Coral Springs Youth Soccer

Frequently Asked Questions

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        How big is CSYS?

        When / how long is our season?

        How to I sign up?

        What is this 'New Player Ratings Day'?

        What next after I sign up?

        I missed the registration day.  Can I still sign up?

        What do I get for my registration fee?

        What do I need to provide for my child to play?

        How long / what time are practices and games?

        How much playing time should my child have in each game?

        Should I get my child's ear pierced during the season?

        What can my child wear on cold days?

        Can I get a refund if we move or change our mind?

        How can I get on the same team with my friend/neighbor?

        What happens if I cannot make the practices I've been assigned to?

        I've moved since registering.  How do I tell you my new phone etc?

        How do I volunteer to help out with the program?

        My child is trying out for a traveling team. Do I need to sign up with CSYS?

        My child has made it onto a traveling team. How do I get my registration fees back?

Some statistics…

We run separate divisions for boys and girls, and have separate divisions based on age groupings. See our registration page for the current breakdown. Each team has between 1 or 2 volunteer coaches, usually parents, who receive various training courses provided by CSYS.  For 2009-2010 we had 259 teams, over 500 coaches and held over 1800 games.

About the season…

Click here to see our current season calendar.  CSYS is able to get field space when the football season ends around mid-November. Practices usually start about 10 days before Thanksgiving. After a couple of weeks of practices, weekend games begin. We break during the holiday period at the end of December and begin again when school starts after New Years.

For the 5-8 year olds, the season continues with games each weekend until the end of February. On the final day all of the players receive trophies and other awards.

For the older players, the regular season ends about mid-February. At this time ALL of the teams go into the ‘Soccer Bowl’, a tournament, which becomes a short ‘second season’. During this 3-week period, we play games every day of the week without practices. Teams will have anywhere from 3 to 7 games during this period depending upon their ability to advance in the tournament. The season ends on the first Saturday in March with the final Soccer Bowl games and awards for all league players.

With baseball starting up in March, we lose many of our fields and thus our season must come to a close.

Getting started…

To sign-up for the CSYS program, you need to visit one of our registration sessions. We have two; one  just after school starts, and the other in September on the Saturday after Labor Day. In 2010 the dates will be August 28th and September 11th.  See the registration page for times and locations.

Registration is easy and fast if you come prepared:

All registrants must provide proof of Coral Springs residency at each registration.  A utility bill is recommended.  Non-residents wishing to sign up may do so provided they purchase a City of Coral Springs Non-Resident Sports Participation Card and present it at the registration.  These non-resident cards may by obtained by calling the city recreation department at (954) 345-2107.

If you are signing up for the first time, you will need a copy of a birth certificate, passport or other LEGAL document containing the child’s date of birth. Returning players do not need this as the information is kept on file in our computer system.

A parent or legal guardian is required to sign the registration form for players under 18 years of age.

A check made out to ‘Coral Springs Youth Soccer’ or ‘CSYS’ in the proper amount (currently $80 for U6/U8 and $90 for all other ages) is suggested. Cash is also acceptable.

(** - The City of Coral Springs  requires all participants in city sports leagues to pay a Sports Participation Fee at registration time. The current City of Coral Springs Sports Fee for Soccer is $16 per child, this in addition to the $74 or $64 CSYS collects as our portion of the registration fee.   The total collected at registration is thus $90 per child for U10+ and $80 per child for U6/U8.   Note that the Sports Fee is a City of Coral Springs requirement and is not associated with Coral Springs Youth Soccer or any other city sports league.  We simply are collecting the required Sports Fee for the City and passing directly to them.)

New player ratings…

An important part of our program is balanced teams. To accomplish this, we use a rating system for each player. This information is kept on our computer system from year to year. At the end of the season, each coach rates his/her team’s players, which helps to rate the player for the coming season.

We don’t have this type of input for our new players. Therefore we hold a ‘New Player Ratings’ day in September for anyone who has not played with CSYS in the past two seasons. This is usually the Saturday after final registration; in 2010 it will be on September 25th.  New players ratings are held on the soccer fields behind the Gymnasium at Mullins Park.  Further information will be provided at the registration.. 

Ratings take about 20-30 minutes. The players should wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Soccer cleats and shin-guards are NOT required for this session. You do not need to bring your own ball.

Now what…

You have signed up, and if you are new, you have attended ratings. ‘When will I hear something?’

We are very busy during October and early November organizing the teams, coaches, practice schedules, etc. In early to mid November we hold a packet distribution session for the coaches. At that time the coaches are given the names and phone numbers of each player on their team. It is then their duty to call each one as soon as possible.

As much as we’d like to give you information sooner, we just can’t. With 3200+ players, we cannot call each one or talk to all of you to let you know what is happening. So we ask you to be patient and wait for the coach’s call. You can also look up your team information on our web site at the Team Information page. But if you haven’t heard from anyone by November 18, its probably a good idea to give us a call and we will try and help you.

We do suggest you use this time to get your equipment (soccer cleats, shin-guards, etc.). If you wait until the teams are called, you and all of your friends, neighbors, etc. will all hit the sporting goods stores at the same time, and they may be out of what you want.

