Santa Monica United Soccer Club

SMUFC: OUR MISSION

Santa Monica United Football Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to youth soccer. We promote a healthy lifestyle for young athletes in a competitive environment. We encourage our athletes to pursue the same level of excellence in academics and all of their other endeavors.

We teach our young athletes about character, sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork and competitiveness. We teach them about winning with humility and losing with dignity.

At SMU FC we embrace the fact that we live in a city that is culturally and racially diverse and we want our club to reflect this diversity. We expect our club to be made up of young athletes from all socioeconomic sectors of our society. Our reach extends from Santa Monica to other areas of the city of Los Angeles where we work with various youth organizations to find young boys and girls who embrace the game of soccer who do not have the means to participate in a professionally run soccer club without some assistance.

Our club uses its non-profit tax-exempt status to raise funds to enable participation across all levels of our society and to provide an environment of soccer excellence to all of our members. All of our coaches are professionals with credentials from the United States Soccer Federation. The club is run by a board of volunteers along with considerable help from the parents of our athletes.

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SMU CLUB OVERVIEW

Santa Monica United football club is run by a Board of Directors consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Registrar, Treasurer and other board members consisting of a representative from each of the member teams (usually the team administrator). These positions are elected positions, with nominations accepted through June and the election taking place at the Annual General Meeting in July. The SMU board meets the second Tuesday of every month and the meetings are open to all members of Santa Monica United SC.

The Club is also an independent league of registration (SM/WSL - Santa Monica Westside Soccer League) and has all its teams competing in Coast Soccer League (CSL), the most competitive and prestigious youth soccer leagues in Southern California.

CSL is the league of competition and is affiliated with CYSA-South, the governing body for all club soccer players, and other matters. CYSA-South is an affiliate of the USSF.

TEAMS

All of the Club's teams are "select" - meaning that players must tryout to make the team in their age bracket. A player's commitment to their team - and vice versa - is for an entire season through the end of State Cup, although a player may request to be released or transferred to another team with the full consent of the parents, player, and head coach.

Most teams will run tryouts soon after State Cup tournament has concluded. Teams may or may not require all their players to tryout at the end of every season. Please check with your team manager.

PLAYERS

The Club presently consists of teams for boys and girls ages 8-18 from the Santa Monica/ Westside/South Bay/San Fernando Valley communities. All exhibit better than average skills and athletic ability and possess a desire to improve their game through a higher level of training and competition. Most currently participate in school teams and many alumni have taken their soccer careers to the collegiate ranks, and some on to semi-pro and national teams.

Club soccer is, by nature, a competitive environment requiring a tremendous time and financial commitment, and finding quality players is always our priority. We do everything we can at the club level to scout and identify the type of player that SMU requires to form teams that can compete at the highest possible level. But as we cannot get to everyone, we often require the help of our families in this endeavor. Therefore, if you know of a player who wants to take their game to the next level, contact the team manager and/or head coach, so that they may invite that player to tryout/train with the team to see if there is a "good fit."

PROFESSIONAL COACHING

All our teams are all trained by nationally licensed professional coaches and certified trainers approved by the Club. Most of our head coaches also coach high school teams in the LA area and/or are "career" coaches. Parents do not coach their own children at SMU.

PARENTS

Parents are expected to actively support their child's participation as members of SMU through positive reinforcement. This support also includes taking an active role in Club/Team related activities, team management, and coordination of efforts as requested by the Team Coach or Club Officers. Parental involvement at SMU is on a volunteer (i.e., unpaid) basis.

COST

The financial commitment varies from team to team and on the number of players on each team but on average, the monthly tuition fees per player are between $120-$140. Most teams ask that you pay quarterly and in advance, while others require that you pay monthly. The tuition fees cover the following expenses:

1 Coaching salaries - Head coach, assistant coach, & goalkeeper coach.

2 Fall league referee fees (3 referees, 14 games)

3 Six to eight tournaments per year

4 League Cup & State Cup

5 League Cup & State Cup referee fees

6 CSL fall team application fee

7 Medical kit and supplies

8 Miscellaneous administrative expenses

There are additional startup fees for new players:

1 Uniform fee: $200

2 Team registration fee: $40

In addition to the above, there is an annual club membership/player registration fee, currently set at $100.

There are some limited opportunities for need-based financial aid.

THE CLUB SOCCER SEASON

PRACTICE

Teams practice twice per week for 1 1/2-2 hours each mandatory session depending on the age bracket. Some coaches may require their teams to train a third night, but that's usually at the older age groups and is quite often on an optional basis. Players are expected to attend all practices, games, and any other team events.

PRESEASON ... AUGUST

Preseason training at SMU begins around August 1st. The entire club usually returns to preseason training at our mandatory "SMU Conditioning Camp." This is a week-long training camp for all new and returning SMU teams. In addition, teams will usually also go to at least one - and often two - tournaments in preseason to prepare for fall League.

FALL LEAGUE & LEAGUE CUP ... SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

The Fall League Season begins in September, the weekend after Labor Day, and continues through October and November and into December for some teams. The length of the season depends on how many teams are in your bracket. Within the regular fall league season there is League Cup - a tournament that is usually one to two weekends long. Depending on the age group, League Cup may immediately follow seasonal play or be delayed by several weeks.

STATE CUP ... FEBRUARY or APRIL

In the new year, teams return after the winter break to prepare for State Cup. For younger teams (U9-U13) State Cup begins in February and is held over several successive weekends. Format for State Cup is a round of "Pool Play" followed by (if a team advances) by single elimination rounds. The younger State Cup is finished by the end of February. Following State Cup, teams begin the spring/summer tournament season which runs through, usually, the end of May/early June.

For older teams (U14-U19), State Cup begins begins in March/April because all high school players stop playing club soccer during their high school season (November-March). This is a CIF mandate.

INSURANCE

The Club's governing body (CYSA-S) provides only secondary coverage. Players must provide proof of primary coverage to become members of SMU. Secondary coverage is effective immediately once a player and his/her parents submit the necessary Player Registration Form and the required Club fees.