Spring Soccer Registration CLOSED! Accepting Players U4 to U19 U4: $85 U5-U8: $130 U9+: $160 Players must be 3 years old by 12/31/24 Players must have approved birth certificate on their player profile. Missed out on registering? Use form below to sign up on Player Waitlist. No cost to sign up on waitlist WSA Player Waitlist Go to Coaching Registration WSA Board Meeting - Tuesday, January 14th @ 6:30pm; Cherry Park Community Bldg- 313 W. Davis St, Weatherford WSA Fall 2022 season Game Day Pictures (Below) 301126869_5080803068698390_9091434980498928592_n pic 2 Pic 1 301126869_5080803068698390_9091434980498928592_n 1/124 WSA is always looking for Referees. Interested? ( Look here! ) Interested in a Soccer Tournament? Upcoming NTX Soccer Tournaments Local Soccer Tournaments OUR SPONSORS

Registration WSA Player Waitlist Go to Coaching Registration Go to Referee Registration Need help knowing what age group your child is? (click image below for larger view) Spring 2025 season Rec Player Registration is ClOSED U4: $85 U5-U8: $130 U9+: $160 Players must be 3 years old by 12/31/24 Players must have approved birth certificate on their player profile. IMPORTANT NOTE Your player must have a Government issued birth certificate uploaded to their GotSport profile to complete Player Registration and be placed on a team.

Recreational Players Spring 2025 season Rec Player Registration is CLOSED U4: $85 U5-U8: $130 U9+: $160 Players must be 3 years old by 12/31/24 Players must have approved birth certificate on their player profile. IMPORTANT NOTE In order to register your child, you must have a birth certificate uploaded to your GotSport profile. You will not be allowed to pay if you do not have one uploaded to your account and if you do not pay, your child is not registered and will not be placed on a team. The help desk button can assist you with doing this. WSA Player Waitlist Need help using GotSport GotSport Help Desk Need help knowing what age group your child is? (click image below for larger view)

WSA Board Executive Board Members Lenny Styer President Chris Pool Vice President Cherie Long Treasurer Amber Nuanez Secretary Jason Callahan Coaching Director Board Members At Large Amy Renfro Clayton Rhine Benton Kemp David Turner Bree Givens Ryan Kuhlmeier Sami Wimberly Taylor White Vacant Vacant Vacant Are you intereste d in becoming a Board Member? First off, THANK YOU!! We are so happy you expressed interest! The Weatherford Soccer Board is made up of Mom’s and Dad’s who wanted to volunteer their time to help make improvements for not only their child(ren) but for all the other kiddos out here. Being a board member means devoting some of your very limited free time to make an impact on young children who may or may not have played soccer before. We are all here to help grow this love of soccer in every single child and build an organization that each and everyone of us can be proud of. Some of the duties a board member can be found doing is painting lines on the soccer fields, emptying trash cans, cleaning/restocking the restrooms, providing transportation to a field for a spectator, conducting registration, making connections with small businesses, and just simply being present at the fields on game days. Cartwright Park is owned by the city and they do the mowing once a week, but the association is responsible for the everyday upkeep of the fields and the buildings. The city requires that we have a board member present during games in the event an issue arises. If you have the inkling to participate and be apart of something so great and beneficial to so many families, please email us with your contact information and we will be in touch with you. (weatherfordsoccer@gmail.com ) “At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished…it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” -Denzel Washington

Resources for Parents -- IMPORTANT -- Please don't block GotSport Emails. This is how we communicate with you. Need help using GotSport GotSport Help Desk Looking for an Important Document? WSA Player Scholarship WSA offers a limited number of Full and Partial Registration Scholarships based on need. Limit of two (2) scholarships per family per season. Scholarship applications are required to be submitted for each soccer season requested. Complete Scholarship application form below for Board consideration. Voting on Scholarship awards takes place after Registration Closes. Player Scholarship Application WSA Refund Policy 100% refund if withdrawal received BEFORE Team Formation. 