We use the information obtained from the two primary registrations to determine the number of teams in each age group and division. If you move into the city just before the season starts, or just plain forget about registration, we are USUALLY able to accommodate you on a space-available basis. However…

	The late registration fee is $100 per U10-and-older player and $90 per U6/U8 player (includes late fee and $16 City of Coral Springs Sports Tax).
	Late sign-up is on a first-come, first-serve space available basis. Most of these late players are placed on a ‘wait-list’ and called at a later time. This is done by using our Wait-List function on the Registration Page. You will be contacted with instructions to complete the registration assuming your age group has space available. If you miss this date, you will return to the bottom of the wait list.
	You may not get called until the second week of practice, when we find out which teams have lost players due to moves, injuries, etc.
	We will usually NOT add any players after December 31 of the seasonal year.

What you get for the fee..

The CSYS registration portion of the total fee provides you with the following:

	A uniform consisting of jersey, shorts and socks.
	Referee fees, trophies and/or other awards.
	A Great Time!

You will need to get the following on your own:

	Shin-guards. These are required for practices and games. Under no circumstances may players play or practice without shin-guards.
	Soccer cleats or appropriate shoes. While we do permit the youngest players to play in regular sneakers, we do not recommend it as they will slide and fall quite easily. Cleats designed for baseball or football are not appropriate due to their sharpness and the cleat typically built into the toe. Metal cleats or studs are also not appropriate for CSYS soccer.
	We strongly recommend each player bring a ball of the appropriate size to each practice. It is also great to have around home to practice with. U6 and U8 use a number 3 size ball. U10 and U12 use a number 4. Older players use the regulation size number 5 ball.

CSYS sells balls and shin-guards at our registrations and new player ratings session. We sell just above wholesale prices so they are pretty good deals. Of course all of the above can be obtained at sporting goods stores in the malls or other locations.

Practices and games…

The format for practices and games is geared to the Age Grouping of the player. If you’re not sure what category a player is in, see the table on the Registration Page. Please note that the information listed below is what we have being doing in the past, and it may change from year to year. We’re always trying to improve our program!

	U6 - Play and practice only on Sundays. A 30-minute practice precedes each 40 minute game.
	U8 - Two 45-minute practices per week, either at 6:00pm or 6:45pm. One 40-minute game each Saturday.
	U10 - Two 1-hour practices per week, either at 6:00pm or 7:00pm. One 60-minute game each Saturday, and several games during the end-of-season tournament.
	U12  - Two 1-hour practices per week, either at 6:00pm, 7:00pm or 8:00pm. Usually one 60-minute game each weekend, 1 or 2 weeknight games, and several games during the end-of-season tournament.
	U14 - Two 1-hour practices per week before the holiday break, then only one per week. One 60-minute game per week before the holidays, after which there are usually two games per week. Games are every Saturday and may also be played on Sunday afternoons or week-nights.
	U15 (girls) - Two 1-hour practices per week before the holiday break, then only one per week. 70-minute games every Saturday with additional games on Sunday afternoons or weeknights..
	U16  (boys) - One 1-hour practice per week, at 8:00pm or 9:00pm. 80-minute games every Sunday afternoon with additional games on week-nights or occasionally late Saturday afternoon.
	U19 (boys & girls) - One 1-hour practice per week, at 9:00pm. 80-minute games every Sunday afternoon with additional games on week-nights.  Boys typically play on Tuesdays or Thursdays, and girls typically on Mondays or Wednesdays.

Equal Playing Time

The minimum required time shall be two-thirds of the game for "U19", "U16" and "U15" games. For all other age groups, each player shall play a minimum 1/2 of the game, and in addition, no player may play 4 quarters unless all other players have played 3 quarters of the game.

Stated more simply, in the U14 and younger, generally everyone must play at least 3 quarters in all games unless there are too many players at the game.  But in this case, no one may play the entire game.  If you feel a coach is not handling this issue correctly, please contact a Director as soon as convenient.

Earrings (and other jewelry)

We have a hard rule (without exception) that no external jewelry can be worn at any time during any game, no matter how protected.  The only exception is medical bracelets or similar emergency items.  

This means the earrings or stubs may never be worn, even if covered by bandages, padding, etc.  So we suggest that if you are planning on getting your child's ear pierced, you do it before or after the soccer season to avoid disappointment at game time.

Cold weather attire

Occasionally it does get cold, even here in sunny south Florida.  Parents frequently question how to keep their child warm and still play the game.  The general guidelines are simple a) We almost always play if it is cold.  Unless it is raining the games are played.  b) Warm weather attire is permitted and suggested for players and referees as long as it is worn UNDER the primary uniform.  Thus a jacket or sweatshirt under the jersey, and/or long pants under the uniform shorts is permitted and recommended!

About Refunds…

Because we operate on a pretty tight budget, once we set up the season, order uniforms, etc. we just can’t give out refunds under any circumstances. So our policy is as follows:

Prior to October 20th - refund available, less a $10 processing fee, if requested in writing.

After October 20th - refunds not available for any reason.

