MSA FC PARENT GUIDE

F.A.Q

Where is does MSA FC teams practice? MSA FC teams practice locally in Camarillo at a few locations to include: Adolfo Camarillo High School, Somis School and Pleasant Valley Soccer Complex.

What league does MSA FC play in the Fall? MSA FC teams play around 10-12 games (on Saturdays and some Sundays) in the Coast Soccer League which has over 180 clubs with more than 2000 teams participating each year. The Coast Soccer League is affiliated with Cal South (California State Soccer Association- South), the official youth soccer association of the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. Coast Soccer League splits up the soccer clubs by geographical regions and into multiple competition levels. These varying skill levels are divided into 3 lower divisions, Championship and Premier. Generally, MSA FC teams play teams mostly from Ventura County- Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark and Newbury Park. If an MSA FC team is competing at a higher level (Division 1, Championship & Premier), your team may have to travel further during the Fall Season to include LA County and Central California. The Coast league usually starts the first week of September and ends right before Thanksgiving.

What league does MSA FC play in the Spring? MSA FC teams have a few different options in the Spring ranging from the Coast Soccer League, the Newbury Spring League, Oxnard Youth Premier Soccer League (OYPSL), and Oxnard Soccer League (OSL). Spring leagues are generally 10 games long and played mostly in Ventura County. Each league might have a different starting date from late February to the second week of March.

Does MSA FC require parent volunteering? No, there is no parent volunteering required for your child to play on our teams. This is a major advantage for your family! No painting fields, no snack bar shifts and no information stand hours.

Are tournament fees and club uniforms included in the yearly payment? No, these are in addition to the yearly payment. Depending on the number of tournaments your team goes, the families will split the tournament fee, ref fees and coach hotel stay (if required). It also depends on the number of players, per team, but usually its an average of about $130-$200 (State cup fees are not included in this estimate) for 4-5 tournaments per family. Teams can fundraise to reduce tournament fees per family, as well as, fundraise for MSA FC pop-up tents, benches and MSA FC backpacks or warm-up apparel. Parents will also be required to purchase the MSA FC uniform and MSA FC training gear through the MSA FC soccer store on Soccer.com. Uniforms to include 3 different colored jerseys, 1 pair of shorts and 2 pairs of socks is currently estimating $114 thru soccer.com. Training gear consists of 1 light green shirt, 1 pair of black shorts and 1 pair of Nike socks estimating $40 thru Mark-It Place in Camarillo. Please allow 2 weeks for the training gear to arrive.

What is the general game schedule of a tournament? Soccer tournaments are in round-robin play, most always consisting of 2 games on Saturday (1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon) and 1 guaranteed game on Sunday. Teams can play a 4th game if they make it to the championship game for their bracket/division. There are a few exceptions to this in certain tournaments like the Cerritos Cup, where each team is guaranteed 4 games- 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.

What is State Cup and is their multiple weekends involved? State Cup is the large tournament sanctioned and sponsored by Cal South at the culmination of the Fall Season. State Cup tournament locations can be at soccer complexes from San Diego up to Bakersfield. The different age groups play on different weekends starting the last weekend of January (for younger age groups U-8, U-9, U-10) while older age groups (U-11, U-12, U-13, U-14) start their State Cup tournament in mid February. The high school age groups start their State Cup tournament in the mid-March to April. The first weekend is round robin play in your first bracket and if your team plays well, they move on to the next round and next weekend of play. Depending on how many teams are in your overall division, this can last multiple weekends if your team continues to win!

Over the course of the year, will I need to pay for a hotel room for any of the planned tournaments? Yes, there will most likely be one Summer tournament that will require a on night hotel room stay and most likely a State Cup weekend that will require 1 night in a hotel. Some families decide to drive down, play the games on Saturday and drive back to Ventura county the same day, in order to avoid staying near the tournament fields and other families decide to stay the night. Obviously, this depends on how far away the tournament fields are and if you have multiple kids playing for MSA FC.

How are the age groups defined in club soccer and how many players play on the field for each age level? Age groups are defined as per the Coast Soccer League and Cal South rules as the year the player was born. So if your son or daughter was born sometime in 2014, you will locate the 2014 team for schedules and hear coaches and parents talking about the 2014 team. Age groups can still be referred to as 2013/9U, 2012/10U, 2011/11U and on. All age groups younger than 10-Under play with 7 players per side, 7v7. Age groups 11-Under and 12-Under play with 9 players per side, 9v9. And all age groups older - 13U, 14U, and 15U play with 11 players per side, 11 v 11. The field size and goal size differs per the 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 rules.

What types of payment do you accept for the yearly fee? Payment is accepted via credit card or personal check. Payment can be made in full in the Spring or by payment plan (3 separate payments) or 6 months no interest via PayPal.

What other soccer programs do you have available to supplement my child's play on the team? Monka Soccer Academy provides Afternoon Camps every day of the work week, however, this is more for the recreational players. Monka Soccer Academy does provide an opportunity to play in the MSA FC Futsal Academy at the Somis School outdoor court. Futsal is a great way to improve individual technique and speed of play because the game is played on a hard surface with a weighted ball in tight spaces. The ball moves fast which encourages a high level of concentration on skill which has been used in Brazil for years. The goal of the MSA FC Futsal Academy is to increase the individual skills, speed of play, and creativity of players in a structured yet fun and fast paced environment. Morning Camps are offered when Pleasant Valley School District schools are on Fall Break, Winter Break, Ski week and Spring Break. Summer Camps are run almost every week of the summer in the morning at the Community Center or local Camarillo field. Occasionally, Monka Soccer Academy offers a few free Fridays academy clinics which are run by MSA coaches and staff for our local community kids.

Do the MSA FC coaches give private lessons or do you recommend specific trainers to use for private or group lessons? Yes! Most of our MSA FC coaches give private lessons and small group training (2-4 players) for their set fees per half hour or full hour. Private lessons are a great way to get a jump on your competition and get the attention needed to work on and improve specific skills. Whether you want to polish your skills the day before a match, improve your fitness, or learn new fakes and techniques, we can help you develop the skills needed to be successful. Please talk with your MSA FC coach and Bryan Monka for more information and trainer recommendations.