McLean Youth Soccer
Travel Coach
Policies and
Procedures
2017
Table of Contents
Calendar ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Overview....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Human Resources ............................................................................................................................ 3
Curriculum........................................................................................................................................ 3
Structure .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Gear.................................................................................................................................................. 3
Communications........................................................................................................................................... 4
Schedules ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Practices .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Games / Tournaments ..................................................................................................................... 5
Tryouts ............................................................................................................................................ 5
MYS Programs ................................................................................................................................... 6
Monday Night .................................................................................................................................. 6
Travel Team Training ....................................................................................................................... 6
GK Training ....................................................................................................................................... 6
International Program...................................................................................................................... 6
Ballmasters and Camps .................................................................................................................... 6
Team Volunteers ............................................................................................................................... 7
Rosters and Player Movement......................................................................................................... 7
Policies ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Field Use / Player Safety / Weather Guidelines ............................................................................... 7
Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Professional Development ............................................................................................................... 8
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TIMELINE / CALENDAR / CHECKLIST
May:
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June:
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Travel Team Tryouts / Team Information Forms Due
Players register / commit
Coaches select team volunteers
AGDs provide list of recommended tournaments / Coaches select preseason
tournaments
Coaches provide teams with full season plans
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July:
 summer training / kickarounds / camps
 team volunteers: league rosters, tournament applications, budgets / team fees
 Fall field requests due
August:
 MPS Preseason camp (3rd week in August) / Preseason tournament(s)
 Preseason Coach meeting
September:
 League play / State Cup for U15 - U19
October:
 League play / State Cup for U15 - U19
 Columbus Day Tournaments
 winter field requests due
 winter plans due to AGD
November:
 League play continues / Post season tournaments
December:
 winter training / some leagues (ECNL, CCL) / U15 - U19 Showcases / futsal
 Player Evaluations Due
 Ballmasters
 Spring Plans due to AGD
January / February:
 winter training / league continues / futsal
 spring field requests due
 College Panel Discussion
March:
 Preseason tournament(s)
 Preseason Coach meeting
April:
 league play / State Cup U12 - U14 / Spring Break Camp
May:
 league play / State Cup U12 - U14
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OVERVIEW
HUMAN RESOURCES
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Employment contracts offered by Executive Director.
Paperwork and payroll - questions should be directed to [email protected]
Coaching outside the club - the leadership encourages coaches to not coach other teams outside
MYS. If a coach chooses to have other commitments outside MYS, the MYS teams must take
priority in the event of any conflict in scheduling of games or practices.
Coaching own children - coaches who would like to coach a team on which their child plays
should contact the technical leadership for written approval.
Coaches should be aware that there may be other required training involved, including
Concussion Education, PCA, etc.
CLUB STRUCTURE
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AGDs - the Age Group Director is your direct report - they will provide guidance and mentorship
throughout the year.
TD / DOS - the Technical Director / Director of Soccer are responsible for all technical aspects of
the club.
Lead Coaches - in the U9 / U10 age groups, there are lead coaches who are typically the Green /
White team coaches and have oversight over the Gold / Silver team coaches. Teams may be
assigned a dedicated assistant coach.
MYS CURRICULUM
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The TD and DOS will provide updated MYS Curriculum information to all coaches at seasonal
meetings and by email.
GEAR / DRESS CODE
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MYS provides coaches basic gear (training shirt, shorts, warm ups) for all coaches. Coaches are
expected to wear MYS gear to all practices and games. If you have questions about the gear,
please contact the Director of Operations.
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COMMUNICATIONS
Communications are critical and the key to successful and smooth operations. All coaches are
expected to attend to any communications from the club, the technical leadership or operations. If a
communication requires a response or action, coaches are expected to do so in a timely manner. All
coaches should access their email at least once every two days.
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Team Communications - Coaches should work with their team volunteers to communicate with
the team at least on a weekly basis.
Club Communications Portal - All teams are required to use the Bonzi Team portal to
communicate with the team. In this way, communications are centralized, and the main
database is kept current and relevant.
Player Evaluations - Coaches are required to complete Player Evaluations at least once a year as
directed by Technical Leadership.
SCHEDULES - OVERVIEW
MYS Travel Coaches coach year-round with breaks in the winter and summer as determined by your
league schedule.
