To all Club and League Administrators, Team Coaches and Managers:

During its Annual General Meeting (AGM) Weekend, the New York State West Youth Soccer Association (NYSWYSA) hosts an Annual Award’s Banquet to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves for their exemplary voluntary contributions to the youth soccer community.

Listed below are the annual awards that are available:
– Administrator of the Year
– Volunteer of the Year
– Boys’ Recreation Coach of the Year
– Girls’ Recreation Coach of the Year
– Boys’ Competitive Coach of the Year
– Girls’ Competitive Coach of the Year

The NYSWYSA Board of Directors (BOD) was pleased that twenty two nominations were received last year and five of the six available awards were presented at last year’s banquet. Disappointingly, a Boys’ Recreation Coach of the Year was not nominated or recognized, but the BOD knows full well that every year there are deserving people for all six of these awards. In as much as there were multiple nominations in most categories, many excellent candidates that were submitted could not be recognized. Therefore, it is strongly encouraged that the applications for these candidates be updated and resubmitted for further consideration.

As the current NYSWYSA Award’s Committee Chairman, I “champion” these awards. In that capacity, I am personally contacting all of you requesting your help in advertising and promoting the aforementioned awards within your organizations in any and all ways at your disposal. Please utilize distribution lists and any other method that you have to disseminate this communication and the information about these awards. I am trying to reach out to and contact as many people as possible including not only club and league administrators, coaches, managers and players, but their family members as well. Please feel free to contact me if there is anything that I can do to assist you in this regard.

Now that we are well into the 2013 season it is time to start thinking about these awards. It is never too early to watch for and identify potential candidates. Please don’t wait until the end of the season when it may be too late to do so or you are unable find the time to submit a nomination form. The deadline for submission of nominations is August 15th. All of the applicable nominating forms can be found on and downloaded from the NYSWYSA Website (nyswysa.org). For your further consideration, on the NYSWYSA Website there is also a nominations form for special recognition of candidates for induction into the NYSWYSA Hall of Fame.

It is my prime objective and that of the rest of the BOD to present all six of the aforementioned awards to deserving recipients at the Annual Awards’ Banquet on November 9, 2013. Please help us to achieve this goal. The BOD would like to ensure recognition of special individuals from our soccer community for their efforts and significant contributions to the youth participants and the game of soccer. However, it is only you that can make this possible and any suggestions you may have to achieve that end will certainly be welcome.

Thanks and serving you in soccer,
Roger J. Best
NYSWYSA Awards “Champion” & Committee Chairman
NYSWYSA Nominating Committee Chairman
Rochester District Commissioner/NYSWYSA
 

The Centennial celebration will continue throughout the year at all Men’s and Women’s games, including the MNT’s four remaining FIFA World Cup home qualifying matches in Seattle (June 11), Salt Lake City (June 18), Columbus (Sept. 10) and Kansas City (Oct. 11). 

NYSW will pay for up to two hours of design time (so you can customize the text for your club, the samples have “nonsense placeholder text” you would replace with your copy). We will also pay for shipping of all printed materials to your club.  You just pay to print the pieces you need to inform your community. There are several designs to choose from for yard signs, a brochure you can fill will your club’s unique copy, complementing Newspaper print ads, and posters for store windows and bulletin boards.   We have attempted to find the best printing costs, if you have a local printer that will donate the printing, our artist will work with them to produce the materials.

8.5 x 11 Trifold Full Color Brochures on 65# cover             Newspaper Advertisement

100         $ 72.50                                                                   free design - your cost to place

11x17 or Smaller Posters

Yard Signs 18X24 with stakes full                               Yard Signs 18X24 with stakes full color,

color, one sided (based on lots of 10)                           two-sided (based on lots of 10)

200         $6.95 ea                                                               $  9.50 ea   

Part 2 - Best Practices for Coaching Soccer in the United States

These are large PDF files - please be patient when downloading.

US Youth Soccer Concussion Resources 

US Youth Soccer Concussion Procedure and Protocol

US Youth Soccer Concussion Notification Form

Crucial Concussion Evaluation Info for Coaches
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.

