HENRY COUNTY YOUTH SOCCER

2012 Parent Expectations

Parents and guardians are valuable members of the Henry County Youth Soccer program.  In an effort to maximize the experience for each member of the team we ask parents give a similar commitment to the soccer program that their son has also agreed to.   

 The Core Four- Commitments we ask all parents to make for our team to have a successful year!

1. Be an active and positive individual that models the behavior we want our boys to replicate on and off the field.  
2. Allow the coach to do the coaching.  Realize the coach has a specific plan he or she desires from each player.
3. Be an active participant for the club by staying connected volunteering to assist on work days and working the concession stand.
4. Keep the field and park beautiful, do you part in keeping it clean.

Parent Behavior 

• Provide only positive support during games. 
• No Smoking at the fields
• Refrain from attempting to coach your son from the sidelines. 
• Do not criticize teammates or coaches in the presence of your child or his teammates. 
• Do not talk to players or coaches for either team during matches, except to offer support, congratulations or assistance. 
• No abusive or profane language. 
• Do not argue with officials. 
• Be gracious in victory and dignified in defeat. 
• Do not argue with opposing fans. 
• Do not criticize opponents in the presence of them or their fans.
• Be a good representative of Henry County Youth Soccer

Club Support

All Parents are asked to be connected in some way to help our club grow and improve.  This is a great way to increase the support and overall athletic and social experience for our players.  The goal of our club is to provide all players with the opportunity to play soccer.  You can help offset financial costs of the soccer program and provide players with a special and unique team experience through helping seek donors and sponsorships.  Please see a board member if you are in a position to help raise funds for our club.  

Communicating with Coaches

The majority of instruction and coaching is done by coaches, through players.  While we are always willing to communicate with parents we ask that you follow these general guidelines:

• Insist that your child try to work out issues directly with a coach before enlisting your assistance.  Learning to deal with authority figures is one of the supreme benefits of participation in organized sports.
• Avoid jumping to conclusions.  Remember that some children and teenagers may exaggerate both when praised and criticized, and that decisions about complicated issues like playing time are usually the product of many factors.
• Remember that independence through athletics is critical in a child’s development.  Parents should consider the value of stepping back to “release their child” except where there is clear evidence of physical or emotional concerns.
• 24 Hour Rule:  If you are concerned about an issue that requires you to speak directly with a coach, we ask that you wait at least 24 hours after the triggering event.   Cooler heads are inevitably more productive.  We always enjoy chatting with parents at the conclusion of games, but cannot address non-emergency issues at that time.  We also cannot interrupt training sessions that are non-emergency issues.

Playing Time: 

For coaches, delegating playing time is a zero-sum exercise:  The decision to give one player more time means another player will get less.  As such, all good coaches know that with each decision, however well considered, comes the likelihood that someone else will be disappointed.  

• Strong teams have strong benches.  Players who keep focused on the game while not on the field greatly increase their chances of success once they enter the game.  Spirited bench players help a team with optimism and extra energy.
• Line up decisions are primarily based on the result of careful consideration about our own team’s chemistry, and our opponents strengths and weaknesses.  Playing time is earned by hard work, proven performance and an occasional hunch.  We coaches take a season-long view about each player’s time on the field.
• Parents should resist measuring their son’s athletic experience solely on the amount of his playing time in games.  We strive to inject each player with a love for soccer, teaching him to value the opportunity to be strong and confident, whether in training or a match.
• Starting positions and playing time are going to be determined by the following standards:

1. Team chemistry - What gives our team the best chance to compete as a whole against our 

opponent.

1. Commitment to individual improvement & to the team - on time and at practice, dedication to 

the team, and seeks to improve 

1. Attitude, discipline - Coachability, No behavior problems, Respectful to team and coach
2. Proven Performance - a player that is capable of getting things done on the field for the team

* For example: an average athlete with a great attitude, attendance, & determination to win may be on the field before a great athlete with a poor attitude.