CLUB POLICIES

  • Refund Policy

    Our refund policy varies by program, please find your program below. However, any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable for any program.


    HOLIDAY CAMPS

    Refunds (less a $15 non-refundable deposit) are available if requested up to seven (7) days before the date of the first day of camp. While rare, if the weather or some other unavoidable circumstance limits our program in any way, no refunds will be given but credit may be given at the discretion of the club if camp is not held. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    PRE-K PLUS

    Refunds (less a $15 processing fee) are available if requested before the date of the first game of the season. No refunds will be granted after that point. If the weather or some other unavoidable circumstance limits our program in any way, no refunds or other adjustments will be made. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    PRE-TRAVEL ACADEMY

    The success of our Pre-Travel Academy is built on player commitment when accepting their position into the Academy. Once a player accepts and registers, refunds will not be issued (14) days prior to the start of the season. Requests for refunds before this time may be issued (less a $40 processing fee). If a player is injured or leaves the team during the year, the member is still obligated to complete all club and team fee payments for the full seasonal year. Failure to pay club and team fees on time and in full will result in ineligibility to play on any DC Soccer Club team and will put the player in bad standing with the Club. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    RECREATIONAL PROGRAM

    Refunds (less a $15 processing fee) are available if requested before the date of the first game of the season. No refunds will be granted after that point. If the weather or some other unavoidable circumstance limits our program in any way, no refunds or other adjustments will be made. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    SUMMER CAMPS

    Refunds (less a $40 non-refundable deposit) are available if requested up to seven (7) days before the date of the first day of camp. While rare, if the weather or some other unavoidable circumstance limits our program in any way, no refunds will be given but credit may be given at the discretion of the club. Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, charitable donations) are not refundable. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    SUPER Y

    DC Soccer Club does not offer refunds after a player accepts a position on a Super Y team. If a player is injured or leaves the team during the year, the member is still obligated to complete all club and team fee payments for the full season.Note: Any  additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    TOTS

    Refunds (less a $15 processing fee) are available if requested up to seven (7) days before the date of the first clinic/class session. While rare, if the weather or some other unavoidable circumstance limits our program in any way, no refunds or other adjustments will be made. Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, charitable donations) are not refundable. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    TRAVEL PROGRAM (Select, Travel, Academy)

    Committing to a DC Soccer Club Travel Program team is a full 10-month commitment for all Select, Travel and Academy levels. DC Soccer Club does not offer refunds after a player accepts a position on a Travel Program team. If a player is injured or leaves the team during the year, the member is still obligated to complete all club and team fee payments for the full seasonal year. Failure to pay club and team fees on time and in full will result in ineligibility to play on any DC Soccer Club Travel team and will put the player in bad standing with the Club and ineligible for release, as outlined by the club. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    WINTER FUTSAL LEAGUE PROGRAM

    Refunds (less a $15 processing fee) are available if requested before the date of the first game of the season. No refunds will be granted after that point. Our policy does not provide refunds for weather cancellations, but as we approach the end of the season, we will look at the total number of game dates that were played and determine if any accommodations are warranted. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


    ALL OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDING CLINICS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

    Refunds (less a $15 processing fee) are available if requested up to seven (7) days before the date of the first clinic/class session. While rare, if the weather or some other unavoidable circumstance limits our program in any way, no refunds or other adjustments will be made. Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, charitable donations) are not refundable. Note: Any additional costs incurred during registration (i.e. credit card processing fees, ticket vouchers, late fees, charitable donations) are not refundable.


  • Social Media Policy

    ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA


    (Via MSYSA) All electronic communications between a coach and minor athlete must be professional in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about program activities. 


    As with any communication, the content of any electronic communication should be readily available to share with the athlete’s family. At the request of a parent or guardian, any email, electronic text, social media or similar communication will copy or include the athlete’s parents or guardians.


    FACEBOOK, BLOGS AND SIMILAR SITES

    Coaches or volunteers can communicate with minor athletes through sites like Facebook, but all communication needs to be in group form and public (no private communication). If a Facebook page is used, all coaches and parents must be included. Coaches may not have athletes join a personal social media page. All posts, messages, texts, or media of any kind shared among athletes or between coach and athlete must be professional in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about team activities or for team-oriented motivational purposes.


