Fall Kickoff Tournament – St. Louise

StL Kickoff

All:
Apologies, I forgot to share one more item with you all, St. Louise is hosting a fall kickoff classic on August 9th.  For those that are interested it sounds like a great way to get your squads together and give them a few touches before the season starts.  Its open to grades 1-8th.  See attached for additional details and registration information.

DSL Season Wrap Up Email

All:
First off, thank you all for a fantastic season, out of the scheduled almost 600 games we had issues with only three that I was made aware of.  So while we still have room for improvement next fall, that is a pretty good success rate.  Most importantly though, I hope your players had a good season, built on their skills, learned how to be better teammates and were able to accept both victories and losses in a graceful manner.  There are a few things I want to cover in this email including results from the JV/V championship Series, timelines for next fall (including registration deadlines at the diocese level) and opportunities for some touches over the summer at a couple soccer camps that I have been asked to share.
1.  This past week/weekend we played 17 games to determine section champs.  It felt like we played in three different seasons between the rain, the cool weather, and even some welcomed sunshine by Sunday.  Here is a listing of the teams that qualified and your ultimate tournament champs:
JV MLS:  Playoff Qualifiers – Blessed Seelos; Semi-finalists – Sacred Heart Red and Butler Catholic; Finalist – Mother of Mercy; Champion – St. James
JV Premier:  Playoff Qualifiers – Sacred Heart Black and Mary of Nazareth; Semi-finalists – Guardian Angel and Holy Sepulcher ; Finalist – St. Kilian; Champion – Aquinas
Varsity MLS:  Playoff Qualifiers – Sacred Heart Red; Semi-finalists – St. James and Holy Sepulcher; Finalist – St. James; Champion – St. Bede
Varsity Premier:  Playoff Qualifiers – Holy Cross; Semi-finalists – Archangel Gabriel and Sacred Heart Black; Finalist – Guardian Angel; Champion – St. Kilian
2. Below is the timeline for the Fall Season, note that registration opens on July 1 and it closes on August 1.  Registrations or updates received after August 1 are not guaranteed a spot in the fall session.  I will follow up before July with the registration form as well.

July 1st

Registration is open

 

August 1st   

School Registrations to the DSL are due (the registration form is attached, and the form can be pdf’d to me at [email protected])

 

August 1st  

DSL fees are due, the check can be made out to the Pittsburgh Diocese and mailed to me at my home address 116 Wickerham Drive, Mars, PA 16046 (fees are $125 per team, so if you have one JV team and 2 developmental teams, send one check for $375)

 

August 7th

DSL Kickoff meeting – 7:30pm (link to follow closer to the date)

August 11th

Practices can start on or after this date

 

August 25th

Schedules to be distributed

 

August 29th    

Rosters are due (the roster form is attached, it should be signed by the school principal and can be pdf’d to me at [email protected])

 

August 29thth  – August 30th    

First week of games (note this is Labor Day Weekend; if you are unable to play this weekend, clearly indicate that conflict in your registration)

 

September 10th through October 10th   

Developmental Tournament & JV/Varsity All Girls Tournament Registration is open

 

October 25th   

Tentative date for Developmental Tournament

 

October 26th  

Last day to complete JV/Varsity games for playoff determinations

 

October 27th  – November 2nd  

Tentative dates for JV/Varsity Championship Series

 

3. Here are some summer camps that I have been asked to share with the league, please forward this information onto your players/parents:

July 28 – August 1 at St. Kilians Soccer Field
1/2 day and full day options available
open to ages 3 through 14
Prices vary depending on age/half day or full day/ and early bird discount if registered 30 days before the start of camp or $10 late fee if registration is within 10 days of the start of camp.

June 11-13 at North Catholic Field
8:30am – 11:00 am
Price is $125

Before I sign off, I do want to extend a special thank you to all of our 8th grade players, as well as the parents of those players that are coaches, coordinators and AD's that are moving on.  We will miss you and appreciate everything you have done to help the program over the years.  For the coaches, coordinators and AD's that are moving on, if you want to be removed from the distribution list, shoot me an email and I can remove you.  That's it for me for a bit, watch for an email from me towards the end of the month with the registration form. 

