June 2015

PCJSL Newsletter

From the President ǀ Ted Schmidt

Questions or Comments? Contact PCJSL at PCJSL.Communications@gmail.com

Hi Folks,

I am very excited to report that our new “Respect the Game” program has been a huge success. The need for disciplinary

action for unacceptable behavior has dropped to an all-time low, a full 47% decrease from last season.

We have also obtained 100% compliance by our coaches in completing their “Rate-a-Ref” evaluations after every PCJSL game

this season. This has allowed us to identify those referees who need further instruction and mentoring as well as those who

deserve to be rewarded for improvement and excellence in officiating. Mark your calendars for June 6, 2015. The Pima

County Board of Supervisors will proclaim June 6 as “Referee Appreciation Day” at their June 2nd meeting. The evening of

June 6 we will honor 10 of our most deserving referees at halftime of the FC Tucson Women’s home opener at Kino against

Del Sol in Phoenix. Please plan on joining us for this heated rivalry game and help us show the State that Tucson does respect

the game and especially its officials.

The referee recruiting aspect of the “Respect the Game” program has also exceeded all expectations. We have added an

unprecedented 150 new referees to our ranks in just the last 9 months.

The rest of the State of Arizona has been watching and everyone is very impressed. So much so that the program will launch

this fall in Yuma, Yavapai county and parts of Maricopa County. We can all be proud that it all started in the Old Pueblo and

we lead the State, and I predict the entire country, in bringing civility and good sportsmanship back to the pitch. PCJSL rocks

thanks to you.

See you June 6 at Kino.

Best regards,

Ted Schmidt

PCJSL President

June PCJSL Board Meeting

The next PCJSL Board meeting will be on June 9 at 6 p.m. at the Ann Kathryn Schmidt Kickin’ It

Clubhouse in Brandi Fenton Memorial Park.

View the full PCJSL calendar online here.

PCJSL to Revise Game Scheduling Rules

AYSA Director of Competition, Collier Hill, will head a committee to revise PCJSL scheduling rules

in the direction of a more objective and uniform flighting and scheduling criteria that will be

similar to the very successful Port of Subs League methodology. Collier will begin meeting with

his committee in the next couple weeks to reform the rules with a goal of presenting the

proposed changes for board approval at the August meeting of PCJSL. All Southern Arizona Clubs

are invited and urged to select a representative of their club serve on this committee. It is the

committee’s goal to have representation from all if not most of our clubs so that the final

proposal will represent a consensus of all clubs in PCJSL play. Please advise Collier (Collier Hill

collierhill@azyouthsoccer.org) of your club representative at your earliest convenience.

Upcoming Referee Grade 8 Classes

PCJSL u-12 Play

PCJSL will offer both 8 v 8 and 11 v 11 play in the

Fall. All 11 v 11 teams will be Division I teams and

8 v 8 teams will be flighted in the lower divisions.

PCJSL Awards Funding to President’s Cup and State Cup Winners

PCJSL congratulates U15B Ft Lowell (Gold) Phx Rush (Silver) and U13B Cisco Tucson (Gold) South Bank (Silver) for winning President’s Cup and U14B Tanque Verde for winning State Cup and has awarded each team $1,000 to defray expenses as they

advance to Regional play.

PCJSL in conjunction with the Arizona State Referee Administration (ASRA) will conduct Grade 8 Referee

Classes at the Patrick Hardesty Midtown Police Service Center at 1100 S. Alvernon on the upcoming dates and

times.

Saturday, July 25 from 8am until 5:30pm

Saturday, August 8 from 12 noon until 8:30pm

Sunday, August 30 from 8am until 5:30pm

PCJSL is inviting individual clubs to "sponsor" one of the Grade 8 referee classes with the primary responsibility

of promoting the class they sponsor within their club and securing attendance by as many of their players,

coaches, and parents as feasible. Two clubs have already stepped forward to sponsor classes. TSA is

sponsoring the August 8 class and FC Sonora is sponsoring the October 4 class. Please select a date for your

club and help us continue the great strides we are making to increase our referee pool. Any questions should

be directed to the PCJSL Referee Commissioner, Larry Luckett.