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Practice Schedules - Travel team practice at least twice a week during the fall (mid-August - midNovember) and spring (March - early June). Most older teams will continue regular practices
during the winter (see "Games" below)
Game Schedules - Game schedules depends on the league in which your team participates.
Typically there are 8-10 games in the fall and spring. Older teams (U15 - U19) may have games
in the winter instead of the spring due to Virginia high school conflicts.
Winter / Summer Practices and Activities - winter and summer practice schedules should be
reviewed with AGDs prior to finalizing. Participation in futsal training or leagues may be added,
and should be approved by AGD. If a team participates in a futsal league, the team should be
coached by a member of the MYS coaching staff - not by a parent.
Team Tryouts - MYS travel tryouts are held in May and early June. These are held by the club
and not by individual teams. Coaches should be prepared to participate in any session to which
they have been assigned. This is a busy time for the staff, and coaches should be prepared to
contribute.
Tournament Participation - Coaches should review recommended list of tournaments as
provided by AGDs, and provide AGDs with proposed list of tournaments prior to applying for
them.
Other MYS programs - (i.e. Ballmasters, Camps, MYS Tournaments) - MYS has a number of
programs for its members. Coaches will be asked to support them to varying degrees
throughout the year. U9 - U12 teams are required to participate in the MYS Tournament
(typically held in March). Coaches may be asked to communicate with their teams about the
various programs as applicable to the team.
Additional League Participation - The club fees cover two seasons of league participation.
Teams interested in participating in additional leagues should contact their AGD to confirm
approval in writing. Teams will be responsible for all associated costs of the additional league,
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including, but not limited to, league fees, referee fees, and administrative costs. Please contact
the Director of Operations for details and game field assignments.
PRACTICES
 Practice schedules are determined by the technical leadership. Coaches are responsible for
attending all team practices. Coaches should arrive at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the
session. If a coach is unable to attend a session, they should identify another qualified coach within
the club to cover the session and notify the team (either directly or through the team manager). In
case of an urgent issue, the coach should notify the AGD and TD of a last minute change, and notify
the team manager if the session needs to be canceled. (In the event a manager is absent, please
contact the Director of Operations who can send a communication to the team).
GAMES / TOURNAMENTS
 Rosters (league rules, State Cup, guest play, Club pass) - Coach are responsible for knowing their
league rules regarding rosters and passes. These are updated regularly, and any questions should
be directed to the Director of Operations. Teams have had to forfeit games when rules were not
followed, so please ask questions and ensure that your team is in compliance.
 Conflicts / Game Coverage - Coaches should regularly check their game schedules. Coaches who
identify a conflict with their game schedule should do the following:
o Work to identify a fellow staff member to cover the game
o Notify the AGD
o Complete the Game Conflict Form
o Communicate with the team regarding the conflict, who is covering, etc.
o Communicate with the covering coach about rosters, subs, etc.
 Last Minute Game Coverage - If there is a last minute, emergency (within 24 hours) conflict which
arises, the coach must immediately work to find coverage. Furthermore, the coach is responsible
for calling the AGD, TD, DOS or DOO until you speak with someone directly.
 Rules and Discipline - Coaches are required to report all red cards (players or staff) via the R&D form
found on the Coach Resource Page. Furthermore, the coach should be aware of any league-specific
or tournament-specific rules regarding yellow card accumulation or other disciplinary actions.
 Injury Report - Coaches should complete the Injury Report form for any player injured during a
game or practice. This form can be found on the Coach Resource Page.
 Reimbursement / Travel Expense Report - Coaches should review the club Reimbursement policy
and utilize the report forms on the Coach Resource Page to file a request for reimbursement with
their team.
 Game Report - After each game, coaches should complete the game report form to summarize the
results of the game. Each season, the TD / DOS will provide a Game Report form which coaches
should use.
TRYOUTS
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Coaches will be assigned to tryout sessions that will include their current team, their upcoming
team assignment, and perhaps additional sessions where they will act as evaluators.
Coaches will share information about their team with the incoming team staff.
Throughout the process, coaches will follow specific procedures as outlined by the technical
leadership prior to the event, including dress code, assignments, behavior, expected attendance
at meetings to review participants, notification, etc.
