CENTENNIAL SOCCER CLUB

CENTENNIAL SOCCER CLUB EVALUATION, AGE GROUP MANAGEMENT & TEAM FORMATION POLICY Version July 2013 This policy covers management of age groups, the operation and practices governing evaluations, and the formation of teams. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 OBJECTIVES... 3 1.1 GOAL OF THE POLICY... 3 1.2 GOVERNANCE... 4 1.2.1 Authority.... 4 1.2.2 Amendment.... 4 1.2.3 Notice... 4 1.2.4 Effective Date... 4 2 DEFINITIONS... 4 3 OPERATION OF EVALUATIONS... 5 3.1 EVALUATIONS... 5 3.1.1 Attendance... 5 3.1.2 Operation of Evaluations... 5 3.1.3 Exceptions to Attendance... 5 3.2 ANNUAL SCHEDULE... 5 3.3 APPROPRIATE AGE GROUP CLASSIFICATION... 5 3.3.1 Evaluating as a Play Up Participant... 6 3.3.2 Exceptions to Play Up Rule... 6 4 EVALUATION RESULTS AND TEAM ESTABLISHMENT... 6 4.1 COMPETITIVE LEVELS... 6 4.1.1 U09 and U10 Age Groups... 6 4.1.2 U11- U19 Age Groups... 6 4.1.3 Premier... 6 4.2 ROSTER SIZES AND NUMBER OF PLAYERS ASSIGNED... 7 4.3 ASSIGNMENT OF COMPETITIVE LEVEL... 7 4.3.1 U09 through U13... 7 4.3.1 U14 through U19... 7 4.4 TIMELINES FOR TEAM FORMATION... 7 4.5 GENERAL PROVISIONS... 8 5 AGE GROUP SPECIFIC COHORT AND TEAM MANGEMENT... 9 5.1 TEAM FORMATION FOR U09 & U10 PLAYERS AT MAROON AND GOLD LEVELS... 9 5.2 TEAM FORMATION FOR U11 PLAYERS AT C1, C2 & C3 LEVELS... 10 5.3 TEAM FORMATION FOR U12 PLAYERS AT C1, C2 & C3 LEVELS... 10 5.4 TEAM FORMATION FOR U13- U19 PLAYERS AT PREMIER, C1, C2 & C3 LEVELS... 11 CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 2

1 OBJECTIVES 1.1 GOAL OF THE POLICY The objective of this document is to meet the established philosophy of the Centennial Soccer Club (Centennial SC), which is to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth of youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition, and to provide policies around which the club can effectively and equitably form teams, manage and administer age groups of players, and provide for players participating at a level that best matches their skills and interests in the judgment of Club officials, evaluators and coaches. Centennial SC is a competitive soccer club, and the evaluation process assumes that all players want to play at the highest level for which they qualify. Centennial SC strives to manage age groups of players to provide for the widest array of competitive levels, to form teams across all age groups and genders of players wherever possible, to assign the most qualified coaches to each team, and to provide a system where Centennial SC coaches for the different age groups can work together to create an environment that will best benefit the players, parents, Centennial SC and the communities it serves. Centennial SC uses the term evaluation preferentially to the concept of tryout. Evaluation of players implies that the Club strives to accommodate all players with participation at their appropriate level of skill and interest. Tryout implies an environment where participants may or may not be selected for a particular team. Centennial SC is interested primarily in managing age groups to provide the best possible learning and development environment for players, and secondarily to the success of individual teams within the competitive level at which they play. The intent of this policy is to provide the Club, its members and prospective members with a process that: Maximizes the Club s potential of meeting the objectives listed above; Sets clear expectations for players and parents regarding the process of team formation and age group management; Promotes and advertises the evaluation process to the soccer community via public media to maximize community and regional knowledge of Centennial SC programs; Provides the logistical and operational support for the evaluation process; and Provides the Centennial SC Board, Technical Committee and coaches with tools to evaluate the player pool for appropriate placement and ongoing management. This policy applies to the U9- U19 teams playing in the Soccer Year as defined by the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) and US Youth Soccer (USYS), namely, the period commencing September 1 of a given year and going through August 31 of the following calendar year. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 3

