This page contains useful information for club members and visitors and brief
descriptions of some current club policies.

Topics

NEW POLICY-- IMPLEMENTED SPRING '07
Every effort will be made to assign every registrant a team. However, because of the growth our club has been experiencing, it has become necessary for the board to implement a player assessment plan. Beginning this spring season, any age division that has too many registered players will be given player evaluations which will be conducted by the Coach and our club's Director of Coaches.  Based on these evaluations, the Coach and Director of Coaches will recommend a roster for the Board's approval. There will also be an evaluation of a team when there are enough players to merit two teams. In the U10-U12 age groups the teams will be split to make two even skilled teams, with an emphasis on trying to make age appropriate teams when needed. In the U13-U18 groups the teams will be split into an” A” and “B” team. Players whose parents have submitted a play up request form with their registration will also be evaluated. All players are expected to attend all evaluation days as designated by their age group. Any player who moves to the area after evaluations are completed may be considered for evaluation at the next scheduled evaluation, or sooner if a team has not been designated as full for the current season.
Play ups: A player wishing to be evaluated for a team in an age group older than his/her birth date dictates, may apply to do so by having a parent/guardian submit the play up request form with their registration. However, it is the philosophy of the club to allow play-ups only when the club's Director of Coaches and Team Coach deems this player is able to perform at a higher level technically, tactically, physically and psychologically. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

PLEASE NOTE: If a player is grade appropriate but not age appropriate they must also fill out a play-up request form and be submitted at the time of their registration.

The first step necessary to play soccer with the Pullman Soccer Club is to register.  On-line registration is available using this link.  Registration may also be accomplished using the printed registration form available here:  pdf version, Word version.   Print a copy of the form, fill it in, and mail it along with the registration fee to the club Registrar, whose address is listed at the bottom of the form.  If you have questions not answered by information on this site, please call or email any of our club officers listed under PSC Contacts. 

In addition to submitting completed registration forms, both players and parents/guardians are required to read and sign code of conduct forms each year (August 1 - July 31) before participating.  The club has prepared a Parent Communication Guide to facilitate effective communications between parents and coaches, which parents should read.  Links to the conduct forms and communication guide are provided below:

Directions to Fields

Games and practices are held at two different locations:  Pullman High School and Lincoln Middle School.

Directions to Pullman High School:  From downtown Pullman (intersection of Routes 27 and 270), take North Grand Avenue (Route 27) 0.7 miles north to its intersection with Stadium Way.  Continue straight through the traffic light at Stadium Way, then make a left turn after 0.6 miles onto Larry Street.  Proceed up the hill 0.4 miles to a stop sign at Hall Drive.  Continue straight through the intersection, pass the main entrance to Pullman High School on your right, then make the next available right by turning through a set of metal gates.  Proceed up this roadway to a large parking lot at the top of the hill.  Gravel paths at each end of the parking lot lead down to the JV Soccer Field (the one furthest to the east, where most PSC games are held), the Varsity Soccer Field (center), and a baseball field (furthest to the west).  A portable toilet is available at the field.

Yahoo Maps  (510 NW Larry Street, Pullman, WA 99163)


Directions to Lincoln Middle School:  From downtown Pullman (intersection of Routes 27 and 270), take South Grand Avenue (Route 27) 0.75 miles south to the traffic light at Crestview Street.  Turn left on Crestview and proceed up the hill approximately 0.25 miles.  The soccer field is on the right behind a row of houses.  During the 2004-05 school year, Lincoln Middle School will be under construction, and the most convenient parking may be along Crestview Street.  Access to the field is available via a path just below the entrance to the school or via a path further down the hill below the first house that you passed as you came up the hill from Grand Avenue.  During the Spring season, landscape installation will be in progress at the school.  Please do not walk across the newly seeded grass but access the field from the pathways from Crestview (just below the sign for the school).  A portable toilet is available at the field.

Yahoo Maps  (315 SE Crestview Street, Pullman, WA 99163)

Tournaments

The club encourages its teams to participate in tournaments.  Participation depends entirely on the initiative of team coaches and managers to get their teams registered for tournaments.  The club's policy is to reimburse each team for tournament registration fees up to a set amount (currently $500 per year).  Any fees above the set amount are covered by participating players/parents.

The following are local tournaments in which PSC teams have participated in past years:

* Hotshot Tournament, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (spring)

* Palouse Cup (5 vs. 5), Moscow, Idaho (August)

* WSYSA District 6 Tournament - Spokane, WA (April for Girls, September for boys)

Participation in tournaments outside of Washington State requires travel papers to be filed with WSYSA, and substantial lead times may be required.  Contact the Pullman Soccer Club Registrar (see PSC Contacts) for more information.

