Hi, U5 and U9 parents. On the Blog here you'll find weekly updates on our games and practices. To the right you'll find a permanent list of links to rosters, schedules and other useful information.
If you received my e-mail you saw my comments regarding the NKYA code of conduct. Hopefully you have followed the link to the published version of the code and read it over. If you have any questions about it let me hear them. I want to elaborate a bit here on the code and NKYA's mission as well as the rules of the game and how the Referees enforce the rules during a game.
Here are some things to remember:
NKYA soccer is a recreational/instructional league. Our first priority, especially for the younger divisions is to teach the game. U5 parents need to keep this in mind. We are not looking for wins, we're looking for improvement. Be patient. U9 parents need to remember that this isn't select soccer. We don't have try-outs. We take anybody who wants to play. So please temper your expectations about the level of competition with that in mind. I'll work to get the kids to give the game everything they've got and really put their hearts into it. If we get that, win or lose, we should be happy.
The Referees in NKYA games are typically kids themselves. Part of what we do at NKYA is train Referees. Be patient with them. Our Referee administrator does monitor their performance closely and we are looking for constant improvement but no matter how young and inexperienced a Ref is we all need to show the proper respect and be sure the kids see us setting that example. If you have a concern about the way a Ref worked a game bring it to me and I'll discuss it with the Administrator. What you should be most concerned about is that the Refs are doing what they can to keep the game safe not how they call every handball you see.
The Referees are instructed by the league to consider both "intent" and "advantage" when calling fouls. The foul most people are familiar with is the "handball", where a player touches the ball with some part of his arm from about the armpit down. When watching a game keep in mind that the Ref may not call every handball he sees and this is for two reasons. If the Referee judges that the foul was unintentional and does not affect the immediate course of the game he will hold his whistle and let the game play on. If the Ref judges that a handball or any other foul actually works out to the "advantage" of the opposing team, the team that didn't commit the foul, he will let the game play on rather than interrupt that advantage. So if you see a handball but don't hear an immediate whistle take note of how the game is playing out and consider whether or not stopping the game for a penalty kick would actually be to our advantage.
In NKYA indoor soccer leagues there are no "direct free kicks" meaning that if we get a penalty kick, even within the goalie box, the ball can not be kicked directly into the goal for a score. The ball must touch another player first to count as a goal. Now if you are familiar with professional soccer you know that a penalty kick from anywhere within 40 yards of the goal is considered a scoring opportunity. David Beckham has made a career out of such kicks. But since penalty kicks in our league are nothing more than changes of possession (turnovers) it is very unlikely that any one bad call or even series of bad calls could affect the outcome of the game. Even if I thought a call had affected the outcome you would never see me demonstrating that in front of the kids. My goal is to be sure that they never feel the outcome is out of their hands. I want them to play knowing that the outcome of the game will be determined by the effort that they put forth. Coaches and parents who constantly snipe at the Ref about missed calls are sending a clear message to their kids: "the game isn't in your hands". I'm not interested in that. What I'll be looking for from the Referees is that they keep the game safe while letting the kids play hard. I'm satisfied that that is what we normally get with NKYA.
Ok, enough pontificating. I'll see everybody at practice Tuesday the 14th.
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