FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Some of you are new to Munster Soccer Club and have questions.  For those of you not new to the club this will be a review, or may tell you something you did not know before.

-What is the difference between Munster Parks soccer and Munster Soccer Club?

Munster Parks Soccer is played locally and teams are supposed to be balanced.  It is purely recreational and no score is kept.  Munster Soccer Club is part of Northwest Indiana Soccer League (NWISL), and subject to their rules.  NWISL places the teams in their competitive divisions and also sets the schedule.  Teams come from all over Northwest Indiana and there is some travel involved (up to an hour away.)  Scores and standings are kept, and trophies are awarded to the first, second, and third place team in each division.  While Munster Parks is categorized as recreational soccer, MSC is categorized as rec-plus, which means we are a step above recreational soccer, but not full fledged travel soccer, like premiere teams.  We do not have try-outs, and do not turn players away due to lack of ability.  The only reason we turn players away is if we do not have the necessary numbers to form a team or we do not have a coach for a team.

-What are these divisions?

The divisions are based on the strength of the teams, with gold being the strongest.  Play is the most competitive in the gold division, and gets less competitive with each lower division.  This is so all players, no matter what their ability, can play in competitive games.

-How are teams placed in divisions?

That is done by the NWISL, based on past records for established players, and also club recommendations.

-How are players placed on teams?

The MSC Board places players on teams prior to each season.  We try to form teams of players with similar abilities.  Age, seniority within the club, and the number of players at each age level are also important factors.  

-What are the age divisions?

We currently have Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, & Under 19.  This means the player is under the given age before July 31 of that year.  Each age bracket is obviously two years, so there are older teams, which will move up to the next age bracket the following year, and younger teams which will remain in the age bracket another year.  We try to put teams together within the one year span whenever possible because it results in the least disruption every fall when players change age brackets.  The league year birthday dates are August 1 - July 31.  You can verify what age group your player will be in by checking the age chart under the registration info drop down on our website home page.  

-Are teams co-ed?

No.  The only exception to this has been with the U-8 & U-19 age groups, but the league is working toward making these all boys and all girls.  It all depends on the registration numbers.

-What type of equipment do I need?

The player is responsible for bringing a water bottle(enough for practice and games), a soccer ball to every practice (see sizing below), soccer cleats (no metal or cleat at front center of toe allowed), shin guards (must be worn under the socks during practice and games), with black shorts & socks that complete the uniform for games.  The player can not play a game without their jersey or shin guards.  If the weather is cold outside the player is permitted to wear long sleeves underneath their jersey.  NO earrings or jewelry are allowed according to SAY and NWISL rules.  

BALL SIZE

U-8 - Size 3 
U10 - Size 4
U12 - Size 4
U14 - Size 5
U19 - Size 5


-How do I get my uniform kit?

All NEW players must purchase the uniform kit during online registration.  The cost of the uniform kit is around $50 (required).  This will be a one-time fee as we will continue to use the same uniforms every season provided the vendor is able to supply the current uniform kit.  Orders must be made at the Munster Soccer Club Online Store thru Challenger Team Wear website (Click link below).  A physical address for shipping must be provided.  They are unable to ship to a P.O. BOX.  Allow adequate time for shipping of uniform.  We recommend you order uniform at time of registration.  You may choose any number you wish for your player.  Duplicate numbers on a team are fine.  

Additional shirts or "spirit wear" can also be ordered on-line with the link below. There is a coupon code for free shipping "MUNSTER75" on orders over $75.00. 

 https://www.challengerteamwear.com/store/munstersc/index 

Expected delivery is approximately 3-6 weeks from the time the  order is processed.

Remember that your child will not be able to play without a uniform kit.  Munster Soccer Club does not keep any extra uniform kits on hand.  

Any questions regarding uniform kits should be sent to Challenger Teamwear!

-What are the weather guidelines?

