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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is the Hudson Soccer Association?
2. What is HSA's objective in sponsoring soccer programs in Hudson?
3. Who operates HSA?
4. Does HSA have an office in Hudson?
5. What is the Instructional and Recreational League?
6. What is the difference between the IRL and the Hudson United travel soccer program?
7. How old are the children who play in the IRL?
8. When is registration for the IRL?
9. How much does playing in the IRL cost?
10. What does the registration fee pay for?
11. Will my child play on the same team all year?
12. Does HSA ever form waiting lists for registrants?
13. When will we hear from our coach?
14. What must we provide for our child to play soccer?
15. What should I do if my child's uniform does not fit?
16. If I am exchanging part of my child's uniform, what should I do if my child has a game before the uniform exchange is completed?
17. When and where are the IRL games played?
18. Can I register my child in August to begin playing after the outdoor session?
19. What should I do if my child decides to stop playing before the end of the season?
20. Do boys and girls play together on IRL teams?
21. Do the young children play on the huge full-size soccer fields?
22. What is HSA's position on winning and losing games?
23. Does HSA sponsor a soccer league for adults and older High School students?
24. What is HSA’s policy on refunds?
INSTRUCTIONAL AND RECREATIONAL LEAGUE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is the Hudson Soccer Association?
The Hudson Soccer Association ("HSA") is a not for profit organization that sponsors recreational and travel soccer program for boys and girls who live in Hudson. Last year more than 600 children and adults participated in HSA's Saturday recreational soccer league, which is known as the Instructional and Recreational League ("the IRL"). Approximately 250 boys and girls participated last year on travel soccer teams sponsored by HSA. HSA's travel soccer program operates under the name Hudson United Soccer Club. HSA also operates a referees program, in which it trains and pays Middle School and High School boys and girls to referee the IRL games.
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2. What is HSA's objective in sponsoring soccer programs in Hudson?
HSA's goal in sponsoring the recreational and travel soccer programs is to provide children in Hudson the opportunity to play and learn the game of soccer in a fun-filled environment. HSA promotes soccer because its members believe that playing soccer benefits children in many ways. It gives children the opportunity to make new friends, learn about teamwork, and develop the bonds that teammates often form. Playing soccer provides children the chance to develop leadership skills and to learn to compete fairly and graciously. It also gives them the chance to develop mental and physical skills and self-confidence while having fun.
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3. Who operates HSA?
A thirteen-member Board of Directors is responsible for operating HSA. Six of the Board members focus their efforts on operating the IRL, and six members focus on the Hudson United travel program. The thirteenth Board member is elected by other twelve Board members and is free to oversee all aspects of HSA's activities. All of the Board members serve as unpaid volunteers. HSA has one employee, Corinna Bennett. Corinna serves as the Registrar for the IRL, and oversees the day-to-day operations of the IRL. Hundreds of other parents volunteer as coaches, assistant coaches, and team managers for IRL teams.
Click hereto obtain contact information for Board Members, Officers, and other volunteers for HSA.
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4. Does HSA have an office in Hudson?
Yes. The office is located at 33 Milford Drive #2. It is located across the parking lot from Mammoth Video on the eastern side of Acme Plaza. HSA keeps office hours throughout the year and publishes the office hours to the parents and players during the season.
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5. What is the Instructional and Recreational League?
The IRL is a recreational soccer league of teams comprised of children who live in Hudson. The teams are coached by parents. The IRL season consists of four sessions of soccer, and the games are played once a week on Saturdays. This year the IRL will start the outdoor session of soccer early on August 22, 2009, and it will consist of 8 games. The other three sessions will be played indoors between November and late April and will consist of 7 games each. The IRL is divided into boys and girls divisions, and the children in each division are grouped by age. There currently are five divisions for boys and five divisions for girls. In addition we have a High School League and Men’s and Women’s leagues for the parents of our children.
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6. What is the difference between the IRL and the Hudson United travel soccer program?
