A3 County Program (Recreational) | |
Commissioner Mark Cerulla ([email protected])
A3 Soccer's County program offers opportunities to players who would like to play recreational soccer and yet still enjoy the challenges offered by youth sports. Our program participates in the Anne Arundel Youth Soccer Association (AAYSA) and plays against teams throughout the county. Normally half of the AAYSA games are in Crofton and half are within a thirty minute drive. However, there are some age groups that are placed in "magnet fields" meaning all games for the entire age group are played on that field. County play features recreational soccer and equitable game participation for all players in a more formal competitive environment than intramural play. The county league is divided into one-year age groups (U9, U10, U11, etc.) with each age group having multiple divisions broken out by skill level. Every registered player will be placed on a team.
AAYSA | AGE | PERIODS | PERIOD LENGTH | FIELD SIZE | BALL SIZE | # REFS | MAX ROSTER |
7 v 7 | | Two Halves | 25 minutes | 55x35 to60x40 Yards | 4 | 1 | 12 |
U09 |
U10 |
9 v 9 | U11 | 75x50 Yards | 2 | 15 |
U12 |
11 v 11 | U13 & U14 | 30 minutes | 110x60 Yards | 5 | 18 |
Boys HS |
7 v 7 | Girls HS | 25 minutes | 75x50 Yards | 2 | 12 |
Roster administration
- Coaches should conduct (Coach-Athlete-Parent) meeting before start of season
- Coach should collect player contract forms and turn in to Commissioner
- County Commissioner will collect coach's pledge forms for all coaches
- Ensure all coaches (head and assistant) have successfully completed background check per county volunteer database LINK
- Prepare team roster using county-provided Excel form
- Submit updated roster/forms for any roster additions
- Carry copy of roster with you to all games
Divisional Placements
- AAYSA holds pre-season placement meetings to ensure every commissioner has an opportunity to request the appropriate division for each team. Although each commissioner does their best to place their team in a competitive environment, it is not an exact science and each season there are teams that end up in divisions too high or too low. Since many teams don't have a chance to practice or evaluate players prior to the placement meetings, the results are anything but perfect.
- If the team has a desired divisional placement, please make sure to advise Mark Cerulla County Commissioner. They usually take place in mid-February (Spring season) and early to mid-August (Fall season).
Practice fields
- All coaches should request practice times/slots at Bell Branch through Google forms passed out at start of season.
- All field locations are detailed on our website page - LINK
Equipment and uniforms
- Equipment/uniforms are purchased through the club vendor
- Uniforms include shirts, shorts, and socks
- Uniforms usually last 2 years (4 seasons) due to wear/tear and player growth
Game schedules
- Check schedules weekly and more often during inclement weather-schedules are subject to change without notice. On gameday, coaches and parents should check the AAYSA league website. The league may conduct games even if all other fields at Bell Branch are closed.
- Any schedule change requests must be made 14 days in advance
- No guarantee that request will be granted
- Conflicts with a religious holiday or with school-sponsored or scout-sponsored events are typically the only grounds for which rescheduling will be considered
- Makeup weekend is part of the season schedule-all parents should realize that a game will probably be scheduled for that weekend
- Forfeits must be avoided
Field lining
- Each team is responsible for lining fields a few times during the season
- Paint is located in the shed nearest the dog park and in between full-sided fields
- Great assignment for another parent on your team
- A3 Soccer field lining coordinator, Rick Bergner, typically sends lining responsibility matrix to all A3 Soccer coaches each week during the season
- Even when games are canceled, field should be lined so lines are not washed away by rain
End-of-season evaluations
- Provide player evaluations to commissioners/age group coordinators as requested to identify players that should be considered for select teams