Introduction
Welcome to the Montclair Soccer Club's wiki. The Montclair Soccer Club (MSC) is based in the Montclair area of Oakland, California.
This wiki was created in February, 2008, as a means for improved and more collaborative communication.
See the Sidebar to the right for navigation.
History
The Montclair Soccer Club (MSC) of Oakland, California, was founded in 1969 when it fielded one Under-12 boys team of 15 players. For 2007-08, MSC registered over 1260 players on 96 teams. Just over half of all MSC players are girls. The second generation of MSC players is now playing, and former players have become coaches!
Organization
Montclair Soccer Club is a member of the Jack London Youth Soccer League (JLYSSL). Other JLYSSL clubs are the Alameda Soccer Club, the Grass Valley Soccer Club, the Oakland Soccer Club, the Piedmont Soccer Club and the Rockridge Soccer Club. By scheduling play across the League for teams in Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 divisions the JLYSSL Clubs are able to offer teams a wide range of flights, providing close matches with different competitors week after week. Under-16 and Under-19 division teams also compete regularly with teams from nearby leagues in our California Youth Soccer Association District.
Many of the JLYSSL Clubs offer a Class 3 competitive soccer program to supplement the options offered by their large Class 4 recreational soccer programs. In addition, the JLYSSL Clubs sponsor the Bay Oaks Soccer Program open to players from any JLYSSL Clubs to provide the option of highly competitive Class 1 play for the most serious players. The Class 3 and Class 1 programs are select teams available to Under-10 and older division players based on their performance at annual tryouts. These teams also are scheduled at the CYSA District level.
Overall JLYSSL now encompasses over 450 teams and about 7000 players.
Philosophy
All divisions of the Montclair Soccer Club are open to boys and girls convenient to the Oakland-Montclair area. Our first priority is to provide a healthy atmosphere for each child's physical and social development. Activities that promote self-confidence, teamwork, and leadership in the context of fun-filled physical activity are stressed over winning.
The goals of the Club are for each player to:
Therefore, inclusiveness is a primary objective of each team. Players who meet their obligations to the team will play a significant portion of each game. For all Class 4, recreational teams this means each available player should play at least half of each game.
Parents are a large part of the game experience, especially for the younger players who want to make sure Mom and Dad are watching. The unconditional support of parents, and their conduct contributes as much to the development of the player and the tone of the game as the coaching. Sportsmanship of the parents before, during, and after the game is a very important model for our players. MSC and JLYSSL have formed a partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance to help parents and coaches understand their responsibilities in making the youth sports experience a positive one for all those involved. Please refer to the PCA section of this web site and at JLYSL.org for more information on PCA.
Parents and new coaches should be aware that the tradition of soccer gives complete control of the game to the referee. The referee may caution or eject a player or coach for violation of the rules, and may hold the coach responsible for the behavior of the parents on the team. We want to teach our players to honor the tradition of respect for the game by avoiding controversy with the referee. In addition, the referee is a volunteer, giving time and effort to a sometimes difficult task.
Parents set good examples by cheering good play by either team, by offering encouraging rather than criticism, and by letting the coach do the coaching. Remember, practices are the time for teaching. Games are the time for FUN!
Volunteerism is a key element of the Montclair Soccer Club philosophy. Your volunteerism is a positive example for children and it can show your commitment to them. The Club is an all-volunteer organization that elects its officers and recruits volunteers to coordinate all areas of responsibility. Volunteers are always needed to fill these positions plus crucial coaching and referee jobs. Without your volunteer efforts, the Club will not function and your children will not be able to play. Please go to the Volunteers section of this web site for more information about volunteering.
More Information
For more information about the Club and its organization, check out the Business Details page.