Recreational Soccer

OUR SPONSORS

Welcome to GEYA Recreational Soccer

GEYA Soccer is an all-volunteer run recreational soccer program for kids in the following divisions:

• Boys’ K, 1st Grade, 2nd/3rd Grade, 4th/5th Grade & 6th-8th Grade
• Girls’ K, 1st Grade, 2nd/3rd Grade, 4th/5th Grade & 6th-8th Grade
• Coed 9th-12th Grade
• HIGH 5 Soccer Program for Players with Special Needs

Our recreational soccer league is meant to be friendly and fun for every kid every week. We want them to experience competition…to deal with some adversity and enjoy some success and to bond with their teammates while striving to get better as a unit each week. We teach basic skills and organizing principles to our youngest divisions and then build on that foundation as kids age up to the older divisions with more strategic concepts. Our teams are coached by volunteer coaches, the majority of whom are parents of one or more kids on the team. We structure our teams with competitive balance in mind, but we also work hard to ensure kids can play with and sometimes against their friends from school. With many coaches returning season after season, we are also very proud of the long-term relationships they form with players. We believe team sports can play an enormous role in the lives of the kids who play and in the community itself.

About the Organization

The organization is staffed and run completely by volunteers and we’re always looking for more help. If you’re interested in contributing to the success of GEYA, please email us. GEYA Soccer has been serving Upper Uwchlan, Uwchlan, Wallace, West Pikeland, West Vincent, East Brandywine and surrounding townships since 1994. Glenmoore Eagle Youth Association is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization.

GEYA Soccer
P.O. Box 164
Uwchland, PA 19480

Who can help you:

GEYA Soccer Board Members

President – Jay Janczak

Treasurer – Tricia Audrain

Secretary – Tricia Audrain

Field Director – Jay Janczak

Equipment Director – Rachel Shurdha

Scheduling Coordinator – Andrea Needham

Registration Coordinator – Cindi Rodrigues

HIGH 5 Coordinator – Matt Wagner

HIGH 5 Administrator – Jenn Wagner

Sponsorship Coordinator – Cindi Rodrigues

Risk Manager (Coach Background Checks) – Andy Grubb

Division Commissioners

You can email our President with general questions about the GEYA Soccer program.
If this is a team question, please email your team coach first.

Registration Issue?

Any registration related questions should be sent to registration@geyasoccer.org

Want to volunteer as a Commissioner?

We have a strong youth soccer program and it’s due to our volunteers, families, and community support. We are always looking for parents that can offer their time as a Division Commissioner, Volunteer Coach, or as a Soccer Board member. If you’re able to help or have questions, please contact Jay Janczak (president@geyasoccer.org) 

GEYA Team and Schedule Information:

• GEYA uses an app called TeamSnap for registration and team management throughout the season.
  – Every parent should download the TeamSnap app to their phones for convenience and should create an individual account as a first step, even before you use our registration link for your player or for yourself as a volunteer coach.
• Once you have a TeamSnap account, you can login within your credentials when
  using our link for the current season.
  – We provide separate links for our Kindergarten through 12 th Grade divisions, our volunteer coaches, and our HIGH 5 program for kids with special needs.
• For coaches who are interested in coaching multiple teams in separate divisions, you will have to register for each division individually so that we can assign you to more than one team.

What to expect each season:

• Once the registration ends, we need about 10 days to build the team rosters and assign coaches. All team rosters and schedules are then published, and you will be notified of your child’s team assignment (or your team assignment as a volunteer coach).
• Coaches will send an introductory message about the first practices via TeamSnap. All divisions will practice twice before their first game, except for COED which will only practice once.

Player Expectations:

• Each player should bring a properly inflated soccer ball to practice, with his/her name on it.
  1. Size 3 for K and 1 st
  2. Size 4 for 2/3, 4/5
  3. Size 5 for 6-8, COED
• Each player must wear shin guards under their socks for all practices and games.
• Cleats are recommended.
• Individual water bottles are recommended; sharing of water bottles should be limited.
• Earrings are not permitted and coaches will ask players to remove them before participating. If they resist, they cannot play … no exceptions. This is not just a GEYA rule, it is a law of the game enforced at all levels. 

