U9 Travel Soccer - Fall '23

The U9 level is the first opportunity for kids within BAC to pursue travel soccer. The commitment level is a little higher (2-3 practices/week), the competition is a little greater, coaches are paid positions, teams will play in 2-3 tournaments a year, there are tryouts, and it's a year long program. BAC hasn't identified its coach for next season's U9s, but anticipates doing so closer to tryouts in May. 

Additional information about BAC's travel program can be found here.

The jump from U7/8 to U9/10 is perhaps the most significant one they'll ever deal with in youth soccer. We go from 4v4 with no goalies to 7v7 with goalies, referees, offsides, throw-ins, penalty kicks and more. When you add in the element of increased competition that the travel program offers, it can be overwhelming. In an effort to better prepare our aspiring travel players for that transition, we're looking to leverage opportunities within the rec program that can help. These include challenging those players more in age group training, pursuing "guest player" opportunities at the U9/10 level, and consideration for postseason tournaments. If you are the parent of a 2015 child and you think travel soccer is in their future, please let me know (smitters@hotmail.com) so we can do our best to set them up for success.

For general questions about BAC's travel program, you can contact me or Dave Kerr (dkerr@burkeacsports.com). 

Spring Registration Numbers - Feb 23 Update

Just a few more days left before on-time registration closes for the spring season. Here's where are numbers stand right now:

	Players Spring '23	Players Fall '22	Head Coaches Needed	Asst Coaches Needed	Target Team Size Spring '23
U7/8 Boys	93	115	2	2	10-13
U9/10 Boys	83	89	1	4	10-12
U11/12 Boys	74	66	1	4	12-15

We are still looking for volunteer head and assistant coaches, so if you're interested in getting involved, please let me know (smitters@hotmail.com).

Scrimmage Fest Sign Ups are Open for U9/10 and U11/12

The Sign-Up Genius for our April 8th Scrimmage Fest is now open and can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4da8af22a0fc1-bacpreseason#/

Here is the schedule of events:

9:15-10:15      U9/10G (Max 60)

10:30-11:30    U9/10B (Max 60)

11:45-12:15    U11/12B (Max 48)

1:00-2:00        U11/12G (Max 48)

2:15-3:15        U13B (Max 36)

All games are at Patriot Park.

Last day to sign up is April 6th after which point we'll finalize scrimmage fest rosters. As I noted before this event is no additional cost for registered players, but is entirely volunteer driven so we are looking for parents to help serve as coaches and refs. Please don't hesitate to reach out (smitters@hotmail.com) if you have any questions or if you're interested in volunteering. 

BAC Players Shine During President's Day Pick-Up Games

Monday was a great day for soccer as a mix of predominantly BAC rec and travel players convened for a fun morning of pick-up games. All together 27 players ranging from U8 to U11 participated in three 30 minute 11v11 scrimmages that featured nine goals scored by seven players: Elliot Bratton (U9/10 Rec), Tristan Smith (U9/10 Rec), Caleb Steinberg (U11/12 Rec), Jason Yao (U11 Travel, 2012 Boca), Johan Correa (U9 Travel, 2014 Galaxy), Liam McLeish (U9/10 Rec) and James Stutzman (U9/10 Rec). If you're interested in getting involved with these types of pick-up events in the future, please let me know (smitters@hotmail.com).

Preseason Scrimmage Fest for U9/10 & U11/12 Tentatively Set for April 8th

More info to follow on this, but we're tentatively moving forward with plans to host a preseason scrimmage fest on April 8th at Patriot Park for the U9/10 and U11/12 age groups. Similar to past years, players who sign up to participate will be placed on a team and typically play two 25 to 30 minute games against different opponents. For players new to the club and/or the age group, this is a great opportunity to get used to playing on the turf fields, and learning the rules for the respective age groups in a low stakes game setting. And for our more experienced players, this is an opportunity to play with other friends in the club that may not be on their team. Once registration closes, the club will put out a Sign-Up Genius link for interested players to sign up. No cost to play, but we are looking for volunteers to coach or ref, so please reach out to me if interested. As I said, more info to follow, but mark your calendars now!

Winter Wednesday Wrap-Up

Yesterday marked the conclusion of BAC's Winter Wednesday program for the U9/10 and U11/12 age groups. These weekly clinics combined our rec and travel player pools to offer extra training through the winter months in a similar format to the Age Group Training we run through the regular season.  If you attended and have any feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know (smitters@hotmail.com) as we're always looking for ways to improve our program.

