Tonka United Families,
As many of you may already be aware, U.S. Soccer has announced two important changes as part of their new player development initiatives. These changes have been mandated by U.S. Soccer and have been approved by U.S. Youth Soccer for implementation in all states. The two major changes are the implementation of small sided standards and a change to birth year registration that follows the calendar year vs. the current school year registration. Tonka United is currently working with U.S. Youth Soccer, MN Youth Soccer and neighboring clubs to determine the best implementation strategy and timeline within the mandates and guidelines set by U.S. Soccer. There are details yet to be ironed out, but be assured that we are working in the best interest of our players and our membership to implement these changes in a positive and constructive manner. Please remember these are mandates, not suggestions or recommendations, set forth by U.S. Soccer. Tonka United will exercise discretion where possible and appropriate for the good of our club and the good of our players, but we must implement these mandates.
What we know to date:
Birth year registration/team formation - To be implemented in the 2016 tryout cycle for the 2016-17 Season.
This mandate is pretty straight-forward and we have included a link to the chart on the U.S. Soccer website that will help you determine the age level of your player based on birth year registration.
US YOUTH SOCCER BIRTH YEAR CHART
Small sided standards – Two year phase in with 2016-17 being a transition year and full implementation by the 2017-18 soccer year.
The implementation of small sided standards across the country has little impact to our players because Minnesota Youth Soccer has already implemented this development initiative. The small adjustment for us is that currently MYSA teams play 6v6 for U10 and under, 8v8 for U11-U12 and 11v11 for 13+. Under the new rules, teams will play 4v4 through U8, 7v7 for U9-U10, 9v9 for U11-U12 and 11v11 for U13+. Over the next several years you will also see modifications in field sizes and goal sizes to align with the new standards. Given the expense and logistics associated with these changes, it appears we will likely have more time to phase in those changes.
The Board of Directors and the leadership of Tonka United is dedicated to providing a meaningful and rewarding soccer environment for players of all ages and abilities. While we may not agree with all aspects of the U.S. Soccer mandated changes, it is our responsibility to work within their rules and guidelines to provide the best experience possible across our organization. As mentioned earlier, some details have yet to be worked out and we will communicate as best we can as things become more clear. We understand you may have questions as you think through these changes and how they affect your player. We respectfully ask you to remember that we’re all in this together and that mandated change is never easy. You have our commitment that we will always put our players first.
All the best in 2016,
Tonka United Board of Directors