 Where We Play:

Field Locations

• K, 1 st , and 2 nd /3 rd grade play at Walnut Lane Park at 803 Walnut Lane, Chester Springs.
  -Field 1 is in the top left corner, when looking at the field from the parking lot.
  -Field 2 is in the top right corner.
  -Field 3 is in the lower left corner, closest to the parking lot.
  -Field 4 is in the lower right corner.
• 4 th /5 th grade play at Larkins Field on the corner of Byers Road and Graphite Mine Road, Chester Springs.
• 6 th -8 th grade play at Fellowship Field (241 Fellowship Rd, Chester Springs). Field 3 and 4 are the upper fields, so please use the upper parking lot. Field 1 is the turf field so please use the lower parking lot.
• COED 9 th -12 th play at Fellowship Field (241 Fellowship Rd, Chester Springs). Field 1 is the turf field so please use the lower parking lot. Field 3 and 4 are the upper fields, so please use the upper parking lot.

Schedule – Fall 2023 Season
Coming soon…stay tuned!

Weather Concerns
Decisions about rainouts or cancellations due to soggy field conditions will typically be made by 90
minutes prior to start of the event. If the league cancels an event, coaches do not have the option to hold
practice/games on that day. If you do not receive a communication from the league via email/text that
means your event is still on.
 
Game Conduct – Field Boundaries and Restarts
1. 4-12 divisions have paid referees who will observe normal soccer rules for throw-ins and goal
kicks.
2. For K and 1st, coaches should enforce the field boundaries reasonably during the first month to
keep play moving. As the season wears on, enforce them more strictly
3. For 2 nd  and 3rd grade, coaches should enforce the field boundaries strictly from the start.
4. K-3 will use kick-ins instead of throw-ins.
5. For K-3 goal kicks, the defensive team must retreat to midfield and allow the kicking team to
connect one pass before pressuring the ball.

Game Conduct – Length, Playing Time
1. A minimum of 1 substitution per quarter or half (K through 3 rd grade play four quarters, all other
divisions play two halves).
2. All players should play at least 50% of the game and be given the opportunity to play multiple
positions.
3. The number of the players on the field can be adapted sensibly according to attendance for both
teams. Coaches should work together to ensure a competitively balanced match.
GradePlayers on FieldBall SizeGoaliePlaying TimeField Size (yards)Goal Size (feet)RefereeField

Locations
K Boys and Girls, 1st Boys63No4 10-min. quarters25 x 505 x 10No (coaches)Walnut Lane Park
1st Girls7 (6 plus GK)3Yes4 10-min. quarters25 x 505 x 10No (coaches)Walnut Lane Park
2nd/3rd7 (6 plus GK)4Yes4 12-min. quarters25 x 505 x 10No (coaches)Walnut Lane Park
4th/5th9 (8 plus GK)4Yes2 25-min. halves50 x 806 x 18YesLarkins
6 – 811 (10 plus GK)5Yes2 25-min. halves60 x 1008 x 24YesFellowship
9 – 1211 (10 plus GK)5Yes2 35-min. halves60 x 1008 x 24YesFellowship  

Game Conduct –Sportsmanship and Competitive Balance
1. Opposing coaches should talk before each game to get a sense of the relative strength of each
team, and work together to create a fun day for all the players and parents.
2. Let’s strive for a 1-2 goal differential, where everyone can enjoy some success and experience
some adversity to grow as players and as people.
3. Sometimes the score is not indicative of the competitive spirit in the game, but it is better to err
on the side of caution, acting too soon to prevent a blowout rather than too late.
4. No team should go undefeated, and no team should suffer all losses. If your team is on either end
of this spectrum frequently, the coach should make me aware so that we can consider an
adjustment.
The coaches and commissioners put an unbelievable amount of effort into building fair teams each
season. We also work hard to run a league where there is some continuity from season to season within
the teams and coaches because it enhances the team sports experience. All I ask is that coaches, players,
and parents remember what this is about … experiencing the spirit of competition and the sense of
togetherness. Each of us can play an important role in creating a great atmosphere for our kids to thrive.

Thanks for reading and adhering to our policies, regulations, and expectations. Any questions can be sent to:

Jay Janczak (president@geyasoccer.org) 

or 

GEYA Soccer

PO Box 164

Uwchland, PA  19480

Coaches Toolbox:

Hello GEYA soccer coaches!  With each season, we need to make sure our background checks are up to date.

Guidance for K-3 First Time Coaches

Smile. Laugh. Crack bad jokes. Be silly. Just be yourself and have fun. Make them fall in love with soccer before trying to make them great at soccer.

