have equally skilled teams playing against each other in competitive games for the older age groups. The VP of Competition assigns the teams to divisions in conjunction with other soccer clubs. This assignment is based on the team’s record in the previous year and the number of players returning to the team. Division assignments are reviewed at mid season and adjusted based on the performance of a team’s first 4 matches of the season. The VP of Competition coordinates game schedules for U9 and up. Again, hardcopy schedules are usually not available until a few days before our first game but an electronic version will be published on our web site earlier.
Full-Sided, U12-U19
Full-sided play begins at U12. Players may opt to tryout for Select or Advanced Competition Teams. Recreational teams still may not conduct tryouts. Teams play in divisions with all other Recreational teams in Clark County (ECYSA and CYSF). Summer tournaments and State Cup play are optional. Teams in the U14 to U19 age groups are great for kids who simply enjoy playing soccer but don’t want the pressure of playing on an advanced competition team. Players who want to emphasize other aspects of their life like studies, youth groups or other sports should look for a team in these divisions. Players who want to play Select or Advanced Competition but haven’t played for a year or two might try a rec team first. Football or baseball players who want to continue playing soccer can practice and play the other sport during the week and come play soccer on the weekends.
Select and Advanced Competition Teams
There are many levels of Competitive Youth Soccer. CWSC is dedicated to educating it’s coaches, parents and players to ensure that players are playing at the level appropriate for them. As the coach, you are the primary spokesman to the players and parents. It is important that you discuss the future with your teams and help each family determine what is best for each player.
Select, Advanced Competition and higher-level teams are created to match our most talented and dedicated players with our most experienced coaching staff. The planned outcome is to develop dedicated players into being the best they can be in a competitive yet enjoyable environment. CWSC strives to offer committed players the opportunity to compete at the highest levels of play and to prepare them to participate in high school, state, regional, national, Olympic development and international teams. Playing on an advanced competition team can be expensive, but you can offset that by earning some money to pay for soccer expenses by refereeing or working at the Rose Garden. Additional details about refereeing and working at the Rose Garden are provided elsewhere in this document.
Select, U12-U19
Select is like a club-level All-star team for the U12 to U19 age groups. Players must attend tryouts to be on these teams. CWSC runs these tryouts in April after the Advanced Competition Club tryouts, once the Camas and Washougal Spring Breaks are completed and before team signups. The tryouts typically include two sessions. Unless the player is supremely talented, they should plan on attending both tryouts in order to have the best chance of making the team (or notify a coach that you can not attend one of the tryouts). The tryouts will typically be a Saturday/Sunday or Weekday Evening/Saturday combination. Playing up one age group is acceptable but is not encouraged. CWSC will try to field one Select team per age group. CWSC may field two teams in an age group if there are two interested coaches and enough good players to field two teams.
Select teams should have experienced coaches. CWSC strongly encourages all coaches interested in coaching Select Teams to attend an ‘E’ License Clinic for U12-U13 and a ‘D’ License Clinic for U14 & up. CWSC expects Select Coaches to fully support the goals of the club, to challenge all players on the Select Team and provide a fun experience for each player.
Select players should all have better than average soccer skills. The cost to be on these teams will vary from team to team depending on the number of tournaments played and the uniform package selected. Select Teams are strongly encouraged to play 2-4 summer tournaments. CWSC encourages teams to play the State Cup Tournaments in January/February and in the indoor facilities.
Select teams play in a ‘Gold’ division made up of teams from District 5 in Clark County. Teams will play on fields all over Clark County. Players choosing to play Select should be willing to emphasize playing soccer in league play from August through November and the State Cup tournaments in January/February. Players with competing commitments should understand the impact to the team as a whole if they are unable to compete, especially in the State Cup.
Returning Select Coaches will confirm coaching plans by mid-January. Applications for open coaching positions will be solicited in January. Interviews for open positions will be conducted in early February in order to have all positions filled by March 1st. Contact the soccer line (834-6292) and request a “Select Team Information Packet” be sent to you if you are interested in coaching. The CWSC Board approves all Select team coaches based on a recommendation from the Coaching Selection Committee that is headed by the VP of Player Development.
Advanced Competition (Premier), U11-U19
Advanced Competition is often referred to as Premier. Both FC Vancouver Soccer Club and Columbia Premier Soccer Club field teams at this level. These clubs offer exposure to more experienced coaching and a higher level of play. Tryouts are in mid-March. The clubs may field two teams, ‘A’ and ‘Dev’ or ‘B’. The U11, U12 and ‘Dev’ teams will often play in Oregon. The cost is typically $500-600 per season. This fee covers 3-4 summer tournaments, uniforms, registration and club fees. The level of play is much higher than what kids have experienced at the U6 to U10 levels. Players have typically been the best on their team and in their club. Applications for the tryouts and information regarding the tryouts can be found at the indoor soccer facilities or you may browse their web sites.
