What
is LASC ?
The Little Apple Soccer Club (
LASC ) is a non-profit youth sports organization founded and
supported by parents, coaches and community members
dedicated to providing Manhattan's youth with the
opportunity to excel as athletes in the game of soccer. The
club is incorporated and exempt from taxation under Internal
Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). LASC supports 14 highly
competitive teams with at least one team at each age level,
and some age divisions sport two teams. Additionally, LASC
supports a developmental All-Star Academy
focused on players 4 through 6, as well as the opportunity
for High School players to compete in showcase tournaments
around the region in the off season.
Why join LASC ?
The basic goal of LASC is to
provide area youth the opportunity to attain their highest
potential as soccer players and as quality individuals. We
strive to build in each child a solid foundation in the game
of soccer through four vital areas - technical ability,
tactical understanding, physical
conditioning and a positive mental
approach to the game and to life. Sportsmanship is
also a key element to LASC players success both on the field
and off and is taught at all levels.
LASC is a competitive, premier soccer club and not
a recreational club. We strive to prepare players for High
School and College soccer. To this end, we demand of the
LASC coaching staff a significant commitment of time and
energy to their teams. Each coach is a paid professional,
and LASC insures that each team is assigned at least one
coach holding a minimum of a "D" license from the Kansas
State Youth Soccer Association ( KSYSA ). The training and
licensing of LASC coaches is one important feature that
helps distinguish the quality of the coaching staff from
many other regional clubs.
How is the club organized?
LASC is a member of the Kansas
State Youth Soccer Association ( KSYSA ), which is an entity
recognized by the United States Soccer Federation ( USSF )
as the controlling authority for the development of youth
soccer in Kansas. The club is governed by a Board of
Directors that consists of 15 club members who are elected
at the annual meeting in January to two-year terms to serve
the club and its interests. It is desirable that each team
be represented by at least one board member. None of the
Board members receive any form of compensation for their
efforts. Meetings are generally held on the 1st Monday of
each month and are open to the public.
Answering directly to the Board
of Directors is the Director of Coaching and the Club
Administrator. The Director of Coaching is responsible for
all team and player developmental activities. They also
educate, develop, and supervise the coaching staff, develop
curricula, and serve as trainers to enhance team and
individual player development for overseeing all the coaches
including training, current licensing and team
development. The Club Administrator is responsible
for carrying out all duties required by the club to keep
them in sync with current KSYSA standards, assist the
Tournament Director and anyone else needing support.
How are the teams organized?
Each team is assigned a Head
Coach who either holds a minimum of a "D" license or is in
the process of acquiring such a license. In the event that a
new coach has been assigned to a team and has not yet
achieved their "D" license, an Assistant Coach holding such
a license is temporarily assigned to the team to aid in the
training. The Head Coach has the overall responsibility for
the team including the scheduling of practice times, the
types of practice, league and tournament selections, and
team discipline. Each team is also assigned a Trainer for
the season, which is either the Club Director or one of the
two Directors of Coaching. The role of the Trainers is to
educate and evaluate both the players and the Head Coach.
Trainers design and run at least one team practice session
per week and concentrate on developing a team in ways that
are consistent with the club expectations for each age
group. Trainers may also provide coaches and players with
written evaluations over the course of the season, which
serve to assist players and coaches in the development of
team skills.
Often, a Head Coach will assign
an Assistant Coach, who is responsible for assisting the
Head Coach with their responsibilities. Again, in the event
that a Head Coach has not yet achieved a "D" license, the
Club Director will temporarily assign a licensed Assistant
Coach to the team until the Head Coach has successfully
completed their training.
Each team should have a
volunteer Team Parent who handles many of the administrative
aspects of the team. The Team Parent is responsible for
communicating club and team information to the rest of the
parents by e-mail or phone, coordinating uniform orders,
notifying parents and players of team events and travel
plans, updating the team website, keeping track of team
finances, and coordinating fund-raising activities. The Team
Parent is not required to handle each and every minor
detail, but an active Team Parent tends to be essential in
maintaining team stability and well-being through
communication.
LASC teams are organized by age
group. A player is eligible for participation in a
particular age group if their birthday falls after August
1st. For example, a player would be eligible to play at the
U10 (under 10) level (August-August) if they turn 10 anytime
after August 1st of that year. Younger players are permitted
to play up to a higher age level, but older players are not
allowed to play down any levels.
How often do teams practice?
We expect LASC coaches to commit
a significant amount of time to their teams and we expect
all LASC players to be willing to make the same commitment.
We realize that many players have other interests and
demands on their time, but our basic club philosophy is "you
play like you practice." LASC teams generally practice twice
a week during the Spring and Fall soccer seasons, and each
practice typically lasts 90 minutes. Practices for the Fall
season usually begin in early August and continue through
late October, sometimes longer. Practices for the Spring
season usually begin in early March and continue through the
end of May. The dates and times of your teams practice will
be set by the Coach and Trainer, with the consensus of the
team parents.
