Point Grey Soccer Club wants to ensure that the boys and girls coming into divisional soccer or already in it and trying out for a team know what the process is regarding tryouts and have a fair opportunity to get on the team they want.

We want to ensure that team selection is based on a player's soccer abilities, rather than politics, which mini coach they had, which elementary school they went to, or which parents like going to coffee with each other.

We believe that if you put children on select soccer teams in an age group based on anything other than soccer ability, it is simply discrimination. The following is the official protocol the Club follows to select players for divisional teams.

Divisional Selection Protocol

Purpose: Resolve uncertainty and avoid confusion among coaches, players, and parents regarding the selection of divisional teams and coaches, terms of tryouts, who is in charge, how all stakeholders are notified, players requesting to play up, and other questions that arise from time to time. Primarily to support U9 and U10 coaches, parents and players who want to prepare for divisional play; and to support U11 and U12 coaches, parents and players who are new to divisional play.

1. Information: Adequate information, early, for all parents, coaches, players.

1.1. Meeting: Early information sessions: Meeting to be held before the end of the season for each age group, particularly U-11 and U-12. Meeting includes coaches, potential coaches who have indicated an interest in coaching, and the age group coordinator. A representative from the club (from this committee or other member) meets with the coaches to review the protocol. The coaches select divisional coaches and set dates for tryouts.

1.2 Tryouts organized: Tryouts in each division will then be organized by the coach, age group coordinator, and divisional coordinator.

1.3. Information to Parents: A letter (or email) is sent to all parents, including an overview of the selection process, in writing, for coaches, parents, and players, explaining, in point form, how the selection process works and timing of tryouts. The information is to be sent before the end of the season. It is the responsibility of the age group coordinator to ensure that all players in the age group are adequately informed and that public notice is sent out ahead of time informing potential players of the date and time of the tryout. In this letter it is important to let parents know that if a player does not want to try out for gold or silver teams, but wants to play, they will be on a team if they register, even if they do not attend tryouts. One Parent’s Form: Put Registration Form and Tryout Form together.

1.4. Define levels including expectations: Provide a definition to coaches, parents, and players of standards for gold, silver players, including practices, skills, and level of commitment for players. Example: Gold players: two practices per week, cup games, expectation to attend practices and games, coaching costs if applicable. It is considered of primary importance that players and parents understand the process.

1.5. Notice to players: Notice of tryouts is given to all players through the initial letter, by their coaches, and by public notice (advertised).

1.6. Final selection notice: This should be done as soon as possible after tryouts and exhibition games. It is recommended that the notice of selection go out to every player no more than six weeks after the initial tryout.

1.7. Preparing players, coaches, parents: The club can provide the divisional information to U11 and under players, coaches, and parents, so they are prepared for divisional play and don't miss out on opportunities. This could take the form of a letter for U11 coaches. Some items that need to be communicated regarding divisional play:

• Requirements to register a team for divisional play, the forms, etc.

• Cup games, how they works, coaching credentials for Cup games.

• Rule changes, how to prepare the players for changes in the game.

• Coaches rating for the selection process: making selection more efficient and fair by identifying skill and interest levels and providing this information to the evaluators.

• Opportunities to train: Point Grey Academy

• Information for players wishing to play up

2. Implementation: Evaluation, tryouts, selection.

2.1. VYSA policies: Our club adheres to Vancouver Youth Soccer Association policies regarding numbers of players per team, tiering, divisions, playing up, and so forth.

2.2. Ratings: Coaches are canvassed during the second half of the season, and asked to rate their players: Rate as A, B, C. Coaches should rate keenness and commitment as much as pure skill.

2.3. Self-evaluation: Players and/or parents may indicate whether they would like to try out for a gold or silver team, or whether they would be content to play in the lower silver or bronze tiers. The self-evaluation process would help pre-sort the players.

2.4. Tryouts: A tryout process is held for players who have indicated a desire to play at the gold or silver level. Tryouts are open to all players who may legally play with the club per B.C. Youth Soccer regulations.

2.5. Evaluators: Tryout should be run, whenever possible, by evaluators who have no immediate interest in the age group being selected, as well as the coaches selected for the Gold and Silver teams. Provide a form for the evaluators so that evaluations are thorough and results can be collated. The divisional coordinators are responsible for contacting outside evaluators to assist with the tryouts and evaluation.

