In order for this team to achieve our goals, we need to be focused, driven and committed. Mediocrity will not be acceptable. We must demand more of ourselves on and off the playing field. “Winners make a commitment, losers make a promise.” It is easy to say I want to improve and help the team achieve its goals; ultimately, it’s your actions not words that will demonstrate your commitment to this team.
There are many challenges at Hilliard Darby High School. It is necessary for you to make choices as to what is a priority. Just coming to practice is not enough. We cannot force you to do anything outside of the prescribed training regimen. As a member of the Hilliard Darby Girl’s Soccer Team, you are in essence putting soccer near the top of your priority list and in turn sacrificing many other opportunities. One of the expectations as a soccer player is your commitment to achieving our goals AND your family, school, and soccer.
In life there are no guarantees! It is important to understand that everyone will have a role to play on this team. Accepting this responsibility depends on you. No matter the situation you find yourself in, you are a valuable member of the team and our success is directly tied to your positive contribution on and off the playing field.
Team Rules
1. Be on time
*The first one “Be on time” is extremely important to me. If a player can’t make the effort to be on time, then it’s difficult for me to make the effort to make them a better player.*
2. No whining
*The “No whining” rule simply says accept the cards you are dealt with and move on. For example, if the ref makes a call you don’t agree with, accept it and move on. It won’t do you any good to stop and whine about it so just move on.*
3. Do what you should, when you should, not just what you have to
*The third rule means that while most people do exactly what is expected of them, be someone who does more than what is asked and go the extra mile and do a bit more. If your team is running sprints and the coach wants everyone to do 10 sprints, go ahead and do 11. Be willing to accept more responsibility than you have to and you will slowly become a leader.*
4. Do it before you are asked
*The fourth rule is a matter of being a bit of a leader. Don’t wait for your coach to ask for help in gathering up equipment after a training session. Take charge and do it yourself. If you see some tape on the ground, don’t wait for someone to ask you to pick it up, you know you should (go back to rule 3) so go ahead and do it before you are asked. If one person starts doing this, the rest of the team will follow the lead.*
5. Do things that will make your self, team, coach, family and friends proud
Rule 5 covers a great deal. If you know you can do something that you shouldn’t (for example, you can lie about a doctor’s appointment and miss a training session), think about how it will reflect on yourself and the people who mean a lot to you. If it will reflect poorly on you or your team, then simply don’t do it. Ask yourself before doing things whether it’s something that I would approve of and be proud of them for doing and if not, then simply don’t do it.
General Conduct
a. Players must follow all school rules and regulations as outlined in the student handbook and athletic manual. Failure to do so will result in immediate removal from the team.
b. The player must attend every practice. If you cannot attend practice, you must notify the coaches at least 24 hours in advance through a phone call, e-mail, or text. The coaches will determine if it counts as excused or unexcused. Excused examples may include absent from school, doctor’s appointment w/note shown to coaches, injury w/note from doctor/trainer shown to coaches, and family emergency. The following consequences will be given for unexcused absences from practices.
A. 1st offense – unable to play in next game
B. 2nd offense – removal from team
c. The player must physically participate in practice the day before a game. Failure to participate will result in losing the chance to play in the first half of the next game. The only excused reasons for non-participation are: injury w/note from doctor/trainer shown to coaches or death in the family.
d. All players are expected to travel to and from all games on the team bus. No exceptions will be made without your coach’s prior permission.
e. Players must understand that being a member of the Hilliard Darby Girl’s Soccer team is a privilege, not a right.
f. Players will conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents the team and Hilliard Darby High School on and off the field.
g. Players should at all times respect each other, the coaches, officials, parents and their opponents.
h. It is important you take care of yourself both physically and mentally. This means getting enough sleep, eating a well-balanced meal and addressing problems and concerns affecting your well being.
i. Players at all times should focus on preparing themselves mentally and physically to play games and for practices. They should not be concerned with other team members, i.e. questions teammates playing time. As stated before, you should always respect, support and encourage your teammates.
Practice/Game
a. It is vital that we maximize our time together as a team; therefore, players should be on time for all team functions.
b. Keep the locker room and training room clean at all times.
c. There will be a mandatory cool-down after games and practices.
d. You are responsible for all the equipment issued to you, whether it is uniforms, balls, cones, etc… Be respectful of the equipment you are provided.
e. No jewelry (earrings, watches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc.).
f. No hats or bandanas.
g. No tank tops; all shirts must have sleeves.
h. Bags must be zipped up and placed in a row behind the bench or sidelines.
i. Shin guards must be worn at all times.
j. On the fields, shirts must be tucked in at all times.
k. Appropriate attire is required at all times. This means wearing shirts to practice which are considered appropriate to wear to school.
l. Speaking in a derogatory manner to teammates or opposing players will not be tolerated.
m. Team captains are the only players allowed to speak with the officials.
Team Travel
a. Keep the bus and any area we might frequent during our travels clean.
b. While attending team functions on the road, be respectful and courteous to others at all time. Remember, you are representing Hilliard Darby High School and the girls’ soccer team.
Team Fitness
One of our primary goals for this coming season MUST be to improve our overall physical conditioning. This includes aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, speed and agility, balance, strength and flexibility. The following is an excerpt from the text “Tactics and Teamwork” to demonstrate this point.
“Everything in soccer, in part, is dependent on fitness. Fitness carries a physical and psychological component. It is difficult to determine where physical fitness ends and mental fitness begins. It then can be determined that the two are inter-related.”
I have dedicated many hours to the development of our off-season training program. There will be no excuses for a lack of preparation in the upcoming season. The training and playing environment will be much more demanding. There will be strict enforcement of fitness and strength training.
The most important aspect of fitness is to accept responsibility for it. Fitness isn’t fun for most people, but in the sport of soccer, it is crucial. Each member of this team must accept this responsibility. Developing strong fitness base contributes to individual confidence and mental toughness. You have to be willing to endure physical pain over a certain period of time in order to improve your fitness. This ability to endure pain leads to the mental toughness that pushes individuals to win matches when it is the 90th minute. Given the level of talent on this team, we have wound up on the losing end of close matches in too many instances. WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO PLAY HARD FOR 90 MINUTES.