50% refund if withdrawal received AFTER Team Formation AND BEFORE season begins. No refund allowed AFTER season begins. Player Withdrawal Form The Soccer Landscape With the goal of building the soccer community within Parker County, we want to make you aware of different opportunities for your young athlete. Will my child be placed on the same Team? If your child is a returning player, as long as the coach and team are returning and you have not requested that your child be assigned to a new team and you have registered on time. Please keep in mind that it's WSA policy to place additional players on teams with the shortest roster and without going over state-regulated roster size. I do NOT want my child to have the same coach as last year. What can I do? You can request to have your child "Request off core" on the player registration form when signing up for the upcoming season. Your child will then be removed from their previous team and be placed back in the player pool for random assignment to a new team. NTSSA rules require that children be assigned to teams in a fair manner. I liked my child's coach from last season, but do NOT want him/her to play with the same kids. What can I do? You cannot request the same coach but with different players. You do have the option to request your child not play on the same team and be placed back in the Player Pool for random assignment. I would like my child to play on a friend's team? In the U4 - U-8 divisions, the NTSSA "Buddy Request" may be used. Only a new player (or WSA player that has not played in the past 2 seasons) may request to be placed on a friend's team (same birth year). This request will be honored, if there is room on the team's roster. If there is not room on the team's roster, both players may request to be placed on a team that has two open roster positions. The buddy requested will have to agree to be taken "off core." I want my child to play in a higher age bracket. Is this possible? The decision to have your child "play-up" is something that requires careful consideration. Such a request is generally made when a player demonstrates a skill level above his/her age of play and when there is a team available. Such a request should be made to the appropriate league representative or on your child's registration form. The request requires approval from the Team Formation Committee. Your child may only play up one age bracket. I would like my child to play for a specific coach? A player may NOT request to play on a specific team. A coach may NOT request that you play for their team. This is a serious violation of the recruiting rules. Responsibilities of a Coach? NOTIFICATION OF TEAM MEMBERS…Please call members of your team as soon as possible. Your players will be anxious to hear from you. Tell them that they’re on your team and provide them with the location, starting times, and duration of your practices. Coaches are responsible for determining practice days, time, and location. RESPONSIBILITY FOR TEAM MEMBERS…When you agree to coach a team, you accept responsibility for the safety of the team members. This covers all team activities…practice, games, and tournaments. Please get to your practices on time so that your players are never without adult supervision. Ask your parents not to leave players until you arrive. Under no circumstances is any player to be left alone following practice or a game. We know you didn’t volunteer to be a baby sitter, but we can’t risk the safety of any child entrusted to our care. If some parents appear to be late all the time, please call your WSA League Representative and the Board will attempt to help. Have all parents complete and sign the Medical Release Waiver so that you can obtain medical care for a player should the parent not be present. Coaches are required to honor the WSA Coach’s Code of Conduct. RESPONSIBILITY FOR PARENTAL BEHAVIOR… Coaches are responsible for the behavior of his/her players, their player’s parents, and their team supporters during games. Have all your parents sign and date Parental Code of Conduct. Coaches should maintain contact with their league representatives on a regular basis. Attend or send a team representative to all WSA Board Meetings. You are a member of our Association and get a vote in WSA Board decision. Notify your WSA League Rep if you do not plan to return as a Coach for next season. Coaches should remain aware that Game Schedule periodically change; and it is the Coach’s responsibility to ensure their parents are aware of any schedule changes Coaches are required to be knowledgeable of any changes in the laws of the game. A great resource is the International Football Association Board (IFAB) App that can be downloaded on your phone. Coaches are highly encouraged to increase their coaching knowledge of the game by attaining a Grassroots license though US Soccer. The introductory coaching course is online and FREE. North Texas Coaching Education Program (click here) Coaching Guidelines Primary focus on "development", not "winning" - subtle difference but very important. Winning is desirable of course, but making it your primary focus, especially your primary short-term focus, will most likely lead to bad decisions in your training program and game execution (see "don't teach anything you have to undo later" below). Maximum touches on the ball during training sessions - make sure your practice plan leads to as many