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Tournaments?

A couple of things for you to remember concerning standings and tournaments.

Standings

TSA does not record scores or keep standings until U9 (6v6 field). These standings are kept by a point system: 3pts for a win, 1 pt for a tie, 0 for a loss. If there is a tie, the first tie breaker is head to head, if that is split then there are tie breaker pts. Tie breaker points are 6pts for a win, 3 for a tie, up to 3 pts for each goal scored and 1 pt for a shutout. For a max pts of 10. Even in losses you gain pts for scoring or shutouts. 

Game reports

Coaches (or an assigned parent) of U9 and above teams need to submit a game report following games. Here is information on how to do this: Game Reports, passcode is still  

Post Season Tourney

The standings THIS SEASON will determine entry to the post-season tournament. The top 4 teams will play for placement and trophy size. This will be the weekend following our regular season. 

Why a tournament in the spring but not the fall?

In the Fall we determine placement totally on standings as a result of a season of play. This is because of having to turn in teams to the North Texas Tournament of Champions. TOC is only a Fall event, so the spring it enables time to schedule a post season tournament.

But what is the tournament in June?

TSA has never hosted a external tournament until this season, called the Texoma Cup. There are several post season tournaments that teams can play in. These cost to enter and give you an extra three games of play. You play three games on a Saturday and if you advance out of pool play you play on Sunday for trophies. There are recreational tournaments throughout the metroplex and we will be hosting one. So you might have a couple texoma teams, a mckinney team, mesquite team etc....For information concerning the Texoma Cup

Did you know that TSA will help with the cost of a tournament?

TSA will pay up to 50% of a tournament fee with a maximum payment of $100 per team

per season.

Where to find a tournament?

North Texas has a calendar to show all tournaments that you might participate in. See link here

--
Griff and Kristi Servati
Family Blog Site
Van Alstyne Soccer and Kicker Soccer VAalltheway.com
----------------
Kristi Servati:

Van Alstyne Middle School Teacher and Coach
Mobile 903.821.2036
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Griff Servati,

Minister to Students, First Baptist Church of Van Alstyne
Office Phone: 903.482.6334, Mobile Phone: 903.744.4263
Student Ministry Blog: 2911students.com
Church Website: fbcva.com

Soccer info

Uniforms: 

I picked up the team uniforms and they are avialable for pickup. I have placed them in the counter of the FLC of First Baptist Church here in VA. The packages have the team names listed, and have the complete uniform. Players that registered after 1/28 do not have a uniform, but will have one in the coming weeks. They can wear a similar colored tshirt to your team color. 

Badges:

I have badges for Mikeal Miller and his assistants. Other than that, I do not have any. I know that the coaches in attendance last night received theirs and those from last season have theirs. Is there anyone who does not have their badge?

Schedules 

Are now complete, just waiting on the rainouts! They can now be dispersed to your teams.

Special Rules

This is a very handy document to reference. Each age group has different rules on substitutions, times, field size, goal size, etc...this document has all of that info

Pictures 

TSA has a photo vendor and signups will be available through the photo scheduler online. You will be able to look at your schedule and judge when you want to take pictures. There are several options of local photographers if you would like a different option (let me know if interested).

TSA Tshirts 

There was an option to order shirts and beanies while registering. If you purchased a tshirt or beannie during registration you can come by Fairview Park and pick is up on Saturday 3/5. Times TBD. See website for update. If you did not preorder, there will be others available to purchase. 

Practice Times

Reminder of the practice limit of three hours per week. So when games start, you are limited to two hours a week. 

Coaching resources.

There are several opportunities for players and coaches to learn the game. 

--- Austin College soccer is providing two free training sessions per age group, see calender for info http://www.texomasoccer.org/docs/AC_outreach.doc 

--- Challenger Soccer Weekly Camp: Challenger Soccer uses coaches from Britain that stay in the US for a semester to teach soccer. They will be providing an 8 week camp in Sherman on Monday nights. The regular cost is 80$, but TSA will help pay for half of it for the first 65 players! So for 8 weeks for 40$. Last season I encouraged my team to do it. We had 10 of our 12 players participate and we used it as a practice. (fyi, this does NOT count as a practice hour). This is a great opportunity to share with your team. It will benefit players especially in the footwork area, plus kids love the accents of the coaches! http://www.texomasoccer.org/docs/SDP.pdf

--- Challenger Way Soccer website. The same organization has a great resource for coaches to get practice ideas and even formations for games. This site requires a login info, TSA is paying for this resource for its volunteer coaches. If you would use this please let me know and I will get you the login. Coaches that received a login last season can still access the site. http://www.thechallengerway.com/

--- Coach Training with Bobby Moffat will be providing a free coaches training on Friday, February 25^thfrom 6:30-8:00 PM at Wilkes pitch located at Fairview Park.  Bobby is a former English pro player and runs camps throughout the metroplex. 

