SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Junior Varsity Soccer Learnings Requested: What is Important in Trying to Get a JV Program Going

I would think the biggest cost would be uniforms, do you have old ones you can hand down? Do you have money for the extra coach? Travel,entry fees, who pays? Will you be able to play the same day and site as varsity or other days( bus driver and gas money)? Who pays for the Refs, gate workers etc. Then, will you need more practice equipment? Lots of questions but they will telll you how much money you will need next year. Hope this helps.

Thanks, Coach J. We will probably use our assistant coach as the JV coach. We now have unis, and could buy a new varsity set and have great JV unis. We have a support base among parents this year that probably would help with financial backing and cover us. We would have to cover all costs which is why we're trying to determine them.
Thanks again for the good thoughts.

You can look for about $110-130 or so for officials per home game, depending on mileage and how many they send. Transportation to away games won't be too much different with fuel and bus driver pay. You'll need practice equipment, especially plenty of balls...Epic Sports actually sells one of the better practice balls I've used for about $6 each plus shipping. They've lasted better and had a nicer touch than some we've paid twice as much for. I also invested in a couple of flat practice goals for about $550 each...cheaper than regular goals, and you can play both sides at once. Divide a field in half by putting one of those between two regular goals, and you've effectively got four goals for the price of three...two teams can practice with two goals each.

If I think of anything else I'll add...

IT's a good idea to play as much as possible. LEt your kids know it is okay if they are not that strong at first because you have to build the program. The more they play, the more comfortable they will be as a team. It's also great for team bonding to play in tournaments.

A shared vision between the varsity staff and JV players as well as the team supporters is vital. Either path that is picked by the program needs this. Player development which can be simply a buzz word, has many different meanings to everyone.
The path we chose at Berkeley was to challenge them to get better individually. I believe working as a team is an individual skill. Too many times "team work" is attempted to cover weaknesses, which is understandable but not the final solution.
Everyone on my team plays in every game. It forces me as a coach to step up my game and not have a weakest link. My least talented player will be on the field when her rotation comes up regardless the score.
The little big thing this year that I am proud of....the girls are asking for soccer balls and jerseys for birthday gifts. They know who the WNT players are. One dislikes wearing our blue jersey because she is a River fan. They know what certain moves are and they challenge each other to juggling duals. Everyone on the team made A/B honor roll this past report card.

His record is, as the varsity coach, exactly what I want it to be...high player turnout, high player commitment, serious development of individual skills, smiles and love of the game on young players' faces who are already looking forward to proving themselves at the varsity level, and already moving up freshmen to varsity this year who have had a major positive impact on our performance.

Going for win/loss record at the JV level at the expense of developing happy, dedicated, and well-trained players for varsity would be incredibly short-sighted. I've watched this young group get better and better as the season has progressed, and I'm pleased.

'Nuff said.

Nike Legend you are 100% correct sir. Winning is king and we will get there. For the record my record is 0-9 this year. Last year my record was 0-8-1. The match outcomes I take full responsibility for. They get full credit for making A/B Honor Roll.
As for the quote I stand by what I say "It forces me to step up my game". I still have as all teams have weak links, my objective is to reinforce these "opportunities for improvement" that I have.

First, I have to say: what a great thread! This is how this message board should be used.

One additional item that occurs to me: decide how you will handle any club / school conflicts. Will players be allowed or encouraged to play for club and school? How will conflicts be resolved?

My son's jv team supports his club participation, and vice versa. As a result, he plays a lot of soccer. So far, so good; the two programs have complemented each other, each providing components missing from the other.