What is the Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club?


The Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club is a year ‘round premier soccer program.  We hold tryouts each year to form teams for girls and boys ages 9-18, and we roster up to 18 players per team for 11 vs. 11 competition.
  
When do we play?   

Summer:     
Teams usually attend two to four summer tournaments, depending on their age.

Fall:         
The fall leagues begin the weekend following Labor Day and end prior to Thanksgiving. 

• Idaho Youth Soccer Association NW League:  U10 Pilot Program teams, U11 Girls and Boys Premier Sky teams, U12 Girls Premier Sky team
• Washington Youth Soccer (WYS) District 6 Fall League:  U11 Boys and Girls Premier Navy teams: play up one year (ex:  Shadow U11 team competes with area Select U12 teams); U11 Boys and Girls Select teams
• Player Development League (PDL) Fall League:  Girls U12 Premier Navy team, Boys and Girls Premier Navy and Sky U13 and U14 teams, U15 and U16 Boys Premier Navy teams 
• U15 through U18 girls teams:  Take a break from Shadow soccer in order to participate in high school fall sports.
• Washington Youth Soccer (WYS) Premier League:  U17 Boys Premier Navy team 

Winter: 

• U10, U11, U12, U13 and U14 Boys and Girls Select and Premier teams:  Take a break from Shadow soccer; indoor futsal or soccer is optional.  Team practices resume in January, February or March.
• Girls U15 through U18 Premier Navy and Sky teams:  Resume Shadow team practices in November, once the high school soccer season has finished.  
• Boys U15 through U17 Premier Navy teams:  Compete in the WYS State Cup Tournaments held January-March.  At the conclusion of those tournaments, tryouts are held for these teams in March. 

Spring:     
The spring leagues are played from late January through early May. 

• Idaho Youth Soccer Association NW League:  U10 Pilot Program teams
• Washington Youth Soccer (WYS) District 6 Spring League:  U11 Boys and Girls Premier Navy teams: play up one year (ex:  Shadow U11 team competes with area Select U12 teams); U11 Girls and Boys Premier Sky teams, U12 Girls Premier Sky team, U11 Boys and Girls Select teams
• Player Development League (PDL) Spring League:  Boys and Girls U12 Premier Navy teams, Boys and Girls Premier Navy and Sky U13 and U14 teams, U15 and U16 Girls Premier teams 
• U15 through U18 Boys teams:  Take a break from Shadow soccer in order to participate in high school spring sports.  Team practices resume once the high school soccer season has finished.
• Washington Youth Soccer (WYS) Premier League:  U17 and U18 Girls Premier Navy teams
• U12, U13, and U14 boys and girls; U15, U16, U17 and U18 girls teams:  Compete in the WYS State Cup Tournaments held April/May.  At the conclusion of those tournaments, tryouts are held for these teams; plus the U10 and U11 boys and girls teams, in May.  Practices for these teams begin soon after tryouts.

What is the difference between Recreational, Select and Premier Soccer?

Premier:  Describes teams competing in the highest-level leagues offered by the Washington Youth Soccer (WYS).  Today, the State’s top leagues are referred to as the Player Development League (PDL) for U11 through U16 teams and the Washington Youth Soccer (WYS) Premier League for U17 through U18 teams.  The Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club teams compete in the WYS premier level of competition for teams ages U17 and U18.  Shadow teams from U12 through U16 compete in the PDL.  Our U10 and U11 select and premier teams compete in the WYS District VI League or the Idaho Youth Soccer Association NW League to minimize travel, time, and financial commitments for our youngest players.

Premier soccer is a full year commitment with the guidance of professional, licensed, paid coaches.  Shadow is extremely proud of its coaching staff, who are committed to “giving back” to our community their love of and passion for the game of soccer.  All are former high school and college soccer players and coaches with a wide range of knowledge, licenses and experiences.  Some are former college All-American players, Olympic Development Program (ODP) players, and coaches.  Many are involved in teaching professions.
 
Players practice 2-3 times per week for 1 to 1½ hours each, play in 2-5 tournaments per year and travel state-wide.  It is an expectation that when playing premier soccer, you will consider it a sport that you are committed to giving your best.

Select:  Considered more competitive, holds tryouts based on several local geographic areas in Spokane, and competes in the District 6 league which features teams in Spokane and other Eastern Washington locations.  Shadow unified with four select soccer clubs at the U11 age group in Spring, 2009.  Coordinated efforts have resulted in the addition of 16 U11 select teams representing Shadow-Breakers, Shadow-Scotties, Shadow-Sabers and Shadow-Storm.

Recreational:  Competes on a local level only. 
In Spokane, recreational soccer teams are organized by the Spokane Youth Sports Association.

What does the “U” in the age description mean?


Teams in the state of Washington compete based on the player’s age, not their grade in school.  The “U” means “under” and the player’s age must be under the number on August 1st.  If a player was born on July 30, 1996, they would try out for a U15 team in 2010.  If a player was born on August 1, 1996, they would try out for a U14 team in 2010.

How much travel is involved with Premier soccer?

The goal for our Shadow U10 and U11 teams is to minimize the amount of travel for our young players without sacrificing the ultimate goal of development.  This travel schedule is always being reviewed.

For Shadow teams U12 and above, league travel is determined by the location of teams securing a spot in the various PDL and WYS divisions. The typical league schedule is based on travel partners and will have a Spokane team traveling to the west side of the state three times during the season. Ideally, on each of these trips the team will play a game on both Saturday and Sunday, staying one to two nights in a hotel depending on the distance of travel.  That being said, the PDL is a developing league and situations can change from one season to another as it grows. Summer travel will usually consist of a minimum of two out of town tournaments for teams U12 and above (perhaps one for our younger teams), which run Friday through Sunday.

