Fall Season-end Celebration at Papa Gino's - November 2008

Join your PYS friends and teammates for pizza and fun on Sunday, November 9th between 4:00pm - 9:00pm at the Papa Gino's in Stop & Shop Plaza, North Pembroke. 20% of in-store or take-out sales will be donated to PYS. Just print out the invitation and turn it in when you pay.

Please join us for First Aid training, including CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator), on Tuesday, October 7th, from 7pm to 9pm at Hobomock Elementary. Everyone is welcome and the cost is free. This is presented in collaboration with the Brockton Hospital Emergency Medical Department.

Fall 2008 Premier Training Academy (Ages 8 - 13 yrs) - September 2008
Training Sites: Sandwich, Plymouth, Kingston, Milton and PEMBROKE!

Pembroke Youth Soccer and Paul Turner Ultimate Soccer Academy (PTUSA) have teamed up to offer players an exciting opportunity for additional training.  PTUSA has earned its outstanding reputation over the last 6 years by developing players of all ages and abilities. The Premier Training Academy offers competitive players a chance to train seasonally or year round with qualified coaches renowned for teaching the youth player. The Premier Training Academy prides itself on the professionalism of their staff and the innovation of their curriculum. The Academy focuses solely on the technical development of youth players and the understanding of their playing environment.  

Premier Training Academy Information

• Cost: If you are training..one night per week(9wks) = $160.00... two or more nights per week(9wks) = $250.00. Registered PYS players receive a 20% discount. 
• Flexible Schedule: Players will have the opportunity to train at all 5 sites, multiple days of the week without additional cost. Pembroke sessions will be Mondays, 5pm-7pm at the Pembroke Community Center Field.
• Fun Jamborees (4 v 4 Academy Tournament and the 8 v 8 Season Kick-Off).
• PTUSA Training Uniform.
• Player Evaluations.
• 9 weeks of training starting Monday September 8th
• Register TODAY on-line at http://www.ultimatesoccer.org/

Dean Schneider's World Cup Soccer Camp returns in July.  Dean Schneider has a long history of bringing top quality camps and clinics to Pembroke Youth Soccer.  Please see the camp schedule below. To signup, click here for brochure and mail back to World Cup Soccer Camp. Applications should be returned by June 21, 2008.

July 7th - 11th, 9am to 3pm, players entering grade 1 through 6 in the fall
July 7th - 11th, 5pm to 8pm, players entering grade 7 through 9 in the fall
July 14th - 18th, 8am to 1pm, girls entering grade 9 through 12 in the fall

2008 Calendar Raffle --- Winners announced !  - June 2008

Pembroke Youth Soccer is holding a calendar raffle with proceeds going towards the payment of our newly resurfaced driveway and parking area. The raffle needs everyone's participation in order for us to maintain the beautiful complex we are so proud of. The program is asking ALL players to sell a minimum of 1 packet of calendars (5 raffle tickets). Each raffle ticket costs $5. Winners will be drawn for every day in the Month of May. There will be prizes for the top 3 raffle sellers:

1st Prize: $100 American Express Gift Card and 4 tickets to a New England Revolution Game
2nd Prize: $75 American Express Gift Card
3rd Prize: $50 American Express Gift Card

All sold/unsold raffle tickets are due back ASAP.

PYS has continued its investment into the Hobomock Field Complex, moving forward on a project to pave the dirt road and parking lot near the snackbar. This ends an ambitious year in which PYS has spent approximately $60,000 on capital improvements. Earlier this year PYS leveled the field in front of the snackbar and installed a sprinkler system. PYS also built a new, larger, snackbar with bathrooms. The old snack bar was donated to the Pembroke High School Athletic Boosters and has found a new home by the turf field. Pembroke Youth Soccer Board Member Gary Parker has worked tirelessly and has coordinated most of the efforts. Many individuals and local companies have contributed to this effort. The money for these projects had been raised through years of Calendar Raffle sales and other PYS fund raisers.

Cow Bingo For Scholarships - April 26th - April 2008

The 4th Annual Cow Bingo for Scholarships Fundraiser will take place on April 26th, starting at 11am at the Hobomock Fields. This event was postponed from the fall.  Squares that had been purchased in the fall will carry over to the spring event. To purchase squares, complete the Cow Bingo Form and turn in at the fields before the event starts. Money raised from this event will be used for the PYS Scholarship Fund.