• Let the kids name the team (usually linked to the jersey color). Embrace that team name and turn it into an identify. Make each kid feel like an indispensible part of something bigger.
• Less talk and more action. Simple instructions delivered in 90 seconds or less is your best friend.
• Patience. Almost everything you try to do or teach will look horrendous and disorganized at first.
• Don’t be discouraged … persist, and you will see steady improvement.

Practice Template

• 1 hour of practice broken into three 15-min segments.
  Demo >> drill >> game >> waterbreak
• demonstrate a simple technique quickly
• practice the technique in a simple drill with additional instruction
• as they drill,  play a game that gives them the opportunity to apply the skill
• Scrimmage to finish (within your squad or with the other team if you are sharing the field)
• Simplicity and repetition. A few simple objectives and a thousand repetitions are what is needed at the youngest ages.

Dribbling technique

• Emphasize control over speed; think of the ball as a puppy on a leash
• Dribble using the laces or outside of the foot
• Change directions by stepping on the ball and dragging it with the sole of your foot as you turn

Passing/shooting technique

• Short passes with the inside part of the foot sweeping the ball toward the target
• Shooting by pointing the toe down and driving the laces through the middle of the ball
• Position of the standing foot next to the ball

Positioning with 5 players on the field
Simple X-shaped formation using 2 defenders (right and left), one central midfielder, two forwards (right and left)

Positioning with 6 players on the field
3 defenders (right, central, left), three forwards (right, central and left)

TRAINING
Parts of the field
(Call them out, kids run to them)

Goal line – Goalbox – Midfield – Sideline – Corner

Positions

 Name your alignment (playing a 2-3-1) by position and explain the fundamental job that goes
with each position; Shifting to cover
 Maintaining our SHAPE- Getting Wide & get to open space
 Squeeze on defense
 Attacking half
 Defensive half

Starting from stoppage

Goal kick – Corner kick – Throw-ins/Kick-ins  –  Demonstrate when and where to be

Technical Skills

DRIBBLING – SHOOTING – PASSING – RECEIVING A PASS (1ST TOUCH)

Dribbling UNDER CONTROL (1 minute) (inside foot, outside foot, top, pullbacks)
KEEP THE BALL CLOSE– using the laces rather than the toe to move the ball forward, using the inside and
outside of the foot to move the ball right and left, learning how to drag the ball backward with the sole.

 Don’t crash the car aka – Red light, Green light
o Green light, yellow light, red light (stop with foot on the ball)
o Red light = pullback, then pullback L
o Box touches and toe-taps
 Sharks & Minnows
 Dribble line to line – 2 lines running towards each other- first line to line – stop on
line then add in “pull back” to change direction and back to original line
 Line of cones – dribble through cones using inside & outside, left & right

Kick the coach for WATER (dribble ball in Box trying to kick ball and hit coach)
Shooting UNDER CONTROL
Demonstrate using the laces rather than the toe for power, emphasizing the position of the standing
foot (Plant foot) next to the ball-

 2 Shooting lines – stationary ball – Emphasize POSITION OF FOOT, & AIM OF FOOT –
Discuss your plant foot “Make a 10 or a 01 for lefties”
 Dribble & Shoot (move line back – coach rolls ball)
 Receive the pass, dribble & shoot
 If needed – Line of cones – dribble through cones using inside & outside, left & right
then shoot

Passing – using the inside of the foot for short distance passing and laces to drive the ball longer
distances. Control – receiving the ball- trapping with slight touch to set up next move
– Locking your ankle to pass with control

 2 lines – players across from each other passing back and forth
 2 lines (crosses) passers & shooters (passers make 1 touch from line then cross
emphasize shooters trailing – alternate lines
 Z Drill- left forward, pass to player at goal line- passes to right forward- Shoot
(follow the ball to next position)
 2v1 – 2 lines facing goal (add in defender at goal line eventually) – pass the ball to
coach, coach plays the ball to either side – 1 pass then shoot

Kick the Coach for water
SCRIMMAGE- Stop the game to show shape

Training Drills:

– Red light Green light “don’t crash the car”
– Sharks and minnows
– Shield the ball – teams of 1on1 (big cone boxes)
– Z Drill (Zig Zag)
– Gauntlet – 2 lines 1 each through the gauntlet, feed the offense the ball
– 2 on zero – two lines passers and shooters (1 pass) (then add a defender)
– 1 touch circle
– Dribble towards each other, line to line not running into each other
– Coach Says (Simon says but soccer)
– Shifting the field based on ball location – Hold ball out – move left, Center, Right

HAPPY PLAYING FROM ALL OF US AT GEYA SOCCER!