The Ridgewood Soccer Association

Information Handbook

Approved by the RSA Board of Trustees on January 13, 2000

Thank you for volunteering your time to coach in the RSA program!

You, the coaching staff, are the most visible members of our organization. Therefore, the RSA has assembled this document for your benefit. The content is sufficient to get you started and your Division Coordinator will provide additional information pertinent to your particular program. Please contact your Division coordinator with questions.

5.1.1. Communicating with us

5.1.2.  About the RSA program

5.1.3. Safety

5.1.4. Scheduling practices

5.1.5. Equipment

5.1.6.  Helping you teach the game

5.1.7.  Teamwork and Sportsmanship

5.1.8.  The Coach as a Role Model

5.1.9.  Inclement Weather

Each Division has an overall coordinator who will send you a letter of introduction at the start of the season. Be sure you know his or her name and phone number and please call with questions!  Be sure to get the names of the following key contacts for this year's program from your coordinator:

My Division Coordinator:

 _____________________________________

Weather Cancellation Hotline:

 _____________________________________

Practice Fields Coordinator:

 _____________________________________

NWBSA Referee Coordinator (for traveling teams only):

______________________________________

The RSA has a presence on the worldwide web (www.ridgewoodsoccer.org). We’ll post news about our program and provide helpful links for you as a coach in our program.

The RSA program is a recreational program open to all interested, eligible youth from Ridgewood. The RSA is dedicated to

• developing our children’s ability to play soccer
• promoting good sportsmanship
• enjoyment for all who wish to participate in our programs
• encouraging community involvement through participation of older children from the Ridgewood as clinicians and as referees

Your overarching responsibility as coach is to ensure that all children participating in the RSA program (not just those on your team) are able to enjoy their recreational soccer program to the fullest extent possible. The sections that follow should help you with that role.

Our focus is on fun while playing soccer and developing soccer skills. The RSA does not track team records or individual scoring.

You will be issued a First Aid Kit for your team. See your Division Coordinator if you need to replenish it.

Please have the children dress appropriately for all games and practices:

• Without exception, players must wear shin guards during all RSA games and practices. Players must supply their own shin guards.
• Players cannot wear jewelry of any kind during RSA activities. This includes bracelets, necklaces, or earrings (pierced or clip).
• Soccer shoes with molded plastic or rubber cleats are helpful but are not required. A player wearing metal cleats or shoes with a toe cleat (baseball type) is prohibited from participating in any RSA activity.
• Players with cast, splints or other devices that may be dangerous to other players cannot participate.

Do not permit unregistered players or brothers and sisters of players to participate. They are not be covered by the RSA insurance.

Be certain you are familiar with the procedures to properly secure goals (See Appendix A3)

The RSA encourages all coaches to complete the Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. (Sports Awareness for Educating Today’s Youth) course. This is mandatory for all coaches in the NWBSA Traveling program. It is suggested for coaches of the Intown program.   This certificate program teaches basic elements of safe coaching and player first aid.  Perhaps more importantly, it offers you, the coach, some degree of liability protection in the event of player injury.  It is a 3-hour course, carries a lifetime certification, and is applicable to all recreational sports.  The program is offered at 2 area hospitals and the RSA will reimburse you for the cost of the course (usually approximately $35). 

The RSA has a position responsible for coordinating demands for field space with the other sporting groups (through the Ridgewood Sports Council) and the academic groups. Your Division Coordinator will let you know who this is.  If you wish to reserve a practice time and location, do so through this individual.

5.1.5. Equipment

You will receive uniforms for your players a week or two before the season starts. Please arrange for a time to meet your players and distribute the uniforms before reporting the first day. Early distribution is essential for all NWBSA traveling teams, especially those with away games the first week of the season.

Players are expected to wear their uniforms during the weekend program. Except for Division 6, their uniforms include the shorts provided by the RSA. Sweatshirts and sweatpants may be worn under the uniforms if needed.

Return the goalkeeper shirt and gloves to your Division Coordinator at the end of the season.

