What's next?

All-Stars and tournament team tryouts are at McKinley for 10U & 12U divisions and LCHS for 14U divisions. If cancelled due to rain they will be rescheduled to 11/10. See the schedule at ayso13.org/all-stars.

Awards dinner on Dec 17 for volunteers & families, 6pm at the Pasadena Senior Center near Old Town. RSVP here

Final picture day is Nov 2 RAIN OR SHINE -- if your team missed their previous appointment, or you want an individual makeup picture, check the schedule at ayso13.org/pictures and come during any opening. Have your team number, coach name, and coach email ready on a piece of paper they can photograph.

There will be a tournament in Pasadena on the Friday-Sunday after Thanksgiving. See ayso13.org/all-stars to apply to be on one of the teams.

4U/5U - this Saturday is the end until next fall!

6U, 7U, 8U continues until the week before Thanksgiving.

10U, 12U, 14U take a break for Thanksgiving, and then the Rose City Cup is immediately afterwards. Everyone makes the playoffs.

16U pool play continues through Nov 17, with a possible playoff game or two the next weekend.

19U this is the final weekend of pool play, as high school teams are starting.

Thanksgiving Tournament

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after Thanksgiving, a thousand or so AYSO players from around SoCal come to Pasadena to play in a tournament for the 10U, 12U, and 14U age. The winners get a shiny trophy, and everyone goes home exhausted. Region 13 enters a team or two in each age division. To be considered for a team, apply through the All-Stars form before the deadline, and come to the tryouts on Sunday. Each team needs to bring 3 referees to the tournament, so if you're a referee, your child has a better chance of being chosen for a team. The cost for the tournament is about $45 per player. If cost is an obstacle, ask for assistance.

This tournament is a fundraiser for Region 13, and helps keep the fall league affordable. This fall, Region 13 awarded over $32,000 in financial assistance. You can help raise money by volunteering for the tournament -- to set up, to check in teams on Friday, to staff the booth and answer questions, and set up and clean up.

Sign up for a volunteer slot on Nov 29- Dec 1

Rose City Cup

Every 10U, 12U, and 14U fall league team is entered into the Rose City Cup. This is a single-elimination tournament, in which teams are grouped into “flights” based on their final fall season standings. Depending on the number of teams, 10U usually has three flights; 12U has two flights; 14U has one flight. Every game must have a winner. Winners of each flight receive trophies; all other participants receive a commemorative medal

Everyone plays at least one match on the first day. Winners may play a second game on the first day. As long as you keep winning, your team keeps training together and playing games. Teams who win the final game of their flight’s tournament will also receive a shiny trophy.

Teams are seeded according to the league standings, subject to tiebreaker rules, which includes referee points and sportsmanship points. Because of the peculiarity of the calendar this year, there will be fewer teams in the "A flight" this year, so it can finish in time for the champions to play in the Area 1C League Playoffs in South Pasadena on Dec 14-15. If you win that, you go to the SoCal Section 1 finals, February 22-23 in Chino.

All-Stars

The selection of Thanksgiving Tournament and All-Star teams is a collective process, with all interested coaches having input. Players are selected based on their performance during tryouts, observation of players during fall season games, the needs of individual teams, player age, roster size restrictions, input from the player’s Fall coach, demonstrated commitment to the extra practices and travel required, family volunteerism, and the family’s track record of regard toward AYSO principles and values. This last factor is very important. It is possible that a skilled player will not be selected if, in the opinion of the coaches, a player or  parents are divisive or disruptive to team unity. Today's opponents could be tomorrow's teammates, so be polite as you shove them out of the way to take the ball from them!

Please note that family volunteerism and reputation for teamwork are considered in selecting players. 

Unfortunately, not every qualified player may be placed on a team. Only limited number of teams can be formed. Further, the coaches regrettably have only a limited amount of time to evaluate many talented players. It is difficult to decide which players to select. The coaches do their best and hope that in the event a player is not selected, he or she will nonetheless continue to work hard and to participate enthusiastically in the other programs offered by AYSO.

What can you do make your player a stronger candidate for all-stars? Become a referee! As far as we can tell, hiring a private trainer is no more effective than kicking a ball against a wall for a few hours, or inviting some friends to the park to play.

The cost for All-Stars is about $175. If cost is an obstacle, ask for assistance.