-Rob Glentzer

DSL – Week 9 Email

All:
Just a few things as we head into the holiday weekend:
1. On the JV/V front, thank you to those teams that played games this week already for uploading your game results immediately after the game.  For all other teams that are yet to play, please do the same and that will help me notify the teams that qualify for postseason play.  Also, note that the website is great for many things, including the standings, but in instances where there is a tie, the website may not be 100% accurate when you view it.  That is because we have to go over our tie breaking rules and make a determination since we place head to head play ahead of goal differential and the website just uses goal differential.  Please do not inform your team that you made the playoffs until you hear from me either late Sunday evening or Monday (assuming all score cards have been uploaded).
2.  Also please review the website for game results and standing points and let me know by the end of day Friday if you see any errors or missing games.  This is a request we have made all season because I don't want a team to not progress out of bracket or be listed in the wrong position, but at some point I need to go off the data we have and make decisions, and that point is end of day Friday.
3.  Now the fun stuff

DSL Tournament

All:
It looks like the weather for the tournament is improving and the odds of us getting caught in the rain have gone down.  That being said, there is still a chance of rain.  As a reminder, for those bringing tents, do not set them up in the gravel area between the two fields.  There will be other events at the venue that day and we need to keep that area open for emergency vehicle access.  If you have questions as to where to set up the tent, come see us at the event tent and we can guide you before you set up (as opposed to having to have you move it after you started setting up).
Also, please remember to bring weights to secure your tent.  Stakes are not permitted to be used due to the damage it would cause to the turf and unsecured tents are not allowed.  It looks like we will have fairly constant winds of 12-25mph with occasional gusts of up to 40mph so your unsecured tent will quickly turn into a box kite if not properly secured.
Rob

DSL Week 8 email

All:
Just a few quick notes this week:
1. Developmental – Our season ends this weekend with our end of season tournament at No Off Season this Saturday.  Please review the rules and your game times and come ready to play.  Don't forget to bring pinnies if you don't have dark and light jerseys.  Any questions, let me know.  Here is a link to the Tournament Page.  Between this and the tournament tent you should be able to keep an eye on how you are doing and assess your odds of advancing out of bracket.  https://pittdsl.org/tournament/
2. JV/V – Remember, the last day to get your games in is Sunday, May 25th.  Games must be played by then and score cards must be loaded immediately following the game to count for standings.  If a game has not been played the starting point is that it is assessed as a “non-played” game and neither team gets standing points.  If a forfeit win/loss is requested we will assess the situation, including why the original game was not played and what efforts were utilized in trying to reschedule the game.  If a forfeit win/loss is determined to be warranted the “winning team” gets 2 standing points and the losing team get -2.
Please take a look at the standings and results tab of the webpage and make sure that all of your games have been correctly uploaded.  If you see an error or that a game was not loaded correctly contact me so that we can fix it well before 5/25.  The most common reason for a game upload not being accepted is someone leaves the page before the results have been fully loaded and so long as you still have the game cards, its an easy fix.
Looking ahead, the date and location of the JV/V Championship Series has not changed from the information provided at the beginning of the season, but I can add some detail.  We will Play Thursday, May 29 through Sunday June 1, at Seton LaSalle High School.  Play in games will be Thursday and Friday, Semifinals will be Saturday, and Championship Games will be Sunday.  I'll get an exact schedule to everyone that Monday, assuming everyone has entered their game cards and I can make determinations of who advanced out of bracket.  Brackets of 8 or 9 will have the top 5 advance.  Brackets of 11 will have the top 6 advance out of bracket.  The Thursday/Friday games for the brackets of 8 or 9 will have the 4 seed play the 5 seed.  The Thursday/Friday games for the brackets of 11 will have the 3 seed play the 6 seed and the 4 seed play the 5 seed.  If your team has a conflict and cannot make its designated game time we cannot reschedule, the next team up will have an opportunity to fill that game spot.
More details to follow on the JV/V games in the next week or two, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, but understand that this week is a bit crazy with the developmental tournament so I may not get back to you until next week.
Rob

DSL – Tournament Update

All:
One correction, I attached the wrong set of rules.  Disregard the rules I sent out earlier this evening as they were for the JV/V Playoffs in a few weeks.  Here are the correct rules for the Developmental and JV/V Girls tournament.  Specifically note the location of the tournament continues to be at No Off SEason in Russellton (the JV/V Playoff Rules reference Seton LaSalle as the venue, which is correct for that tournament, but not correct for the May 17th tournament). 

DSL – Tournament email and schedules

Coaches:

 

For those that are participating in next Saturday's tournament (May 17th), please note a few reminders below:

 

1. Attached are the schedule, rules, blank form of roster and field map.  If you see any errors that need to be corrected, please let me know by the end of day Sunday, as I have to head to the printer Monday morning to make the tournament boards.  I will follow up next week with a  link to the tournament website as well, where you can see schedules, track results and get a better view of who may or may not advance beyond the group stage. 

 

2.  Arrive at the facility at least 30 minutes in advance of your first game and check in at the diocese tent with your registration fees and completed tournament rosters (blank form of roster is attached to this email).  Please allow time for parking as the venue is going to be very busy that day.

