Author: Bob Mueser
DSL – Season Wrap Up Email
- 7's JV – It was Blessed Seelos over St. James in the championship match, 6-5
- MLS JV – It was St. Kilian White over AMA, 4-1
- Premier JV – It was St. Kilian Green over Guardian Angel, 3-1
- 7's Varsity – It was Divine Mercy over St. James, 4-3
- MLS Varsity – It was Ave Maria over St. Louise 3-2, in a match that went all the way to penalty kicks
- Premier Varsity – It was St. Kilian Green over Archangel Gabriel, 2-1 off of a last second goal
- Our league fees have been static since at least 2012 (and probably longer) when I became involved with the league
(other than a dollar per dollar fee increase for the JV/Varsity championship series to increase the referees on the field from 2 to 3). Since that time our costs have not remained static, and recent inflationary pressure has made things only worse. - Since I took over the league in 2020, I have kept my focus on bettering player experience including (1) increasing the brackets at the JV/Varsity size to both make play more competitive and increase trophies/medals presented to players by 50% to 100% depending on the season, (2) increasing the fields used for the developmental tournament from 1 field to 2 fields and utilizing fields that have lighting so we no longer have to turn schools away for the developmental tournament, (3) responding to coaches request to make 3rd and 4th grade tournament play 7v7 on a larger field to more closely match regular season conditions (but also resulting in fewer playing fields overall in the same space, and accordingly, larger rental costs), and (4) switching from grass fields to turf fields at the developmental level to give the kids a better, safer, and more consistent playing experience (one of the best changes made in my opinion as weather is largely eliminated from the playability equation, but it comes at a substantially increased rental cost). All of these changes have been for the better, but all were changes that add to the cost.
- These changes have also resulted in some growth to our league, but growth also comes with problems. Our league participants are not doing a great job at following the rules that our venues have asked us to adhere to. At the developmental tournament we still had some parking issues, still had some issues with people bringing pets and food into the venue, issues with garbage not being disposed of properly, and still had issues with people setting up tents in areas where they were not permitted. Some of these same issues occured at Seton LaSalle as well. I've tried my best to manage them, but frankly there are alot more offenders than there are of me and it isn't possible to keep up with policing everything and run the tournaments. Accordingly the vendors have let me know that our rental rates are increasing to build in the costs of hiring staff to oversee this policing since we have done a poor job of doing that ourselves over these last three seasons. I'm sorry, this is a cost that I really wanted to avoid and I tried, but our organization will have to bear this cost going forward if we want to keep having these types of events.
- While it isn't happening in the Spring, we know that the referee rates will increase next Fall so I need to plan for that as well as the post season referees is a cost that the league covers.
DSL – Dev Tournament Results and this Weekend’s Championship Matches
2022 Fall DSL Championship Series | ||||
Saturday November 5, 2022@ Seton LaSalle High School (8:00 am-10:00 pm) | ||||
Time | Home | Away | ||
8:00am | Divine Mercy V | Blessed Seelos V | ||
9:15am | St. James V | Holy Sepulcher V | ||
10:30am | Holy Sepulcher JV | Blessed Seelos JV | ||
11:45pm | St. Louise JV | Ave Maria JV | ||
1:00pm | Sacred Heart JV | Guardian Angel JV Black | ||
2:15pm | St. Bede JV | St. Kilian JV White | ||
3:30pm | St. Kilian JV Green | Aquinas JV | ||
4:45pm | Ave Maria V | St. Kilian V White | ||
6:00pm | St. Kilian V Green | Guardian Angel V | ||
7:15pm | St. Louise V | Mary of Nazareth V | ||
