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Signature Teams and Coach Selection Process
Having just finished another successful year, the Signature program expects
to continue its growth into the future. One of the keys to continuing
this success will be coaching.
Over the last year, the BSA Board of Directors have been working on creating
programs that will start the process of integrating the coaching efforts
between recreational play, Signature and Blaze. One of the first steps
in this process is to focus on identifying good coaches and building programs
that support coach development. Along these lines, the Signature coaches
have spent the last 6 months developing a process for selecting new coaches.
If you are interested in becoming a Signature head coach, please download
the the following documents documents:
These documents will provide you with information that you will need
to submit your coach application and the things that you will need to
be prepared to do to participate in the process. If you have any questions,
please contact Jim Zordani.
What is Signature Soccer?
Each year many soccer families are faced with a dilemma: continue playing
recreational soccer or make the big jump to competitive or club soccer.
For those recreational players that have developed a higher level of soccer
skill, the natural progression is to make the move to competitive soccer.
However, this jump requires a family making a sizable commitment in terms
of both time and money.
For years, there has been a definite expressed need to provide an opportunity
for young players to play soccer at an intermediate level, between the
strict recreational play and the highly committed club soccer. This is
where the Signature Soccer League comes into play and thus, is a very
attractive way to get exposure to competitive soccer without having to
make large commitments. As a result, BSA’s Signature League has
been the fast growing part of the organization. In fact, Signature soccer
has grown from three teams, three years ago to ten teams today. We have
both boys and girls teams in age groups starting at U9 and going through
U14.
Much of the success of this growth can be attributed to several key factors:
• Competitive play- Signature soccer is not
club soccer, but each Brea team is required to holds try-outs. This
also means that the speed, intensity, skill level and physical nature
of the game can be much higher than recreational soccer and will typically
increase as the players get older. For this reason, the Signature experience
is a great stepping stone for club soccer.
• Nominal financial commitment- Unlike club
soccer, Cal South places a cap on the fees that Signature teams can
collect for training, uniforms, referee fees, etc. For the 2007 season,
the cap was $180 per player. This fee us is up and above the league
registration fees. This cap helps to ensure parity between leagues and
teams.
• Advanced coaching- All Brea Signature coaches
must be qualified before they are allowed to coach. What this means
is that each coach is required to attain advanced coaching licenses
from the United States Soccer Federation (“USSF”). In addition
to this, each coaching staff must go through a detailed interview process
in which they are required to demonstrate their competencies and abilities
to effectively train soccer players in an age appropriate manner. Collectively
this ensures that the players are receiving the best possible training
given League rules. It is important to note, that all Signature coaches
are volunteers, which is a key reason why the Signature League is able
to keep the fees reasonable and is a key differentiator between club
and the Signature League.
• 50% Play Rule- All Signature players are
guaranteed a minimum of 50% playing time. Aside from the obvious advantageous,
there is a direct correlation between a player’s ability and the
number of times he or she touches a ball in game and practice. This
rule ensures player development and promotes game-time confidence.
• Commitment- Brea’s Signature coaches
are a group of highly commitment individuals who have worked very hard
develop a vision for this program, not just their team. This vision
includes the creation of policies and procedures that help ensure that
the program runs well. These policies and procedures put the interests
of the League above the team and the team above those of the player.
As a result, players and their parent are given the best opportunity
possible to learn competitive soccer without the risks and pitfalls
that can be associated with club soccer.
Signature is not a replacement for club soccer, however given that many
of Brea’s Signature teams play/train year round and often participate
in competitive Class III club tournaments, players and their parents are
able to get a sense for true club soccer before making that leap.
Director of Signature Play
Jim Zordani
Phone: 714 529-6778
Email: signature@breasoccer.org
Technical Director
Matt Morse
Phone: 714 296-5888
Email: td@breasoccer.org |
