General Questions
Practice Related Questions
Games, Scrimmages & Tournaments.
Miscellaneous Questions.
Q. What is Jamestown Soccer Club Primary Coaching Philosophy? A. We have 4 primary goals.
- To improve every player’s soccer skills to the most advanced level possible. technical, tactical, physical and psychological. Player Development is our highest priority.
- To teach player’s how to compete and to work hard as an individual and as a team player. Hard work will be rewarded.
- To teach every player good sportsmanship. This is a responsibility that is too often overlooked.
- To create a positive, fun environment. If a player is not enjoying their experience with the JSC (or any sport for that matter) they will not continue. Having fun is an absolute necessity!
You will note that winning is not listed as a primary goal! The Jamestown Soccer Club is first and foremost a developmental program; therefore winning as a priority will always get in the way of accomplishing the more important goals listed above. It is our experience that if we succeed with the four primary goals, we will win both on and off the field.
Please note: No one wants to win more than our coaching staff and that we do see winning as a learned behavior and a part of player development.
Q. What type of commitment is expected from parents? A. We expect a total commitment from parents. This is an elite level travel soccer club. Parents must understand that to be part of such a club there must be a total commitment by all players, staff, and parents.
Q. What are the costs associated with travel soccer and the JSC?A. Prior to tryouts (Tryouts are in mid/late May) the JSC will announce the fee structure for the upcoming season. There is a financial aid assistance provision which includes partial assistance towards registration fees as well payment plan features.
Player Registration Fees May Include:
- x2 quality uniforms – 2 jerseys, 2 shorts, 2 pairs of socks.
- Team Coaching Fees including Goalkeeping Program
- Field Usage Fees
- North Carolina Youth Soccer Association Fees
- Jamestown Youth League Fees
- League Fees
- Fall & Spring Season Referees Fees
- Presidents, State Cup or End of Season Event Tournament Fees
- Web Site and Communication Costs
- Financial Aid Program Contribution
- Excess Insurance
- Winter Training Program
- Additional Skills Training
Practice Related QuestionsQ. When are practices and are they planned to cover a specific subject or are they just a fun scrimmage time?A. Practices are two nights per week. Additional practices may be added. Practices are pre-planned and are designed to cover a specific topic as the player benefits from this method. Therefore it is extremely important that your child attends all practices in order to develop all skills necessary to be a well-rounded player.
Q. Will a player participate in a game or tournament if they miss practice?A. Missing practice without permission may bear a consequence (not starting, sitting out half or one full game, etc.) depending on the reason. In the event a player can’t make practice we ask that the head coach is called. Players over playing U14 and older are expected to make this call personally. Excessive absence from practices or games may result in a player being dropped from the team permanently.
Q. Will a player be penalized if they are late for practice?A. Yes. They can be penalized in three ways.
- First, they will miss the team warm-up activity which is crucial for physically warming up which prevents injury. Therefore they will be required to warm-up alone, which in most cases draws negative attention to the player.
- Second, they may not know how to do a particular exercise or activity their teammates are doing when they arrive since they missed the demonstration, again placing negative attention on them.
- Third, unless pre-approved by the coach, being late to practice may also bear a consequence (extra fitness, not starting the next game, etc.)
Parent’s commitment to getting their child to practice on time is vital to their improvement and success.
Q. Are parents required to attend team practices?
A. No. You’re welcome to leave your child at practice providing you are back to pick them before the session ends. It is required that your coach has a phone number where you can be reached in case of emergency.
If you stay and watch practice you must do so at a distance – only coaching staff are allowed on the field (inside the white lines). Parents are not allowed to disturb or interrupt practice, nor are they allowed to give directions to players. Please understand that training sessions are learning situations and players need to concentrate and listen to their coach to improve. We liken it to the classroom.
Q. What equipment are players required to bring or wear to practice?
A. Soccer shoes, shin guards an inflated ball and fluids are required. No player is allowed to wear any type of hat, jewelry, or non-soccer equipment during games or practice. We also expect that players do not wear a former clubs colors at any game or practice session.
Games, Scrimmages & Tournaments.Q. How far are the games and when do we play?A. It is important to remember that at least 50% of league games will be played at our home facilities regardless of the level of play.
Challenge level teams will play the majority of their away games no further than 1 hour drive with most being within 30 minutes.
