August 2018

2018 August Agenda-League Meeting
August 7, 2018 Wellesley Community Center

Sign In:  ALL TEAMS

  • Review contacts for your team
  • Review status of fees and make payments if owed
  1. Roll Call 
  2. Approval of February meeting minutes- approved
    Web Site presentation (Kate Painter, Scott and Henry - AdminSports) 
    • Review of new website (Kate P. + AdminSports)
      Kate reviewed new website, specifically Current Season, Teams and Game Readiness tabs.
    • Team email review:
      This is a standard webmail application. Each team will have their own email address.
    • Team pages:
      Real time information about your team (location, uniform colors, edit information, and ability to add pictures)
      Reach out to Kate or AdminSports if you have any issues or questions on the website.
  3. Reports from the field:
    1. Division 1 Updates (Peter)- Congrats to Dynamis. This was a great Summer season. There were no registration issues all summer.
      There have been too many forfeits (lots of July Monday night games). Playoffs were affected by teams not making up games. We will consider adding language to address this issue, (maybe) Thursday makeups before the end of the season.
    2. Division 2 Updates (Patti)-Classic Crush vs GB Kickbacks playing tomorrow night in finals. Issue: jewelry worn during games, will address later in meeting.
    3. Division 3 Updates (Jeanene)- Summer D3 finals tomorrow: Haverhill v Bandits. All teams that play in the summer, we need your input so we can make sure the league is balanced. Traveling was an issue this season. We need to have discussions around this- perhaps move fields, field sharing, etc. Teams need to speak up if you have a good field, or if you’re willing to move your field. We can’t be traveling 1hr 45mins for games.
      Complaints: please respect everyone on the field. Respect the referees. Please no trash talking.
      Working on fall season.
    4. Referee Report (Joe) - couple issues: 16 games every Monday/Wednesday. Only 2 complaints.
      Jewelry: league needs to follow the FIFA no jewelry rule. Some refs don’t enforce the rule, but some do. Please obey the ref and remove the jewelry.
      As a reminder: Joe can’t schedule refs until schedule is created and that cannot be created until fields are secured. Please secure fields early!
      What happens if you have an issue with a ref and don’t want that ref again? Email Joe and let him know that you don’t want that Ref again.
    5. Fall Season Scheduling (Dick)
      Dick can give you game dates so please let him know. Secure field as soon as possible.
  4. Reports from the Front Office
    • 2019 Calendar for Approval (Dee)
      Dee reviewed dates. Additionally, Dee is working to revitalize the Competition Committee so summer dates are tentative.
      D1 make up date changed to July 18th (from July 25th) Dick motioned to accept, Liz second.
      Need to add the date for the All Star Game.
      Liz: this is a reminder why we need the Competition Committee. We are looking for people to solve schedule problems by division. Aiming to bring this group back for 2019.
    • President - Dee Woolley
      Congratulations to D1 Dynamis. Good luck to D2 and D3 teams playing tomorrow night.
      Good job to Breakers and Mass Spirit teams that traveled to Bellingham last month.
      A lot of work has gone into getting this website up and running. Thank you Kate! Please take time to look at the site. Give us your ideas or thoughts.
    • Few points:
      • Forfeits on all levels need to decrease. Hoping that fixing level of play, geography, and other challenges will decrease these forfeits.
      • Uniforms continue to be an issue. Teams still do not have shirts with numbers. This makes it hard for referees. We’ve made it very easy for you to contact vendors for shirts. Numbers need to be on shirts or on pinnies. This uniform issue needs to be put to bed.
      • Dissent to the refs: Joe works hard getting us good refs. We need to respect the refs. If there are issues, we have the forum to report these issues (game report or email Joe).
      • Wearing jewelry - this caused a team to forfeit a game. We are a FIFA league. We will be upholding the jewelry rule. No jewelry, no fitbits, no taping. It’s been an issue in the past. We will be having a conversation with the Refs to make sure this is being consistently enforced. Additionally, hard knee braces need to be covered.
      • Field issues were less of an issue this season. Kate and Jim have been quick to review fields within 72 hours. If you have an issue with a field, please let us know. Check your fields before the season starts.
      • As always, we welcome feedback. We are all volunteers here so we need you to cascade these messages on to your players.
