OVERVIEW

1. A board member (Age Group Coordinator, or AGC) chairs a committee for each age group. The AGC is responsible for instructing the committee on the team formation process. AGC are to enforce both team selection procedures and team roster parameters. 

2. Only coaches who coached the season just finished are allowed to attend the team formation meeting. No future season coaches are allowed to attend. AGC’s are expected to enforce this rule.

3. Team selection is to be skill-based following the procedures defined herein.  

4.  AGC’s will use the player ratings as a starting point for forming teams for the next season (players that are not likely to be moved based on their ratings). They will also use the ratings to make a list of the players who warrant discussion. Players that need to be discussed are those on the bubble as well as those with wildly varying ratings.

5. Children are to play with their appropriate age group. No playing up.

6. AGCs are to seek approval from the President and Commissioners for all exceptions. All final decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Directors which has the authority to waive procedures and team size parameters when circumstances dictate.

7. After team formation meetings rosters are to be kept confidential until they are posted and announced prior to the ensuing season. ALL meeting deliberations are to be kept completely confidential. Violation of this policy may result in removal from coaching.

8. Roster changes after team formation meetings are limited to accommodating late registrations only. Once rosters are announced and posted there will be no roster changes. Only in exceptional circumstances will any changes be considered by the President and Commissioners.

TEAM FORMATION GOALS & GUIDELINES

1. WAYS’ goal is to ensure that our kids are playing at a level where they can succeed and have fun so that they want to keep playing and enjoying the game of soccer. 

2. Check your adult competitive instincts. These are young kids, especially our elementary school players. Our priorities are fun and development NOT wins and losses.

3. Player movement is an integral part of our team formation procedures. We recognize that player movement is not always easy. It is up to all adults involved to help get our kids through any disappointment they may feel and help them to get back to having fun playing soccer regardless of the team level they are assigned to. Kids are resilient and will follow the lead of their parents. Please read (4b) below.

4. We look to our coaches to respect these procedures. 

a) Do not use the team formation meetings to try to manipulate your child’s placement or that of a child’s friend. Let the other coaches assess the skill level for your own child.

b) Respect and support the player movement procedures. Player movement allows kids the chance to play at different skill levels. Playing at different skill levels provides important growth opportunities. 

c) Players can move up or down 2 seasons in a row.  If a player just moved up or down, and then is an obvious candidate to move again, then that player can be moved.

d) In towns like Wayland a common view is that only playing at higher skill levels will improve a child’s skills. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every year we have continuing examples of kids who gain confidence and skills from the extra time and space playing at lower skill levels provides as well as from the larger role kids get to play. Player movement needs to be broad and inclusive. Coaches must understand that WAYS is about development, not wins and losses.

e) Do not place teams with the goal of an undefeated season. The goal should be to win as many games as you lose. Kids learn important lessons from both winning and losing. 

f) Do not place teams at a level that restricts your ability to play kids at multiple positions. Playing kids at different positions is critical to their development. Please keep in mind that as kids get older and play on high school teams, depending on the mix of players kids will often end up playing positions they or their parents never imagined they would play. 

Recommendations for BAYS Team Placement

Use previous season BAYS IDs if the record of that team is an indicator that supports your requested placement. Otherwise indicate that it is a new team. For all equal strength teams, indicate that they are equal strength and request placement in consecutive sections. Endeavor to place teams at a level that will allow for at least a .500 record. The goal should always be for players to play multiple positions.

Procedures for Grade 3 and Grade 4 Team Formation (7v7 Teams)

1. Team formation is skill-based. Do not place a clear high division player on a low division team. Do not place a clear low division player on a high division team.

2. Team selection for all 7v7 teams should aim to have a cross section of children from each elementary school on every team. Try to avoid putting only one child from a particular school on a team is to be avoided

3. Grade 3 and Grade 4 coaches should play all players at multiple positions. Strive to have all players try keeper, but it is not a requirement. Players should not be selected for team placement based on their ability or willingness to play goal.

4. PLAYER MOVEMENT #1: From season to season there should be player movement between the different division/skill levels.  At least 3 to 4 players should be moved up or down a level between teams. For example, this can be two players moving up and two players moving down. A player not returning the following season does count as player movement.

Coaches must actively respect and support the player movement procedures. Player movement allows kids the chance to play at different levels. Playing at different skill levels provides important growth opportunities.          

5. PLAYER MOVEMENT #2: From season to season teams playing at the same level should also exchange at least two players from each team in addition to players who are moved to or from different division/skill level teams. This will expose players to different coaches and different groups of teammates. Keeping the same kids together on the same team from season to season is to be avoided. This is considered lateral movement. Lateral movement should NOT occur 2 consecutive seasons with the player, just for the sake of moving kids).

