Personal Conduct
There will be no coaching by any parent from the sidelines. We are very serious about this. If you must yell, please let it be only positive encouragement; no instruction. We may lose the game but not our dignity. The referees are to be respected no matter how bad the call is (was). Only the coaches shall correspond with the officials. There will be no taunting and no hostile verbal exchanges with other players, parents, or anyone associated with the sport. This program teaches social responsibility.
Playing Up
While there may be doubts about playing older teams and getting pushed around, all NE Comets teams play up to seek out the best competition in the area to maximize training and skills development. All the top teams play up because it accelerates their learning curve and prepares them for the rigors of regional and national competition.
Playing Time
Many factors are taken into consideration on playing time. These are attendance, punctuality, effort, cooperation, amount of learning during training, performance during games, injuries, team needs, and more.
If players miss a training session or game in the previous week, players may not start but it is always up to the coaches. If they are late to matches (normally 45 minutes before kick-off or per the discretion of the coaches), playing time may be adversely affected.
We play 30+ games per year. Every player will play significant minutes in our program, even those who play less than others on the team. Keepers have a different allocation of playing time.
It is a lose-lose situation for any coach in balancing individual needs and team needs in connection with playing time. Coaches do not determine who plays in Championship / State Cup / Region I play; the players do as their performance dictates much of the dynamics. However, only 11 (or 8) may play in championship or cup matches as team needs take priority over player need.
Communication
Most of the information flows via electronic vehicles such as e-mail or Internet. Most of the activities and updates will be listed on the website including travel directions. If you do not have access, call a family that does.
Olympic Development Program (ODP)
ODP tryouts will be held in the summer months. Soccer players and other athletes typically fall into a special pool with greater consideration for admission to competitive colleges with ODP listed in the resume. That said, ODP should be introduced at the right time, for the right players. Consult with your coach before trying out.