    X, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, INSTANT MESSAGING AND SIMILAR MEDIA

    All communication is to be public in nature. Coaches and minor athletes may “follow” each other. Coaches cannot “re-tweet” athlete message posts. Coaches and volunteers are not permitted to “direct message” minor athletes through Twitter (or similar media). Coaches and volunteers are not permitted to post inappropriate off-color content or comment on inappropriate off-color posts. If there is doubt, treat the content as inappropriate.


    EMAIL AND SIMILAR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

    Athletes and coaches may use email to communicate if the athlete is at least 14 years of age. All email content between coach and athlete must be professional in nature and for the purpose of communicating information about program activities. Where possible, the minor athlete’s parent should be copied on e-mail communications. Email communication between coaches and minor athletes is allowed during the hours of 7am and 10pm.


    TEXTING AND SIMILAR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

    Texting is allowed between coaches and a minor athlete if the athlete is at least 14 years of age. Where possible, texts between a coach and an athlete must be a group text – the text should include another athlete, volunteer, a parent, or another coach/assistant. All texts between a coach and an athlete must be professional and for the purpose of communicating information about team activities. No texting is allowed between a coach and an athlete before 7am or after 10pm, unless there is a specific soccer activity that requires a text communication.


    The use of Snapchat (and similar apps) with minor athletes is not permitted.


    ELECTRONIC IMAGERY

    From time to time, digital photos, videos of practice or competition, and other publicly obtainable images of the minor athlete – individually or in groups – may be taken. These photos and/or videos may be used for athlete instruction (i.e. practice and game films), team videos, team websites, or offered to the athletes’ families. The use of photos/videos is permissible as long as the athlete or athletes are in public view and such imagery is both appropriate and in the best interest of the athlete and the program. Photo or video imagery must not be contrary to any rules or guidance outlined in this Code of Conduct.


    REQUEST TO DISCONTINUE

    The parent or guardian of a minor athlete may request in writing that their athlete not be contacted by coaches through any electronic communication; that request must be honored. Additionally, a parent or guardian of a minor athlete may request in writing that photographs or videography of their athlete not be posted on program or team websites, understanding that group photography or videography may render this impracticable; to the extent this request is practicable, it should be honored.


    MISCONDUCT

    Social media and electronic communication can be used inappropriately. (e.g., emotional abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, harassment, and hazing). Such communication by coaches, volunteers, officials, administrators, parents or other athletes will not be tolerated.


    Electronic communication should not contain or relate to any of the following:


    • Drugs or alcohol use;
    • Sexually oriented conversation, sexually explicit language or sexual activity;
    • An adult’s personal life, social activities, relationship or family issues, or personal problems; and
    • Inappropriate or sexually explicit pictures.

    Any communication concerning a minor athlete's personal life, social activities, relationships, family issues or personal problems must be transparent, accessible and professional.


    PARENTAL CONTACT

    Parents of minor athletes will be contacted if their athlete becomes ill, injured, or has a severe disciplinary problem while participating in a US Youth Soccer/MSYSA activity.

  • Travel Roster Policy

    DC Soccer Club is a member of Maryland State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA).


    While MSYSA allows for a player to double roster with two different clubs in the same seasonal year, DC Soccer Club has club standards and policies that support orderly administration of our teams and players. 


    Therefore, effective January 1, 2022, the following applies to DC Soccer Club Travel Players:


    • The club requires all players to be officially registered as "Primary Players." 

    With this classification, players must follow all DC Soccer Club policies and commit to the team schedule, including all events. This commitment includes, but is not limited to all practices, games, tournaments, and any other club sanctioned events. 


    Requests for double rostering with another club will not be accepted except for partner clubs and with the approval of the Technical Director.

  • Privacy Policy

    Policy Purpose and Scope

    DC Soccer Club staff and volunteers are often charged with handling personal identifiable information (“PII”) about youth participants to accomplish soccer-related objectives (e.g., team and tournament registrations). For this reason, it is important to understand DC Soccer Club's PII expectations and policies. PII is defined as: "information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, such as their name, social security number, biometric records, etc. alone, or when combined with other personal or identifying information which is linked or linkable to a specific individual, such as date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, etc." 


    For the purpose of this policy, passports, medical records, financial records, and educational transcripts are considered PII. This policy applies to all employees, contractors, volunteers, and members of DC Soccer Club. This policy applies equally to information on paper or in electronic form.