6. TEAM FORMATION: Teams should be divided and formed based on the table below.  

There should always be two equal strength teams at the lowest skill level except in the rare instance where there may only be 3 teams in an age group. 

Guidelines for BAYS Travel Team Roster Sizes

Total numbers for an age group drive final team size. The following are procedures. Note that a distinction is made between top division and lower division teams. In general players on top division teams are more committed and generally with better stamina. As a result, roster size for top division teams should be slightly smaller than for lower division teams.

Due to multiple commitments of many kids and the potential of injury, illness etc, WAYS recommends erring towards larger rather than smaller teams.

7v7 (Grade 3- Grade 4)

Divisions 1 and 2:  Ideal is 11-12. Maximum of 14. Avoid 10 if possible.

Divisions 3 and 4:  Ideal is 12-13. Maximum of 15.

Procedures for Grade 5 and Grade 6 Team Formation (9v9 Teams) 

At team formation meetings, ACG’s should distribute player rating sheets sorted by team from preceding season

Note for Grade 4 teams who will be Grade 5 in the fall – the move to straight skill based teams from the equalized format of the Grade 3 and Grade 4 years can be a difficult transition. Some kids who have been on one of the top two teams will not be placed on the top team for the fall. The same will happen for some kids who played on the mid-level equalized teams.

1. Team formation beginning in the Grade 5 year is straight skill based. Teams are formed one at a time based on skill level. The most skilled players make up the first team. The next most skilled players make up the second team and so on. When there are more than three teams within an age group, the last two teams in these age groups are to be of equal strength.

2. Grade 5 and Grade 6 coaches should play all players at multiple positions. Players should not be selected for team placement based on their ability or willingness to play goal.

3. PLAYER MOVEMENT: From season to season there should be player movement between the different division/skill levels. At least 3 to 4 players per team should be moved up or down a level between teams. A player not returning for the following season does count as movement.

Coaches must actively respect and support the player movement procedures.  Player movement allows kids the chance to play at different levels. Playing at different skill levels provides important growth opportunities.

4. TEAM FORMATION: Teams should be divided and formed based on the table below.

Guidelines for BAYS Travel Team Roster Sizes

Total numbers for an age group drive final team size. The following are procedures. Note that a distinction is made between top division and lower division teams. In general players on top division teams are more committed and generally with better stamina. As a result, roster size for top division teams should be slightly smaller than for lower division teams.

Due to multiple commitments of many kids and the potential of injury, illness etc, WAYS recommends erring towards larger rather than smaller teams.

9v9 (Grade 5 - Grade 6)

Divisions 1 and 2:   13-15. Maximum of 16

Divisions 3 and 4:   14-16. Maximum of 17

Procedures for Grade 7/8 Team Formation (11v11 Teams)

At team formation meetings, ACG’s should distribute player rating sheets sorted by team from preceding season

1. BAYS combines the Grade 7 and Grade 8 age groups into a single Grade 7/8 age group

2. Grade 7/8 11v11 teams should be formed one at a time and based on skill level. The most skilled players should make up the first team. The next most skilled players should make up the second team and so on. When there are more than three teams within an age group, the last two teams in these age groups are to be of equal strength.

3. PLAYER MOVEMENT player movement at this age group is primarily a result of a change in registration numbers. Movement is not required, but can be done as needed. 

4. GOALKEEPER CONSIDERATIONS Kids that play keeper will begin to specialize, especially in this age group.

Guidelines for BAYS Travel Team Roster Sizes

Total numbers for an age group drive final team size. The following are procedures. Note that a distinction is made between top division and lower division teams. In general players on top division teams are more committed and generally with better stamina. As a result, roster size for top division teams should be slightly smaller than for lower division teams.

Due to multiple commitments of many kids and the potential of injury, illness etc., WAYS recommends erring towards larger rather than smaller teams.

11v11 (Grade 7/8)

Divisions 1 and 2:  14-18. A roster of 16-18 is advisable for Grade 7/8 teams due to Bar/Bat Mitzvah conflicts.

BAYS roster by-law: In the spring season BAYS maximum roster size for all Division 1 and 2 teams (MTOC eligible) is 18.

Divisions 3 and 4:  16-20. A roster of 18 is advisable for the Grade 7/8 teams due to Bar/Bat Mitzvah conflicts.

BAYS roster by-law: The BAYS maximum roster for divisions 3 and 4 is 22.