Equipment List

Parents/players:

It is very important for each player to make sure that at each game they have the following items below. It is the referee's prerogative to not allow someone to play in a game unless they have the appropriate equipment below:

1. Shin guards with soccer socks that completely cover the shin guard.
2. Appropriate shoewear (cleats must be rubber and not metal).
3. Ear rings and necklaces should not be worn. During play, incidental contact with someone wearing these things could cause injury and good referees are always vigilent about this.
4. Headwear is not allowed unless it is medically necessary or related to religious practice.
5. Size 4 soccer balls are used during game play. Please bring a ball, preferably size 4 to practices/games.

First 2 Practices August 23-24th

The first 2 practices will be Wednesday August 23 and Thursday August 24th from 6-7pm. Please do your best to be prompt so we can get ourselves organized. The season starts the following week and we want to be ready as best we can with such short time.

The location of the practice is now PEARL PARK on the soccer field farthest away from Portland Ave.

Parent To Do Checklist

Below are several things I need parents to do to help me make sure we communicate well during the season.

1. Please email me at barnheels@mac.com with a response to the following information or call me at 612-721-3844.

a. I'd like to have 3 volunteers who would be able to make last minute phone calls to parents if it is necessary to convey last minute information. Will you be one?

b. We will need parents to sign up for some kind of snack on game nights. It is preferable to provide some kind of gatoraide-like drink because the girls will be pretty tired by the end of the game. Some kind of fruit is also a good way to end these games. Please sign up on game night and use this webpage for a reminder.

Please pick a week to volunteer for 1 game of refreshments from the week of:
8/28
9/4
9/11
9/18
9/25

c. Please let me know the best method to get you information (ie. email or phone). I'd like to avoid having to make last minute phone calls if I can, but if you do not have regular access to email or prefer a phone call, I can make sure no one misses out on any information.

d. I'd like to post pictures of some of our games on this webpage. I WILL NOT use last names of players, but I do think it would be fun for the girls to see pictures of them in action from time to time with some kind of name recognition such as, "Frankie scores a goal!". If you do not want your child's image posted online, please let me know by emailing me at barnheels@mac.com.

Coaching Philosophy

As a coach, referee, and former soccer player, there are several important beliefs that affect my coaching. You should know them.

1. Fun is one of the primary benefits of all sports, especially soccer. Practices/games will involve hard work and much teaching, but at the end of the practice, there should have been many smiles and much laughter. Fun and hard work go hand in hand.

2. Soccer should build up your child, not break them down. I do my best to encourage kids both when they perform well and when they make mistakes. All soccer players make mistakes and experience failure. Not only is this to be expected, it is part of the primary lesson we are there to teach: how to learn from mistakes without giving up or feeling as though the end of the world has come.

3. Striving to do our best is our team goal. Competition is not bad. Winning, however, is secondary to all the other benefits of the sport. At the end of each night, I only care that our girls feel proud of themselves for doing their best and for being good sports, whether they have won a game or not. Kids need their coach and their parents to model this from the sideline in the way we refrain from complaining to referees and in the ways we praise them for their effort.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to talk to me any time.

General Information for Season

Hello folks and welcome to the Pearl Charge website. This site will eventually contain all information related to the team including game schedules, practice information, inclement weather updates, scores, and all other related issues. Please feel free to consult this website as often as you wish and assume that it is updated daily. If there is a chance of a game cancelation due to poor whether, you may assume this website is current to the half hour.

I look forward to working with your child and consider this a great honor to be her coach.

Jim Barnhill
barnheels@mac.com
612-721-3844