What volunteer opportunities does SYSL offer?
There are many volunteer position that we desperately need to fill:

  • Coaching and Assistant Coaching
  • Concession Stand
  • Field opening/closing, seasonal and every weekend
  • Special events e.g. movie night, player clinics, coaching clinics
  • TOPSoccer program
  • Sponsors and sponsorships – we need a group to manage this process

If you have an idea that you’d like to see happen in SYSL or are interested in volunteering for any position available, then please contact us email: registrar@stoughtonsoccer.org or call: 781-344-1310

Do coaches and SYSL board members get paid?
No, all positions in SYSL are totally voluntary including Board of Directors, Members at Large, Division Coordinators, and Concession Stand volunteers. 100% of registration fees and sponsorship goes towards the players and soccer program.

Why volunteer if there’s no pay?
Every volunteer is rewarded by feeling successful that their time and energy help better our town’s youth soccer program and being a part of organization dedicated to the game of soccer.

I’ve never coached before – what should I do?
Talk to as many parent volunteers in SYSL as you feel comfortable. Ask questions about how to setup a successful practice or how to coach a youth soccer game. All coaches have had to take that “first step.” Yes, it’s a little scary but the rewards far outway the risks.

Should the goals be padded for games ?
An issue has recently arisen regarding whether, under the Laws of the Game, the goalposts and/or the crossbar may be padded. The suggestion has been made that this could be considered a safety issue, that such padding is commercially available, and that it could be applied in such a way that the dimensions of the goal structure remain within the requirements of Law 1.

Despite these understandable concerns and good intentions, US Soccer cannot approve the use of padding on goalposts or crossbars in affiliated matches for the following reasons:

  • The Laws of the Game do not include padding of the goalposts and/or the crossbar as part of the equipment used on a field.
  • The Laws of the Game already provide for the referee’s obligation to not permit a game to be played if, in the opinion of the referee, the goal is dangerous in any way.
  • An unpadded goal structure is not inherently dangerous.
  • Padding could hide defects or dangerous goal conditions and interfere with the referee’s evaluation of the safety of the goal.
  • Padding on the goal structure could interfere in unpredictable ways with the play of the ball.

US Soccer takes note of the fact that some matches might be played on fields controlled by public authorities which themselves require the padding of goal structures as a condition for using their facilities.