GEYA Policies and Procedures

Please read below for a description of the following GEYA Soccer Policies and Procedures:

1. GEYA Values
2. Refund Policy
3. Team Assignment Policy
4. Team Assignment Requests
5. Game Cancellation Procedure
6. Hardship Scholarships
7. Non-Payment of Fees

GEYA Values

GEYA Soccer is focused on playing soccer for fun and not for competitive reasons. As such, all players get equal time and attention and the program is structured to ensure the teams are as balanced as possible. We do not keep track of team standings or have play-offs until children are in the 4-6th grade division and discourage the children from focusing on the score or whether they have won or lost.

Refund Policy

GEYA will not refund registration fees for any reason.

Team Assignment Policy

In order to make the experience as fun as is reasonably possible for every child involved, a lot of effort is put into making the teams equal in terms of skill and experience. Before the season commences, skills combines are held in the older divisions to help assess the players and provide input to the team selection process. Based on these combines, and a knowledge of the players performance in previous seasons, we attempt to create teams that are as equal as possible in order to make every game competitve and ensure every team enjoys their season.

Despite all the work we do, this is an inexact science and sometimes teams can under- or over-perform against the coaches expectations. In these situations, we will sometimes make mid-season adjustments in order to ensure a team has a chance of competing against other teams.

Team Assignment Requests

While we'd love to accomodate requests for assignments to particular teams, or assignments to teams with specific teammates, it becomes a logistic and operational nightmare to accomodate these types of requests given the number and complexity of these requests (same team as neighbours, same team as friends, same team as schoolmates, same team as with scout friends, etc, etc, etc). Therefore, the only guarantees that can be made is that siblings will be assigned to the same team (if they are playing in the same divison) and coaches and assistant coaches children will be assigned to their team.

All other requests will be politely ignored with the hope that parents understand why they can't be entertained.

Game Cancellation Procedure

Protecting our fields from damage and protecting the safety of the players is a key responsibility of the soccer board. As such, the board has the responsibility to determine the availability of the fields on game days when there is inclement weather or when inclement weather is predicted.

Coaches and their teams have the responsibility to check whether the board has cancelled play on the fields before their game.

Notice of cancellation of games will be communicated at least 2 hours before (7 am on saturday, 4 pm on weekdays) the first scheduled game via the following mechanisms:

• Cancellations will be posted on the soccer homepage at http://www.geyasports.org/soccer/soccer.shtml
• An email will be sent to the email address used on the registration form at signup.

Coaches or team parents should create a team telephone call list to notify the parents on the team in the event of inclement weather.

Please do not call commissioners, or board members regarding cancellation information. However, if a situation occurs where the fields are opened at the start of the day, but the weather worsens sometime later during the day, coaches can make an independent decision to cancel a game. In this situation, competing coaches should both agree to the cancellation and utilize their call chain to notify the parents.

Cancelled games will not be rescheduled.

Hardship Scholarships

The GEYA Soccer Board does not want any child to miss an opportunity to play soccer just because economic circumstances make payment of the fees a burden. If you would like consideration for a scholarship, please send an email to registrations@geyasports.org.

Non-payment of Fees

At the time you register, you have the choice of paying for your registration fees immediately or at a later time. If you choose to pay at a later time, the following rules apply:

• All outstanding accounts should be cleared by the start of the season (see Key Dates page).
• Accounts not paid in full by that date will encur a $30 late fee.
• If the balance is not paid by the 3rd week of the season, then the player will be considered ineligible to play until the outstanding balance is paid off. 
• If the balance is not paid by the end of the season, the player will be ineligible to register for the following season and subsequent seasons until the overdue balance including penalties is paid.