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Jamestown Area Youth Soccer player and volunteer registration will be held at the Jamestown Cycle Shop, located at 10 Harrison St. on Saturday, March 13 and Saturday, March 20th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
It is important to note that JAYS registrations will only be accepted ats pecified times and dates. An online option is available at clubs.bluesombrero.com/jays.
JAYS is a recreational soccer program designed to promote skill development, physical fitness and spirited team play without emphasizing team records or personal statistics. The JAYS slogan is "Our Philosophy, Our Purpose, Our Goal … Fun." There are no minimum skill or playing experience guidelines, tryouts or roster cuts. Every player, regardless of experience, skill level or game situation is guaranteed a minimum of half-game playing time and opportunities to play all field positions.
Teams are formed based strictly on player dates of birth, taking playing experience into consideration as much as possible within the age group. Requests for team placement with particular coaches, friends, etc. are strongly discouraged, as absolutely no guarantees can be given in advance as to team placement, other than siblings within the same division and players whose parent or other relative is a volunteer coach in that same division.
The program will format age groups based on numbers after registration is complete. Due to small numbers, things will likely be different from prior years. COVID mandates and guidelines will be followed. All procedures will be explained and in place when the season begins. All equipment will be disinfected and mask wearing will be required when not on the field. Health screenings will be done. If updates are made to the requirements we will update our procedures.
Proof of date of birth is required for all players who did not participate in the JAYS program last summer. Registrations will not be accepted if the required proof of date of birth is not presented or on file from last summer. The player registration fee for 2021 is $50 per player, which includes alllocal JAYS and nationa lUSYSA fees and required insurance. The family maximum is set at $125, which would apply to any families with three or more players. There are some additional fees when using online registration. There will be no additional fund-raising required of the players or families in addition to the registration fee.
No registrations will be accepted unless accompanied by full payment, proof of date of birth, and a complete form with parent or legal guardian signature. Due to the previous difficulty in collecting the required information and fees, no forms will be accepted "on hold" or incomplete. Families experiencing legitimate financial hardship are encouraged toapply for a partial registration fee scholarship by submitting a request by email to jaysrec1980@gmail.com or by mail to Jamestown Area Youth Soccer, P.O. Box 922, Jamestown NY 14702-0922. Scholarship requests must include the number of family members, names and ages of the children to be registered in JAYS, parent employment status and a brief description of the financial circumstances. Scholarship funds are limited, and requests will be considered based on need and in the order received. It should also be understood that it may not be possible to grant repeat scholarship requests from prior years.
Player uniforms are supplied through the team sponsorship program. Players in all divisions are required to wear shin guards and appropriate sneakers or soccer shoes. Practicesbegin in June with games beginning in late June and running through mid-August, with a total combination of practices and games not to exceed three per week.
There is a critical need for additional volunteers to serve as coaches, assistants, team helpers, committee members and special project workers. All JAYS volunteers are required to sign a background check release and will be issued a photo ID by the New York State West Youth Soccer Association. League orientation sessions are mandatory for those interested in serving as coaches, assistants or other volunteers in the JAYS program. Those interested in volunteering should speak to someone at registration or send an email to jaysrec1980@gmail.com.
Sponsors are also needed for the program. Team and age-group sponsors receive their company or organization logo printed on the team uniforms. Sponsors are publicized with game results in the local media and receive a photo plaque at the end of the season. The sponsorship fee is $300, with a $50 early-bird discount offered if a commitment is received by April 15 and full payment of $250 is received by May 15. Information will be available at registration.
For more information on the JAYS program, send an email to jaysrec1980@gmail.com or visit Facebook. It should be noted that JAYS has no office or paid staff, so all responses will be processed by a JAYS volunteer within 24 hours whenever possible.