At part of the festivities, we will have a juggling contest beginning at 10am for the U10 and U12 age groups. We will be giving away a free size # 4 soccer ball to players who can do at least 10 juggles (while supplies last... we have 45 balls to give away). Successful jugglers will also have their names listed on the Juggle Club on the PYS website.

Pembroke Youth Soccer is holding their annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 14th, at the Pembroke Center Library beginning at 7:00PM. The General Meeting is open to any member of the PYS family who wants to get involved. Pembroke Youth Soccer is proud of its program and of the field complex it maintains at Hobomock Elementary. A program of our size, with approximately 1000 children ranging in age from 6 to 19, does not run by itself though. Many volunteers are needed to ensure that the program runs efficiently. Board members frequently step down as their children get older and reach the end of their playing time with PYS. We need YOU to step up and get involved!  Whether you join a committee, become a boardmember, or just offer assistance, your help is appreciated and necessary for our continued success. As a parent or guardian of a PYS player, your vote elects our board so please participate in the election process. Please email president@pembrokesoccer.org if you have any questions.

PYS is asking for everyone's cooperation in three important areas.

Parking - Please use common sense when parking. In the gravel parking lot, do not extend the parking rows beyond the barrels.  We need to leave enough room for two lanes. There are no parking signs in front of the the gates between fields # 2 and # 3. Parking in these areas blocks drivers views of children crossing between the fields so keep these areas clear. There has been room in the high school parking lot as well as behind Hobomock Elementary. When parking near the PYS snack bar please observe the "no parking between signs" area.

Spectator Areas - When attending games, parents and spectators should not mix with teams and coaches.
For U6, U7, and U8 games, spectators should avoid the team areas between the fields. As your children may be playing on more than one field, it is acceptable to watch the game from the end lines.
For U10, U12, and U14 games, the spectators should be in the areas between the fields and the teams/coaches should be on the opposite side (near the full size goals of the big fields). No one is permitted behind the goals.

Conduct - Last, but not least, parents and coaches need to keep their comments positive! Criticizing the referee is not allowed. Comments such as "Offside!", "C'mon ref", "What about that!" are not allowed and will not be tolerated. Coaches can relay any concerns to the ref coordinator.

Come see the Revolution face the Columbus Crew at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, October 13th at 7:30pm. PYS has discounted tickets available for only $19 (regularly $25). The parking lot opens at 5:30pm so come down early and tailgate or enjoy the Soccer Celebration before the game. Revolution players will be available for autographs after the game in Autograph Alley. For tickets or more information, please contact John Turdeau at 781-826-7467 (email: trudeau@peoplepc.com). Coaches may want to print and distribute the PYS-Revs flyer.

PYS is offering FREE goalkeeper training for any U12 and U14 players interested in improving their goalkeeping skills. The sessions are taking place weekly on Sunday mornings from 9am to 10am. Your current skill level does not matter. The training will be conducted by PYS coach Bill Tholen. Bill played goalkeeper in college and holds a USSF National D License, NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma, and NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma. If interested please email Bill at CED@pembrokesoccer.org.

Pembroke Youth Soccer will be holding Player Evaluations at the Hobomock School fields on the following dates:

Girls U12/U14 - Saturday, September 22nd
Boys U12/U14 - Saturday, September 29th
Field Players - 8am to 11am (arrive at 7:45am to register)
Goalkeepers - 11:30am to 12:45pm but must also attend Field Player Evaluations

Player Evaluations is the tryout process PYS uses to determine which players will form its "Select Teams" in the U12 and U14 age groups. Select teams offer the more skilled and committed players an opportunity to compete against other teams at the same level. During the spring season, PYS typically fields one select team in the Coastal Youth Soccer League (CYSL) Boys and Girls U12 and U14 divisions. Remember that every player will be placed on a team in the spring regardless of whether or not they attended the evaluations. 

Important:  Player Evaluations are one day only for each age group. Keepers are required to attend the field player evaluations in addition to the keeper evaluations. The regular U12 and U14 games are suspended during player evaluations. All other age groups play as scheduled.