Games will be played in the rain, but maybe cancelled due to standing water in the fields, thunder, or lightning.  If a game gets cancelled before it starts your coach will contact you.  There are times when you will arrive to an away game and the weather conditions suddenly worsen.  The referee will determine if the game is unplayable due to inclement weather.  If the referee determines the game is not playable then the game will be rescheduled.  If a game has started and gets stopped before the first half, the game will be re-scheduled per the NWISL Rescheduling Policy.  If a game gets stopped during halftime or in the second half of the game, then the game is over.  That game will not be rescheduled and the score at the time of stoppage will be the final score.  MSC follows the Town of Munster lightning policy for all practices and games played in Munster.  

-Who coaches for MSC?

Our coaches are all Volunteers.  Some have soccer experience, but most are learning as they go.  We are very appreciative of the time they put in. Quite frankly, some of our coaches have agreed to coach only because we begged them to and there would be a group of children who would not get to play soccer if they did not take the team.  We help them as much as we can, but it is a big responsibility, and we are lucky to have them.  More and more people are unwilling to take on this responsibility. We have many excellent coaches in MSC, but if you are expecting professional coaching you should look into a premiere club. 

- What if I have a concern about my child’s coach?

Of course you should contact a MSC Board Member.  We want to know about playing time issues, inappropriate language, unsportsmanlike behavior, etc.  If, however, you are wanting to complain about your coaches effectiveness as a coach please remember that our coaches are Volunteers and we take them as they are, experienced or not.  If you are not willing to take on this responsibility yourself, or are not offering to help them, please reconsider your complaint.

-Can I choose the team my child will play on?

No.

-Can my child play outside of their age group?

No.  This is a NWISL rule, not a MSC rule.  We are bound to follow the rules of NWISL. 

If we have a group of kids who want to play together can we put together our own team?

No.

-What if I only want my child to play for a certain coach or on a certain team?

You probably would be happier not signing up with MSC.  You can make your request known to the board during the registration process, but we cannot promise that we will be able to honor it.  Sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not.  The factors mentioned before (age, ability, numbers, and seniority) take precedence over requests.  This is done to be as fair as possible to all of the players in MSC.  You must remember that while you are concerned about your one child, or your child’s one team, we must be equally concerned about over two hundred kids and around 20 teams.

-Can we sign up and pull our child out if we are not happy with the team our child is on?

Of course you can quit, but you need to understand what that means.  When we put together teams and submit them to the league we have very little ability to make any further changes.  If you quit after that time you could be leaving a team short of players, and therefore penalizing all of the other players on that team.  We would rather you view signing up to play as a commitment to play for the club for that season.  If your child runs circles around everyone else on their team they will be the star that season and will probably be moved up the next season.  If there is a problem with a coach or another player let someone on the MSC board know and we will address it.  

-Do teams stay the same from season to season?

Sometimes, but that is never guaranteed.  Most often changes are made due to changes in the number of players that sign up from one season to the next.  Sometimes it is necessary to move players from one team to another.  For example, if a player who had been on a gold team did not sign up for another season it might be necessary to move a player up from the next team, usually silver.  That, of course, might necessitate a player then moving onto that team from another team, etc.  Also, each season new players sign up who also must be placed on teams.  Some seasons require little or no changes, while others need more.

-Refund Policy

A refund will only be given prior to the display of the team rosters.  Once the team rosters have been set and displayed we can no longer refund any registration fees.   There is a $10 fee assessed for all refunded registrations which will be deducted from your refund amount.  

-Player Registration Fee

Player registration fees must be made in full at time of registration via online payment.  A check will be accepted if approved by the MSC Board which can then be mailed to the MSC Treasurer.   If for some reason payment is not received for player(s) by the end of that current season they will lose all seniority for future seasons.  The player(s) will not be placed on a team for the upcoming seasons until said payment is received and account is in good standing.  We have many players that get placed on waiting list and it is not fair to them if your players take up a roster spot.

-Can I register late?

