Great New Offerings at GCAA
for Fall 2010 Soccer
Even before the past Spring season ended the soccer committee was hard at work to help continue the growth and improvement of the GCAA Rec Soccer Program.
Our first change is that our players will be wearing a new style of uniform. Several coaches and players have seen them and have given them a big thumbs up.
Also, for the 2010 Fall season we are introducing several exciting new opportunities and overall improvements to our program.
Here are the areas of improvements. Continue reading down the page or click on each item to read more details:
- Addition of a U15 Girls League
- Collect a sponsorship and your child can receive FREE or reduced registration for the season
- Get approved soccer coaches training and coach a team then your child receives FREE registration for the season
- Free coach's jersey for all head coaches
- Chance to earn training supplies for the team for each coach
For the last several seasons we have offered girls only teams in U10 and U12. With the continued success of these leagues we are excited to announce that beginning in Fall 2010 we will offer a U15 Girls League. Normally U13 and above teams begin to play on regulation sized fields and use regulation size goals and play 11 per side. However, due to expected limited participation in the first few seasons, we will play using slightly modified rules. We will essentially use the U12 game rules with a few minor changes. The basic rules will be as follows:
- Teams will play 8 v 8. (7 field players and 1 goalie. Just like U12)
- Roster sizes will be limited to 14 players.
- Teams will play on a U12 sized field using U12 sized goals.
- Team will use a size 5 ball. (Different from U12. U12 uses a size 4.)
- Games will be played with two 40 or 45 minute halves. (Game lengths may vary when playing away games.)
This league will open as a waitlist only league. Once a coach is found and once enough players are registered to start a team, players on the waitlist will be accepted (in the order they registered) for open spots on a team. We will create as many teams as we can based on number of coaches who volunteer and players that register. Players not accepted onto a U15 Girls team will be offered available roster spots on our U15 Coed teams. Eventually, as the interest grows, we will move this league to play using true U15 rules (larger field and 11 v 11).
Collect a Sponsorship and get FREE or Reduced Registration
Corporate and personal sponsorships are very important to GCAA and the Rec Soccer program. These sponsorships help us keep registration costs down and help us continue to maintain and improve our facilities and programs. Unfortunately, over the last 2 or 3 seasons we have seen our team sponsorship levels continue to drop. We know and understand that much of this may be related to the struggling economy. However, the economy has not changed the overall costs involved in running our sports at GCAA. Cost of supplies and services continue to increase year after year. So sponsorships are as important as ever.
We also believe that we have offered very little personal incentive for parents to search for sponsorships. So we have revamped our sponsorship program to reward those parents who help us by finding sponsorship money.
Depending on the level of sponsorship collected, you can get a discount for all or part of a season's registration. This is offered to the parent that is responsible for acquiring the sponsorship whether it is from a business they own, work at, or have a personal connection with. If the sponsorship doesn't come from your own business, we have found that usually sponsorships are obtained by asking personal contacts (friends and family who own businesses).
Rarely are parents able to approach a business that they do not have a connection with and obtain a sponsorship. In fact, we suggest that you NOT start cold-calling businesses and asking for sponsorships. We have found that many local businesses have become inundated with sponsorship requests and since they can not honor them all, rather than choosing between them, many decide it is best to not provide any sponsorship. Instead, we are asking you to consider personally sponsoring or to talk to your family, friends, and personal business contacts. These are the places you will likely be most successful.
