The PFC only fields full-sided boys or girls teams, age U11 and above.Being a non-profit, community-driven program, the PFC does not expect to form teams at every age group.The PFC coordinator can be petitioned to form a team when presented with:
At least 7 Mendham and Chester players in a given age group who have shown the ability to compete at a statewide level and want to make soccer their primary sport.
Enough similarly talented and committed players from adjoining towns to complete the squad (usually 14 to 18 players total).
A fully committed group of team parents.
At least 3 parents who step up to the following leadership roles:Manager, Treasurer, and Administrator.
Some teams may also petition to use a specific professional trainer/manager.The trainer must be approved by the PFC.If teams do not have a trainer/manager, the PFC assists them by tapping into its list of high-quality local soccer professionals.
How is a PFC team structured?
Although overseen by the PFC, our teams are run by the team parents, not by the trainer.Similar to a non-profit corporation, the parents serve on the team’s informal “board of directors”.The parent-manager is the “CEO” of the team.Three people report to the parent-manager:
The professional trainer/coach, hired by the team to direct “soccer operations”
The team treasurer who provides budgets and runs the team’s finances
The team administrator who handles carding, league communications, game and tournament details.
Following is an outline of the PFC team structure:
PFC
|
Parents
|
Manager
/|\
Trainer/CoachTreasurerAdministrator
TEAM
Some teams add an assistant parent-manager and/or a director of social/community service projects.They too report to the parent manager.
Who can try out for a PFC team?
PFC teams are open to boys and girls age U11 through U18 from the following communities:
Mendham Borough
MendhamTownship
Chester Borough
ChesterTownship
Morristown
MorrisTownship
Randolph
MountOlive
Roxbury
WashingtonTownship
LongValley
BernardsTownship
Bernardsville
Peapack-Gladstone
Do West Morris players have an advantage when trying out for a PFC team?
Yes and no.The team must have at least 7 players from the Mendhams and the Chesters with the ability and the commitment to play at an elite level.Without that “core” of players a PFC team will not be formed.After that point, the team is filled by open tryout.However, if there is a tryout ratings tie between a West Morris player and a player from an adjoining town, the West Morris player will be given preference.
Why do you require 7 Mendham/Chester players before forming a PFC team?
The fields and facilities are funded by the Mendhams and Chesters.Further, dozens of community volunteers are involved in making sure the program runs smoothly.Establishing a minimum number of local players reflects this community investment.
Is a player guaranteed a spot on the team year after year?
No. However, historically, there has been relatively little turnover on PFC teams. Whether or not to host an open tryout is decided by team mangement in consultation with the PFC Coordinator. If there are open tryouts, they are held in May/June for U11 through U14 teams.For teams U15 and older the tryouts are sometimes held in May/June and sometimes bumped until after the high school soccer season.The WMSC website (www.westmorrissoccer.org) details all tryout activity.
In which leagues do PFC teams play?
League participation is decided on a team-by-team basis.PFC teams usually play in the Mid-New Jersey Youth Soccer Association (MNJYSA), the Central Jersey Youth Soccer Association (CJYSA which includes the MSSL and MAPS leagues), the Jersey Area Girls Soccer (JAGS) and the Morris County Youth Soccer Association (MCYSA).