touches on the ball as possible. This can be accomplished by separating the players into smaller groups during drills or by designing your practice to include drills and games that force many touches on the ball. This is the primary reason NTX has moved to the small-sided game format. Don't teach anything you have to undo later - for instance, many coaches of the younger players put their players in a defensive "wall" on the opponent’s kickoff - an alignment that will never be formed when they grow older (maybe in futsal). Instead, teach them to spread out on the kickoff and cover the critical defensive areas. Otherwise, at some point down the line you'll have to teach them to cover the space, hence undoing what you taught them earlier. Another example would be a coach of the younger players putting a single player in front of the opponents goal with instructions to "wait for the ball" - and leaving the player in that position during the entire game. On down the line you'll have to undo this practice and teach that player how to stay "onside" and how to "make runs to the goal", hence undoing what you previously instructed. What do I need to do to become a WSA Coach? All WSA coaches and assistant coaches need to be registered for the upcoming soccer season thru GotSport, have an approved Background check, and have completed SafeSport training. Youcan register to be a coach here. Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an automated email explaining how you can complete your background check and SafeSport training. Thank you for volunteering as a coach! How much time does it take to coach? This will depend on the type of team and age level of the team you are coaching. Recreational teams will often practice 1-2 times a week and play once a week. So you can expect a commitment of about 3-5 hours total including setup, picking up, etc. Add in an additional hour or so for preparation (practice plans, paperwork, etc.) Regardless of the age of your team or level, you should recruit a team manager to handle all the league paperwork, snack and make-up schedules, etc. It can be a huge help. A good recreational team schedule to follow is: • U4 - once or twice a week for 30-45 minutes each session • U6-U8 - once or twice a week for 45-60 minutes each session • U9-U12 - twice a week for 60-90 minutes each session • U13 and up- twice a week for 90 minutes each session What type of equipment do I need as a Coach? At the bare minimum, you need some disc cones (20 or 30 is ideal) and some pinnies. Players can bring their own soccer ball. However, most coaches will accumulate additional equipment over time that can come in very handy. Optional equipment includes: · A coach's first aid kit · Pinnies · Pop up goals or even portable full size goals like GOLME · A dry erase clipboard with a soccer field stenciled on it. Handy for keeping papers together and drawing out things you may try to explain · A stopwatch - handy for keeping track of time during matches · A small ball pump · A colorful keeper jersey and gloves · Extra balls are always nice. It helps keep the practice moving so you don't have to chase balls all the time For older players - training aids like an agility ladder, hurdles, ball hoops, poles, etc. You'll notice one item that's not on the list - a whistle. Most experienced coaches won't use a whistle and instead teach the players to listen to what they say. Do I need to complete a background check to Coach? Yes. All Weatherford Soccer Coaches (head coaches and assistant coaches) are required to have an approved background check. This is for the safety of our children. How to submit you background check? (click here) Do I need to complete the SafeSport course to Coach? Yes. SafeSport course is required my North Texas Soccer Association. This is a course that needs to be completed annually for all Weatherford Soccer Coaches. How to complete SafeSport course? (click here) How do I get an Assistant Coach? The head coach will pick their own assistant coach. The head coach will need to send an email to weatherfordsoccer@gmail.com with the following information for the person(s) they wish to be their assistant coach: Name (Legal first and last name) Birth date Email address Physical address Phone number The assistant coach will receive an email from Weatherford Soccer with a lnk to register. How do I print my Team Roster Team Rosters are available to Coaches on GotSport for those Coaches who have registered and completed their requirements. How to print Team Roster (or Player ID Cards)? (click here) Who do I contact with questions or concerns? If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the following (in the following order): League Representative Coaching Director WSA Board President / Vice President Please talk to us, don't let issues get out of control. If you have any ideas, again, please let us know. We want to hear from you! What do I do if the Referee makes a call I disagree with? WSA Referees are off limits to anyone before and after the game! Most of our WSA Referees are Kids. There will be no negative comments to the referee during the game. If you think a referee is not calling a game correctly please alert a WSA Board Member. A WSA Board Member will handle it from there. Once the final whistle has blown the game is over, as well as your contact with the referee. Referees will not be followed to their area or into the parking lot. Failure to follow the rules will result in suspension or being banned from all WSA facilities and other associations of the NCSA alliance. Inclement Weather? When you think that games might be cancelled, DO NOT assume they are. For games at Cartwright Park, check: WSA website: www.weatherfordsoccer.