Information is subject to change without notice. The WSA Board of Directors reserve the right to make changes and decisions in the best interest of the organization.
Why should I coach my
child’s team?
I
have never coached a team before, how will I know what to do?
How are teams selected?
What commitment is expected
regarding practices?
When will the games be played?
When will we know the game schedule?
When will teams
get uniforms?
What
happens if there is inclement weather?
Why are
the teams and spectators placed on opposite sides of the field?
How do I become a coach?
Can I team up with other
parents to help with coaching?
Can I request a team
that holds practice on certain days?
What
if parents say their child cannot attend because they don't like the practice day/time
selected by the coach?
Do coaches have to set up the
fields on Saturday?
Why should I coach my child’s team?
Every
season we need Head Coaches. As WSA grows so
does our need for more volunteers as we are a non-profit, all-volunteer organization.
Without volunteers WSA would not be the success that it is! We depend on volunteer coaches, most
importantly Head Coaches, who are mostly parents to make this program successful. We have
a Player Development Officer (PDO) available to provide basic training to anyone
interested in coaching.
I have never coached a team before, how will I know what to do?
How are teams selected?
Teams are created and developed on the premise of fairness to promote FUN over winning at
all costs. Head coaches and Assistants will
have their child/children on their team. Teams
are created by an electronic team-building program and coaches are not involved in the
team-building or selection process. U5 and U6
teams are created by balancing the teams based on age and gender. Under 7 – Under 12 age groups are balanced
based on gender and Skills Assessment scores. While
team-balancing is not an exact science, we try to create evenly matched teams. Therefore, we do not have teams with children with
like skills (e.g. advanced players or beginners) all on one team because the level of
competition would not make it enjoyable for the children.
What commitment is expected
regarding practices?
The Head Coach sets the practice days/times for his/her team. MiniWee teams do not have practices.
Typically U5 & U6 teams practice one day a week. U7 teams are in between the two
groups; some coaches practice once a week while others have two weekday practices.
U8 – U12 teams usually practice two days a week. Coaches
will instruct the children on the basic skills and rules of the game geared toward the age
level and skill level that the children display so it is important that children attend
their own team’s practices.
When will the
games be played?
Games will be played on Saturdays unless field space restrictions or extenuating
circumstances force us to re-schedule games.
When will we know the game schedule?
Each coach will receive copies of the schedules at the Coaches' Meeting for distribution
to parents. The game schedule will be published on our website no later than the
Monday prior to the first practice Saturday.
When will teams
get uniforms?
WSA
orders the uniforms for all teams; uniforms will be available by the first game day. Coaches will be asked to send a team representative
to pick up the uniforms from a designated distribution location. Since many parents are reluctant to volunteer, WSA
has to do the best with the limited volunteer resources available for uniform
distribution. We do not have the volunteer
resources to deliver the uniforms to coaches or allow coaches/teams to pick up at their
convenience from someone’s home. Coaches
do not have to pick up the team’s uniforms, they just need to send ONE parent from
the team or a friend or neighbor.
What
happens if there is inclement weather?
If
threatening weather arises, practices should be cancelled. The decision to cancel
practice will be up to the coach. Parents are expected to remain with their child at
practices.
The
rule of thumb is that games will be played in the rain as long as there is no lightning. Coaches will call the WSA Status Line to
determine if games are suspended or cancelled due to inclement weather and will inform
parents. The Status Line number will be listed
in the Coaches' Handbook and must NOT be given out to parents. Unless
a game is cancelled, parents are expected to bring players to the field because the
decision regarding when the delayed game will be played will be made at the field.
Why
are the teams and spectators placed on opposite sides of the field?
Players and spectators are kept separate to aid the coach and referees in team management.
It helps the coach to have all the players in one place. It helps the player
to understand that instructions should come from the coach during the game and he/she
should not have the distractions of family around. Coaches must enforce this
rule--this is also a safety requirement as only those who have been approved to coach
(i.e. passed the background check) should be on the coaches' side of the field.
How
do I become a coach?
If you sign up to to coach, your child will be placed on your team. You may download a copy of the Volunteer
Application form from the Coaches’ Corner on our
website. ALL sections
(including SSN#) must be completed and a copy of your Driver's License must be
included for Hillsborough County's Athletic department to perform a background check. Bring the completed form with you to turn in when
you register your child. You will also need to
check the "Coach" box on your child’s registration form. Volunteer Application forms will also be available
at registration. There are no qualifications
for one to volunteer to coach. We only ask that you be dedicated to the kids of WSA! It's
just that easy. If you will not be registering a child and wish to coach, please
send us an email.
U5 – U12 Head Coaches will determine the weekly practice days and times for their
teams based on their own personal schedules. Equipment
and curriculum guides for the age group will be provided by WSA as well as a Coach's
Handbook. The Player Development Officer (PDO)
will also be available to provide one-on-one training on how to conduct a practice.
MiniWee—the
commitment to be a MiniWee Assistant coach is very minimal because the Player Development
Officer (PDO) will be the Head Coach and will run the first 30 minutes of the MiniWee
sessions (which are held on Saturdays only). MiniWee
Assistant Coaches will assist the PDO during the first 30 minutes and will be left to run
the last 15 minutes of the session after receiving guidance/instructions from the PDO.
The role of the MiniWee Assistant Coach is more administrative. A MiniWee
Assistant Coach Handbook will be provided to guide you with the tasks required.
Can I team up with other
parents to help with coaching?
Head Coaches may
select one Assistant. If both you and
your Assistant have busy travel schedules, parents will have to assist with team practices
when both the Coach and Assistant are unavailable. Coaches
may also make arrangements with the Player Development Officer to conduct their
team’s practices when the Coach and Assistant are unavailable, if there are no
parents available to run practice. We
recommend that Head Coaches and Assistants do not team up if they both have busy or
restrictive schedules involving travel. The
WSA Board’s policy is that coaches cannot select more than one Assistant as it may
compromise the integrity of the team-balancing.
Parents
may indicate
their practice day restrictions on their child’s registration form so coaches may be
aware of their preference. However, If the coach’s schedule does not permit
him/her to be flexible and accommodating, a refund will not be issued if the team’s
practice time conflicts with the parent's schedule. Children
cannot switch teams or practice with other teams and coaches are not authorized to permit
players to practice or play with another team. Participants
must attend their team’s practices in order to get equal playing time in games. If a child is involved with other activities
that do not have a flexible schedule, we
recommend that parents do not register their child in our league.
Do
coaches have to set up the fields on Saturday?
The organizers of the league arrange for volunteers to line the fields. The first
teams to play on Saturday are responsible for setting up and anchoring the goals and the
last teams to play on Saturday are responsible for returning and locking them.
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