There are several divisions at this level. Some are regional or district wide while others are statewide. FC Vancouver and Columbia Premier try to enter teams from U13-U19 in the Washington State Youth League (WSYL). Matches are held statewide in three divisions, 1 (D1), 2 (D2) and Classic (WC). Teams play in placement tournaments each spring for seeding into the 3 divisions. Tryouts are in mid-March to early April. These teams are for those players that are very serious about playing soccer and are kind of like District All-star teams. There is no minimum playing time for a player.
Olympic Development Program (ODP)
Olympic Development Program teams are formed at the District, State, Regional and National levels at age groups between U14 to U17. ODP identifies the 36 best players throughout the state in each age group and brings them together as a team to compete. Competition for available positions is stiff and highly competitive. ODP is a huge commitment but ODP can help maximize a player’s exposure to college coaches. Open tryouts occur in March and early April in each district leading to state tryouts in April. Teams are selected by the end of April. Practices and play run from May through July. This leads to Regional and National teams. Typically District 5 is represented in the program with only 2-6 players. This is kind of like a statewide All-star team.
Tournaments, Spring and Indoor Soccer
American Cup
The American Cup is our State Cup Tournament for “Recreational Teams” age U12 and up. Teams wishing to participate in the American Cup must first enter through their respective district. Each district will determine its District Representative. The qualifying team will typically be the strongest team from Division 1 for the age group. The American Cup finals are usually held in the first or second weekend in December at venues throughout Washington State. The entry fee is about $125. Contact the appropriate registrar if you want to participate. See http://www.wsysa.com for more details about tournaments.
Commissioners’ Cup
Any Select or Rec team U11 and up can participate in this cup. There can be a lot of travel involved with this tournament and matches run from Dec-March. Winners advance to regional and possibly national play. The entry fee is about $140. Contact the appropriate registrar if you want to participate.
Snickers Cup
Any Premier or Classic team U11 and up can participate in this cup. Contact the appropriate registrar if you want to participate.
Other Tournaments
Any team may enter tournaments outside of regular fall season play. Most tournaments are scheduled during the summer and rosters are based on the makeup of your team during last fall’s season. Rules regarding each tournament can vary widely. Consult the web sites for more information. CWSC will try to provide as much information regarding these tournaments as possible. Complete listings can be found on the web sites for WSYSA and Oregon Youth Soccer. Tournament fees range between $12 and $30 per player based on a typical roster size.
Currently there are four local tournaments. CWSC hosts an 11v11 rec. tournament in early August for teams U12-U15. Battleground runs a 5v5 tournament in conjunction with Harvest Days in late July for teams U9-U19. Orchards runs an 11v11 tournament in late July for teams U11-U19. Orchards runs a 6v6 tournament in mid-August for teams U9-U19. There are also many tournaments based in Portland. However, the State requires that an extensive travel packet be completed that requires approval by the State Registrar 30 days in advance of the tournament. These tournaments can be a very rewarding experience if you are willing to complete the paperwork.
Spring Soccer
A player who registered for fall soccer can sign up to play with any age appropriate team for spring soccer the following year at no additional charge. Registrations are due around March 20th and the Registrars are very strict about adhering to this deadline. Discuss spring soccer as an option at your season ending gatherings at the end of the fall season.
Spring soccer is very informal and girl’s teams are usually the only ones who play since the boy’s high school programs occur in the spring. Games occur during the April/May timeframe. Teams are allowed a maximum of 3 players who played for Select or Advanced Competition teams in the fall. There may not be enough players to form a team at all age levels. Contact the appropriate Registrar if you are interested in coaching spring soccer or if you have players who want to play.
Indoor Soccer
CWSC encourages coaches, players and parents to consider playing indoor soccer or registering your team to play at one of the indoor facilities in Clark County listed below. There are a variety of age and skill levels to choose from to keep your team sharp and to avoid getting rusty! Indoor soccer is governed by its own rules and there is no relationship to our soccer club’s activities.
Clark County Indoor Sports Arena 16311 NE 15th St Vancouver 604-4487
Salmon Creek Indoor Sports Arena 110 NW 139th St Vancouver 571-7628
General Information Regarding Fall League Play
Rules & Regulations
The rules and regulations that govern play are described in The East County Youth Soccer Association Constitution and By Laws. Each coach should receive a copy that is usually handed out with match schedules. Contact the VP of Coaching Development if you do not have a copy. The “Laws of the Game” can be found on the fifa.com web site.
