South Iredell Soccer Association (SISA) has been serving the Mooresville community for over 30 years. It is an all volunteer, non-profit organization that was formed to provide recreational soccer to the youth of Mooresville. This recreation soccer program is primarily devoted to the enjoyment and development of youth soccer players and provides an opportunity for all participants to have fun, learn the sport and develop life skills including a life long love of the game. SISA has over 750 children participating on coed boys and girls teams ranging in age from 4 to 18 and the teams practice and play games in the fall and spring over six months of the year. SISA Recreation teams are open to all children who want to play soccer regardless of their ability
SISA provides a recreational soccer program to the Town of Mooresville in close partnership with the Recreation Department. A fall and spring season is provided each year. The fall season commences in mid August and runs for 12 weeks through the first week of November. The spring season begins in mid February and runs for 12 weeks through the first week of May. Each season concludes with an end of season tournament for all teams wishing to participate.
Registration begins approximately 30 days prior to the start of the season. Both on-line registration and sign ups at the Mooresville War Memorial and Dick’s Sporting Goods on scheduled dates are offered. New players to recreation soccer are required to verify their age by producing a copy of their birth certificate to ensure that they are assigned to the proper age group. Players are assigned to teams based on age and the elementary or middle school that they are currently attending. Players attending home school or private school are assigned based on their address and proximity to the closest public school in Mooresville. After the players are grouped by school, they are randomly assigned to a team without regard to their abilities and skills. Teams are balanced to ensure that an equal number of players of the same age and gender are distributed across each age group.
Volunteer coaches are assigned to teams based on their address and the school their child is attending. Teams are organized into the following age groups based on a birth chart:
Age School Grade
U5 Instructional 4 Pre-Kindergarten
U6 Instructional 5 Kindergarten
U8 Girls 6 & 7 1st & 2nd Grade
U8 Coed 6 & 7 1st & 2nd Grade
U10 Girls 8 & 9 3rd & 4th Grade
U10 Coed 8 & 9 3rd & 4th Grade
U12 Girls 10 & 11 5th & 6th Grade
U12 Coed 10 & 11 5th & 6th Grade
U14 Girls 12 & 13 7th & 8th Grade
U14 Coed 12 & 13 7th & 8th Grade
High School Coed 14 to 18 High School
Recreation Soccer Fees
The registration fees that we charge players to participate in the recreation soccer program are kept to a minimum in order make recreational soccer affordable to all income levels. Every dollar that SISA receives is put back into the community and throughout the year money is spent to fertilize, seed, and mow community church and school fields, purchase goals and nets for the schools, and provides development and training for our players and coaches.
The registration cost for instructional players is $40.00 per season which includes a uniform shirt and socks. For U8 and above players, the cost is $60.00 per season. The recreation program fees include all of the following:
– Insurance that provides primary coverage for uninsured players and secondary coverage for all other players
– Player development training provided by professional licensed trainers
– Practice twice a week lasting 60 – 90 minutes over a (12) week period
– (8) games per season with certified referees
– End of season tournament in the fall & spring with championship awards/medals for the finalist and winning teams
– Participant awards (trophies for U8 and instructional and shirts for all other ages)
– Coaching kits for all volunteer coaches (bag, ball, cones and pennies)
– Practice and game fields for the season
– Goal keeper training
– Risk management coverage for annual background checks on all coaches and parent volunteers
– Education fees for coaches to obtain licenses
– (4) Scholarships totaling $2,000 awarded to graduating high school seniors at Mooresville and Lake Norman. A male and female scholarship winner at each school
The uniform cost for U8 and above players is $30.00 and consists of a high quality reversible jersey with matching shorts and socks. The uniforms can be worn for multiple seasons and SISA tries to maintain the same uniform for an extended period so that it can be worn by siblings. Until the recent change, SISA players had warn the same uniform for 10 years.
Instructional Program
The Instructional Program is designed to teach soccer skills and promote the game of soccer to children between the ages of 4 and 5 years old. Emphasis is placed on learning and enjoyment, not winning. Players are randomly assigned to small sided teams of 5 to 6 players and are designated into two separate age divisions: Under 5 and Under 6. With the belief that participation is the best way to improve soccer skills, the SISA Instructional model is designed that each child participate through all of the skill training and small side scrimmage games.
The Instructional Programs meet weekly for one hour sessions; broken into 30 minutes of skills training and 30 minutes of game scrimmaging. Items of concentration are the basics of dribbling, passing and receiving the ball. These skills are than incorporated and stressed during small sided scrimmages. Players gain confidence as they play in this fun and educational learning environment. The team coaches remain on the field with the players to instruct and serve as referees. Players are reminded that the score is not kept and that the emphasis is on learning. All of our coaches are parent volunteers and they receive training and instruction from SISA’s professional trainer and nationally licensed coaches.
Professional Training
SISA provides professional training to all recreation soccer players through a Director of Coaching (DOC). The DOC shall direct and participate in the activities associated with the SISA coaching development programs and player development programs. He is responsible for technical communication related to coaching and player development programs. Duties include but are not limited to developing and promoting soccer for recreational youth players as well as conducting coach educational courses, recruiting and supervising qualified trainers, and planning, implementing, and managing player and SISA development clinics and related educational opportunities.
Detailed Description of DOC Job Responsibilities:
– Conduct skill development clinics and training sessions for players and coaches.
– Conduct age appropriate coaching clinics.
– Create short and long term seasonal and yearly objectives with regards to age groups and skill development.
– Help coaches in the SISA plan and implement practice sessions
– Act as a resource for all coaches and players
– Organize and conduct camps and skill sessions for players
– Organize and facilitate state run coaching clinics
– Assist in the evaluating and selecting of qualified coaches and trainers
– Design manuals and information packets for coaches.
– Design training priorities for each age group and level.
Davidson College Player Development Program
For the last 5 years, SISA has been working closely with Davidson College to offer player development and skills training for our players. It has been an extremely popular program with the kids that is offered in the spring at a cost of $45.00 for (3) days of instruction. Matt Spear, the Head Men’s Soccer Coach has arranged for the college players to instruct the kids and help develop soccer skills. The coaching staff at Davidson College has also been actively involved with coaching development in the past and has conducted coaching clinics for our volunteer coaches.
