MAPS 2012 SPRING CHALLENGE  [for Boys]

 

DOUGHBOY LOOP, JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST NJ

REED SOD FARM, IMLAYSTOWN NJ

MARCH 17-18, 2012

 

Greetings, Coaches & Managers:

 

A)  SCHEDULE OF GAMES

The schedule of games for the MAPS 2012 Spring Challenge will be posted on the MAPS website. We are using GotSport.com for posting schedules, and results will be relayed to GotSoccer.com immediately upon the conclusion of the event. The schedules will be available in a printable form for each bracket of competition as soon as the schedule is completed.

 

All schedules are accessible from the Challenge Homepage located at

http://www.socceragency.net/maps/2012/1203_challenge/homepage.htm

 

Please check and confirm the dates, times and fields of your games as soon as they are posted. After Monday March 12 teams will be notified by direct email if they are involved in a material change. Team Contacts (as provided on your application) are responsible for checking their emails on a regular basis, especially the last week before the event, to ensure that no last minute communications are ignored.

 

B)  LODGING

If you require lodging, contact Titan Lodging Travel Coordinator Alan at alan@titanlodging.com. Teams staying overnight while participating are required to book lodging through Titan Lodging.

 

Titan Lodging has reserved rooms with various convenient hotels at attractive rates throughout the year, to ensure that there is adequate lodging for all MAPS & MSSL events. If we fail to utilize these rooms, they will be released and unavailable to teams at other events, including many during periods of the year when accommodations can be scarce. Hence, we appreciate your cooperation with this policy.

 

C)  REGISTRATION

We will have Registration at the fields at the Headquarters pavilion or tent. A team representative must arrive to register an hour before your first game.

 

All teams must have:

 

A photocopy of their official Team Roster they can leave with Registration officials. Pencil in any Guest players being used.

 

Player Passes for all participating players, rostered and guest.

 

Authorizations for Medical Treatment, more commonly referred to as Medical Releases, for all participating players. The ones executed when the player was first registered with the team for the season are usually adequate. Remember, these documents are critical to ensure that a player can be admitted to an ambulance, clinic or hospital for treatment, especially in the absence of a parent or legal guardian in attendance. These documents have to show original signatures, and be signed within the last twelve months. (And preferably be notarized, as we have heard of clinics that questioned how they could confirm that the signature actually was that of a parent or legal guardian.)

 

Permissions To Travel for those out-of-state teams using USYS passes from state associations that still require a Permission To Travel.

 

Remember: All players on your team must have player passes from the SAME governing body, whether USYS or US Club or AYSO, etc.

 

D)  RULES OF PLAY & REGULATIONS

Rules of Play can be accessed from the Tournament Homepage or directly at:

http://www.socceragency.net/maps/INFO_tournament_rules.htm

 

All team coaches, managers, players and supporters are required to abide by these Rules & Regulations, covering both competition and conduct on premises. Coaches and Managers are responsible for distributing this information to their teams.

 

In particular, note the summary page at the end that covers procedures on scoring, playoffs, tiebreakers, foul weather, etc.

 

E)  AWARDS

Medals are awarded for both First Place (Champions) and Second Place (Finalists) at the Spring Challenge in all age groups from U9 through U19.

 

Please make sure to stop by the Headquarters pavilion to receive your awards..

 

F)  TRAVEL DIRECTIONS

Travel directions to the fields can be accessed from the Tournament Homepage. There should also be a field layout map posted for each venue. Make sure you note the venue at which each of your games is located.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR TEAMS PLAYING AT JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST (JBMDL): Do NOT rely on GPS SYSTEMS indiscriminately to get to Fort Dix, you will almost always be directed to the wrong gate. Carefully READ the TRAVEL DIRECTIONS posted at http://www.socceragency.net/maps/Venues/directions_JBMDL.htm .

To obtain directions to the JBMDL fields online, go to  www.google.com, and click on MAPS. For an address for the Special Events Gate enter:  New Jersey Avenue and North Pointville Road, Fort Dix NJ

Also, READ the boxed section that comprises the second half of the Travel Directions, for important information about your JBMDL visit.

 

G)  REFRESH YOUR WEB BROWSER / CONTACT MOBILE PHONE# / MESSAGING

If you are having difficulties seeing information clearly on the MAPS/MSSL Tournament website, note that the site seems to work best on Internet Explorer. Consider changing your Web Browser when accessing the site.

Please check your team account on www.GotSport.com and make sure there is a valid mobile phone number listed for the TEAM CONTACT PERSON INFORMATION. This will be the first number called if there is a scheduling or weather problem at the fields.

Also, make sure you avoided using corporate or government email addresses for your team contacts entered in www.GotSport.com. These networked computer systems tend to have strong firewalls and spam filters that invariably prevent group messaging functions such as we rely upon from operating. Please provide at least some email addresses from residential accounts (AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, Comcast, Verizon, Optonline, Gmail, etc.)

Note that the online registration form has space for at least three individuals (manager, coach, contact) who can receive team email notifications. Please DO NOT list the same person for all positions. If we are unable to get through to this one individual, it leaves us no alternatives to pursue.

H)  JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST SECURITY & ON-SITE CONCERNS

 

This applies to all teams and individuals entering Joint Base for the event.

 

Please advise all team members who will be entering the base that each vehicle must have:

**  Valid Vehicle Registration

**  Valid Vehicle Insurance Card

**  Valid Drivers License for the Driver

**  Plus a Drivers License, Passport or other Picture ID for each additional adult in the vehicle

 

The first three items are required on a vehicle by law at all times, yet it has become surprising how many vehicles trying to enter the base can not produce these basic items upon request. Failure to produce these documents has required parents to leave their vehicles at the entry gate.

 

If you have a rental or leased vehicle, make sure you have your Driver’s License, and the documentation for the rental or lease. All documents need to be current, and should clearly inform gate personnel that the vehicle is properly insured. (Since the documents vary from state to state, we will NOT be further elucidating that last stipulation.) The person behind the wheel entering the gate must be a named driver, if one or more are listed on the documents.

        

No bicycles or motorcycles can be used on the Base. Use of these highly-mobile vehicles by guests is considered a security risk.

    

Make sure to allow yourself at least 15 minutes additional to get through the gate, in addition to the team’s normal pre-game / warm-up time.

 

I)  ON-SITE CONCERNS

  

Some simple rules for each facility we use:

   

·         Park only in designated spots. You may be ticketed!

·         No pets, on a leash or otherwise.

·         No smoking anywhere near the showcase fields or staging areas (basically, once you enter the grounds inside the parking lots).

·         Teams must pick up their trash. The pitch is sacred ground, and shouldn’t be buried in discarded water bottles and wrapping tape.

·         Cooperate with tournament officials and field marshals. Anyone caught abusing the above items will be evicted from the premises, and it may lead to early termination of an offending team’s participation.

Sorry if any of this sounds restrictive, but there is no reason to feel constrained if everyone uses common sense.

Looking forward to a great soccer festival,

Bohdan E. Porytko
Director
973-998-9731

bohdan@mssl.org

 

www.socceragency.net/maps