1.2 GOVERNANCE 1.2.1 Authority This policy shall be administered by the Technical Committee, which shall have final authority over all aspects of interpretation, enforcement and application of the Policy, including appeals. All decisions of the Technical Committee shall be final, subject to the provisions of the Centennial SC Grievance Policy. 1.2.2 Amendment The Technical Committee shall have the power to amend this document through the normal operation of the Committee. 1.2.3 Notice This document, in its most current form, shall be kept available to the Membership and public at large by keeping it on the Club website. Members shall be notified of changes to this policy by announcement posted on the website whenever such are adopted. 1.2.4 Effective Date This document is effective as of July 22, 2013. 2 DEFINITIONS Competitive Level Evaluations Evaluator Guest Player Play- Up Player Ranking Soccer Year The level of play within a given age group as defined by MYSA, USYS or a similar governing organization sponsoring a particular game. Examples include Maroon, Gold, Classic One, Classic Two, Classic Three, Premier and similar designations. A series of monitored activities guided by Centennial SC that allows Club- selected evaluators to rank prospective players by skill, ability and engagement for the purpose of allocating them to teams of players as similarly ranked as possible. An adult individual selected by the Technical Committee and/or the Director of Coaching to observe prospective players participating in evaluations in order to rank them. Evaluators may be coaches, Club officials, trainers, or outside parties with appropriate skills, experience and ability to perform the duties as assigned. Evaluators may, or may not, be compensated for their efforts, at the discretion of the Technical Committee. A player who plays in a game for a team other than that on which he or she is formally rostered under MYSA rules. A player who is rostered to a team at an older age group than their natural, birth age cohort. The system designated by the Technical Committee and/or the Director of Coaching used to score the individual performance of a prospective player in comparison to her or his peers performing the same activities during an evaluation session. The annual cycle for youth soccer in Minnesota is established by the MYSA, commencing September 1 st of a given calendar year and ending August 31 st of the following year. This coincides with the fiscal year of Centennial SC. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 4

3 OPERATION OF EVALUATIONS 3.1 EVALUATIONS Evaluations are used for age group management and provide a foundation of data for the formation of all U9- U19 teams. 3.1.1 Attendance All players, regardless of skill level, shall attend all evaluation sessions designated for their age group in order to be selected for participation, except as expressly provided herein. 3.1.2 Operation of Evaluations Evaluations consist of a structured method for assessment of skills, physical ability, knowledge of the game, and psychological attitude toward play using a variety of individual and group activities, including, but not limited to, performance of specific skills, one- on- one and small- sided activities, scrimmage play, physical, conditional or biometric assessments, player interest interviews, and similar. One or more of the following conducts Evaluations: a) independent evaluators, b) coaches, and c) Club staff. Evaluation protocols and sessions are developed and overseen by the Director of Coaching and the Technical Committee. Players are ranked by ability, aptitude and interest during the evaluations, and those rankings are one component of the framework used to manage age groups and form teams. Coaches who may not be directly evaluating players are also encouraged to be present at all evaluation sessions for the age group in which they intend to coach for the upcoming season. Evaluations generally consist of at least two distinct evaluation sessions held on different days. This gives evaluators the ability to see participants across two different time periods, and provides a span of recovery and rest sufficient to allow for several hours of physically intense evaluation activity. 3.1.3 Exceptions to Attendance Players who do not attend evaluation sessions for their age group will be placed on a team at the lowest available competitive level, as space is available. If space allows, players who do not attend evaluation sessions for their age group may be placed on teams at higher competitive levels at the discretion of the Technical Committee. Players not present for evaluations may be asked to participate in other activities prior to team placement to enable Coaches or other officials to gauge appropriate placement. Such activities may include scheduled practices, training sessions or programs, or similar activities. Players that are unable to attend both evaluation sessions must notify the Technical Committee through their Age Group Director, in writing, prior to the start of the evaluations, provided they live in the area and would otherwise attend except for conditions as described in this section. 3.2 ANNUAL SCHEDULE Evaluations are generally held near the end of the Soccer Year, in the period between the end of competitive play of MYSA leagues and playoffs, and the beginning of the following Soccer Year. 3.3 APPROPRIATE AGE GROUP CLASSIFICATION Prospective players must attend evaluations for their natural age group. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 5

