CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL

YOUNG WOMEN'S
SOCCER

HANDBOOK
2009

MOTTO
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

(Nothing but the best will do.)

COACHES PHILOSOPHY
A philosophy is derived from life experiences and cultural influences. Our culture values the individual and yet demands she perform within the parameters of certain organizations. So it is with the game of soccer.
A team orientation is methodical and puts systems and organization above the individual in all circumstances; whereas individual orientation focuses on the specific abilities of each player and tries to capitalize on their strengths alone.
It is our belief that individual flair should not be suppressed but directed and incorporated into a system of play. Soccer is part art and part science. Each player needs to contribute their strengths to the team as a whole. A totally open, individualistic style of play may in the end hurt the team. The team has a higher value than the individual.
The debate over whether to adapt the players to a system or the system to the players is an old one. A coaching staff needs to be confident and enthused about a system of play believed to bring the desired results. Yet not recognizing and adapting to the individual strengths of the team members would be foolish. Certain systems are better suited to personnel or opponents, yet in the end it is players, not systems, that bring success.
Coaches usually either stress offense or defense, depending on their belief as to what wins games. This staff emphasizes an aggressive attacking style that is exciting to play and to watch. However, we do not risk so much as to neglect the role of a strong defensive strategy. In Napoleon Bonaparte's words: "A good offense is the best defense." While we would rather play in the opponent's half, we are also realists and place great importance on our defense.

PURPOSE & SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM
Ultimately, the reason we are all involved with this sport is for the love and the fun of it. Any other reason will leave us unsatisfied. Therefore, an important goal is enjoyment.
Another goal is developmental, especially for underclassmen. At this age a player has entered the deciding phase of her soccer career. The groundwork of fundamentals should have been laid with years of training. The ultimate goal of each player should be to prepare to compete for a varsity position. With this ambition, there is often the danger of a detachment from the team and other players. On the other hand, ideally, the player is ready in training and competition to go to the limits of his ability to reach a goal. All training methods will be used to achieve and improve the performance level of a player. The demands will be high. Consistency and clarity of focus and definition will characterize the training program. A player should never have to wonder what her role is. All four elements of soccer will regularly be addressed.
(Note: At this level players are acutely aware of their own abilities and should seek improvement outside of the normal time allotted to training. Individual or group practice is encouraged. Off-season experiences should be standard. There are camps, clinics, and out-of-season indoor and outdoor playing opportunities.)
Another overall goal is to win more than we lose. This is directly related to the first goal. It is more fun to win than to lose. However, this needs to always be kept in perspective.
In the end, we will be able to measure our success by how well we worked toward and achieved these and individual goals.

THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF SOCCER
These are the building blocks of the program:
- Fitness: strength, speed, endurance, and agility
- Technique: ball control, types of passes, shooting, receiving, dribbling, fainting, throw-in, heading, etc.
- Tactics: individual and group- offense/defense, team-organization, set plays, offensive/defense strategies and decision making
- Psychology: development to overcome and control stressful situations, mental toughness, conduct, build self-confidence, being unaffected by "mind games", learning to focus, positive attitude of team first and doing everything possible to not let the team down including staying grade eligible and supporting players on the field

PERFORMANCE LEVEL (1st, 2nd, or 3rd Team)
The performance level of a player is determined by her ability and her preparedness, both of which have to continually be awakened and improved in training.

ABILITY
- Fitness
- Technique
- Tactics
- Psychology/Mentality

PREPAREDNESS
- Personality traits
- Will to win
- Attitude towards the sport
- Attitude towards the demands of training and competition
- Attitude towards other players and coaching staff
- Motivational structure
- Level of focus

Positions and levels must be earned, i.e. competed for and are fluid. It is possible to move levels up or down. The coaching staff does have favorite players. Namely the ones who consistently give a 100% effort, have a burning desire to win, are fit, skilled, and show total loyalty to the team and the program.
Note that the coaches are the ones that ultimately make the decision and have to live with the results. Parent opinion is seldom objective or based on sufficient information and will not influence decisions.

EARNING A SCHOOL LETTER
A letter is a special award in recognition of the player who has been successful in the CHS soccer program. It requires dedication to the program as a whole, meaningful contribution to the team, and individual effort in character and ability.
The following are requirements necessary for a player to earn such a letter:
- She must have been a varsity pool player for at least one half the season and have been on the roster for 1/2 the matches or be a senior and have completed her fourth year in the program and met all other criteria or joined the team from JV for the playoffs and reached at least the State Tournament Quarter Finals
- She must have completed the season except for the reason of a documented injury (this includes playoff matches)
- She must "buy into" the program by keeping physically fit and mentally awake; this includes adherence to the attendance policy and code of conduct as well as being supportive in word and deed
- She must give her best effort at all times, whether in practice or games
- She must demonstrate control of her emotions and psyche by not earning a red card do to lack of such control, such as fighting
- She must be positive about the team and toward other team members and be willing to help team members improve
- She must support the team activities such as fundraisers and/or camps and clinics
The coaching staff will evaluate each player based on the above criteria to determine the qualifying players.