8:30pm | Aquinas V | Archangel Gabriel V | ||
Sunday November 6, 2022@ Seton LaSalle High School (1:00 pm-8:30 pm) | ||||
Time | Home | Away | ||
1:00pm* | St. James JV | Winner of JV 7's Play in Match | ||
2:15pm* | Highest Seeded Winner of Var 7's Play in Match | Lowest Seeded Winner of Var 7's Play in Match | ||
3:30pm* | Highest Seeded Winner of JV MLS Play in Match | Lowest Seeded Winner of JV MLS Play in Match | ||
4:45pm* | Highest Seeded Winner of JV Premier Play in Match | Lowest Seeded Winner of JV Premier Play in Match | ||
6:00pm* | Highest Seeded Winner of Var MLS Play in Match | Lowest Seeded Winner of Var MLS Play in Match | ||
7:15pm* | Highest Seeded Winner of Var Premier Play in Match | Lowest Seeded Winner of Var Premier Play in Match | ||
* Denotes Championship Game | ||||
- 1st Grade – Ave Maria Royals over St. Kilian Celtics (Celtics)
- 1/2 Grade – Guardian Angel Warriors over St. Peters & Paul Pacers
- 2nd Grade – St. Kilian Celtics (Green) over Sacred Heart Crusaders (Red)
- 3rd Grade – Sacred Heart Crusaders (Red) over Ave Maria Royals
- 3/4 Grade – St. James Cougars over Guardian Angel Warriors (Black)
- 4th Grade – Aquinas Crusaders (Navy) over Aquinas Crusaders (Gray)
- JV Girls – St. Kilians Celtics over Sacred Heart Crusaders
- Var Girls – Sts. Peter & Paul Pacers over Aquinas Crusaders
- Set Up Crew – Rory Garr, Tim Baird, Jim Licthenwalter, Jeremy Lichtenwalter, Jen Mondi, Joe Piccirilli, Walt Drescher
- Tear Down Crew – Jeff Laubenthal, Jim Lichtenwalter, Matt DiPlacido, Mike Cingolani
- Field Marshals and Event Staff – : Aidan Glentzer, Evan Laubenthal, Ryan Mueser, Logan Mueser, Andrew Baird, Jeremy Lichtenwalter, Declan Hibbard, Kellar Hibbard, Zach Cingolani, Luke DiPlacido, Anthony Piccirilli, Rocco Piccirilli
- Ref Coordinator – Chuck Pruss
- Web Creator and Tent Manager – Bob Mueser
DSL – Week 9 email
DSL Developmental and All Girls Tournament Email
All:
Next Saturday, October 29, will be the day of the Developmental and All Girls JV/V Soccer Tournament. The Tournament location is at the No Offseason 904 Little Deer Creek Valley Rd, Russellton, PA 15076. I have attached a few things that should make your day go more smoothly if you are participating in this year's tournament. They are as follows:
1. Tournament Spreadsheet. The Games, Bracket and Points, Game Times Sorted by School, and Field Layout Tabs will be most helpful to you. Note that in the Layout tab this spreadsheet is not to scale for any of the fields, but the general location will be accurate. With respect to coaches names, absent anything sent to me to the contrary, I went with coaches from the regular season. If there needs to be any corrections there, let me know by end of day Sunday as I will be going to the printer on Monday morning and then things are set in stone.
Also, with respect to the schedule please note that while we generally have each developmental team play three play-in games and then determine playoffs from there, whenever a grade level has an odd amount of teams in it I randomly select one team to play a fourth game. This fourth game does not count for standings for the team that already has played three games, but it does count for standings for the team that needs to get their third game in. This year the following teams were selected to play a fourth game: First Grade – Sacred Heart Black, First/Second Grade – BC Saints Black, Third Grade – St. Kilian Green, Fourth Grade – Blessed Seelos. Give me a call with any questions.
And be sure to familiarize yourself with the Field Layout tab, things will move very, very quickly on Saturday. You won't have time to wander, so make sure you know where you should be and be there early.
Finally I'd ask each team to email me back your game times and field locations. I know it seems like a simple thing, but it goes a long way to making sure that I know that you've read the schedule right and where you need to be and it will help stave off any issues the day of the games. A quick email has the potential to save you a lot of confusions the day of.
