Welcome
Malden Youth Soccer's In Town program starts on Sunday, April 15.Teams are being finalized now. You should get an email welcoming your child to her or his new team very soon. If you don't get your welcome email by this Sunday, contact the league, as you may not be registered properly.
We still have spots available. If you have not registered yet, you should do it as soon as possible. If you know somebody who would like to play, please let them know that they need to register now.
You can register here:
http://www.maldenyouthsoccer.org/register.html
If you are interested in coaching, please contact me. I still need several assistants and one head coach!
The Season
We will have a 9-game season this Spring. All U9 games will be on Sunday mornings. The season runs between April 15 and June 10.Every team will play at the same time every week. Regular teams will play from 12:00 thru 1:45. "UpTeams" will play from 10:30 thru 12:00 unless there is a scheduled tournament.
The last day of the season, June 10, will be a special tournament for the regular U9 teams.
As a result of the cancellation on the first week, THERE WILL BE SOCCER over Memorial Day Weekend.
Schedule & Cancellation
The schedule posted at the bottom of this webpage is the official source for scheduling. If we need to cancel due to weather, this blog will be updated and an email will be sent prior to the session. If you do not have internet access on Sunday mornings, please let me know ahead of time.As a reminder, Soccer is an all-weather sport. As long as the town does not close the field, we will play in all conditions excluding heavy rain and lightning. Please be sure to dress your player and yourselves appropriately for the weather of the day.
You need...
- If you already have the correct uniform color, please use it. If not, the league will supply a shirt, shorts and socks on the first day. Your uniform color is communicated in your team's welcome email.
- Appropriate shoes. We'll play on real grass, cleats are recommended (but are not required). We have some cleats available from our trade-in program. If you need them, ask.
- Shin pads are required. Your child may be excluded from the game if this important piece of safety equipment is not used.
- Players must come to the game with their own size 4 ball with the players name on it
- Long pants and long sleeved shirts may be worn under the team uniform if desired
- Water - for frequent breaks... PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE DISPOSABLE WATER BOTTLES ON THE FIELD!!!
- A snack for between the practice and game may be desired
Our Philosophy
At the U9 level we continue focusing on basic skills, and begin incorporating more of the basic rules into the experience.Our primary focus remains providing a fun and healthy environment for the kids to discover their emerging soccer skills. We do not focus on winning. We don't keep official score, celebrate wins, or mourn losses. We strive for every player to get equal playing time, and try to keep the number of players on the field small in order to maximize opportunities to play. We reward skillful play, good attitudes and sportsmanship.
Game Rules
Here are some additional notes about the U9 format:- For this outdoor session we will play 5v5 including a goalie. Coaches may decide to change the structure as needed for a fun and fulfilling game depending on attendance.
- Coaches may decide to balance teams at game time if there is a need to equalize the number of players on each team.
- Substitutions should be made when play stops and should occur approximately every 5 - 10 minutes
- We will play with throw-ins, goalie kicks and corner kicks.
- The game will start with a kick-off at the center, as will the second half of the game
- After each goal, the team scored upon will start again by kicking-off at center. A successful kick-off means that the ball needs to roll 1 revolution forward and be touched by another player
- Hand balls result in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
- No slide-tackling allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
- No pushing with the arms or hands allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
- No tripping from behind allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to the opposing side
- No checking with hips allowed, results in an INDIRECT kick to opposing side
- No off-sides called
- The coaches may decide to break for half-time
- Players must not wear earrings during the practice or game
- Players are expected to receive roughly equal playing time. Blatant failure on this rule should be reported.
UpTeams
U9 will resume the UpTeam experiment started last spring. We are consolidating the most skilled players in the U9 league onto the "UpTeams". We have a few objectives with this change. Foremost is to improve the experience for all players in the age group. We aim to avoid the blowout situations that can arise, and to avoid the poor experience of teams who are not balanced to compete. Secondly, we want to provide the emerging players some space to discover their own capabilities. Finally, we want to provide a competitive environment for the players who have already found a high level of skill and passion for soccer.
The UpTeams will not play against the regular teams. Instead, they will play mainly against each other and and will participate in some competitive tournaments in the region.
Basic Rules for Parents
- Players must play on the team they have been assigned to. Requests for specific teams will be honored if availability permits. Requests made close to the start of the season are often hard or impossible to accomodate for.
- At least one adult supervisor must stay during the entire session and is responsible for watching kids if they wander away from play
- Parent involvement is appreciated and encouraged when appropriate but please try not to interfere with the session
- Due to insurance rules players who are not registered with the league cannot play
- Players must not wear jewelry such as earrings, watches, necklaces, etc.
Pine Banks Field
All games will be played at Pine Banks Field. We will use the field inside the track with natural grass turf, at the corner of Main St. and Sylvan St.