ALL-LEAGUE NOMINATION CRITERIA
Nomination for All-League Honors does not guarantee receiving such honors. However, there needs to be a guideline so that players who wish to be considered understand what the coaching staff looks for when nominating a player for the other coaches to consider and vote on.
In our eyes an All-League player should exhibit the following:
• Demonstrate a commitment to the high school program
• Demonstrate working hard in training and in matches
• Demonstrate a level of talent and skill above the average player
• Must avoid suspensions for any reason including academics
• Must play in all league matches except for reason of illness/injury
• Must have a positive influence on the team in word and deed
When considering the nomination of a player, the level of nomination, i.e. 1st Team, 2nd Team, Hon. Mention, will be affected by the above mentioned criteria.
Please understand that there is subjectivity involved in the process as individual coaches will have more insight into their own players than those on other teams and may promote those players above ones they may be less familiar with.

THE STUDENT ATHLETE
Grades are of great concern to the coaching staff. We must always remember that we are dealing with students and that their progress is paramount to anything extracurricular. Conference period (2:10 - 2:40 PM) will be required attendance for players with grade problems, so that any student needing extra help from a teacher can feel free to do so and homework will not become a problem for a player.
Soccer will demand a great amount of time. It is therefore important that parents and coaches communicate openly about any concerns affecting academics / grades. Let's always work together toward the academic progress of each athlete. Soccer can be a motivating factor to improve grades. It requires maintaining of a minimum G.P.A. and good organization of one's time.
Any student staying at school before training should be studying and doing homework, or they should be with a teacher at conference time.
The home locker room in the stadium will be our team locker room and open ten minutes before training.

OTHER SPORTS/ACTIVITIES
Involvement onother sports teams during our soccer season must be monitored closely for the following reasons:
- Our training program is comprehensive and geared toward peak performance, and additional competition may negatively affect our training or match performance with players "saving themselves" or overuse injuries
- Time demands are high and could negatively affect academics
- Injuries sustained in other activities can negatively affect our team and season
- Focused players make better players
- Schedules are always subject to change and our team must be the priority during the season (a player who chooses any other priority which results in a schedule conflict with matches or training may lose playing time and/or her team position)
- Also, WIAA does not allow preferential treatment of any player such as allowing her to leave early or come late on a regular basis for club practice or other activities. (See WIAA Handbook: 18.19.2) Any school allowing this risks sanctions first against the offending program, then against the entire spectrum of teams fielded by that school

Note: We tell our girls that during our season, they must place their HS team first. At all other times, their club is first priority. We ask 2-3 months' time. Please be aware of the possibility of overtraining and resulting overuse injuries (mostly soft tissue but also sprains and strains).

EQUIPMENT
A good soccer shoe should have the following qualities: 1) soft padding for protection of the Achilles tendon; 2) a good firm fit, no slippage, especially the middle of the foot; 3) a soft "bed" for the heel; 4) minimum pressure on the sole.
The feet are the "tools" of the soccer player. The foot should be well protected and comfortable. The shoe should enhance natural motion. The lighter shoes have the advantage of relief for the player and lower risk of injury to the opponent.
Shin guards that cover the entire shin area are also necessary.
Every player should have her own ball at home with which to practice. These need not be expensive leather, hand sown World Cup quality. Make sure though they are official size and weight.
Solid red socks and solid white socks to be worn in matches are also needed.
Uniforms and warm-ups will be provided by the program. These will be expected to be kept clean and in good repair. Remember that colors can bleed and clean accordingly.

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT

There are many nutritional reasons for diminished performance:
- A generally unhealthy lifestyle, i.e. diet
- A one-sided diet (ex. vegetarianism w/o protein from nuts, etc.)
- Calorically insufficient intake
- An overfilling of the stomach through a meal high in calories (lots of fat)
- The wrong time for eating
- Not enough glycogen reserves before a match (muscle power)
- An intake poor in carbohydrates before a match
- Lack of replenishing fluids
- Lack of minerals and vitamins
- Soda pop as main source of fluids
- Alcohol use
Avoid fats, oils, red meat, beans, and peas before a match. These take 4-8 hours to digest.
Lean meats, omelets, vegetables such as spinach, bananas, white bread, cold milk take 2-3 hours to digest.
Tea, mineral water, meat broth, soups, cooked rice, soft-boiled eggs, "mashed" potatoes are examples of items that digest in 1-2 hours.
Honey digests in 10 minutes. Oats are highly recommended performance oriented food.
Using this information as a guide line should enable players to make appropriate nutritional decisions.
Make sure that before any match you are fully hydrated (urine should be clear).

