Recreation Program Players / Parent Guide
Welcome to the Manalapan Soccer Club!
Rosters to be handed to coaches at the first General Membership Meeting.
Coaches are to contact players within 48 hours.
Please wait until Friday afternoon before contacting Boys or Girls Rec VP.
Players will receive their shirts at their first training session.
Practice and game time schedules will be released approximately two weeks prior to the start of the season.
Parents and Players should arrive 10-15 minutes early before each game and training session.
What the Players Need
All players need to wear their full soccer uniform to both the training sessions and the games:Cleats - soccer cleats with rounded studs - NO FOOTBALL CLEATSSoccer shin guardsBlack soccer socks, to be worn over the shin guards and completely covering the shin guardsBlack soccer shorts - they can wear black sweat pantsManalapan Soccer Club issued soccer jerseySoccer Ball: See below for soccer ball sizingSomething to drink, preferably waterIf a player wears glasses, we suggest they use sports-safe gogglesIf a player is wearing a hooded sweatshirt, the hood must be tucked into the soccer jerseyNO jewelry - watches and especially earrings
Soccer Ball Size: Pee-Wee, U5, U6 = Size 3U7 - U12 = Size 4U12 and up = Size 5
Please refer to the "Birth Year and Season matrix" to see what division your child is in: https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/assets/1/36/us_soccer_birth_year_and_season_matrix1.pdf?562
Field Locations: Games and training sessions are held at Milford Brook School (20 Glo Bar Terrance), Clark Mills School (34 Gordon's Corner Road, Manalapan), and Manalapan Rec Center (120 CR-522, Manalapan)
Picture Day: Picture day is held at Jersey Freeze, rain or shine. The schedule is very tight, make sure to show up during your team's timeslot or else you may not be included in the team photo. The Fundraising Chair will be releasing the schedule a week or so prior to the picture days. Players should arrive 10-15 minutes before the scheduled time and should be in the full uniform.
Cancellations: If one of our soccer sessions is cancelled due to inclement weather, head coaches will get a call or email. The coaches will notify the parents.
Do NOT assume that all games are cancelled. Be sure to check carefully, sometimes fields at different locations do not close after rain.
Volunteer Work: When registering, each player is required to pay a $125 volunteer bond. Each player is required to have one parent or family representative complete one hour of volunteer work. Once the volunteer work has been confirmed, you will receive the $125 as a refund to the credit card used to register. Failure to complete volunteer work will result in forfeiture of the bond fee. The work is not too hard and can be a lot of fun. It will usually consist of things such as:
- field set up in the beginning of the season
- field lining each weekend
- field breakdown at the end of the season
- fund raising & MSC team apparel sales
- Memorial Day and Fun Fest tournaments
- Picture Day Assistance
Any questions about volunteering, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator: [email protected]
Shatliff Training: During Shatliff training sessions, the Shatliff trainer conducts the training session. However, all head coaches and assistant coaches are strongly encouraged to join in on the training activities. Assist the Shatliff trainers (at their request) in teaching the kids. If you don't know much about soccer, just follow the trainer's lead.
Playing Time: At the recreation level, all players MUST play at least 50% of the game.
Practice / Game Schedules: Schedules will be released approximately one week prior to the start of the season. We cannot create the schedules until everyone has registered and has been placed on a roster. We would love to be able to tell you exactly when the practices and games will be sooner than this, but there is a lot of work involved in getting the schedules created. Practices and games will generally be on Saturday mornings, but there may be a few scheduled on Sundays based on holidays. Practice times are approximately 40 minutes, and game times are 24-30 minutes depending on age. Practices and games are scheduled back to back - meaning your game will follow your practice session on the same field (with a 5 minute break).
Goal Safety: It is imperative that the goals are checked at each and every practice as well as before each game. It is important to make sure the goals are anchored to the ground and will not fall over during use. Moving goals during games and practices are prohibited for the safety of the players. Goals on Field A at the Rec Center are not to be moved onto the fields as it causes unwanted wear and tear on the turf field that will cause surface issues and a risk for injury.
Frequently Asked Questions: Also, please review the FAQ on the website - Recreation tab, FAQ.