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GENERAL QUESTIONS
REFEREE QUESTIONS
OTHER QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS
When does the fall soccer season open?
Our opening day is always the first weekend after school opens in September.
Where do the teams play?
OMM utilizes many different playing fields in Orangetown, but divisions generally play in only one or two locations. When schedules are posted in late August, the field your child's games are on will be listed.
How does OMM form teams?
Every season we strive to create teams that are as "even" as possible to the
other teams in the same division. To accomplish this, every coach rates the
players on his/her team at the end of the season, in several different
categories. Those ability ratings are then entered into our league
management program, and after coaches are set, the program automatically
drafts each team so they are balanced with the other teams in the division.
Can I ask for my son/daughter to play on the same team as their friend(s)?
Due to the size of our league, and the team formation process we follow (see "How does OMM form teams"), we can not take any placement requests in any division.
How do I know if a game is cancelled?
Never assume a game will be cancelled. We continue to play unless field conditions do not allow it. Field conditions are constantly being assessed by both league officials and the referee field coordinators on site. If games are cancelled the information will be posted on the cancellations link of our website, and on the leagueline (398-1900).
How are standings kept and who gets a trophy?
All divisions except Tykes and Masters are competitive, and division coordinators keep track of standings. A win is worth 2 points, a tie 1, and a loss 0. All players in the Tykes through Youth divisions who do not get a "place" trophy, will receive a participation trophy. Place trophies are awarded to the three teams who finish with the most points. This may not always be in a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place format. For example, if three teams tie for 1st place, then those are the only awards that would be given. If there was a 1st place team, a 2nd place team, and then a two way tie for 3rd place, four teams would receive awards. Standings can be viewed on the website and are generally updated before the next game is played the following weekend.
REFEREE QUESTIONS
What is the minimum age for my son/daughter to be a referee?
Age 12 to referee in the Tykes division, and 13 and up for all other divisions.
Do you have to play on a team in OMM to be a referee?
Priority is given to children who play in the league. To start as a Tykes (12 year old) OMM referee, you must be a registered player. If you are a returning referee who no longer plays, but could, you will still be allowed to referee, but again, scheduling priority will be given to children who are currently registered.
Do children need to do anything or buy anything to be a referee?
Yes. All referees must annually attend training before they are allowed to be a referee. OMM offers several training sessions which are posted in early spring- if you do not attend one, you will not be allowed to referee. Each referee is responsible to provide their own stopwatch and whistle - OMM will provide a referee jersey, cards, and flags.
How are referees scheduled?
At the start of the season, referees are scheduled one week at a time. Priority is always given to children who play in the league. Referees are evaluated each game they work and their performance helps to determine future scheduling. Referees who miss games or show up late, may not receive any additional assignments. After two weeks of scheduling in one week blocks, referees will get a larger scheduling block of games (i.e. three or four weeks).
How do referees find out their schedules?
Referees are instructed to visit the referee link to access their schedules.
What should a referee do if they can not attend a game they are scheduled to cover?
It is the referees responsibility to both secure a replacement and also to notify the league of the switch. Referees are able to access a list of other referees who are "certified" for their division, along with contact information. Upon securing a replacement, the referee who is giving up a game must e-mail us at referees@ommsoccer.org to let us know. Failure to secure a replacement or to let us know may result in the removal of further scheduled games from a referee.
OTHER QUESTIONS
How are coaches chosen?
Men or women who wish to coach in the league submit a coaching application each season. Applications are reviewed, and preference is given to returning coaches unless there has been a cause for concern in the past season. All mew coaches are required to attend a mandatory coaches session, and returning coaches are strongly encouraged to also do so.
Can a coach be given more than one team to coach?
Yes, as long as doing so will not preclude another coach from having a team, and the days the teams play do not conflict. Generally when this is done, the coach is encouraged to be head coach of one team, and the assistant coach on the other.
Does OMM conduct background checks on its coaches?
Yes. We do run a background check on every coach using Rapsheets.com (the same program that Little League utilizes).
Can children from outside Orangetown play? If so, does that take away playing time or fields from other children?
Historically OMM has not restricted the few children who are not Orangetown residents and wish to play, to do so. These children should not be confused with the children who live in Nanuet or Nyack, but still live within Orangetown boundaries and pay taxes to the town. The children who do register to play and are not Orangetown residents generally do so because they attend a school within Orangetown and wish to play with their classmates.
The number of children on a team is set by the league prior to registration (though the number of teams we will have can obviously not be until we see who registers!) and accordingly the number of children who register does not effect that number. Generally the older the child, the more children we place on a team. All children must play at least a half of the scheduled game time.
If the number of children enrolled continued to climb and we were not able to secure enough playing fields, than we of course would make sure that only whatever number Orangetown children we could accommodate would play, while others would not.
Why is there suddenly such a need for fields?
The need for fields is not new- it is just intensified as the number of children in the area increases, along with the popularity of soccer. In many cases we are competing with other leagues and organizations for the same facilities, and there is simply not enough fields to go around. This past season we utilized fields belonging to two different school districts, as well as three different park areas. In some cases we were unable to reschedule games that were rained out because we lacked the space to do so.
What is the Family Field Fee and what is it used for?
The Family Field Fee is a per family (not player) charge added to the cost of registration. The proceeds of the fee go directly towards the field development costs. OMM anticipates spending about two million dollars to fufill it's commitment to help the town develop the fields. In 2007 we spent almost half that amount on lights and a turf field. The Family Field Fee will not cover that debt or the total we will spend, but we hope that the funds from the Family Field Fee along with the additional fundraising we will do, will help to pay for these improvements.
Who runs OMM's on-line registration?
OMM has it's on-line registration done by Manage Your League.com, and it's Credit Card processing is done by Authorize.net.
Clarkstown and North Rockland have a travel program - why not OMM?
Travel programs demand dedicated field space for games and practices, and OMM currently lacks the fields to accomplish this.
Do OMM Coaches, Board Members, League Officers, or Coordinators get paid?
No.
How can I become more involved?
E-mail us at registrar@ommsoccer.org and let us know. We can tell you what openings we have and where assistance is needed. Whether you know a great deal about soccer or never played, we welcome your involvement.
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