Information For Parents

Essential information of interest to our new parents; good information to review for "veteran" AYSO parents

Thanks to our volunteers for the content on this page

Download the Fall Season Flyer - get all of the details regarding Signup dates, time, fees, etc.

Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking on the icon below.

Rules of the Road for Parents New to the Region

Dogs - Other Pets

If you have a dog or other pet you'd like to bring to the game, please don't; leave it at home. Thanks.

...to and from practices and games - slow down! be especially attentive to the possibility of kids running into the street from between parked cars as well.

thanks for your consideration, and have an enjoyable season.

Volunteer Schedules

download the volunteer schedule as is is made available for download here. this file is sorted by your coach's last name. see when your team is scheduled for volunteer duty. thanks for your support. (if you do not have adobe acrobat to view this file, please download it by clicking on the "acrobat reader" icon on this page.)

Start of the Season
Coaches will receive their team rosters by the middle of July. Practice may begin the week of August 5th. If you have not heard from a coach by the 2nd of August, contact your Divisional Coordinator listed in the Regional Handbook you received during registration or go to the "contact us" portion of this web page to find your Divisional Coordinator. Please leave your child's name and birth date on the message. The 2008 season starts in early September.

Parent / Coach Meeting
Coaches will hold a Parent/Coach Meeting after receiving their team rosters. The information you will receive at this important meeting will benefit both you and your child throughout the season. This is an opportunity for the coach to meet you and your child, discuss practice times and places, answer any questions, and to organize the team volunteers. It is most important that both parents, if applicable, attend this meeting!

Practices
Each Coach decides when practices will be held. It is the parents' responsibility that the player:

1. Attends practice regularly and comes prepared(ball, water, and shin guards)
2. Arrives to practice on time
3. Is picked up on time
4. Is prepared to cooperate with the coach and fellow teammates

Games
Most regular season games will be played on Saturdays. The first game of the season will be Early September. Your coach will provide you with a schedule of game times, locations, and dates before the first game.

Did you know:
...that 72% of the children that drop out of organized sports by the age of 12 do so because of their parents

1. Remember to be a role model for your child and his/her teammates
2. Try not to reward your child financially for goals and or wins
3. Always try to be on time to practice and games and make sure your dog stays at home
4. Do not drop your child off at practices and games unless you see the coach or his/her assistant
5. Please come to the field and pick up your child at the end of a game/practice on time
6. Please fulfill the commitments and responsibilities for which you volunteered.
7. Do not yell at your child during games unless they are words of encouragement
8. Do not pace the sidelines and yell instructions during a game
9. Please leave the coaching to the coaches
10. Please NEVER yell negative comments at the referee. They are volunteers also, and learning the game
11. Please make sure your child has an ample supply of water during practice and games
12. Please let your coach know in advance when your child will not be at a game
13. Be realistic with your child's abilities.
14. Please calmly, quietly, and privately discuss any differences you may have with the coach
15. Please make sure to respect the rights of the neighbors of the soccer fields
16. Understand that AYSO soccer is educational with an emphasis on fun, sportsmanship, rules and technique
17. Please try to keep to a 5 goal differential for U09 - U14 and a 3 goal differential for U06 - U08.
18. I understand the guidelines for the Volunteer Appreciation Tournament, for U9 and above. My registration fee covers play only through the end of the regular season.
19. .PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS FUN !!

In AYSO, boys and girls learn good sportsmanship and self-discipline. They learn how to work together, to sacrifice for the good of the team, to enjoy winning and deal with defeat - all while becoming physically fit and healthy. Best of all, they have fun.
As a parent, you have a special role in contributing to the needs and development of these youngsters. Through your encouragement and good examples, you can help assure the effectiveness of the AYSO program. Here's how:

Support Your Child

• It is important that you support your child by giving encouragement and showing an interest in his or her team.
• Help your child work toward skill improvement and good sportsmanship in every game. Teach your child that hard work and an honest effort are often more important than victory. Your child will be a winner, even in defeat.
• Always Be Positive
• Parents are not participants on their child's teams. However, they do contribute to the success experienced by their child and the team.
• Parents serve as role models for their children. Become aware of this and work to be positive models.
• Applaud good plays by your child's team and by members of the opposing team. Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from youth sporting activities.
• Be Enthusiastic and Supportive
• Remember that your child is playing soccer. It's important to let children establish their own goal, to play the game for themselves. Be careful not to impose our own standards and goals on your child.
• Don't put too heavy a burden on your child to win games. Children play for the fun of playing.
• For parents of teenagers, recognize your child still wants you to come and watch the game, even if they don't act like it.
• Reinforce Positive Behavior
  • The best way to help a child to achieve goals and reduce the natural fear of failure is through positive reinforcement.
  • No one likes to make a mistake. If your child does make one, remember that he or she is still learning. Encourage your child's efforts and point out the good things your child accomplished.
• Let Coaches Coach and Refs Ref
• Coaches and referees are usually parents. They volunteer their time to help make your child's youth soccer experience a positive one. They need your support, too.
• What coaches and referees don't need is your help in coaching from the sideline. So please refrain from coaching during games and practices.
• Referees are not the "bad guys." They are volunteers, too, and need your support and encouragement. Treat them and their calls fairly and respectfully.
• Before the game:
  • Tell your child you love him/her regardless of the outcome
  • Tell him or her "Go for it, give it your best shot and have fun"
  • Keep the breakfast table coaching to a minimum
• After the game
  • Thank the referees, coaches, and opponents for a good game
  • Congratulate your child and his or her teammates for their effort

Rules of Soccer

For a great primer on the Laws of the Game, concepts and terminology for parents new to or unfamiliar with the game, visiting Region 127 - San Marcos AYSO's website. This page is written in laymen's terms and will be of interest, especially for the interested, but uninitiated.