Winchester Soccer Club

Age Group Coordinators

AGC Guiding Principles

AGC Roles & Responsibilities

AGC Rules & Guidelines

Age Group Coordinator Guiding Principles:

Age Group Coordinators are expected to enact and enforce the following guiding principles in the management of their age group:

• Foster skills development for all players in the age group.
• Foster development of life skills including sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, team commitment, positive attitude and striving to obtain goals.
• Player skill level and development shall be evaluated after every season (spring and fall).  It is expected that, if appropriate, kids will be moved up or down after each season based on their skill level and rate of development as compared to other players in the age group.  (Travel teams only)
• Age Group Coordinators must become familiar with the skill level of all players in their age group.
• All players are to be assigned to teams prior to coach selection.
• There shall be communication on any sensitive issues affecting a player before any public notifications are made.
• Age Group Coordinators shall ensure that their respective commissioner is aware of what is going on in their age group.
• Proactively ensure that all players are involved and that no one “falls through the cracks.”
• Foster development of quality coaching for players and insure that coaches adhere to club policies and philosophy.

Age Group Coordinator Roles & Responsibilities:

Age Group Coordinators shall be responsible for the following:

• To generally manage and oversee his/her age group.  AGC must be willing and able to use the club web site, online registration system, email and Microsoft Excel in the coordination of his/her age group.

• To disseminate material information to coaches and players and to follow up with coaches to make sure that material information is passed on to players.

• To manage player placements and assignments in accordance with Club Rules for registration and placement.

• To select coaches in a fair and consistent manner.

• To schedule all age group organizational and placement meetings, and to provide timely and adequate notice to all participants in accordance with Club Rules.

• To ensure that Players receive notice of team assignments in accordance with the Club Rules and that all Players who are being moved to a different team are notified in accordance with Club Rules.

• To coordinate practice times and participate in the resolution of field conflicts within the age group.

• To schedule and facilitate the arrangements for all required facilities, equipment and personnel for age group tryouts and to provide adequate and timely notice to all participants in accordance with Club Rules.   AGC’s should notify the Communications Director of tryout dates for posting on the club website.

• To inform his/her respective Commissioner of all material issues affecting the age group on an ongoing and timely basis.

• To answer questions and resolve disputes or, where appropriate, to refer disputes to the respective Commissioner.

• To encourage tournament participation and ensure that all interested players are placed on a team and/or that all rosters are filled.  Coaches are encouraged to combine teams to ensure that everyone that is interested plays.

Age Group Coordinator Rules & Guidelines

Age Group Coordinators shall apply and enforce the following rules & guidelines:

Rules:

• All players registered on time will be placed on a roster.
• All players registered after the deadline will automatically be placed on a wait list and placed on teams only if space is available after all players who registered on time have been placed.
• A standardized player evaluation form is to be completed for each player prior to the start of the placement process.  Every coach in the age group should complete a separate evaluation form.
• A meeting will be held by the AGC, previous season coaches and a disinterested board member chosen by the appropriate commissioner to determine the placement of players before each season.
• All players must be assigned to a team prior to coach selection.
• Coaches are not allowed to evaluate their own child.
• Following placement and prior to notification of team assignments to players, any players who have been moved down to a new team must be notified by their previous coach or AGC with an explanation for the move. 
• Players will be notified by their coaches of their team assignments only after all move down notifications within the age group have been completed.  Players must be notified within one week of go-ahead from AGC.

Guidelines:

• Registration process guidelines:
  • AGC’s shall get a list a list of all players returning for the next season from their coaches.
  • After registration deadline, AGC shall review registrations for past two seasons and contact all unregistered players (via email, mail or phone) that played in either season to determine whether or not they will be playing.
  • AGC’s shall ensure that players whose birth date or grade assignments are outside the normal guidelines are not lost in the shuffle.  The first option should be to place the player with his/her grade.  If the player is above the age group cut off for his/her grade, then the player should be placed with the birth date applicable age group.  It is the AGC’s responsibility to ensure that these players are on the appropriate registration list prior to the placement process.
• Placement process guidelines:
  • AGC shall collect player evaluation forms from all coaches.
  • In addition to player evaluations, AGC shall incorporate at least 2 the following approaches into the evaluation process to help determine the appropriate skill level at which to place players for the clubs’ travel teams.  
    • Tryouts of a uniform format.  If used, tryouts should be held at least once a year.
    • Intra-team scrimmages
    • Coaches viewing the games of teams above and below their own for 1 (preferably 2) games to facilitate discussions at the placement meetings.
  • AGC’s should consider combining players who are candidates for movement on tournament teams to facilitate evaluation of player skill level and development.
  • AGC’s shall summarize the data from the evaluations in a format that provides a preliminary ranking to facilitate placement discussions.
  • AGC shall facilitate conversation regarding players based on the rankings derived.
  • AGC’s should work with the age group above/below them to create teams in order to avoid over-rostering.  Players may only “play up” in BAYS due to the 1 year age brackets.
  • No players shall participate in the placement process unless they are registered, except with approval of commissioner.

• Over-rostering guidelines (spring season only):
  • AGC shall make every effort to accurately determine the number of players for a season and develop rosters for the appropriate number of teams to ensure that league guidelines are met.
    • Fall season:  Maximum roster size for 11 v 11 teams is 21 players for BAYS and 22 players for MYSL.  Maximum roster size for 6 v 6 teams is 14 players in both leagues.  Leagues will not allow towns to place more the maximum number of players on a roster so over-rostering is not applicable in the fall.
      • Note:  The WSC strongly discourages 6 v 6 rosters of more than 12 players.  An AGC must get approval from their respective commissioner before creating 6 v 6 rosters of greater than 12 players
    • Spring season:  Maximum roster size 11 v 11 teams is 18 players in MYSL, 19 players in BAYS for Division 1 & Division 2 teams, 23 for Division 3 & 4 teams.  Maximum roster size for 6 v 6 teams is 12 players in both leagues.  11 v 11 teams can be over-rostered to a maximum of 23 players in BAYS with club approval or 22 players in MYSL with league approval.  Over-rostered teams are not eligible for post season play in either league.
  • All spring teams in an age group must have the maximum number of players before the AGC can over-roster a team except with commissioner approval.
  • AGC should determine if there is space on a team in a neighboring age group that the player can be placed on within league age guidelines.
  • If, due to late registrations, the AGC needs to over-roster a team, player assignment must be based on the player’s ability and skill level at that time.