In an effort to further improve the STPAA Soccer Program, a group of volunteers recently reviewed St. Peter’s Soccer Team formation for grades 1-4. This committee, all of whom are soccer coaches for STPAA, determined a couple of areas that could be improved with the way soccer teams are formed for grades 1-4. The group contacted Soccer Directors of other parishes in the greater St. Louis and St. Charles area to understand team formation in their soccer programs. Based on this information, the Soccer Committee created a proposed method of improvement by which soccer teams for grades 1-4 would be created. The goal is to have randomly drawn teams each year that are balanced in the number and ability of players.
First, we want the teams to continue to be randomly assigned each year, everyone enjoys the opportunity to play for different coaches and meet new players and families. Therefore, each year for grades 1-4 teams will be randomly drawn with all head coaches and Soccer Directors present.
Each team will have a balanced number of players. Players will be confidentially rated by their previous year soccer coaches as “Mastering” , “Achieving”, or “Developing” their age-appropriate soccer skills. We believe most players on each team will be “achieving” players, with only 10% representing “mastering” or “developing” . Any unknown player would be “achieving”, as would any uneven distribution of players. The goal is NOT TO LABEL any player, but to more evenly distribute players amongst teams. Please see the information below on the proposed Bylaw Change:
10.1(a) SOCCER TEAM FORMATION FOR GRADES 4 AND BELOW
Notwithstanding any provision of Section 10.1 to the contrary, at the conclusion of each soccer season each soccer coach shall designate each player on his/her team an "developing" , "achieving" or "mastering" player, with the intent that a majority of the players will be scored as a "achieving" The criteria to be used in making this determination is the same as that outlined in Section 10.2, and will be made confidential.
Each season during the team formation period, the Soccer Director shall randomly assign an even number of "developing", "achieving", and "mastering" players per team for grades 1 - 4. If the number of M and/or D players is not divisible for an even distribution by the number of teams, then a random drawing of requisite M and/or D players will be determined to label any extra M and/or D player as a A player. If a player is new, the new player will be scored as a A.
The number of players per team should be equal or differ by one A player.
Second, the Soccer Committee felt that in order to improve the soccer experience in all grades, and to improve parity in coaching, all head coaches for grades 1-8 will be required to receive a Class F Coaching license. This one-time, four-hour instructional coaching clinic serves to provide knowledge on age-appropriate skills, methods for instruction, and drills to be used at practices. Any coach in the select / SLSYA leagues are required to have this license. STPAA will also host clinics. This is a separate proposed Bylaw, please see the proposed bylaw below:
15. Other Rules
Add. Head soccer coaches for grades 1-8 shall be Class F license certified by August 2013. Upon request by any head coach, St. Peter Athletic Association will assist the requesting head coach with the certification process.
Because these are changes to the STPAA by-laws, there must be a majority vote of approval. The vote can be sent in to vote@stpsports.com as an absentee ballot. Please vote on the two items separately. Please submit all questions to vote@stpsports.com by May 10. All questions and answers will be posted on the STPAA website by May 15 for you to review prior to your vote. You may attend the May 20 General Assembly STPAA meeting to pose further questions and/or to cast your vote on the proposed changes.
Thank you,
STPAA