• Please note we can not run the season any longer because it gets too dark at night for practices and Parks & Rec close the fields for the winter.
• During registration- please make the following for grades- kindergarten- 0, 1st- 1, 2nd- 2
• You are more than welcome to request a friend for your child to be placed on a team with but we can not always guarantee this.  Please also note: 2nd grade teams will be evenly balance so placing friends together can not be guaranteed. 
• Each team will be assigned a soccer team name in hopes that they will learn and watch this team throughout the season.
• Please make sure you assign a parent on duty for each practice.  It is mandatory the parent on duty bring their team contact list with them to practice so they can contact the parent if someone is injured.  The contact sheet includes any medical information that the family has provided to the WSA when they signed up.  
• If your team has assigned a snack schedule- I would recommend only having the families bring a healthy snack for half time
• The WSA is committed to sportsman like competition in an encouraging environment.  To that end, please remember the “6 point rule”:  if your team is ahead by 6 points, please take action to give the other side a fair chance to score.  Ideas include – requiring your team to only use their left foot, team must have 3 direct passes before scoring, switch strikers with defenders
• www.wiltonsoccer.info will now have all the field information updated by 7 am on Saturday mornings as well as during the week for practices or you can call the hotline.  Please commit the following number to memory or at least place it on your fridge: 221-2216. If there is inclement weather, these will be your resources, for both practices and games, to know whether the fields are open. Coaches will not be contacting parents in this situation.  Field closure is also on the home page of the Website and is updated at the same time as the phone line.
• Lost and Found- there is a menu tab on the WSA website homepage labeled “Exchange”.  In this section you can post found or lost items.  We hope you find this useful. 
• Will uniforms be given out?
  • Tee shirts will be handed out before the first game
  • Shorts - While not required, most children wear blue shorts.
  • Socks - I’d recommend soccer socks because the shin guards will need to be covered inside their socks and in most cases soccer socks work best.
  • Footwear – Cleats are not required. If they have cleats great, if not, sneakers will suffice.
  • IMPORTANT!!
    • ALL PLAYERS MUST WEAR SHIN GUARDS. IF YOUR CHILD HAS NO SHIN GUARDS THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY. All done for their safety of course.
    
   Soccer is both great exercise for the kids and lots of fun. Fun being the key word at this age. The philosophy of Wilton soccer is Have fun, be safe, and Have fun.

WiltonSoccer Association
Intramural Coaching Guidelines
www.wiltonsoccer.info
 

1. Have fun – this applies to you and to the kids. 
2. Positive coaching model – mastery of the fundamentals first, and success will follow
3. Emphasis on effort, learning, feedback, respect and love of the game

1. Promote and model good sportsmanship. 
2. Teach the laws of the game; demonstrate respect for the spirit as well as the letter of the rules
3. Ensure that the kids, coaches & parents respect the referees whether or not they agree with the call
4. Don’t forget the handshakes and other rituals that reinforce this message.

1. Build knowledge of the game
2. In practices, develop skills with games or drills, reinforce them with scrimmages
3. Emphasize drills with many touches, avoid waiting in line drills.
4. Test progress by observing the games – identify things to work on in future games
5. Focus on the fundamentals – passing, ball control, shooting, defense
6. Use small sided games, where players have lots of touches
7. Keep expectations appropriate to the age group you are coaching

1. Foster the sense of team and teamwork
2. Ensure players have equal playing time
3. Rotate positions, especially at the younger levels
4. Emphasize player-player communication

1. Safety guidelines
2. Check over the field before practices and game and remove any trash, rocks, etc.
3. Make sure two adults are present at all practices & games – in event of injury, one can stay with the injured player and the other can attend to the rest of the team.  One of the adults will be the MLS trainer in most cases.  The other adult should be the parent coach or the Parent  on Duty. 
4. In the event of an injury, notify your league director, who can in turn notify the WSA board members

1. Game Day
2. Have team arrive 15 minutes prior to scheduled start to warm up and get organized
3. Start and end on time; other teams will be waiting to take the field
4. Rec plus – confirm with other coach the time & location of game during the week before; contacts will be available prior to the start of the season.
5. Parents on one side of the field; coaches & teams on the other side – no more than 2 coaches on the sidelines on game day please!
6. Encourage parents to cheer good plays, but not to yell out instructions – you want to avoid confusing players and to keep the players focused on what you, the coach, are trying to teach.

 
 
Medical Info        Medical authorizations are now completed online at registration.  There are no medical forms to gather; however, registration information given to you contains confidential information and may not be disclosed to players or other parents in the case of grades 2 and up.  Coaches of these teams should make sure they are familiar with the medical info, ie who is allergic to bees, etc.  In the case of  the K-1 group, medical information should be shared with ALL parents who are going to serve as POD.  Please remind parents that they should not discuss the information, but should be familiar with it in case of an emergency.        
 
WSA Code of       Please ensure that parents read this form because you are agreeing to it during the registration process. 
Conduct:                
 
Uniforms and       Remind players to wear full Wilton Soccer Association uniform for games
Equipment:           shorts & socks, cleats & shin guards) and that they should not wear any jewelry to the field.  Socks go OVER shin guards.  U6, U7 & U8 all use a Size 3 ball. U9 and above use Size 4 or 5 ball. Have players wear shin guards to practice as well as games, and always bring water.
 
Snacks:                  For younger leagues, teams should have a snack schedule to rotate among the parents.  Let’s not overdo the snacks, please (oranges or grapes go well at halftime, juice boxes & healthy snacks recommended after the game).
 
Trash:                    Please clean up any trash around the field after your games (even if it was there when you arrived).
 
Field Status:          Field status number:  221-2216 and on the home page of the website
 
Photo Day:           Your League Director will inform you of the Photo day date and schedule.  Forms are in coaches bags or will be distributed to you within the first 2 weeks.
  
Practices:               Each team is allotted ½ of a game-sized field for a one hour practice – start and end on time!  Remind kids to wear proper footgear & shin guards & bring ball and water bottle.  U6/U7 practices are clinic format run by MLS with the support of one Parent on Duty from each team.  U8 and above are led by MLS trainers with support by parent coaches. Never leave the field until all children have been picked up.
 
Clinics                    Player’s clinics are currently TBD.  Please encourage players to attend so we can continue this program.  Additional clinic information will be forthcoming, including goalie, dates TBD.
 
Referees (U8):      Remind players of the role of the referees – they are to help the kids learn the rules of the game and to ensure that play is safe.  Make sure players and parents know they are to listen to the refs, not argue with them – Be a role model of this behavior!
 
Team Mgmt:        If you find a player has a conflict with the practice day, please have the parents contact the league director in the first week of practice.  Changes cannot be guaranteed and will not be made after the first practice.
 
Parent on
Duty "POD:"         Assign a Parent on Duty to every practice that the coach or assistant cannot attend, including weekly clinics.  For more information on POD see WSA website documents section.
 
Coaching               A subcommittee of the WSA Board will meet to address any  issues, complaints, etc regarding coaches.  Contact information for the Intramural VP positions is located on the WSA website: http://www.wiltonsoccer.info/Page.asp?n=7640&snid=510806088&org=wiltonsoccer.info.  If you have any other questions, please contact your league director or one of the Intramural VPs.