3.3.1 Evaluating as a Play Up Participant To be eligible as a play up player, the player in question must additionally attend all evaluation sessions for the age group in which that player intends to play up. Players seeking to play up shall register in the appropriate age group according to the MYSA birth year cutoff chart, as well as for the age group in which they intend to play up. Subject to restrictions outlined in this policy, players may register to play with an older age group. A participant may only play up on the highest- level team for the next age group, as noted in the MYSA birth year cut- off chart. In addition, for play up eligibility they must rank in the first 10 to 12 players (depending on age group as detailed herein) of that next higher age group. 3.3.2 Exceptions to Play Up Rule An exception to 3.3.1 shall be made for players born in the month of August. Players with August birthdays can play, at their discretion, with: a) Their school grade- mates, or b) In their natural age class However, participation is never permitted for a player below their natural age group according to the birth year cutoff chart. August birthdays playing with their grade- mates are not considered play up players. The Technical Committee must approve any other exception to this policy. 4 EVALUATION RESULTS AND TEAM ESTABLISHMENT 4.1 COMPETITIVE LEVELS Competitive levels defined by MYSA for league play are described below. Teams participating in non- MYSA activities, including such events as out- of- region tournaments, special non- sanctioned events, and the like, may find organizers of those activities using other classifications for competitive level. 4.1.1 U09 and U10 Age Groups MYSA defines the Maroon level for more experienced, skilled and/or motivated players. Maroon teams generally require a higher level of commitment, frequency of practice and play in the most competitive groups for their age. Gold level is for less experienced players, with attendant expectations for less competitive, more exploratory participation in the sport. 4.1.2 U11- U19 Age Groups MYSA defines three basic competitive levels for soccer play in its jurisdiction at U11 and above age groups. Classic 1 ( C1 ) level defined as a very competitive level. It requires a high level of commitment from each player. Classic 2 ( C2 ) is more competitive, and requires a significant level of commitment from each player. Classic 3 ( C3 ) levels are less competitive, and require a moderate level of commitment from each player. Players may register during open registration and still be placed on a C3 team. 4.1.3 Premier The Premier level is the highest competitive level offered in the State. It is available only at U14 and above age groups. Teams may not select to play premier level; it is available only through promotion by achieving a top- level winning record as defined by MYSA. Premier teams may regularly play outside of the State of Minnesota, including participation in leagues that may CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 6

require extensive travel at the regional and national level, and requires very significant investment of time and resources to achieve and maintain. 4.2 ROSTER SIZES AND NUMBER OF PLAYERS ASSIGNED Team roster sizes are regulated by MYSA and are defined as: U9 and U10 Maroon and Gold play 6v6 and can roster at minimum 8 players, at maximum 12. U11 and U12 C1, C2 and C3 play 8v8 and can roster a minimum of 10 players, a maximum 14. U13 - U19 Premier, C1, C2 and C3 play 11v11 and can roster a maximum of 18 players. During the formation process, Premier and C1 teams are the only teams that can generally be assured of a roster consisting of less than 18 players, should the coaching staff so choose. Centennial SC manages age groups and makes every effort to provide a place to play for all players that register with the Club. The Club retains the sole and exclusive right to manage all team roster sizes. Teams can only be established if there are enough players in a gender, ability and age group or combination of two consecutive age groups to form a team. On an exceptional basis, and pursuant to MYSA Rule 4.2.2.2, the Club President may grant over roster waivers for a maximum of two players per team at the lowest level team of the age group. MYSA rules do not allow over- rostering teams at the Premier or C1 levels. 4.3 ASSIGNMENT OF COMPETITIVE LEVEL 4.3.1 U09 through U13 In U09 through U13 age groups teams may self- select the competitive level at which they will participate. Coaches, the Director of Coaching and the Technical Committee will determine the competitive level appropriate for each team based on evaluations results, experience with other district teams in the same age group, desire and level of commitment of the team, and similar factors. 