 

3. Arrive on field 10 minutes prior to your scheduled time, if we are running ahead the games will start early.  If you have back-to-back games scheduled, get to the field immediately following your previous game.  Failure to show on the field on time will likely result in a forfeit as we don't have the time to chase after teams.  If your team finds itself playing a game that is going long and will make you late, send a parent to the administration tent and let us know so we can facilitate things.  

 

4. Bring pinnies or alternative jersey colors.  In the event that the two teams playing one another have jerseys that are deemed too close in color (as determined by the referee in his or her sole's discretion), the away team will need to change or wear pinnies.  

 

5. There is no coin flip to determine possession, the away team gets the ball to start the game.

 

6. There will be benches on the field for each team.  We ask that home teams use the blue bench and away teams use the black bench.  This will help the referees get the correct home and away teams noted on their score card.

 

7. Read and be familiar with the tournament rules (see attached rules for your reference).   Some of the bigger ones that have been a problem in the past are as follows:  (1)  All grades will have offsides– 1/2 grade will be limited to more obvious cherry picking.  (2) For 1-4 grade we will be playing the build out rule. First and second grade will use the midfield line as the build out line, third and fourth grade have a separate build out line roughly halfway between midfield and the penalty box.  Also, for those grades, the buildout line will serve as the offside line.  (3) At 1-4 grade, all fouls that are called result in indirect kicks.  Even what would otherwise result in a pk for a foul in the penalty box is treated as an indirect kick and the kick occurs right outside of the 18 yard box.  (4)  For all grades, scoring can only occur in the offensive half of the field.  If you score a goal from the defensive half (including your kickoff), the goal does not count. (5) For all grades punting is not permitted, keepers are encouraged to put the ball back into play by throwing it to a teammate.  (6) Cards will be issued as they would in a normal game.  Any player that gets a yellow card  must come to the sideline for a 5-minute cool down period.  If that cool down period goes to the end of the game and there is a shootout, the player can't participate in the shootout.  Any player or coach that receives two yellow cards in a game or one red card is not permitted to continue to play/coach for the rest of the game and the rest of the day.  They will need to leave the premises.  In my experience, cards are rarely issued at these tournaments and when they are, they are almost always earned.  Along those lines, the Tournament Director reserves the right to ask any players, coaches, or parents to leave the venue if deemed necessary in my sole discretion.

 

7.  Keeper Changes.  Mid-game keeper changers are permitted during normal substitution times only if the substitute keeper is on the sidelines, ready to go (pinnie on and gloves on if they are using gloves).  No keeper subs from field players are permitted due to the time consumed for that substitute player to get ready.  If the substitute keeper is not ready to go at the time of subbing, they will need to wait until the next sub period when they are ready.

 

8. Post game coaches should review the score card to confirm accuracy.  Once the score cards are posted they are final unless we can conclusively determine that an error occurred (conclusive in this context equates to both teams agreeing that there was an error as well as agreeing on what the outcome was, not just one team emphatically arguing that there is an error).

 

9. Check in from time to time at the main tent for standings and/or on the tournament website.   If it looks likely/possible that you will advance to the semifinals/finals stay near the tournament tent for instructions.  In the event that any tie breakers need to be determined we will be figuring that out at the tournament tent.

 

10. Remember sportsmanship and the 7-goal differential rule.  For tie breaker purposes we do not count anything more than a 4-goal differential when determining who advances on a tie breaker and if you win a game by a 8 goal differential or more, inquiries will be made and there is a strong chance that the game will be scored as a non-played game and you may not receive the 3 standing points for a win.  Any such decisions as to whether a team that exceeds the 7-goal differential is awarded the win or not is in the Tournament Director's sole discretion.  I strongly recommend that as a coach, you do not put your team in a position that the efforts of their win are not counted because you could not control scoring.  My personal recommendation is to start making adjustments when and if a goal differential of plus 4 is achieved so that you have wiggle room in case extra goals occur.  If you don't start to control the score until after you hit a plus 7 goal differential, you are doing so too late and you are not allowing any room for error.

 

11. Please remind your parents of the venue specific rules that we previously circulated, especially that (1) no pets are allowed at the facility, those with pets will be asked to leave the venue, (2) No large coolers or food set ups are permitted at the fields or in school tents.  Players can bring water bottles and small “six pack” sized coolers, but that is it, and (3) each school that has a tent needs to ensure that everything is cleaned up before you leave, failure to follow this could result in a cleanup fine of $100 being assessed as well as loss of tent privileges at future events, and (4) under no circumstances should anyone double park other vehicles in.  If you double park someone in, you will likely be towed and I will not be able to give you a ride home.

