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Q.
What is Sanford Soccer and who runs it?
A. The
Sanford Soccer Association is made up of volunteers
and is not a part of the school soccer program or the Sanford
Recreation program. We lease
Shaw Field
from
Goodall Hospital
for $1.00 dollar a year. Our goal is to teach and support soccer
throughout the community. To accomplish this, we must raise
money, maintain the Shaw Field complex, and organize and oversee
leagues. The Sanford Soccer Association has a
Board
of Directors
that meets monthly to oversee all aspects of
the organization. We are registered with the IRS as a not for
profit business.
Q.
When should I start my children in soccer?
A. Boys and
girls can start playing if they are 5 years old as of October
16, of the current year. It is much easier for a child
to compete at the fifth grade level and above if they start at a
younger age.
Q.
What is the difference between the recreation league and the
travel program?
A. The
recreation program consists of boys and girls in the peewee
division (age 5), up through the senior boys and senior
girls division (ages 13 & 14). This league practices after
school and game days are Saturday mornings throughout September
and October. The travel league starts at age 8. Travel leagues
are designated as U-10, U-12, U-14. (U-10 meaning under 10
years old, U-12 meaning under 12 years old, U-14 meaning under
14 years old). The travel league is more competitive because
they play travel teams from other towns. These games are both
home and away and can be played on either Saturdays or Sundays.
A large percentage of the High School School soccer players come
through the travel league program.
Q.
If my children decide to play in the travel program, do I have
to be on the road every weekend?
A. If time
does not allow you to go to all the away games, carpooling with
the coach and other parents is common. The important thing is to
try and get your children on a travel program if they want to
reach their maximum potential. As in any sport, the better the
competition, the more you improve. Parental support and
participation fosters your child's potential and is encouraged.
Q.
I would like my children to play soccer in Junior High and High
School. What can I do to best prepare them for a higher level of
play?
A. Soccer
has been getting more popular in the United States as well as in
Maine. As the popularity increases, so does the level of play.
For your son or daughter to play up through the varsity level,
they will have to work hard on their skills or have exceptional
natural ability. As a student advances from Junior High to
Freshman to Junior Varsity to Varsity, the competition gets
tougher and tougher. At the High School level, cuts are made
during tryouts if there are too many trying out for the team. If
you look at varsity players, there are common variables.
Typically, they all have great parental support; they have
played from a very young age, and have played soccer in the off
season. Off season may have been spring travel, indoor soccer
during the winter, or summer leagues and camps. As with most
sports, the more you play, the better you get.
Q.
If my son or daughter plays fall soccer and also spring soccer,
can they still play other sports?
A. There are
many High School soccer players that also play a winter or a
spring sport. There are some, but not many that have the time
and ability to play 3 sports and continue to practice these
sports during the off season.
Q.
How do I get involved with coaching, when I don't know much
about soccer?
A. If your
son or daughter starts at a young age, you don't need to know
anything about soccer. Once you get involved, you will quickly
pick up the basics and learn more and more by watching and
asking. If you would like to continue coaching your child's team
up through senior recreational or U-14 travel, you will need to
advance your coaching skills as your team advances their playing
ability. To do this, there are coaching clinics held in the
area. There are also many great coaching books. You can ask any
of the experienced coaches or referees for more information.
Q.
Where does all the money go from registration, sponsors,
concession, and tournaments?
A. Many
people are surprised to learn about how much money it takes to
run a good soccer program and maintain quality fields. Below is
a list of how funds are spent:
These
expenses typically run between $50 thousand to $75 thousand
dollars annually. The soccer board decides where the funds are
spent and what projects need to be completed. During the last
few years, large projects such as automatic underground
irrigation fed from a well and a new concession stand with a
second floor meeting / training room has been completed. These
two projects totaled $175 thousand dollars and where
accomplished with the help of many volunteers and the support of
many businesses in the surrounding area.
Q.
I would like to get involved and help the soccer program. How much
of a time commitment would be required and what types of jobs are
there?
A. We
encourage all parents to get involved for a minimum of an hour or
two per season. This may be helping out in the concession stand or
working some maintenance at the field. If you want to make a
larger commitment, you may decide to coach a team, or be a
commissioner that oversees and organizes a group of coaches. Other
positions you may consider in the future are President, VP of
Club, Treasurer, VP Recreational League, Secretary, Board
Member, Head of Concession, Head of Retail, Field Coordinator,
Registrar, Equipment, Columbus Day Tournament Director, or New
Project Director. It takes a lot to make the soccer program work
and every little bit helps us to be the best youth soccer program
in Maine. If you would like to get involved and help us to share
ideas, bring smiles, enjoyment, friendship and athletic ability
through soccer to the children and youth of Sanford,
contact any of our
board members.
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