AYSO Region 45 offers a “Select” soccer season, open only to players (and coaches) who participate in the Fall recreational season. Select is an opportunity for players to improve their skills in a more competitive environment. A limited number of teams will be formed in each age group, starting with Under 10. These teams are typically formed in late November through mid December. They will participate in a season typically from January through the end of May against select teams from other AYSO Regions. Some select teams will skip the winter events and may not start playing matches until March. Teams will typically play in 4 weekend tournaments and/or a spring league. Some of the tournaments are within an hour to 1 1/2 hour driving distance, others require an overnight stay.
A high level of commitment is expected from the players, coaches and parents. Select is for motivated and enthusiastic players and coaches.
2010 Spring Select Teams and Results.
2009 Spring Select Teams and Results.
To be eligible for the Select program, as a Coach or as a Player, you must submit an application by the appropriate deadline.
To apply to Head Coach one of Region 45’s Select Teams, please visit the Spring Select Soccer Coach Application page.
To apply to play on one of Region 45’s Select Teams, please visit the Spring Select Soccer Player Application page.
The Select Program is designed for developing AYSO players who are committed to improving their skills and playing soccer at a higher level of competition. Select retains the AYSO child-friendly philosophies while at the same time providing a higher level of soccer competition.
AYSO nationally sanctions several advanced play alternatives, including Select programs, provided that the children also participate on a regular season team (in Region 45 this would be a Fall team) and that these programs are funded separately from the regular program.
Region 45 has established a series of Rules and Regulations developed and administered by the Spring Select Committee, under the supervision of the Region 45 AYSO Board.
Teams are formed in boys and girls divisions in Under 10 through Under 19. The number teams offered will depend heavily on the number of coaches and players that sign up. Access to field permits plays a key part in the determination of the number of teams as well. Typically we have had one team per division in U14 and one to two teams in U12 and U10. The composition of U19 and U16 teams varies dependent on player and coach interest.
To be eligible to participate in the Select program, a player must participate in the Fall primary season. In addition, the player must participate in at least 50% of the regulation games in the Fall and have participated in 50% of the practices. Exceptions may be allowed in case of injury.
Region 45 is setting up a standard procedure for the selection process that all of the teams will follow. The Head Coaches will be determined by early November so that they can scout players that have filled out the online application. There will also be 2 tryout sessions that players may attend. It is highly recommended that interested players attend both tryout sessions if possible. After scouting players and seeing some or all of them at the 2 tryout sessions the coaches from each division will hold a player draft supervised by at least one member of the Spring Select Committee. Players not selected will be notified first that they have been placed on the wait list. After that, the players selected will be notified by the Coach. NO players will be told they have made a team until the end of the process.
Players may tryout in the same Division age group as they participated in during the Fall season, or tryout with their age group if different. This applies only to kids that “played up” a Division last Fall. The age/division rules are still being evaluated and this could change in the near future to only allowing kids to try out for select in the Division they played in the Fall season. AYSO National Guidelines mandate that ALL Stars (Different from Select) come from the Division they played in the Fall season. At this time we believe Select does not fall under these guidelines but could in the near future. The Region 45 Board is making a determination.
Players are only allowed to participate with a team in the same Region as they participated in during the Fall season, unless the AYSO Area 2A Board allows a player from another Region. This would typically only occur in U16 or U19 due to a much smaller player pool to draw from.
For those players who do not make a team during the tryout process or are interested in a less intense spring soccer experience, please visit our Spring Soccer page for options on playing as AYSO Region 45 unfortunately is unable to field an open registration spring open.
The following rules apply to be a Select coach:
1. To be eligible to Head coach a Select team, the coach must be a registered coach in the Region 45 AYSO program and have coached a team in the current Fall season.
2. All Select Coaches must be Safe Haven certified and have an eAYSO volunteer application form on file.
3. Coaches must complete the on line Select Coach Application form before the deadline.
4. Coaches must be AYSO Coach Certified to at least the level they are requesting to coach and preferably above.
Sometimes, there will be more applicants for coaches than there will be coaching spots available. The Select Committee often has a difficult time in deciding on which coaches to accept. We encourage all interested coaches to apply.
We are mandated to follow AYSO National’s rules and regulations which state that a region’s secondary season will be self funding. A player registration fee will be charged, for which the exact dollar figure has not yet been determined, but it will likely be in the range of $175 to $200 and will cover entry in four tournaments and will fund a small scholarships program for one player per team. This registration fee is necessary because all of the spring tournaments require a check to come directly from the region and collecting this money up front will keep book keeping for our Treasurer as clean as possible. The registration fee will be charged for 10 players for U10, 12 players for U12 and 15 players for U14 and above. If a team opts to play in more than 4 touraments, they will need to collect this additional money and work with the treasurer to cover the costs. If a team does not get accepted to 4 tournaments, then we will work to reimburse costs for a missed tournament.
