So, You want to be a travel team coach?
First, you must be approved by The Logan Soccer Club (LSC) Executive Board. If you wish to coach a traveling team, you must have an F - License. please call the Club President or one of the other Board members. Check the "Executive Board" page for further information on Board Members. LSC holds board meetings the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 PM at the Logan Soccer Club Concession Stand. Current and potential coaches are encouraged to attend - this is your best method of asking questions and speaking with other coaches/coordinators/representatives face-to-face.
Once you are approved, you should seek to identify a candidate as your assistant coach. This person would help run practices, provide input, and fill in for you at games or practices if you are unable to attend. Your assistant coach must also possess an F-License. The Board may be able to help you in finding an assistant based on information gained on registration forms. You and the assistant coach must fill out a disclosure form which is required by the leagues, state and our club.
There are two soccer seasons - Fall - which starts in September and Spring - which starts in March. Both seasons occur in a Soccer Year which runs from September 1st to August 31st.
Each year, after registrations for Fall soccer, the Board forms our Travel teams. Traveling teams are boys or girls teams U-9 to U18. The teams that are formed will represent our Club in the Leagues with which we are associated. Our girls teams play in South Jersey Girls Soccer League, and our boys teams play in the South Jersey Soccer League. Although there is communication and cooperation between the two leagues, they are two separate and distinct organizations. You should become very familiar with the web sites of South Jersey as they provide very valuable and mandatory information/instructions. The web site for the boys is www.sjsl.org and for the girls, it is www.sjgsl.org.
Once the teams are selected, you must notify the players and their parents. You should inform them that they are on the team, and give them an idea when and how often you plan to practice. Most Travel teams begin practice in August, although you may start earlier if you desire. Practices are usually 90 minutes, twice per week, but they can be longer or more often if you wish. Be careful not to conduct long training session for the younger players.
If you are coaching a girls team, you need to communicate with the LSC Girls Rep. You can locate this contact on the Executive Board page and send them an email.
If you are coaching a boys team, you will communicate with the LSC Boys Rep. You can also locate this contact on the Executive Board page and send them an email.
LSC provides coaches with equipment for use during the seasonal year. The LSC Equipment Coordinator will provide you with equipment and communicate to you when you can pick up or return your assigned items.
You will be sharing fields with other coaches for practice time. Please work with the other coaches to put together a schedule so there will not be any field time conflicts. Game schedules are handled by the SJSL & SJGSL.
Rosters and Player Passes
To compete on a Travel Team, each player must be included on an official roster, and must have a validated player pass. Team packets, which are provided by New Jersey Youth Soccer, contain all the necessary forms for registering a team. Each player/parent must fill out a membership form, a medical release form, provide a small picture (for the player pass), and a copy of the player's birth certificate. Once the necessary paperwork is completed, the Coach must submit all of the paperwork to the LSC Boys or Girls Rep in the following format:
Staple membership form to birth certificate, with membership form on top.
Player pass should be paper-clipped to membership/birth certificate, with birth date side showing.
Notarized Medical Release should be included in paper clip, after birth certificate.
Team roster is to be completely filled out, with all parts intact.
Coach's pass must be accompanied by a copy of coaching license.
More detailed instructions are available on the South Jersey boys & girls web site.
There are limits to the size of a roster. For all U9 and U10 teams, which play 8v8, the limit is 14. For all teams U11 and older, which play 11v11, the limit is 18. Additionally, once the roster is approved, all player changes must be submitted to the appropriate LSC Rep.
Player changes require an "Add/Drop" form, which can be obtained from the LSC Rep. Any additions or deletions to your roster must be approved by either the LSC Rep or in some cases the LSC Board. You may add as many players as you wish, but you cannot exceed the roster limits, as mentioned above. You may also transfer players to your team with the approval of the LSC Board, but you are limited to a total of three transfers within a soccer year. A soccer year begins September 1st, and ends August 31st of the following year. A transferring player is defined as one who is transferring from one Travel team to another Travel team, regardless of whether that team belongs to our Club or another Club. On your roster forms there are 21 player slots for 11v11 teams, and 17 for 8v8 teams. Any additions or transfers during a soccer year may not exceed these numbers, and, as mentioned above, the number of active players may not exceed 18 for 11v11, or 14 for 8v8.
