A Parent’s Guide to Cordova Bay Soccer Club – FAQ’s
If you're new to the adventure of having your children play youth soccer, the following frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) should help you understand the basics of how our soccer club is organized, what your child can expect, and what your commitment as a parent will be.
How old do my kids need to be to play soccer?
Cordova Bay Soccer Club has teams for players 4 to 17 years old (U5 to U18). Children are welcome to start playing soccer at any age within that range.
Where is the club located?
Our playing fields are located at Lochside Park, just north of Mattick’s Farm and the Cordova Bay Golf Course. The club has two fully-lit grass playing fields and one euros-sized field. Both games and practices are held at Lochside Park, however on occasion practices and games are held at Cordova Bay Elementary School or Claremont High School. Indoor practices, if/when scheduled, are held only on those occasions Lochside Park is unplayable and are held at one of the above school gymnasiums.
What other amenities does the club offer?
The club maintains a large field house on the Lochside Park grounds. The field house has a concession, change rooms, washrooms and boardroom facilities. Club team wear (e.g. tracksuits, hoodies, sweatpants, t-shirts and toques) can be ordered online or from the concession. There is also a children’s play area and tennis court at Lochisde Park.
What equipment is required?
The only equipment your child needs to play soccer is a pair of soccer cleats and shin guards. The club supplies the soccer balls, pinnies and all other equipment.
Do I need to buy a uniform?
No, the club supplies all uniforms. For U5-U7 players this consists of t-shirt, shorts and socks. For all other age levels the club supplies a jersey, shorts and socks. At the beginning of the season, each U8-U18 player provides a $50 uniform deposit cheque, which is cashed only if the jersey and shorts are not returned at the end of the season. This is strictly enforced. The socks are yours to keep.
How do I register?
To join Cordova Bay Soccer Club, all you need to do is register your child and pay the annual registration and field improvement fees. Online registration is available at http://www.cordovabaysoccer.org . Hardcopy registration forms are also available from Cordova Bay Variety Store.
When does registration start?
Registration begins immediately after the close of the previous soccer season - typically this means April of each year. To ensure that your child is placed on a team we encourage all interested players to register early in the spring, and offer an “Early Bird” rate for this purpose. Registrations are accepted up until October 15th, but cost more after June 15th.
How much does it cost?
The full soccer season costs are different for house, minis, euros and divisional players.
View Registration Fees
There is no late registration fee charged. A Lochside Field Improvement Fee of $50 is required for every registered player.
When does the soccer season start and end?
The season starts the second weekend of September and runs through to the end of March. There is a winter break from the middle of December through to the second weekend of January. If your team is involved in district, island or provincial cup play your season may last well into the summer.
What do the “U’s” mean?
The "U" stands for "under" and is always followed by a specific age. For example, "U11" means the player is 10 years old at the start of the soccer season and a "U14" player would be 13 years old. This system is used because the calendar year of a child's birth determines the age group in which he or she plays.
House League
Boys and girls 4 to 6 years old play on mixed teams in our “Lions and Lambs” system. For the playing season the children are placed on teams of 8 or 9 players. However each Saturday coaches from both teams separate their teams into two smaller, equally numbered groups based on player skill level. The more advanced players, the “Lions”, play their counterparts from the other team on one field, while the “Lambs” play their counterparts on another. The make-up of your Lions and Lambs teams may change from week to week, depending on how your players skills develop. Coaches are encouraged to move their players between teams to help improve their skills and/or confidence. As the season progresses the “Lambs” begin to feel more confident with their skills and team-mates and by the end of the year it is not unusual for them to turn into Lions. At this level teams are generally formed to allow children to play with their friends.
How are the teams for older children created?
For children 7-10 years of age players are divided into groups by age and sex, with players of all abilities mixed together. For these younger ages, the club tries to ensure that kids are grouped with their friends as much as possible, and that the teams are balanced in overall strength. However those who register late cannot be guaranteed placement on a team with a friend. Games are not results-oriented, the focus at this level being improvement of individual players technical ability and team “awareness”.
