Q: What is Mount Tabor Soccer Club?
A: MTSC is a community-based organization run by volunteers that
provides recreational soccer to youth in Portland.
MTSC is one of twenty-odd recreational youth soccer clubs in Portland which
compete in matches organized by Portland Youth Soccer Association.
Q: Does where I live dictate what club I join?
A: No. Your player can play in any (one) club. In an effort to reach out to all youth in
Portland, each school has been assigned to a club. Each club will recruit in its
assigned schools in order to ensure that every child has an opportunity to play.
This does not obligate the player in any way.
Q: What is recreational soccer?
A: A soccer team is a recreational ("rec") team if it is open to all youth that meet
age and gender guidelines. Tryouts are not permitted. Players are not selected
based on ability, but assigned to teams according to other criteria, such as
what school they go to, which team needs another player, etc.
Currently all MTSC teams are rec teams. MTSC has fielded at
least one classic team in prior years.
In the Portland area most recreational-oriented clubs are volunteer-based and
as a result the fees are very reasonable, though parents are expected to help their child's team or the club in a variety of roles.
Q: What is classic soccer?
A: "Classic" is the name USYSA gives to competitive
soccer for youth ages 10-14. A soccer team is a competitive team if players must
try out for the team or in some other way be chosen based
on ability (speed, skill, size, "merit", whatever).
Most classic clubs have paid staff, including coaches, so the fees are quite a bit
higher than recreational fees. Some classic teams travel a lot too, which can
mean a big time commitment for parents. Classic soccer is more intense, and
some players really thrive on it.
Q: Can my child play in rec soccer and classic soccer?
A: No. Not at the same time. But at different times, yes. We have players who
have tried out classic soccer, decided it is not for them, and returned to our club. Some of our spring season players bounce back to classic each fall, or vice versa.
Q: What does U-8 mean?
A: U-8 means that the players were "under eight" years of age on July 31st of the
year. For example, in our fall season in 2004, the U-8 group will include no players who
were born before 1 August 1996. During the fall season, most U-8 players will be seven years
old, though some will already have had their eighth birthday. Some U-8 players will be six years old.
This is called "playing up." Playing-up is sometimes done to ensure more equitable playing time.
If your player's birthday is in August--and remembering that Portland schools place
the cutoff at 1 September--then your player is among the youngest in her class in school.
Technically, she will be playing up even though she is with her classmates.
Q: My son just played a team that was mostly girls. Isn't this the boys division?
A: There are two gender divisions: male and female. Males are not allowed to play in the female
division, but females are allowed to play in the male division. It is not uncommon to keep the
kids jumbled for the first few years. In middle school a female on a male team is rare. But
everything goes in cycles. In PYSA's high school rec soccer program the teams are ALL coed,
and the players love it!
Q: Why is soccer such a great sport?
A: Gosh, it's hard to know where to begin... I guess we could mention that
soccer is the main sport of our species--the most widely-played team sport in the world.
We could point out that more TVs tune in the
World Cup than any other event, including the Olympics. We could talk about the fact
that of all team sports soccer is among the most athletic, with a two acre pitch (American
Football is barely one acre) and 90 minutes of action with no timeouts and only one break.
We could mention that soccer, partly because there is no stopping the clock, is truly
played by the players, not the coaches, and not the officials. But
when you finally get down to it, the main thing for youth soccer is that it is FUN.
Q: Why does my kid get to have all the fun? Can I play?
A: Check out the Oregon
Adult Soccer Association (see Links) or visit one of the local indoor soccer centers
and see what you think.
Q: My boss is sending me to our sister organization in another city. How can
I get to know the people better in that organization?
A: Bring cleats and shinguards. When you get there, ask a receptionist or some other well-connected
person for the name of someone who plays soccer.
Contact that person. He or she can probably hook you up with the local weekly
after-work soccer scrimmage. This is a great way to get to know people,
and to get some exercise when you are away from your usual routine.
Q: My child wants to play indoor with another club in the off-season.
What paperwork is involved?
A: It depends on the other club or on who sanctions their matches.
Some clubs insist on player cards from OYSA. If
this is the case, you need to fill out a Player Transfer form. You can get this form
by going to the Forms page of the OYSA web site (see Links).
Q: Are headers dangerous?
A: There has been some research to show that playing soccer for many years correlates
with head injury. There is no evidence that intentional heading has a
part in this. Most observers suspect, rather, that other events are more likely to
be the culprit. Some candidates are: head-to-head or foot-to-head contact with another player,
striking a goalpost,
and getting hit in the head by the ball when unexpected.
When you head the ball, you strike it
on the forehead (a hard, bony part of the skull) and you tense your neck muscles so your
whole upper body absorbs the impact. When you are unexpectedly hit in the head with the ball
it can be on any part of the head, and the neck muscles are more relaxed. Only the head recoils,
absorbing much of the impact. USYSA rules now permit the wearing of protective
head bands, but recent research indicates they don't do any measurable good.
Injuries in soccer are not rare, but head injuries are.