Coaches

Good Sportsmanship

Please remind parents of the AYSO's Six Philosophies and the GWYSL's weather policy.  Strongly request that parents refrain from yelling from the touchlines at players, refs, or coaches.  (They can cheer "Yeah!" but not much else.)  Inform parents that they should contact the Team Parent Coordinator for logistical/administrative/snack concerns.

A parent asked me a question, but I’m not sure the answer.

Please ask parents to review the FAQs for Parents on our website. That's where all of the information will be collected. Beyond that, you should ask your division coordinator.  See here for information regarding who to contact when. 

What are the Spring Season Dates?

The entire league's schedule will be available at the end of March.

When are the practice schedules/locations going to be released?

You can sign up for a time and space at the Coaches Meetings. We have permits for practice time on Mondays at BIP from 6-8pm, and Wednesdays at BIP from 6-8pm. 7/8U teams will practice during the 6-7 slot, and 10U and 12U teams will practice during the 7-8 slot. 

To that end, please sign up for a specific practice day/time/location at the Coaches Meeting.  It will be first come, first served.  There are 16 spots for each practice hour at BIP. Once the spots are filled, we can not accommodate any more teams for that hour. We know this is not ideal, but given the permits we have, we believe it's the best way to offer equal space and time on a consistent weekly basis.  

If you see this after the Coaches Meeting, you can email Head Coach Erik Rodie.

*IMPORTANT* Coaches, you are not required to practice at the time/location that corresponds to our permits.  You should try to schedule practice at a time and location that is most convenient to you and your team.  In the past, coaches have practiced at the ends of the McCarren field (behind the goal posts) on various days.  

You can also check the New York City Parks Department's website for availability.  BIP, for example, has Community Time on Fridays from 6-8pm.  Get creative!  But don't wait until Saturday morning in the State Park next to BIP; it's not allowed.

What if I cannot make practice?

Practice is mandatory for 7U/8U (and older) players, as well as coaches.  As the real *coaching* is done at practice rather than during games, it is especially important that the Head Coach be committed to regularly running the weekly practice. If you can not make this commitment, then it would be preferable that we find another way for you to volunteer your time to the league (we have many other volunteer positions and needs!). 

If you have to miss the occasional practice because of work/travel/illness/etc., then you can:

• Make a one-time adjustment to your practice day/time/place so that you can still run the practice, OR

• Ask your Assistant Coach to run the regularly scheduled practice.

What is the GWYSL policy for inclement weather? Is the Game still on?

Weather is a factor for our league. The members of the board are required to make judgment calls whether to allow play in the event of inclement weather. Game cancellations are based on a number of factors such as the intensity of the rain and/or wind, actual temperatures, "feels like" temperatures, and conditions on the field.  

Like weather forecasters, we don't always get it right, but we try our best. We all want our kids to have fun, and play in a safe environment. We do play in the rain, and kids have a great time doing this, so please don't assume games are cancelled if you see rain. Remember, game cancellations are determined by league officials, not coaches. In the event of lightning, the referees will stop all ongoing games; if this does not happen, coaches should stop the game.

We will update the website with news about game cancellations 1 hour prior to game time.  

Cancellations are made in 2 hour blocks, as set out below:

• Games from 8am-10am start times will be cancelled by 7am Saturday morning.

• Games from 11am-1pm start times will be cancelled by 10am Saturday morning.

• In the event of heavy rain in the forecast, or snow, we will cancel.

• If a block of games are cancelled, they will remain cancelled even if the weather changes.

• We will cancel immediately on the field in the event of lightning or other changing weather conditions.

What size ball do my kids need and where should I get them?

5U–8U: size 3

10U & 12U: size 4

14U & 12U: size 5

Buy them on Soccer.com or Amazon.com or at your local sports store.

Generally, when does 6U or 8U (etc.) play?

We have not finalized the schedule. Games are always Saturday mornings.

Schedules are released close to the season start date—about one week prior to the start of the season—as are the specific game times. Everything is available when you login to InLeague.

Will equipment such as Pugg Goals, pinnies, pylons, and a whistle be provided? Or do I have to purchase them myself?

If you have any/all of the above, you should bring it to your practices. If you don't, you do not need to purchase anything yourself. While we may not be able to get the equipment to you in time for your first practice, you can easily conduct a training session with only balls and pylons.

*Please Note* Do NOT insert metal spikes into the turf at BIP or McCarren Park. Use water bottles or players’ backpacks or some other means of holding down your pop-up goals. Yes, we know it’s windy there and the goals easily flip over, but the metal spikes will ruin the turf. If you see someone using metal spikes, please kindly inform/remind them of this rule.

What should I tell my parents about equipment?

We will provide a uniform, including jersey, shorts, and socks. Shin guards are mandatory, and go under the socks. Youth shin guards are available on Amazon, Soccer.com or from your local sports store. NO EARRINGS or tape-over earrings.

What about cleats? We do not recommend hard cleats, but suggest instead cleats with rubber soles (commonly referred to as turf shoes). Cleats that have hard nubs are made for muddy, soft grass, so that you can dig in and really accelerate around a defender (neither of which applies to our fields in Brooklyn or your eight your old). Buy turf shoes on Soccer.com. The turf at Bushwick Inlet is actually quite hard and is synthetic. 

What about water?

Bring a water bottle. Lots of it. It's hot in the fall and spring.