A sponsorship must be received by the GCAA Treasurer BEFORE you pay for registration. We will NOT issue refunds if a sponsorship is collected after a registration has been paid. If you get a sponsorship after you have paid, then we will add a credit to your account which will allow you to use the money for the next registration you do. These are the sponsorship offerings:
$350 or more (Platinum Sponsorship)
- Tax Deductible Donation for the sponsor
- Sponsor ad on www.gcaasoccer.com
- Business name listed on Sponsor T-shirts given to all players and head coaches
- Sponsor Plaque with Team Photo
- Banner displayed at game fields for at least one year
- 100% Free registration for one child for a single season of soccer (does not include uniform fee)
$100 to $349 (Gold Sponsorship)
- Tax Deductible Donation for the sponsor
- Sponsor ad on www.gcaasoccer.com
- Top 50 sponsors (including full sponsorships) listed on Sponsor T-shirts given to all players and head coaches
- Half-Price registration for one child for a single season of soccer (does not include uniform fee)
$50 to $99 (Silver Sponsorship)
- Tax Deductible Donation for the sponsor
- Sponsor ad on www.gcaasoccer.com
- $10 off registration fee for one child for a single season of soccer
$49 or less (Bronze Sponsorship)
- Tax Deductible Donation for the sponsor
How to claim your free or reduced registration fee:
- Register your child in our online registration system. If you already know the sponsor you will be collecting, you can indicate this in the registration. When prompted to pay, you MUST select “pay by check”. This will hold your child’s registration. If you pay by credit card we will NOT issue a refund if a sponsor is later found and collected. Instead we will place a credit on your account that may be used for your next registration.
- Complete the sponsorship form (found on the GCAA website under printable docs), be sure to include your child's name on the sponsorship form, attach the sponsorship check, and mail both to our GCAA treasurer (P.O. Box 10, Clayton, NC 27520)
- Email info@gcaasoccer.com and indicate that you have mailed the sponsorship form and check so that we can look for it and credit your account once the sponsorship is received.
- If we do not receive the sponsorship check before the close of registrations, you will be asked to complete payment via credit card. Failure to do so will result in your child’s registration being dropped.
Approved Coach's Training + Coach a Team = FREE Registration
In the Fall 2010 GCAA Rec Soccer will implement a new policy that is intended to help further improve the soccer experience for our young players.
We believe that all coaches can benefit from organized training. Trained coaches have a better chance of understanding the goals of youth soccer and how to teach soccer skills in a safe, fun, and encouraging environment. We don't believe that training alone is all that it takes; we know that it takes passion, patience, and desire to work with these young kids on a regular basis and we see these traits in many of our coaches. But we also know that having good training also helps with a coach's confidence and knowledge and will improve the chances of a child having a more enjoyable time in a season.
To that end, we will begin offering free registration for the child of a coach who has successfully completed any age-appropriate approved formal coaches training (NCYSA, USYSA, NSCAA, etc.). Basically U04, U06, and U08 needs NCYSA Youth Module I (or equivalent), U10 needs NCYSA Youth Module II (or equivalent), U12 needs NCYSA F or E (or equivalent), U13 and higher needs NCYSA E (or equivalent). The coach must be the head coach of the team for their child to play free. If they coach multiple teams at different levels, as long as they have acquired the proper certifications then each of their own children will play for free. We know that several of our coaches have already completed some of these courses and will already qualify. The coach will continue to qualify for free registration in subsequent seasons as long as they have received proper training for that age level.
Please know that many of these courses are offered for about $35 and can be taken at several area locations (Clayton, Garner, Raleigh, etc.). Many of these courses (especially the beginning courses) DO NOT assume any prior knowledge of soccer. In fact, they are often designed with a first time soccer coach in mind. Several of the courses are only 4 or 5 hours in length and provide some very useful coaching skills, even for those that have coached before. Most courses will split the time to have a couple of hours of classroom time and then a few hours on the soccer field teaching you skills and drills you can use with your teams. So a $35 class and a few hours of your time on a Saturday morning can not only end up helping you to become a better coach and provide a better soccer experience for your players, it can end up saving you hundreds of dollars by simply coaching several seasons of soccer at GCAA. For example, if you assume a $65 dollar registration fee (current cost), and that your child is in the same league for up to 4 seasons, then 4 seasons of soccer will cost $260. If you have the proper coaches training (for example the NCYSA Youth Module I or II class is $35) and coach your child's team, then you can save $225.
Example of how this will work... Assume a coach has taken and passed NCYSA Youth Module I and II. If this coach has a child who plays U10 and one who plays U08... as long as this coach is the head coach for both teams, then both of that coach’s kids would play for free. However, if this coach is head coach for one and assistant coach for the other, then only the team that the coach is head coach for will the child play for free. This offer will be only for registration fees only. This does not include the jersey surcharge for U10 and up players. So right now the max value is $65 per registration. We are offering this instead of offering to pay for someone's classes. We want to not only encourage coaches to take these classes, but to then put them to good use by coaching.
With this is mind, please take a few moments to investigate upcoming coaches classes that will be offered in this area over the next few months. During the summer is the best time to get your coaches training taken care of. For a list of classes being offered in our area please check out the NCYSA and the NSCAA websites. Or if you need help finding some appropriate classes, please feel free to email us at info@gcaasoccer.com.
But remember, even if you don't take advantage of this offer, we still always need coaches. Our kids can't play soccer without coaches. We always provide some basic coaches training before the beginning of each season to help the new and returning coaches out. So plan to coach in the Fall... and if you manage to get some training before then... well, you'll save a bit of money doing it!!!
How to claim your free registration:
- Find and attend a qualifying coaches training course. You must receive a certification of successful completion for the course.
- Register to coach in our online database. When requested, provide the details of the course(s) you have completed.
- Register your child in our online registration system. When prompted to pay, you MUST select “pay by check”. This will hold your child’s registration. If you pay by credit card we will NOT issue a refund if you later attend a course or tell us that you attended a course. After you checkout and select "pay by check" you will get the screen stating that you need to bring cash to our walk-in registration or to log back in and pay be credit card. If you see this screen, then you have done it right!!! Once you complete the next step, we will go in and credit your account so that your child's registration will be marked as paid.
- Email info@gcaasoccer.com and indicate that you have registered to coach and have completed a coaches training class.
- If we determine that you have not successfully completed a qualifying course before the close of registrations or if you are not selected to coach a team, you will be asked to complete payment via credit card. Even if you do not complete a qualifying course we may still invite your participation as a coach, however you will be expected to pay for your child's registration. You still qualify for the other coaches benefits listed below.
***Note: This offer is not to be interpreted as payment for services and does not create any implied contract. All Rec Soccer coaches at GCAA are strictly volunteers. This offer serves as a simple reward for coaches who take advantage of the many soccer classes that are offered to help improve their coaching ability and therefore may improve the soccer experience of the children of our community. Also, if you are not selected as a head coach for a team, you will be asked to log back in and pay for your child's registration. Signing up to coach does not guarantee that you will be selected to be a coach. All coach registrations are reviewed by members of the soccer committee and final coach selections are made before registrations close.
Free Coach's Jersey for the Head Coach of Each Team
Starting in the Fall 2010, all head coaches will receive a free coach's jersey. In the past we have asked the coaches to pay for their own jerseys. We think the kids enjoy seeing their coaches in the same uniform as them. It also makes it easier for parents to pick out coaches if they have concerns or questions. There will only be one head coach per team and therefore only one free jersey per team. Assistant coaches and parents may still elect to purchase a team matching jersey during registrations. In the Spring, coaches who return to the same team will not be provided with an additional free jersey (except under special circumstances).
***Note: Style and sizes of jerseys may be limited. We will do our best to make substitutions if possible. Otherwise there is no redeemable value to this offer.
Attend GCAA Coaches Training to Earn
Valuable Training Supplies for the Team
At the beginning of each season we “require” coaches to attend our coaches training. In that all coaches are volunteers it is difficult to mandate attendance and/or reprimand coaches that do not attend. In the past we have had fairly good participation, but have rarely had 100% attendance. To help encourage the coaches to participate in this important training, we will be offering each coach a choice of a great set of supplies to start the season with.
These supplies will include some of the following: an equipment bag, cones, pinnies (net jerseys), practice balls, a training guide, and/or a soccer clipboard. When a parent registers as a coach he/she will pick the supplies that they would like to receive. Then, when this head coach attends his/her scheduled pre-season training, he/she will receive the supplies. Coaches who do not attend training will NOT receive these supplies. These supplies are a $50 value that you can get for free just by attending 2 hours (or less in some cases) of training.