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MCLEAN YOUTH SOCCER PROGRAMS
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Monday Skills Training (MPS): Held on Mondays, MPS Training is included in the club fees for
the teams listed below. Coaches may be invited to help coach at these sessions.
o U9 -12 Boys and Girls - all teams
o U13 - U19 Girls - ECNL and Green teams only
o U13 - U19 Boys - Green and White teams only
Travel Team Training: For teams whose club fees do not include the once a week Monday Night
Training (see list above under Travel Team Details/Player Expectations), the McLean Youth
Soccer technical leadership offers OPTIONAL Travel Training for the fall season. This training is
in addition to your team's regularly scheduled practices and must be paid for separately of team
registration for a fee of $150/player.
GK Training: Under the leadership of GK Director, John Szaro, and his staff of GK coaches, MYS
offers a GK training program for all travel GKs U11 and older. Schedules and information are
provided directly to the GKs each season. Coaches will be asked to provide information about
their GKs to be included in this program.
International Program: Utilizing long-standing, quality professional tour companies MYS will be
sending teams abroad beginning in the Spring and Summer of 2017.
Winter Ballmasters: McLean Youth Soccer offers top-notch winter training programs tailored
specifically for the soccer player who wants to develop their skills in the offseason. Coaches
interested in helping with Ballmasters should contact the Program Director. Coaches may be
contacted by the Program Director to encourage the inclusion of the Ballmasters program in
your winter programming.
Camps: MYS offers a Spring Break Camp. During the summer weeks, MYS offers a variety of
summer camps, including: Specialty Camps, Celtic FC camp, ECNL camp and Coerver camps.
Coaches interested in helping with these camps should contact the Program Director.
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TEAM VOLUNTEERS
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Assembling a positive and reliable group of team volunteers is critical. All coaches must select a
team manager, treasurer and registrar within 2 weeks of team formation. Details and job
descriptions can be found on the MYS Team Resources page. Coaches should complete the
TEAM VOLUNTEER FORM (provided after tryouts) to ensure that all team volunteers receive
communications from club. Any changes to team volunteer line-up or questions should be
directed to the Director of Operations.
Coaches are responsible for helping to set the team budget with the team manager and team
treasurer. All MYS teams will now utilize team accounts set up as part of the MYS Club Bank
Account. Team Volunteers who have questions about setting up a team account or creating a
team budget should contact the Director of Operations for guidelines and examples.
ROSTERS and PLAYER MOVEMENT
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Each league will require a team to have an official team roster, and each player on the roster
will need to have a league-specific player pass. All coaches must also have a league-specific
pass. Coaches are responsible to ensure that the team is in compliance with all league rules,
including information about player releases, transfers, guest players and club pass players.
Questions should be directed to the MYS Registrar.
POLICIES
All coaches must review and comply with the club's policies listed below. Coaches should review
regularly, and ask their AGDs for further clarification as needed. Updates and additions to policies will
be distributed by email to all staff, and coaches will be responsible for reviewing and adhering to all
policies. The following policies can be found on the Coach Resource Page.
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Concussion
Substance Abuse
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards
Social Media
Training - private / individual
Field use
FIELD USE / PLAYER SAFETY / WEATHER GUIDELINES
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Coaches are responsible for following the field use and player safety guidelines as outlined at
http://www.mcleansoccer.org/fields_policies
Cold Weather Guidelines: If the temp (including with wind chill) is below 27, teams should not
practice. If it is close to that, coaches are encouraged to keep the players moving and also cut
the training time down.
Heat Stroke and Hot Weather Guidelines: When the heat index reaches 105, teams should
cancel their sessions. As temperatures rise, coaches are encouraged to increase water breaks
and time in the shade. As necessary, training sessions should be shortened.
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Lightning/Thunder - If lightning is seen or thunder is heard, IMMEDIATELY move kids off field to
shelter (i.e building or cars - not under trees or in parking lots). Do not return until 30 minutes
after last lightning seen or thunder heard.
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RESOURCES
MYS has a number of ancillary resources available to the technical staff and members. Coaches
should be aware of these resources and use them as needed. Details can be found on the Coach
Resource pages. Further questions or recommendations should be directed to Director of Operations.
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Injury Prevention
Baseline / ACL Testing
Fundraising
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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MYS provides Education Reimbursement to its coaches. Details can be found in the MYS
Education Reimbursement policy on the Coach Resource page.
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