WE ARE UNITED!

LFC United Player, Parent, Coach, and Club guidelines

Club Philosophy (Love, Play and Win):

o From U5 to U10, teach them to love the game.

Ø Primary focus from U5 to U10 is technical and mental skills that help them learn to love the game.  Winning is not the objective - player development is the objective, so players are best prepared for the next level.

o From U11 to U15 teach them to play the game.

Ø State rankings do not start until U11. Until then, no rankings and the previous season records and tournament results are wiped after each season. This allows for the focus to solely be on skill development.

o From U16 to U20 teach them to win the game.

The following are the core expectations for LFC Players, LFC Coaches and LFC Parents:

Player Expectations

· Arrive at practices and games with proper equipment and attire.

· Give coaches & teammates full attention.

· Be respectful and always show good sportsmanship toward teammates, referees, coaches, and opponents.

· Complete Techne requirements each week as assigned by coaches.

· Always do your best.

· Be humble, be team oriented, be responsible.

· Always raise your hand. (volunteer)

· Trust your coaches and teammates.

· Enjoy the journey!!

Parents Expectations

· Arrive and pick up your player on time.

· Ensure your player has the proper attire and gear for the practice or game. (always bring the other game jersey to games)

· Communicate with your coach. (esp. availability)

· Proper sideline behavior - No coaching from the sideline, do not speak with referees other than to thank or compliment, do not negatively engage parents from other team, do create a fun sideline environment, do be passionate about your player's team.

· Be respectful and always show good sportsmanship toward players, referees, coaches, parents, and opponents.

· Trust your player's coach.

· If you need to discuss an issue with the coach, it is best to schedule a time to do so and do so at a time that is not during, directly before, or directly after a practice or game.

· Enjoy the journey!!

Coaches Expectations

· Plan effective, organized and age-appropriate practice sessions.

· Arrive on time/early and prepared for all practices and games.

· Communicate regularly with the parents and players.

· Proper sideline behavior always.

· Be professional and be respectful.

· Be a leader and set an example.

· Promote good sportsmanship and create a fun learning environment.

· Focus on the player experience - this experience is not about the coaches; it is about the kids.

· Protect the player's safety at all times.

· Be a student of the game and always learn.

· Do things the right way.

· Enjoy the journey!!

Youth Coordinator Expectations

· Act as liaison between coach and families when needed, providing support for questions about club soccer and ultimately assisting the families through their journey. 

· Contact Information

o Matt Brennan – brennan43@yahoo.com

o Chastity Huynh – chastityhuynh@ yahoo.com

Other Items

· Travel outside of Columbus for tournaments – this will become a more regular occurrence.

· Playing time – playing time is earned through items like attendance, effort, Techne, etc. Please see the policy below for more information.

· Coaches will often progress year over year with their team; however, there are some coaches that rotate within specific age groups.

· Guest playing is a normal thing in our club. Please see the policy below for more information.

LFC United Playing Time Policy

It is the philosophy of LFC United to provide the players with the best possible environment for them to develop and achieve their goals in soccer. One of the many discussion points is often the playing time that players get during games and tournaments.

To clarify any discussions, the playing time policy for LFC United teams are:

U8 to U10 – Playing time is equal for all players in league play. Tournament time can be slightly adjusted.

U11 & U14 – Players can expect to play a minimum of 50% of the time in league games. Tournament time can be slightly adjusted.

U15 to U19 – Players should not expect guaranteed playing time in league play or tournaments.  With that said, the goal is for each player to play a minimum of 30% of the time in all games.

Exceptions to the policy above might happen when:

· A team participates in State Cup competitions. The goal here is to win!

· A team makes the final of a tournament. The goal here is to win!

· A player misses training sessions on a regular basis or a training session(s) right before a game or tournament.

· A player is late for the game and does not let the coach know.

· U15 to U19 Players

o HS aged teams sometimes participate in a “college showcase” tournament. It is the goal of LFC United to provide an opportunity for all players to showcase their skills to college coaches. In this situation, coaches will attempt to play all players a similar amount of time.

LFC United Guest Player Policy

It is the goal of LFC United to provide every youth player with the best possible opportunities to play and develop. We also understand the desire of players to guest play on internal teams and with other club teams due to various reasons. Everyone shall follow the following policies.

To guest play for another LFC United team:

· At any point during the season a LFC United player can be asked to guest play with another LFC United team.

· The coach requesting the guest player shall contact the other coach to see if there is availability.

· A Director shall be notified of the guest player and the coaches involved.

· All parties will need to be in agreeance before the player can guest play.

To guest play for another club team:

· The Guest player or parents shall ask the team’s head coach about the possibly of guest playing for another club team and the dates and times involved.

· One of the LFC United Club Directors and the player’s coach will review the request and get back to the player/parents.

· LFC United reserves the right to deny guest playing for other clubs.

· Additionally, guest playing will not be allowed if it interferes with any LFC United’s team practice days, game days, or tournament schedule. 

To guest play (players outside the club) with an LFC United team:

· Coaches shall first talk to a director for approval.

· If approved, the coach is expected to follow the following guidelines:

o The guest player must be carded.

o The guest player should not start the game. In the rare occasion that a specific position is absolutely needed, goalkeeper for example, that will be permitted.

o Playing time for the guest player should be less or equal to LFC United players on the team.