For example, an 11v11 team rosters 16 players in the Fall. During the soccer year, if their roster remains intact, only two additional players may be added, either through transfer from another team, addition of non-travel players, or a combination of the two. Continuing with the example, let's assume there are three rostered travel team players and two non-rostered players who want to join the team. The total of 21 players would take up all the slots on the roster form, which is legal, but since there can only be 18 active players, three of the original 16 must be officially dropped. The bottom line is, you may have no more than 18 active players for an 11v11 team, and no more than the 21 slots on the State roster form can be utilized. For 8v8 teams, the same principles apply, but the number of players must not exceed 14 active at any one time, and no more than the 17 State roster slots can be used.
NOTE: Do not solicit another player to transfer to your team during the soccer year, whether that player is a Logan Soccer Club player or not. This act is known as POACHING, and is strictly forbidden. Any violation of the poaching rule carries severe fines, and coaching suspensions. The fines are your responsibility, and will not be paid by the Club.
All players rostered for the Fall season are considered to be on your roster for the Spring season as well. You may not "cut" a player in the same soccer year if they have a desire to play. To do so would be a violation of both State and National soccer regulations. If, however, they choose not to play in the Spring season, you may officially "drop" them from your roster if needed. You are not required to do so unless necessary.
Be advised that the South Jersey Boys and Girls League has a "sit" rule governing transferred players. Any player transferring to a Travel team from another Soccer Club (another club outside of Logan Soccer Club) during the soccer year must sit out for a total of 3 league games. Remember, regardless of whether a player will be subject to a "sit" rule or not, poaching is NOT ALLOWED.
Games
Fall Season games begin the weekend following Labor Day weekend. Spring Season games begin in early March. Girls teams play on Saturday afternoon (except U15-U19, which play on Sunday), and Boys teams play on Sunday afternoon. The schedule is determined by the Leagues, and are distributed at mandatory coaches meetings, which take place prior to each Fall and Spring season. The schedule typically consists of five "home" and five "away" games per season. Travel time for games can range from 5 minutes to 1.5 hours. You should have your team at the field at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled start. The coach should bring all team player passes, pink roster, and notarized medical release forms for each player to every game. Additionally, the medical release forms should be with the coach at each practice, in the event of a need for emergency medical attention.
During the week prior to a game, the visiting coach should call the home coach to verify field location, game time, and uniform color. If there is a color conflict, the burden of change is on the home team.
When you arrive at the field, the referee will inspect each player, making sure the player has the necessary uniform, with a number, shin guards and proper footwear. All jewelry, including watches, rings, earrings necklaces, bracelets, etc, is forbidden. The referee will also make sure each player has a valid player pass, which, as mentioned above, must be brought to each game by the coach. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of game, and a fine by the League.
As a coach, you are expected to be familiar with the rules of the game. You should also know the duration of the game, which varies according to age. You are absolutely expected to conduct yourself in a sportsmanlike manner. This applies to your conduct with referees, opposing coaches, players and parents. You are also responsible for the behavior of the parents of your players. Set the tone early. Do not tolerate unruly behavior, no matter what the reason.
When the game is concluded, you and your team are expected to shake the hands of your opponents. You must also pay the referee. Each team pays one-half the referee fees. The fees vary according to age of players, and the schedule of fees is available in the packet you receive prior to the season. Some referees require payment before the game, some after. Referee fees for the season will be given to you by the LSC Boys/Girls Rep.
Remember - You are not alone - nor should you act alone! The LSC Boys/Girls Reps are your key to any information, player adds, transfers, drops, etc. The Reps will either handle the situation or present it to the LSC Board when required. Do not work in a "bubble"!!
You are representing the Logan Soccer Club, Logan Township, the players, and the parents. As the Coach - you are expected to conduct yourself in a calm, controlled, and respectable manner. The LSC Board has a zero tolerance for coaches that do not abide by the rules and who do not conduct themselves in a manner that is positive to the players and the game of soccer. Remember - you are shaping the minds of young impressionable children and above everything else you are teaching the love of the game, teamwork, and respect. You are a volunteer and we thank you for giving your time and experience!
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