For children 11 years and older, the teams are divided by both age and ability, with the better players grouped together in competitive Gold, Silver and Bronze teams. Interested players need to go through a tryout process in order to be selected for the Gold and Silver teams. Obviously this is where players begin to take the game more seriously and two practices a week are common.
For more information on specific team and playing policies please contact the Technical Committee Chair.
How many players are on a team?
House League teams (U5-U7) typically consist of 8-9 players. Games are always Saturday mornings at Lochside Park, between 8:45am-9:45am. Practice time for House League is Monday evenings from 5:30-6:30pm.
Minis teams (U8-U10) typically consist of 8-10 players. Games times are either 9am or 10am Saturday morning. Minis teams play at either Lochside Park or Lambrick Park (away games against Gordon Head Soccer Club). Teams at these ages play quarter-field, with five or six outfield players (depending on age) as well as a goalie.
Euros teams (U11-U12) typically consist of 10-12 players. Teams at these age levels play “Super 8’s” (seven outfield players and a goalie) on a third-field. Teams play other clubs from across the Greater Victoria area. Home game times are usually 10am or 11am. On occasion away games are held as far away as the Cowichan Valley, Saltspring Island or Sooke.
U13-U18 teams play eleven-a-side against other soccer clubs from across Greater Victoria.
How big is the time commitment?
It depends on the age and competitive level of the team. Soccer games are scheduled on the weekends, with the house, minis and euros kids playing between 40-60 minutes, and the divisional kids playing for up to 90 minutes. Most teams practice once on a weekday evening, some teams practice twice, and the youngest age practice in an academy-style program Monday evenings. Gold level divisional teams (U12 to U18) require a commitment to two practices a week, plus weekend games and tournaments.
Do boys and girls play on the same soccer teams?
The 4-6 year olds play together, and then boys and girls are streamed into separate teams. Some girls, however, do choose to continue to play with the boys through mini soccer. A rare few continue to play with boys in divisional soccer for as long as their strength, skill, and size permits.
Who coaches youth soccer?
The vast majority of coaches and assistant coaches are volunteers and parents of one of the kids on their team. They all share enthusiasm for community sport, and have varying levels of experience with soccer. The club strongly recommends coaches attain the appropriate NCCP certification for the age and skill level they coach. To this end, the club will pay club coaches to complete their Community Coach Children (CCC) or Community Coach Youth (CCY) levels.
Does the Club offer soccer training programs?
Yes, the club has a full-time Technical Director, Brett Hyslop, whose job is to guide the development of the club's players and coaches. Along with his coaching staff (Steph Steiner and John Davidson), our technical staff are all experienced and accredited youth soccer coaches. All members of the club’s technical coaches hold or are in the process of obtaining their Provincial “B” Coaching Licence.
I don’t know anything about coaching soccer. Are there volunteer positions I can help with?
Absolutely! All parents are encouraged to help out the club by either coaching, or assisting with the numerous other tasks that come with organizing a soccer season for our youth players. A few of the positions include:
Team managers to distribute information, and coordinate practice, snacks, and uniforms for each team.
Parents are always needed to help move goals, put up and take down goal nets and run the lines.
Writers to add content to the Club website.
Volunteers to help set up and organize our annual World Cups Festival, a six-a-side tournament held each Easter Weekend.
Concession Duty
The club runs a concession Saturdays from 8:30am-4pm. The concession offers a variety of hot and cold food and drinks. All parents who do not volunteer as either a coach or team manager are expected to volunteer a maximum of two hours in the concession each season. Those choosing not to volunteer in the concession pay a $25 fee which then goes to hiring students to work in the concession. This fee is included in your registration and is reimbursed once you have volunteered.
Anything else I should know?
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the parking problems you might encounter at Lochside Park on Saturday mornings. Between 9am and noon is the busiest as this is when the bulk of games are played. We are presently working with the Municipality of Saanich to expand and improve parking and hope to have an announcement on this very soon. In the meantime, please do not park along the road that approaches the parking lot as this is a considerable safety hazard and an annoyance to our neighbours. Overflow parking is available along Fowler Road (just south of the Sayward/Hunt Roads intersection). From there it is just a short walk down the Lochside Trail.