In the past, PSC coaches have served on a voluntary, non-remunerated basis.  For the past several seasons, the club has offered coaches a small stipend that will cover travel expenses for away games.  In addition, parents of players traditionally take up a collection at the end of each season and provide coaches a modest cash gift. 

All coaches and club volunteers are required to fill out a risk management application which is filed with Washington State Youth Soccer Association (WSYSA).  To apply go to http://www.wsysa.com/Programs/RiskManagement/tabid/93/Default.aspx.  The club also requires coaches to read and sign a copy of the WSYSA Coaches Ethics Form, which can be found here in pdf and Word formats.  Coaches should also read and be conversant with the Code of Conduct forms signed by players (pdf, Word) and parents (pdf, Word) and with the club's Communication Guide (pdf, Word).

Two web sites containing rules, regulations, and other useful information for PSC coaches (and team managers) are the Washington State Youth Soccer Association (WSYSA) and WSYSA District 6, which covers all of Eastern Washington. 

Coaching development is important to the success of any soccer club.  In order to encourage coaches to enhance their coaching skills, the club helps to publicize coaching workshops and clinics in the Pullman area and will normally reimburse active coaches for registration fees associated with their participation.

Training opportunities are offered by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) offers coaching development programs and resources.  These programs are occasionally available in the Inland Northwest.  Check the News/Events section to see if a course is being offered. 

In addition to formal coaching development programs, the club recommends coaches use the following websites and DVDs in developing their practice sessions. 

Coaching Websites

Utah Youth Soccer (http://www.utahyouthsoccer.net/education_tech.html)
Fine Soccer (http://www.finesoccer.com/finesoccer_drills_archive.htm). 
And-Again (http://www.and-again.com)
North Alabama Soccer League Coaching Manuals (http://www.nasl.com/drills/manuals.htm)
Decatur Sports (http://www.decatursports.com) 

Coaching DVDs

Coaching DVDs are available from the club on a widerange of technical and tactical topics (see below for a complete listing). In addtition to the drills and activities that coaches can use to plan practices, the highly trained and experienced coaches in the DVDs model good coaching techniques. Coaches interested in checking-out DVDs are to contact the Director of Coaches.

All The Right Moves
A collection of different moves that will leave your opponent standing. Each move is carefully detailed and shown at match speed and in slow motion. What appears to be complex is made easy for players of all ages and abilities. Plus, in this easy to learn system you get to see world class players "putting the moves on" their opponents.

The Art of Flank Play
US National Team and DC United star Ben Olsen, working with palyers from his alma mater FC Delco (PA), demonstrates and coaches the art of flank play and the specific techniques required to excel in this all important area of attack.
Crossing to near and far post
Beating a defender both inside and outside
Overlapping
Shielding the ball on the flank
Creating space
Combination play
Developing the Two-Footed Player
The ability to play equally well with both feet is essential in the modern game. The exercises on this DVD all emphasize being able to make the same movement with the ball on either foot.

Game Intelligence: Developing Awareness & Vision
Part 1 of Small Sided Games to Develop Game Intelligence in Soccer focuses on small sided games and variations in which the players learn, step-by-step, to read game situations quickly and react intelligently.

Game Intelligence: Season Program and Complex Games
Part 2 of Small Sided Games to Develop Game Intelligence in Soccer shows how to plan and schedule a soccer season with small sided games and how to offer the players plenty of opportunities to practice in competitive situations.

Keeper!
Designed especially for team coaches and goalkeepers. The practices are demonstrated by a beginner, an intermediate and an advanced goalkeeper, and show the 10 Key Principles of Goalkeeping. Frequent use of world class professional players gives a clear and exciting dimension to the videos, and two high caliber U18 teams bring the team practices alive. This highly recommended series will help coaches to coach goalkeepers and goalkeepers to coach themselves.
Player Development: Activities of Individual and Team Training
NSCAA Director of Coaching Education Jeff Tipping presents a variety of creative activities to help players improve their attacking and defending skills. These activities will improve individual skills and team awareness for developing players and experienced players.