FC Dallas: I encourage you to take the opportunity to enjoy the game of soccer in-person. We have a great resource of having a pro-team only thirty minutes away! FC Dallas plays in Frisco, and games are very accessible for families. Group tickets are can be purchased for 12$, and based on number of tickets sold there are some cool incentives for teams. Your team can be on the field during pre-game, high fiving players as they come onto the field. And parking is always free! Interested in taking your team see this info 

For future reference this post will be available on VA All the Way.com (www.vaalltheway.com) 

Please contact me if you have any questions. 

Griff 

903 744 4263

New Coach to do info

New Coaches 

• will need to get a background check and submit a picture for a ID badge. In soccer all persons that are on the side with the players must have one! So assistant coaches and or a team manager need one. Here is the info and link to register: http://texomasoccer.org/docs/RMS_v003.pdf
• You can submit a team name to the registrar, if you dont you will be VA New Girls or Boys: mherndon@texomasoccer.org

Mini-Kickers game one action video...

Kicker Soccer week of 9/27

Here is the schedule of practices this week: 

• Kickers U10 - Monday at 7pm (soccer camp in sherman)
• Mini Kickers U6 - Thursday - 4pm, Georgetown pool
• Kickers U10 - Friday at 4:30pm at VAMS
• *this week no Tuesday practice for U10 Kickers. We will be having occasional Tuesday practices. We are using the Monday camp as a skills work and the other practices as team practices. 

What a great weekend of soccer! 

• Mini-kickers had a great first game. They all played so well and it was so fun to watch the beginning of soccer again. They kept asking after the game "if they had won". I kept saying, "yes both teams did because we had fun". Finally one of them asked, "who had more goals?". I responded that we indeed had more goals.
• The Kickers had a great all around game to start their season. Leading 1-0 at half, we added 3 more second half goals to make a 4-0 game. All of the other teams played last week, and I was wondering if the new field would affect us. We also only started putting together the formation basically at the last practice. The girls responded with a great effort and learning their positions how to play on the big field. 
• Big Kickers - Who knew what to expect playing a new team from a different area (Bonham) and without our goalie who missed her second game in about 9 seasons! I would have never figured on a 7-0 victory! But even better than that was just the total team play, smart soccer and effort that we showed. I was proud of the girls and their overall knowledge of the game when I started mixing things up on the field and how well we all played in different positions. 

Soccer Website

• The link is now active to our website....VA All the Way.com  or www.vaalltheway.com 
• Our practice schedule is linked to this website. I use google calender to try to bring order to my chaotic life. This is always up to date!
• Our game schedules also include the scores of games.

Coaching Younger Players

I was asked for advice for coaching younger players U6 below. 

I recommend the MLS Camp Curriculum, it is a pdf publication. They take a season of practices and have gamesheets based on age groups (U4-to U16). Basically they have a whole season of skills sessions broken down for each week! Contact me about this resource and I will let you know how to get your hands on it. 

Here are a couple of tips: 

• 80% of practice at this age should be with everyone having their own ball. End practice with 1v1, 2v2 and game situations. But they will love practice when they all have a ball. 
• The MLS curriculum will have a lot of games with them all using a ball
• red light green light teach them to dribble keep the ball close, red light they should be able to stop the ball with their toe in one step.
• soccer freeze tag (players dribble inside square coach tags player and they are frozen until another player directs a ball through or touches their leg with their ball. 
• four corners: have four corners and designate a color. players dribble inside square until coach calls the color and the players try not to be the last person. 
• soccer ball relay - place all of the balls in the middle. Divide team in two. they have to race to get a ball dribble it to a spot and leave it. Go clap the hand of the next player until all of the balls are taken and then have them return them to the middle. 
• dribble and score. two teams with one goal. Have them start next on the side of the goal. Have them dribble to the middle of the field and around a cone. Then after the round the cone the first one to score by shooting the goal wins that round. 
• Coaches Supply
• A set of cones and soccer flags are a necessity. The flags are multipurpose and cost 6$ each at the soccer post in McKinney. They can be goals and many other items in games.