How should a coach evaluate a young athlete for a possible concussion?

The key word in that first sentence is “possible,” meaning that a coach who is not medically trained should not make the definitive diagnosis of a concussion. Your job is to assess the athlete and determine whether you suspect a concussion, remove that athlete from play, and send the athlete for evaluation by a medical professional trained in sports concussion management.

I highly recommend the Pocket SCAT2 concussion assessment tool, which you can download HERE <http://www.sportconcussionlibrary.com/content/concussion-information-coaches-and-first-responders-trainerstherapists> , under the heading "Assessment Tools."

If your athlete has taken contact and has any one of the features noted on the card you should suspect a concussion and remove the athlete from play:

SYMPTOMS:
 * Loss of consciousness
 * Seizure or convulsion
 * Amnesia
 * Headache
 * “Pressure in head”
 * Neck Pain
 * Nausea or vomiting
 * Dizziness
 * Blurred vision
 * Balance problems
 * Sensitivity to light
 * Sensitivity to noise
 * Feeling slowed down
 * Feeling like “in a fog“
 * “Don’t feel right”
 * Difficulty concentrating
 * Difficulty remembering
 * Fatigue or low energy
 * Confusion
 * Drowsiness
 * More emotional
 * Irritability
 * Sadness
 * Nervous or anxious

The downloads available at the Sports Concussion Library <http://www.sportconcussionlibrary.com/content/concussion-information-coaches-and-first-responders-trainerstherapists>  offer more detailed information, and should be studied by coaches.

If the athlete is unconscious, do not move, shake, or attempt to rouse the athlete. Call for emergency medical transportation immediately. Stay with the athlete until help arrives. If the athlete is unconscious it is a medical emergency.

As our knowledge about concussion has improved it’s clear to us that the definition of concussion needs to change. Long gone are the days when an athlete needed to be knocked unconscious or close to unconscious before it was deemed a concussion.

We know now that even a headache that happens after contact to the player’s head, player’s body, or by the ground to the player’s body can be an early indicator of a concussion. Essentially, the definition of concussion is quite a bit broader than it once was.

What that means for the coach is that there are going to be a lot more suspected concussions. It means that you’ll likely deal with situations where you’ll ask yourself questions such as “it’s just a headache, do I really have to hold this player out after something like that?”

My advice to you: yes, you need to hold that player out of practice or competition and the player should seek medical attention urgently.

Use your best judgment and be overly cautious.

The final phrasing on the SCAT2 card says what you need very clearly:

“Any athlete with a suspected concussion should be IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM PLAY, urgently assessed medically, should not be left alone and should not drive a motor vehicle.”

(Dr. Dev K. Mishra is the creator of the SidelineSportsDoc.com <http://sidelinesportsdoc.com/>  injury management program for coaches. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley. This article first appeared on SidelineSportsDoc.com <http://blog.sidelinesportsdoc.com/> .)

Purpose
This code of ethics has been developed by the NYSWYSA as a sample for clubs/leagues to adopt, support and enforce. The purpose of this code is to clarify and distinguish approved and accepted professional, ethical and moral behavior from that which is detrimental to the development of soccer within the NYSWYSA.

NY West has adopted this code to apply to all the coaches “employed” by the Association, and NYW strongly recommends that all of its member clubs/leagues, that do not currently have such a code of ethics, also adopt this code. The NYSWYSA requests that all clubs/leagues send a copy of their own code of ethics to the State Office or inform the office when they have adopted this code. NY West will hear any appeals that may come from clubs/leagues enforcing this code and will monitor its impact on the soccer environment. In the future NYW may approach the membership about making this code of ethics a required “minimum standard” for all clubs/leagues.

Policy
Coaching is a privilege offered and granted to individuals who perform capably during NYSWYSA sanctioned and affiliated associations’ activities. It carries with it an obligation for each individual coach to uphold and promote the stated goals and objectives. Any conduct considered unethical or a conflict of interest shall be subject to discipline by the club/league.