To understand the selection process and how players are evaluated and selected, please review Select Team Overview for Parents & Players, Coach and Player Selection Procedures, Select Team Field Player Evaluations, Select Team Evaluation for Goalkeepers. You need Adobe Acrobat to view these documents.

PYS announces the following Select Team coaching appointments for the Spring 2007 CYSL season:

Girls U12 - Bill Mello
Boys U12 - Mike Tropeano
Girls U14 - TBD
Boys U14 - Mike Cavalear

Pembroke Youth Soccer had our annual finally with our young up and coming soccer stars. Each year the kids enjoy dressing up for Halloween and sharing candy with each other. As you can tell from this years group photo the kids had a ball. This years Most Original, Best Girls and Best Boys awards were a pleasure to hand out. 
Thanks to all for your help in making this event a success.

Cow Bingo Success - November 2006

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Pembroke Youth Soccer has completed moving our e-mail lists from Smart Groups to Google Groups. If you haven't received our November 14th e-mail regarding Field Cleanup Day, you should add your e-mail address via our E-mail Lists page.

PYS is asking for everyone's cooperation in three important areas.

Parking - There is no parking allowed on Learning Lane. Parking on Learning Lane could slow down emergency services and also reduces drivers visibility of children near the road. There has been room in the high school parking lot as well as behind Hobomock Elementary. When parking near the PYS snack bar please observe the "no parking between signs" area.

Spectator Areas (map) - When attending games, parents and spectators should not mix with teams and coaches.
For U6, U7, and U8 games, spectators should avoid the team areas between the fields. As your children may be playing on more than one field, it is acceptable to watch the game from the end lines.
For U10, U12, and U14 games, the spectators should be in the areas between the fields and the teams/coaches should be on the opposite side (near the full size goals of the big fields). No one is permitted behind the goals.

Conduct - Last, but not least, parents and coaches need to keep their comments positive! Criticizing the referee is not allowed. Comments such as "Offside!", "C'mon ref", "What about that!" are not allowed and will not be tolerated. Coaches can relay any concerns to the ref coordinator.

Players on U12 and U14 teams will be notified of their spring team assignments no later than October 31st. Remember that every player will be placed on a team in the spring regardless of whether or not they tried out for a Select team.

To understand the Select team selection process and how players are evaluated and selected, please review Select Team Overview for Parents & Players, Coach and Player Selection Procedures, Select Team Field Player Evaluations, Select Team Evaluation for Goalkeepers. You need Adobe Acrobat to view these documents.

PYS announces the following Select Team coaching appointments for the Spring 2007 CYSL season:

Girls U12 - Bill Mello
Boys U12 - Mike Cavalear
Girls U14 - John Trudeau
Boys U14 - Dave Carter

Mass Youth Soccer ODP Tryout Information - August 2006

Tryout information for the 2007 Olympic Development Program (ODP) Team has been posted on the Mass Youth Soccer webiste (click here for more info). ODP is an elite player program that aids in the identification of the talented players. More information is available at the Mass Youth Soccer website. These tryouts are for boys and girls born from 1989 though 1993. The ODP program is based on calendar years, not the usual August 1st cutoff for town soccer registration.

World Cup Soccer Camp Is Taking Applications - June 2006

World Cup Soccer Camp is back again for its 19th year! Offering more than just quality skill and tactical development, WCSC offers a unique and outstanding training environment with an emphasis on character. With a coaching staff that genuinely cares, each camper is guaranteed to learn the great game of soccer and have a blast doing so. World Cup Soccer Camp is the official camp of Pembroke Youth Soccer. Contact: www.worldcupsoccercamp.org or 603-232-4329.

Three Pembroke Teams At MTOC - June 2006

As the weekend comes upon us we want to wish the following teams the best of luck as the compete at UMASS-Amherst for a chance to be named Champions of their divisions across all of the State.
We have BU19 PKH-1 coached by Mike Massman, GU16 PKH-2 coached by Frank Basler and BU12-1 coached by Mike Cavelear.   GO PEMBROKE !!