Registration
Coaches reregister teams from the previous year if the team plans on continuing. Players from teams that choose not to continue will be placed in an open pool along with new players. The Registrar will fill rosters of returning teams with pool players. Remaining players will be formed into new teams and Coaches will be recruited for those teams. Some players may be placed on an older team if there are not enough open roster positions in their age group.
New players need to bring a completed registration form and a copy of the child’s Certificate of Live Birth when registering. A birth certificate from a hospital with the cute little feet is not acceptable. The registrar will provide the coach with an approved team roster at the July coaches meeting. Coaches should have a copy of your approved team roster available at game time should the referee request it.
Refunds
A full refund will be granted through August 1. After August 1, refunds will be granted only when a player moves out of the area or with a written doctor’s statement. Submit refund requests to the appropriate registrar.
Referee Information
Each soccer team (U9 and up) should provide a referee candidate to the club’s referee pool. This person should be at least 12 yrs old and up to adult. The Referee Scheduler will draw from the Pool to provide a referee(s) for all home games beginning at U9. Teams who have provided a referee to the pool will be scheduled first (hint!). We are flexible when scheduling a referee’s time so that it will not be in conflict with their child’s matches or any other commitment that may exist. No ref shall work a game in which his/her child plays. The club will provide training, all necessary equipment and the ref will be compensated for their efforts. This is a great way for kids to earn spending money or help pay for their soccer fees. See the referee's page on www.cwsoccer.com for training clinics, payment schedules and forms.
Scheduling, training and performance of referees should be directed to the Referee Coordinator. The Referee Coordinator also represents the CWSC in the Judicial process where penalties for Red and Yellow Cards and other infractions are administered.
Coaching Development
The VP of Coaching Development helps all coaches in the association develop their coaching skills. The club is constantly trying to make sure that the coaches in the club have the training tools and access to the coaching clinics that will help to improve each coach’s skills.
The Washington State Soccer Association has established training programs for coaches where it is possible for attendees to be tested and receive licenses at various levels. These licenses include Youth Coaching Modules 1 and 2 (beginning), "E" level (intermediate), "D" level (advanced) and "C, B & A" level (national). Any fees charged for attending a coaching clinic will be reimbursed by the CWSC.
The courses are designed to provide instruction on soccer coaching for any individual regardless of coaching experience or playing background. The WSYSA Coaching School is designed to be consistent with USSF National format. The American Sport Education Program was adopted in 1992 and additional child psychology and child development materials have been incorporated into the program.
During the course of each year, the CWSC provides coaching training sessions tailored for all coaches in the club. Dates and times vary based on the availability of the trainers we can schedule for the courses. Most training sessions take place in either the spring or summer.
The VP of Coaching Development, and other Board members, want to make sure that all coaches and players are successful. At any time, they will be happy to help a coach, or a team, which is in need of special attention. Don't hesitate to contact the VP of Coaching Development or any other Board member if you feel you, or your team needs help.
Player Development
CWSC typically conducts a free weeklong soccer camp for U6-U8 players about a month before the season begins. The VP of Minis coordinates the free player camp.
Players also have access to weeklong camps hosted by a number of organizations during the summer. These include Goal Line, University of Portland and various other organizations. Consult the Community Education fliers or the web sites for WSYSA, Oregon Youth Soccer, the local clubs or the organizations listed above for more information. You may also browse the CWSC website or leave a message on the CWSC phone line.
CWSC Library
The CWSC has purchased a variety of training materials in the form of books and tapes that can be borrowed by coaches. We are always on the lookout for good training materials to purchase so let us know if there is something you would like the club to purchase. The CWSC library is located at:
Dr. Hagen’s office
327 NE 5th St
Camas (834-3141)
Practice Fields
Formal practice fields (schools, city parks, etc.) are reserved during the July coaches meeting by the VP of Pitches based on two practices per week per team. The larger practice fields will be dedicated for older teams. Contact the Community Education Dept. at 835-2137 to reserve a practice field in the Washougal school district.
Equipment
The VP of Equipment purchases new soccer balls to replace worn out ones and they are supplied at the coaches meeting in July. The club also supplies a ball bag and field border cones. You can exchange your balls for the next larger size if the ball size changes.
It is the responsibility of the team to buy uniforms. Each player must provide their own shoes and shin guards. CWSC colors are Royal Blue and White. White/Blue reversible jerseys for the younger players can be purchased at Clark County Indoor Soccer. Teams wishing to purchase multi piece uniform set must purchase club uniforms through our authorized vendor. See www.cwsoccer.com for uniform requirements and purchasing information. Please recycle unused uniforms/cleats at the July coaches meeting.
