Friendship Team Information
This page is intended to help you understand Friendship Teams; what they are, how they are created, the rules the govern them, and how to add players to one.
Background and Definition
MTsc long recognized how much kids like to play soccer with friends because we lost players to other sports that allow it while soccer systematically and repeatedly denied it. No longer! In 2005, MTsc originated a program with the expressed goal of permitting kids to form teams around friendships. Friendship Teams are designed to be soccer teams made up of players that are friends.
After several years of working with them, we have found that the vast majority of Friendship Teams are NOT "coach-stacked" or "super" teams made up of the best players a particular coach can find. They are, in fact, teams of friends from school, church, scouting, neighborhoods, etc. Evidence of this is that each season more than two-thirds of all MTsc teams are Friendship Teams. This is a testament to the enormous success of the program.
How to Form a Friendship Team
The process is relatively straightforward. Just follow these steps:
- Turn in a Friendship Team Form on time with the minimum number of players. This is the most important step and if you get it right, the rest is easy. The deadline for all Friendship Team forms is late January (for Spring) and late June (for Fall). See the Calendar link for exact dates. Late forms will not be accepted.
- Register all players. All players on the requested Friendship Team must be registered under the RECREATIONAL PROGRAM, pay registration/uniform fees and provide a birth certificate by the deadline.
- Ensure you have enough players. Friendship Teams have a maximum and minimum number of players. The minimum number is required by the Unrestricted Deadline and is based on the age division in which the team will play, as follows:
- U5/6 – 5 min/6 max
- U7/U8 – 6 min/8 max
- U9/U10 – 8 min/10 max
- U11/U12 – 11 min/14 max
- Note on the FT form if you want to play up. Individual players on a Friendship Team may play up upon request. All players that play up must complete a Play Up Waiver (form posted online). Similarly, an entire team may request to play up one or more age brackets, in which case all players must submit a signed Play Up Waiver.
- Add more players to your team, space permitting. The procedure to add players to a Friendship Team is outlined below.
The intent of this approach to soccer for MTsc is to allow friends to play with friends. The logistics of doing so can be tremendous and therefore parent support, patience and timely assistance with the requirements above is absolutely mandatory.
Friendship Team Deadlines
The FT form must be submitted to the MTsc office prior to the deadlines published on the website calendar each season. There are three deadlines associated with Friendship Teams, as follows:
Unrestricted Deadline – Before this date, an FT form may be submitted regardless of the registration status of the players. In other words, if your FT form is turned in before this deadline, the players may or may not already be registered - it doesn't matter. After the FT form is turned in, however, all players must register before playing.
Restricted Deadline – After this date, no new Friendship Teams will be accepted. This is the "drop dead" date for turning in your Friendship Team form. After this date, all unassigned players will be randomly placed on teams.
Additions Deadline – After this date, no players may be added to Friendship Teams. Note that only unregistered players may be added to Friendship Teams after the Unrestricted Deadline.
Therefore, prior to the Unrestricted Deadline, a FT form may include players that have already registered. Between the Unrestricted and Restricted Deadlines, a new FT form may be submitted, but only if all of the players on it have not yet registered or been placed on another team (e.g., via another FT form, random draw process, etc.). Once players are assigned to teams, they may not be removed. Therefore, it is imperative that all additions to an existing FT be submitted to the MTsc office (via email) before the added player registers.
Playing Up on a Friendship Team
Playing up is only permitted for players on Friendship Teams.
All players requesting to play up must complete and submit a Play Up Waiver (form posted online). And every player that plays up must be clearly identified on the Friendship Team form.
An entire Friendship Team may play up if ALL of the parents so desire and signify such by signing on the Friendship Team form. Signature on the Friendship Team form is the parents means of communicating that desire. MTsc expects parents to keep the players’ best interests in mind when making this selection.
No player may play down for any reason.
Adding Players to a Friendship Team
Players may be added to an existing Friendship Team up until the Additions Deadline (see above). To add a player, you must do these steps:
- First, notify the Soccer Office that you are adding a new player to your Friendship Team (by sending an email to mtsc@metrotulsasoccer.com). The office will confirm that the player is not already assigned to another team.
- Second, have the new player’s parent sign a copy of the original FT form and turn it in to the MTsc office.
- Third, register the player online (only AFTER notifying the soccer office).
- Fourth, ensure that everything is completed and received BEFORE the Additions Deadline posted on the MTsc website. This includes the updated FT form, registration, payment, and birth certificate.
Leaguing Friendship Teams
As always, MTsc reserves the right to schedule pure age groups together, as deemed appropriate. For example, U9 and U10 teams may play against each other. Ditto U7 and U8 teams.
MTsc also reserves the right to schedule Friendship Teams against Random Draw Teams.
All league and schedule combinations are "open" in an attempt to result in the best balance and optimal level fun for all parties in the club - not merely one player, team, or league.
