Travel Tips

AYSO WELCOMES YOU TO PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, JULY 5-10, 2016

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7 Tips to Prepare

Taking place in sunny West Palm Beach, Fla., July 5-10, the Games will feature Core and VIP teams from around the country. Here are seven tips to help you make the most out of your National Games experience:

1. Don’t forget team about Coach Check-in – Coach check-in will be Tuesday, July 5. Exact times are to be announced. There will be no Opening Ceremonies at National Games 2016.

2. Give each one of the parents a job to do – You’ll likely be traveling with several parents of the players on your team. Remember, many hands make light work and it builds team spirit. It also would be a good idea to bring a team referee or two and have them referee some games while the team isn’t playing.

3. Read the rules – That way, you’ll know what’s expected of you during the Games. Even if you’ve been to the National Games before, re-reading the Governing Rules can be a great refresher.

4. Become a pin collector – Make sure to bring enough pins, patches and flip coins for exchanging and trading between games. It’s a fun contest to see who can collect the most unusual pin or coin from a Region that’s furthest away.

5. Bring your banner – Be sure to bring along your banner so you can represent your team!

6. Get ready for activities – The fun doesn’t stop with soccer, there’s a lot of fun to be had at the Games outside of the soccer fields. Soccerfest, the youth and volunteer events, awards ceremonies and more. Highlight events on the schedule that you’ll want to attend and plan your National Games experience around those times.

7. Help out VIP – Everyone who volunteers for the National Games VIP activities says it’s a very rewarding experience!

Chaperone Guidelines

When chaperoning, the minimum requirement for the adult to youth ratio is one adult for a maximum of eight players, and two adults at all times with at least one being of the same gender as the team members.

The AYSO player registration form should serve as sufficient emergency treatment authorization. We recommend forms have a wet signature even if eSign was used.

When it comes to travel arrangements, AYSO defers to the parents. For example, if the parents of one player can't attend, they can make arrangements with a parent of their choosing and comfort level to chaperone their child. It should be clear that the parent assuming a chaperone role agrees to provide appropriate supervision. We ask that AYSO officials leave these arrangements to parents and that they not be assigned by the team. Team officials should be informed of the chaperone/travel arrangements agreed to by the parents.

Parents also have options for room arrangements. For example, the parents of a child can agree that the player and chaperone will share one room together (with double beds) or two rooms depending on their age, appropriateness, comfort level, etc. The supervising adults should ensure that the room is near other adults and that appropriate precautions are taken (locking out adult programming on TV, enforcing curfews, etc.)

Other general guidelines for travel and hotel stays include:

No adult should ever be alone in a hotel room with minors except with their own children (or children that parents assigned to be supervised by that individual)
Adults should meet with minors in hotel common areas
Any trainer or first aid tasks should be conducted at the field, not in a hotel room
Minors must never be allowed to drive while on an AYSO trip (even if licensed)
15-passenger vans must not be rented for AYSO travel. Whenever renting a vehicle, always take the additional coverage.
Any adult who drives players, should check with their personal auto insurance carrier to ensure that they have adequate liability coverage.

What To Pack

If you’re attending the National Games, you may have already mapped out your destinations and created an itinerary of where to go in your free time, but making sure everything you need is packed is also important.

To help you out, we put together a list 11 things you don’t want to forget to pack:

