The FC Bratz Soccer League is the only all-girl soccer club in
San Diego, California. The club was founded in 1994 by the current
Director of Coaching, Jerzy Szyndlar and Coach Mike Farrand. Both
had coached at club and college levels for several years and both
felt there was a need for a club dedicated to female athletes. With
this goal in mind, they are focusing on girls who want to train
at the highest levels. The goal is to provide the foundation and
the program for these girls to rise to the next level of soccer,
as well as responsibility and leadership off the field.
The young women graduating from our program have played at many
major universities, on the U.S. National teams, and even abroad
professionally in Japan. Many girls play college in Division I,
II, III and NAIA programs. All have achieved a great deal of success
on and off the field.
The FC Bratz organization, with the help of our parents, administrators
and our sponsors, intends to continue working with you, our young
ladies, who have the drive and determination to succeed.
Club Philsophy
"We know what it takes to
become a better player. There are no magic formulas
or gimmicks. Improvement,
achievement and success are the result of hard
work, dedication, sacrifice
and, of course, quality instruction."
– Jerzy Szyndlar
Tryouts,
Player Evaluation and Selection
Club tryouts will be held annually and are open to all players who
meet the age requirements for the teams for which they are trying
out. Each prospect will be given a fair opportunity to make the
club. If the director of coaching deems it necessary, he will hold
special tryouts at any time of the year allowed by Presidio. This
would consist of having particular players who showed interest in
the club attend training sessions with a specific team.
The policy for player evaluation and selection will be one of openness
and honesty. Keeping in mind that the club and the team will come
first, the player¹s performance will be evaluated in annual
tryouts, and behavior off the field. The director of coaching and
the professional coaching staff will confer in matters of player
evaluation and selection.
 There
are many terminologies used to categorize and describe soccer abilities.
To make things simple, present and potential team members will be
evaluated in four areas.
Four areas of evaluation:
1. Technical competence (skills, body and thinking form)
2. Tactical awareness (reading, with and without the ball)
3. Physical components (athletic ability and fitness)
4. Mental dimensions (character, discipline, and leadership)
Your understanding here is important, for just as players and parents
have freedom to choose a club without unfair pressure and with a
full understanding of what is expected, the head coach needs the
same freedom to work without any negative feelings or animosity.
The head coach must be realistic in consideration of the club and
team first in trying to put together the best teams possible. We
will not always agree on issues as sensitive as player selection
and evaluation, but hopefully we can still maintain friendships.
The director of coaching will determine whether you play on an F
C Bratz team at or above your age bracket.
Roles and Responsibilities
of Coaches and Players
The Coach
 The
coaches for the FC Bratz Club are instructed to conduct themselves
first as teachers and next as soccer coaches. Our intent is to
maintain and enhance a positive, healthy, environment that nurtures
our players as they grow and mature into young adulthood. Nothing
positive will come of the club's efforts if we produce world-class
players who do not know how to conduct themselves as successful
human beings. In this regard the coaches will conduct themselves
as positive role models and display appropriate behavior. Our
coaches fully recognize we are dealing in an important way with
young people and we cannot overlook the impact we have on players'
lives.
Coaches are responsible for the conduct of the team on and off
the field, when the team is together and part of the club event.
We will insist our players are polite, well behaved, and respectful.
You can expect honesty, communication, consistency, and reliability
from your coach.
Our coaching staff has been responsible for developing numerous
regional, state, and national caliber players, many of whom receive
college scholarships and play on top college and national teams.
The commitment the club and coaching staff makes to you under
no circumstances guarantees that you will be offered a college
scholarship, or that you will be considered for a state or national
team. The club and the coaching staff do guarantee to give you
the tools and skills to enable you to become as good as your abilities,
desires, and effort will take you. In other words, we will make
everything in our power available to you to become a top player,
and the rest is up to you.
The coaching staff is responsible to create an environment where
you can play quality, competitive soccer and still have fun doing
it. Our approach will be relaxed, but the team and the soccer
we play will be taken very seriously. We recognize that there
are things more important in life than soccer. In terms of priority,
your family and school should come first. However, if the coaching
staff sees you are not willing to put your soccer above other
recreational activities during the season, it may affect your
playing time or status with the club the following season.
It is important for you to understand that coaching in soccer
is often overrated. Once you reach a certain level of skill, maturity,
and experience, you become more important to your team's success
than your coach. Therefore, you, as a member of the FC Bratz Club,
will determine the ultimate success of the club and its teams.
The Player
You are not under any pressure to join our club. Instead, we
hope that you and your parents will consider all of your options
and choose what will be best for you, taking into consideration
your goals and aspirations as a person and soccer player.
Once you commit to join the FC Bratz, you agree to abide by the
policies of the club and your team. This commitment is for one
soccer season only. At the end of the soccer season your commitment
to the club is over and you are free to leave the club if you
feel it is in your best interest. At the beginning of the next
soccer season each player is free to try out again under the same
guidelines previously mentioned.