Classic and Premier level teams will see greater travel distances with some games being in Raleigh, Charlotte and other North Carolina towns and cities as the league takes a more state wide approach.
Q. How early must players be at the field prior to a game?All players must be fully dressed, uniform, shoes and shin-guards and ready to begin pre-game preparations as stated below. Players must have both uniforms with them at all times.
A. U10 – U13 = 45 minutes before the start of the game; U14 and older 60 minutes before the start of the game.
It is possible that a coach may request that players arrive earlier than these times if the drive time is longer than average.
Q. Who decides how much playing time and what position your child plays?A. The club mandates that all U12 and under players play at in at least 50% of the games in a season. A player’s development takes place over the course of many months of training and games – NOT in any one particular game. The coaching staff is instructed to manage the playing time of each player over the course of an entire season. This means that a player may play more or less in one game than another but over the course of the season they will play at least 50% of the minutes available. This may be affected if a player is not attending practices and games at the expected level. These decisions are made based on several factors, including but not limited to your child’s performance during practice sessions, during games and what is best for the overall chemistry and strength of the team. Players will play several positions throughout the season at the U12 and under level.
At the U13 and older level we still aim to provide at least 50% playing time. However this may be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to the players technical and tactical ability, their physical condition, game and practice performance/attendance, attitude, game tactics and strategy. It is still probable that a player will be exposed to different positions throughout the season.
The coaching staff should not be confronted over player personnel matters relating to playing time or other team issues before or after a game. We ask that at least 24 hours pass before entering into a discussion with a staff member.
Q. If a player is not in the starting line-up does that mean they are not considered one of the better players?A. No. Please do not try to “read into” the coach’s lineup decisions. There are numerous factors that determine the lineups. Line-ups may/will change throughout the season based on skill improvement, learning new positions, and physical conditioning improvement. All players need to learn to come of the bench an affect a game and will be provided the opportunity to do so.
Q. Can I coach players from the sideline during games?A. Unequivocally NO. We are unable to allow this as if affects the environment for the player. We do not want two forms of instruction being fed to the players. Players need to concentrate 100% at the task at hand. Part of a player development is to learn for themselves and not to spoon fed information by over enthusiastic spectators. It is possible that you may see the coaching staff giving very little information during certain games. This is not an accident, we are allowing the players to learn for themselves and will then review the game with them when they take a break, at half or full time.
Questioning a referee’s decision will not be tolerated! All teams/players will experience some indifferent calls during their career. So will be in favor and some will not. The truth is it is part of the game and the best way for a player to respond is to remain focused on the game and get into position. If time is spent discussing the situation with the referee the focus is not where it needs to be. Spectators need to understand that they have a role in the environment that is created for the players and questioning the referee’s decision only serves as a negative example. We should also remember that the referee is qualified and more often than not spectators are not, therefore they do not have an understanding of the Laws of the Game.
For either offense parents will receive one warning. Second offense they may be asked to leave the field and a third offense may result in that parent being suspended from all fields for thirty days. Any further offense will result in the player being suspended or released from the team. Team managers, coaches and club administrators will be responsible for enforcement of this policy.
Pull up a chair, sit back, relax, and just let the kids play. The game belongs to them!!
Q. Can I encourage players during a game or do you have to sit quietly? A. It is totally acceptable to provide encouragement from the side line. All the players should be encouraged and not just your own child, this can include the opponents.
Please realize that encouragement should not be mistaken for telling players where to be, who may be open, or to shoot! That is coaching.
Parents are not allowed to yell anything whatsoever at the other team’s players, coaches, or at the referees. Any verbal abuse will result in that parent being asked to leave the field. It is expected that JSC spectators project a positive image and set an example of good sportsmanship at all times. Criticizing any player will not be tolerated!
Q. If my child is injured during a game can I run onto the field to see them? A. No. Only the coach is allowed on the field when a player is injured and they must be invited onto the field by the referee. The coach will immediately assess the injury and determine what, if any, medical attention is needed. In most cases your child will merely have a minor injury or have the “wind knocked out” of them and will require nothing more than time to get them composed. In most cases your running out on the field will only embarrass them and a parent risks both themselves and the coach being ejected from the game. Be assured if emergency medical attention is needed your coach will respond immediately. Any pre-existing medical condition that your child has should be reviewed with the coach.