A special congratulations and good luck goes out to the five Pembroke teams who continue their quest for a Coastal League championship and a chance of going to the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions in Amherst. Good luck to the teams in their next games.

GU14 B1 coached by John Trudeau will play Duxbury 1 on Mon, June 12th at 6pm in Duxbury ( Win 3-1 ). Congratulations to John and his B1 Girls who move on to play Marshfield Tuesday night at 6:00 pm in Duxbury, come on by and provide support for our team as we cheer the girls on. ( Lost 4-1 )

GU14 B3 coached by Marc Gerhart will play Marshfield 3 as part of a 3-way tie-breaker on Sat, June 10th at 2:30pm in Duxbury ( Win 2-1 ). Marc now advances to play Hingham 3 on Sunday at 5:00 pm in Duxbury, come cheer the girls on ( Win 2-0 ). Congrats!! to Marc and the Girls, they continue their quest for a ticket to the big dance. Next up is the Plymouth 1 girls this Wednesday at 6:00 pm in Duxbury. ( Lost 3-0 )

BU14 B1 coached by Dave Carter will play Duxbury 1 on Thu, June 8th at 6pm in Duxbury  ( Lost 2-1 ). Congratulations to Dave and his B1 Boys who had a great season 

BU12 C1 coached by Mike Cavalear to MTOC as Wild Card

BU12 C3 coached by Paul Allen will play Sacred Heart 1 on Sat, June 10th at 10am at Forges Field in Plymouth ( Lost 2-1 ). Congratulations to Paul and his C3 Boys who had a great season

Calendar Raffle Results Are Here - May 2006

We had another successful year thanks to everyones hard work. As you know our calendar raffle helps defer costs that we incur to maintain our fields and equipment. I think each of you have noticed the much improved playing conditions and we are glad to say that Pembroke has the best Soccer Fields around.
We are happy to announce this years 3rd place prize winner to be Evan Smith who walks away with a $50 American Express Gift Card, nice job Even!. Our 2nd place winner who walks away with a $75 American Express Gift card goes to Melissa Hatch, great job Melissa. Our top prize winner this year is Amanda Lueder, congratulations Amanda, who has received a $100 American Express Gift Card plus four tickets to the New England Revolution. To see our daily winners for the month of May just click away!! 
Thanks Again to all.

  U6/U7/U8 Schedule Update for Saturday, May 20th

Pembroke Youth Soccer is pleased to announce that a special skills clinic has been added to the U6, U7, and U8 schedule on Saturday May 20th. The clinic will be run by Dean Schneider who runs World Cup Soccer Camp. This will be a great opportunity for players, parents, and coaches to meet Dean and learn more about his camp. The clinics have been scheduled to take place at a time right before or immediately after your teams regularly scheduled game. Your regularly scheduled game is not affected by this clinic. All players need to bring a ball. The clinic will take place in the area next to the U6 fields (near the playground). Players will attend with their teams and coaches according to the following schedule:

Coaches Clinic - Saturday, May 20th, 3PM

Dean Schneider will be presenting a coaches clinic on "How to Organize an Effective Practice" on Saturday, May 20th, at 3PM. Coaches of all age groups are encouraged to attend. All coaches should bring a soccer ball. The clinic will show coaches the basic components of a practice and will provide some examples of the activities that are used during each part of the practice.

Spring U12s Play 8v8 - January 2005

You may have noticed something new this year. Our U12s are playing 8 vs 8 on a smaller field this spring. This is part of the small-sided game movement that is sweeping most of the soccer world. PYS has been on board the small-sided soccer movement for some time. You'll notice in our year round in-town program we start our U6s playing 3 v 3, then at U7s they play 4 v 4, and at U8s they play 5 v 5. Our U10s are playing 7 v 7 year round. Our U12s and U14s play 6 v 6 in the fall. Why all this confusion you may ask? Our players benefit from small-sided soccer in many ways: More touches on the ball, less chances to hide while on the field, more attacking/defending situations, more opportunities to make less complicated tactical decisions, and more opportunities to score goals. Please visit the Small-Sided Game section of the US Youth Soccer Website for more information including studies on the topic and information on what parts of the country and the world have implemented small-sided soccer.

