Dear Norcal Reps, Managers, Coaching Directors, Coaches and others,

I am sending this memo to all of my contacts with the 125 Clubs now registered in Norcal and to all of the teams registered in the Norcal Spring League. Please discuss the contents with your Club coaches, managers and others, especially helping new members “learn the ropes”. If you are no longer involved, please pass this along to the pertinent person(s).  If you are a new or smaller Club, and need further assistance, please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .               

This year, we begin our Spring season with the  new website operating and our data bank available to ease communications. Furthermore, we have another years experience from which we learned many lessons.

We have used that experience to make some changes in procedure that will help alleviate some of the problems that occurred in 2006. Please discuss these changes with your Club members so that they do not plead “ignorance” as an excuse for ignoring the new “rules of play”.

I will itemize and explain the major changes – always made to increase the quality of our League to match the quality of many of our teams. All of these items can also be found on the Norcal website:                      

Striving for Quality:               

Many of the highest quality players in Northern California play in Norcal.  We know they will benefit from a League that strives to promote the highest quality of coaching, managing, refereeing, sportsmanship, fields, and general organization. We compliment the many Clubs that are making serious efforts to reach higher levels in these areas and will offer any help to Clubs wishing to begin that never ending journey towards excellence.                

Quality of fields:                 

It is not considerate, and not in the best interest of our League, to have high quality and serious teams travel up to 200 miles and then be expected  to play soccer on a sub-standard field.               

Your team or Club must have enough high quality fields available (minimum one field for each 8 teams entered) to guarantee that your home games will be played on decent fields. To ease field problems, as much as possible, Norcal will try to schedule games so that about half of your teams will always be away on any given day.               

This year, Norcal will accept “protests” based on poor fields, and if investigation reveals the field was sub-par -  will consider awarding a forfeit to the traveling team.                

Quality of Referees:               

Almost 30 years ago, a major German youth coach  told an American player and his fellow campers who were complaining about poor referees, that when he and his fellow players became better players, they would have better referees. I think we now have a lot of those better players and they deserve the best refereeing available. Please take those extra steps needed to provide the best referees available in your area.                

Team Managers:               

Last year, Norcal benefited from the hard work and dedication of literally hundreds of Team Managers.  They  are essential  to the smooth operation of a League of this type. Every team needs a Team Manager who understands the importance of working  cooperatively to reach decisions helpful to and considerate of the other teams.

Communicating:               

Last year, many managers traveled the extra mile to communicate with teams that did not respond. This caused a lot of uncertainty and extra work for the mostly diligent teams. At the time, Norcal decided that because at least some of the problems were caused by the website switchover, they would not “sanction” the non-responding teams.  That will not be the case during the 2007 season. Scheduling of Games:               

Last year, under the most difficult circumstances, some managers had their schedules virtually completed before their first game. Other teams caused problems throughout the season due to poor communications.  Following the example of the exemplary managers of last year, we have instituted a time-line for scheduling that must be followed.               

Learning from the successes of last year, Norcal does not want “one person” scheduling all of the Club games without input from both the home and away teams. A few phone calls or emails between team managers can create schedules that meet at least some of the needs of our busy Norcal coaches. The blanket approach  is appropriate for “home leagues”, but not for a League with teams traveling long distances and an organization  that needs and stresses cooperation between Clubs. The scheduling time line will be sent to you before the season begins.            

Doubleheaders:               

The scheduling of doubleheaders requires special attention, cooperation and consideration. To enable home teams to have the flexibility to arrange “considerate”  schedules for teams traveling up to 200 miles, Norcal asks that these games be scheduled before any others. The ideal times for doubleheader games is no earlier  than 10am and no later than 2 or 3pm. This avoids having teams feel the need, as happened last year, to stay in expensive motels for 8am or 5pm games.                

Parent Behavior:               

All of us deeply involved in youth soccer know that the “common stories” concerning the amount of poor behavior on the part of parents and coaches are huge exaggerations. The great majority of parents are sensitive to the feelings of the players and the reputation of our sport in general. That said, even one unseemly incident is one too many, and continuing problems should not be tolerated.               

We ask that all adults in our Clubs be proactively involved in discussions and policies that eliminate any behaviors that are destructive to the highest ideals of our wonderful sport. The banning of parents from games is obviously a final and extreme step, but that last resort has been effectively employed by coaches and Clubs in the past.                

Player Behavior:               

Overall, the sportsmanship at Norcal games has been excellent! However, there have been isolated examples of  foul and abusive language and even violence. Norcal is very concerned about foul and abusive language because it is well established that when it is tolerated  - the next step is often violence.               

The collective reputation of Norcal, our 125 Norcal Clubs, hundreds of teams, thousands of players and many thousands of parents and fans is more important than any small group of players. It is important that players have the self control and discipline to match their soccer skills.               

Norcal will not tolerate players who exhibit a lack of self control and discipline with displays of foul and abusive language or violence.               

All games with reports of foul and abusive language and/or violence will be investigated and strong action taken against the offending players.               

Parents and coaches should feel free to directly report any actions by players that bring discredit to our sport. You may rest assured that your report will be appreciated and investigated.