BAC Discounts at Dick's Sporting Goods (Springfield, VA)

We talked a couple days ago about general equipment and goalie gear you might be looking for for the upcoming season. To that end, BAC has partnered with Dick's Sporting Goods in Springfield to offer a 20% discount on your entire purchase at Dick's from March 3rd through March 6th. Here's a link to the BAC coupon. 

Goalies and Goalie Gear

At BAC, we don't introduce goalies until the U9/10 age level. The U7/8s play 4v4 games on small goals with no goalies, after which point they transition to the larger fields (typically at Patriot Park) where goalies start getting utilized. 

If you have an aspiring goalie, you may be asking whether or not you need to invest in any special equipment. While ultimately the decision to purchase gloves or a goalie jersey are your call, I don't know that I'd advocate for purchasing specialized gear unless you're sure that goalie is something your child wants to pursue. 

As a coach, I generally pick up a couple pairs of gloves prior to the start of the season that can be shared by my team, but that's totally up to the coaches on how they want to handle that. For awareness, goalie gloves come in different sizes and I've generally found that size 4s, 5s and 6s will cover the entire cross-section of the U9/10 age group. It's certainly debatable whether or not the gloves make a significant difference in performance at this age, but it does seem to boost players' confidence who might otherwise not be excited about trying out the position. 

Because we're only talking about rec soccer, a penny is generally sufficient to serve as a goalie jersey as you really only need a means to distinguish them from other players on your team. We do have kids that have their own goalie jerseys, but those kids are generally playing goalie every week as opposed to just once in a while. 

The club does provide goalkeeper training throughout the season in conjunction with the Age Group Training program. Historically this has been on Wednesdays, but the schedule for the spring season has not yet been finalized so I wouldn't mark your calendars just yet. This training is open to all players U9-U12 and is generally capped at 20 players/week, so we try to limit how many players attend from each team at a given time. The club also offers goalkeeper training as part of its summer and winter camp/clinic programs, so if that's something you might be interested in, please let me know (smitters@hotmail.com) and I'll make sure that as those opportunities come up that you're notified. 

Referees Wanted

BAC starts incorporating referees into gameplay at the U9/10 age level (at the U7/8 level the coaches serve as refs). Unfortunately, there is currently a massive shortage of referees nationwide and over the past couple seasons, there have been a number of occasions where no referee has shown up for our games.

If you, or someone you know over the age of 13, is interested in becoming a referee, there has never been a better time to get involved. The following website on the BAC page has additional information about the certification process:

https://burkeathletic.demosphere-secure.com/rec-soccer/information-on-referee-certification-and-recertification-1

Looking for other ways to help with the referee shortage? First and foremost, BE KIND TO OUR REFS. Because there is a shortage of refs, they're typically able to pick their games and we do not want to be a club with a reputation for having rowdy coaches/fans as this will only increase the games that we aren't able to get covered. So, even if the ref has a terrible game, take the high road and move on with your day. And if you feel that a ref's performance was so egregious that it warrants a follow-on discussion, let me know and the club will investigate on your behalf.

What Is Age Group Training?

One of the things BAC offers to its rec soccer program is "Age Group Training." So what is age group training? Unlike normal practices that are run by our volunteer coaching staff with their own teams, age group training is run by the club's professional training staff, and is offered to all club members. This training is more targeted on skills development, and also brings players together from all teams in the age group to "mix it up" one additional day per week.

We find this supplemental training relieves some of the burden on our volunteer coaches so they can focus their practice time more on team building and strategy, and less on skills development. This additional training is covered by your registration so there's no additional cost. It's also not mandatory, so if you want to pursue the opportunity you can, but you certainly don't have to. Coaches are also not required to attend the age group training, but they are encouraged to do so as this allows them an opportunity to observe, learn from, and converse with our professional staff. 

The age group training schedule for the spring season has not yet been finalized, but notionally it will start up the week of April 10th. Once the schedule is locked in, it will be posted here:

https://burkeathletic.demosphere-secure.com/rec-soccer/age-group-training-schedule

Spots in these sessions are typically reserved via a sign-up genius link that will be pushed out by me or by your coaches. Historically sessions have been either Mondays or Wednesdays depending on your age group. Expect more info to come out on this in mid to late March. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions (smitters@hotmail.com).

Equipment

If your kid is new to soccer, you may be asking what equipment will you need for the upcoming season. We talked earlier this week about game uniforms, but there is some other gear you'll need.

First and foremost: shin guards. Shin guards are an absolute necessity. Kids will not be able to play in games without them, and coaches are discouraged from even letting kids practice without them. You can get shin guards at just about any sporting goods store. Make sure you put them on underneath your child's socks. As a coach, I try and always have an extra pair of emergency shin guards in my bag, so for you coaches it's something you may want to consider.

