The Throw In 2023

FORMATTING WILL BE UPDATED BY FEBRUARY 28, 2023

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Northern Chautauqua Soccer Association–NCSA

The Throw-In 2023

To all returning players and their families, we are so excited to have you back.
To our new players and families, WELCOME!
As we gear-up for the Summer 2023 season, it’s important to remember some important housekeeping items.

NCSA PHILOSOPHY:

The best place for soccer instruction is at practice, which should be as fun and educational as possible. We emphasize building soccer skills and positive social interactions, rather than winning, as the primary focus of our recreational league. Coaches should model sportsmanship. We are affiliated with the New York State West Youth Soccer Association.

To sum it up, our philosophy is: Safety, good sportsmanship, equal playing time, learning new skills, and fun!

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY:
Parents will be expected to adhere to certain standards of behavior as noted in the NCSA Zero Tolerance Policy. A copy of the policy will be emailed to all parents/guardians before the season, but the main points include the following:

∙ All athletes, coaches, and anyone else at soccer fields will be addressed in a positive manner. Negative remarks or foul language will not be permitted.

Alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs are not allowed at any NCSA event or field.
Dogs or other animals are not allowed at any NCSA event or field
Unless a safety concern is in question, the parents will not interrupt games or practices to talk to coaches. Coaches may be approached before or after games, when they do not need to focus their attention on the players.
Parents will adhere to our Zero Tolerance Policy when addressing players, coaches, other parents and referees. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation!

COST OF NCSA PROGRAMS and SPONSORS:

Our philosophy is that money should never be the reason why a child doesn’t get to play soccer. Each year our program fees are calculated to make sure soccer is affordable while still covering all of the associated expenses. Cost of living has gone up, which has caused us to have a slight increase from last season. Please know that we will make every effort to make your experience worth the cost increase.

NCSA t-shirts are more than just an advertising venue; the funds from individuals and local businesses that sponsor teams are vital to our financial base. In an effort to show our appreciation to our local sponsors, we will be highlighting several sponsors each week. If you know of someone or a business who would like to sponsor a team, please email ncsa.concord@gmail.com.

Sick of buying snacks? Let us take care of that for you!

One way we’re trying to cut costs for parents is to remove the expectations for you to purchase snacks for the young athletes. The NCSA has the ability to purchase snacks in bulk and will provide each athlete with a snack after each practice or game. Coaches won’t have to bother you and no more last minute trips to the store to purchase overpriced snacks!

AGE GROUPS and COST:

Little Buddies	3 Year Olds (Born in 2020)	Cost: $50.00	Size 3 Soccer Ball
Monday OR Thursday		6:00pm to 6:45pm
Designed for 3 year olds that would benefit from socialization and some basic soccer skills, the Little Buddies program focuses more on listening skills and rule following through small games and activities beyond just soccer. Although there will be coaches and other volunteers, PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE with their child as skills and activities are taught. Cost includes uniforms and snacks after each practice/game.

Little Kickers	4 and 5 Year Olds (Born in 2018 and 2019)	Cost: $50.00	Size 3 Soccer Ball
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday OR Thursday (one night only)		6:00pm to 6:45pm
Designed for 4 and 5 year olds that might be involved in their first athletic program, the Little Kickers program uses various games and activities to introduce soccer skills while still promoting overall wellness through other activities and games beyond soccer. “Parachute activities? Sure! Tag games? Bring them on! Soccer skills? Sounds perfect!” The coaches will organize each night’s activities and ENCOURAGE THE PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE to help the Little Kicker’s learn the skills that make soccer the greatest game on earth! It might not always be just soccer skills, but your kid will leave with sweat dripping down their smiling face! Cost includes uniforms and snacks after each practice/game.

7 and Under

6 and 7 Year Olds (Born in 2016 and 2017)

Cost: $75.00

Size 4 Soccer Ball

Mondays and Wednesdays OR Tuesdays and Thursdays

6:00pm to 7:00pm

A traditional soccer program, the 7 and under age group focuses on the basic individual and team skills required to be successful in the game of soccer. The first night each week (Monday or Tuesday) will consist of practice time to work on skills through activities and drills designed by the coach. The second night of each week (Wednesday or Thursday) will be a small-sided game with focus more on teamwork and effort rather than the score of the game. Cost includes uniforms and snacks after each practice/game.

**Some skilled five year olds may be eligible to play the 7u rather than Little Kickers. Please email ncsa.concord@gmail.com before registering your five year old for the 7u program.**

9 and Under	8 and 9 Year Olds (Born in 2014 and 2015)	Cost: $75.00	Size 4 Soccer Ball
Mondays and Wednesdays OR Tuesdays and Thursdays		6:00pm to 7:00pm
Working on more difficult fundamentals of soccer and incorporating strategy, the 9 and under age group focuses more on how to play the game as a team rather than an individual. Movement with or without the ball and finding the open spots will be encouraged through games and activities. The first night each week (Monday or Tuesday) will consist of practice time to work on skills through activities and drills designed by the coach. The second night of each week (Wednesday or Thursday) will be a small-sided game with focus more on teamwork and effort rather than the score of the game. Cost includes uniforms and snacks after each practice/game.