Reminders

Referees make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. That's the point. If we wanted everything to be perfect, robots would play the game with each other on a plastic carpet. It's a messy society full of humans, and youth sports are one of the tools we use to learn how to look past disagreements and cooperate with each other.

Even though the soccer league ends soon, you are free to invite some friends to meet you at the park, any time throughout the year!

Teams opening at Victory Park are asked to appoint a parent to come at 7am and help set up the park. At the end of the day, the 12U teams are responsible for packing away the admin tent. Please sign up at https://www.wejoinin.com/AYSORegion13.

Upcoming

See more by subscribing to the Region 13 calendar. The board meeting is usually the first Thursday of each month.

Players

Usually around now, players and parents start compulsively checking the standings to gauge where they'll be seeded for the Rose City Cup. This also leads to short tempers on the field, and impatience with each other. This is your reminder that the teams were sort of balanced to begin with, and if you want everyone on the team to bring their very best, they're more likely to do that if you build them up instead of tearing them down.

Parents

Please let the coaches be the only adults giving the players instructions. Yes, the players need space to hear each other, and the coaches, but also, your game-time advice is mostly incorrect.

Coaches

The league wraps up the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Teams in 6U, 7U, and 8U will be done for the year. While everyone is together, hold a team celebration in the park after the final game, with snacks and speeches. Trophies will be provided (details to follow). 

Teams in 10U, 12U, and 14U take Thanksgiving week off, then resume training for the Rose City Cup on Dec 2-3, and 9-10. Games could be either Saturday or Sunday. It's a single-elimination tournament, possibly with a 3rd place consolation game. The teams ranked #1 and #2 in pool play in each age division receive trophies or medals. The tournament finalists (in each of the flights) receive trophies or medals. If you take one of those home, you'll feel like you earned it. 

This week, beware "tournament fever," which can turn teammates against one another as they  work out how the team might move up in the standings. The effort you put into establishing a supportive team culture back in September will pay off now. If you're playing catchup in that regard, keepgirlsinsport.com. Try some passing & moving drills to focus on working with teammates, and maybe also some relaxation and deep breathing. 

Referees

This is when we start to see more aggressive behavior, leading to injuries. Sensing a chance to bring their team to the top of the standings, players may also try to be heroes, and clash with teammates. Ironic, and yet a valuable learning opportunity! Set the tone early, and go ahead and use the whistle to discourage careless and reckless fouls. If you feel your hand reaching for your pocket, then the card should probably come out.

Help the coaches, and take a few minutes before the match to ensure that the spectators are in the proper place: behind their touch line, between the penalty areas. Parents who are likely to disrupt the game tend to creep toward the corner flags. Move them to where the coach has a better chance of keeping track of them.

Report great sporting behavior by grownups at ayso13.org/feedback.

Managers

Trophies are being ordered! Everyone in 4U through 8U gets a trophy. Krista will send you instructions to pick them up in a couple weeks.

Thanks for getting the word out about setting up. Field hosts are still needed at Victory Park. Sign up.

Nominate the next Region Commissioner

Terry Takahashi's 2-year term as Commissioner of Region 13 ends on February 28, 2025, at which time the Region 13 Board of Directors will elect a new commissioner for a two-year term. If you would like to nominate someone for the position, please email Taj Chiu at taj@ayso13.org before Nov 15. She will present viable candidates for a vote at the December 2024 Region 13 Board of Directors meeting. 

For further information on the role itself, click here.

What really matters

At the start of the season, the new parent orientation described some goals for this soccer season:

1. “I love watching you play.”

2. Focus on the skills that matter

• Empathize with teammates
• Internal motivation and a growth mindset
• Setting goals

3. Acknowledge effort and character

• “I loved that you congratulated Alex for making that pass.”
• “You fell over, and you got right back up!”

4. It is your child’s journey

• Let them lead the conversation
• Let them experiment

As you take stock of where the teams have come since September, and what we can do in the remaining time, please take a moment to consider what really matters to you.

You are receiving this message because of your involvement with AYSO Region 13, 711 W. Woodbury Rd., Unit E, Altadena, CA 91001, USA

View in browser | Unsubscribe | Sent by EmailOctopus

Trophies are being ordered! Everyone in 4U through 8U gets a trophy. Cara and Pam will send you instructions to pick them up in a couple weeks.

Thanks for getting the word out about setting up. Field hosts are still needed at Victory Park.