Information for Parents
Important note to parents: Please drop off and pick up your child on time for all practices and games. All the coaches for FYS are volunteers and it is not fair to make them wait at the field later than they need to. Thanks.
FYS offers soccer programs in the fall and the spring. The fall season begins the soccer ‘year’. The age groups are determined by the state youth soccer association (MYSA). If a player is to move up in age groups, it will first happen in the fall program. All players are expected to play in their age group. They can never play ‘down’ a level.
Our FYS Academy includes Little Strikers, U6 and U8 programs, and all FYS Academy sessions are held at Lower Magnolia Fields in Gloucester. The U10, U12, U14, U16, U18 and U19 teams are traveling teams which participate in the Essex County Youth Soccer League (ECYSA). Half of the travel team games are played at home and half are played away, which could be any where in Essex County.
FYS Academy t-shirts are included in the fee. For all U10 and above traveling teams, players are responsible for purchasing their own FYS uniforms prior to the season's first game. Traveling team uniforms consist of a shirt, shorts and socks and are purchased online after registration.
For the travel teams, the level of competition is determined by the team's strength. U12 and up teams have Division 1, 2 and 3 (with Division 1 being the most competitive teams). This is created to best establish good competition during the games. If a team is losing or winning by a large discrepancy in score, then there is no competition and the players are not learning anything constructive.
For the U12 and above travel teams: The Fall season is for fun, where all players should get a chance to try different positions. The Spring season could result in the team going to the Essex County playoffs, typically played at Pingree. The top 2 teams in each group go to the playoffs. Div. 1 and Div. 2 playoff winners go to the state tournament, sponsored by the Mass Youth Soccer Association and is played at the MYSA fields in Lancaster, MA.
FYS asks all parents and friends attending the games to cheer all good plays by both teams, to not be yelling instructions to the players on the field (that's the coach's job to teach them what to do) and to be good sports and respect all players and referees on the field (this means no yelling at players or at referees). To help facilitate this, all non team members must stand on the opposite side of the field from the team during the game. All parents and friends should know that spectator misconduct may result in game suspension, termination and eventual forfeiture (per FIFA Law V). FYS and Essex County Youth Soccer have a zero tolerance policy toward negative comments or threats towards players or referees on the field.
FYS is run by volunteers. All coaches and adult volunteers are required to complete a KidSafe application form prior to working with the children in the programs. The board encourages constructive solutions to problems. All coaches are expected to follow the Coach's Code of Conduct.
Additional coaches and volunteers are almost always needed so if you have time to give, please contact us.
A frequently asked question is why is registration so early. The reason is that FYS needs to submit team rosters to the county in early July for the Fall season and in early January for the spring season. We hold registration prior to the end of the previous season to allow us the time to coordinate a team selection process and then a data input period. Teams are then verified with the coaches and then submitted to the county.