Article I – Responsibilities to Players

1. The coach shall never place the value of winning over the safety and welfare of players.
2. Coaches shall instruct players to play within the written laws of the game and within the spirit of the game at all times.
3. Coaches shall not seek unfair advantage by teaching deliberate unsportsmanlike behavior to players.
4. Coaches shall not tolerate inappropriate behavior from players regardless of the situation.
5. Demands placed on players’ time shall never be so extensive as to interfere with academic goals or progress.
6. Coaches must never encourage players to violate club/league or NYSWYSA eligibility or players rules or policies.
7. Coaches shall direct players to seek proper medical attention for injuries and to follow the physician’s instructions regarding treatment and recovery.

Article II – Responsibility to Club/League

1. Adherence to all club/league and NYSWYSA rules and policies, especially those regarding eligibility and team formation and member association rules and policies that are mandatory and should never be violated. It is the responsibility of each coach to know and understand these rules.
2. Any problems that cannot be resolved between coaches should be referred to the appropriate club/league officer or committee.

Article III – Responsibilities to the Laws of the Game

1. Coaches shall be thoroughly acquainted with and demonstrate a working knowledge of the Laws of the Game.
2. Coaches are responsible to assure their players understand the intent as well as the application of the Laws.
3. Coaches must adhere to the letter and spirit of the Laws of the Game.
4. Coaches are responsible for their players’ actions on the field and must not permit them to perform with intent of causing injury to opposing players.
5. The coach must constantly strive to teach good sporting behavior.

Article IV – Responsibility to Officials

1. Officials must have the support of coaches, players and spectators. Coaches must always refrain from criticizing officials in the presence of players or spectators.
2. Professional respect, before, during and after the game must be mutual. There must be no demeaning dialogue or gestures between official, coach or player.
3. Coaches must not incite players or spectators or attempt to disrupt the flow of the game.
4. Comments regarding an official should be made in writing to the appropriate organization assigning the official.

Article V – Responsibilities Regarding Scouting and Recruiting

1. It is unethical for a player to be recruited or enticed from the Olympic Development Program (ODP) setting, either by his ODP coach or any other coach, manager, player parent or team representative.
2. When discussing the advantages of his/her organization, the coach has an obligation to be forthright and refrain from making derogatory remarks regarding other coaches, teams and organizations.
3. It is unethical for any coach to make a statement to a prospective athlete which cannot be fulfilled; illegal to promise any kind of compensation or inducement for play; and immoral to deliver same.
4. Coaches shall not scout any team, by any means whatsoever, except in regularly scheduled games.

Article VI – Responsibility of Public Relations

1. Coaches have a responsibility to promote the game of soccer to the public. Comments and critiques of governing bodies, teams, coaches, players, parents or media must be positive and constructive.
2. Coaches have the responsibility to assist their players in conducting themselves properly when in public, when representing their team, club/league and the NYSWYSA.
3. Coaches must not attempt to influence their club/league, the NYSWYSA or other clubs/leagues in political or financial dealings outside the framework of their own rules and bylaws.

Article VII – Other Responsibilities

1. The behavior of coaches must be such as to bring credit to themselves, their organization (s), NYSWYSA and the sport of soccer.
2. While the concept of rivalry is wholly embraced, it cannot take precedence over exemplary professional conduct.
3. The attitude and conduct of the coach towards officials, players, spectators and coaches must be controlled and undemonstrative.
4. It is unacceptable for a coach to have any verbal altercation with an official, opposing coach or bench before, during or after the game.
5. Coaches must use their influence on spectators that demonstrate intimidating and/or unacceptable behavior towards officials, player(s) and opposing team members.

By signing this document I certify that I understand that should I breach this code of ethics, either club or league may impose sanctioning consistent with their documented procedures.

Name of Coach (Print):_____________________________________________________

Signature of Coach:________________________________________________________

Date:__________________

Date Received by Club/League:________________________

Check out the referee website for a clinic near you.

If you would like additional information, contact

 

Pat Tata

State Referee Administrator
SRA@NYReferee.org
 

Should anyone have any problems with the system you can email the agush@nyswysa.org for a resolution.