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeatherfordSoccer/ Please check the above resources before you call us! Games that are rained out will be rescheduled for a later date. It is your responsibility to keep an eye on the game schedule. If it is raining and the fields are in good shape and there is no lightning, WE WILL PLAY GAMES. Slide Tackles A slide tackle is a tackle in soccer in which a player attempts to take the ball away from an opposing player by deliberately leaving his feet and sliding along the ground with one leg extended to push the ball away from the opposing player. A player who has possession of the ball and slides to kick it, to keep the ball from going pass the touchline, pass the goal line, or trying to score is not performing a slide tackle. If the player is the attacking player, then by definition they are not performing a slide tackle and will not be called for slide tackling. Can we have a sponsor purchase our team uniforms? Yes you can purchase your own uniform. The uniforms can be paid for by the parents or by a sponsor. However your registration cost will not be reduced. Your team will be required to have the WSA logo put on the uniform at the team's expense. If you have a sponsor, they can have their name put on the uniform. This requires board approval before the name can be applied to the uniform. Are shin guards required to be worn? All players must wear age appropriate shin guards worn under the socks. Must shin guards be worn under socks? Yes! Shin guards MUST be work under socks and completely covered. Is jewelry permitted to be worn? No jewelry is allowed to be worn by the players during the game except for medical or religious purposes - in this case they must be taped to the body. Jewelry can cause injury to the player and/or other players during the match. Earrings of all types, necklaces, and bracelets (including Live Well type bands) cannot be worn during games. Band-Aids/tape cannot be placed over newly pierced ears during games. Can I bring my pet to the field? All pets are strictly prohibited at our complexes (exception will be service animals). We have experienced children injured by small, well behaved pets on a leash. We have also experienced animals injured by running children and soccer balls. We will enforce this prohibition. Games will not be started or continued until animals are removed from the complex. My child has a case on their arm and the doctor says they can play soccer. Is this permitted? A child with any type of cast may only practice or participate in games if it is covered with foam padding. Bubble wrap is not acceptable. The player may be eligible for a refund for the season – check our website for more information. How the cast is covered and whether or not it is acceptable for play is still up to the referee of the match. It is best to check with the referee before the match to allow for any modifications that must be made. It is cold outside, can my child wear a coat? Long sleeve shirts, sweat-shirts, or coats must be worn under the jersey. Long pants may be worn under shorts. Gloves/mittens, scarves, hats, and ear warmers are permitted. It is raining, are we still playing games today? Check the WSA website (www.weatherfordsoccer.org) or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WeatherfordSoccer/). As long as there is no lightning in the area and the fields are okay, we will play. What do I do if the Referee makes a call I disagree with? WSA Referees are off limits to anyone before and after the game! Most of our WSA Referees are Kids. There will be no negative comments to the referee during the game. If you think a referee is not calling a game correctly please alert a WSA Board Member. A WSA Board Member will handle it from there. Once the final whistle has blown the game is over, as well as your contact with the referee. Referees will not be followed to their area or into the parking lot. Failure to follow the rules will result in suspension or being banned from all WSA facilities and other associations of the NCSA alliance.

Field Rules Please do not litter! Volunteers would like to leave the fields after games just as much as everyone else. Help us keep the fields clean! Please bring your own chairs.