All other expenses including uniforms, sweatshirts, play in other leagues (PCSSL, indoor soccer, etc), lodging, transportation and such will need to be paid for by the team.
Region 45 has no guarantees of receiving any field permits for the winter and spring. Last year, we did get a few days a week on the All Weather Turf at Graham Middle School. We do not get to pick our days so the team would have to practice on the days we get assigned field space, NO EXCEPTIONS. Any space that we do manage to get will be distributed evenly by the Spring Select Committee for practice use only. The use of any other field is strongly discouraged as organized practices on non-permitted space especially during their field rest period can seriously jeopardize our ability to get field permits for our primary fall season.
Given the above and the overall “tax” on our region with respect to fielding referee crews and such, Region 45 will not support teams playing home games in the PCSSL league. Any field space we manage to obtain needs to be used for all teams to practice. Teams are free to play in PCSSL, but will need to do so as away teams the entire season and supply their own referee crew.
The Regional Commissioner must sign all rosters and all player ID cards and this will not be done for teams that are not selected in a fair manner using the pre-determined selection criteria. This is also in fairness to the Regional Commissioner who is typically the one contacted by parents who want to question why their kid was not selected.
At least two players need to be selected to each team whose parents are certified referees or will become certified referees and are willing to referee in the tournaments in the spring. Several Tournaments only accept applications that include a referee team. At least one player must be selected whose parent is willing to assist with coaching and one player must be chosen whose parent is willing to be team manager. They do not have to be 4 separate individuals as some parents may have checked off more than one box of volunteer jobs. Teams may solicit referees who do not have a child playing select as well.
Some but not all Select Teams play in a spring league. Several last season participated in the PCSSL league as an AWAY team. Games are all within driving distance. Other Select Teams may participate in an indoor league. Costs incurred for playing in these leagues is NOT included in the registration fee and are paid directly by each team from funds collected by each player.
Most Select teams play in 3-5 tournaments through the end of May or possibly into June. The Spring Select Player Registration fee covers the Team entry fee for 4 events. If a team participates in more than 4 events additional funds will be collected from the players by the team and deposited with the Region 45 Spring Select Account to cover the additional costs. If a team participates in less than 4 Tournaments they will recieve a refund for the missed event. each year a cost per player to cover the 4 events will be calculated.
Provided below is a partial list of Tournaments Region 45 teams have attended in past years.
The single most important thing to remember is that Select is not “win-at-all-costs”! Every Select coach must recognize and abide by AYSO’s key principles of Everyone Plays, Positive Coaching and Good Sportsmanship! The coach must always balance the desire to win versus the needs of the players to also have fun and be treated well as kids. Remember always they are children and not miniature professional athletes.
Long after the game scores are forgotten, the players will still retain the skills that they were taught in this program. Skill development, good character through a positive sports experience, and having FUN are the primary things the coach wants to develop in the players. If the players do not have fun, chances are they won’t apply to participate again.
Many parents bring challenging expectations to travel sports. The coach’s role is to help manage those expectations to be reasonable. The coach should try to avoid a mentality where the parents see themselves – and the coach – as helping push along their child’s budding “sports career”. Managing these expectations will prevent many problems down the road in handling over-involved parents.
All Select teams are required to play every player at least ½ of the game. The Region 45 AYSO Select Committee encourages all teams to play every player at least three quarters of the game, as we require in our Fall season. Try to balance play time as much as possible as it makes for happier players and better team chemistry.
Positive Coaching is just as important an AYSO principle in Select as in the Fall season. A coach will get the best results, and happiest kids and parents, if he or she practices positive coaching. Constructive criticism is always okay and a necessary part of coaching at this level, but the coach should never verbally abuse or berate players. Remember that these are children!
This AYSO principle is also key in Select. While Select games may tend to have more aggressive play at times than in the Fall season, the coach must avoid any tendency to play “dirty” even if the other guy seems to be pushing the limit. Coaches must remember that they are a role model to the kids, and the kids will key on what they see the coach do and how the coach behaves.
No coach, even in the Fall season, probably ever walks onto a soccer field intending to lose a match. Nevertheless, you are better off to have a .500 season but have well-treated and happy players, than be undefeated at the expense of the kids and their having fun.
Whenever a team travels to another community and plays a match, the coach must remember that he/she and the team and parents are representing Region 45 AYSO. What they do reflects on the entire organization. Coaches must always maintain good decorum at all times.