4.3.1 U14 through U19 In U14 through U19 age groups, MYSA determines the level of team play based on its system of promotion and relegation. These rules consider league standing and competitive results from the previous summer season. Newly formed teams begin at the C3 level and must earn their way to higher competitive levels, should they so choose and meet the success criteria. Appeals for changes to a team promotion or relegation status are very rarely granted by MYSA. 4.4 TIMELINES FOR TEAM FORMATION The Technical Committee sets the annual timelines and date milestones for the evaluation and team formation process. In general terms, the following milestones guide the process: Evaluation Schedules will be set in accordance with MYSA and MSHSL parameters for the next summer season for ages U9 - U19, generally by late spring. Applications for intent to coach are due and are submitted to the Director of Coaching by early July. The Technical Committee, prior to the end of the competitive season, will approve any changes or modifications to this Evaluation Policy. Evaluations are held between the end of the competitive season playoffs and the beginning of the following Soccer Year. The exception to this may be the U09 and U10 age groups, who do not have playoffs due to the non- competitive nature of the cohorts. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 7

Players placed on the highest- level team in their age group will be notified of placement as soon as possible after formation is completely, generally within three (3) weeks from the end of the evaluation process. Player acceptance on the highest- level team must be complete before assignment of the remaining players can be made. Those players will be notified by playing level, sequentially, after the next highest level team has been formed. Post Evaluation following the completion of team formation, the Technical Committee will solicit feedback from the membership and assess potential changes to the process/policy. The Technical Committee will set the next year evaluation schedule prior to the start of the preceding season (normally prior to May). 4.5 GENERAL PROVISIONS 4.5.1 Acceptance of Bids When communicating team level assignments, players will be given a deadline for acceptance of their team assignment. Players who do not accept within that deadline risk losing their position on that team. Those players will then be re- assigned to a lower level team. Registration forms will provide players a place to indicate the highest level they are willing to accept a position. Any player declining placement on the highest level team will only be placed on the next lowest level team of their age group at the discretion of the Technical Committee, and as space allows. 4.5.2 Requests for Exceptions Requests for exceptions to this policy shall be presented to the Technical Committee by parental letter or a written coach request. 4.5.3 Player Rankings Player rankings for team formation will be based upon the weighted results of the evaluators and the player evaluations from the prior season s coaches (if available). The evaluator results will account for 90% of the ranking figure, and the coaches evaluations will account for 10% of the ranking. Evaluator results will account for 100% of the ranking in the absence of player evaluations from the prior season s coach. 4.5.4 Placement Changes During a Soccer Year Centennial SC places primary emphasis on development of individual players and the age group as a whole. The Club generally gives weight to ensuring all players have playing and development opportunities concomitant with their ongoing ability, skills and interests. Player and age group development decisions may sometimes outweigh those of an individual team. It is common and expected that players may be moved between competitive levels and teams as their interests, skills and abilities naturally change throughout their youth playing career, and even within a particular Soccer Year. Evaluations provide an important source of information upon which teams are formed, but the processes is not the sole criteria for managing cohorts of players, nor are the results of an individual player in the brief evaluation period necessarily fully representative of their abilities in relation to their peers in the cohort, or in real game situations. Evaluation results present a framework for initial placement. Players are placed on teams as a result of the evaluation process provisionally and all placement decisions are subject to change and re- alignment as may be CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 8

