For the Parents/Guardians of our Athletes

Athletic Club Miami cannot be a club without the involvement of parents/guardians. We need you to be as motivated and involved as our athletes. Your support is essential to the athlete and team’s development; therefore is your responsibility as well to ensure the athlete's attendance to training, games, and other club activities. On our end, we will always do our best to share our schedules ahead on time in order to allow you to prepare accordingly; therefore, we expect timely communication on your end as well in case of any conflict with schedules, participation, and transportation.

As we know, respect is a primordial part of our mission, we ask you to respect the decisions of each team coach and do not make negative comments about coaching decisions whether to other parents or athletes. Is the coaches' responsibility and job to decide how to approach its team's goals and each athlete's strengths and weaknesses. Our coaches have priorities and goals that may encompass long-term results; therefore, please be aware that you will not always agree or understand the coaches decisions. 

We kindly ask you to forbear at all times criticizing our athletes and bringing down their focus and performance. Our athletes are aware of their mistakes and part of our philosophy is to learn from them as a team and individually. Our coaches are educated and are responsible of teaching the athlete how to recover from these mistakes and how to outstrip each situation. Furthermore, Athletic Club Miami athletes are being trained in how to overcome situations such as dirty play, poor referring, weather, etc. We expect our parents, as well as our coaches to have the same mindset when it comes to situations that are out of our control.

Moreover, we expect you to attend to our parents meetings (quarterly). These meetings are fundamental for our communication as a club since we want to ensure that parents understand our goals, current development, disputes, objectives, and expectations. On the other hand, we also want to hear your feedback, preoccupations, opinion, and suggestions. At each parent’s meeting the coaches will share and give feedback on how the team and each individual of the club is performing. Coaches will also dwell more regarding future trainings, goals and what is needed on your end.

Athletic Club Miami listens to every suggestion and comment with great respect and disposition. We are aware that once you join our program you are investing and making some sacrifices in order to be part of our club.  Notwithstanding, we would like to remind you that the final decisions regarding what is best for the team interests relies on the Coaches, Directors, and Club Manager. Also, please be advised that once your kid(s) enrolls our program he/she is not only part of a team, but of a club; therefore, some decisions are going to be taken as a club. Every member and its parent(s) has to be committed to the club’s mission, motto, and goals and we kindly ask you to contribute to the success and implementation of it. Parents that fail to comply the club's conditions can be suspended or explulsed from our practices and/or club. 

Lastly, due to expenses towards registrations, equipment, schedules, staff, and more. We have a NO REFUND POLICY. We kindly ask you to understand everything before committing and joining our program. Athletic Club Miami will not release any player after they have joined our program. If a player would like to be released, it's balance has to be cleared. Regarding travel team players, an additional release fee of $150.00 will be added to the remained balance. 

Athletic Club Miami Policies

For our Athletes

On the field:

• Ready for the Practice:

1. Athletes have to be at the training location wearing AC Miami practice uniform; ready to train 5 - 15 minutes prior the scheduled start time of the training session. Players showing up without AC Miami uniform, won't be allowed to practice with the team; or as a last solution they can purchase a new set of uniform (if available) at the practice location, and continue with the training after this issue have been resolved.

2. Athletes should not have any meal less than one hour before practice, and specially, should not eat a big meal less than 2 hours prior practice.

3. Athletes need to use the bathroom as necessary before the practice starts.

4. Athletes have to accept the responsibility of bringing additional equipment necessary for practice  (Soccer: cleats, shinguards, ball, water. Track: spikes shoes & water)

• Ready for the Game:

1. Players are expected to concentrate on playing soccer, always giving their best effort and playing by the rules at all times.

2. Players have to be at the game location, wearing AC Miami game uniform, ready to start the warm-up 30-45 minutes before the scheduled starting time of the game. Players showing up in other than AC Miami's uniform will be denied to participate on the game.

3. Players should not have any meal less than two hours before the game time.

4. Players have to accept the responsibility of bringing any additional equipment necessary for practice (cleats, shinguards, water, meals for multiple day tournaments).

• Playing time: 

1. Players who are late from the meeting time before the warm-up can not be in the starting line of the team.

2. Every child who plays travel is expected to commit to a minimum of 85% of all team activities during the year, not just games. Do not expect to receive much playing time if you show up for games and not practices. Commitment is important to teach to children and we expect the parents to be involved in maintaining this character trait.

3. Games allow players to try difficult skills in a fast-paced and competitive setting. Therefore, players will never be brought off the field because of making mistakes. If players pay attention on keeping their position, giving their best effort, and do not show unsportsmanlike attitude they should not been called off of the field because of mistakes.

4. Players arriving late to the warm-up of the game will not be on the starting squad.

Off the field:

• Education. Many researches show that competitive soccer players/athletes have better academic performance than average, non-competitive students. "The elite youth soccer players are more often enrolled in the pre-university academic system, which means that they are high academic achievers, compared with the typical student. The elite players also report an increased use of self-regulatory skills, in particular self-monitoring, evaluation, reflection, and effort." (1)  In Athletic Club Miami we think that education and physical education are inseparable cases; therefore, we underline the importance of cognitive skills, we adhere to continuous learning, independent thinking, the scientific approach of sport performance and ornate communication.

• Diet. Athletic Club Miami places great emphasis on the diet of our athletes. To support the health benefits of physical activity, and to maximize the performance of our athletes, we are continuously educating our youth about the importance of nutrition for the human body. 
  Moreover, AC Miami offers a great deal for our members with one of the best sport nutritionist and diet delivery company in South Florida, the WMC Paleo. Their Athletic Meal Plans are "Designed for the athlete in all of us!" The AC Miami special athlete's meal plan available online with debit/credit card checkout on this link: Click here!

• Exercising outside of Club practices. Every extra step you take is getting you closer to your ultimate goal. “More than a practice, it’s a LIFESTYLE!” Doing the best of your best means that you support your health and do everything possible in order to maximize your performance. Athletic Club Miami will guide you how to do more to unfold your potential:

1. You can find exercises on our YouTube channel with our special access code for the season.

2. AC Miami has some special exercises for right after your awakening.

3. We will share with you the important stretching exercises that you can do during watching TV.
    

(1) Academic performance and self-regulatory skills in elite youth soccer players; Laura Jonker, Mar e T. Elferink-Gemser, Tynke T. Toering, James Lyonsb, Chris Visscher, University of Groningen, the Netherlands 

General Club Etiquette

• The members of Athletic Club Miami have a special relationship with each other and with their coaches. Joining our club means each athlete starts a new life, from that moment AC Miami members, parents and coaches always greet each other when they meet inside or outside of our club.

• A member of the Club represents Athletic Club Miami not only at the sport field, but outside of our practice location too, such as school, public spaces and playgrounds.

• Athletes greet the coaches in advance when they meet, and they address them as Mr./Ms. or Coach.

• Members wearing the club uniform are expected to maintain a positive conduct, also a fair and sportsmanlike behavior everywhere they go. In this manner, it relates even more to our state and national level athletes, who are the faces of our club during their travel. Anywhere an athlete goes he/she always represents Athletic Club Miami, out of town we represent Miami, and when traveling to other countries we represent United States of America.