Soccer Coaches Guide to Young Players 5-7 Years Old
NSCAA staff coaches provide demonstrations of many different activities coaches can use to teach young players the skills they need to learn to play the game of soccer and have fun at the same time.
At this age the ball itself is the biggest opponent. The activities are heavily oriented towards dribbling, giving the players as many touches on the ball as possible in their early years. Sessions include:
• Dribbling moves
• Passing and spacing
• Shooting
• Small sided games
• Additional activities provided by American Youth Soccer Organization and Soccer Association For Youth
Soccer Coaches Guide for Young Players 8-12 Years Old
NSCAA staff coaches provide demonstrations of many different activities coaches can use to teach young players the skills they need to learn to play the game of soccer and have fun at the same time.
It is vital at this age group that coaches are patient, knowledgeable and skilled at providing exercises that are fun, but also have a repetitive element to them, helping to ingrain habits the players will need as they progress in their soccer journey.
Soccer Tactics: Defending to Win
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America presents Soccer Tactics- Defending to Win; a, 2-DVD set featuring twelve tactical training sessions led by NSCAA National Staff Coaches. Each training session has approximately 20 minutes of instruction and also contains Coaching Cues, giving you valuable insight on the various topics.

Soccer Tactics: On the Attack
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America presents Soccer Tactics- On The Attack, a 2-DVD set featuring twelve tactical training sessions led by NSCAA National Staff Coaches. Each training session has approximately 20 minutes of instruction and also contains Coaching Cues, giving you valuable insight on the various topics.

Soccer Tricks, Flicks and Juggling
Learn the fantastic tricks and flicks of some of the game’s greatest stars!

Systems of Play
This program has been developed to help the countless thousands of coaches who are unsure about the tactical deployment of players. Is the 4-4-2 or the 3-5-2 the best system? What about the 4-3-3? Or the 3-4-3? There is no such thing as a "best" system, but there is a system that is best for your team. No team uses a system that has never been seen before - most teams use variations of familiar themes - successful teams change and disguise their tactical positioning of players.

Tactical Development
Tactical Development was created by the NSCAA as a coaching tool designed to help clubs and teams go beyond just participation. Tactical Development will create a coaching connection that is stronger than just the team name and uniform. There should be technical and tactical connections between what happens when one age group progresses to the next age group. Tactical Development focuses on teaching the individual player the responsibilities and possibilities of the positions in the diamond formation that will remain the same regardless of the number of players on a team.
Through the use of on field action and computer graphics, Tactical Development covers the 5v5, 8v8 and 11v11, as well as 6v6 small-sided games.

Technical Training
This DVD focuses on the basic techniques in soccer - the foundation of every player's performance. Correct identification of a player's technical ability is one of the most important skills a coach possesses. Faulty technique, if not diagnosed early in a player's development, will become so ingrained in a player that it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible to correct.

Playing Time

On September 8, 2005, the Pullman Soccer Club adopted a policy on playing time.  The policy can be found here in pdf and here in Microsoft Word formats.

Referees

Under WSYSA rules, all games other than intra-club scrimmages must be refereed by a referee certified by USSF.  Referees are paid a modest fee for each game with those fees varying depending on the player's age group and whether the referee serves as assistant (line) ref or center ref.  Referees for PSC home games are drawn from the Pullman-Moscow area and are in chronically short supply.  For that reason, the club will reimburse anyone interested in serving as a referee the cost of registering for the class necessary to gain certification.  These classes, which take about ten hours, (check this) are held periodically in the area.

Refereeing soccer is a great way to get moderate exercise, enhance your knowledge of the game of soccer, and help ensure that youth on the Palouse have the opportunity to enjoy the world's great game.  Both the pay and the working conditions are superior to those of many other jobs in town or on campus. 

Young soccer players can make great referees.  The opportunity is open to college, high school, and middle school students, with the one age limitation that young referees must be at least one year older than the players they are refereeing.  If you think you might be interested in becoming a referee, please contact the club's Referee Scheduling Manager listed under PSC Contacts on this site.

Waiver of Registration Fees (Scholarships)

The Pullman Soccer Club endeavors to keep its player registration fees low so that no interested players are prevented from participating because of cost.  [The current seasonal registration fee is listed on the player registration form available here.]  We keep fees low by purchasing adequate but not lavish equipment and by relying on volunteers for coaching and other duties.  However, the club recognizes that there may be situations in which even these modest fees could prevent a player from registering, such as a child of a foreign student with limited income and a legal prohibition against working in this country.  If you feel your family's financial circumstances might otherwise prevent your player's participation with the club, please fill out a Scholarship Application Request form available here (pdf, Word) and submit it to the Club Registrar along with your player's registration form.

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