Age Group Meeting - March 9
The meeting to discuss the age/calendar year changes will be on Wednesday March 9th from 8:00 pm to 10:00pm at the New York Avenue Building. (Smithtown Central School District Administration Building 26 New York Avenue, Smithtown New York) The meeting will take place in the auditorium.
The Smithtown Kickers Board of Directors we will be discussing the calendar year changes and how the club will be addressing and implementing this mandate from the USSF.
The Smithtown Kickers Board of Directors we will be discussing the calendar year changes and how the club will be addressing and implementing this mandate from the USSF.
2016 Spring Intramurals
Soccer is just a few short months away. The Smithtown Kickers Spring Season will begin on March 19th. Registration is now open. Sign up today to ensure your spot with one of the largest growing programs on Long Island.
Click here to register for Spring Intramurals!
In hopes to continue the fun and spirit of our great game of soccer we have added soccer trainers to help both our coaches and players with practices. We know that with the combination of our wonderful parent volunteers and the skilled trainers we will achieve our goal of making sure that every child wakes up on Saturday mornings excited to get to the fields to run, laugh, and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Our program is nothing without you, the volunteers. We will again look to you to step up as either a coach, assistant coach, division coordinator or one of our other positions that we are in need of assistance. No soccer knowledge is required to coach. We will supply you with the trainers and drills this season to make your job as easy as can be. We know the amount of energy you bring to the fields each day and we plan on supporting your efforts in anyway we can. We will also offer coaching classes for those of you whom want to increase your knowledge base. The kids fun begins with you!!
This year some of our new additions will be:
- Trainers to assist with practices for all intramural teams
- Team and Individual Photos at Festival Day (run much like school picture day.)
- Information/Lost and Found Tent at both New York Avenue and St. James fields.
If you have any questions, email Ryan Cavanagh - smithtownkickers@gmail.com
In hopes to continue the fun and spirit of our great game of soccer we have added soccer trainers to help both our coaches and players with practices. We know that with the combination of our wonderful parent volunteers and the skilled trainers we will achieve our goal of making sure that every child wakes up on Saturday mornings excited to get to the fields to run, laugh, and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Our program is nothing without you, the volunteers. We will again look to you to step up as either a coach, assistant coach, division coordinator or one of our other positions that we are in need of assistance. No soccer knowledge is required to coach. We will supply you with the trainers and drills this season to make your job as easy as can be. We know the amount of energy you bring to the fields each day and we plan on supporting your efforts in anyway we can. We will also offer coaching classes for those of you whom want to increase your knowledge base. The kids fun begins with you!!
This year some of our new additions will be:
- Trainers to assist with practices for all intramural teams
- Team and Individual Photos at Festival Day (run much like school picture day.)
- Information/Lost and Found Tent at both New York Avenue and St. James fields.
If you have any questions, email Ryan Cavanagh - smithtownkickers@gmail.com
Upcoming Age Group Changes / Calendar Year Changes
Smithtown
Kickers Soccer Club Members,
As
you all may be aware by now, the US Soccer Federation (USSF) will be shortly
implementing changes to the birth year mandates. This means that US Youth
Soccer competitions will be based on the age group cut offs of January 1
through December 31st of that given year instead of the current
August 1st through July 31st age groups. Once this
is finalized and the dates for this implementation are set, there WILL
certainly be changes to our current travel teams. Unfortunately
there are a lot of rumors and speculation as to what will happen to a given
player or team, but we can tell you that until you hear from your Board of
Directors for the Smithtown Kickers, not your trainer, nor your team manager or
another parent, it will be all speculation and may not be how your club will
ultimately decide to handle this transition process.
Your
Board of Directors for the Smithtown Kickers has begun to review our current
team make ups with regards to birthdates and realize that changes will need to
be made to most teams. This will be common to every club and every
team, not just Smithtown. Again we are very fortunate that we are
one of the larger clubs on the island with plenty of resources and will do
everything in our power to make the transition a smooth one. We
will also work to make sure every player currently in the Smithtown Kickers
Club will have a place to play in the club.
Our
club participates in various leagues, LISJL, ENY, ENYPL, Region1 , EDP and
NPL. The leagues will all need to conform to this age group mandate, but
could possibly have different implementation dates. Some may start
the transition beginning August 1, 2016 and some by August 1, 2017.
Again, until the USSF finalizes their mandate and all the leagues governed by
USSF finalize their plans, the Board cannot start their review of each leagues
decision to see how we will need to tailor our decisions and method of compliance.
In all cases we will work towards the implementation as efficiently and as
smoothly as possible.
Within
the next month we should have all the final information on this mandate and
will then hold a special general meeting solely on this topic, for our teams,
players and parents to come in and discus the clubs plan on compliance. We are
in the process of securing an auditorium in one of the school buildings and as
soon as we finalize a date and time, we will email our club members.
In addition to help make this transition run as smooth as
possible, the Board has appointed a Boys and a Girls coordinator, to aid our
Travel Director and help answer any team and player questions and
concerns. We will introduce these coordinators at the special meeting.
Again
we ask you to be patient and understanding as this mandate has caused a lot of
confusion, concern and not to mention anxiety. We just ask that you give
us the opportunity to adjust to the mandate and to do what is best for our
club, teams and players.
Below,
is a link to a document from US Soccer regarding Player Development Initiatives
Frequently Asked Questions, which explains some of the rationale as to why
these changes are being made and how it will affect all levels of play in all
age groups and in all clubs.