      • We want to revitalize the competition committee. Need 4 reps from D1, 2 reps from D2 and 2 reps from D3. This group does good work. We are looking for volunteers.
    • Vice President (Liz)
      • We have tried lots of different events in the Fall: tournaments, jamboree, etc. We have received feedback that there are logistical challenges, team sizes, locations, etc. We want feedback from teams- do we want to continue or just add another season game?
      • (Vote was overwhelming against the Jamboree). All agreed to add a game to the schedule.
    • Secretary (Tricia)– minutes are posted immediately after the meeting. Please look at the website for meeting minutes. We will not be printing these for the meetings.
    • Treasurer Report/financial Update (Jeanene proxy/Jim)
      • Deposits are due today.
    • Marketing (Kate)
      • Back in February, teams mentioned they wanted promotional items. Please come up and take a bag of bracelets.
      • We will be mailing business cards to team managers so you will have on hands to give out to anyone looking for more information on the league.
      • Last year, we participated in Go For the Gold Lace Up Challenge. This year, we are making it a team challenge to support the fight against pediatric cancer. Would love to see more teams participating but this requires you to talk to your players and find that person that wants to take up this challenge. EMWSL has a goal at the end of the Fall of $5000.
      • Liz story: recruited ball girls for the league. In their yearbook, a few girls mentioned EMWSL as one of their memories!
    • Field Committee
      • Fields need to be inspected. If you have any questions, please reach out. Kate will reach out to teams that have fields with issues. That’s why we need teams to be on top of their field situations. But that’s also why we need teams to speak up if they are having issues.
      • Cambridge fields: Jeanene
        Russell Field was being redone and everyone was moved to Glacken. We have decided we are not using Glacken any further. We are trying to work something out where we can get one field for the entire day. Tell Jeanene if you need a Cambridge field.
      • Kate will add fields that are accessible to us on the website. Additionally, MassSoccer will have information on their website about the fields (i.e. who to call, % residents needed, etc)
    • New Player Coordinator
      • New email: [email protected], also listed on the website. There are 15 or 16 new players that have come out since the new website has come up. Dick will post to the website. Please set up your emails so you can access this information. Email Dick if you picked up a player.
    • USASA and Mass Soccer Update (Liz and Lisa Z)
      • Mass Spirit and Breakers at USASA Tournament in Bellingham, WA:
        Spirit O30 team brought home 1st place trophies, O40and O50 lost in the semis. Tournament will be in New England next year.
        Breakers had 4 teams O50, O55, O60, O65. Brought 63 players, played 16 games over 5 days. 6 wins, 10 losses. Two teams made it to the semis.
  5. Open Discussion:
    • Let Peter know if you want a ball ($31).
    • Would we consider a sub pool by division?
      i.e. 3B pool of subs- if a 3B team is going to be short players, they’d use the pool of subs. (Dee) We would need to take a look at the bylaws and perhaps make a change. This is something for all teams to think about. Perhaps we can expand the inactive player pool. We will think about this.
    • What about if we had a sub team? So you could just present another roster.
    • Liz will take away and talk to Andy at MassSoccer to make sure we are not in violation.
    • Kate: On website, there is a pop-up shop. There are sweatshirts, beer mugs, etc. Money from each sale will go towards supporting clinics for the league.
  6. New Business:
    • Special guest-Michelle Sherman, President of the Old Colony Women’s Soccer League
      League has been around for 20 years. She has been president for 2 years and working towards rebuilding the league. They are located on the south shore (Braintree, Weymouth, Abbington). But there are a lot of untapped areas. They are also working on marketing, website, trying to get involved in the community, fundraising initiatives, etc. If you know of players on SS area looking to join a team or add a team, please let her know. They are looking to remove current challenges of entering the league.
    • Casey: league is very much a family. However, a mix of skill levels. Trying to grow so there would be a better balance. Old Colony plays Tuesday and Thursday nights.
    • EMWSL has been talking with OC to help each other out.
  7. Elections:
    1. Referee Assignor- Joe nominated, vote unanimous
    2. Game scheduler- Dick nominated, vote unanimous
    3. Revitalizing Competition Committee
  8. Adjournment