If you missed registration we recommend you register anyway.  We will accept registrations after the cut off date, but there is no guarantee that your child will get placed on a team.  Your son or daughter will be put on a waiting list.  That is totally dependent on our numbers and whether there are any openings available.  Every season roster spots open due to players that change their minds, families move out of town, unfortunate injuries before the season starts, or are unable to play for some other reason.  Sometimes we need more players to fill a team, and sometimes our numbers are so bad we have to tell someone who signed up on time that they cannot play.  This happens when we have enough players to fill one or more team rosters with some left over that are not enough to form another team.  When this happens players with the least seniority in the club do not get to play.  We go to great lengths to allow as many players as possible the chance to play, but sometimes the numbers are such that it cannot be worked out.  Rosters are due to NWISL by a specific date before each season, so our window of time to get these rosters ready is very small.  MSC is run by volunteer board members and we need as much time possible to do all the background work before a season begins.

-What if I am having problems registering online?

Contact us at [email protected]

-Can Non-Residents play for Munster Soccer Club?

Yes!  The vast majority of players in MSC are Munster residents.  There are players that do not live in Munster, but non-residents always have the least seniority within the club.  In other words, even if a non-resident gets to play a season for MSC there is no guarantee that they will get to play the next season.  This depends on the numbers.  If we have more kids sign up than slots available the non-resident will not be able to play.  If your player is placed on a MSC team we will need a club release form (Located in the Documents drop down tab in the NWISL website) completed by the Club League Representative of the city or township you live in.  Once completed by your town's Club League Rep it will need to be sent to the MSC League Rep.  If your city or town does not have a club, then simply register.  

-What do I need for proof of residency?

Proof of residency can be confirmed by sending us a copy of your Town of Munster water bill or a Nipsco bill that shows your name and address on it.  

-When do the Spring and Fall season begin and end?

  The Spring season begins around early April and ends the weekend before Memorial Day.  The Fall season starts around the middle of August and ends around the end of October.

-Are there tournaments?

  Yes! After the spring and fall season there will be a tournament for all of the age groups.  The tournaments usually start play the weekend after the regular season ends.  No games on Memorial Day weekend.  The tournament takes 2 days to finish and is done in one weekend.  Saturday is usually Day 1 of the tournament and it might consist of multiple games played to advance to Championship games on Sunday.   It is single elimination, which means teams play until they lose.

-When are games played?

  Games are played on pretty much every Sunday during the season, and some Saturdays.  There tend to be more Saturday games in the spring.  The Saturday games for the fall season are usually played in October due to High School games in September.  The schedule is determined by NWISL which we are a part of, and we have NO control over.  The games time start at 12:00 p.m.

-Where are games played at? 

Half of the games are played in Munster at one of our local parks.  Munster game fields might change seasonally depending on the condition of the field.  The other half of the games are away games, played in one of the other towns in NWISL.  Some are nearby, such as Highland, Griffith, Schererville, and Dyer, and some are further away, such as LaPorte, Michigan City, Valparaiso, Lowell, Hebron, and Demotte.  Since we play eight or ten games a season this means you travel for four or five games.  Which teams you play varies from season to season.

-When do teams practice?

Teams typically practice two nights a week, one to one and a half hours.  The coach sets the days and times.  Practices start a couple of weeks prior to the first game. Practice days and times are determined by the coach, and they are usually held on game fields.  

-Does MSC offer training?

Yes!  We provide a trainer to all of our teams for one practice a week.   The coaches are required to be at this training session.  The training schedule can be found on our home page under team central.

-Where and when is picture day?

We have picture day during the Fall season only at one of our Munster Parks locations.  Each team is allotted a 15 minute window.  Picture forms will be passed out to you by your coaches and they will inform you of your time slot and location.  The photographers run on schedule, so please arrive early.

We hope this answers your questions.  If you have a question not addressed here please contact a member of the MSC board and we will try to help you.