Q. Do I have to pay additional fees outside of the registration fee?A. Yes. Your registration fee covers a wide range of programming costs (please refer to registration fee announcement for full details) including one end of season event/tournament. This means that your team needs to raise the funds to cover the costs associated with tournament participation. Teams are encouraged to fund raise and seek sponsorship/donations to assist in deferring these costs.
Q. Will players be penalized if they do not attend all of the tournaments? A. Possibly. One of the most important and exciting aspects of being a member of a travel team is the ability to travel as a team to other cities. This allows the player to experience camaraderie at a higher level and to compete against unknown players giving them exposure to varied coaching strategies and different skill levels. It will certainly be the player’s loss not to attend. If parents cannot travel due to financial reasons or other commitments, please speak to your coach to see if alternative arrangements could be made to allow your child to attend by traveling with another player’s family.
Miscellaneous Questions.
Q. What can you do as parents to support the club and the coaching staff?A. It is extremely important that you support the club and the coaching staff methods and decisions as players develop best when they trust and respect their club and its staff. The coach’s job is to motivate, teach and constructively critique each player’s performance. It is crucial for the players to trust and relate to their coach as soon as possible regarding soccer issues. This relationship between coach and player produces the best results. When parents express opinions different from the coach it causes considerable confusion. It is impossible as a parent to understand what motivation a coach may have for using a certain method, motivating a certain way, or even implementing disciplinary action, without having coaching experience and without being at each and every practice and game and seeing exactly what the coach has seen.
Q. What can you do as parents to support your child’s efforts? A. Support, Support, and more Support. Create a positive supportive environment and do not be critical of your child’s play, especially directly after a practice or game. Leave the critiquing to their trainer and coach. Do not make the worst 15 minutes of your child’s game day be their ride home from the game!
Q. Is it appropriate to speak to a coach about your child’s progress? A. Yes. In fact the coaching staff will hold a parent/player coach conference and provide a written evaluation of a player’s progress at least once a season. It will include a detail of their strengths, areas that have improved and areas that still need improvement along with suggestions for continued development. However, communication throughout the year is both welcome and encouraged in regard to the player’s development.
Q. When does our season begin and end? Is it possible for my child to play other competitive sports and still be on a Jamestown Soccer Club Travel Team?A. Training sessions begin at the end of July/beginning of August (each age group will be notified of their specific start date). The fall season (league play) for U14 and younger begins in approx mid September and will run through the end of October. A tournament may be scheduled for November and practices will continue through mid December and begin again in mid January (players and families will take a break mid December – mid January).
The spring season begins approx mid February and runs through the end of April. Teams will continue to train in preparation for end of season tournaments and competitions up until tryouts in May. The last tournament is usually during May.
U15 and older players will play a split season with high school and will be advised of the practice schedule by their coach.
Due to the elite level of some specific teams, both time and physical demands may make it difficult for your child to play additional sports. However, especially with respect to the younger age groups, playing additional sports is both possible and encouraged providing players make practices, games, and tournaments their priority!
Q. How many tournaments will we participate in and are any out of state? A. Each team will have a technical plan that outlines competitive avenues including tournament play. A team may attend one to five tournaments and in some cases involving elite level “A” teams there will be out of state tournaments especially in the college recruitment High School age years.
Q. Can my child guest play for another club’s team?A. It is against NCYSA rules for any coach or parent to speak to any player of another club team and ask them to guest play without first obtaining permission from the Executive Director. Therefore, any direct communication or solicitation from another coach or parent will not be tolerated and would also result in that player definitely not being allowed to participate as a guest player. We will provide the maximum amount of practices and games suggested for proper development; therefore only in unique circumstances will your child be allowed to play with another team as a guest player.
Q. Can you explain what pool and cross training are?A. Pool training session may be predominately used with the U12 and younger age groups. This allows the players to work with different players and changes the training environment for them as a different member of the coaching staff may lead these sessions. It also prepares players to play with other players within the club when team move to the 11v11 format and age group merge.
Cross training is for players that need to be stretched and provided opportunities outside their current training environment. This may see girls practicing with boys or boys and girls practices with older teams or a player training with a higher level team in their age group.
Q. What additional programming is on offer?A. The JSC offers skills training, camps, goalkeeper training as well a US Club Program. The US Club program affords players and teams additional competitive opportunities throughout the year.
History/Location: