There Should be a Spring Soccer League where …

 

 

…affiliation (through the sponsoring organization) is with the United States Soccer Federation

 

…teams are invited to play regardless of whether they were originally registered for the previous Fall with AYSO, CYSA, USCS, PAL, the Super-Y League, YMCA, or Boys and Girls Club

 

…you don’t need anyone else’s permission to participate in the league

 

…players and adult team officials are insured and receive photo-ID passes

 

…all adult team officials are registered with the league, but no proprietary coaching license is required to be an adult team official

 

…teams can decide to play either for the “fun” (no standings) or for the “gold” (standings), recreational teams don’t have to play against select teams if they don’t want to, and developing teams can find out what the competitive environment is like

 

…boys and girls aged U6 to U19 can play, individuals at-large can register and be formed into fun teams, and everyone receives a participation award for participating

 

… each team is scheduled to play enough games (10) to learn to work together

 

… in the gold division, an end-of-season play-off amongst the top four teams determines the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place teams, but the first three games don’t affect advancement to the play-offs

 

…teams can roster up to 26 players, the 26 players don’t have to include any players from the previous Fall, and (if that isn’t enough) players can be added, dropped, or transferred easily at any time

 

…there are no waiting periods (other than processing times) for adds, drops, and transfers, and some requests can be processed on the web

 

… a player who drops from a “gold” team can register for “fun” team, and vice-versa

 

…there are no restrictions on young players playing “up” on older teams

 

… you make your own decisions on playing time, positions, and substitutions, goalkeepers don’t have to be rotated unless you want to do so, and two teams can manage their substitutions in different ways during the same game

 

…you get to select (request) a local field for your home games, and (if you request assistance) the league will work with the city to get your request considered

 

… you can request a named certificate of insurance from the league if your city or school requests it

 

…games are scheduled on Saturdays, but opponents can agree to play anytime that is convenient for them as long as all games are made up prior to the end of the season.

 

…teams without uniforms can get them from the league, but teams with uniforms don’t have to get them

 

… teams pay only for what they need (player passes, insurance, uniforms, referees, etc.)

 

…neutral referees are assigned and paid by the league

 

…newly-trained referees can gain experience in the “fun division” without being yelled at

 

…game schedules are posted in a timely manner, standings are kept up to date, and other information is readily available on the web

 

…email is used to ensure timely league communications

 

…someone returns your phone calls and emails and answers your questions, and there is an office where you can bring and pick-up items when you’re in a rush

 

…minor complaints are politely heard, and events requiring decisions are made logically, fairly, and quickly by the league

 

…good behavior towards one’s fellow coach, referee, player, and opponent is explicitly required, and everyone knows that there is no second chance for an individual or team exhibiting violent or dangerous behavior towards another person

 

…the only rules regarding “running up the score” are based in humanity, sportsmanship, and fairness

 

…after the Spring is over, teams and individuals are “free” to do whatever they want (i.e., play in AYSO, CYSA, PAL, etc.) in the Fall season

 

…this isn’t the first time it’s been done

 

…everyone gets to be a “Hot Shot”