WSA_Youth and Family Master Plan Phase I - September 2009

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Be a role model 76 62 Bea ositive adult 97 79 Role of soccer in the family The responses given by the participants in the survey indicated that approximately 80% of Santa Ana soccer players practice 2-3 times per week. About 14% of the parents stated that their child practiced once per week, and 7% stated that theirchild did not attend practices ortraining sessions. None of the respondents indicated that their child participated in more than three practices per week. Table 17. Intensity of soccer practice per week Practices Per Week # responses (out of 123) °/® responded 0 8 7 1 17 14 2-3 98 80 3+ 0 0 When asked about the age that children should begin playing soccer, about 62% of parents responded: between 4-6 years old. Twenty-seven percent of parents believed that the appropriate age to begin playing soccer was when the child wants to play and is ready. Significantly smaller percentages of participants believed that their child should begin playing soccer before the age of 4 (5%), between 7-8 years (4%), and after the age of 9 (2%). According to the responses given by the participants in the survey, 92% of the parents attended their children's soccer games on a regular basis, while only 8% were unable to attend regularly. Interpretation of soccer assessment The data above from the interviews, field use analysis and soccer parent survey highlight the need to focus attention on two particular issues: soccer program quality and coordination of services. Quality Youth soccer leagues in Santa Ana each have different characteristics; some leagues are more competitive than others, some rely on volunteer coaches, some work more closely in partnership with the city, others offer scholarships. The analysis of leagues found that fees vary greatly across leagues; there is no standard for cost correlated to quality. In particular, in terms of coaching, a strong potential to increase both the consistency and quality of coaching is evident. As the data demonstrates, some coaches undergo background checks and others do not while some coaches undergo training and others do not. Overall, the families surveyed felt that coaches should be positive role models for their youth; however, there is no current standard practice for doing so. There is a need to regularize the coaching and background checks of the coaches that work so closely with so many of the city's youth to ensure that quality is more consistent throughout programs. Furthermore, the fact that although most leagues claimed to provide scholarships to families in need (19 of 21) yet most parents interviewed were unaware of such opportunities (15% were aware) demonstrated a clear division in priorities between the leagues and parents. There is room for league priorities to converge with the priorities and goals of families who enroll their youth in soccer programs.