You will also be supplied with:

• first aid kit
• practice balls
• cones
• a limited number of extra uniforms for late registrants

5.1.6.  Helping you teach the game

The RSA recognizes that many coaches are new to the game. For others, the rules may have changed since we once played. For both:

The RSA maintains a collection of books and videotapes at the Ridgewood Library for your assistance.

The RSA holds a coaching workshop at the start of the season. It is taught by a professional organization in 2 parts; the first to help teach you how to coach, and the second to help teach the fundamentals of the game.

Professional educators teach the clinics that are structured into the Division 4, 5, and 6 programs. Understand that these clinics are for both the players to learn individual skills and for you, the coaches, to learn how to teach and motivate. Pay attention to the teaching techniques!

See our website (www.ridgewoodsoccer.org) for links to helpful coaching sites

 

Playing time: The RSA programs are recreational programs focused on fun and learning. It is the policy of the RSA that all children play an equal amount of time (to your best effort) and at least half of the game. See your coordinator if you have questions about carrying out this policy.

A word about winning: The RSA recognizes that winning in match play is an important part of the children’s fun and we encourage the players to play up to their potential. We also recognize that losing excessively is demoralizing.  Remembering your responsibility to ensure that all players participating in this program (not just those on your team) can enjoy soccer to the fullest extent possible, we require the coaches to keep the matches close for the enjoyment of all involved. Use your common sense and creativity to move players into different positions or otherwise manage the match to keep it exciting and competitive. See your Division coordinator if you’d like ideas.

Teach the children to respect each other and the players on opposing teams. Be certain that they shake hands after the game and acknowledge one another’s good efforts. Negative comments and wise cracks should not be tolerated.

Teach the players to respect the referees. For the Division 4 and 5 intown programs, the referees are older children from the community. They generally do a good job but they will make mistakes on occasion. When they do, do not berate them but work with them. They, too, are growing with the RSA program and they’ll need your support rather than criticism. Keep the players focused on the game rather than the rare mistakes that the referees might make. It’s a good lesson for the players to learn. Give your Division Coordinator feedback about the referees.

Children learn teamwork by example. Work with the parents to coordinate a refreshment schedule for each game.

Please be respectful of the players, the referees, the opposing team and its coach.

Be mindful of how you treat your own child and the other children. Don’t give special consideration to your own child.

Keep a positive and supportive attitude. The physical abilities of these kids, especially the younger players, will change significantly as they grow. The child who’s having difficulty at this age may grow up to be a good athlete and soccer player. Stay positive and be careful not to demotivate!

The Ridgewood Sports Council and the Northwest Bergen Soccer Association have adopted a policy that tobacco products will not be used by coaches, coordinators, or other participants during the recreational programs. We ask you to honor that position.

Cancellations or field reassignments due to inclement weather are made both for the safety of the program participants and for preserving the quality of the fields. Expect that you will be playing if a light rain is falling.

For Saturday intown programs, cancellation decisions will be posted to the RSA Weather Phoneline by 8:00am.  If weather turns bad after play has begun, the coaches and the Division Coordinator will make a decision about continuing the program or not. Do not play in electrical storms! No makeup games are scheduled for the intown program.

For coaches in the NWBSA traveling programs:

If you are playing an away game, the home team’s organization makes cancellation decisions and their coach is responsible for telephoning you.

NWBSA coaches with Ridgewood home games that are cancelled or moved because of weather must phone the coach of the visiting team. Call him/her immediately upon hearing the news before the visiting players begin traveling to Ridgewood for the games. Begin calling your players after calling the visiting coach.

For Saturday morning home games, cancellations or field changes will be posted to the RSA Weather Phoneline by 8am.

For Sunday afternoon home games, cancellations or field changes will be posted to the RSA Weather Phoneline by noon.

Makeup games may be rescheduled with agreement of the 2 coaches. It is the home team coach’s responsibility to acquire a site and schedule an NWBSA accredited referee. If you are a Ridgewood home team coach seeking to reschedule a home game, then call both the RSA Fields Coordinator and the NWBSA Referee Coordinator (see section 5.1.1.) to secure a site and a qualified referee.