required to achieve stable age groups, adapt to roster additions or losses, changes in response to injury, or other factors and circumstances. In a competitive soccer environment, it is expected that players placed on higher level teams will work diligently to maintain their position, and players placed on lower level teams will work hard to progress and move to more competitive teams as their skills and abilities develop. CENTENNIAL SC RESERVES THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO MANAGE PLAYER PLACEMENT ON TEAMS AS WELL AS TO MOVE PLAYERS AT ANY TIME TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL AGE GROUP MANAGEMENT, RESPECTING THE MYSA AND USYS RULES REGARDING LOCKING OF ROSTERS FOR PARTICULAR COMPETITIVE SEASONS. 4.5.5 Aligning Natural Age Groups Centennial SC policy is to form individual teams by age group, ability and gender when sufficient players register to permit formation in this manner. However, should the Technical Committee determine that there might not be enough players to create individual teams by the desired criteria, the Committee shall work with coaches to determine appropriate solutions, including forming teams of mixed age pursuant to MYSA and USYS requirements. 4.5.6 Transition Considerations Between Soccer Years For teams in age groups younger than High School (generally U09 through U13), teams formed during the evaluation period for the subsequent coming Soccer Year have the first priority for formation for the upcoming fall season. Alignment of players to teams for the fall season will be agreed upon by the Technical Committee in consultation with the coaches for the given age group. 4.5.7 Deadlines for Payment and Final Registration Players who attend evaluations but are not registered and paid by the deadlines posted at online registration will forfeit their placement on a team if a waiting list exists for that team. Players on the wait list will be placed on teams in order based upon the posting date of their paid registration. 5 AGE GROUP SPECIFIC COHORT AND TEAM MANGEMENT 5.1 TEAM FORMATION FOR U09 & U10 PLAYERS AT MAROON AND GOLD LEVELS Centennial SC will form balanced Gold level teams at U09 and U10. Maroon level teams may be formed at U09 and U10 if, in the judgment of the Club, the skill and interest levels at those age groups warrant such. Players are strongly encouraged to attend evaluations to form these teams. A player shall attend all evaluation sessions to be selected for a Maroon level team. At U10, those players not selected for a Maroon level team will be placed onto a Gold level team. A Maroon team will be formed from the 9 players ranking highest in evaluations. If the results determine that the skill level at the U10 level is adequate to support two Maroon teams, then two teams may be formed by balancing the, subject to the approval of the Technical Committee. A player wanting to play up may attend evaluation session for the highest level team at the next age group, must finish in the top 10 of the evaluation rankings, per team. The Maroon coach may then coach pick 1 or 2 players from the group who attended evaluations to achieve appropriate roster size up to the allowable maximum of 12. Coach picks may not include play up players. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 9

Players not assigned to a Maroon team will be distributed equally based upon player ranking between Gold teams by the Technical Committee (this may either be done by the Technical Committee directly or by coaches). Adjustments to Gold teams may be made to accommodate coaching assignments and siblings. Historically, U09 players are generally late to sign up for programs because of the perception of soccer being a summer sport, and younger players may not be oriented toward the Club s year- round activity schedule. Because of this, Centennial SC may delay forming or finalizing these teams until late January to ensure consistent roster sizes. Centennial SC reserves the right to reform/rebalance teams in this age group if MYSA changes the competitive level alignment in the Club s district. Specifically, this may occur if MYSA determines that there are not sufficient teams registered at the Maroon level in the district to support a competitive league rules that all teams must be registered as Gold. The Technical Committee will then set the final roster sizes based on the number of players registered at this age group. 5.2 TEAM FORMATION FOR U11 PLAYERS AT C1, C2 & C3 LEVELS The 10 highest- ranked players from evaluations are automatically placed on the highest level U11 team. Subject to approval by the Technical Committee, if the evaluation results determine that the skill level in the U11 cohort is sufficient to support two C1 or C2 teams, then there may be two such teams formed. In that case, teams may be by either a) balanced, or b) tiered by distributing players appropriately from among the top 22 to 28 players. A player wanting to play up for the highest- level team must finish in the top 10 of the evaluation rankings. No more than two play- up players are permitted on the top U11 team. The C1 coach (or C2 coach if no C1 team exists) may then coach pick up to 3 players from the ranked evaluation results, depending on how many she/he chooses to carry on the roster. Should it be determined that the top- level team at the U11 level should have 14 players then the technical committee shall make the final selection from the evaluation results. The maximum roster size is 14. Coach picked players may not include play up players. The Technical Committee will place players that are not selected for the highest- level team on the next level team(s) based on their ranking by the evaluators. The Technical Committee will form the initial roster with the next 10 highest ranked players, allowing the coach 1-3 picks from the remaining players. This does not apply to C3 level teams. C3 level teams will be balanced based upon evaluation results. The Technical Committee will set the final roster sizes based on the number of players registered at this age group. 