Player Commitment:
Soccer, as well as many of the other great sports your child(ren) can play, is designed to help develop a sense of teamwork, as well as individual skills and abilities. Sudbury Soccer participates in the Boston Area Youth Soccer (BAYS) league which expands the level of competition available to players at each age group. The BAYS league requires we notify them of the number of teams for each age group and a rough idea of where they should be placed approximately two and half months before the season begins. This means we need to put this information together well before seasons start, so we need to look at the ability of players that are signed up, and identify teams based on the current registrations.
With the above information in mind it is very important to remember that just as in baseball, lacrosse, football, and softball, soccer is a very team focused sport. For this reason we have established guidelines for players as far as attendance to practice and games as follows;
- Practices – players are expected to attend a minimum of 50% of practices or at least one team practice per week.
- Games – players are expected to attend a minimum of 75% of games during the season. Over the course of the season players should see equal playing time as other players matching the number of games they attend.
We have established these guidelines so that players and teams are all treated fairly. It is not fair for a team to have a player or group of players that are only available for a limited number of practices or games. This does not promote teamwork.
Please take time to consider your child’s schedule. If he or she can not meet the above expectations and you wish to withdraw him or her before the refund deadline, we will issue a full refund.
Uniform Policy:
FALL and SPRING
- All players must wear shin guards with long soccer socks worn OVER them.
- Cleats are strongly recommended, but not required.
- NO jewelry may be worn, including earrings, watches, barrettes, and bracelets. Earrings MAY NOT be taped, they must be removed. No hats with visors may be worn. Please refer to BAYS rules for additional information here.
- Players with plaster casts or hard splints, even if padded, cannot play -- even with the permission of a parent, or medical approval.
- Colored tee-shirts will be provided for all Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade players.
- All 3rd Grade thru 12th Grade BAYS players must purchase an uniform kit (matching top, shorts and socks) at Brine's Team Sports, 141 Parker Street, Suite 100, Maynard.
- Sudbury Youth Soccer assigns uniform numbers.
- Sudbury Youth Soccer changes its uniform every three or four years. The latest change is for the Fall 2024 season.
FUTSAL
- All players must have a reversible jersey. If needed, one can be purchased on your family's AdminSports registration page. Jerseys can be picked up at the Field House the night of the first meeting of each session. The same jersey is worn for all sessions.
- Players must wear shin guards with long soccer socks worn OVER them.
- The Futsal League is held on the basketball courts at the Field House. Players must wear sneakers, not cleats.
Concussion Information:
Concussions can be difficult to diagnose, in part because symptoms can be subtle. Sometimes you'll notice that your child may be unusually tired, they "just don't seem like themselves", or they're bothered by loud noises or bright lights. Other symptoms are more obvious, such as vomiting or the inability to answer questions. It's important to remember that your child may not be able to recognize and/or verbalize their own symptoms, especially if they are young. And to make it even more complicated, symptoms may not show up for hours or even days. For older children, they may intentionally hide their symptoms because they want to get back in the game or to appear “tough”. The best preparation is to be informed. Please take the time to review the following. For the complete SYSA Concussion Policy click here.
Additional Information
If a concussion is suspected - make sure your child is immediately removed from activity. When in doubt, sit them out. Don't allow anyone, young or old, to return to play without written medical authorization from a medical professional trained in the diagnosis and management of concussion.
Determine if Emergency Help is Needed
Most concussions resolve within a few days or weeks, and emergency help is required in very few instances. However, if your child has suffered a concussion, it is important to observe them carefully until they have been cleared to return to unrestricted physical and cognitive activity by a medical professional. If any of the following signs/symptoms appear at any time, call for emergency help immediately:
- Headaches that worsen
- Seizures
- Neck pain
- Very drowsy, can't be awakened
- Repeated vomiting
- Increasing confusion or irritability
- Weakness, numbness in arms and legs
- Unable to recognize people/places, less responsive than usual
Coaches, Always Contact a Parent or Guardian
Many times symptoms will appear minutes, hours, or even days after an injury. Parents must know that their child may have suffered a concussion and the typical signs/symptoms. Most concussed athletes go home to parents who are ill-equipped to deal with a brain injury. Education is a must.
Return to Play Gradually
After all physical symptoms have resolved and a medical provider has give your child permission to return to play, an international panel of concussion experts recommends having them follow a gradual protocol that increases physical stress incrementally. This is a good way to make sure symptoms have truly resolved. If symptoms return during this process, it is likely that more healing time is required and you should consult your medical provider.
Religious Holidays:
Sudbury Soccer follows BAYS' policy on religious holidays and has adapted them to also cover In Town teams and all practices.
From time to time, games and/or practices are in conflict with the observance of a religious holiday. Any BAYS’ coach has the option of pre-poning a game where such a religious conflict may exist. In Town games are not rescheduled.
All coaches are expected to cooperate with opposing coaches, whether BAYS or In Town, in assuring that children and their families are able to choose freely, and without pressure, between religious observances and participation in soccer activities. Practices falling on a religious holiday may be held as scheduled, but it is expected that a child who chooses to observe a religious holiday in lieu of playing soccer will not jeopardize his or her playing time or position on the team in future activities as a result of such a choice.
In requesting a pre-ponement of a BAYS’ game, the opposing coach and the Division Director must be notified as soon as possible before the scheduled game date. Referee schedulers and town field schedulers should also be notified where necessary and appropriate. The process and time frames for rescheduling and playing the postponed game are as set out in BAYS By-Law 9 [Playing the Schedule], Section 6.
Thunder & Lightning:
When thunderstorms are in the area of the playing fields, all players will leave the field and seek shelter immediately. If thunder or lightening is heard/seen, then you may not return to the field for 30 minutes after the last occurrence.