JACKSON SOCCER CLUB

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THIS DOCUMENT REPRESENTS THE MAJOR RULES TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE

JACKSON SOCCER CLUB TRAVEL PROGRAM.

Eligibility to Play Travel Soccer for Jackson Soccer Club

A player must be born prior to the cutoff date for that age group. For U11 and younger players, they must

attend at least one of the tryout dates. A player is selected to a travel team and placed on the team's

official state-approved roster. That player remains on the team for 12 months beginning August 1 of each

year and ending on July 31 of the next year. After July 31, the term of all rosters is complete and new

rosters must be created. This process is a full one-year commitment. The player and the coach are

obligated to one another for 12 months. Near the end of the term, we hold tryouts and kids are selected to

teams for the next year. One of three things will happen: players are reselected by the same coach and

team, players may be selected to different teams (as in the case of a player moving from the “B” team to

the “A” team), or players may not be selected to a team at all.

General Rule for Underage Players in Travel Soccer

To be eligible for a travel team, a player must have been born within the 12-month period established for

that team's age group. In other words, to play for a 94/95 team, a player must have been born on or

between August 1, 1994 and July 31, 1995.

The Jackson Soccer Club (JSC) Board of Directors does have the right to grant an exception to this

rule, depending on the circumstances. Each case will be looked at independent of prior exceptions.

Players seeking to play up must have their parents submit a "Travel Exception Request" to the

Board of Directors. This form is available on-line and at the tryout check-in each year. The coaches do

not get involved in this process, unless requested by the Board of Directors. The board will make a

decision in the best interest of the player, based on the player’s ability and continued development.

Annual Renewal of Coach and Team

All Jackson Soccer Club travel teams and coaches are subject to a review at the completion of the Spring

season. During this review, the JSC Board of Directors will determine whether to continue each team. If a

team and coaches are in satisfactory standing with the club, that team will remain as a functioning team in

the club and will be signed up for the coming fall season provided there are enough players to do so. If the

JSC Board decides to terminate a team and/or the coaches, the coaches and players will be notified at

the completion of the spring season.

New Travel Teams and Coaches

Any coach who wishes to start a new travel team must apply with the club's Overall Commissioner and

will be interviewed by the club's Board of Directors during the April or May Board of Directors' meeting.

All coaches must have an "F" coaching license prior to the season they are to begin coaching a travel

team. Coaches are not permitted to recruit players until after they are assigned a team. If they are assigned

the "B" or "C" team in an age group they are only permitted to recruit players during the tryout process.

Level of Play for Each Team

JSC’s objective is to develop players and teams that can play at the highest possible level. The club also

has an objective to field second and third teams in each age group that can compete at their appropriate

level. Multiple teams are put in place to provide an opportunity for all players wishing to play travel, and to

prepare players for school soccer.

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The structure of the levels of play for the teams is defined as “A” (the highest level), “B”, “C”, etc. This

structure represents the level of play for the team as a whole. A player’s ability to compete at the higher

level needs to match the level of play for the team. Being on a team other than “A” should not be taken as

a negative assertion for an individual. The most important consideration is for the players to be at the

appropriate level, yet be challenged to improve and exceed beyond their current level (to develop).

Attitude and motivation of the player can be major factors in a player’s placement.

Each year at the end of the spring season the JSC Board will determine the level of each travel team

when there is more than one travel team in an age/gender group. The decision of what league and flight to

play each team is also subject to the individual travel leagues in which our teams participate. The club's

primary responsibility is to register each team at the level in which it is competitive. All other

considerations are secondary.

To improve the travel program, the Board of Directors will create the position of “Age Group Coordinator”

(AGC) for all current age brackets at U10 or lower. This will start in the Fall 2008 season. It will continue

with these age groups as they move into the higher brackets, which means that going forward we will

continue the “A“, “B”, and “C” team levels beyond U10.

