ACTIVE START U6
ACTIVE START U6 Parents Guide Welcome 2 Club History & Service Area 3 Facilities 4 Active Start-What Your Child Needs 5 Active Start-Program Structure 5 Active Start- Parent Support 6 6 Active Start-Key Dates 6 Active Start-Communications 6 Resources 7 Sponsors 7 Welcome and thank you for volunteering to Coach in the Active Start division of the Bolton Wanderers program. Active Start is the first stage of the Canadian Soccer Association long term player development pathway. The focuses of the program are on fundamental movement skills, basic ball skills, having fun while learning the game and loving it for life. Active Start is designed to develop physical literacy, give groundwork in game skills and let the children have fun. Parents are encourage to join in and learn the fundamentals of the game with your child so when you are playing in the yard or park you are using the same techniques we are teaching. Perhaps it will even interest you in training to become a coach. We hope that this will be a great experience for your child and that you will help us promote wellness in the community and engage your child in the beautiful game for life.
Club History The Bolton Wanderers Soccer Club was formed in the spring of 1978 with the purpose of developing soccer and soccer programs in our community. Our first season was played at Dick s Dam Park on fields that we still use today. Nat Lofthouse the Bolton Wanderers Football Club and England national player granted us the charter to use the name and marks the same year. The Bolton Wanderers are a not-for-profit club managed by a volunteer Board of Directors for the members, players, parents, coaches and volunteers. The Club is primarily operated and managed by volunteers who give their time to grow soccer in our community. As a Club we do have paid staff: an Office Administrator, Head Coach, Staff Coaches, Mentor Coaches and Referees who support the Club and our programs. The Club manages some of the soccer parks in the community under an agreement with the Town of Caledon and with the Peel District Board of Education. We are responsible for the grounds keeping, turf care, garbage and general maintenance, field lining, posts and nets. The Club has a rich history in player development. We were one of the first Clubs in Ontario to introduce micro soccer for the young stars, four- to six-year-olds. We were also a pioneer in the LTPD (long term player development) programs for our recreational programs. We have seen many players go from BWSC to university scholarships, to Regional and Provincial teams and to the TFC (Toronto Football Club) Academy. Our teams have a long history in tournament success across North America including the Ontario Cup. We operate recreational and competitive programs for players from 4 years old and in 2011 our oldest player was over 74 years old. The club has approximately 2500 players registered in our outdoor programs and 1400 in the indoor programs. Service Areas The Wanderers serve the east, west and southern tiers of Caledon and take in registration from the boundary areas. Our community club represents 7% of the total population in the Town of Caledon. BWSC is the largest sports organization in the Town of Caledon.
The Facilities The Active Start program will utilize: Edelweiss Soccer Park: The park is located: Hwy 50 by turning west onto Hickman Street; go to the stop sign and turn onto Glasgow Road and follow along the Humber River to the park. King Road by turning north onto Deer Valley Drive. Go through 2 stop signs, down the hill to the park. From King West by turning onto Chickadee Lane to the stop sign and turning right onto Glasgow Road; follow the road down the hill to the park. Players will go to their assigned fields and meet the Coaches. Programs are set to start at 6:30 so please be onsite by 6:15 to be ready to start.
Active Start- What Your Child Needs As part of the program your child will receive a Club soccer jersey, shorts, socks and a sizeappropriate soccer ball. Your child will need the following: Shin pads: Shoes: Water: These must be worn for all sessions and can be purchased at any sporting goods store. Look for a good fit to the leg and coverage from above the ankle to below the knee. These can be soccer cleats or running shoes. They should have good support. You should have water available for your child at the field. Coaches will provide water breaks during the program. Hydration is important for good health. Active Start- Program Structure We have a team of Staff and Mentor Coaches for the U6 Program. These are trained coaches and senior players who we engage to teach the children. They have a course syllabus which they follow for the season. This is designed to support physical literacy and introduce the discovery of soccer skills. This is not a soccer league. Rather it is a development program to support wellness and introduce basics in a group environment. You will note that all the players have the same colour jersey; there are no teams; your child will play and learn with all the children in the program wearing Bolton blue. We encourage parents to be on site at least 15 minutes before the start of session so we are ready to start on time. Please bring your child s ball with him or her to every session. Put his or her name on it so it can be found afterwards. When the player arrives he/she will be greeted by the Coaching Team and directed to one of the fields where the Coaches will be waiting. The Staff Coaches or Mentors will get the program rolling and work with you and parents who want to join in. The children will be led through a series of movements and activities designed to address fundamental movements like running, turning, twisting, jumping etc. All of these activities are designed to help with muscle movement and development, build balance and agility and promote fitness. The players will be taught basic ball skills and they will play fun games with the ball. Many of the activities will be based on passive learning where the players acquire skills without direct instruction. At the end of each session the Coaches will divide up players into small groups for games 3 versus 3 with no goal keepers. The focus here is a fun match using the skills learned and providing the opportunity for success.
It is key that the parents see the matches as a fun activity and not a game to be won. Cheer all the players successes and efforts. There will be lots of photo opportunities, goals, breakaways, shots, smiles and high fives. Active Start- Parent Support If you are interested in participating in the program on the pitch the Coaches will assist you in the program and techniques. The key is to promote a fun environment, learning and love of the game. You may have game experience or know nothing; we will assist you in proper formats for this program. For some children this will be their first exposure to a sport program in a group setting and they might be challenged by the numbers and space. Please come out and work on the field with the Coaches and your child to aid in the transition. Many parents grew up in sport environments which were game-based leagues where the focus was on winning. These parents may find the LTPD pathways difficult to adjust to; we understand. Please allow your child to experience the game introduction in a manner which will allow them to develop at a normal rate for their age and have fun in their successes. Long term player development is based on a volume of sport science and is coming to every sport organization in the country. Soccer nations around the world have embraced a playercentric development system based on skills, fitness and small-sided games for years. Be positive and encourage your child to have fun on the field; make coming to the park a great experience. Active Start- Key Dates U6 These are the key dates that you need for the Active Start Program 2012 for the U6 Program: Tuesday Night U6 Girls Program First session Tues May 29 th Opening Day Celebration Saturday June 9 Photo Day June 22 Last Session Tues August 28 Monday Night U6 Boys Program First session Mon May 28 th Opening Day Celebration Saturday June 9 Photo Day June 22 Last Session Mon August 27 Thursday Night U6 Boys Program First session Thurs May 31 th Opening Day Celebration Saturday June 9 Active Photo Day Start- Communications June 22 Last Session Communication is a two-way process. Yelling, waving your arms wildly Thurs August 30th Active Start- Communications We encourage your questions and communications. The BWSC website has up-to-date information on programs and details. You can also follow us on Facebook; the link is on the website. For the latest information on events and field closures follow us on Twitter.
If you have a question of concernn for the Coaches try to speak with them before the session starts or afterwards. During the first. session the Coach is focused on the children and program If you wish to speak with a Club representative, the Convener or another Club representative is generally available. If you cannot speak with someone on site here are contact details for our team. Contact Active Start Convener House League Director Club Head Coach Billy McKenna Office Administrator Telephone 905-857-6226 905-857-6226 e-mail asconvener@bwsc.ca vprecreational@bwsc.ca headcoach@bwsc.ca office@bwsc.ca Resourcess If you want to learn more about our programs, the Club or materials available on the following sites: soccer in general there great BWSC website Peel Halton Soccer Association Ontario Soccer Association Canada Sport 4 Life www.bwsc.ca www.peelhaltonsoccer.com www.ontariosoccer.net www.canadiansportforlife.ca CLUB SPONSORSS BWSC members of: Affiliated with: