What's happening - Week 2

• The schedule for the first 3 weeks is at ayso13.org/schedule. More coming soon.
• Sunday Soccer starts Sunday, 9/24. Pickup soccer, play with kids from across the region, and try some new moves.

Players

Start hydrating ... two days ago. Failing that, early in the morning. It'll be hot, and the best place to store water is in your cells.

Park your water bottle near the touch line, and you can get a drink whenever you want.

Write your name and phone number on your water bottle, your ball, and your backpack, and you might still have them in December! Bring lost & found items to the tent at Victory Park.

As part of registration, every player in 8U and up is eligible to participate in a bonus afternoon of soccer on Sundays starting Sep 24 at Blair HS. From 3:30-5:30, you can join a Goalkeeper Academy and small-sided pickup games for players in 8U and up. If it's a success, it'll continue through the rest of the fall season! Sunday Soccer

Parents

Dogs stay home! Regardless of size, dogs are not permitted at the field under Region 13's insurance policy and terms of the field permits. Region 13 is full of little kids, many are afraid of dogs, and even friendly, well-meaning dogs can knock over and injure a small child. 

Grandparents are always stopping by the tent at Victory Park to ask for directions to see their kids play. If you don't have a new baby, and aren't already coaching, refereeing, or managing a team, please choose two hours, over the course of the season.

The home team (listed first on the schedule) spectators should be on the North or West side of the field, and the other team sits on the South or East side. Neither team may on the ends of the field behind the goals, because it's distracting, and you are more likely there to catch a ball to the face. Remember to bring your own shade umbrellas!

How're those shoes fitting? Region 13's collection of previously loved soccer cleats and balls will be at Victory Park. Bring a pair of shoes, leave a pair of shoes, or take a ball home.

If you have the first game on the field, everyone gets to help set up the goals. Yay! After the last game, help take them down.

Please remember to set your coaches up for success, and let theirs be the only voices telling the kids what to do during games. While it's tempting to give instructions to your child, we want the players to start making their own decisions. Making decisions is a skill, and it will develop over the next 10 weeks.

How did your first week go? Please elaborate at https://ayso13.org/feedback.

Coaches

How are your practices going? If you could use some ideas, checkout Mojo.

Remember

• 6U coaches are on the field
• 7U coaches may be on the field during September
• 8U and older, the coaches are in the Technical Area, off the field, unless called on by a referee.

Coaching ideas that worked last year at this time

• Before you can pass the ball to a teammate during a game, you have to feel comfortable that they will receive it. So passing is based on trust. What can you do to start building trust among your team?
• It's still early in the season, so continue to focus on basic skills. Introduce choreographed plays that incorporate transitions, so that transitions will feel familiar. While it's tempting to start hot and win early by letting your best players to most of the work, with the 2 or 3 skills they're comfortable with, you'll be rewarded in the long run if you use the start of the season to set solid skill foundations across the entire team.
• Those skills, and trust, will take time to develop, so go ahead and allow your team to try the brute-force attack up the middle. That'll teach the defense to defend together ("compactness"), and pretty soon, the kids will discover that there are they move outside the beehive, they'll have more options when the ball shakes loose.
• Goals win games; defense and team culture wins the playoffs. Find the best practices for supportive team culture at  keepgirlsinsport.com.
• 6U-8U, if one team is continually scoring, swap a few players (i.e., scoring team lends skilled players to the other team) to keep it interesting.
• In 10U-14U, cap the goal differential at 6. The coach handbook (see https://ayso13.org/Coach/) has tips for managing lopsided games.

Goalkeeper academy starts Sept 24 during Sunday Soccer. Until then: 

• Bend with your knees, not with your back, to keep your face away from anybody else's feet.
• Start with your hands between your face and the ball, with elbows bent.
• Most goalkeepers will let the first 3 - 5 balls past them in a game situation. It's a learning process.
• Everyone flinches the first few times the ball rockets toward them. Desensitize this reflex by practicing it in slow motion: move the ball, in your hand, slowly toward the keeper while they rehearse orienting all the parts of their body to receive it.

Referees

Write your team's ID (e.g. B14U04) on the game card so your team gets credit, and use the QR code on the bottom to report results.

Remember to confirm your game assignments in inLeague. See your Referee newsletter for details. Here's how it's supposed to work.

Report injuries at ayso13.org/incident.

Team managers

Team manager orientation is tonight (Thursday) at 7:30 on Zoom. It will be recorded.

Also find the info packet at https://ayso13.org/team/. If you are looking for an app organize your team, AYSO worked with Microsoft to tailor Microsoft Teams to soccer teams. Just send your team roster in a sensible format to TeamsOnboarding@outlook.com, and some very advanced intelligence will send invitations to everyone.

Team traditions are fun, whether it's cheer, a handshake, or secret language.

Photo of the week

The sunset was the talk of the town this week! Thanks to Nicole Cobleigh for catching this rainbow above above the Sapphire Sharks. 
Send in your pictures or tag @aysoregion13 on Instagram.

Schedule Highlights

Subscribe to the Region 13 calendar.

Everyone Plays

In Region 13, every player is on the field for at least 3/4 of the game, and keepers (10U and 12U) are in goal for at most 2 quarters. In 6U-8U, everyone plays the whole game, unless they don't want to. Referees will note exceptions on the game card for followup by the coaching staff.

All Stars & The Thanksgiving Tournament 

Even though the season just started, it's time to start thinking All Stars and the Thanksgiving Tournament. Find information on the programs here.

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