Sprint Select - Recruiting Guidelines

These guidelines help coaches understand what they can - or should - do for the recruiting of players to join their team for the Spring Select season.

Throughout these guidelines, a reference to the coach taking action means the person managing the team whether this is the Team Manager or the coach. It is the person communicating with the players' parents regarding commitments and decisions. And, this person is not always the coach.

Introduction

Visit the Spring Area Q Select versus Section 11 Spring Extra web page (click on the link) for an explanation of what Spring Select is and the differences between the program before reading these guidelines.

In general:

• Every team needs to be ready to decide what it plans on doing in the Spring two (2) or more months prior to the start of the season (which is usually the first Saturday in March). In other words, most coaches need to begin checking with the parents of players on their current team immediately after the holidays are over (if not earlier... many of the Extra teams ask about Spring commitments at the end of the Fall Season).
  For All-star teams, this could mean starting on this before the All-star season begins.
• Every team will have a need to replace players if they want to participate in Spring Select. 
• For some players who want to participate, soccer is a secondary sport and the coach might be missing players for games. 
• Some players leave soccer to focus on their primary Spring sport. And, 
• In the case of Under-11 and Under-12 teams, there is a need to add players since they will transition from playing with nine (9) players on the field (9v9) to eleven (11) players on the field (11v11).
• Every team needs to be ready to inform the Region of its plans for Spring four (4) to six (6) weeks prior to the start of the season. 
  For All-star teams, this means starting on this during the All-star season.
• Every team should have all of the player commitments and recruiting done four (4) weeks prior to the start of the season.

We have provided these guidelines to you (the coach) to inform you of the proper way of handling the recruiting of players for Spring Select.

Player "Rights"

The focus of AYSO is on the player. Therefore, Region 213 has established these guidelines to let parents and coaches know the players, ultimately, have "rights" where coaches have "recommendations." They are:

• Players have the right to leave the team for any reason (and the coach is not entitled to know the reason). Parents of players on the team must notify the coach once they have made the decision to leave. And, common courtesy suggests parents of players on the team be honest with their child's coach and notify (the coach) when they begin considering leaving the team.
• The coach cannot cut players from the team. If a team is going to continue playing into Spring Select, then all of the players currently on the team are entitled to continue with the team.
• If a team (the player is playing on) decides not to continue playing into the Spring Select season, then they will be the first players considered by the other teams (in an appropriate age division) continuing into Spring Select. Please note that this is not an obligation on the coach to accept or "take" these players first -- it is only a requirement they be considered by the coaches of the appropriate age division Spring Select teams.

Coach-to-coach Courtesy and Recommendations

There are lots of problems, traps and issues where a coach might get into trouble if they are not considerate of other coaches in the gender/age/division in which they participate. These guidelines, therefore, set out a way for coaches to best work together for the benefit of the players, the teams and the Region.

• Coaches shall NOT contact or recruit players who are currently on the roster of another AYSO team!
• The players "rights" entitle them to leave the team they are currently on for any reason as long as they notify their coach they intend to leave. Once they have given notice, other coaches are free to contact them to recruit them to their team. As a courtesy, coaches trying to recruit players shall contact the player's current coach and indicate they would like to recruit the player BEFORE making contact with the player's parents.
• Coaches shall not "scout" other AYSO teams for players unless they get permission from the coach first.