Woodbury Soccer Club

The primary responsibility is for the head coach to make contact with parents or work with the assistant coach to do so.  Assistant coaches need to take responsibility if the head coach hasn't (due to travel or circumstances).  If you don't receive confirmation from your parents by email then start call them by phone. 

Parents need to know:

Head Coach's Name and contact info.

Where to Meet:  for example, Bailey 4B, is where you'll meet for all practices including the first one. (Games may be at different locations, schedule to be determined later.)  Provide them links to the field maps and tell them it is very important to print their own maps.

When to Meet: X to X pm and which day of the week for practice.

What to Bring:Kids need to be dressed appropriately and for the weather:  T-shirt / sweatshirt, shorts/running pants, running shoes / soccer cleats sometimes it may be necessary to wear a hat and gloves.  Shin guards are mandatory and soccer socks are to be worn over the shin guards.  The uniforms include socks so let the parents know they don't need to bring soccer socks to the first practice because you can distribute socks at the beginning.  Kids should each have their own water bottle.  It is a good idea for parents to bring a lawn chair.

Balls: Inform parents that each kid should each bring their own balls to practice.  The ball should be labeled in permanent marker with last name and phone number.  U5~8 use size 3; U9~12 use size 4, over U13 use size 5 balls.  There are balls in the equipment bag so if kids forget or can't bring a ball, let the use the team balls.

In Rec Soccer, team names are just for fun; they don't need to be reported to coordinators.  Come to practice with a written list of ~5 team names.  Solicit the kids for team names, warn the kids that they can each suggest up-to two names.  With the kids and families, vote for the names.  Allow voting for as many names as they like.  Look at the tally and pick one of the ones with a high number of votes, it doesn't have to be the one with the most votes.

This methods gets the job done reasonably quickly, involves the kids and families but keeps the coach in control. Having the coach select the final name prevents names like "The Smelly Farts" or "Green Baby Poop."

10% of all teams will be named "Lightning."

Typically uniforms are numbered by size, smallest to largest.  Ask one or two parents to lay the uniforms on the ground in numeric order while you do a drill.  After the drill, have the kids line-up by height.  Lead the line of kids to the line of uniforms and match them up. 

This method is quick and reduces the risks of squabbling over specific numbers.

Decisions to practice or play games is ultimately the responsibility of the head coach.  When possible, the WSC will try to provide timely guidance.  Also, the City may close the fields in poor weather conditions or to protect the fields.

The goal of the weather guidelines is to maximize safety and also balance playing time with the comfort of players, coaches and parents.  They are guidelines and not rules in order to allow coaches freedom to make good decisions.

Heat index between 90 and 105 degrees should have modified play with extra water breaks and shorter practice or games.

Rather than list all the conditions for which play should be canceled, the table below lists the borderline conditions.  In conditions worse than those listed, play should usually be shortened or canceled.

Sign up for the the city of Woodbury's InTouch email notification system.  When fields are closed before 3pm email will be sent.

The Minnesota Youth Soccer Weather Guidelines are fairly comprehensive but probably play in worse conditions than our Rec league will.

The National Weather Service updates Minnesota weather conditions hourly.

This is feedback from a coach:

"I know the soccer club has put out a statement about why they don't like to do trophies, and I agree we give out too many trophies for just participating. However, the last couple times my older son has played in the rec soccer division, I have felt a lack of a sense of finality and closure for the boys at the end of the season. Considering the kids have done a good job showing up to most of the games, improving their skills and learning about good sportsmanship, it seems we could recognize them in a positive way for doing that much. I would like to suggest perhaps making available a standard certificate of achievement that the coaches could fill in with each of the kids' names and encouraging the coaches to discuss how each player has contributed and improved during the season as they hand them out."

The coach also created a certificate.  The document is linked to the right.