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May, 2018

Silent Saturday 5/5/18

Good Afternoon AYSO Region 870,

Saturday May 5th is Silent Saturday! What does this mean? How can you participate?

Parents and Spectators: We request that you make no verbal comments about the game or direct any comments to the players or referees (or coaches) on or off the field. Clapping is allowed! Be creative in how you choose to cheer your child’s team – make signs to hold up or bring a rally towel in the team’s color and wave it wildly! There are lots of ways to cheer other than verbally, but please no noise makers and especially no whistles, or compressed air horns.

• Clap
• Use a rally towel
• Wave a sign
• Talk amongst the other spectators

While the vast majority of adult verbal participation is intended to be positive and constructive, the fact of the matter is that games can (and have in the past) become so loud that the players often have difficulty hearing each other on the field. Taking one week off from any verbal interference may help adults gain perspective on just how loud they've been in the past. You will all be amazed at how quiet the field will become.

The name “Silent Saturday” refers to instruction or comments towards the players on the field. Continue to clap for your team and talk on the sidelines to other parents. We just don’t want parents yelling out to the kids on the field or to the referees and coaches. The goal is to let the kids play and have fun and to show the parents that the kids can play well on their own with limited instruction!

Coaches: It is recommended that you do not provide any direction – verbal or non-verbal – to payers who are on the field. You may speak quietly to any players on the bench and have a conversational discussion about the game with the players before and after the game, as well as during halftime. If absolutely required, rarely and quietly call a player on the field to the touchline to provide tactical instruction while the game is in play (just like you are allowed to do during a normal game). Then let the player convey the message to his team.

• Talk/educate to the kids on the bench
• Discuss the game during quarter and half time breaks
• Have on player convey a message to the rest of the team
• Let the kids self-manage and have fun

For addition details and information, please visit our website: http://www.albanyayso.org/silent-saturday

Thank You,
AYSO Region 870