TCI: Important Notice, Grassroots/Youth Football Development

#Providenciales, July 24, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – The TCIFA, on review of our existing grassroots and youth football programs, have decided on a number of changes aimed at overall improvement, effectiveness, and efficiency. We are very excited about, and share these pertinent changes with you and hope that you too will be excited by and about these changes as well.

1. SEASONAL STRUCTURE
As at September 2019, our Youth and Grassroots programs will be run in three seasons mirroring the school calendar. That is Christmas Season – September to December, Easter Season January – March/April, and Summer Season -April/May to July. Each Season will run for 12-14 weeks.

For 2019-2020 the seasons are as follows:

CHRISTMAS –  Youth (12 and older) September 9 – December 14, 2019;

Grassroots (12 and under) September 16 – December 7, 2019.

EASTER – Youth and Grassroots January 6 to March 28, 2020

SUMMER – Youth and Grassroots April 20 to July 11, 2020

NB. These dates do not account for activities of respective Youth National Teams (YNTs) whose programs will vary appreciably based on the Calendars of FIFA, CONCACAF, and CFU.

2. AGE STRUCTURE
In keeping with global best practices, we are making the following adjustments to the age groups.

GRASSROOTS 6-12 years old COED – Groups are U6 – 2013; U8 – 2011; U10 2009; and U12 – 2007

ELITE YOUTH 12 -17 years old – Groups are U13 COED- 2006; U14 Girls – 2005; U16 Boys – 2003

3. COMPETITION STRUCTURE
Grassroots seasons will follow an 8 weeks training followed by 4 weeks of Festivals/Competitions. Youth Seasons will have 4 weeks of preseason training, 8 weeks of competition and 1/2 weeks of Postseason training. Players in these groups will have competitions as follows: Indoors (5v5); Small Field Games Outdoors (5v5 and 8v8); Beach Soccer (5v5) and Full-field 11v11.

NB. Not all groups will compete in all forms of the game listed above. Also in some seasons, players will be competing in more than one form of the game simultaneously.

4. PLAYER EVALUATION
All players, especially those at the Youth Level and even more so those who are involved in the YNTs, MUST go through an individual evaluation session with his/her coaches at the end of each season – three (3) per year. The player should receive a copy of the report and another will be placed on his/her file. Evaluations will also be kept on our office database. Parents/Guardians are expected to sit in on these individual evaluation sessions.

5. PLAYER REGISTRATION PACKAGES
We have made some pertinent changes to the registration packages. Every Player will be required to adjust their respective files to satisfy the new requirements.

6. CODES OF CONDUCT
Both parents/guardians and child/ward will have to complete and sign a code of conduct before the player is accepted for training. 

7. PUNCTUALITY
Players will not be accepted into sessions once the warm-up is completed (usually 8-15 minutes after the scheduled start of sessions. We are anticipating FULL compliance and support for this particular expectation as it has unending implications for the child in all areas of his/her life.

8. NEW SCHEDULE
We have revised the schedule to be effected in September 2019. Please see attached.

9. FEE STRUCTURE
Effective January 2020 players will be required to register for each season at $30 per season or $80 per year.

For questions and clarifications, please do not hesitate to reach out to the TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Mr. Andrew Edwards at andrewtcifa@gmail.com.

Release: TCIFA