Miniroos and Junior Teams Grading Policy

Our Commitment

We are dedicated to nurturing a vibrant, inclusive and joyful environment for kids, where they can truly cultivate their passion for soccer. Our club's foremost priority is the holistic growth of football (soccer), with a strong emphasis on fostering individual participation to its fullest. Through our team selection process, we aim to not only enhance the overall quality of play within our club but also to broaden the horizons for our young players, ensuring they have the most enjoyable soccer experience possible.

Berwick City SC recognises that positive experiences in junior competitions play a pivotal role in nurturing a lifelong passion for football among children. Our team selection policy has been crafted to empower junior players to aspire to higher levels of play if they so desire, while also catering to those who simply wish to enjoy the sport socially.

We ensure that players are selected to compete at an age-appropriate level, alongside teammates of comparable skill.

Our commitment is to provide every player with ample opportunities to become valued members of the club, based on the availability of positions as determined by our club's team policy.

Policy

Grading

Football Victoria (FV) competitions from U8 to U12 are graded as Kangaroos, Wallabies & Joeys level.
FV Competitions for U13 to U18 are graded as A, B, or C, level.
Grading will be held at a selected Berwick City SC venue for each age group between end of season and November for new and returning players.
We plan to conduct at least two grading sessions for each age group, and in some cases, we may invite certain players for a potential another 2 sessions.
Dates will be advertised on the club website, social media and via email to existing members and to any non-members who are waitlisted through an expression of interest.
It is the players and guardian’s responsibility to check their emails and Berwick City SC website and ensure they are able to attend grading.
Attendance at all grading sessions is recommended to enable the player to be placed in the most appropriate team for their level of skill.
All players attending grading must be registered with Berwick City SC with a current email address, mobile number, name and date of birth or they will not receive any correspondence from the club. Details of how to register with the club are on the club website.
Players unable to attend grading should notify the club in writing so that the club may apply the appropriate consideration for the player.
The club will appoint a coaching panel to oversee grading for each age group and players will be assessed on technical and tactical skill as well as attitude.
Squad selection will be made by the coaching panel with advice from the age group coaches from the previous year and the age group Technical Director.
The club will then make provisional squad selections based on grading results, players and positions available in that age group.

Player and team selection

Players will be selected into age appropriate squads for preseason where there are squads available according to the Berwick City SC Team allocations for that year.

The number of positions in squad shall be based upon the age group, gender and number of teams available to compete in the age group.
The number of teams in each age group will depend upon coach availability and the number of players in that age group as well as other factors such as training and pitch allocations.
Players will grade & play in their respective age range. Exemptions are only permitted upon application to the club in writing to the Club Secretary or Technical Director. Players will only play above their age range if their football skill level is assessed as high. For example, a U9 player will need to be able to play in U10 Kangaroos to play up an age group. In certain exception the club may allow players to play up due to other exceptional circumstances, such as playing with siblings.
Each player will be selected to play for the club and a team based on the following general criteria:

Grading assessment and age group
Behaviour and attitude on the field towards the game, other players and coaching staff
Past performance and history with the club
Technical and tactical skill
Team fit and requirements

Each player will be advised by email of the outcome of team selections.
Players will receive an email from their coach/manager welcoming them to the team and providing information about team training schedules and other relevant information.

Girls in Mini-Roos and Juniors

For girls only teams, the club will generally make places available to all returning members and new players.
Special requests may be made by female players to play in male based competitions and will be assessed by the club on a case by case basis. High ability and desire to compete will be the general criteria for girls to be accepted to play in boys competitions.

Mini Roos (Boys)

Where squads and positions are available, new players will be accepted into the club.

Mini-Roos players will be selected into teams according to their grading or past history with the club. Every endeavour will be made by the club to retain players in teams however the club retains the right to name players in any squad as recommended by the coaching panel.

Juniors (Boys)

For Junior boys, the club cannot guarantee a spot for returning members and new players. The club has limited places for Junior players and the club will select players in Juniors according to availability of positions given specific players capabilities and team fit.

For U13-U16 a maximum of 48 positions is available in each age group. The club will permit a limited number of new players to be selected for A-graded squads only according to the club requirements for those teams. This may result in positions not being available for returning Berwick City SC members.
For U17 and U18, these age groups are selected and players will be accepted into the club based on capability. This may result in positions not being available for returning Berwick City SC members.

Offers to Players

At the conclusion of the grading period, players selected by the club will be offered positions in a provisional squads by email.
Players who do not receive an offer will be waitlisted by the club and offered a position in the event of a vacancy.
Players will only be entitled to the spot on offer after paying a deposit within the 14 day period or by contacting the club prior to the expiry period of the offer if unable to pay online. Spots that are not secured within the 14 day period will be offered to players who are waitlisted. There will be no exemptions.
Note that any offer to a player is for a place in a provisional squad and not the final team. The club reserves the right make adjustments to squads prior to season commencement according to team and club requirements.
At a nominated date (advertised on the website and emailed to parents/guardians) prior to the season commencement, final team squads will emailed to registered and paid players. A player will not be placed in a team if they are not registered on PlayFootball and fully paid.

Points for Consideration

Berwick City SC is a soccer club and our primary focus to develop players and teams with football (soccer) ability. Although the club recognizes the importance of social relationships in the club, players cannot expect to play with friends if skills are disparate or to be readily entitled to a position in last season’s team. Grading is done on ability and team selection is done within the bounds of positions available in the club. It is not in a player’s best interest to be playing with children of greatly differing ability.
Making new friends is one of life’s skills and a team sport is a great way to practice this. Parents and coaches will ask for social relationships to be considered however this will be a secondary consideration when selecting an age group squad.
The club will make training arrangements according to our coaching and facility availability and footballing policies. Training times will depend on coach’s availability (they are voluntary, and work as well as coach), pitch availability and the number of teams the club fields. Training times cannot be changed to suit individual players.
If a player does not attend any grading then they are unlikely to be placed in one of the higher level (Kangaroo or A) sides. While the club will endeavour to place that child in a team that suits them there, is unlikely to be much flexibility for movement between teams.
If the club receives more enrollments than they have coaches, players will be put on a waiting list. Only when a coach is allocated will a further team be opened. All our coaches are supported by the technical director and by the club, which will pay for any coaching courses, completed by coach volunteers as well as paid coaches.
The club has been given guidelines by the City of Casey regarding facility and field usage. The club can only field teams within these boundaries.

Notes for parents and coaches

Squad selection is not an exact science. It's important for parents to understand that grading players is a means to ensure they have the best possible experience by playing alongside peers with similar skills. At the heart of our approach, especially in the younger age groups, lies the emphasis on fun and nurturing a profound love for the game. This balance between skill development and enjoyment is key to our club's success in achieving its goals.

To the parents: please help us by fostering your child’s resilience. Any short term disappointment arising from their placement in any given team will, over time, be replaced by the joy of playing the game at a standard which is appropriate to them.

To the coaches and Technical Directors: please help us by communicating to the players / parents the reasons for the selection decisions that have been made. This should be done with tact and grace, but you should be clear and objective in your appraisal of the abilities of the players you have assessed. You have the club’s support, but you are accountable for making selection decisions in a way which is consistent with this policy