Welcome to The Governor Mifflin Soccer Club!

All Coaches and Volunteers,

The mission of the Governor Mifflin Soccer Club is:

To promote, foster and perpetuate the game of soccer by providing supervised and organized soccer activities. To instill a spirit of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, respect for authority and fair play among members, coaches and players and thereby combat juvenile delinquency, and foster decent, healthy and trustworthy citizens.

1. As a coach and representative of GMSC it is your duty to carry out the purpose of the club. The following guidelines are to be STRICTLY followed:
2. Support the club: the coach or team representative must attend the regular coaches/general meeting, see www.GMSConline.com for schedule.
3. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain about the club. If you have a problem, ask questions and get involved. It’s your club; most complaints are because of lack of knowledge.
4. All players must play 50% of the game, unless they are being penalized for inappropriate behavior (must be discussed with parents).
5. Focus on player development.
6. Develop a player’s love for the game.
7. De-emphasize winning and losing, don’t let your ego get in the way, it’s the players game.
8. Develop total players, teach and play them at various positions.
9. Coach at practices. Observe and give positive encouragement during a game. Let the players play (they will make mistakes). Coach corrections at the next practices and not during the game.
10. Understand and obey the laws of the games, which can be found at www.RBJSL.org.
11. The referee is always right, a bad call doesn’t matter, and play goes on. Focus on what the players have learned and how they are playing and not on the referee’s point of view.
12. Control your parents; don’t allow them to coach, only to give positive encouragement. Educate your parents to the laws of the game.
13. Avoid any confrontation with the referee. If it is appropriate, file a formal report to the league about the referee, positive reports are encourages as well. Remember, it is only a game.
14. Only registered members of GMSC are permitted to participate at practice or games.
15. Travel teams may not have guest players; only those players passed to the team may play.

Failure to follow these guidelines or to represent GMSC in a proper manor could result in termination of your coaching position and/or club affiliation. It is the coach’s responsibility to set a good example.

Thank you for your continued dedication,
GMSC Board Members

Governor Mifflin Soccer Club

Portable Goal Safety Procedure

Every year children are injured through out the U.S. due to portable goals tipping over. It is our responsibility as Governor Mifflin Soccer Club board members, coaches and parents to reduce the number of injuries due to portable goals. You must adhere to the following guidelines and standards for portable goal safety:

1. Portable goals will require two 30lb EPYSA approved sandbag anchors to counter-balance the front of goal.

2. Coaches must inspect the anchors and goals to make sure both are working properly and have not been tampered with, this should be done both at practices and games.

3. Coaches must assign a team parent to also inspect anchors and goals both at practices and games.

4. Teams playing at the GMIS - If sandbags are removed, torn or otherwise unsafe, coaches must contact a board member prior to resuming practice or game. A new sandbag will be delivered.

5. Teams playing at the Sovereign/Alvernia Complex - If sandbags are removed, torn or otherwise unsafe, there will be additional sandbag anchors outside the lower barn.

6. Ban horseplay, goals and nets should not be climbed on at any time.

7. If any adult sees anyone, even if not their own player or child, climbing on the nets or goals, that adult needs to act and get the player or child off the goal or net immediately.

8. Do not allow players to move goals.

Soccer goal safety needs to be a 24/7 proposition. Parents need to watch their non-playing children wander and play. As mentioned above, everyone needs to practice safety and ask any child to get off the nets and goals!

Tournament reimbursement procedure:

7 GMSC will reimburse U9, U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 & U18 teams for half the amount of a Fall & Spring tournament up to $500 annually per team, parents are responsible for the remaining balance of the tournament fee. You must submit the tournament application to the Treasurer for reimbursement.

Game Cancellation Guidelines:

7 We will try to only cancel those games that are absolutely necessary due to weather/field conditions - in other words, we may cancel a morning game or two, but let afternoon games stand if conditions warrant.

7 If there is a problem with field conditions for a scheduled game, but there is an open field nearby where field conditions are OK, we will try to move the game rather than canceling it.

7 We will only cancel for really rainy conditions where field condition is a concern - we will try to play through light rain.

Cancellation Procedure:

7 The field commissioner will determine game cancellation, due to bad weather, on Game Day.
- Coaches then call the opposing coach to advise of cancellation
- Next, coaches call all parents to advise of cancellation.

Re-scheduling procedure:

1. If a coach has more than one cancelled game to make up, it is highly recommended that the makeup games be combined into a single time period (one after the other) to make it easier for referee scheduling
2. Cancelled games should be re-scheduled as soon as possible.
3. Coaches should first check their own game schedule to see what times might work for a make-up game. Note that weeknights (light permitting) are permissible for make-up games.
4. Coaches should then contact the Field Commissioner with at least two proposed make-up times, to confirm field availability.
5. Once field availability is confirmed by commissioner, coaches would contact the opposing coach to decide which time works best for them.
6. When confirmed, coach would call the commissioner to advise of finalization.
7. Commissioner will then call the change in to the 'ref hotline'.

Report weekly home/away game procedure:

7 Report weekly home & away game scores before 8:00 pm Sunday evening. Indicate game number, home team number and goals; away team number and goals and whether a ref. was present and any additional general comments. This is a must, if scores are not reported a $25 league fine will be taken out of tournament funds.

Party fees:

7 Party fees for M&M and U-8 teams is set at $7.00 per child. Teams are encouraged to consider having their after season parties at one of the sponsors locations. Team equipment must be returned prior to party money being distributed.

Governor Mifflin Soccer Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For information on making a tax deductible donation or becoming a sponsor, please see the Sponsor area of this site.