July 27, 2020
Hello Marlboro Youth Soccer Families,

We hope this email finds you well and you are starting to enjoy the sunny weather.  We have had a lengthy board meeting and a few side meetings over the last month and have come up with a quick update as to what is going on regarding youth Soccer in our city.

1. Summer: We have decided not to have any MYS specific Summer programs.  Please look at our partners or other options at the following page:
   http://www.marlboroyouthsoccer.org/Page.asp?n=118605&org=marlboroyouthsoccer.org
    
2. Fall: We have decided not to participate in town travel in the Fall (BAYS).  We will be  focused just on having fun and getting kids playing.  We will offer some sort of in town program, based on clinics and potentially local scrimmages and games if it can be done safely.  Look for more information later this summer regarding registration.
    
3. CovID Policies: We are constantly looking at the pages and pages of criteria from Mass Government, Marlboro Government, USYS, Mass Youth Soccer, and BAYS to try and determine the safest course of action.  As we start to put in place our return to play plan, we will be sure to communicate to our community. 
   
   As of July 24, Soccer is now rated a Medium Risk Sport and is allowed to participate in Phase 3 activities.  More details from Mass Youth Soccer:
   https://www.mass.gov/doc/safety-standards-for-youth-and-adult-amateur-sports-activities-phase-iii-step-1/download
   
   Mass Youth Soccer maintains a site with all the most current information:
   https://www.mayouthsoccer.org/return-to-soccer-activities/  

Stefan Hudzikiewicz, Development Director
Marlboro Youth Soccer

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Thank you to the outgoing members, from all of us!  

Adam, Heidi, Ralph, and Ken have done a steadfast and thankless job of keeping Marlboro Youth Soccer alive and running, 2 seasons a year, for 20+ years and we are grateful for all they have done.  

That means there has been a pretty big changeover in roles within the Marlboro Youth Soccer community, as well as some vacant positions.  We can use people in many facets; as board members, coaches, team parents, referees and other positions.  In case people are interested in getting involved, you can see more in the volunteer post...

During the Spring 2020 season, we will be implementing a couple of initiatives designed to help protect and nurture our referees.  Quite a few of our refs are MYS players themselves, or came up in the MYS program.  Check back to this space for more details on the following efforts.

• New Field Signs. 
• Zero Tolerance Policy.
• Lollipop / Sucker Program

Volunteer Registration Requirements

As volunteers, board members, coaches, referees, and assistants - all of us must comply with certain registration steps in order to work with and around children.  Please make sure that you follow all of the steps outlined.  

• For detailed information about our volunteer registration policies click here.
• For any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our Compliance Coordinator, Brian DuPont at  .

If you coached with us in the Fall 2019 season... Please do NOT create a new account on the Youth Soccer Connect / MA Youth Soccer Registration website (http://marlboro.mayouthsoccerconnect.org/). Instead, start with page 3 of our step-by-step Registration Guide, and log in with the credentials you established last Fall. If you don't remember the password to your account, there is an option on the page to reset it.    

If you're new to coaching this Spring (or didn't coach last Fall)... Welcome! As a new coach, you'll need to complete our Volunteer Registration Process. Requirements are detailed on our Volunteer Registration website and I'm happy to answer any questions you have along the way. 

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Volunteer Opportunities

There are several openings on the board, and plenty of areas where volunteers can help out the soccer community.  If you are interested in becoming more involved, let us know!

We are looking for help in the following areas:  

• Officer - Secretary
• Referee Assignor / Assitant Referee Assignor
• Registrar / Assistant Registrar
• Coaches
• Team Parents
• Referees
• Pre-K / Kindergarten Help

Quick list of items you need as a coach:

• MYS - Coaches Home
• MYS - Seasonal Checklist
• Registration - Coach Registration Requirements
• Request - Practice Slot/Field
• Request - Equipment
• Request - Game Reschedules

Resources:

• Coaches Meeting Presentation​
• MYS - Field Status
• Bays.Org Home
• Mass Youth Soccer Home
• BAYS Rule Changes

• Click here for the 2019 Coach Award Catalog.
• Click here for the Coaches Seasonal Checklist page.

• Click here for the Coaches Seasonal Checklist page.

This Spring, we will be instituting a couple minor tweaks for the Spring Season, but for the most part we are going to be busy taking over the reigns.  You can see some of our specific Spring efforts below.

• We will be really focusing on 0 tolerance and protecting our Marlboro referees.  There is a nationwide issue in all youth and High School Sports where we are drastically short on referees.  Be part of the solution and find out more in the Protect Our Refs section. 
• We will be making small tweaks on the development front.  Mostly about documenting expectations, giving coaches more resources, and solidifying our offering.  We sent out surveys over the winter and have been pouring over your feedback!
• We will be working to refresh and update the website, tweak the mobile site, update our presence on social media, and provide more transparency to our community.