5.3 TEAM FORMATION FOR U12 PLAYERS AT C1, C2 & C3 LEVELS The five players with highest evaluation rankings, who were on the previous year's U11 highest- level team roster, are automatically assigned to the highest- level U12 team, regardless of their relative score when seeking placement in the U12 age group. This ensures the core group returning and rewards their efforts from the previous year s season. If the evaluation results determine that the skill level at the U12 level is adequate to support two C1 or C2 teams, then they may be formed as either balanced or tiered teams by distribution of the top 22 to 28 players. The next five highest- ranking players from current year s evaluation are assigned to the highest- level U12 team, regardless of their competitive placement during the previous U11 year. A player wanting to play up and trying out for the highest- level team, must finish in the top 10 of the evaluation rankings (only two play- up players will be permitted). However, carryover from the previous year takes precedence over the two- player play- up limit. Consequently, a team may end up with more than two play- up players rostered, in the case where one or more players in the top five that automatically carry over are play- ups, and in CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 10

addition, one or more of the next five highest- ranking players from the current year evaluation are also play- up players. The C1 coach (or C2 coach if no C1 team exists) may then coach pick up to 3 players from the ranked evaluation results, depending on how many she/he chooses to carry on the roster. Should it be determined that the top- level team at the U12 level should have 14 players then the technical committee shall make the final selection from the evaluation results. The maximum roster size is 14. Coach picked players may not include play up players. The Technical Committee will place players that are not selected for the highest- level team on the next level team(s) based on their ranking by the evaluators. The Technical Committee will form the initial roster with the next 10 highest ranked players, allowing the coach 1-3 picks from the remaining players. This does not apply to C3 level teams. C3 level teams will be balanced based upon evaluation results. The Technical Committee will set the final roster sizes based on the number of players registered at this age group. 5.4 TEAM FORMATION FOR U13- U19 PLAYERS AT PREMIER, C1, C2 & C3 LEVELS The six players with the highest evaluation rankings, who were on the previous year's team at the highest competitive level, automatically make the team regardless of their relative score. The highest- level team is determined by league standings and MYSA promotion and relegation rules. The next five highest- ranking players from evaluation make the highest- level team whether or not they were on the team at the highest competitive level the previous year. A player wanting to play up and trying out for the highest- level team must finish in the top 11 on the ranked evaluation list (only two play- up players will be permitted). The coach of the top level team will then coach pick up to seven players from the evaluation ranking list, depending on the roster size she/he chooses to carry, up to a maximum roster size of 18. Coach picks may not include play- up players. Players not qualifying for the highest- level team at U13- U19 will be placed on the next level team(s), in succession through the competitive levels available, based on their ranking by the Technical Committee. The Technical Committee will form the initial roster with the next 11 highest ranked players, allowing the coach up to 7 picks from the remaining players. This does not apply to C3 level teams. C3 level teams will be balanced based upon evaluation results. The Technical Committee will set the final roster sizes based on the number of players registered at this age group. The Technical Committee may elect to waive the Evaluations requirement for U18 and U19 teams based on the level of interest, number of expected participants and similar requirements that post- high school players uniquely may face that are not applicable to younger age groups. CENTENNIAL SC Evaluation Policy v1 20130722 Page 11