MORE ABOUT NUTRITION
1. Power Bar Gel and Honey Sticks: The sugar found in fruit is neither unhealthful nor evil. Unlike refined white sugar, fruit sugar is accompanied by a number of health-protective nutrients: Vitamin C, folate, potassium, fiber and phytochemicals (a naturally occurring plant substance) that improve healing, and aid in recovery after exercise. This is good for half-time and immediately after training or a match.
2. Energy Bars: They are convenient, facilitate pre-exercise eating – 200-300 calories (not a magic energy ingredient), but do not replace pre-game meal,
3. Sports drinks: Hydration is crucial and certain sports drink can offer advantages over water by adding electrolytes and carbohydrate. Energy drinks are not sports drinks and slow fluid absorption. Many contain caffeine, some ginsing, taurine, etc. Caffeine is a drug, not a nutrient; it is a diuretic and increases urine production and adds to dehydration. A 6% carbohydrate solution helps with taste and is quickly emptied from the stomach and absorbed in the body, delivering energy to active muscles. Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride are lost with sweat and are essential to hydration and muscle function. 8 ounces of Gatorade offers 50 calories, 0 g of fat, 14 g of carbohydrate and 0 g of protein.
4. Alcohol: This can cancel any gain from workouts, training or competition. It reduces learning capacity (memory), slows ability to recover through: dehydration, effect on sleep cycle, depleting human growth hormone (rebuilding), is toxic to testosterone (muscle development and recovery), and reduces ability to produce ATP (the muscle energy source for contraction.

SETTING GOALS
If you don't know where you're going, you won't know if you got there. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. These sayings sum up how important goals are. Individual goals and team goals need to be set and assessed on a regular basis.
Goals will be set high enough to require extra effort to achieve them yet low enough to be realistic. They also need to fall into two categories: long term and short term.

A LADIES GAME
Competition is at the base of a free society. Rules are in place to establish fairness. The satisfaction from true competition can only come with the knowledge that one's opponent was defeated without an unfair advantage.
Be positive and encouraging. Criticism, arrogance, condemnation, and complaints do not get one respect. Be humble in victory and congratulatory in defeat and people will like you. Remember that the difference between winning and losing is often very small.
Always present yourself in a positive light. The way you dress and carry yourself makes a lasting impression on others.
Be mindful that in a match there are three teams on the field at all times. The third team is usually dressed in black, yellow or red and you want it to like you very much. Show respect and you'll get respect.

WORK ETHIC
A championship team requires a championship effort. Dedication and commitment must be 100%. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. These may be platitudes, but that doesn't make them any less true. Control your mind and form your attitude that work is fun, competition is fun, and the hard earned results are fun. Hard work pays off - even if it is over a long period of time. Be patient and persistent.
Losing requires little effort. The more a team wins, the harder it has to work to maintain the edge over the opponents who will continually increase their effort. In this program we will work hard because we are winners. Working to win is the only acceptable attitude (regardless of the score or win / loss record).

SOCCER IS A FAMILY AFFAIR
The support a player gets from family members is essential in building an effective program and ensuring success for the player. Often the family must sacrifice to help the player meet the demands of the sport. Be positive yet realistic in what is said to the player. Avoid put downs of others or predicting outcomes. Words such as, "You'll beat this team for sure," can put enormous amounts of pressure on a player. Instead, say things like, "Play hard today," or,"I'm confident you'll play them tough," or,"I'm excited about the show you'll put on for the fans today."
In the event of a loss, it's often hard to know what to say. Everyone handles it somewhat differently. If a player is truly committed, she will not and should not take a loss lightly. However, defeats will come, and they must be dealt with appropriately. It is best to let a player deal with it internally first and perhaps even wait until she brings it up. Praise her effort. Find something positive to say. Praise the opponent (after all, they beat a very good team). Remind her to use the loss as a learning experience from which to improve. Finding scapegoats, especially referees or coaches, does not help the player use the loss as a building block. Matches are also won and lost around the dinner table.

COMMUNICATION
Communication between the family and the coaching staff may also be essential. We are working together and want no secrets or surprises.
The following times are when coaches must hear from parents:
- If you suspect that your daughter is using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs
- If grades suddenly begin to drop drastically
- If she talks about quitting
- If you have a question that specifically concerns your daughter
- If you want to donate anything to the program or help in any way

Things the coaching staff is not willing to discuss:
- Team selection (Varsity, JV, C-team)
- Players other than your daughter
- Playing time for individual players (except with the player herself)
- Tactical decisions
Let’s remember we all have a role to play: the player plays, the coach coaches and the parent parents. If we all fulfill our roles as we should, there will be a positive result. If we confuse our roles, the result is negative.

HANDBOOK SIGN-OFF PAGE

I have read the CHS Young Women's Soccer Handbook and understand its content.

_______________________________ ____________
(player signature) (date)

_______________________________ ____________
(parent signature) (date)