Academy Players Academy Players are TRUE age U7 to U10 players. Academy Players can play on BOTH Academy and Recreational teams. This form is for those Academy players that want to play Academy ONLY. Registration fee for an Academy ONLY player is $50 for 2024/2025; if register in Spring 2025 cost is $25. ALL Academy players are required to upload a player headshot picture under their GotSport player profile. Academy ONLY Player Registration (click here)* * If your player is already registered as a WSA Recreational player , send an email to Weatherfordsoccer@gmail.com requesting link to for Academy RECREATIONAL Player Registration Importan t Academy Registration Information --Each academy playe r must be registered with a North Texas Member Association, and acquire a Member Association registration number. --Players may or may not be on a recreational team, unless required to be on a r ecreational team by their membe r association. --A copy of player’s Birth Certificate is required at time of registration for age verification . - NTSSA Rule 4.1.3 Member Associations will require all players to present proof of age when they register to play for the first time in the Association. Proof of a ge shall consist of a birth certificate or birth registration issued by an appropriate government agency, Board of Health records, passport, alien registration card issued by the United States governm ent, a certificate issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service attesting to age, a Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card (DD Form 1173) issued by the uniformed services of the United States or a certification of an American citizen born abroad issued by the appropriate government agency. Hospital, baptismal or religious certificates will not be accepted. --This form is required for player participation in any NTSSA academy prog ram or tournament. This form must be available at all training and competitions for insurance purposes. No formal contract or written commitment may be signed by or on behalf of the player to commit a player to an academy team. Soccer Academy play is in addition to recreational play. --Players may join any Soccer Academy of their choosing within their age group, and are not required to obtain a release from their NTSSA recreational team to participate on an Academy team. Players must present a form of proof of registration signed by a member association registrar each time they participate with an Academy. --Players may join as many Soccer Academies as they like as long as the Soccer Academy is recognized by a North Texas Soccer Member Youth Association. The Academies may charge a fee to cover expenses in addition to the player’s recreational soccer registration fees. Soccer Academy teams are not considered “registered teams,” and therefore do not have to follow recreational team formation rules. --Soccer Academy teams may not enter NTSSA sanctioned tournaments unless the tournament has specified a “Soccer Academy” bracket. In that event, players must declare which Soccer Academy team they will play with in the tournament and may only play for one team in a tournament. Violation of this rule shall result in sanction against the offending party (coach, assistant coach, manager, parent, or other team representative), which could include suspension from all soccer activities for a period of time. --NTSSA Rule 3.10.3 Player participation in academy competitions does not guarantee playing time and players may move to other academy teams at any time. --Any true age 10U player (2015-2018 birth years only) that chooses to play on a true age 11U competitive team, is NOT permitted to play academy or recreational soccer, making their submitted Academy registration VOID. Need help using GotSport GotSport Help Desk Need help knowing what age group your child is? (click below for larger view) IMPORTANT NOTE In order to register your child, you must have a birth certificate uploaded to your GotSport profile. You will not be allowed to pay if you do not have one uploaded to your account and if you do not pay, your child is not registered and will not be placed on a team. The help desk button can assist you with doing this.

Board Meeting Minutes 2023 Meetings 2022 Meetings 2021 Meetings January 2023 Minutes February 2023 Minutes March 2023 Minutes January 2022 Minutes July 2022 minutes February 2022 Minutes August 2022 minutes March 2022 Minutes September 2022 minutes April 2022 Minutes October 2022 minutes No June 2022 Meeting November 2022 Minutes 2022 NTX AGM Summary December 2022 Minutes January 2021 Minutes February 2021 Minutes July 2021 Minutes August 2021 Minutes March 2021 Minutes Missing September 2021 minutes April 2021 Minutes October 2021 Minutes May 2021 Minutes November 2021 Mintues June 2021 Minutes No December 2021 Meeting Are you intereste d in becoming a Board Member? First off, THANK YOU!! We are so happy you expressed interest! The Weatherford Soccer Board is made up of Mom’s and Dad’s who wanted to volunteer their time to help make improvements for not only their child(ren) but for all the other kiddos o ut here. Being a board member means devoting some of your very limited free time to make an impact on young children who may or may not have played soccer before. We are all here to help grow this love of soccer in every single child and build an organization that each and everyone of us can be proud of. Some of the duties a board member can be found doing is painting lines on the soccer fields, emptying trash cans, cleaning/restocking the restrooms, providing transportation to a field for a spectator, conducting registration, making connections with small businesses, and just simply being present at the fields on game days. Cartwright Park is owned by the city and they do the mowing once a week, but the association is responsible for the everyday upkeep of the fields and the buildings. The city requires that we have a board member present during games in the event an issue arises. If you have the inkling to participate and be apart of something so great and beneficial to so many families, please email us with your contact information and we will be in touch with you. (weatherfordsoccer@gmail.com ) “At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished…it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” -Denzel Washington

