We maintain the Canada Soccer—Quality Soccer Program qualification. This means that we are a standards-based program and uphold the values and protocols of our governing bodies (Ontario Soccer and Canada Soccer). Not all local clubs do, so some of you will be accustomed to different experiences with team sizes, fields, rules, etc.

I like open communication (after week 2! LOL - Sometimes start-ups are messier than we like). If you're unhappy or confused, it's usually something one of us doesn't understand. I want to sort things out. The last thing I want is you sitting there wondering, "Why am I seeing what I am seeing"?

I will try and outline some points that have come up in the past below, but if I miss something, sixteen weeks is a long time to bite your tongue. Please email me for an appointment or flag me down at the field! I am a self-proclaimed professional soccer mom. I love to share & talk about youth soccer! 

Soccer Mom Hack #3: Tell them their Field

Check your PowerUp app for their Field Name while waiting for them to return to the car with their missing shin pad. Because there are Games, the field (inside the field) name can change weekly. We have clues to help them independently find their team - IF they know the field # to go to before they get out of the car. It will look like Field 5 C or 6 A.

Soccer Mom Hack #4: Pick a Meeting Spot

Pick a designated spot to meet them after the game. We are trying to get everyone out of the field, and having you come in to get your daughter will slow that process.

Soccer Mom Hack #5: Greet them with a Snack!

When they're done, greet them with a snack! Bananas & chocolate milk are great Recovery choices, but something to help them gas up will likely make for a happier kid by the time you get out of the car again at home

Soccer Mom Hack #6: TBD

...to be continued.

⏳Timing. It's essential to Indoor programs:

Rushing out the door at the last minute, fighting with your player to simultaneously eat, find their shin pads from last week, and get in the car every week doesn't work. I know we all have Things, and I respect that (Honest! I raised kids via Sport, too. It's why I'm so familiar with the toll it takes on Family). 

The pressure associated with all that rushing can make it harder for us on the field, too. Sometimes they're too sad or mad to enjoy our time. I have also seen it make a kid hate Soccer because they associate it with the frustration or pain of getting there. 

Trains happen during our Indoor season. Anyone coming from the North can be halted by up to 2 trains. I usually use the Adelaide Bridge to cross the one closest to the BMO Centre, then turn left onto Little Simcoe Street, and left again onto Rectory St., then left into the parking lot. It's a lot of lefts but it avoids the train just north of the BMO Centre driveway altogether!

Please have them ready to run on time. Arriving in snow boots at the start time uses up our warm-up time, where they could get up to 100 touches on the ball or, worse, the feeling of inclusion—something sports science has now identified as one of the major values for girls in sport. Cite Keeping Girls in Sport

Fianlly, like other humans, some of our staff excel at leadership but struggle with organization. Some are developing leadership skills & shrink when confronted by authority figures, but they are well-organized. They are all eager to spend time with your girls & they are all humans. Please help me "Catch Them Being Good."

Yours in Soccer,
Jenn
Soccer-Mom