Purpose:
I would like to take this opportunity to explain why it is important for everyone to understand the purpose of the Interleague program. Let me start by saying the Suffolk Soccer Interleague program is an extension of your intramural program. SSI is here to assist your club in making your soccer program a safe and fun environment for all the players. We only register club intramural teams Sanctioned by the Clubs to participate in the SSI program.
History:
The
"Inter-town" (called in the 80's) Interleague program has been serving
How
The Suffolk Soccer Interleague helps each club continue serving their community by offering a safe and balanced division for their teams to play at the recreational level. The way SSI helps is when an age divisions drops off at the club level, which is usually at the older age divisions, (U9 & U10 and above), SSI will have a place for them to continue playing. With the clubs registered in SSI, we communicate with them and their needs to form the program. It is a program depending on cooperation and communication.
The way Suffolk Soccer League works is the club registers their players, as they have been doing for years. After forming balanced teams they place them in the Interleague program. Here is the best part - each club only needs to have 10 - 12 players to make up a team, and they can play in a division of equal age, not multiple age grouping which is not a safe environment. Teams are placed in competitive divisions based on the club coordinators and team history in the SSI program. All matches will be played even up at all times.
Here is what is offered for the Players:
The Suffolk Soccer Interleague will provide the club’s recreational team, either boys or girls, a competitive, pure age division, for that team to play in, which is based on the clubs recommendation for placement.
The Suffolk Soccer Interleague schedules each team to play a different team each week.
No standing will be kept, all games are scheduled scrimmages called “FRIENDLY MATCHES”.
Guidelines which are enforced, for example, the: " 5 goal rule"; "Referee abuse;" " match play."
The starting age division is U-8.
The oldest age division is U17 –U18. All games are to be played match (even up).
We offer Competitive divisions to play in, for all ages, which are based on Club Coordinators recommendation. Club registration determines the number of divisions that are formed.
The intent is to geographically place club teams that are near each other to play.
There are separate boys and girls divisions.
In the spring season we will try to place teams in a more competitive division.
We try not to form multiple or 2 or 3 years age spread age divisions, this is not a safe environment for anyone.
We care and we will not just make up a division of multiple ages or gender just for them to play in. This would make an unsafe environment for all players, and could be a turn off for most players. They are tired of playing the same teams every third week and the same teams year after year. Unfortunately this happens in the oldest division.
What
The Staff of SSI is willing to help any club that asks for it.
SSI holds clinics in areas like:
Refereeing classes, Coaches classes, First Aid classes, Sports medicine clinics, Referees for games, etc.
We will help promote their soccer functions to any SSI members, for example, festivals, tournaments, camps, etc.
As long the club is in good standing with SSI, we will post the function on SSI web site.
Development
Program: (U-9)
The SSI has formed a new program in 1997 to help develop the U9 age, pre travel age divisions. The interest of this program was brought up at one of our monthly coordinators meeting and was implemented and has become a very important division for all the clubs. The forming of development / tournament teams has grown into two divisions for both the girls and the boys U-9. They play on Saturdays so as not to interfere with the intramural programs. The intent was to develop the more committed and serious player and prepare that player and families for the next level of play (TRAVEL).
These question are
based on some Clubs board members, to the
Here are some of those questions that have been asked.
This sounds like travel soccer?
How can we do this if our Club is not a large program like others?
Our club plays co-ed how could this help?
Our club has parents with multiple children playing at the younger level.
Our parent's don’t want to leave their children alone or travel just to play a game.
Where are we going to get the players from /or a good coach for these player?
All these are viable
questions.
I’ll try to answer them to the best of my experience (since 1977).
First and foremost the Suffolk Soccer Interleague is a pure Intramural Program, Not a Travel program. Without the intramural program in each Club, there is no Viable Travel Program, if that's the direction your club is going.
The Suffolk Soccer Interleague will form age divisions for both boys and girls by geographic locations. The program has been able to accomplish this because of the interest by each Club to keep their players continuing with soccer. Clubs offer their coaches the opportunity to play as a team in the Suffolk Soccer Interleague regardless of the size of the Club. Traveling at the younger level is very minimal. When we form an age division of 10 teams or more, typically each team will get 5 home and 5 away. As the club enters more teams in that age division that means less away games, which is usually the case at the younger level. As the players get older the parents are willing to let their children car pool with their friends when there are conflicts with the schedules for multiple player families. From the 6th grade and younger age divisions, the most each team has to travel is approximately 15 minutes to the other Clubs fields. When the player reaches Junior High School level 7th grade, and higher, they now look forward to playing all different clubs regardless of locations, just like school teams. If your team has ever played in tournaments they travel to them without any arguing of where and what time. (No thought is given to the distance, or of multiple family problems.) They should think of it as each weekend as a tournament concept.
When players ask their friends to join their team this usually works because the players all know each other either from school or neighborhood playgrounds. The girls can play on a boy’s team if necessary, but each club only needs to get 10 or more players to make up a team. The Suffolk Soccer Interleague rules are we play even up at each game. This means if you show up with only 10 or 9 players the other team will play you with the same number only. These games are considered scheduled scrimmages, friend’s matches, not world cup games, and there are no standings kept. The need for coaches in all age divisions is common with all clubs large or small. One of the things that I have found is that the senior Travel teams (that are not playing because either they are graduating or their team is playing school ball and have conflicts with registering in the Fall season) would love to coach another young team and help with recruiting a parent of that team and to teach them how to coach in the spring season.
The bottom line in all of this is that the Suffolk Soccer Interleague Inc is here to keep the youth playing for the fun of playing. This is your program to help the Youth in your community to continue playing soccer as long as they want to play.
In closing if any Club would like anyone from Suffolk Soccer Interleague Inc. to come to any of their board meetings, please feel free to call us.
Thank You For Your Time
Sincerely Yours In Soccer
Lou Sventora
Web site: www.suffolksoccer.org
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