WSA Tournaments WSA Spring 2024 Tournaments U8 and U17 game schedules below U8 Spring 2024 Tournament Information

Summer Camps Camps - Game On Camps Practice and Play Sessions Skills Improvement Classes

Resources for Coaches GotSport forms to update Team Roster Request Team Name change on Roster Head Coaches are allowed to choose team name. Use the form above to request team name change from what is currently listed on Team Roster Request Assistant Coach on Team Roster Head coaches are allowed to choose their Assistant Coaches. Use the form above to request an Assistant Coach be added to your Team Roster GotSport forms to make WSA aware of Seasonal Game Scheduling problems Request Game Day Blackout Date Head Coaches are allowed to request 2 game day black out dates each season. Use the form above to let WSA know your game day black out date request. Coach more than one WSA team Use the form above to let WSA know if you are a designated coach for more than one team; assistant or head coach. Documents from Coaching Meetings Fall 2024 Coaching Presentation Age Specific Playing Rules Fall 2024.pdf SafeSport Help WSA Info Sheet.pdf Understanding Soccer Referee Signals Time Zone Change Instruction How to View Team Roster Sit-Out Verification Form How to Print Coach Badge, Team Roster WSA Weather Guidelines Heat Hydration Guidelines USSF Helpful YouTube Channels for Soccer information Concussion Information Parental Code Conduct & Medical Waiver Looking for another Document? IMPORTANT -- Please don't block GotSport Emails. This is how we communicate with you. U.S. Soccer's Comprehensive Player Health and Safety Program Upcoming NTX Soccer Tournaments US Soccer Learning Center Applications for better Team Communication InstaTeam Challenger Coaching Center US Soccer Learning Center Online Resources for Coaches Will my child be placed on the same Team? If your child is a returning player, as long as the coach and team are returning and you have not requested that your child be assigned to a new team and you have registered on time. Please keep in mind that it's WSA policy to place additional players on teams with the shortest roster and without going over state-regulated roster size. I do NOT want my child to have the same coach as last year. What can I do? You can request to have your child "Request off core" on the player registration form when signing up for the upcoming season. Your child will then be removed from their previous team and be placed back in the player pool for random assignment to a new team. NTSSA rules require that children be assigned to teams in a fair manner. I liked my child's coach from last season, but do NOT want him/her to play with the same kids. What can I do? You cannot request the same coach but with different players. You do have the option to request your child not play on the same team and be placed back in the Player Pool for random assignment. I would like my child to play on a friend's team? In the U4 - U-8 divisions, the NTSSA "Buddy Request" may be used. Only a new player (or WSA player that has not played in the past 2 seasons) may request to be placed on a friend's team (same birth year). This request will be honored, if there is room on the team's roster. If there is not room on the team's roster, both players may request to be placed on a team that has two open roster positions. The buddy requested will have to agree to be taken "off core." I want my child to play in a higher age bracket. Is this possible? The decision to have your child "play-up" is something that requires careful consideration. Such a request is generally made when a player demonstrates a skill level above his/her age of play and when there is a team available. Such a request should be made to the appropriate league representative or on your child's registration form. The request requires approval from the Team Formation Committee. Your child may only play up one age bracket. I would like my child to play for a specific coach? A player may NOT request to play on a specific team. A coach may NOT request that you play for their team. This is a serious violation of the recruiting rules. Responsibilities of a Coach? NOTIFICATION OF TEAM MEMBERS…Please call members of your team as soon as possible. Your players will be anxious to hear from you. Tell them that they’re on your team and provide them with the location, starting times, and duration of your practices. Coaches are responsible for determining practice days, time, and location. RESPONSIBILITY FOR TEAM MEMBERS…When you agree to coach a team, you accept responsibility for the safety of the team members. This covers all team activities…practice, games, and tournaments. Please get to your practices on time so that your players are never without adult supervision. Ask your parents not to leave players until you arrive. Under no circumstances is any player to be left alone following practice or a game. We know you didn’t volunteer to be a baby sitter, but we can’t risk the safety of any child entrusted to our care. If some parents appear to be late all the time, please call your WSA League Representative and the Board will attempt to help. Have all parents complete and sign the Medical Release Waiver so that you can obtain medical care for a player should the parent not be present. Coaches are required to honor the WSA Coach’s Code of Conduct. RESPONSIBILITY