U.S. Soccer Player Development Initiatives Birth Year Registration and Small Sided Games Standards U.S. Soccer has announced a long-­‐term approach to player development titled the Player Development Initiatives (PDI). These initiatives will create consistency across the country regarding age groupings, game sizes and field and goal dimensions. The design of the PDI is to provide opportunities for all players of all ages and all abilities to play in the most developmentally advantageous environments. Additionally, U.S. Soccer has placed an increased emphasis on player growth and development and a decreased emphasis on match results. I am hopeful that the information below will help to answer questions about the Player Development Initiatives, their impact on FC Boulder, and how we are planning to successfully implement these changes in our club. I have included a number of links to additional PDI resources and would also invite you to spend some time on our website – specifically on our PDI Information Page. As additional information becomes available, we will update this page and communicate through a number of channels including email, coaches and team managers and on our social media outlets: (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Additionally, we will be hosting two Town Hall style meetings to provide a forum to help answer questions about the Player Development Initiatives, the Development Academy and other club programming. At each meeting, we will provide a brief presentation, but plan to reserve the majority of time to dialogue with attendees. The meetings are open to the public and we encourage you to come with your questions and to invite others in the soccer community to join in as well. FC Boulder Town Hall Meetings Tuesday, February 23 and Tuesday, March 1 from 7:00-­‐9:00PM Calvary Bible Church (3245 Kalmia Ave, Boulder, CO 80301) OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Frequently Asked Questions If you have not yet done so, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to review the U.S. Soccer Player Development Initiatives Presentation. What is the rationale behind the PDI? Across the country, youth soccer is filled with inconsistencies regarding field sizes, age groupings, and other developmental considerations. One goal of these initiatives is to normalize the playing setting for all youth soccer organizations. The initiatives put the focus on the development of the team as a byproduct of individual player development. Ultimately, we want all players to develop more individual skill, intelligence, creativity and confidence in the game. Are the PDI aligned with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy? These initiatives align all youth soccer programming across the country with the Development Academy program. The Development Academy is the model used by U.S. Soccer as the gold standard for player development. The initiatives are designed to support players of all ages and all abilities utilizing the Developmental Academy framework. When will the PDI be implemented? U.S. Soccer recommends putting these initiatives into place as a best practice for the 2016-­‐17 Season (beginning in August of 2016). U.S. Youth Soccer directly governs the Colorado Soccer Association and has announced their commitment to adopting both the Birth Year (Age Group) and Small-­‐Sided Games Initiatives for the 2016-­‐17 season (beginning August 2016). FC Boulder is prepared to follow the lead of our governing bodies and will adopt these initiatives for the 2016-­‐17 Season. What are the specifics of the Small-­‐Sided Games (SSG) Initiative? As long-­‐time advocates for SSG through older age groups, FC Boulder is fully in support of the SSG Initiative outlined by U.S. Soccer. U9-­‐U10 Recreational and Juniors Programs • Games played 7v7 (six field players and one goalkeeper) • Game length: 2 halves x 25 minutes • Ball Size: 4 • Goal Size: 6½‘ x 18½‘ (or approximate) • Field Size: 45x35 yards (minimum); 60x45 yards (maximum) • Offside rule will be in effect • Defensive Line of Retention • Heading of the ball will not be allowed U11-­‐U12 Recreational and Competitive Programs • Games played 9v9 (eight field players and one goalkeeper) • Game length: 2 halves x 30 minutes •
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Ball Size: 4 Goal Size: 6½‘ x 18½‘ (minimum); 7’ x 21’ (maximum) Field Size: 70x40 yards (minimum); 80x55 yards (maximum) Offside rule will be in effect Note: The dimensions of the goals and fields are recommended guidelines provided by U.S. Soccer. Some facilities may not be able to accommodate the recommended dimensions initially. CSA members have been asked to do their best to adhere to the guidelines provided, acknowledging that it may take some clubs added time to fully comply. Are birth year age groups beginning for all levels of play in 2016-­‐17? Beginning in late May at the Competitive Player Placement Events, FC Boulder will be building U9-­‐U10 Juniors teams and U11-­‐U19 Competitive teams based on the birth year initiative. FC Boulder recreational teams at all ages will continue to use the “school year” as the guide for roster building. Please note that CSA recreational leagues will be modeled after the birth year initiatives; as such, FC Boulder recreational teams will be placed in leagues based on the birth year of the oldest players on the team. What is the best way to simplify the new age group / birth year initiative? Simply put, teams will become known by the registered birth year of the players e.g., 2004 Boys Athletic or more simply, ’04 Boys Athletic. It will take some time to transition to the new way of naming age groups, but we recommend that both players and parents begin to mirror the terminology provided by U.S. Soccer regarding birth year age groups. How is FC Boulder supporting players this spring in preparation for the transition to new age groups? We have set aside eight (8) nights of age-­‐group specific training for players in the 2003-­‐2007 birth years. These training events are free and open to all players including players from FC Boulder and from other clubs. We will also host our annual Pre-­‐Placement Camp on May 16, 19, and 20 at Pleasant View. Please use the links below for more information about each event. Age-­‐Group Training Schedule Pre-­‐Placement Camp Will players still be allowed to play with their friends and classmates? We will approach competitive player placements as we always have – with a commitment to placing each player on the team that is most appropriate for his or her ongoing development in the game. Playing on a team with friends and classmates may not always be the best developmental placement for the player – similar to not having all of your friends in the same classes at school. We want each player to experience the balance between success and challenge and our responsibility to each player is to find the best fit for him or her. In our recreational programs, we will have greater flexibility when building rosters and thus allowing players to be with peers from the same grade, school, etc. Can players “play up” with older teams? Can players “play down” with younger teams? When developmentally appropriate, we will certainly support players in the competitive program playing on teams in older groups. “Playing up” can allow players to compete in a more challenging environment, which can aid in their future development. Beyond physical attributes, our staff will consider a player’s technical ability and tactical understanding of the game in addition to the player’s maturity levels (physical, emotional and social) when recommending a player to play with an older age group. U.S. Youth Soccer and CSA rules do not allow players to “play down” in either the competitive or recreational programs. Will a player miss any time playing soccer due to the change to birth year registration? The Player Development Initiatives do not create a situation where a player would have a shortened youth soccer career. Will the PDI change the CSA Competitive League Structure? CSA has proposed a number of changes to competitive league structures designed to provide appropriate levels of play for all players and to de-­‐emphasize the importance of match results across many league levels. Use the link below to read more about the proposed CSA League Structures. CSA League Structure 2016-­‐17 What can I do to support the Player Development Initiatives? Collectively, we encourage everyone to be informed, to read through the links provided on our website, FCBoulder.com, and to attend our upcoming Town Hall Meetings. We also ask for patience as these changes are implemented, and trust that these and future initiatives will enhance our abilities to develop each FC Boulder player.