WESTCHESTER YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE
777 Westchester Ave – Ste 101
White Plains, NY 10604
Tel: (914) 235-5110/ fax: (914) 235-5323
WYSL teams,
The PRELIMINARY Schedule for Westchester Youth Soccer League Fall 2024 is now available.
Note: This is a *very* long email. But it includes what you need to know about the schedule for this season. Read it all, keep it handy, and read it if you have any questions.
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We are almost on schedule. Thanks to all the registrars, field coordinators and coaches who got data in on time. To those who we were reluctant to guess at fields and teams, thank you. Delayed data delays everyone.
Clubs and teams: you have until close-of-business next Friday August 16th to check the preliminary schedule and reply with *corrections* e.g. field availability, field size, and if any special request, coach coordination or general request that you asked for (and gave an acceptable reason for) was missed.
* Do NOT send any new schedule requests no matter how important. (Coach coordination, weddings, problem with early games, etc.) If you didn’t include a request on the application, it’s too late. The prelim is done. Refer to the league rules for exceptions. Use the three week adjustment period (see below). And note that opponents are not required to agree to a change.
The final schedule will be posted by Sunday the 18th at the latest, three weeks before season start. Getting it out this early helps get refs assigned and gives teams time to make last minute adjustments.
After it’s posted, *any* game on the schedule can change *if both teams agree* on a different specific time, date and field, and tell us *before* the first game of the season. Games may not be "postponed" to some indefinite date/time even if both teams agree.
To change a game scheduled for the first Sunday (9/8), the deadline is Wednesday September 4th. (To allow time to schedule/change refs.)
There are no special adjustments for religious events this season. (But next spring will be a challenge.)
All TBS games (see below) must have a set schedule by the end of September or we will switch which team is home. To keep your home game, get it set or offer two good Saturday dates/times and take the forfeit if the other team can make either. Do NOT "be nice" and wait. The away team also has an obligation to respond and be reasonable.
All of the coach coordinations should be manageable and all of the special requests honored. The general requests are all at 80% or better. Tell us about any real problems. This is fall. There is less daylight. Some clubs were good about giving us late time before daylight savings ends. Some clubs mis-entered their coach requests. We hope it works.
There are usually 250 changes between the Prelim and the Final schedules. Clubs and teams need to find scheduling mistakes - requests, field availability, gross scheduling errors. Do NOT plan your life based on the Prelim!
Friday August 16th: deadline for club corrections of the Prelim sent to the league.
Once the Final (August 18) is posted, the teams may agree to change a game and let us know before the first game. That new date/time/field will be locked into the schedule.
Find and fix problems now.
We don't like forfeits, but games change only rarely during the season.
Two teams can’t decide to change a game on their own "because the other team agrees."
If you don't have enough players, you will forfeit.
If you don't have a coach to cover a game, you will forfeit.
If you don’t have your team game paperwork, you will forfeit.
Note that teams in *premier* divisions can agree to change a game up until *two* weeks in advance of the game date. No last minute changes even in Premier.
These rules are to prevent the craziness common in most travel leagues where coaches and admins can change games anytime they like. We think a stable schedule is better for the families. One or two people who suddenly decide to miss a scheduled soccer game should not change the schedule for 25 other families. Everyone is busy. Figure out all your conflicts. Get your players to commit to being at the games. Try to borrow if you don't have enough players. Accept the consequences. This is part of the competition.
There are some allowed changes for unanticipated events. (See the league rules about religious and school events.) If someone asks you to change a game, do not say "yes"! Ask the league first or have them ask us.
Of course field problems have to be dealt with and the weather will always frustrate us.
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You may download the spread sheet and distribute it to your teams. . {link} The more eyes looking at this schedule, the better. THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE. Do not use this schedule or this a spread sheet during the season. Only use the website.
Keep reading to answer 98% of your questions.
Note: there are 2000 of you, 1 of me and only one Lee. If you have read all of this and still have a question, ask! But first, READ. I and the computer make mistakes. This is picky work. We appreciate that most of you are volunteers and you do the best you can, but for the sake of the kids on the field: read, review, respond, and ask if you need to.
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Note: This is fall. We lose daylight in October and November. Thank you to clubs who gave us extra time late hours early in the season.
TO DO
Here is your list.
* Check the schedule and – by COB Fri Aug 16 - email me any mistakes, problems, etc. Get your coaches and others to look.
There are *always* mistakes. Some field restrictions were complicated. There will be changes to adjust field usage and to correct for last minute problems. If you have suggestions for better use of your fields without changing *game times*, tell me.
* Send responses directly to me by email NOW *as you see things.* Don't wait. It's a rolling correction process.
* Special requests. If you made a request about a particular day and we missed it, TELL ME! We think we got them all, but “stuff happens.” Don't assume the problem can't be fixed. (I'll tell you if it is.) Do not suffer in silence. We want to honor all specific day requests.
* Do not enter new field or team information online. It's too late. Tell us what has changed. The data has been downloaded.
* Update your team *contact information* online. Managers can now be certified and included as contacts on the website.
*Call your opponent EACH WEEK in midweek to confirm the game, directions, uniforms and to exchange cell numbers in case of last minute emergencies. This is the fail-safe so a team doesn't show up and have no opponent there.
