Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Thank you all for your enthusiastic support of our club and players.

For Fall Soccer 2006, Mount Tabor Soccer Club will form fresh team rosters for our U9 boys and girls divisions. It is our intent to do this for the U9 divisions each fall. This memo outlines the scope, rationale and features of this procedure change.

PROCESS

This change was adopted by your board in April 2005 and explained at the coaches' meeting then, including a written handout. We received feedback from a few coaches and parents. The feedback was a mix of messages of support and expressions of concern.

The club operates according to written policies. Our policy for team formation for the PYSA league is available on this website under Bylaws. The relevant part is Operating Policies, Section 5.5. In forming recreational teams we are also guided by policies of PYSA and other regional and national youth soccer authorities. The new procedure is consistent with the policies of all these bodies and does not involve any change in written policies.

PROBLEM

Generally speaking, our teams stay together from one year to the next. There will be minor changes, but most of the roster carries forward with the same coach (see Operating Policy 5.5(d)). We think allowing teams to stay together works well. We love the deep relationships that form among families in our club. We have run into trouble with our standard procedure in two situations.

First, In the transition from U8 to U9 the number of players that can be on a team decreases. U9 is the only year, from kindergarten through middle school, where this happens. The reason it happens is that in second grade (U8) we play two games side-by-side, while in third grade (U9) we play only one.

Second, Many families enjoy the co-ed model for the younger set (up through about the middle of elementary school), while almost all players prefer gender-specific teams after about fourth grade. As a team with a healthy mix of girls and boys gets to the middle of elementary school, families don't have a clear picture of the future for their player. Should the boys "leave" or should the girls "leave"? If somebody leaves, how do we fill the crater they left behind? These situations sometimes lead to misunderstandings.

The procedure change is narrowly drawn to address only these two problem areas.

The ideal size for a U9 team is nine to ten players. Normally our U8 rosters are in the range of twelve to fourteen players—too large to form good U9 teams without some changes. Every year we take one or more of the following approaches to this problem:

• muddle through with teams so large that players don't get nearly enough playing time;
• create a new team consisting of newcomers and players from existing teams;
• split an existing team, adding some new players to each half;
• move players to or from an adjoining club;
• push kids into U10 who don't really belong there; and/or
• draw kids up from U8 who really do belong there.

These are all poor substitutes for forming proper-sized teams in the first place. As club president I speak with lots of our parents. I know that when they are on the receiving end of these maneuvers they sometimes feel they have been dealt with shabbily.

This problem happens every year. Fallout from the problem persists up through U14 with bloated rosters, kids playing with the wrong age group, and inadequate playing time.

You might imagine that the new procedure will lead to a lot of additional teams. Yes it will, and this is great! It means more playing time and more of the coach's attention.

FEATURES

1. For Fall 2006, and annually thereafter, the Club will form new rosters at U9, boys and girls.
2. We will not re-use U8 rosters when forming U9 teams, and we will not re-use U8 team names at U9. Your U9 player will be on a team with a new name. Your player is likely to have many familiar teammates. Your player may or may not have a different coach from before.
3. We will allow each U9 registrant to name two players he/she would like to play with, and we will attempt to honor these requests when possible. This feature allows a player to be reasonably assured of a good friend on the new team. Alternatively, it allows a family to maintain an important car-pooling relationship.
4. At U7 and U8 we will generally form coed teams, except upon request. At U9 and up we will generally form girls teams and boys teams. Note: Co-ed teams are officially "boys" teams at all ages. Individually girl players may be placed on boys teams at U9 and above by request, and with approval from the Club.
5. We will not change the rostering procedure for any age group but U9. Most MTSC families are not affected by this procedure change.

If you have any questions about our rostering procedures, please feel free to contact president@mttaborsoccer.org or registrar@mttaborsoccer.org. Thanks again for supporting your player and our club!

GR