BULLETIN # 2

1. Thank you very much for confirming participation of your School’s teams! We have seven schools participation with both boys and girls teams: American Nicaraguan School, Colegio Interamericano de Guatemala, the American School from Tegucigalpa, Escuela Internacional Sampedrana, Colegio Americano de Guatemala, Colegio Decroly Americano de Guatemala and the American School from El Salvador.

2. The playing games format will consist of two qualifying groups; one group will be made up of four teams and the other one of three. The champion and runner up teams from the XII AASCA Soccer Tournament held at the American Nicaraguan School will be seeded as head of each group. A draw will determine the rest of the teams on the group, whenever possible; arrangements will be made whenever possible, to avoid teams from the same country to play against each other in the same group bracket. According to the AASCA Manual, the “bye” system will be implemented for the team that after playing all his scheduled games is ranked first place of each group. Teams qualified in 2^nd and 3^rd place of each group, will need to play crossed matches against each other, winning teams advance to play semi-final games. Defeated teams play for fifth and Sixth place. Semi-final winning teams play for First place and semi-final defeated teams play for Third place. If the coach and administrator of the team ranked in 7^th place wishes to play an extra game, it may be played with one of the junior teams of the hosting school or against a local or bilingual non AASCA school team. (Each team is granted to play a maximum of 5 matches and a minimum of 4).

3. Each school will cancel a registration fee of $800.00; this amount covers registration for both teams. It may be paid cash or with a check issued to “Asociación Escuela Americana” or only issued to “Escuela Americana”.  The Athletic Director will collect the payment at the coaches meeting on Wednesday, February 24. Receipts will be handed out on Thursday and Friday.

4. The maximum number of players per team for the AASCA Large School’s Soccer Tournament is 18 students. Each school decides on the minimum number of players to participate with, but the recommendation is no less than 14 students.

5. As soon as you know the name of the Hotel your school teams are staying; the means, places and times of arrival; please share this information with me, it would be ideal to have all these information before February 10.

6. If your school teams will need transportation to and from the Hotel to the playing sites, please let me know by February 3 to make proper arrangements.

7. The Escuela Americana’s PTA and Booster Club parents are very excited organizing what will be the first soccer ice-breaker for parents. They are looking forward for a warm and funny welcome but they need to know an estimate of the number of parents that will attend the Tournament. I kindly request your help in letting me know around how many parents will be part of your school’s soccer delegation also by February 3.

8. Attached please find the AASCA Code of Conduct formats in English and Spanish for athletes, coaches and parents. They must be properly signed prior to the tournament’s trip. In order to avoid having to deal and to travel with more papers, we will follow La Ceiba’ A.D.’s meeting recommendation: on the back of each Code of Conduct please write the names of the participants and have them sign in agreement. Each school must bring only four pages: the code of conduct signed by the girls’ team, the one signed by the boys’ team, the one signed by the coaches and last but not least the one signed by the parents. (Thanks to everyone that helped in the translation).

9. I’d also like to know what all of you think on possible having the soccer tournament opening ceremony on Wednesday rather than on Thursday morning. The idea is to start the games at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and avoid as much as possible to have to play around noon time. The AASCA Knowledge Bowl opening ceremony is held a day before the tournament begins, during the Cross Country Invitational we are planning the same, so I was wandering why not soccer? The ice-breaker for athletes, the ice-breaker for parents and the coaches meeting would happen after the ceremony and maybe held at the same time. Please let me know your feelings regarding this change, thank you.