Cow Bingo For Scholarships - October 2005

The 2nd Annual Cow Bingo for Scholarships Fundraiser returns to the Hobomock Fields on Saturday, November 12th, starting at Noon. Complete your Bingo Form for a chance to win 1/5th of the total take (up to $1,000). There will be 1000 total squares available at $5 per square. If the cow plops on your square, you win. If the cow plops on more than one square or on a line, the prize will be split. See the Cow Bingo Flyer for complete rules. Forms must be in by 11AM on November 12th so we have time to assign all entrants a square. Money raised from this event will be used for the PYS Scholarship Fund.

Pembroke Youth Soccer will be holding Player Evaluations at the Hobomock School fields on the following dates:

Girls U12/U14 - Saturday, September 24th
Boys U12/U14 - Saturday, October 1st
Field Players - 8am to 11am
Goalkeepers - 11:30am to 12:45pm but must also attend Field Player Evaluations

Player Evaluations is the tryout process PYS uses to determine which players will form its "Select Teams" in the U12 and U14 age groups. Select teams offer the more skilled and committed players an opportunity to compete against other teams at the same level. During the spring season, PYS typically fields one select team in the Coastal Youth Soccer League (CYSL) Boys and Girls U12 and U14 divisions. Remember that every player will be placed on a team in the spring regardless of whether or not they attended the evaluations. 

Important:  Pre-registration is required. Your coach should have the forms which can be returned at the snack bar.  Player Evaluations are one day only for each age group. Keepers are required to attend the field player evaluations in addition to the keeper evaluations. The regular U12 and U14 games are suspended during player evaluations. All other age groups play as scheduled.

To understand the selection process and how players are evaluated and selected, please review Select Team Overview for Parents & Players, Coach and Player Selection Procedures, Select Team Field Player Evaluations, Select Team Evaluation for Goalkeepers. You need Adobe Acrobat to view these documents. Note: The U12 format may be changing to an 8 v 8 format instead of 11 v 11 beginning in the spring 2006 season. Such a change would require changes to the roster sizes and select procedures for U12s described in our current documentation. We expect to know for certain in October prior to player notifications.

PYS announces the following Select Team coaching appointments for the Spring 2006 CYSL season:

Girls U12 - Mame Kell
Boys U12 - Mike Cavalear
Girls U14 - John Trudeau
Boys U14 - Dave Carter

Concern over the mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus continues as more and more communities issue warnings and impose restrictions on outdoor activity. A recent newspaper article reported that all Pembroke public fields would be closed for at least the next two weeks. PYS received an update that this affected only recreational fields and not school property that had already been sprayed. PYS has resumed practices and games but we are recommending that everyone take precautions such as ending practices a half hour before dusk. Also, parents should consider applying insect repellent to their children before outdoor activity. 

Paul Turner recently shared some great ideas with a few PYS Coaches at a Coaches Clinic on April 22nd. Paul is the program director of Paul Turner's Ultimate Soccer Academy and is also heavily involved with the South Coast Scorpions club soccer program. We hope to have Paul back soon for some other clinics.

Click here to see pictures from the clinic.

PYS Scholarship Application - April 2005

The PYS Scholarship Application is now online. The PYS Scholarship is eligible for seniors graduating in 2005. These are due back by the end of April. Please return to Pembroke Youth Soccer Scholarship Committee, PO Box 323, Pembroke, MA 02359.
Have you been wondering where this money comes from......wait no more!!, PYS will stop at nothing to pass scholarship funds on to our winning applicants. Just take a look at one of the Live Events performed not long ago where large crowds turned out to watch one of our family members perform live. 

Calendar Raffle Fundraiser - Spring 2004

Pembroke Youth Soccer has completed this years Calendar Raffle. Money raised through this raffle is used to help improve our playing fields, enhance our equipment and materials needed to help your children have fun and become the best they can at the game of Soccer. The complete Calendar Raffle results are now available online. Check back daily to see if your one of the lucky winners.
PYS will award a $50.00 gift certificate to the Independence Mall for each of the following players who sold the most calendars in their division. 
U6 winners - Chris Holland-Boy & Anna Arscoff-Girl, U8 winners - Austin Carver-Boy & Hailigh Hamer -Girl, U10 Girls - Melissa Hatch, U10 Boys - Jacob Collins, U12 Girls - Rachel Mohan, U12 Boys - Tim Tholen, U14 Girls - Nicole Wetherbee, U14 Boys - Kyle Homan
The grand prize winner, Austin Carver, will receive a $150.00 gift certificate. Thanks to all who participated in this years successful Calendar Raffle Fundraiser