* Coach Coordinations. Nearly 50% of the teams have shared coaches, and there are many other requests besides. If you find coord conflicts, tell me where they are. I will fix them if I can. We want the schedule to be as good as possible but the coords won't be perfect. Some clubs have limited field time. If we don't get early time or late time, we can't spread out the games for your coaches. Teams that have a coordinated coach AND general requests or special requests may not get both.
Some clubs made errors in entering the coach information. That's a warning for the future. I can't fix those. Use the adjustment period.
Your coach may have to leave a game immediately with barely enough time to get to the start of the next game (30, 45 minutes, within a town sometimes just 15.) S/he will often not have time for a post-game or pre-game talk. This is the best we can do. Traffic can frustrate any schedule. We maintain a cross grid of WYSL fields with time/distances.
Please arrange backup coverage for your coaches. Make sure your printed and approved game sheet will be there for game time. Assistant coaches can warm up the team, set the lineup, and possibly start the game with the coach just getting there. Have an approved assistant coach on the roster. It can save a game.
We use Google Maps. If we haven't allowed enough time to get from whistle to whistle, tell me. But I may still say "I'm sorry". We play our games between 9 and 7. Teams are spread over 70 miles north/south and 50 east/west.
Thanks to the clubs which limit team requests and give us plenty of field time. You may see many open slots in your fields. We use that open space to make the games fit and to get the coaches to their games. It is NOT wasted. Feel free to put the unused time back "into the pool" for use by others (or to let the grass fields rest!)
* All general requests (prefer early, prefer late, etc.) should be 80% or better. Premier teams should not have restrictions on when the players can play – commitment counts.
* Three ref crews. The league has made a renewed commitment to getting three ref crews to all Premier games and older games (u15+). Ref coverage has recently been excellent but recruit more local refs!
* The request priority is: special day requests, coach coordinations, general time requests. I hope the requests which are important for getting the teams on the field are ok.
* Check the fields and field restrictions. Some were complex. The computer has hopefully handled them well.
* In late fall, check for daylight. Does your field have lights? Or is the game too late?
* Make sure all your teams are there. (It has happened.)
* Make sure all the games are there. (Ditto)
* Many divisions have no games on 11/16 - wk 10. See 9 and 10 team divisions below.
* Red flag any field overlaps in the schedule.
* Home/Away Balance. The number of home and away games is pretty balanced. But some clubs with tight field space have fewer home games or lose home games. Tell me if we violated a home/away "pair" with another team. I will fix that if I can.
* Most time gaps are intentional. There are some gaps in the schedule especially with younger games to allow coaches to get from game to game or for special requests.
* Schedule Online. When the schedule is Final, it will be uploaded to GotSoccer and will be available from there. It will *not* be available as a spread sheet or GoogleDoc.
* Field Space. For clubs which lost home games. Please get more field time so we can adjust game times to fit the coach needs and give you your home games. Try to get early field time on the small sided fields. For clubs who found extra space and time and have fields “until dark,” thanks!
* Check your requests again!
* To repeat: Use the days before the season starts to revise games and get any game changes to me. Say "no" if you don't want to change a game. No team should feel pressured. Your families matter too. Families like our restrictions. Some coaches and organizers don't.
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Notes / definitions:
* Number of games. Divisions with 6, 8, or 11 teams have a 10 game schedule. The 5, 7, 9 and 11 team divisions also have TBS games to make up for the byes. 5 team divisions have an 8 game schedule. This season we have one 12 (11 game schedule), four 11s, two 7s, and five 5s. Many teams didn't want to be in premier but in some cases we combined the few teams wanting premier and those wanting D1.
* Divisions with 10 teams have a *9* game schedule with no scheduled game on the last Sunday. But keep your families ready to play that day!!! It's great for June makeup games.
* TBS Games. Divisions with an odd number of teams have TBS games added to make up for the byes (except for the 5s).
TBS games MUST be played during the season. They are not optional. Schedule them like a make up game with your opponent. By the end of September, set a date/time/field for your TBS games. If you want to stay the home team, give your opponent a choice of two reasonable Saturdays and take the forfeit if they don't respond or don't choose. We will switch which team is home if these games aren’t set in time.
TBA games must be played before the end of the season, but get them in early before the bad weather and less daylight crimps your choices. It is *not* a good idea to use up your “free day” on June 16th until you have to. Save that for late make up games.
* TBA Games. There are a bunch of TBA games which couldn't be scheduled - mostly because of field limitations. I will try to fix them. During the season there will be other TBA games if the weather is bad. TBA games must be played by the last Sunday. Arrange them as a make-up game. Don't wait till the end!
* Byes. These are placeholders for those Sundays when a team does not have a game because there are an odd number of teams in the division.
* “U8” teams: Several divisions of u8 teams are playing 7v7 and are listed and play in the lowest divisions of u9.
* Count. By my count, this season we have 611 league teams in 80 divisions with 2950 games including "byes" and TBS games.
* You Matter. Only you can thoroughly check this schedule. Mistakes will cost *you* in lost time, disappointed kids, and annoyed parents. We need dozens of eyes finding the errors. It takes everyone checking and communicating to make the league work well.
Thanks!! for reading all of this long email and thanks for your help!
Terry Benson
WYSL Scheduler
terrybenson@nyc.rr.com