 

12. Remember, for the Developmental Tournament, players can only play on one team and if they are rostered or play for more than one team, those teams will be disqualified.  This rule does not apply to the all-girls tournament with the result that 4th grade girls can play for both a 4th grade or 3/4 grade team and a JV Girls team, and 5th and 6th grade girls can play for a JV Girls team and a Varsity Girls team.  If a school has two JV teams or two Varsity teams entered though, those girls may play for one JV team or Varsity team, as applicable, but not for both teams that are in the same age bracket.

 

Finally, if you have any questions, please reach out to me before next Friday.  I will be fairly busy on Friday setting up and running tournament related errands so I will likely not be able to get back to you that day.

 

That's it from me, apologies for the long email, but as they say, whenever you read a rule, there was a reason that it was created so it's better to get this info to you in advance and reduce any potential missteps.  I wish you all good luck and remember, don't judge the season on the success (or lack thereof) that you might experience on Saturday.  Only one team wins each grade bracket.  It is far better to make this a fun event for the kids and focus on individual goals for the players and teams.  That way if you win, that's just gravy, but even if you go 0-3 for the day, if the kids are getting better, accomplishing individual goals, and having fun with their friends, everyone comes away having a good time.

Final Numbers for Dev/All Girls Tournament

Good morning:
Registration is closed for the May 17th Tournament.  Below is what I have for registrations for each school.  Please take a look and let me know of any errors that may have occurred by the end of day today (Friday, May 2).  At this point, if you have registered a team, you are expected to attend, after the end of day today it will be too late for changes.  Thanks and let me know if you have any questions and I will follow up with each school's AD individually on rosters and registration fees.
SCHOOL NAME 1st   1st/2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd/4th 4th JV Girls Varsity Girls Total
Aquinas Academy 3 0 3 2 0 1 1 1 11
Archangel Gabriel  1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3
Ave Maria Academy 2 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 7
Blessed Seelos 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 6
Blessed Trinity Academy 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Butler Catholic 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Carlow 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Christ the Divine Teacher                  0
Divine Mercy Academy                  0
Eden Christian Academy                 0
Guardian Angel Academy 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 5
Holy Cross Academy 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 5
Holy Family 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Holy Sepulcher 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
Mary of Nazareth  0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 3
Mother of Mercy Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Northside Catholic Assumption                 0
Our Lady of Fatima 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
Providence Heights Alpha 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Sacred Heart 1 0 3 1 0 2 1 1 9
St. Bede 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 4
St. James 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
St. Kilian 3 0 3 1 0 3 1 1 12
St. Louise de Marillac                 0
St. Monica                 0
Sts. Peter and Paul  0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
South Hills Catholic Academy 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Regards,
Rob

DSL – Week 6

Good Afternoon, just a reminder that registration for the May 17th tournament closes tomorrow.  Once registration closes I will follow up with each school on details, but a few have asked if the registration fee will stay the same this season, yes, it will continue to be $125 per team, there is no increase.  
Below are the schools/teams that I have registered.  Please let me know if you intend to play at the tournament but your team is not listed below:  As a reminder, once registration closes tomorrow we are locked in.  Teams cannot withdraw.  If you want to add a team, reach out to me, the answer may be no, but if there is an easy way to accommodate before I have made the schedules, then we will try to do so.  Also please note, I do not have any registrations for Guardian Angel, Our Lady of Fatima, Mother of Mercy and South Hills Catholic.  If you would like to play in this spring's tournament please let me know by the end of  the day tomorrow.
SCHOOL NAME 1st   1st/2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd/4th 4th JV Girls Varsity Girls Total
Aquinas Academy 3 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 9
Archangel Gabriel  1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3
Ave Maria Academy 2 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 7
Blessed Seelos 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 6
Blessed Trinity Academy 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Butler Catholic 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Carlow 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Christ the Divine Teacher                  0
Divine Mercy Academy                  0
Eden Christian Academy                 0
Guardian Angel Academy                 0
Holy Cross Academy 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 5
Holy Family                 0
Holy Sepulcher 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
Mary of Nazareth  0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 3
Mother of Mercy Academy                 0
Northside Catholic Assumption                 0
Our Lady of Fatima                 0
Providence Heights Alpha 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Sacred Heart 1 0 3 1 0 2 1 2 10
St. Bede 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 4
St. James 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
St. Kilian 3 0 3 1 0 3   1 11
St. Louise de Marillac                 0
St. Monica                 0
Sts. Peter and Paul  0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
South Hills Catholic Academy                 0