Sunday, October 4 from 8am until 5:30pm

Sunday, November 15 from 8am until 5:30pm

Sunday, December 6 from 8am until 5:30pm

PCJSL Respect the Game Program Huge Success PCJSL launched a new program entitled “Respect the Game” in August 2014. The first goal of the program is to reduce if not eliminate bad behavior by coaches, players and spectators through the use of a signed “Code of Conduct” with agreed upon penalties for misbehavior and a Field Marshall program where trained volunteers in uniform walk the sidelines to enforce the Code. The second goal of the program is to improve referee performance with an online “Rate-a-Ref” component where all coaches are required to fill out a five question evaluation of the referee after each game, rating the referees in five key categories. The data gathered from these evaluations is then used to mentor and teach referees and reward those who perform well. Lastly, the program is designed to recruit new referees with the focus on local high schools, junior colleges and universities. Brochures have been developed for distribution at these locations.

Referee Appreciation Day On June 2, 2015 the Pima County Board of Supervisors, at PCJSL’s request, will proclaim June 6, 2015 “Referee Appreciation Day.” On that date PCJSL, as a component of their implementation of “Respect the Game” program, will honor 10 referees at the FC Tucson Women’s game at the Kino Complex. The honorees will receive two comped tickets to the game, and will be invited to sit in a reserved area on the East side of the field where they will be provided dinner and refreshments. At halftime referees will be honored with a special award presentation by PCJSL and Pima County Board of Supervisor Richard Elias. PCJSL invites you to come out, enjoy the game and help us honor some outstanding referees.

PCJSL, Pima County and FC Tucson is proud to announce our referee honorees for 2014-15: Youth Male Referee of the Year - Aaron Penazek

Youth Female Referee of the Year - Madeline "Maddie" James Youth Male Assistant Referee of the Year - Nathan Brockmeyer

Youth Female Assistant Referee of the Year - Montana Ronduen Best New Male Referee of the Year - Nigel Negm

Best New Female Referee of the Year - "Redd" Cruz Adult Male Referee of the Year - Keaton Jarvis

Adult Female Referee of the Year - Celina Marquez Adult Male Assistant Referee of the Year - Jaime Avila

Adult Female Assistant Referee of the Year - Tanja

PCJSL D&R Stats

Total games per incident Breakdown of who received suspension

Total Concussion D&R One Game 2-3 Game 4+ Games Total Player Admin/Coach Spectator Total

2011/12 60 0 60 31 24 5 60 53 6 1 60

2012/13 48 0 48 30 9 9 48 37 11 0 48

2013/14 51 0 51 31 13 7 51 44 5 2 51

2014/15 * 33 1 32 14 15 3 32 27 3 2 32

*Note: Concussion is not tracked in the 'per incident' or 'Breakdown' categories. Those individual are not suspended and are released by individuals doctors.

Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister, while watching his son play ball was recently asked how parents can best support their kids when they are competing in sports. Here is what he said:

“If you talk to your child while they’re competing — even from a distance, even in a whisper — that’s all they can hear. And it’s the last thing they need to hear.

“When you are on the field as an athlete, especially as a young athlete, the people you do not want to disappoint the most are your parents,” he says. And when a child hears a parent’s voice, especially one telling them what “they’ve done incorrectly or need to do more of, it adds to the tension and the anxiety. When you’re there and you’re cheering and you’re clap-ping and lending support, their feeling is so much greater. They’re going to compete harder. They’re going to focus. … When they hear the clapping they know they did something good.”

How Parents Help Improve Their Child’s Play The Dallas Morning News May 15, 2015

Take Time to Check

As we go into the summer season, we’ll be using fewer fields and facilities. Take the time now to do a goal post audit. Know where your goal

posts are and if they are in safe condition. If they are not going to be used for a period of time, make sure that they are properly stored –

chained to a fence, chained together or secured in a safe facility. Don’t leave nets on goal posts that are not going to be in use on a regular

basis. It’s best to remove nets after every practice since they are an “attractive nuisance”, but be sure they’re down if the goals are not in use.

If a goal you own is in bad repair, remove it until it is fixed. If the goal is a city or county owned goal, report it. Remember, you can be held

liable for a goal post accident when someone is injured whether it’s during a soccer game or practice – or at a time when you are not on the

field.