Southbridge Youth Soccer
PO Box 276
Southbridge MA 01550

Home Page

PLAYERS

COACHES

PARENTS

LINKS

HS Coach Fournier: 1008989
U-10B Coach Power: 1008990
U-12 Coach Garlie: 1262023

4) Click on "Lookup" button

Note: Once you are at the schedule, If you click on the field name under the site heading, MapQuest will launch with a map for the field. How cool is that?

Age groups for Fall 08:
• U-6 >>> IN-TOWN. DOB from 8/1/02 to 7/31/04
• U-8 >>> IN-TOWN. DOB from 8/1/00 to 7/31/02
• U-10 >>> TRAVEL. DOB from 8/1/98 to 7/31/00
• U-12 >>> TRAVEL. DOB from 8/1/96 to 7/31/98
• U-14 >>> TRAVEL. DOB from 8/1/94 to 7/31/96
• U-16 >>> TRAVEL. DOB from 8/1/92 to 7/31/94

NEW! Purchase equipment on-line through EPIC SOCCER via Southbridge Soccer link: Soccer Equipment by Epic Sports
When you purchase equipment by going to Epic Sports through the links on our website, Southbridge Youth Soccer Soccer benefits, and you benefit by getting low prices on soccer essentials! NOTE: You MUST enter the Epic Sport web site by using the link(s) on our web site for SYSA to receive credit for your purchase.

Code of Conduct

Parental Support - The Key to Peak Performance

(Coaches, you can print this out and hand to parents at your first team meeting )

The role that parents play in the life of a soccer player has a tremendous impact on their experience. With this in mind, we have taken some time to write down some helpful reminders for all of us as we approach the upcoming season. If you should have any questions about these thoughts, please feel free to discuss it with us, the coaches.

Let the coaches coach: Leave the coaching to the coaches. This includes motivating, psyching your child for practice, after game critiquing, setting goals, requiring additional training, etc. You have entrusted the care of your player to these coaches and they need to be free to do their job. If a player has too many coaches, it is confusing for him and his performance usually declines.
Support the program: Get involved. Volunteer. Help out with fundraisers, car-pool; anything to support the program.
Be you child's best fan: Support your child unconditionally. Do not withdraw love when your child performs poorly. Your child should never have to perform to win your love.
Support and root for all players on the team: Foster teamwork. Your child's teammates are not the enemy. When they are playing better than your child, your child now has a wonderful opportunity to learn.
Do not bribe or offer incentives: Your job is not to motivate. Leave this to the coaching staff. Bribes will distract your child from properly concentrating in practice and game situations.
Encourage your child to talk with the coaches: If your child is having difficulties in practice or games, or can't make a practice, etc., encourage them to speak directly to the coaches. This "responsibility taking" is a big part of becoming a big-time player. By handling the off-field tasks, your child is claiming ownership of all aspects of the game - preparation for as well as playing the game.
Understand and display appropriate game behavior: Remember, your child's self esteem and game performance is at stake. Be supportive, cheer, be appropriate. To perform to the best of his abilities, a player needs to focus on the parts of the game that they can control (his fitness, positioning, decision making, skill, aggressiveness, what the game is presenting them). If he starts focusing on what he can not control (the condition of the field, the referee, the weather, the opponent, even the outcome of the game at times), he will not play up to his ability. If he hears a lot of people telling him what to do, or yelling at the referee, it diverts his attention away from the task at hand.
Monitor your child's stress level at home: Keep an eye on the player to make sure that they are handling stress effectively from the various activities in his life.
Monitor eating and sleeping habits: Be sure your child is eating the proper foods and getting adequate rest.
Help your child keep his priorities straight: Help your child maintain a focus on schoolwork, relationships and the other things in life beside soccer. Also, if your child has made a commitment to soccer, help him fulfill his obligation to the team.
Reality test: If your child has come off the field when his team has lost, but he has played his best, help him to see this as a "win". Remind him that he is to focus on "process" and not "results". His fun and satisfaction should be derived from "striving to win". Conversely, he should be as satisfied from success that occurs despite inadequate preparation and performance.
Keep soccer in its proper perspective: Soccer should not be larger than life for you. If your child's performance produces strong emotions in you, suppress them. Remember your relationship will continue with your children long after their competitive soccer days are over. Keep your goals and needs separate from your child's experience.
Have fun: That is what we will be trying to do! We will try to challenge your child to reach past their "comfort level" and improve themselves as a player, and thus, a person. We will attempt to do this in environments that are fun, yet challenging. We look forward to this process. We hope you do to!