A Night With The Revs - Are You Ready For Some Soccer !! - May 2004

June 19th is PYS night at Gillette Stadium. Pembroke Youth Soccer is sponsoring this event and has arranged for  a special discount on tickets. For the price of $17.00 per ticket (regularly $23.00) all PYS soccer teams, families and friends can attend the game against the Kansas City Wizards. This is your chance to see Taylor Twellman, Aidin Brown, Jay Heaps, Rusty Pierce and of course our very own Pembroke native Luke Vercollone. All you need to do is click on the order form, print it, complete it and mail it in.    

PYS Sponsors "F" License Course - March 2004

Pembroke Youth Soccer will be hosting a Mass Youth Soccer "F" License course on Saturday, March 13th from 7:40AM to about 4:40PM (location to be determined). This course is now full.  If you are currently registered for the course and can not make it, please contact Bill Tholen at 781-826-0937 or bill17@verizon.net. No walk in registrations will be accepted.  There is NO Prerequisite to take the "F" Course. Please note that the "F" Course is required before pursuing the "E" Course so it is a great course to get under your belt. 

For those of you who want to take the "F" Course but don't want to give up a whole Saturday, Scituate is holding a course on two Friday nights, 3/12 & 3/19 from 6PM - 10PM. Contact Andrew Detwiler via e-mail at Andrew.Detwiler@vandham.com to see if they have room. Space there is limited. A complete course schedule is available at http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/courseschedule.html.

The F Course is a more ambitious introductory course for novice coaches or those with some experience. It is designed primarily for coaches of U8, U10, or U12 teams. The goal is to help you to become a more resourceful and confident "activity leader" - to combine your enthusiasm and commitment to children with basic theory and practical exercises. The content will include ideas about how to organize practices and game days, many games and exercises for practices, a more thorough demonstration of basic technique, elementary goalkeeping techniques, and some basic tactical ideas. A Mass Youth Soccer F Manual will be provided.

Select Team Coaches Named - October 2003

Pembroke Youth Soccer has appointed the following people as spring Select Team Coaches:

U12 Boys - Bill Cullity
U12 Girls - John Trudeau
U14 Boys - Dave Carter
U14 Girls - Paula Vercollone

Congratulations and good luck next spring!

U6s Move to 3 v 3  Format, Revised Rules - September 2003

This past fall, Pembroke Youth Soccer's U6 program joined the world-wide movement towards small-sided games. Under the direction of US Youth Soccer (USYSA) and Mass Youth Soccer (MYSA), the program was tweaked to follow the USYSA Official U6 Playing Rules. Here are the highlights of the U6 changes:

  3 v 3 format (using the dual field method)
  NO Goalies
  Kick-ins instead of Throw-ins

These changes provide your child more touches on the ball and create an environment that is a bit less confusing. To accommodate these changes we spread the U6s across two time slots instead of just one. A schedule tells you which time to be at the field each week.  We are using the dual-field method to implement the 3 v 3 format. This means that each "game" is split into two games on two adjacent fields. Coaches manage two games instead of just one. Players may be participating in both games. Under this scenario the concept of winning and losing becomes blurred but participation and fun is at its maximum. PYS thanks you for your support.  Please feel free to share any feedback with your U6 Coordinator, Mike Tropeano.

PYS Donates Coaching Books & Videos to Pembroke Center Library

Pembroke Youth Soccer has recently donated over 20 new soccer coaching books and videos to the Pembroke Center Library.  These books are now available and on display (click here for donation list).  This is phase 1 of a fresh, new effort to improve our program by educating our coaches.  This donation is part of a state wide effort to educate coaches.  Mass Youth Soccer secured a 40% discount on all books and videos that PYS ordered through Reedswain (sorry, discount not available on individual orders).  PYS will periodically review the selection of books and videos available at the library to see if more purchases are needed. 

