Are you a RETURNING USA PLAYER? Register today to return for the 2020/21 competition year. Follow the simple process outlined.
USA Families,
First, we hope that this message finds your families doing well ... a spring without soccer is tough, but we hope you are all healthy. Second, we want to thank you again for being part of the USA Family - we have a very strong and stable soccer club ... it is owed, in large part, to the time, energy, loyalty, and trust shown by you!
As we shared on May 4th, there is an entirely different approach to tryouts and team formation for next year. There are no 'in person' tryouts and teams will be formed based on returning players and any new players that may wish to join the USA Family. As with so much of our approach to things these days, we must all adjust and cooperate to achieve success. This being the case, we want to share an overview of the approach, highlight some of the special points that you need to know, and underline the action items that we need from you.
So here we go ... there is a lot in this email so please read through it ... I have color coded things to help outline the key points (I hope it helps).
GENERAL INFORMATION
- This email is coming directly from the Club operation staff through your coach to help ensure a unified message and reduce the chance for misinterpretation. Although the message is crafted by the Club, your team coach is the main line of communication for all the future steps. That being said, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Bruce Lane at operations@usasoccerholland.com directly.
- Starting things out right for next year starts with getting our teams organized and our players registered in a timely manner. Please stay posted for emails from your coach and the Club. Please respond to the requests for information and action items within the given deadlines. This odd tryout season demands short deadlines in order to get organized and ultimately back on the field as soon as possible.
- To help ease financial strains, we are keeping the same fee structure as last year with zero increases! The table with the age group/team fees is posted on the Club website. Remember, if you chose to have your Spring Season Refund applied to next year, the Club fees will be further reduced by that amount.
- To further help financially, we are going to keep our uniforms for another year! This year was to be a new uniform year, but we will be pushing that off until the 2021/22 year. Uniform pieces (and full kits) should be available for those that 'sized out' of their old uniforms and for new players. Availability may be limited from the manufacture but we will work through that as we face it ... we felt the savings is worth the potential challenges.
TEAM FORMATION AND ACTION ITEMS
Team formation will be completed without tryouts. Teams will be formed based on returning players last year's teams. It is our intent that ALL USA players will have a team next year ... we will try to ensure as much continuity from last year's team, too! It is expected that the core of each team will carry over however changes should also be expected in some cases.
- Teams that are moving onto larger fields (e.g., 7v7 going to 9v9) require larger rosters ... this will change team make up ... this is a normal process each year.
- To keep supporting player development, it may be appropriate to move players between teams to give them the best environment for growth ... this also a normal situation each year.
- Team composition may change based on the number of players that return for next year (i.e., if a player does not return, the team make up will change ... again, this is a normal situation.
- New players may join the Club ... another normal process.
To get the teams set, we need to know who's returning. We ask this every year for informational purposes - but this year EVERYTHING HINGES ON THIS INFORMATION. The first step toward rejoining a USA team is to let you coach know if you are returning (and some other bits of information).
ACTION ITEM 1) BY THIS SUNDAY, MAY 17, tell us what your plans are for next year. To make this happen we have set up a "tryout registration" page on our online registration system. Simply follow these steps and you will be all set. Please note: Everyone must respond. If coaches do not get your response by the deadline, they will be contacting you directly.
- go to the Club website at www.usasoccerholland.com
- locate the 'LOGIN' link in the upper right corner (not the 'register' link) of the home page
- log into your personal account (if you have issues please contact Bruce Lane at operations@usasoccerholland.com)
- that will take you to your account page where you should see your player(s) listed in the middle of the page
- next to their name you should see a blue link box with "2 programs available" - select that link
- that will take you to the Available Programs page where you will two programs: 1) Returning Players and 2) New Players - select the "Returning Players" link and click the "continue" link
- that will take you the registration form and the various questions that we ask you to answer.
- once you are done with that you will be all set!
- if you have issues, contact Bruce Lane at operations@usasoccerholland.com
ACTION ITEM 2) BY NEXT MONDAY, MAY 18, go to the GVSA website at www.gvsoccer.org and register your player for ' tryouts'. Yes, we know there are no tryouts but this is the first official step within the league for being on a team. Again, every player that wants to play USA Soccer next year must complete this step.
- go to www.gvsoccer.org.
- locate the "Tryout Registration" link in the middle of the home page
- select "USA Soccer Club" from the bottom (scroll down) of the drop down options
- select "register an existing player"
- complete the balance of the information
- once you are done with that you will be all set!
- if you have issues, contact Bruce Lane at operations@usasoccerholland.com
For those families that want to hear this information from Club operations staff, we are hosting a ZOOM video meeting THIS SATURDAY AT 10:00am. To join the meeting, please reference this information:
Topic: USA Parent Meeting
Time: May 16, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84954115480
Meeting ID: 849 5411 5480
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To help make the meeting more focused and efficient. If you have specific questions on your mind now ... please send them along to Bruce Lane at operations@usasoccerholland.com ahead of the meeting. We may not be able to answer all your team-specific questions (we won't know all the information until all the registrations are completed and coaches have a chance to meet) but we will do our best to help.
Over the course of the next several days after we get your information (after the 5/18 deadline), the coaches and club operations staff will start the process of team formation. Coaches from each age group will meet together (via online meetings) to organize teams based on the 'return commitments' made by each USA family. ON MONDAY, JUNE 1, COACHES WILL CONTACT FAMILIES TO EXTEND OFFERS FOR THE 2020/21 COMPETITION YEAR! Because communication will be flowing quickly, the offers for most players may be by email rather than phone calls. Once you get an offer for your player there are a few more steps needed to make it all official for the 2020/21 season.
ACTION ITEM 3) UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR TEAM OFFER ... SAY YES! We do hope that everyone will be back.
ACTION ITEM 4) BY TUESDAY, JUNE 2, COMPLETE THE GVSA REGISTRATION INVITATION. You will get this via email. Doing so will allow us to start team activities.
ACTION ITEM 5) BY THURSDAY, JUNE 4, COMPLETE THE USA ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCESS. Again, doing so will allow for team functions to start.
Making it through this timeline will get your player all set on a USA Squad! Beyond these steps, the only other team formation functions will be for players that are currently not part of USA to join. This will be completed on Saturday, June 13 for Premier teams and Monday, June 15 for select teams (boys and girls). New players will be considered for spots on the teams organized on 6/1 or new ones that may form. Not having tryouts will create team formation complexities. Without tryouts to see returning and new players together at the same time (and with the added challenge of the timing gap between the offers for returning players and those to new players), coaches will be in a position of forming teams without essential information. As such, the teams organized for the June 1 offers are likely to be partially formed. This will allow coaches the necessary flexibility to add new players or adjust the 6/1 rosters.
Although the need for roster adjustments will certainly be unsettling, it may be essential to ensure that each player is on a team to give them best opportunity to develop and grow. If roster adjustments are found to beneficial or necessary, it may be possible to have this completed based on players actually working out together as an age group. These age group workouts will likely occur after June 16 (based on compliance with league directives and state association guidelines) in small groups. The workouts will give age group coaches a chance to physically see the players individually and as small groups. This will provide the essential information this was lost without tryouts.
We hope that you will all make the decision to rejoin the USA Club for next year. We are excited to get our players and teams back together and back in THE GAME! We appreciate your rapid response to action items and coordination with your coaches. As always, if you have any questions please reach out to me directly.