2. Tournament Rules – A lot of time has gone into the preparation of this tournament. We do insist on having each coach read these rules and we ask that you share them with your families as well. Most of all issues that arise during the tournament can usually be attributable to someone not knowing the rules. Take a couple of minutes to familiarize yourselves with them, it will make Saturday go much more smoothly for all of us. Some of the common ones that have caused confusion in the past are: (i) Offside – remember is that offside calls will be made at all age groups (though at the first and second grade levels the referees have the discretion to only call major violations (i.e., cherry picking), (ii) Punts – No punts from the keeper at all levels, and (iii) Indirect Kicks – at the developmental level no direct or penalty kicks are awarded, all infractions that normally would result in direct or penalty kicks are instead indirect kicks.
3. Form of Team Roster – Please bring this and the registration fee to the DSL Tent for each team prior to the start of your first game. Schools can have one person drop off all fees and registrations, but each team should still check in with the tent so that we know you are here.
Also, please note the following:
Registration Fee. Tournament Registration fees are $100. Unless alternative arrangements have been made with me prior to the event, payments should be made in cash prior to the start of your fist game so we can use those funds to offset game day expenses (I won’t have time to go and cash checks during the tournament). I can provide receipts upon request.
Arrival. Remember to arrive at the fields at least 30 minutes prior to your first game to allow adequate time for parking, registration, and organizing your team. If you are late to the field for your pending game time you will most likely forfeit that much. We are organizing and coordinating around 116 games throughout the day. Our schedule won’t allow for reschedules so if you are not there on time, we won’t be able to wait.
Parking. We have rearranged the tournament flow and fields a bit to try to eliminate the parking issues we had last fall. When parking in no event should you block someone in, you may find your vehicle towed if you do. If by chance there isn't a parking space readily available, drop off your player and wait for a spot to open before parking, we have teams rolling in and out all day. I know it can be frustrating, but not nearly as frustrating for the other person who is now boxed in.
Tents and Food. The venue will permit schools to set up team tents in the orange shaded area that surrounds the fields (but that is not adjacent to the main walkway). Tent space is limited, is on a first come basis, and they should not be set up on the turf. All tents must be anchored down with weights – stakes won't work in stone areas around the fields. The venue is not allowing outside food or beverage and is asking attendees to use the concessions that are on site. Personal items such as water bottles and snacks that can fit in a six pack cooler is permitted, but they are no longer permitting tailgating in the tents so items such as pizzas and other food spreads are not allowed. If we do not adhere to this rule we will no longer be allowed to have schools bring tents to the event and we could lose the field as a tournament option.
Other Venue Rules are as follows:
• No coolers larger than a 6-pack cooler are permitted
• No grills or propane heaters are permitted
• No pets are permitted
• No sunflower seeds or peanuts are permitted
• No alcohol or tobacco are permitted
• No outside food is permitted at the venue
• Loudspeakers and radios are prohibited
• No double parking vehicles in the parking lot
One final note — A lot of time has been put into this day, and while we keep score and hand out trophies, the real purpose of the day is to get the kids together and end their season in a fun tournament atmosphere. Keep it fun and light with the kids, if they lose a game, shake it off and focus on the next one, or even better yet, instead of focusing on winning and losing, focus on player development. Set goals for your players and have fun watching them get there. If they want to color their hair or paint their faces the team colors have fun with it. That's it, let me know if you have any questions and I'm looking forward to a great event. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Regards,
Rob Glentzer
Final Reminder
DSL – Week 7 Email
SCHOOL NAME | 1st | 1st/2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd/4th | 4th | JV Girls | Varsity Girls | Total |
Aquinas Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Archangel Gabriel | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Ave Maria Academy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Blessed Seelos | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Blessed Trinity Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Butler Catholic | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Carlow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Christ the Divine Teacher | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Divine Mercy Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eden Christian Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Guardian Angel Academy | |||||||||
Holy Cross Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Holy Sepulcher | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Mary of Nazareth | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Mother of Mercy Academy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Northside Catholic Assumption | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Our Lady of Fatima | |||||||||
Providence Heights Alpha | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Sacred Heart | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
St. Bede | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
St. James | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
St. Kilian | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
St. Louise de Marillac | |||||||||
St. Monica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sts. Peter and Paul | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Southhills Catholic Academy |
Week 5 – DSL Email
Fwd: DSL Week 3 email