The IRL consists of teams of children from Hudson who play games against each other. The IRL teams are coached by parents, play one game a week, and tend to practice only before games. The Hudson United travel teams also are comprised of children from Hudson, but they play games against travel teams from other communities. Children playing for Hudson United range in age from 8 to 14 years old (third through eighth grade). The Hudson United teams practice once or twice per week, and play one to three games per week. The level of play in travel leagues is significantly higher and more competitive than in the IRL. For the most part, the Hudson United teams are coached by licensed professional coaches rather than parents. Playing travel soccer is more expensive and time consuming than playing in the IRL. Playing travel soccer for Hudson United is ideal for children who want to play soccer at more competitive level, and who want to devote more time and effort to the sport. Hudson United, for some travel players, also serves as a stepping stone to more competitive levels of soccer as they get older. For more information about Hudson United, please visit its website at www.hudsonunited.org
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7. How old are the children who play in the IRL?
The children who play in the IRL range in age from five to eighteen years old (grades K through 12).
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8. When is registration for the IRL?
Registration for the fall outdoor session of the IRL takes place from April through July. In July, HSA sends letters and registration forms to the parents of all players from the previous season. HSA also advertises the times and places for registration in the Hudson Hub Times newspaper and on the local cable channel. The final registration for the fall outdoor session will take place in July, 2009.
HSA accepts registrations by mail. To register by mail, parents of the player must properly fill out and sign the initial registration form, including the authorization and waiver sections of the form, and send it with a check for the registration fee. If your child did not play during the previous season, parents must also include a copy of the player's birth certificate along with the completed registration form and check. A copy of the initial registration form is located on the Register page of this website, and you may print a copy of it for use in registering. HSA accepts late registrations throughout the year. HSA assigns children to teams immediately after the final in-person registration for the outdoor session. The children usually play on the same team during all four sessions, and the teams fill up quickly in the fall. When divisions are full, late registering players are placed on a waiting list and are assigned to teams on a first come first serve basis. Thus, HSA strongly encourages parents to register their children as early as possible
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9. How much does playing in the IRL cost?
Registration fees for the 2009-2010 season, including the boys’ and girls’, Men’s, Women’s and High School leagues, are as follows:
- · $70 per session for first player in a family;
- · $65 per session for each family member in addition to the first player;
- · $180 for each player when prepaying for all three indoor sessions: and
- · $240 for each player when prepaying for all four sessions.
- Players must register separately for and pay a registration fee each session. Players who have prepaid are considered registered for all four sessions are not required to submit registration short forms prior to each session.
Several weeks before the start of the next session, HSA distributes registration short forms for the next session to all players at their games. The registration short forms simply ask parents to indicate whether their children will be playing in the next session. To register for the indoor sessions, parents (who have not preregistered for all remaining sessions) should mail the completed registration short forms and a check for the registration fee to HSA. In the alternative, parents can place the registration short form and check in the white HSA-IRL mail box in the office at NC or drop it off at the HSA office during office hours. See the Contact Us section of this website for our address and office hours.
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10. What does the registration fee pay for?
All players receive and are entitled to keep a full uniform and a soccer ball when they register for the IRL. The uniform includes a shirt, with a number and logo, and matching shorts and socks. Each player also receives a soccer ball that is the appropriate size for his or her age group. All children who are registered for the final session receive a trophy to commemorate their play in the IRL. The registration fee entitles your child to play in the seven game session you have registered for. The registration fee also pays for numerous other expenses HSA incurs in running the IRL. These expenses include referees' fees and expenses, outdoor field lining and usage, indoor field usage, insurance, office space and operating expenses, written communication with parents and players, the registrar's salary, trophies, equipment (e.g., goals, nets, and cones), and other miscellaneous expenses. HSA also offers footskills clinics from time to time at no extra charge to registered players, and the registration fees pay for these costs as well.
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11. Will my child play on the same team all year?
Yes. HSA assigns players to teams in early August before the outdoor session, which is the first session of soccer each year. Your child will continue playing for that team during the entire season, which ends with the final indoor session in April. Most children in the IRL register for and play in all four sessions.
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12. Does HSA ever form waiting lists for registrants?
Yes. Due to the popularity of soccer in Hudson, HSA usually must put some registrants on a waiting list prior to assigning them to teams. Registrants on the waiting list are assigned to teams on a first come first serve basis based on the order in which HSA received their registrations. Although most registrants on the waiting list are eventually assigned to teams, it is not uncommon for some wait-listed registrants to wait a session or more before being assigned to a team. Wait-listed registrants are not required to pay a registration fee until they are placed on a team.
