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Frequently Asked QuestionsIf there is a question you think ought to be addressed PLEASE email me and I'll post it here. --Jim Q: Where does all the money go? A: A typical breakdown of your $300.00-ish payment is as follows: Estimates are based on a 15-player roster.
TOTAL PER TEAM: $5,275.00 or about $350.00 per player for a typical 15-player team. These estimates do not include your own travel expenses. Please note: These numbers are rough estimates. Your budget could me more or less that what is stated here. Your team manager should have a accurate breakdown of costs for your particular team. Q: Can I create my own soccer team and join up with your club? If so, how? A: We welcome new teams and would love to help! See the section on "Creating a Soccer Team" and all will be revealed. Q: Explain the rule about "no more than 6 players from any club team can play on their high school's team." A: This rule comes directly from the Alabama High School Athletic Association. See all rules at www.ahsaa.com/eligibility/basicrules-eligibility.asp which states: "Fifty Percent Rule-Participation during the school year by students from any high school team (varsity and B-team) on a non-school team during the off-season is limited to 50 percent of the number of players required to play the game of that sport (i.e., three in basketball, six in soccer, five in baseball, etc.) The rule does not apply to seniors who have completed their high school eligibility in that sport nor to middle and junior high school students who will not play on a high school team the following season." So, the rule states that no more than 6 players on a club soccer team can play for their high school's soccer team any time during the following season. Varsity and Junior Varsity teams are counted separately. For example, if we have 7 players on our team who play for the Varsity team in school, one of those players cannot play on the Varsity team for the upcoming year. That one player can play in the Junior Varsity team if he so chooses. However, state rules will not even allow him to even substitute ("play up") on a Varsity team if he is called upon. Q: I have a complaint about the coach. What should I do? A: First, we hope your complaint isn't about "playing time" or the coach not playing your child in the position you hoped he would play in. If so, please understand that this is not a "recreational league" team where everybody has fun, is guaranteed a certain amount of playing time and it's all in the name if "fun." No, this is Club Soccer--the closest to "professional" many kids will ever get. We want to have fun but our teams strive, first and foremost, to be the best. Second, if you've never coached a team before, you have no idea how difficult it can be. Our coaches put an incredible amount of time and effort on and off the field into coaching the team and, because of that, get to make the decisions of who plays where and when. They have earned and deserve your support. The small amount of pay they receive from us parents is not enough to warrant the added stress of having to deal with the various desires of at least fifteen sets of parents. However, the last thing anyone wants is for players to leave the team because of valid concerns about the team leadership. Our Prime Directive is the furtherance of the game of soccer in the Shoals area. Having a bad experience and losing even one player from one team is a loss to the entire Club. So, if you feel you have a valid concern--and especially if your concern is shared by other parents on the team-- please speak up but please speak to your manager or to the Board and not the coach. As of this writing, the board has not adopted a formal manner for dealing with complaints from parents. Technically, complaints that cannot be handled within the management structure of the team should go to the Disciplinary Committee but we (or, at least I) don't know who that is yet. So, I suggest you speak to your team manager first. If your concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction or if you are not comfortable speaking with the manager then please speak to your favorite board member. You will probably be asked to submit your concern in writing if you wish the complaint to be formally addressed by the board. Board members names and numbers can be found on the club's "Organization" page. Q: I don't see an updated team roster/game schedule/practice schedule. What's up with that? A: Your manager or coach has not provided it to your so-called webmaster. Information is posted to this site almost as soon as it is received . . . As long as it is received during business hours Monday through Friday. The webmaster can only post updates to the site from his office so if you have urgent information that needs to get to your players or team mates, I suggest you call them or email them directly. A list of all email addresses can be had by clicking on the Contacts page. Q: My son or daughter is not getting the playing time we expected. I paid my money so shouldn't my son or daughter get to play as much as the other kids? A: Short answer? No. Long answer? There is a significant difference between this "Club" level of play and recreational soccer that most folks are used to. Recreational soccer is open to any player who signs up to play. There are no try-outs for "cuts" in recreational soccer. Most recreational soccer leagues mandate a minimum amount of playing time for each player. The game is just for fun and winning is secondary. On Club teams, we are playing to attempt to win a state championship--or as close to that as possible. This is serious stuff! Participation on select or "club" teams such as the Shoals Soccer Club is based on try-outs and do not have rules regarding minimum playing time. Playing time must be earned in the Club level. It is earned via a combination of soccer ability, attitude toward teammates, and effort. Anyone who makes a select team such as ours has the potential to earn playing time on that team as the season progresses. During league play and especially out of town games, almost every player on a team will see some playing time during each match. However, it is the coach's decision as to the amount of time, if any, that an individual player will receive. Q: I have never understood the "offsides" rule in soccer. I don't get most of the other rules either. Help? A: Check out our "Soccer for Dummies" section that will clear up all that confusion! |
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Send mail to Jim Fisher at
Jim@ShoalsSoccer.net with
questions or comments about this web site.
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