2.6. Year to year continuity: Tryouts are held every year for the divisional teams. Keen players may play together prior to U12, and thereafter, in the Point Grey Academy sessions, on spring teams, pick-up games, or in other soccer school training. Further, divisional teams gain experience and familiarity by playing together. Although this does not constitute a pre-selection, and these players have no special priority to play on gold or silver teams, evaluators may consider this as a demonstration of commitment to soccer. Players may indicate their soccer experience and their training outside the regular club team on their self-evaluation.

2.7. Skill and Interest: System should balance qualities of natural skill, learned skill, coachability, player’s interest, dedication, work ethic, keenness, commitment to team, and commitment to soccer.

2.8. Start early: Begin try-out sessions as soon as possible after the end of the season. The evaluators will have a head start on evaluations through the coach’s ratings, the self-evaluations, and a complete list of boys trying out. Make every effort to have good idea by the end of the season what the gold and silver teams look like.

2.9. Number of Tryouts: At least three tryouts plus exhibition games. Coaches may carry extra players through exhibition games before final selection. The process should be completed within 6 weeks, so that all the players and teams can be finalized.

2.10. Exhibition games: For gold teams, it is recommended that they play 2 exhibition games prior to final selection.

2.11. Final selection: Evaluator(s) and team coach makes final selections after the tryouts and exhibition games.

2.12. Selection disputes: Selection disputes may be brought before the Divisional Coordinator, who may refer the matter to the Selection Protocol Committee of the Board.

2.13. No preselection by coaches: Coaches may not lobby players or parents to play on a particular team or with a particular coach prior to, or in opposition to, the club tryout process.

2.14. Players who can’t make tryouts: Evaluators and coaches may make special arrangements with players who cannot make tryouts due to injuries, family holidays, or other reasonable conflicts.

2.15. Other sports: Gold and silver players may play other sports, such as hockey, but commitment to attend practices and games is a reasonable criterion for players selected to these teams. Priority may be given to players who do not play other sports and can commit to attend all practices and games.

2.16. Spots held open: Coaches of selected teams may hold a spot open for a player who may arrive later. For example, a team may select 14 or 15 players, and may then add a new player who was not available at the time of tryouts due to reasonable conflict (Example: player moves into the region from outside.)

2.17. Numbers of Players: Flexible within certain limits. A team must field 11 players to register as a team. It is recommended that gold and silver teams consist of a minimum of 14 players. The BCSA maximum is 18.

2.18: Player Development: Emphasis should be on player development, helping players learn the game, providing opportunities to excel if the player wishes to excel, and keeping all players in soccer for as long as possible.

2.19. Tiering, U11: VYSA schedules U11 teams in a tiering system so teams play against other teams of similar strength. Clubs are asked to tier their teams as “A,B, and C.� This is not the same as creating “gold, silver, and bronze� teams. At U11 the top players are not generally placed on one team. Rather, clubs may create two or more “A� teams, “B� teams and so forth. Decisions regarding tiering are the responsibility of the coaches, age-group coordinator, and the divisional coordinator.

2.20. Playing up: Individuals may apply to play up when they register in the club. From time to time, exceptional players may play up on a gold team. Such players will be expected to fall into the top half of a gold team, based on the evaluation process. U11 teams may apply to play up in U12 per Vancouver or B.C. Youth Soccer regulations.

3. Coach Selection:

3.1. Coach selection: The U11 coaches, age-group coordinator, and others applying to coach, shall confer (see item 1.1.) on who has the desire, skill, and training, to become the gold and silver team coaches. If this selection is consensual, the coaches and coordinator may simply select the coaches.

3.2. Criteria: Coaches may be required by the club to meet certain standards of experience or to commit to certain levels of training. The club may pass such requirements from time to time. Currently the club has adopted a “General Learning Outcomes for U12 Gold Players.�

3.3. Conflict: Conflicts in the coach selection process may be brought to the Divisional Coordinator, who may resolve the conflict, or refer the matter to the Selection Protocol Committee. If conflicts persist, the Selection Protocol Committee, or three designated members from the board, who have no direct interest in the age group, may be chosen to select the coach. This selection will be final.

3.4. Paid Coaches: If teams intend to have paid coaches, and if this will require parents to pay extra, above their club fees, for the coach, this information must be provided before the tryouts.

4. Flexibility: A degree of flexibility is necessary to account for situations that may change from year to year. Certain age groups may have more or less keen players who want to form gold teams. Some age groups may have an obvious gold coach, others may not. The Divisional Coordinator oversees the flexibility and reasonableness of the system. Point Grey Soccer Club Selection Protocol Committee February 2003