FOR PARENTAL BEHAVIOR… Coaches are responsible for the behavior of his/her players, their player’s parents, and their team supporters during games. Have all your parents sign and date Parental Code of Conduct. Coaches should maintain contact with their league representatives on a regular basis. Attend or send a team representative to all WSA Board Meetings. You are a member of our Association and get a vote in WSA Board decision. Notify your WSA League Rep if you do not plan to return as a Coach for next season. Coaches should remain aware that Game Schedule periodically change; and it is the Coach’s responsibility to ensure their parents are aware of any schedule changes Coaches are required to be knowledgeable of any changes in the laws of the game. A great resource is the International Football Association Board (IFAB) App that can be downloaded on your phone. Coaches are highly encouraged to increase their coaching knowledge of the game by attaining a Grassroots license though US Soccer. The introductory coaching course is online and FREE. North Texas Coaching Education Program (click here) Coaching Guidelines Primary focus on "development", not "winning" - subtle difference but very important. Winning is desirable of course, but making it your primary focus, especially your primary short-term focus, will most likely lead to bad decisions in your training program and game execution (see "don't teach anything you have to undo later" below). Maximum touches on the ball during training sessions - make sure your practice plan leads to as many touches on the ball as possible. This can be accomplished by separating the players into smaller groups during drills or by designing your practice to include drills and games that force many touches on the ball. This is the primary reason NTX has moved to the small-sided game format. Don't teach anything you have to undo later - for instance, many coaches of the younger players put their players in a defensive "wall" on the opponent’s kickoff - an alignment that will never be formed when they grow older (maybe in futsal). Instead, teach them to spread out on the kickoff and cover the critical defensive areas. Otherwise, at some point down the line you'll have to teach them to cover the space, hence undoing what you taught them earlier. Another example would be a coach of the younger players putting a single player in front of the opponents goal with instructions to "wait for the ball" - and leaving the player in that position during the entire game. On down the line you'll have to undo this practice and teach that player how to stay "onside" and how to "make runs to the goal", hence undoing what you previously instructed. What do I need to do to become a WSA Coach? All WSA coaches and assistant coaches need to be registered for the upcoming soccer season thru GotSport, have an approved Background check, and have completed SafeSport training. Youcan register to be a coach here. Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an automated email explaining how you can complete your background check and SafeSport training. Thank you for volunteering as a coach! How much time does it take to coach? This will depend on the type of team and age level of the team you are coaching. Recreational teams will often practice 1-2 times a week and play once a week. So you can expect a commitment of about 3-5 hours total including setup, picking up, etc. Add in an additional hour or so for preparation (practice plans, paperwork, etc.) Regardless of the age of your team or level, you should recruit a team manager to handle all the league paperwork, snack and make-up schedules, etc. It can be a huge help. A good recreational team schedule to follow is: • U4 - once or twice a week for 30-45 minutes each session • U6-U8 - once or twice a week for 45-60 minutes each session • U9-U12 - twice a week for 60-90 minutes each session • U13 and up- twice a week for 90 minutes each session What type of equipment do I need as a Coach? At the bare minimum, you need some disc cones (20 or 30 is ideal) and some pinnies. Players can bring their own soccer ball. However, most coaches will accumulate additional equipment over time that can come in very handy. Optional equipment includes: · A coach's first aid kit · Pinnies · Pop up goals or even portable full size goals like GOLME · A dry erase clipboard with a soccer field stenciled on it. Handy for keeping papers together and drawing out things you may try to explain · A stopwatch - handy for keeping track of time during matches · A small ball pump · A colorful keeper jersey and gloves · Extra balls are always nice. It helps keep the practice moving so you don't have to chase balls all the time For older players - training aids like an agility ladder, hurdles, ball hoops, poles, etc. You'll notice one item that's not on the list - a whistle. Most experienced coaches won't use a whistle and instead teach the players to listen to what they say. Do I need to complete a background check to Coach? Yes. All Weatherford Soccer Coaches (head coaches and assistant coaches) are required to have an approved background check. This is for the safety of our children. How to submit you background check? (click here) Do I need to complete the SafeSport course to Coach? Yes. SafeSport course is required my North Texas Soccer Association. This is a course that needs to be completed annually for all Weatherford Soccer Coaches. How to complete SafeSport course? (click here) How do I get an Assistant Coach? The head coach will pick their own assistant coach. The head coach will need to send an email to weatherfordsoccer@gmail.com with the following information for the person(s) they wish to be their assistant coach: Name (Legal first and last name) Birth date Email address Physical address Phone number The assistant coach will receive an email