This change is intended to:

the different teams and coaches in their bracket.

from one team to another in the future.

each age group.

The AGC will be assigned by the Board of Directors. The AGC is responsible for coordinating the tryouts

and player selections in the age group while working with ALL of the coaches in the group. The AGC is the

“leader” for the age group. The person may or may not be a carded coach in the group (the person could

be an independent person who has been asked to lead the age group by the JSC Board of Directors). All

other coaches in the age bracket are considered assistant coaches to the AGC. Generally speaking

though, each team requires a head coach for carding and there will be a head coach identified by the

Board for each team.

The coordinated Age Group teams are encouraged to practice and train together as a group at least 1x

per week. During the year, players may be asked to play tournaments on either team in the bracket.

This does not change the fact that players will be selected at tryouts using the process below, and that the

players will be rostered to an individual team.

This process will not be instituted for teams that will be U11 or higher in the Fall season of 2008.

General Procedure for Tryouts

Tryouts are required for all teams and players ages U11 and under. Tryouts are optional for teams U12

and above. In all age groups the "A" team has the first option of choosing a player. The "B" team has the

second option and so on and so forth for any additional teams. All players no matter what the age group

must tryout with the "A" team in their age group prior to being carded by any other team.

The tryouts will take place during the last two weeks of May through the first two weeks of June. Tryout

dates will be announced by April 15. The dates will be published on the club's website and announced at

the April General Membership meeting. Tryouts must be completed by June 20. All players must attend

the tryouts unless they have an approved Exception Request Form from the club.

Players trying out for the travel teams will be notified promptly after the completion of the last tryout for

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each team. Notification should be given within 48 hours. For example, all players trying out for an “A”

Each existing team is required to have at least two volunteers to help with the tryouts and may be asked to

participate on the tryout committee. These volunteers may be pulled from the work bond pool. Volunteers

cannot help with the player tryouts for a team where their own child is in the same age and gender group.

The tryout process is as follows:

ALL PLAYERS U11 OR UNDER MUST ATTEND AT LEAST ONE TRYOUT FOR THEIR

APPROPRIATE AGE/GENDER GROUP. PLAYERS THAT CANNOT ATTEND THE TRYOUTS

SHOULD NOTIFY THE OVERALL COMMISSIONER

The “A” team coach has priority when selecting players. JSC strongly encourages the players to accept a

position on the stronger of the teams, which should continue their development. JSC travel coaches and

club members have a responsibility to support players moving to stronger teams. Any coach who

encourages a player to "not move up" could be disciplined and possibly removed as a coach. If a player is

selected to play on the “A” team but wishes to play on another club team then the player must apply for an

Exception prior to being placed on another team in the player's age/gender group.

Any players not making the "A" team may be chosen for the "B" or "C" team if there are enough players to

create those teams. The "B" team coaches have 48 hours to submit their roster to the Overall

Commissioner. The "C" team coaches have 48 hours after they receive the "B" team to submit their roster

to the Overall Commissioner. All players not making any team will be contacted by a club representative

unless they previously played for a team. For previous players on a team, the coach for that team must

contact their players who do not make their team.

When teams move from U10 to U11, the roster size increases because the games are 11 v 11, growing

from 8 v 8. In these situations, if the club has enough players for more than one team at U10 but does not

have enough for more than one team at U11, the club will decide which coach will coach the U11 team.

After that team is assembled, the club will do what it can to find additional players and try to create a

second team.

General Rule for Moving Players Between Teams During the Year

Players may be asked to move to another travel team within the club during the year if the club and/or the

player's coaches believe that such a move is beneficial to the player. The player's performance or the

opening of a spot on a higher-level team may be the reason for such a move. All coaches in the

age/gender group, the Director of Coaching and/or the Overall Commissioner must discuss such a move

before it is presented to the player and his/her parents. Players cannot move unless the Director of

Coaching and/or the Overall Commissioner approve the move since player passes, as well as player and

team status, may be affected.