Can my child still play other sports?

Yes!  The vast majority of our players at the younger age groups participate in multiple sports.  We expect our players to make a full commitment to the schedule of games and training that has been established, and most importantly, to their teammates. Our program is designed to assist players striving to improve at the game we love. If players choose not to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them then progress will be restricted. While we understand that soccer is not the most important thing in life, we also recognize that as players get older, they will begin to gravitate toward one sport or another. As an example, some are able to strike a balance between soccer and basketball and remain competitive at both. Our job is to encourage talent when we see it, to make you aware of the opportunities available to those that could go far within this game. The only sport which is a direct conflict with premier soccer is boys high school football. Usually, this problem takes care of itself as few players compete in both. However, this is one case where a player may have to choose one or the other due to direct scheduling conflicts in the fall.

What is the Club’s philosophy regarding playing time?

For age groups U13 and below, each player will receive a minimum of 20 minutes playing time in games. While some players will play more, substantial playing time will occur for everyone on the roster. At the conclusion of the fall season, any U13 teams participating in State Cup will be treated at U14+ in regards to playing time.

For age groups U14 and above the club will commit to you a spot on the roster, the rest is up to you. A player is selected because we believe they can add value to the team, while reaping benefits from being a part of the group. Our club places an extreme importance on the time spent in the training/practice environment. This is where players and coaches will spend the majority of their time with the club. A player adds value by making the team better in training first, games second. The player reaps benefits by being in a better training environment. This is what must be of utmost importance to players, coaches and parents.

Our club is based on player development, which comes from training, instruction and competition. The majority of instruction and competition comes within the training environment…the game is the reward! The amount of game contributions a player is able to make to the team will be based on many factors, with the main factor being what the player makes of the training opportunities provided to them. In other words, “how” they do at training, how often they do it, and their attitude in doing so.

There are a few situations where results are paramount, two of which are LPT’s (League Placement Tournaments) and the State Cup tournament. During those times, it is possible that players may not play due to the circumstances dictated by the game and the results of the tournament. Playing time decisions will always be based on the best interest of the team in mind:  evaluating training habits, individual abilities, attitude, prior contributions, strength of opponent, among other factors.

Again, it is important that our players, parents and coaches remember that the most critical part of the development process takes place during training/practice time. While competition is one component, paying club dues does not mean paying for a specific amount of playing time. We understand that every player wants to play. As former players ourselves, we also know how much satisfaction comes from knowing that you have earned it!

Where are the practices held?

Team training locations will vary from time to time depending on the time of year. Most of the training sessions are held at Andrew Rypien Complex, 3501 N. Regal.  Most games are held at Dwight Merkel Complex, 5901 N. Assembly.  Please note that these places can change as opportunities or situations arise.

How expensive is Shadow soccer? 

Premier soccer is more expensive than recreational and select programs because our players train and play year round with a high quality coaching staff that must meet standards set forth by the Technical Director.  The Club Dues are $875 to cover the coaches salary, insurance, coaching education, membership expenses, equipment, and administrative expenses.  Over the course of the year, each Shadow player will participate in 60 to 70 team practices (1½ hours long), plus tournament and league games - an incredible value of between $6-8 per hour for high caliber, experienced coaching.

A $110 registration fee is collected for membership in the Spokane Youth Sports Association.  Training and game uniforms are purchased every two years and average $200 to $250 depending on what each player elects to purchase.  Last, team expenses are collected throughout the year to cover costs for tournament registrations (average of $25 per family, per tournament) and travel expenses/per diem for coaches travel outside of Spokane.

Is financial aid available?

The Club has a limited amount of need-based financial aid available.  Parents may apply for financial aid, which will cover all or part of the Club dues for an individual player.  Applications for financial aid must be submitted in writing to the Club within one week after tryout results are posted for your child’s age group.  Please contact shadowsoccer@spokaneshadow.org to request financial aid information.

Players and their families may also seek financial sponsorships from individuals or businesses through the Shadow Player Sponsorship program.  Any donations you seek and obtain will count toward YOUR Club Dues. 

Who makes the decisions?  Do parents have a say in the decisions?

The Technical Director is in charge of carrying out the mission and purpose of the Club.  All decisions relating to the direction of the Club are the responsibility of the Technical Director.  The Director is held accountable by the Spokane Shadow Board of Directors; volunteer members and non-members who are elected by the parents of the Club.  The Club values the input of all members.

Decisions made about league schedules – from tryout dates to championship tournaments – are determined based on scheduling decisions made by the Washington Youth Soccer Association.  Changes that occur in WYS scheduling over the course of a year may impact Shadow schedules.  Every effort is made to communicate schedules as far in advance as possible.  The Shadow organization is filled with busy members, and we recognize the need for families to plan ahead.

What is the Shadow Tournament Policy?

Shadow works diligently to plan and advertise all team tournaments for the year ahead prior to tryouts.  Shadow requires all players to pay their fair share of tournament registration fees and coaches travel expenses for those tournaments advertised at the time of tryouts - whether they can attend or not.  If, after the first team meeting, a team chooses to add a tournament to their schedule and a player has prior conflicts and cannot attend, they are not required to pay their share of tournament registration fees and coaches travel expenses.

If guest players are added to the roster to replace missing players for a tournament, the guest players are required to pay their fair share of team
expenses. If a Shadow player has a conflict with an Olympic Development Program (ODP) event (tournament, game, camp, etc.), that player will not be required to pay their fair share of Shadow team tournament expenses, whether that tournament was scheduled prior to tryouts or added later in the season.