Practice is critical to player
development. One cannot miss practices, or practice poorly,
and expect to improve significantly. Many teams have a "no
practice, no play" policy. If a player cannot attend a
practice, please e-mail or phone the coach ahead of time.
Although the Head Coach will
determine the total amount of playing time for each team
member based on their abilities and the way they practice,
LASC policy maintains that all players who come to practice
regularly, and practice properly, will play in each half of
all league games. Playing time in tournaments is at the
discretion of the Head Coach.
How many games will my team typically play per season?
The total number of games a team
will play in a season is determined by the Head Coach in
cooperation with the team parents. Typically, teams play 8
league games and participate in 2-3 regional tournaments.
Some teams opt to play additional league games and in 4-5
tournaments per season.
Does a team have to participate in tournaments?
Tournament play is an integral
part of competitive soccer. Tournaments give players and
coaches an opportunity to measure a teams progress against
teams from other clubs. Tournaments also teach players how
to play competitively in pressure situations, and give a
player the opportunity to travel and meet other players from
other cities and states. Because of the importance of
tournament play to team development, LASC expects all
players to participate in tournaments. That also means that
all families should share equally in team tournament
expenses.
What type of uniforms do team players wear?
In order to make our teams
identifiable with the club, all LASC teams wear the club
colors of a royal blue and white jersey (with the club logo
on the front and a designated number on the back) and black
shorts. A back-up white jersey is also required which
consists of a white t-shirt with the club logo on the front
and a designated number on the back. Soccer socks may be
either blue, white, or black, or any combination. Players do
not need to purchase new jerseys every year; only when a
player out-grows or out-wears a jersey. For more specifics,
the Team Parent should contact a representative of the LASC
uniform committee.
What about insurance coverage?
All LASC players are registered
and carded through the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association
(KSYSA). As such, portions of the seasonal fee provide basic
medical insurance during practices, league, and tournament
play. The precise terms of the insurance coverage are set
out in a Master policy available at www.ksysa.org under
Office Info.
Where do my club fees go?
LASC club fees are paid each
Fall and Spring and cover 68% of the administrative costs of
coaching a player (the general LASC fund currently
subsidizes the actual costs of the average player by 32%).
The exact costs for each age group vary from year to year,
depending upon club expenses and income. Club fees include a
KSYSA carding fee, coaching fees, trainer fees, and
equipment costs. Coaches are under contract to LASC and are
paid according to the age group they are coaching and the
number of players registered on the team. Trainers are paid
a flat monthly fee. Tournament costs, league fees,
uniform expenses, and other incidental team expenses are in
addition to the LASC club fees. The LASC board of
directors has determined that the following fees will apply
to the Spring 2007 season
Are fund-raising opportunities available to offset costs?
Absolutely. LASC teams are
strongly encouraged to participate in fund-raising
activities, and some teams have been so successful that 100%
of all team expenses have been covered through their
efforts. After expenses, club coordinated fund-raisers
return 70%-80% of the monies back to the individual teams
and 20-30% to the general club. These fund-raisers include
selling ads for the August LASC Kickoff tournament program
and selling discount coupon cards for local businesses.
Teams are also free to acquire their own sponsorship and to
develop their own fund-raisers. In the past, team
fund-raisers have included such efforts as garage sales,
bake sales, car washes, and magazine sales, as well as
parents and players working sporting events. In these cases,
100% of the monies are retained by the teams. Because the
Club has an interest in assuring that sponsorship and
fund-raising efforts are appropriate under Club policies and
501(c)(3) regulations, all sponsorship and fund-raising
activities must be approved in advance with the LASC Board
of Directors.
What if I have a complaint?
Parents and players should look
first to their Coach for handling problems. If the problem
is not solved at the coaching level, the matter may be
referred to the Board of Directors. For the Board to review
a problem, a written statement must be submitted to one of
the Board members, who will then bring the matter to the
attention of the entire Board at the next meeting. The Board
usually meets the 2nd Monday evening of every month. All
LASC Board meetings are open to the public.
Are there Summer and Winter soccer opportunities?
Absolutely. The LASC offers
several indoor soccer opportunities during Winter months,
all of which are optional and separate from the Spring and
Fall teams and expenses. LASC runs a futsal (a type of
indoor soccer) league for U8-U19 players, generally
beginning mid-November and running through the end of
February. LASC also offers indoor Winter training sessions,
which focus on developing individual player skills in small
group settings. In addition, some teams choose to organize
groups of players to play out-of-town indoor league futsal
in Topeka or Wichita. In the summer, LASC players can opt to
play 3 v 3 soccer, both at the league and tournament level.
Registration forms for both futsal and 3 v 3 are made
available on the LASC website at the appropriate times.
How do I contact LASC?
Club mailing address:
PO Box 631, Manhattan KS 66505-0631
President Dave Parker icoach@cox.net
785-537-1889
785-565-2639
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