Second: cleats. Cleats are less a necessity as players are allowed to play in sneakers, but they're certainly recommended. Make sure when you get cleats you get soccer cleats, and not football cleats or baseball cleats (or golf spikes) as all of those are different. Soccer cleats can't had a "toe cleat", and can't be metal tipped. Considering this is rec soccer, and how fast kids change shoe sizes, I wouldn't break the bank on this purchase. 

Third: a ball. The ball you get is dependent on your child's age. U7/8s use a size 3 soccer ball, U9/10s and U11/12s use a size 4 soccer ball, and then U13s and up use a size 5 (or full size) soccer ball. Ideally every player will have their own ball as this maximizes their opportunities to get touches at practice. I highly recommend putting your child's name on their ball as a lot of balls look the same, and they have a tendency to wander off. 

Finally: a water bottle. As we get into May/June, we'll have some pretty warm practice/game days, so make sure your child is able to stay hydrated with plenty of water. Like soccer balls, I highly recommend putting your child's name on your water bottle.

How are BAC's Age Groups Split Up?

The question comes up from parents a lot about how we determine where players fall in terms of age groups. The answer is really quite simple: it's all determined by the calendar year a player was born. So for the spring season, the U7/8 age group is comprised of all players born in 2015 and 2016, the U9/10 age group is comprised of all players born in 2013 and 2014, and the U11/12 age group is comprised of all players born in 2011 and 2012. We do consider requests for players to play up an age group, and we also allow U9 players (those currently born in 2014) to play down in U7/8 on a similar case-by-case basis. It really depends on what's determined to be in the best interest of the player.

Age groups re-set every Fall (so with the start of the new school year). So in the Fall '23 season, U7/8 will be players born in 2016 and 2017,  U9/10 will be players born in 2014 and 2015, and U11/12 will be players born in 2012 and 2013. 

We're currently considering having a transitional U7 age group for our kindergartners and inexperienced first graders in the Fall, but we're still working through the logistics of that, so stay tuned. Please reach out if you have any questions (smitters@hotmail.com).

Spring Registration Numbers - Feb 11 Update

Here's where our numbers are heading into this weekend. We're still looking for coaches across every age group, so if you're interested, please consider registering.

	Players	Last Season	Coaches	Assistants	Target Team Size
U7/8 Boys	83	115	8	8	10-13
U9/10 Boys	76	89	6	4	10-12
U11/12 Boys	59	66	5	2	12-15

Uniform Information

New to the club? BAC's uniforms can be purchased at Burke Sporting Goods or online! Our kits come with two sets of jerseys (blue and white) and two sets of socks (blue and white), and the kids can where whatever athletic shorts/pants they want. Numbers are optional, but the kids seem to like them, so you're able to get them put on the jerseys when you order them if you choose. There are no requirements regarding who can have what number, so if a team has five number 10s, or six number 4s, that's all fine. Whatever makes the kids happy.

Here's the link the uniform info on the BAC website, and here's the link to Burke Sporting Goods. Please note that the store has moved and is now at 5631 Burke Centre Parkway, Suite K, in Burke.

Spring Break Camp (4/3-4/7)

Looking for a chance to get some additional practice in ahead of the spring season? BAC will host a spring break soccer camp run by the club's professional coaching staff, April 3-7 from 9am to 12pm at Patriot Park for players age 6 and older. Cost for the camp is $210. If you have any questions you can contact the Burke AC Director of Coaching, Dave Kerr. Here's a link to additional information and registration. 

Spring 2023 Game Days

BAC's rec soccer season is 8 games long. Game days for the spring season are as follows:

April 15, 22, 29

May 6, 13, 20

June 3, 10

The U7/8s have played games at South Run, Lake Braddock and Fairview over the past few seasons, while the U9/10s generally play at Patriot Park, and the U11/12s play at Patriot Park or Lake Braddock. On occasions where we have inter-club matches with BRYC (U9/10 or U11/12), those games may also be played out at Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. 

Less Than Three Weeks to Register for the Fall Season

On-time registration for BAC's spring recreational soccer season ends in just under three weeks (Feb 28th), so if you haven't already registered, don't miss your chance. 

Here's the link to BAC's registration page.

If you're already registered, we're still short volunteers. Ideally we'd like two more head coaches for the U7/8 Boys (2015-2016), two to three more coaches for the U9/10 Boys (2013-2014), and possibly one more head coach for the U11/12 Boys (2011-2012). We're also always looking to deputize some new assistant coaches at every level, so if you're interested in volunteering, please consider doing so. Commitment-wise, you are only expected to run one practice a week and then show up for game days. Please contact me at smitters@hotmail.com if you are interested or have any questions.