Fall Soccer has been the core of the LPAA since its founding in 1947.  Many hundreds of kids (and in some years well over 1,000!) join together to play a friendly game of soccer at a local pitch, usually while parents cheer and chat on the sidelines.  The vibe is very consciously and deliberately relaxed.

Many volunteers combine their efforts behind the scenes to achieve this result.  The environment is always friendly and neighbourly.

For More Information and to contact the soccer czar:

Team Coach

• With roughly 60 teams across 11 ages, LPAA supports many coaches every year.
• The team coaches are almost always parents of kids on that team.  Usually with one or two co-coaches, to allow for absences, coaches are the primary motivator of the kids.  There is a great mix of new and returning coaches each year.
• No experience is necessary, although enthusiasm and some soccer familiarity helps!  LPAA provides resources for coaches.  Depending on the age group, coaches spend a bit of time on drills each Saturday before starting their team's game.
• Kids admire their parents who coach.  And parent coaches consistently say that they are surprised how easy and how rewarding it is.
• Time commitment: 1 hour each Saturday
• Responsibilities sometimes include helping gather equipment or disassemble nets, in a group.
• LPAA Soccer holds a coaches' appreciation night after the season in a local pub to thank the coaches for their super efforts.
• You will be expected to create a fun atmosphere for your team.
• If snacks are important, find a parent to help with snack.

Age Group Convenor

• LPAA Soccer covers six age divisions.  Each division is run by a convenor.
• The convenor's role covers both pre-season preparation and in-season assistance.  All convenors meet as a group (usually in a local pub) a few times in advance of the season.
• Pre-Season Preparation includes:
  • Answering parent email queries
  • Monitoring online registration progress to determine in early August the number of teams, coaches and uniforms needed for the age group; create schedule for age group
  • In late August, assemble teams based on on-line registration reports, trying to balance ages, skills, schools, friend requests,  and coaching volunteers. Revise the schedule accordingly.
  • Review equipment for your age group to determine if anything is needed for the season
  • Send coaches their team rosters and invitation to attend the uniform collection evening
  • Send parents their team assignments, schedules and coaches' contact information
  • Manage last-second parents seeking to register their child, space permitting.
  • Determine your league needs for medals, trophies and/or photographs.
• In-Season Assistance
  • Be available as a resource to coaches who have questions or needs.
  • Ensure fields are ready for play each Saturday.  Some fields need no work, while others need nets to be assembled, lines painted, or balls or goalie jerseys brought to the field.
  • Help is available for net assembly and line painting.  Convenors don't need to do everything themselves, but they need to make sure it is done!
  • For the older age groups, keep track of game results and administer playoffs on the finals weekend.
• After the season is complete, we'll find some way to show our thanks!

Support roles

• Procurement: Uniforms, Equipment, Referees, Photographer.  This person or people work with suppliers to acquire uniforms and soccer balls or other needed equipment.  They also coordinate with LPAA's external referee supplier including any schedule changes and playoffs, and with the photographer for the younger kids' photo day.
• Field Permits:  This person works with the City and schools to book fields for the soccer season.
• Marketing and Social Media:  This person helps market LPAA soccer, including updating the Soccer portion of the website and LPAA's social media fields.
• Field Preparation Assistance:  This person prepares fields for play, including net assembly, distributing pylons and corner flags, and line painting as needed.

Czar

• The leader of the LPAA soccer program is called the Czar.  We're not sure why or how the name came about, but it stuck!  The Czar is usually also an age group Convenor, but not always.
• The Czar is the ultimate arbiter of any issues or concerns regarding the soccer program.
• The Czar coordinates and supports the activities of the Convenors and those in Support Roles.  This usually involves assembling the group for several meetings at a local pub anywhere from March through August.  The Czar also manages the general soccer email inbox, which receives messages not directed to specific Convenors.
• The Czar and the appropriate members of the team work with the online registration provider to prepare the system to collect the necessary information from parents.  The Czar determine what information parents need to provide when registering, and monitors the registration results as they arrive.
• The Czar meets with the LPAA Executive a few times per year, including at an annual sports report night where he or she will present a report on the previous soccer season.