|
Click
Here for the Spanish FAQ. Preguntas
Communes
Acerca del Fútbol de Bay Oaks.
1) What is Bay Oaks all about?
Players who love soccer and want to develop their skills should consider trying out for Bay Oaks. Bay Oaks is the Class I program for Jack London Youth Soccer League (JLYSL). Bay Oaks teams play at the top level of competition for youth soccer players (Class I and, when appropriate, Class III.) By playing with and against other skilled players, Bay Oaks players are able to improve at a rapid rate.
Bay Oaks offers players the opportunity to play more soccer, learn discipline and commitment, train with other skilled players and be coached by a highly qualified experienced coaching staff. Most importantly, Bay Oaks players enjoy the camaraderie of their teammates as they travel together to tournaments and the feeling of accomplishment as they improve their skills.
Bay Oaks features Andy Bonchonsky as the Director of Coaching. Andy is responsible for improving the playing level in the organization, recruiting coaches and conducting clinics for players and coaches. Two highly experienced Assistant Directors and three goalkeeper coaches, who will focus upon the technical development of our players, will assist Andy again this year. Bay Oaks recruits highly qualified coaches, evaluates them and promotes their continued development. Most coaches are former players at the collegiate and/or semi-professional level who have years of coaching experience with the Bay Oaks, at the high school and/or at the college level.
2) What’s a typical season for Bay Oaks teams? How many games do teams play?
Bay Oaks families can expect to be active in soccer nine to ten months of the year. The actual number of games played varies depending on age. The typical Bay Oaks year includes:
- Spring: Younger teams begin training as soon as teams are formed and often compete in a spring league.
- Summer Tournaments: Most teams compete in at least two tournaments in late July and August. In tournaments, teams typically play 3 to 4 games on a weekend.
- Fall Competitive Leagues: All teams compete in either the District IV Competitive League (U10 and U11) or the Golden State Soccer league (U12 and above) between September and November, playing about 10 games against the best teams in the area.
- Fall Tournaments: Two weekends, one in September and one in October, are set aside for tournaments.
- State Cup Tournament: Teams compete in the tournament for the State Championship. Teams Under 11 through 13 begin play in January and older teams play in March or April.
While this commitment is significant, Bay Oaks stresses the importance of doing well in school and balance with other activities. Players often play other sports. Families also set up carpools to help get players to practices and games.
3) How far do teams travel?
During the fall league season, Bay Oaks teams play in District III and IV, which cover most of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Bay Oaks teams play half their league games on JLYSL home fields and half on opponent’s home fields. Rarely does travel time to a regular league game exceed 45 minutes.
Tournament travel varies greatly. Under 10 teams do not play in tournaments but participate in up to 4 jamborees per year; all but one located in the greater Bay Area. Under 11 to Under 14 teams typically participate in at least 4 local tournaments and 2 tournaments requiring overnight travel. High school aged teams play locally but often travel farther. In recent years, teams have traveled to Europe, Minnesota, and North Carolina with fundraising support.
4) How frequently do teams practice?
Between late July and mid-November, Bay Oaks teams generally practice two times per week on JLYSL fields. Practice schedules the rest of the year vary depending on the team’s age and tournament schedule.
5) How much does it cost to play on a Bay Oaks team?
Registration fees are $350 for players born on or after August 1, 1996 (U10 teams.) For players born prior to August 1, 1996 (U11 and older), registration fees are $650 (out-of-league players are charged a higher fee.) These fees cover coaching, administrative, insurance, field and referee expenses as well as application fees to one tournament. The Bay Oaks has also launched a club-wide fundraising program to support our budget. New players to the club will need to purchase a home and away uniform costing approximately $120. The individual teams frequently levy team fees and/or engage in fund raising efforts to pay for additional tournaments, overnight trips and other team expenses.
6) Is financial aid available?
JLYSL and Bay Oaks are committed to making the program available to all players and provide partial scholarships to eligible JLYSL players who cannot afford the registration fee.
7) What is the tryout process?
Bay Oaks Class I teams are formed based on single year ages (e.g., Under 10, Under 11, Under 12, etc.). The tryout process consists of at least three tryout dates. Players should try to attend all tryout dates. The team’s coach and other experienced coaches assess players with regards to athleticism, skills, effort and attitude. At the conclusion of the tryouts, the coach nominates players for the team. Nominations are reviewed and approved by the Bay Oaks Board. All age eligible JLYSL players are invited and encouraged to attend the tryouts.
8)What kind of parent involvement is required?
The Bay Oaks is a volunteer organization. Each family will be required to volunteer time to support their team and the club itself. There are many opportunities to meet this requirement. The success of our program depends entirely upon the willingness of parents to step up and assist! |