To get a refund, you need to drop a written request in the mail, indicating the player to which the refund applies, the parent to whom the check should be written, and the address to where the check should be mailed. Depending upon the time of year it may take us 6-8 weeks to get the refund into your hands.

Mail the request to:

            Coral Springs Youth Soccer

            P.O. Box 8014

            Coral Springs, FL 33075

‘I (want/need) to be on the same team with so and so’…

We wish we could accommodate all of your requests to be with your friends/neighbors etc. We, too, have busy lives and understand the importance of car-pooling. But with the number of players, teams, etc. we support in this league, its just not possible to handle them. Besides, its great for the players to get out and make new friends each season.

Also, CSYS firmly believes in fair, balanced teams, and we have found that teams with multiple players who know each other or who have played together before can really dominate a division. So we have established a team makeup policy that pretty much regulates who gets to play with who, a portion of which is listed below:

	Siblings (brothers/sisters) having the same last name, living at the same address and in the same age-group will automatically be placed on the same team, unless we are specifically requested to separate them.
	Coaches, assistant coaches and sponsors may get together and be on the same team. Each of these may bring their own child to that team. This provides a way for three children to play together.
	If a coach/sponsor has two children in the same age group, then they will be placed together on that team they are associated with (as provided by item 1 above). However, under no circumstances will more than 4 pre-assigned players be placed on the same team. So, for example, if both the head and assistant coach have twins, then there can be no pre-assigned sponsor child, etc.
	No other requests to play together will be granted, expect by special exemption by the CSYS Board of Directors (and these are rarely provided).

‘I cannot make these practice times’…

We realize that soccer is just one of many activities our children are involved with. We also realize that soccer is not necessarily the most important. And we understand why you tell us that ‘my child cannot practice on such-and-such a day due to religious school’. But we have over 3300 players, and if we had to adjust each of the players’ requested practice schedules to those of specific teams, when the practice times are picked by the coaches rather than our league and may change up until the day practices start… Well, we just can’t do that.

So when the coach calls up and gives you the practice days and times, and you find there is a conflict, we will try and help out a bit:

If you can make one of the weekly practices, we will not change your team.

If you have a religious school conflict with both practice times, we will remove you from that team. You will then be placed on the end of the waiting list, and added to an alternate team as openings become available.  If you cannot be re-placed on a team as a result of the religious school conflict, we will give a full refund.

You have moved or changed phone numbers …

Its very important for us to have your phone number and address when the season starts so that the coach can get in touch with you to let you know which team(s) you are on. So if you move or change phone numbers after sign-ups, please send us an email, give us a call at (954) 341-6391 or drop a note in the mail to:

Coral Springs Youth Soccer

P.O. Box 8014

Coral Springs, FL 33075

Getting more involved…

The Directors of CSYS could never run the entire program without the help of hundreds of volunteers in various capacities. So if you have any interest in helping out, even in the smallest ways, we could use it in any of the following:

Sponsors - We strive to have a sponsor for each of our approximately 260 teams. We never quite make it, so we’re always looking for more. Sponsorship costs $325 for one team,  however we offer an early payment discount (prior to October 15) of $275 for one team or $250 each for two or more. The team gets the sponsor name printed on it, and the sponsor receives a nice picture-plaque at the end of the season. In addition, periodic publicity recognizes the team (sponsor) name.

Referees - While most of our referees are teens (we start at 14 years of age), we are especially in need of older referees, particularly college age or higher, to referee some of our older matches.  If just takes some knowledge of the game and interest in helping out. Referees are also paid for each game they do.

Coaches - We are always looking for more coaches. While we often have enough in a few of the older age groups, we are always short in the youngest (U6 & U8). At this age, you don’t have to be a ‘Pele’ to teach the game, just a willingness to work with kids and a little time to do it. We provide both basic and advanced training courses to get you started. It’s a great way to spend a little extra time with your children and have fun doing it.

Team Parents - Most coaches appreciate a Team Parent to help organize some of the things that make a team.  This could be as little as making sure drinks make it to each game, calling the team for cancelled practices, or much more if desired/needed.  Just let your coach know at the beginning of the season when you first get together.

Try out for traveling or sign up for CSYS or both???

Most of the traveling teams (Renegades and Storm) have tryouts in early summer. So if your child is expecting to or wants to try out, we suggest you NOT sign up with CSYS until the September sign-up session. By then the teams will be set and you know which way to go.

If your child is trying out for one of the teams which holds tryouts in August/September, we suggest you sign-up for CSYS if you feel there is any chance the child will not play traveling soccer. You will be able to get a refund later.

Transfers between the traveling clubs and CSYS are NOT AUTOMATIC. So,

If you have signed up with CSYS and your child makes a traveling team, you will need to request a refund (in writing) from CSYS. This will be made out to the parent and sent to you. See above. You will need to pay whatever fees the traveling club needs separately.

If you don’t make the traveling team and you did NOT sign-up with CSYS, you will still need to do a regular registration with us for recreational soccer. You MUST do this at the regular September CSYS registration. 

Transfers to traveling teams are not permitted between October 20 and March 1 under any circumstances.

Copyright © 2010 Coral Springs Youth Soccer, Inc.