11 and Under

10 and 11 Year Olds (Born in 2012 and 2013)

Cost: $75.00

Size 4 Soccer Ball

Mondays and Wednesdays (Girls)

Tuesdays and Thursdays (Boys)

7:15pm to 8:15pm

Offensive and defensive strategies and movement without the soccer ball are the main focus of the 11 and under age group. Individual skills are still coached but based on gameplay scenarios. The first night each week (Monday or Tuesday) will consist of practice time to work on skills through activities and drills designed by the coach. The second night of each week (Wednesday or Thursday) will be a small-sided game with focus more on teamwork and effort rather than the score of the game. Cost includes uniforms and snacks after each practice/game.

**Please note–the 11u and 13u age groups may be combined to create a better competitive environment. In addition, games may be played on 7u and 9u fields depending on the number of participants. More info will come out before the season begins. Referees will be added as the season progresses.**

13 and Under

12 and 13 Year Olds (Born in 2010 and 2011)

Cost: $75.00

Size 5 Soccer Ball

Mondays and Wednesdays (Girls)

Tuesdays and Thursdays (Boys)

7:15pm to 8:15pm

Continued skill growth and game understanding is the main focus of the 13 and under age group as we train athletes to be ready for their schools modified soccer teams. Individual skills are still coached but based on gameplay scenarios. The first night each week (Monday or Tuesday) will consist of practice time to work on skills through activities and drills designed by the coach. The second night of each week (Wednesday or Thursday) will be a small-sided game with focus more on teamwork and effort rather than the score of the game. Cost includes uniforms and snacks after each practice/game.

NCSA SOCCER PROGRAM INFORMATION:

Location

We are happy to announce that we are returning to Fredonia High School for ALL of our NCSA Summer Recreation programs! No more dropping kids off at one location and driving to another…we’re all at one location again. A big thank you to Fredonia Central School District for offering us the opportunity to use their facilities.

Start and End Date

All age groups will begin the week of June 12th and run through the first week of August finishing on August 3rd. Please note we will not have soccer on June 19th for observation of Juneteenth and July 4th for observation of Independence Day.

Uniforms and Equipment

All athletes will be given a jersey, shorts, and a pair of soccer socks. These items should be worn to each practice or game. In addition, ATHLETES IN AGE GROUPS 7U AND OLDER MUST WEAR SHIN GUARDS. We recommend kids in Little Kickers and Little Buddies wear shin guards, but it is not mandated.

Players from 7u through 13u should wear soccer cleats for all practices and games. Unfortunately football or baseball cleats should not be worn due to safety reasons and athlete comfortability. We recommend kids in Little Kickers and Little Buddies wear cleats, but sneakers are acceptable as well.

All athletes should bring a filled water bottle to each practice or game as well. There are no facilities to fill water bottles at the fields, so please fill them in advance at home.

COACHING INFO:

You don’t have to be good at soccer to be a great soccer coach! Director of Coaching Phill Cook will be offering up three coaching clinics to help give you the skills and confidence to become a great influence on our soccer youth. These coaching clinics will be announced by mid April with more information being emailed out before then.

We’ve added a few promotions to try to entice parents to try coaching. Not only do coaches get a free youth registration for each team they coach, but we are also giving PREFERENTIAL REGISTRATION to coaches. That means you get first choice at days of the week before the rest of the NCSA signs up! We’ve also taken away the responsibility of handling snacks and the end of the year party since it always seemed to be a headache!

Finally, to put your minds at ease, any NCSA coach will pass a background check and take a Risk Management class called Safe Sport. This class helps reduce risk of injuries through prevention and observation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How will I know what team I’ve been assigned to?

Email or phone calls from your coach will be made during the last week of May. There is no reason to reach out to us before that since most coaches won’t have their rosters until the end of May.

When will I receive my team uniform?

T-shirts, shorts & socks will be distributed by your coach during the first week of practices.

Where do I meet for practices/games?

A map will be emailed out and posted to the NCSA Facebook page before the first week of practices.

What is the weather policy? Is my game canceled?

Please review our weather policy on the website at https://myncsa716.net. Games are held rain or shine based upon the criteria outlined in the weather policy. Parents/guardians should use their personal judgment to determine their own child’s ability to play in extreme weather conditions. Our social media networks will provide up-to-the-minute information.

Where should I park?

Please use the designated parking spots behind the Fredonia Elementary/Middle School entrances, next to the tennis courts, or near the hill closest to the Lakeview Avenue entrance. ** Please AVOID parking in the FIRE-lane circle. **

A SPECIAL THANK YOU:

NCSA would like to send a special thank you to Fredonia Central School District for allowing us to use their fields for our soccer program. Without the use of this space it is likely that we would have to use a number of other locations to accommodate all of the fields needed.

We also want to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work and assistance. Board members include AJ Burnside, Rob Harris, Sarah D’Amaro, Sara Kelemen, Julie Bezek, Mike Burnett, Kelly McCoy, Shelley Brautigam and Sara Henry. Also a special thanks to Director of Coaching Phill Cook for helping make sure our coaches have the confidence to make this a great season for our kiddos!