Any players from another club must be released by that club prior the player being carded by the Jackson

Soccer Club. Any new players coming to the club must be given an opportunity to tryout for the "A" level

team in his/her age group prior to be carded to any other team in the club, unless otherwise approved by

the Overall Commissioner. Players from other clubs may be forced to sit a minimum number of league

games prior to participating in league play. Consult the rules of your team's league for this information.

General Rule for Minimum Playing Time in Travel Soccer

Players selected to play on a travel team are expected to play. Players do not develop if they remain on the

bench. All players on the roster who arrive at a regular league or sanctioned tournament game at least 30

minutes prior to the start of the game and have attended at least one of three prior practices for the team,

must play at least 25% of the game. For teams playing in the Ocean County recreational league, the

minimum playing time is targeted at 50% of the game. The only exceptions to these rules are as follows:

the player is injured or carded (yellow or red) during a game, the player has been red-carded in a previous

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game and has been suspended from playing by the league or tournament, or the player has been

disciplined with the approval of the Jackson Soccer Club Board of Directors.

Travel Coaches and Parents’ Interaction with League Officials

Coaches must conduct themselves in a professional manner, both on the field and when dealing with

league officials. Coaches and parents will refrain from yelling or berating game officials prior to, during, or

after a game. Coaches are responsible for the conduct of the parents of their players. League officials are

representatives of the various travel leagues in which our teams play. Simply communicating with one's

Division coordinator and fellow coaches in normal situations does not have to go through the club's

Overall Commissioner.

Parents are not permitted to contact any league officials under any circumstances. Parents should forward

all complaints to one of their coaches. Leagues generally will not respond directly to parent complaints.

Any hostility, complaint, problem, etc., must be passed through the club's Overall Commissioner or

Coach's Representative. In other words, Jackson travel coaches must refrain from sending irate emails,

lambasting league reps, or leaving angry phone messages for people. If you experience a situation that

cannot be resolved through a normal phone call, e-mail, or other communication, you should forward the

situation to the club's Overall Commissioner or contact the Coach's Representative, who will then contact

the Overall Commissioner.

Parents’ Interaction with the Team

Parents must refrain from giving direction or coaching during games and practices. This may be counterproductive

to the team and the player. Please allow the coaches to coach and the players to play. A

coach has the authority to request a parent to leave the field if he/she feels the parent is distracting the

players. This action must be reported to the board within the 12 hours following the game.

Chain of Command for Complaints

Parents should go to the head coach of their child's team with any complaints. If the complaint is not

resolved with the coach, only then should the parent(s) contact the Overall Commissioner or the Coach's

Representative. A meeting with the parent(s), coaches, the Overall Commissioner and the Coach's

Representative will be scheduled to help resolve the matter. Parents should not contact the other JSC

Board of Directors without first going through this chain of command.

Meeting Attendance

Each travel team coach is required to attend all of the club's General Membership Meetings throughout

the year, or send a representative of the team in his/her place. However, travel coaches are required to

attend at least four of these meetings in person to remain in satisfactory standing with the club. These

meetings are held usually on the last Friday of the month. The meetings are held in January, March, April,

June, September, October, and November. Additional meetings may also be scheduled in the other four

months if necessary. Representation at any additional meetings would also be required.

If the head coach cannot attend all of the meetings, any parent on the team or assistant coach may act

as a representative for that team. Attendance sheets are kept at each meeting and it is the responsibility

of each person to sign the attendance sheet.

Fund Raising

Teams are responsible for arranging and running their own fundraisers. All fundraisers must be approved

by the clubs Fundraiser Rep. Team money is to be kept in the possession of the club's treasurer and

disbursed based on valid check requests with sufficient documentation.

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Volunteer Work

All Jackson Soccer Club families are required to perform volunteer work during the season. The parents

will place a security deposit with their travel team registration. There is only one deposit required per

immediate family, be it for travel or intramural soccer. The deposit will be returned after the volunteer

assignment has been completed.

