03 Player Movement

The Spring season is upon us. It will be over before you know it. By now everyone should know where their dd sits on the roster. Any movements?

This is historically the year that players switch teams for one reason or another. Playtime, ECNL, commitment level etc. etc. Parents have a pretty good idea of the DDs capability and desire and begin to make decisions accordingly.

Looks like a lot of player movement is in store. Makes you wish that dd's were allowed to start searching in May instead of June. 30 days is a short window for a coach to evaluate. Are guest releases needed in June?

Barca wrote:Looks like a lot of player movement is in store. Makes you wish that dd's were allowed to start searching in May instead of June. 30 days is a short window for a coach to evaluate. Are guest releases needed in June?

To practice with other teams in June - NO
To guest play in a tournament with another team in June - YES (see direct quote below from NTSSA rules)

"If a coach refuses to sign a guest player release for tournament play occurring during the month
of June (or a tournament that includes any part of June), the guest player release may be
presented to North Texas Soccer for approval by the Youth Commissioner. If the player’s
current team is not playing in any US Youth Soccer sanctioned tournament or other US Youth
Soccer sanctioned event during the time specified on the guest player release, permission to
guest play will be granted. (The above does not include indoor soccer.)"

bwgophers wrote:

Barca wrote:Looks like a lot of player movement is in store. Makes you wish that dd's were allowed to start searching in May instead of June. 30 days is a short window for a coach to evaluate. Are guest releases needed in June?

To practice with other teams in June - NO
To guest play in a tournament with another team in June - YES (see direct quote below from NTSSA rules)

"If a coach refuses to sign a guest player release for tournament play occurring during the month
of June (or a tournament that includes any part of June), the guest player release may be
presented to North Texas Soccer for approval by the Youth Commissioner. If the player’s
current team is not playing in any US Youth Soccer sanctioned tournament or other US Youth
Soccer sanctioned event during the time specified on the guest player release, permission to
guest play will be granted. (The above does not include indoor soccer.)"

which is why "contracts" should end may 31 and let kids do whatever they want....

All the talk has been about players moving on by choice. But talking with older players parents, it seems many coaches give 2 to 3 releases each year to "refresh" the team. It seems some coaches give releases earlier to be fair to the players and some wait until the last minute causing a mad scramble… any insight?

silentparent wrote:

bwgophers wrote:

Barca wrote:Looks like a lot of player movement is in store. Makes you wish that dd's were allowed to start searching in May instead of June. 30 days is a short window for a coach to evaluate. Are guest releases needed in June?

To practice with other teams in June - NO
To guest play in a tournament with another team in June - YES (see direct quote below from NTSSA rules)

"If a coach refuses to sign a guest player release for tournament play occurring during the month
of June (or a tournament that includes any part of June), the guest player release may be
presented to North Texas Soccer for approval by the Youth Commissioner. If the player’s
current team is not playing in any US Youth Soccer sanctioned tournament or other US Youth
Soccer sanctioned event during the time specified on the guest player release, permission to
guest play will be granted. (The above does not include indoor soccer.)"

which is why "contracts" should end may 31 and let kids do whatever they want....

DING! DING! DING !DING! DING!

We have a winner !!!

What I've seen consistently over the years is

1. Those parents that want to discreetly test the waters would start doing so at the beginning of the Spring by contacting the coach of choice and let him/her know that they may be interested in making a move but it's not definite and want the coach to take a look at their child in a game vs. the coach's team on date X or in a game which is on a nearby field and just before or after the coach's game.

2. Parents start going to different team practices during the season without their DD and watching from a far to get a feel for how the coach structures practice. They do this several times to see if there is a pattern, not just once. They also start going to see the different teams that they may be interested in play in order to hear the coach on the sideline and see how he acts in game.

3. Movement starts after teams have been eliminated from state cup. Historically coaches let girls go after that without much trouble.

4. There aren't very many tournaments to play in after state cup so not getting a release for tournaments isn't seen as a big deal. Any coach worth his salt doesn't need to see a girl in a game to know if she is a fit for his team. He/she will design practices in a manner to see the girls in the situations that he/she deems necessary to properly evaluate her.

5. Parents don't wait until June. Coaches like to have their roster set by mid-June which means in most cases there are only 2 weeks (4 practices) to evaluate new girls....worst case 3 weeks / 6 practices. Most teams practice on the same day so it's tough to visit more than 1-2 teams and get a good feel for the environment. Most coaches/parents want 3 practices to make a decision.

So technically, a girl in a contract is not allowed to do anything until signing day of any other team she wants to go to? There is no window in there, correct?

She can practice with any team starting June 1
without the need for a guest release or written permission from her current coach. Guest play in tournaments however requires a signed guest player release form (this applies thru the last day of June.)

silentparent wrote:

bwgophers wrote:

Barca wrote:Looks like a lot of player movement is in store. Makes you wish that dd's were allowed to start searching in May instead of June. 30 days is a short window for a coach to evaluate. Are guest releases needed in June?

To practice with other teams in June - NO
To guest play in a tournament with another team in June - YES (see direct quote below from NTSSA rules)

"If a coach refuses to sign a guest player release for tournament play occurring during the month
of June (or a tournament that includes any part of June), the guest player release may be
presented to North Texas Soccer for approval by the Youth Commissioner. If the player’s
current team is not playing in any US Youth Soccer sanctioned tournament or other US Youth
Soccer sanctioned event during the time specified on the guest player release, permission to
guest play will be granted. (The above does not include indoor soccer.)"

which is why "contracts" should end may 31 and let kids do whatever they want....

I think they limit practice visitation until the end of May because of the end of league play followed by State Cup in May. I do agree that one month is not enough time though.  Maybe one solution would simply be to also allow players to visit other teams practices in May - without a release. The reality is that many teams don't participate in State Cup.

oldboot wrote:

silentparent wrote:

bwgophers wrote:

Barca wrote:Looks like a lot of player movement is in store. Makes you wish that dd's were allowed to start searching in May instead of June. 30 days is a short window for a coach to evaluate. Are guest releases needed in June?

To practice with other teams in June - NO
To guest play in a tournament with another team in June - YES (see direct quote below from NTSSA rules)

"If a coach refuses to sign a guest player release for tournament play occurring during the month
of June (or a tournament that includes any part of June), the guest player release may be
presented to North Texas Soccer for approval by the Youth Commissioner. If the player’s
current team is not playing in any US Youth Soccer sanctioned tournament or other US Youth
Soccer sanctioned event during the time specified on the guest player release, permission to
guest play will be granted. (The above does not include indoor soccer.)"

which is why "contracts" should end may 31 and let kids do whatever they want....

I think they limit practice visitation until the end of May because of the end of league play followed by State Cup in May. I do agree that one month is not enough time though.  Maybe one solution would simply be to also allow players to visit other teams practices in May - without a release. The reality is that many teams don't participate in State Cup.

the part i think is crazy is getting a release to play in a tournament in june, should be wiiiidddddeeee oooopppeeen in june, why let a bitter coach keep a kid from playing?