Welcome to Fall 2022 U5 Schoolyard
When and Where Do we Play?
The 2022 U5 Schoolyard program will be broken into four(4), one-hour sessions every Saturday at 10:00AM, 11:15AM, 12:30 PM and 1:45 PM. Your player will be assigned to one of these sessions.
It is important to attend the same weekly session to help maintain the correct Player-Coach ratios.
Our first week is Saturday, August 20, 2022. Our Fall Season ends on Saturday October 29, 2022.
We meet at the very West End of Pleasant Valley Fields (off the Dawson off-ramp of the 101 Freeway).
The West End is by the baseball diamonds. Look for a white tent identifying the 5U area.
The season lasts 10 weeks (except for Labor Day Weekend on September 2).
FAQ's
What is Schoolyard?
Schoolyard is an introductory program to AYSO soccer. Its purpose is to introduce players to the basic skills necessary for success as they move through their soccer careers.
Players are not placed onto formal teams. Once each week, we gather for an hour to practice soccer skills and have fun.
As players arrive, they will join a field, with a Field Coordinator (coach) and begin their session. The first 1/2 hour is used to teach skills and do drills. After a 3-4 weeks the second 1/2 hour, we play a game.
This is the extent of soccer during the week. There are NO weekday practices or moving game schedules.
Why Do We Play in This Format?
The purpose of the Schoolyard program is to primarily help ensure that kids learn to enjoy the game of soccer. At this age, proper technique, and a good understanding of the basics of the game are much more important than competitive results (there is plenty of time for that later in their playing careers).
We focus on only a few skills throughout our season to ensure that players learn how to properly kick, pass, stop(trap) and shoot a ball. We do many different drills to enforce these skills and these proper techniques will serve them well in the future.
Although, at its core, soccer is a simple game, the complexities of a game can overwhelm the processing abilities of four and five year-olds. We simplify things to ensure proper understanding and have fun.
AYSO Runs on Volunteers!
There are volunteer opportunities for our program. Each field will need 2-3 'Field Coordinators'. These volunteer parents-of-players function as a coaches. They will demonstrate the skills and drills and then function as coach-referees during the game. Do not worry if you do not know how to coach. We provide the practice play every week from the AYSO-UK Coaching Staff. Prior to each Saturday, all parents and Field Coordinators will receive the upcoming skills plan to review and prepare (takes about 10 minutes).
This way, we are teaching our coaches how to coach at the same time we are teaching our players to play. If you are not sure if coaching is for you.... this is your low effort/low risk way to find out. Although we refer to them as Field Coordinators, we encourage the players to refer to them as 'Coach'. There will be a training for Field Coordinators prior to the second week of the season.
Because we ask parents to bring their own snacks each week, we will also need 3-5 Team Parents to coordinate the End-of-the-Season Party.
Do the Players Play Co-Ed?
For Camarillo Region 68 the answer is no for U6 and above. Fields are separated by gender.
Region 68 is aligned with National AYSO policies and procedures and does not allow Co-Ed Teams for larger Regions.
What about Uniforms?
Camarillo, Region 68 provides uniforms for your players. The region provides a jersey, shorts, socks, and a #3 Soccer Ball! You will need to provide shin guards (REQUIRED) and shoes. Tennis shoes or turf shoes are acceptable. YOU MAY NOT USE BASEBALL STYLE CLEATS. (Baseball cleats have a cleat on the toe and are dangerous in soccer).
If you are unsure of the equipment to buy (balls will be provided with the uniforms) please wait until after week 1.
We will cover this information at our Parent Orientations:#1 Monday August 8th @ 6:30PM @ Region 68 office and #2 Tuesday August 16th @ 6:30PM @ Region 68 office.
The Player’s uniforms will be distributed at the U5 Parent Orientations.
If you cannot attend these two dates, you can pick up your Play’s Uniform at the Fields.
What Will We Be Doing Week One (August 20, 2022)?
We will be handing out uniforms for those families did not make it to one of the two orientation sessions, and have a question and answer session. Please arrive a little early at your scheduled session so that we can get started on time. We all have busy soccer schedules, and we want to respect everyone's time. Weeks 2-9 we will be having our regular U5 School Yard sessions and then during Week 10, we have a party hosted by Region 68 (Camarillo AYSO).
What if I Miss Week One?
Arrive 15-30 minutes early to your session on week 2. We will give you your uniform and bring you up to speed on the information covered in Week 1 (the program information will be posted on this website).
What Is the Best Way to Communicate?
AYSO UK Coaches will be sending out a weekly email describing the skills sets that our Players will be learning for the next Saturday.
Please get in the habit of checking this website, WEEKLY. There will be information updates posted here. The website will typically be updated by Wednesday evening.
If you have questions, you can email Tim Azbell (5U Schoolyard Division Coordinator) at [email protected] If there is essential information, we will be e-mailing the entire division.
Please check your email regularly, including your Spam or Junk folder.
When Is Picture Day?
Picture Day is tentatively scheduled for our U5 School Yard Players. We are collaborating with the Photographer for the date. There will be one make-up date. There will be more information to follow. The Region 68 Regional Team Managers will inform us of the U5 School Yard Picture Day date.
We recognize that this is a lot of information.
Thank you for taking the time to read thru all of it.
FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GAME,
Tim Azbell
[email protected]
805 657 3942
(I screen my calls, Please leave a voice mail)
5U Schoolyard DIVISION COORDINATOR