Where Does Your Registration Fee Go? - May 2002

Ever wonder what you're paying for when you register your child for soccer? PYS wants you to know. It varies a little by age group but we've taken a U12 player as an example and have broken down where we think we'll spend the money in the upcoming year. You can click on the chart of the right to enlarge the picture. Here's the breakdown of how we spend a typical $75 registration fee.

Uniforms (46%). Uniforms account for the largest portion of the expense and comes in at around $34 per player. This includes a numbered shirt, shorts, and socks.

Field Maintenance (23%).  It may surprise a lot of people that we expect to spend about $17 per player (that's $17,000 per year!) on field maintenance. Most of this expense is for mowing which unfortunately is not in the school/town budget. Since we've added the sprinkler system the fields have needed even more mowing but are starting to improve.  Field maintenance also includes fertilizing and the maintenance of the goals, nets, sprinkler system, etc.

MYSA/USYSA/USSF Fees (10%). PYS pays a mandatory fee of $7.50 per player to the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) which we are affiliated with. The MYSA keeps $6.00 of this fee and the remaining $1.50 is forwarded to the US Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) and the US Soccer Federation (USSF). MYSAs share of the money is used to provide medical/liability insurance, educational support via a full-time coaching staff, the BayStater publication, administrative support, and more. The USYSA/USSF fee helps to support things like the US Olympic Team and National Teams.

Referees (9%).  All referees hired by PYS are licensed by the USSF through the Massachusetts State Referee Committee (MSRC).  In a U12 league game a total of $36 is paid to the three officials (less in the fall when we use a single official per game).  Soccer officials are in high demand and it's not unheard of for neighboring towns to contact our officials looking for game coverage.

Field Painting (5%).  About $4 per player ($4,000 per year) goes into painting the lines on the fields. This cost has increased recently with the installation of the sprinkler system. Since the grass is growing better, the painted part of the grass is ending up in the lawn mower quicker. That extra water also washes some of the line away. We've recently hired a line painting company to do the job because it has just proven too big for the few volunteers that we have.

League Fees (5%).  PYS is required to pay $100 for every team that plays in the Coastal League. Last year we had 36 teams. Other possible league expenses include protest fees (rarely occurs), and fines for failing to report scores or team forfeits (not as rare as we would like).

Other (2%).  This category includes the other expenses associated with running our program. This includes having a website, office supplies, postage, coaches education, and providing discounts for our Family Max credit and so forth.

If you compare PYS registration fees to other towns be aware that just about all other towns have separate registrations for Fall and Spring and that each carry their own charges and late fees. Many towns also charge separately for the uniforms. In Easton, for example, you can expect to pay between $175 to $235 annually. In Duxbury it is $105 to $115 annually. 

Registration Survey Results - May 2002

At last years registration you may recall that we asked, "If PYS held separate Fall and Spring registrations, which would you register for?"   Well, the results are in.  We registered a total of 927 players in the U6   through U14 age groups.  Out of those registrations, 730 people had an opinion on whether they would register for the "Fall Only", "Spring Only", or would signup for "Both Fall and Spring".  The chart on the right shows the results.  197 people were either undecided or did not respond.  PYS will consider this information and other factors in deciding whether or not to modify our current once a year registration process. 

John Nathan Sr. summed up last season nicely in an article which appeared in the June 13th issue of the Pembroke Mariner.  (See Article)

In an effort to improve the overall soccer program, PYS will be adjusting the age groups of its "In-town" and "Mites" program during this years registration.   Previously, the cutoff between our youngest group, Mites, and the next older level, In-town, was March which allowed some Kindergartners to be playing with 1st and 2nd graders.  Also, the Mites never had a lower age limit which made it difficult to manage at times.  The revised program basically gives us a U8 division of 1st and 2nd graders and a U6 division of Kindergartners.  Technically, we will use the standard August 1st "soccer year" cutoff but we will grant "play-up" status if the child is grade appropriate for the age group.  Children previously registered with PYS will be grandfathered from the minimum age requirement. Also, the U6 division will move away from the old "pick up game" format and assign each child to a team with a coach.  PYS feels these changes will create a better environment for our younger soccer players to learn and enjoy the game.