HSA usually forms a waiting list immediately after the final registration for the outdoor session of soccer, which is the first session of soccer each year. Please consult the Schedule section of this website for the date of final registration this year. In assigning players to teams, HSA gives first priority to players who register for the outdoor session of soccer and whose registration forms have actually been received by HSA (not merely mailed to HSA) by the close of the final registration. It is HSA's experience that many divisions of the IRL are full by the close of final registration. Thus, HSA strongly encourages players to register as early as possible before close of the final registration for outdoor soccer.
HSA gives second priority in making team assignments to players who register for the outdoor session after the close of final registration based on the order in which HSA received their registrations. HSA gives third priority to players who register to begin playing during one of the three indoor sessions based on the order in which HSA received their registrations. If a player registers for the outdoor session after the close of final registration but is placed on the waiting list and does not play during the outdoor session, that player will be treated as if he or she registered for the first indoor session in determining the player's priority for team placement.
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13. When will we hear from our coach?
HSA forms the teams immediately after the final fall registration, which will occur in July, 2009. HSA will hold a meeting with and provide rosters to coaches on August 12, 2009. The first games will occur on August 22. HSA will instruct coaches to call all the parents of their players by August 17 to schedule a time to distribute uniforms, balls, and other important information.
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14. What must we provide for our child to play soccer?
Your child must wear shin guards to all games. Players are not permitted to play without shin guards. Rubber cleated shoes are desirable but not required for outdoor soccer. The grass tends to be slippery during the outdoor games in the fall, and many children find that rubber cleats are very helpful during the outdoor games. HSA suggests that parents consider having their children wear a properly fitted mouth guard during practices and games. Children are encouraged to bring water bottles to the games.
The cleated outdoor shoes are not permitted indoors. The indoor playing surface is Astroturf. Tennis shoes or indoor soccer shoes are required indoors.
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15. What should I do if my child's uniform does not fit?
HSA wants all players to have properly made and fitted uniforms. Since the four IRL sessions take place over a seven-month period, the uniforms should fit loosely in the fall so that there is room for the players to grow. If any part of the uniform is defective or does not fit when you receive it, HSA will exchange it for shirts, shorts, and/or socks that are properly made and fitted. In order to exchange any part of a uniform, it is important that your child not wear the part or parts that you plan to exchange.
In order to exchange your child’s uniform, you should bring your uniform to HSA's office during regular business hours. See the "Contact" section of our website for information about the location and office hours of the HSA office. We maintain a small inventory of extra uniforms at the office. If we have the uniform parts you need in the appropriate size and color for your child, we will make the uniform exchange at that time.
If we do not have a uniform part in our inventory to exchange with you, we will place a special order for your child with our uniform vendor. In most cases it takes only three to five days for us to receive the specially ordered uniforms from our vendor, so we usually can make the uniform exchange before the next game. In order to place a special order, we will need to know the number of the team your child is playing on, the color and size of the uniform part you wish to exchange, and the color and size of the uniform part you wish to receive. Special orders can be picked up at the HSA office during normal business hours. Please call, e-mail, or visit the HSA office on the Thursday or Friday following placement of your order to see whether it has arrived.
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16. If I am exchanging part of my child's uniform, what should I do if my child has a game before the uniform exchange is completed?
If your child has a game before the uniform exchange is completed, have your child wear to the game the parts of the uniform that have not been exchanged. Your child should not wear the part of the uniform you plan to exchange. If you are exchanging the shirt, please have your child wear a T-shirt or an old uniform shirt that is as close as possible to the color of your child's new uniform shirt. If you are exchanging shorts or socks, your child can wear any color shorts or socks to the game because these parts of the uniform are not as important as the shirt for distinguishing the players on different teams.
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17. When and where are the IRL games played?
IRL games are usually played on Saturdays. The outdoor games begin at either 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.. or 1:00 p.m. depending on the division the children play in. The outdoor games begin with a half-hour practice and warm-up followed immediately by a one-hour game.
All outdoor games are played at Barlow Farms soccer Fields. The Barlow Farms facility is located on Barlow Road across the street from Little Tikes and is operated by the Hudson Parks District. The Barlow Farms soccer facility has 6 full size soccer fields, a picnic pavilion, a playground, and a parking lot that holds approximately 210 cars. It will also have a concession stand in the near future. All players will receive field maps attached to their schedules for the outdoor session. See the Field Maps section of our website for more details about the location of the fields.