Coaching Letter to Parents from http://www.eteamz.com/soccer/pills/letter.htm

^TOP^

Nutrition

Nowadays, nutrition is a hot topic in both sports and everyday life. It must be emphasized that the weight of a soccer player is not an important factor in his performance. Instead of concentrating on reaching an ideal weight, it is wiser to work on healthy eating habits.

Fat: Soccer players burn a lot of calories but fat should still be minimized in an athlete's diet, mainly because it is not an efficient provider of energy. Although there is a lot of energy stored in fat, in long duration sports, like soccer, the body fuels itself mainly from Glycogen (found in Carbohydrates.)

Carbohydrates: As with most aerobic sports, the ideal meal for a soccer player must be rich in Carbohydrates. Before matches or important events, it is recommended to increase Carb intake and decrease Proteins. Consuming meals consisting primarily of Carbohydrates has been shown to improve endurance and overall performance. Flour and starch-based foods are a good source of Carbs.

Examples: bread, potatoes, pasta, cereal, low-fat dairy products

Proteins: Proteins are essential for the regeneration of muscles and tissue. It is important to regularly integrate Protein into meals, but the amount must be kept it in small portions. In an athlete's diet, not more than 10% of all calories should come from Protein. As mentioned above, Carbs are the primary source of energy in soccer whereas Protein is simply used for cell replenishment. Pre-game meals should not contain much Protein.

Examples: meat, eggs, nuts

Water & Sports Drinks: During matches or practice, your body will lose a lot of water. To keep it hydrated it is best to drink water (even if you don't feel like it) frequently in small portions. Many sports drinks have flooded the market in the past few years. They contain Carbohydrates and claim to potentially improve your performance. In practice, sports drinks would have the same effect as water, if the player using them has been eating right.

^TOP^

Soccer Lingo

Talking on the field helps players work as a team. This is some of the language that parents and soccer players should understand and use.

Man on - Indicates to the player with the ball that an opposing player is closing in.

Time - Player with the ball has time to effectively distribute the ball

Switch - Change play from one side of field to the other, either by one long ball or several short balls across the field of play

Near post - Indicates to player with the ball to cross the ball to the closest goal post

Far post - Indicates to player with the ball to cross the ball to the furthermost goal post

Top of the box - Indicates that a player is waiting or is ready to meet the ball on the edge of the penalty area directly in front of goal for a shot at Goal

Square ball - Indicates to the player with the ball that you wish to receive the ball square across the field

In the Channel - Indicates to the player with the ball to pass the ball directly upfield

Down the Line - Indicates to the player with the ball to pass the ball down the side line

In the Pocket - Indicates to the player with the ball that you wish to receive the ball in a space

Feet - Indicates to the player with the ball that you wish to receive the ball at your feet

Hold - Indicates to the player with the ball that play needs to be slowed so team mates can move into position

One, two or Wall Pass (give & go) - Where two players create a triangle of play to pass an opposing player

Take the space - Move into the space and press forward into attack

Out - Indicates to the defense to quickly push up to the half way line

Step up - Create an offside trap by the defense stepping up together in a line

Turn - Indicates to the player with the ball to turn where there is more space or a free player

Support - Indicates to the players near the team mate with the ball that they should offer

Offer - Be in a place that supports the player with the ball and where you can receive the ball

Movement - Team mates without the ball can create space for the player with the ball by moving away from his intended run path

One in, one out - Movement to receive the ball from a throw in

Wall - The goal-keeper needs to quickly organize team mates in a wall to counter a free kick from the opposition

Close him/her down - Move to the opposing player so he can not take space

Show him/her the line - Sow the opposing player the line by placing your body between him and the goal, if he wishes to go around you he will need to move towards the sideline

Mark Up - Be close enough to your opposing player to be able to intercept or gain possession of the ball should the ball be passed to him

Man marking - Mark the player not the area, follow him over most of the field of play

Zone marking - Mark players that enter your area/zone and pass players on to other teammates as they go from your defensive area/zone. Organize your area/zone, call team mates for help if more than one attacking player enters your area/zone.

^TOP^