Nets and corners flags for the Washougal fields (Gause and Columbia) are stored in a shed near the Columbia field @ 2349 B St. (three blocks East of the Washougal ARCO gas station). Never “borrow” nets or flags designated for another field or age group. Nets and corners flags for Camas fields are stored in a shed directly West of the JDZ School. The lock combination can be obtained from any board member. Please put equipment back in their proper container.
Scores
Win or lose, coaches of U9 teams and older are to report the score of their game by Saturday night or Sunday morning in order to be included in the Columbian (Tuesday Community Scoreboard) and Post Record (Sports Section). The club would prefer teams report scores via the web site at http://www.cwsoccer.com. Ask the ref at the end of the game if you are not certain of the score.
Safety
Be sure to warm up and stretch muscles before games and practices. The team should provide its own safety kit, which should include an ice pack. The coach must retain copies of the player’s registration form, which contains medical release information at practices and games. Forms must be on hand at practices and games in case of an emergency. Never let anyone hang on goals. This has caused fatal accidents.
Sponsors
The VP of Sponsors for the CWSC will solicit donations from businesses in our community to support our soccer program. Donations will go into the club’s general fund and will not go to a specific team. Club sponsors will be recognized in the Camas/Washougal Post and on our web site. Contact the VP of Sponsors if you have someone who would like to support the CWSC.
Expenses
You can offset soccer expenses by earning money as a referee and details about refereeing are provided elsewhere in this document. Another alternative is to work concessions at the Rose Garden. Working concessions is done under the name of “Revolution Soccer”, which is a group of people from Clark County that work within the Not-for-Profit program established by Paul Allen and the Rose Garden. Additional information about the Revolution Soccer fundraiser program can be obtained at our club’s web site (http://www.cwsoccer.com) or you can request more info by calling the soccer line (834-6292).
Revolution Soccer Fund Raiser Information
CWSC’s former board member Alice Rankin and the Revolution Soccer team that she was involved with originally started this group. You can work concessions at the Rose Garden and Memorial Coliseum to earn money, tax-free, to spend on soccer related expenses for your soccer player or team. The group is known as “REVOLUTION SOCCER” at the Rose Garden. You may have seen us. We wear cream color hats with blue bills and red lettering. We’re the smiling group, waiting to make your event a fun one!
Compensation
We receive 14% of gross sales of all food items while working in “The Blaze” or “Tony Romas” stand or 10% of gross sales while working in a portable booth. We average our earnings on a monthly basis so that anyone working an event during any given month is earning the same amount. Each player is given credit for whoever worked for him or her and for each time they worked. The Rose Garden guarantees us a minimum of $26.00 per person per event. There have been months that averaged as high as $60.00 for each event worked. If you had worked 4 times during that month, you would have earned $240.00 --- tax-free.) We average around $43.00 per event worked. This money is yours. Not the clubs. Not Revolution’s.
Time Commitment
This is a yearly contract that runs from October to October each year. Shifts average 4 to 5 hours. Most events require a 4:45 pm or 5:15 pm check in time during the week. Some are earlier and some a little later. (The scheduling coordinator will strive to request events that do not interfere with most people’s work schedules.) Yes, most of us work real jobs, too! Weekend shifts vary, allowing a flexible schedule for people who just want to work weekends. Sometimes on weekends, you can pull a double shift and work an early show and a later show such as Circus or Champions on Ice.
Training
There are 2 training sessions that you will need to attend:
Not-for-Profit (that’s us – NFP’s) Orientation This training session is free of charge and is a necessary requirement to work at the Rose Garden. It is approximately 3 hours long and when you leave you will know everything you’ll eventually learn once you start working! Most classes are offered in August through February and coincide with the Blazer’s season.
OLCC Alcohol Servers Training This training session cost $38.00, ($15.00 fee for the class and $23.00 for the OLCC License), and is necessary to get your alcohol server’s permit which is required to work any event that has beer served. (Blazers, Winter Hawks, etc.) It is approximately 5 and 1/2 hours long, which includes a test. Once you’ve passed and received your OLCC License, it is valid for 5 years. Although we do not get any compensation for beer sales, our more lucrative events for food sales are the events that allow beer sales. OLCC classes are offered on a more regular basis due to current workers and the need to re-certify every five years.
Don’t delay. If you are interested in taking part in this fund raising opportunity, please contact Kim Ah Choy, the Revolution Soccer NFP focal point, to sign up for training.
Note: There is a $4.35 hat fee which is payable to me and is due at the time of your assigned orientation session. The hat is a requirement and must be worn for all events worked.
Contact Name: Kim Ah Choy
Phone: (360) 896-7398
Email Address: ahchoy7@attbi.com