1. An extra pair of shin guards– You never know when a second pair can be the game saver.
2. An extra jersey– If your child has an extra jersey, you may want to bring it along to give away to new friends at SoccerFest. National Games is infamous for being the start of lifelong friendships.
3. Sense of adventure– The youth event is at the exciting Rapids Water Park! With a wave pool, 35 water slides and a quarter mile lazy river—your kids will have plenty of chances to be adventurous and have a good time!
4. Comfortable shoes– With landmarks like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios within driving distance, you’ll have a lot of great places to visit while you’re in town. Bring a pair of comfy walking shoes for your Florida tourist days. For more cool places to visit, click here.
5. Bathing suit/beach towel- In Florida, every summer day is a beach day. The beach is about 20 minutes away from the soccer fields. Enjoy the sunshine and an array of beach front shopping.
6. A quick snack– A healthy snack can jump start your day or rescue your soccer players from an afternoon slump. Try Dole Fruit Squish’ems for a delicious snack that you can enjoy anywhere.
7. Sunscreen– Don’t forget your sunscreen–it’s HOT in Florida during the summer. Make sure to keep it with you and reapply often!
8. A camera– Of course! You’re going to want to capture all of the precious moments from the National Games. Be sure to share your photos with AYSO on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
9. An extra phone charger-You’ll want to make sure your phone is charged to save all the phone numbers of new friends you’ll make at the Games. If you have an extra one, you can keep one in the hotel room and the other with you in case your battery starts to die in the middle of a busy day.
10. Air Freshener– When you get back to the hotel room and your soccer players take their gear off, things might start to smell interesting. Bring a bottle of fabric freshener to get through the National Games.
11. AYSO pins and/or coins – National Games isn’t only a week of soccer, it’s a week of meeting new people and making friends. Be sure to bring pins and coins for trading with your fellow AYSO players, parents and volunteers–it’s a great AYSO tradition and the perfect way to remember your National Games friends.

4 Travel Tips

With the National Games on the horizon, we know you’re busy making all the necessary arrangements to make sure your trip is a smooth one. To help you out, we’ve put together four tips to make your traveling experience as stress-free as possible.

1. Make reservations for dinner – If you’re looking to have a team dinner, be sure to call in advance to make a reservation. You’ll be competing with hundreds of other teams for reservations on site, so calling ahead can save you from waiting for a table for an hour.
2. Call your bank and credit card companies in advance – With fraud on the rise, a lot of banks and credit card companies may put a hold on your card when they see an out of town purchase has been made. To avoid the hassle, call them before you travel to give them a heads up of your vacation plans.
3. Reserve a rental car – There’s nothing worse than realizing that you may be stranded once you land at your destination. Book a rental car at the same time as your flight to ensure that a car that suits your needs is available. This will help you save time to get to the beach sooner!
4. Make an itinerary – With all the cool things Florida has to offer for you and your family, it can help to make a detailed itinerary of the things you want to do while you’re in town. Time flies at the National Games, so make sure you prioritize your list.

Things To Do in Florida

Florida isn’t just beaches, Disney World and Universal Studios. From the Everglades to historic St. Augustine, Florida has much more to offer than its world famous attractions.

Here are six places that are a must see for anyone visiting Florida:

1. Visit Lion Country Safari African Adventure: Florida’s only drive-through safari park invites you to spend the day on safari with over 900 animals. With animal displays and encounters, animal feeding experiences, six rides, a water sprayground, food, shopping and more, you’re sure to have a memorable experience.
2. The Space Coast: With most of the U.S. shuttles being launched from Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral, this area is called the Space Coast by most Floridians. While there, the whole family can enjoy the Kennedy Space Center and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
3. Key West: One of the oldest cities in Florida and the southernmost point in the continental U.S., Key West was made famous by American writer, Ernest Hemmingway, who made Duval Street and its many bars famous. From snorkeling to parasailing, there’s something to do for everyone. Just don’t forget to jump the Conch Tour Train for a 90-minute tour of historical Key West.
4. St. Augustine: The U.S.’s oldest continuously occupied colony, St. Augustine is best known for the Fountain of Youth, which Spanish explorer Ponce De Leon found in the 1500s. The Ghost Tours, Flagler College and the Castillo de San Marcos will add a little history to your trip.
5. Everglades National Park: The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. and is the third largest park in the 48 contiguous states. Visitors to the Everglades can go camping, boating and hiking. One of the most popular things to do in the Everglades is to take an airboat tour through the park and if you’re lucky—you’ll spot lazy crocodiles and turtles sunbathing in the hot Florida weather.
6. Orlando: When you hear Orlando, what do you think? Disney World, right? Orlando is more than Disney with its multi-facets such as Epcot, MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach. While in Orlando, you can also visit Sea World, Universal Studios, Island of Adventures, the list goes on! If you can’t find something to do in Orlando, you just aren’t looking.