from Weatherford Soccer with a lnk to register. How do I print my Team Roster Team Rosters are available to Coaches on GotSport for those Coaches who have registered and completed their requirements. How to print Team Roster (or Player ID Cards)? (click here) Who do I contact with questions or concerns? If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the following (in the following order): League Representative Coaching Director WSA Board President / Vice President Please talk to us, don't let issues get out of control. If you have any ideas, again, please let us know. We want to hear from you! What do I do if the Referee makes a call I disagree with? WSA Referees are off limits to anyone before and after the game! Most of our WSA Referees are Kids. There will be no negative comments to the referee during the game. If you think a referee is not calling a game correctly please alert a WSA Board Member. A WSA Board Member will handle it from there. Once the final whistle has blown the game is over, as well as your contact with the referee. Referees will not be followed to their area or into the parking lot. Failure to follow the rules will result in suspension or being banned from all WSA facilities and other associations of the NCSA alliance. Inclement Weather? When you think that games might be cancelled, DO NOT assume they are. For games at Cartwright Park, check: WSA website: www.weatherfordsoccer.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeatherfordSoccer/ Please check the above resources before you call us! Games that are rained out will be rescheduled for a later date. It is your responsibility to keep an eye on the game schedule. If it is raining and the fields are in good shape and there is no lightning, WE WILL PLAY GAMES. Slide Tackles A slide tackle is a tackle in soccer in which a player attempts to take the ball away from an opposing player by deliberately leaving his feet and sliding along the ground with one leg extended to push the ball away from the opposing player. A player who has possession of the ball and slides to kick it, to keep the ball from going pass the touchline, pass the goal line, or trying to score is not performing a slide tackle. If the player is the attacking player, then by definition they are not performing a slide tackle and will not be called for slide tackling. Can we have a sponsor purchase our team uniforms? Yes you can purchase your own uniform. The uniforms can be paid for by the parents or by a sponsor. However your registration cost will not be reduced. Your team will be required to have the WSA logo put on the uniform at the team's expense. If you have a sponsor, they can have their name put on the uniform. This requires board approval before the name can be applied to the uniform. Are shin guards required to be worn? All players must wear age appropriate shin guards worn under the socks. Must shin guards be worn under socks? Yes! Shin guards MUST be work under socks and completely covered. Is jewelry permitted to be worn? No jewelry is allowed to be worn by the players during the game except for medical or religious purposes - in this case they must be taped to the body. Jewelry can cause injury to the player and/or other players during the match. Earrings of all types, necklaces, and bracelets (including Live Well type bands) cannot be worn during games. Band-Aids/tape cannot be placed over newly pierced ears during games. Can I bring my pet to the field? All pets are strictly prohibited at our complexes (exception will be service animals). We have experienced children injured by small, well behaved pets on a leash. We have also experienced animals injured by running children and soccer balls. We will enforce this prohibition. Games will not be started or continued until animals are removed from the complex. My child has a case on their arm and the doctor says they can play soccer. Is this permitted? A child with any type of cast may only practice or participate in games if it is covered with foam padding. Bubble wrap is not acceptable. The player may be eligible for a refund for the season – check our website for more information. How the cast is covered and whether or not it is acceptable for play is still up to the referee of the match. It is best to check with the referee before the match to allow for any modifications that must be made. It is cold outside, can my child wear a coat? Long sleeve shirts, sweat-shirts, or coats must be worn under the jersey. Long pants may be worn under shorts. Gloves/mittens, scarves, hats, and ear warmers are permitted. It is raining, are we still playing games today? Check the WSA website (www.weatherfordsoccer.org) or our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WeatherfordSoccer/). As long as there is no lightning in the area and the fields are okay, we will play. What do I do if the Referee makes a call I disagree with? WSA Referees are off limits to anyone before and after the game! Most of our WSA Referees are Kids. There will be no negative comments to the referee during the game. If you think a referee is not calling a game correctly please alert a WSA Board Member. A WSA Board Member will handle it from there. Once the final whistle has blown the game is over, as well as your contact with the referee. Referees will not be followed to their area or into the parking lot. Failure to follow the rules will result in suspension or being banned from all WSA facilities and other associations of the NCSA alliance.

Referee Evaluation Please use the below form to submit a Referee Evulation on your WSA game. To complete this form you will need Game # or Field # and game day and time . This will help us better identify the referee(s) on your game. We love to receive compliments about our referees, as well as, constructive criticism. We thank you for your feedback. Referee Evaluation Form