Club Policies
The following are our policies for fundraising, fee payments and
fee refunds.
Fundraising Policy:
The following policies apply to any and all fundraising efforts
made by or on behalf of any player or team playing as a member
of the FC Bratz Soccer League.
Corporate sponsorship money raised (Coca-Cola, etc.) to be split
50% to the club, 50% to be applied to player¹s fees, up to
total of this year¹s fees (including registration, coaching,
and tournament fees; shooting camp or other Bratz activity after
other fees are paid in full). All further money belongs to the
League. Fundraising chairman will coordinate efforts so that only
one person contacts any given company or organization. If no fundraising
chairperson is in place, coordinate through the FC Bratz President
and Treasurer.
Club fundraisers such as the Bratz Book, Bratz Website ads and
any other club-level fundraising to be identified by the board
to be split 50% to the club, 50% to the individual to be applied
to fees, up to total of this year¹s fees (including registration,
coaching, and tournament fees; shooting camp or other Bratz activity
after other fees are paid in full). All further money belongs
to the League. The Fundraising Chairperson and/or the FC Bratz
League Treasurer will coordinate these fundraisers.
Smaller scale fundraisers such as selling candy bars or coupons
etc. to be credited 100% to the individual¹s team account,
to be applied to fees. Any fundraiser such as a car wash or garage
sale coordinated by an individual team will be handled at the
team level. Money earned may be used as the team decides, within
the framework of the laws governing California non-profit corporations
-- you can¹t raise funds for a soccer club, then use the
funds to go to Disneyland, etc. Suggestions for use include tournament
and coaching fees for the team. The Fundraising Chair may coordinate
some opportunities. Any money above this year¹s fees to remain
in the individual¹s team account to be applied to next year¹s
fees if the player remains with the Bratz League.
The League may require one fundraising activity that will be
devoted to raising money for the League. All money raised during
this effort will go to the Bratz league.
The League will treat any personal sponsorship for individual
players as if the player had personally paid the money. No entitlements
of any kind will be given to any person, organization, or corporate
entity giving a personal sponsorship.
No fundraising money is to be refunded to a player. Money in
individual accounts will revert to the club general fund if a
player leaves the Bratz organization.
Fee Payment Policy:
Fees are to be paid according to a schedule published by the
League, disseminated at each team meeting or registration night.
Team managers are given flexibility in collecting fees, but players
must have registration fees paid in full 72 hours prior to the
first game played (League bylaws). We are requesting that registration
fees be paid in full at the registration meeting for your age
group. Coaching fees and tournament fees will be based on the
number of players joining a team. Team managers may work out individual
plans at the team level if necessary, but payment of all fees
is expected by July 31 (for teams U10 - U14) or by September 15th
(for teams U15 - U18). Players not meeting financial obligations
may be required to sit out practice and games until payment is
made.
Tournament expenses, including coach¹s expenses, shall
be budgeted at the team level and included in the team budget.
It is suggested that coaches stay with their team(s), or that
the team(s) pay for the coach¹s hotel expenses only up to
the amount the team is paying. However, this is something the
team should negotiate with the coach. It is also suggested that
the coach be paid for food expenses at the rate of up to $15 per
day for in-town tournaments and up to $30 per day for out of town
tournaments. This rate is also negotiable with the coach and may
depend on the individual tournament circumstances. Coaches with
more than one team traveling shall split their expenses evenly
between all teams.
Team managers are to keep accounts for their team in such a
manner as to enable the League Treasurer to track individual player
status regarding fees paid. Team accounts are to be made available
to the League Treasurer for review when requested. Team accounts
are to have three signatures - the team manager, a member of the
League Board of Directors, and one other parent from the team.
If a family has more than one player registering to the League,
that family is entitled to a multiple player discount of $50 per
player (unless receiving a scholarship).
A limited number of scholarships up to $150 are available. Players
must submit a request and all financial information requested
by the League in order to be considered. Decisions regarding scholarships
will be facilitated by the scholarship committee chair (League
Vice President), with final decisions made by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors will notify players (parents) of the decision.
Fee Refund Policy:
Registration fee
Registration fees shall be prorated according to time spent
with the League after registration date. If a player drops within
the first two weeks of practice, a full refund of fees will
be given. If a player drops after two weeks, but within 6 weeks
after practice begins, two-thirds of the registration fee will
be refunded. After the first 10 weeks of practice no refund
will be given.
Coaching fees
Coaching fees shall be prorated according to the time the
coach has spent with the team relative to the coaches payment
schedule, on a monthly basis. A player owes one month coaching
fees if that player has received coaching services for one month
or part thereof.
Tournament fees
Tournament fees paid for a tournament which has been played
are not refunded. Tournament fees paid in advance for a tournament
which the player will not play due to transfer or release will
be refunded in full.
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