The Jackson Summer Classic

This is the club's big show. The tournament is played at the end of every August and requires several

months to prepare. All travel teams will participate in running the tournament. Funds are currently being

used to help fund the club's operations and new soccer complex.

All carded travel teams playing for the Jackson Soccer Club are required to play in the tournament. Each

team must actually apply to the tournament. There is no fee for Jackson teams. The club has specifically

spelled out penalties for refusing to participate in the tournament, which include loss of further tournament

money and access to club sponsored fundraisers. If a Jackson team applies to the tournament but is

considered ineligible by the tournament committee, no penalties will be enforced. Carded teams are those

playing in Jersey Coast, MOSA, JAGS, or MAPS for the fall season of the year of the tournament. Ocean

County Rec teams are not eligible for the tournament.

Uniforms

Travel teams cannot purchase uniforms without the approval of the JSC Board of Directors. All uniforms

must contain the clubs colors of red, white, and black.

Winter and Summer Training

It is the decision of each travel team and coaches to conduct winter soccer training (practice). The JSC

does apply for indoor space at the Jackson schools and will bear the cost of such space rental. However,

any other winter practice space indoors is the sole responsibility of the team and coach.

Outdoor practice during the winter and summer at facilities not covered by the clubs permits is also the

responsibility of the coach and team. Any such outdoor usage whether on Jackson fields or not, must be

approved by the clubs Overall Commissioner or President.

Trainers and Camps

It is the decision of each travel team and coach as to whether the team uses private trainers during the

season and if the team will attend any camps. Any outside trainer must be registered with NJYS.

Unregistered trainers may not be insured. Obtain proof of registration when hiring a trainer. The club will

offer team/player training and camps periodically in which the teams/players may participate.

Guest Players

Many tournaments frequently allow the participation of guest players. If a travel team would like to

participate in a tournament but has players that are not available they may ask players from other clubs or

from other teams within the JSC to guest play for their team. Coaches can only ask players to guest for

them if they have players on their official roster that are not available for a tournament. Coaches cannot

ask players that are on their roster to not participate in a tournament so that they can strengthen their team

with guest players. Coaches MUST obtain permission from the player's coach prior to asking that

player to guest play for his/her team even if the player is currently playing for a JSC team. Coaches

are not permitted to "poach" players from other teams. Guest players are only participating for the team for

the length of the tournament.

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The Out-of-Towner Rule

In travel soccer, it is common for players to play for teams in other towns in an attempt to find the right fit.

JSC travel teams that play small-sided soccer (8v8) may only carry three out-of-town players; i.e., players

who do not live in Jackson. Teams that play full-sided soccer (11v11) are permitted to carry up to five outof-

town players. Exceptions to this rule must be requested to the Overall Commissioner who will get

approval from the Board of Directors, and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

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TRAVEL COACHES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE TRAVEL POLICIES

Travel Coaches name (Printed)

Affiliated team in Jackson Soccer Club (list all teams with which you are associated:

By signing this document, I certify that I have read, understand, and accept the JSC Selected Travel

Policies. Additionally, I understand that I must abide by these rules at all times while coaching travel

soccer for the Jackson Soccer Club. I agree that failure to follow these rules may result in sanctions from

the Jackson Soccer Club, which could include being removed as a coach.

Date Travel Coach Signature

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TRAVEL PARENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE TRAVEL POLICIES

Travel Parent Name (Printed)

Affiliated teams in Jackson Soccer Club (list all teams with which you are associated)

By signing this document, I certify that I have read, understand, and accept the JSC Selected Travel

Policies. Additionally, I understand that I must abide by these rules at all times while involved with travel

soccer for the Jackson Soccer Club. I agree that failure to follow these rules may result in sanctions from

the Jackson Soccer Club, which could include having my child removed from their team.