The indoor games are played at various times on Saturdays at the NC Soccer facility on Stow Road in Hudson. The NC facility has 3 indoor fields. Due to the cost and demand for indoor soccer time, the indoor games are limited to one hour in duration. The teams tend to use ten minutes of this time to warm up. Thus, it is very important that players arrive at NC before their scheduled game time so that they have an adequate time to warm up. The Kindergartners and first graders play most of their indoor games on Field 3 at NC, while second through ninth graders play most of their indoor games on Fields 1 and 2 at NC.
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18. Can I register my child in August to begin playing after the outdoor session?
Yes. You can do so by filling out completely the initial registration form, which is found on our website, and mailing it to HSA or dropping it off at registration or at the HSA office during office hours. Please do not forget to include a copy of your child's birth certificate if your child did not play in the IRL last season. Please note, however, that if the division your child will play in becomes full during registration for the outdoor session, your child will be placed on a waiting list for that division. Registering early will ensure that your child is placed at or near the front of the waiting list. You will not be required to pay a registration fee until your child is placed on a team.
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19. What should I do if my child decides to stop playing before the end of the season?
If players do not intend to continue playing in the next session, it is very important that parents notify HSA's registrar, Corinna Bennett. Due to the popularity of soccer in Hudson, most teams are filled to capacity at the beginning of the year and HSA is forced to put many children on a waiting list. Advising Corinna that your child plans to stop playing will give a child on the waiting list a chance to play. You can notify Corinna by calling the soccer office at the number listed above (and leaving a voice mail message if necessary), mailing her the registration short form for the next session that you received at your child's game, or stopping by the HSA office during office hours.
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20. Do boys and girls play together on IRL teams?
No. The IRL has no coed teams until High School. Because of the popularity of soccer in Hudson, enough boys and girls register to allow for the formation of separate boys and girls divisions in all age groups except High School.
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21. Do the young children play on the huge full-size soccer fields?
No. The Kindergarten and first grade teams that are playing each other split their teams into two groups and play two simultaneous mini-soccer games during the outdoor and indoor sessions. Mini-soccer typically is played with only four players and a goalie playing for each group on a small field. The outdoor fields for mini soccer are approximately one-sixth the size of a football field. The second and third graders play outdoor soccer in an eight vs. eight format on fields that are approximately one-third the size of a football field. The fourth through ninth graders play outdoor soccer with 7 or 8 players and a goalie (if team sizes permit) on a field that is approximately 40 % of the size of a full size soccer field.
The indoor fields are approximately the size of a hockey rink. The Kindergartners and first graders play two simultaneous games of mini soccer on the indoor field, one on each half of the field. The second through ninth graders play indoors with six to eight players per side depending on the sizes of the teams, and use the entire indoor field for their games. These small sided games on small fields allow the young children to touch the ball frequently during the game. It is HSA experience that children learn the game of soccer more quickly when playing in this manner.
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22. What is HSA's position on winning and losing games?
HSA does its best each year to form teams in each division that are as evenly balanced as is possible so that the games are close and exciting. HSA, however, emphasizes fun and learning over winning in the IRL. HSA does not keep or publish league standings in the IRL. HSA does not run a championship tournament or give any trophies or awards for winning games. HSA discourages coaches from keeping score. Although scoreboards are present at all of NC's indoor fields, HSA instructs the referees not to keep score on the scoreboards. HSA also has a detailed playing time rule. It requires that all players, regardless of their skill level, play at least half the game. It also requires that extra available playing time be distributed fairly among all players.
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23. Does HSA sponsor a soccer league for adults and older High School students?
Yes. Due to the popularity of soccer in Hudson, HSA has sponsored a league for adult men for several years. In 2007, the Men's League expanded from four teams to six teams. Click here for information about the Men’s League. In January 2007, HSA organized a Women’s League. Click here for information about the Women’s League.
Beginning in the fall of 2006, HSA organized a High School league that consisted of co-ed teams. As of January 2007, the High School league consisted of 6 co-ed teams. Contact our Registrar, Corinna Bennett, at HSASoccerMom@aol.com if you would like more information about the High School League.
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24. What is HSA’s policy on refunds?
HSA is happy to refund soccer fees if the player is injured or makes an out of area move but not if the player changes their mind about playing soccer.
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