Thank
you for your continued support, our Club would not be as great as it is if it
were not for all our volunteers and members.
The
Smithtown Board of Directors
A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail
to make the turn. ~Author Unknown
US Soccer Player Development
Initiatives
Small Sided Standards & Birth Year Registration
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Please
review the Player Development Initiatives and
see below for more information.
Why are these
changes being made?
The
current landscape is inconsistent and not as successful as it could be when it
comes to player development. Through these initiatives, U.S. Soccer aims to
develop players with more individual skill, intelligence, creativity and
confidence. These changes also provide a consistent approach across the country
while challenging the status quo of our soccer landscape by focusing on the
development of the individual versus the success of a team. Parents can also
have a better understanding of exactly what they should expect from a soccer
program for their children.
Are these changes
aligned with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy?
Yes.
These initiatives align the entire youth player development environment with
the proven approach and success of the Development Academy program. Clubs,
coaches and parents who are in programs external to the Development Academy are
encouraged to incorporate these philosophies of player development. These initiatives
fully support the existing technical framework of the Development Academy,
which serves as the model for development across the country.
How do these
changes affect the current soccer landscape?
U.S.
Soccer recommends putting these initiatives into place as a best practice
beginning in August of 2016, as they will be mandated in August of 2017. This
provides organizations two full years from the announcement in August 2015 to
plan on how to best implement the initiatives in the future. Please contact
your local soccer leaders for more information on how they plan on implementing
these changes.
Who
is required to follow these initiatives?
All
of U.S. Soccer’s membership is required to put these initiatives into place no
later than August of 2017. This includes, but is not limited to, all youth
members and their respective competitions: State Associations, US Youth Soccer,
US Club Soccer, AYSO, SAY, etc.
Birth Year
Registration
Why is birth year
registration going into effect for all levels of play and all age groups?
Having
players train and play according to their age and developmental stage supports
the objectives of the small sided standards by focusing on the physiological
and developmental needs of the player. This change is meant to better safeguard
the development of youth players at all ages and levels.
Why can’t there
be different standards for recreational and competitive teams?
There
is no universal definition of what separates recreational from competitive
soccer. In addition to supporting the overall objectives of player development,
U.S. Soccer believes that having separate registration systems based on
undefined levels of play would create unnecessary confusion, and this would not
provide a consistent approach across the soccer landscape. Players should also
be provided the opportunity to develop to best of their abilities regardless of
the level of play they are participating in.
Is my son or
daughter still going to be able to play with his or her friends and classmates?
The
answer to this depends on a variety of factors, and one major consideration is
how your club is making teams. Playing on a team with all of your friends isn’t
always a reality in the current environment. This is similar to not having all
of your friends in the same class or classes at school. Another factor is that
the age cutoff used for school registration varies across the country. This
means that there are already a variety of unique player age and grade
combinations. Participation in scholastic sports can also impact the
composition of some teams, so clubs should plan accordingly for players leaving
club soccer for school sports. The placement of individual players on specific
teams will remain a function of the local club and league to help find the players
the best possible environment for their development.
Don’t you realize
that you’re breaking up my existing team?
U.S.
Soccer recognizes that making these changes can impact existing teams in the
short-term. However, players joining and leaving teams is something that
already happens regularly throughout country. There are a variety of factors
that require teams to evolve and adapt including players maturity rates, moving
away, focusing on new interests or their soccer abilities differentiating from
their peers. Again, both small sided standards and birth year registration
support the development of the individual player as a priority over a team
success.
How can teams
continue to be registered together?
Players
still have the ability to “play up” with older teammates. In addition to being
on a team with their peers, “playing up” can also allow players to compete in a
more challenging environment, which can aid in their future development.
Will a player
miss any time playing soccer due to the change to birth year registration?
No.
Players will have the ability to play with their birth year team, or “play up”
with teams in older birth years.
What is “playing
up” and are players able to “play down”?
Players
have the ability to “play up” with teammates at older age groups, based on
birth year. Players are not permitted to “play down” with teammates at younger
age groups, based on birth year.
What is “relative
age effect”?
Relative
age effect (RAE) refers to the selection bias towards players born earlier in
the calendar year. Registering players according to birth year will help
everyone understand and better identify the potential for bias. Birth year
registration is not intended or expected to eliminate relative age effect.
How does this
change fix “relative age effect”?
The
player development initiatives do not claim to fix this issue. However, having
players grouped by birth year does make it easier to understand for parents and
coaches.
How do I
determine the birth year used for a competition?
Birth
year registration should be based on the year in which the season ends. For
example, if a season begins in the fall of 2017 and ends in the summer of 2018
(ex: 2017-18 season), the players would be registered based on their age in the
year 2018. Competitions that take place in a single year (ex: fall of 2018
only) should use that year to determine birth year. To simplify determining the
age group, just subtract the birth year from the year the season ends.
Year Season Ends
– Birth Year = Age Group:
2017-18
– 2003 = U15
2022-23
– 2016 = U7
2018
– 2012 = U6
Please
refer to the Birth Year and Season Matrix for more detailed information.
What are some
practical approaches to help manage the team environment?
Embrace
the diminished role of the team concept at younger ages and have players
participate as a pool of players. One method is to try using mixed age groups
for teams based on the small sided standards. An example of this would be a
U11/12 team instead of separate U11 and U12 teams. For younger ages, you could
create teams based on the first and last 6 months of the year so that players
are organized Jan. to June and July to Dec. Offering multiple teams per birth
year can help diminish the effects of RAE and assist with managing scholastic
sport participation.