AYSO serving the youth of Oak Park and surrounding communities
AYSO Region 697 is an all-volunteer organization providing spring and fall soccer programs for elementary through high school players from the Oak Park area.
Teams are balanced and organized by age. It's all about the kids.
Participation is open to all. Volunteers welcome.
Oak Park Coach's FAQs
What does a Player need to know in their Division?
What do I need to do to start the season?
How do I fill out a game lineup card or game card?
What should I be sure I have on the first game day?
What equipment should I have by my first practice ?
How do I find a practice field?
How should I deal with a lopsided game ?
What does a player need to know in their division?
- U8 Technique
- Dribbling
- Instep Kick
- Throw In
- Inside of the Foot Pass
- Inside of the Foot Control
- U8 Principle
- Attack: Width - Attacking by spreading players out stretches the defense and creates space for players to advance. "Don't bunch up."
- U10 Technique
- All U8 and. . .
- Tackling
- Goalkeeping
- U10 Principle
- Depth: Supporting teammates by creating safe options for player with the ball (O) or supporting the players challenging the ball in case they are beat (D)
- Defending/Concentration: Compressing or restricting the space the attacking team has by "shepherding" them into a confined area makes it easier to define and regain possession of the ball
- Offsides and Offside Strategy
- U12 Technique
- All of the above and . .
- Top of the Thigh Control
- Sole of the Foot Control
- Juggling
- U12 Principle
- All of the above and . .
- Mobility: Players changing positions (filling in for one another when necessary) and moving off the ball creates numerical advantages and attacking/scoring opportunities.
- Balance: Reading the attack and providing an equal or greater number of defenders than attackers at the point of attack, while simultaneously covering the vital area near the goal.
- U14 - U19 Technique
- All of above and . . .
- Laws of the Game
- U14 - U19 Principal
- All of the above and . .
- Creativity: Creating opportunities for advancement, possession and scoring by utilizing individual skills such as feints and fakes while dribbling
- Composure: Staying calm and collected
What do I need to start the season?
General Coach Check List to start the Season:
- Submit Volunteer Registration
- Get Classroom Training*
- Get Field Training*
- Get Safe Haven Training Online
- Sign the Coach's Pledge
AYSO mandates training for U8 and U10 coaches, although we strongly recommend that coaches take training classes at all levels. U12+ requires that you particpate in a class, while some lower division classes can be completed online. One-time training is all that is required for each level coached, e.g. U8 training, U10 training, U14 training, etc.
Training classes can be found at eayso.org. Go to My eAYSO, Course Signup to find local classes. If not billed directly, Oak Park AYSO will reimburse any training expenses.
With your AYSO ID, you can find digital copies of the Training Manuals online at aysotraining.org>Training Manuals.
How long can practices be?
Generally,
Fall:
- U14-U19 divisions - 2 practices per week, 1½ hour each
- U12 - 2 practices per week, 1-1/4 hour each
- U10 - 2 practices per week, 1 hour each
- U8 divisions are not sanctioned to use fields for which we have weeknight PD permts. U8 can practice extra at the Saturday game parks or on Sundays and use clinic trainers when available. If U8 teams are practicing at permitted fields on weeknights, they can be asked ot leave fields.
Spring
- U12-U19 divisions - 1 practice per week 1½ hour
- U10 - 1 practice per week, 1 hour
- U8 divisions – see above
How do I fill out a game lineup card or game card?
Lineup cards for all divisions except U14 are pre-filled for you in eAYSO. You need to print them and bring them on the day of the game to exchange with the opposing coach. U14 can get their blank lineup card here.
What should I be sure I have on the first game day?
Game Day Checklist
- Player Registration Forms
- Goalie Jersey and gloves
- Pinnies (for color conflics)
- Clipboard with pencil and paper
- Ice Packs
- COMPLETED GAME CARD
What equipment should I have by my first practice?
- Coach Bag
- First aid kit
- Whistle
- At least 3 soccer balls
- Cones
- Pinnies
- Player Registration Forms
- Ice Packs
How do I find a practice field?
Your coordinator will provide you with a list of available practice fields for your division. Please adhere to your scheduled space and time and share the field with other teams who may be present.
How should I deal with a lopsided game?
Balancing teams is difficult and some games will inevitably favor another team. Talk to your "difference makers" to inform them what you might ask them to do if your team is up by 3 and clearly dominating. Some suggestions are:
- Focus on assists: Let them know who you want them passing to in order to get an assist. Pick out kids who haven't scored yet this season and put them up at forward. You'll help work on everyone's game.
- Put strong players in goal: A good alternative, as there are kids who good on the field but no so strong in the goal. These playes could often use some experience in goal.
- Sit stronger kids. Balance playing time across the season as well as across the game.
- Add players to trailing team.
- Score with weaker food. Make sure that is something the player actually needs to work on.
- Prohibit scoring by really strong players.
Are kids with injuries allowed to play at games? What about practices? Can I allow players that are not registered play with the team? or What are the player requirements to allow them to play?
Here is a brief overview of the player requirements.
- All players need to be registered and you need to have a copy of the player’s registration forms.
- All players at practices and games need to wear shin guards.
- At practices and games no player can play with casts or hard splints.
- At practices and games no player can wear earrings, jewelry, or other metal/hard plastic items (bobby pins).
- At practices and games no player can wear a hat with a hard brim.
- Coaches are not allowed to use players not on their rosters in games. Games will be considered a forfeit/scrimmage if there are non-rostered players on the field.
All of these rules must be followed in order to ensure a player’s coverage with Soccer Accident Insurance and your coverage with General Liability by AYSO. No AYSO player is allowed to play without meeting the above requirements.
What are the criteria for canceling practices? or What is the policy for game cancellations? or Do we have makeup games?
Practices can be cancelled at your discretion.
If the entire first half has been played, the game will be considered complete and scores will be reported as normal. If the game is still in the first half when the delay occurs and it is not possible to complete the game within 45 minutes of the scheduled end time for your game, you must leave the field in favor of the later scheduled games. For any game suspended without at least half the game being played, the Division Coordinator will make the determination as to whether your game will be continued at a later date.
AYSO allows for a game to proceed with a minimum of 7 players. Iif a team chooses to use non-roster players in a game, that game immediately becomes a non-game, or a scrimmage, and thus is forfeited. If presented with a situation where a coach does not have enough players, his first option should be to use players from the opposing team to try to maximize playing time for all players involved. If the other team doesn't choose to do so (players often feel a loyalty to their team, even in a scrimmage), then the coach can choose to select players from another team or have a player "play up" from a lower division. Any player involved must already be an active AYSO/RFYS participant (for safety and insurance purposes), and the coach should be very cautious about the player's safety when selecting a player to "play up". Regardless, these games will be considered a scrimmage.