Academy Participant Commitment and Responsibilities

Newton Academy expects full participation for fall, winter, and spring seasons.

Newton Girls Academy caters to players who are highly committed to making soccer a priority for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Positions in the Academy are limited and in high demand. Players selected for an Academy team are expected to recognize that the opportunity to play at this level is a privilege and requires the right attitude and dedication. We expect all members to be ethical and honest in fulfilling their responsibilities to their team, their coaches, and the club. Once a player joins, the club expects their full participation and support for the entire soccer season. By accepting a spot on an Academy team, participants are agreeing to honor the commitments outlined here from September 1, 2024 – June 15, 2025.

The Academy Season includes Fall, Winter and Spring Seasons. Participants agree to fully commit to team activities for the entire 10 months of the program:

• Attend at least 75% of scheduled team activities. Practices, games, and tournaments are mandatory and should only be missed for special circumstances.
• Communicate absences and tardiness in a timely manner.
• Be punctual and prepared for all team activities.
  • Arrival time before practice is 10 minutes. 
  • Arrival time before games is 45 minutes for 7v7 and 9v9 Teams, and 1 hour for 11v11 Teams. 
  • Players should use the bathroom prior to practice and should be prepared to train when they arrive, wearing the right uniform and weather-appropriate soccer attire, with hair tied back, jewelry removed, shoes tied, shin guards in place, an inflated ball at their feet, and adequate water to drink.

By committing to an Academy team, our players agree that they will not train or play games with another club.

As a policy, we discourage our players from participating in outside private club soccer or futsal training sessions, games, or events. In some instances, participation in nonconflicting events (such as the NEFC Regional Player Development clinic) may be allowed, but each family must seek permission from the player’s Academy coach BEFORE doing so. 

Per NECSL league regulations, players are permitted to play for only one Club in the league. No player may be registered on two NECSL Member Clubs at the same time.

Terminating this agreement early is disruptive and comes with penalties.

Newton Girls Academy is committed to long-term player development. While we strive to retain our players for many years, we understand that sometimes it may be in a player’s best interests to explore other opportunities. Our staff are open to discussing the various pathways for our participants to successfully play soccer in high school and beyond. That said, quitting the team in the middle of a season is extremely disruptive. If a player fails to meet their 3-season commitment by withdrawing to join another club before June 15, 2025 the following penalties will apply:

• The player (and parent coach or team manager, if applicable) must also withdraw from their NGS travel team for the remainder of the school year.  
• If on a payment plan, full payment must be made before release is given and there will be no refunds.
• Players will also be charged an early termination fee of $1500.
• Players leaving under these circumstances will not be invited back to the Academy, even if they express future interest.
• Players may be reassessed for participation on a travel team the following year, if they choose to return.
• A parent may reapply to be a travel team coach or team manager the following year.

These penalties do not apply to players who cannot fulfill their commitment due to injury, illness, a move, or similar unplanned situations.

Contribute to a Positive and Competitive Playing Environment

The Academy is a community of players striving towards a common goal, working together, encouraging, and building each other up along the way. Participants agree to embrace the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, and hard work.

• Bullying or ostracizing other players will not be tolerated.
• Show respect to coaches, teammates, opponents, and officials.
• Be willing to be coached. Give coaches and teammates full attention and effort for the entire practice or game.
• Be positive in fulfilling the role they are asked to perform for the team at any moment, even if that role has them not playing at all, coming off the bench, or playing a different position. 
• Use resources such as the Techne App. Players need touches on the ball as much as possible throughout the year in order to develop. 
• Remember that winning is not our only goal.
• Abide by our player code of conduct.

Earn Your Playing Time

Newton Girls Academy aims to give everyone equitable, meaningful playing time over the course of a season (approximately 50%), so all players are able to acquire game experience and the opportunity to develop. All healthy players will play in every game. However, playing time – especially for older players – is ultimately based on merit. Academy coaches are empowered to use their discretion to set playing time based on an individual’s overall commitment and performance on any given week. 

When planning the starting lineup and player rotations, Coaches may take into account the following factors:

• Attendance at practices and games – Does the player show up on time and ready to play every week? Barring an emergency situation, do they plan ahead for absences and communicate with their coach? Is the team a priority in their schedule?
• Effort and work ethic shown during practice and games – Is the player giving their maximum effort? Do they try their best to make adjustments based on coach feedback? Is the player chronically disruptive?
• Attitude shown during practice and games – Is the player focused and paying attention? Do they offer encouragement to their teammates? Do they show respect to their coach, teammates, opponents, and officials?
• Injury or illness – Is the player healthy enough to fully participate without risk?
• Specific situations arising in a match – Which lineup will be most effective against a particular opponent or game situation?

Coaches will set age-appropriate expectations around the factors impacting playing time at the start of each season. Playing time will not be discussed during practices or games. A player wishing to discuss playing time must arrange a meeting with their coach. The coach will provide direction as to what the player must do to earn more playing time.

Attend to Your Health

Nutrition, rest, and conditioning are essential to a player’s development, as is injury-prevention. Participants agree to:

• Be on the lookout for signs of overuse injuries and, if necessary, take appropriate steps such as rest, modification of activities, and seeking medical evaluation.
• Prioritize a rest day each week.
• Spending time at home stretching and rolling out sore muscles.
• Talk to your coach about any persistent pain or discomfort. We aim to strike a healthy balance for our young multi-talented athletes and actively address issues such as burnout and overuse injuries.

Alternate Player Responsibilities

Alternate players are training-only members of an Academy team and enjoy full access to three-seasons of professional training, scrimmages, supplemental skills sessions, and more.

• Alternate players are expected to fully commit to training with their team throughout the fall, winter, and spring as described above.
• During the fall and spring NECSL seasons, alternates are also invited to participate in any games that need additional players. Game time is not guaranteed.
• If a space opens on a team, alternate players are considered for the position first.
• Only fully rostered players are permitted to be on the sideline in uniform for league games. Alternate players are welcome to attend games and watch on the team sideline should they choose but it is not a requirement.

Parent Responsibilities

We appreciate the effort and sacrifice that parents make to facilitate a child’s participation in competitive sports. The most successful youth players have the support of their families to help them understand and fulfill their commitment to the Academy. Parents of participants are expected to 

• Stay on top of the team schedule.  Keep TeamSnap RSVP’s up to date and report absence or lateness in advance.
• Respond promptly to manager, coach, or organization requests. 
• Provide an email address and phone number that they will check regularly. 
• Help their child budget their time appropriately so that they may attend as many team activities as possible while also meeting the demands of school, family, or other activities.
• Be supportive, positive, and encouraging of the team and coach.
• Communicate and ask questions about their child, but also encourage their child to speak to their coach directly with questions or concerns at an appropriate time.
• Do not coach from the sidelines. 
• Abide by the NGS parent code of conduct.