    Policy Overview

    This document describes DC Soccer Club policies for handling the collection, access, use, and disclosure of PII. In general, this document relays that DC Soccer Club's policy is to protect and safeguard the PII of its players, members, former players, and former members.


    PII Protection

    This policy requires employees, contractors, volunteers, and members of DC Soccer Club to: 

    • Protect and safeguard the PII of players, members, former players, and former members to the best of their ability 
    • Collect, access, use, and disclose PII for DC Soccer Club-related purposes only
    • Safeguard PII in their possession, to the best of their ability, to include treating such PII as confidential and safeguarding such information from unauthorized use and disclosure
    • Safeguard user IDs and passwords for soccer databases or other electronic information systems to which they have been provided access, and do not share login information
    • Discuss, divulge, and/or disclose PII only to persons within the DC Soccer Club organization directly concerned with the program and/or having a need to know
    • Dispose of documents containing personal information when the information is no longer needed (e.g., delete e-mails, shred papers, and never place health forms or other sensitive materials in the trash)
    • Report any breach of data security to DC Soccer Club (e.g., laptop being stolen with team roster information), and work with DC Soccer Club personnel to implement appropriate corrective actions to contain the breach and prevent recurrence

    Policy Enforcement

    All DC Soccer Club employees, contractors, volunteers, and members must comply with this policy. Violations of this policy will result in corrective action including disciplinary action or dismissal when appropriate. Any DC Soccer Club coach or manager who does not adhere to this policy will be considered in violation of DC Soccer Club policy and/or subject to disciplinary action by the DC Soccer Club Board of Directors. Any parent/guardian who does not adhere to this policy will be considered in violation of the DC Soccer Club Parent Code of Conduct and/or subject to disciplinary action by the DC Soccer Club Board of Directors.


    Policy Resources

    • GSA Rules and Policies - Protecting PII - Privacy Act 
    • Employees, contractors, volunteers, and members of DC Soccer Club may arrange to access and use the DC Soccer Club shredder during office hours (10:00am - 4:00pm Monday-Friday)
    • DC Soccer Club staff is available to discuss questions about this PII policy

  • Inclement Weather Policy

    The safety of our players, parents, coaches, and other volunteers is paramount in any weather situation. DC Soccer Club recognizes that severe weather experienced while on fields training (including, but not limited to, lightning, extreme heat, and extreme cold) can affect player safety, and the club is committed to implementing safe practices to minimize such risk.  

    DC Soccer Club's Inclement Weather Policy is based on guidelines set forth by U.S. Soccer in conjunction with data provided by WeatherBug, a full-service mobile and online weather application. This policy provides the basis for changes or cancellations to DC Soccer Club activities based on actual or potential severe weather conditions.


    DC Soccer Club staff will follow this policy when determining whether club trainings, tryouts, or other events should be modified or cancelled due to actual or potential extreme weather conditions.


    This policy applies to training sessions, camps, clinics, tryouts, games and other activities over which DC Soccer Club staff have governance authority. For Travel league games and tournaments, the relevant league or the referee is responsible for cancelling for weather reasons.


    COLD WEATHER GUIDELINES

    DC Soccer Club staff will use Wind Speed and Temperature provided by the WeatherBug App to determine Wind Chill Temperature Index (WCT) on the U.S. Soccer chart.


    Actual or predicted WCT at the scheduled time of activities will determine the Recommended Action. DC Soccer Club will use these charts to determine practice modifications or cancelations. Practice will be held when WCT falls in the green, yellow, and orange zones. Activities will be modified, moved indoors, or canceled when the WCT falls in red and black zones.


    HOT WEATHER GUIDELINES

    DC Soccer Club staff will use Relative Humidity and Temperature provided by the WeatherBug App to determine Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) on the U.S. Soccer chart.


    Actual or predicted WBGT at the scheduled time of activities, as charted above, will determine the Alert Level on the chart below. DC Soccer Club will use these charts to determine practice modifications or cancelations. Practice will be held when WBGT falls in the green, yellow and orange zones. WBGT in red and black zones will warrant DC Soccer Club activities to be modified, moved indoors, or canceled. Note: given the geographic location of Washington, D.C., all DC Soccer Club activities will be determined on the Category 3 guidelines on the chart seen on the map below.


    LIGHTNING AND/OR THUNDER

    Lightning and severe weather pose a threat to player health and safety. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), there is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area, and if you hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm. In consideration of this advice, DC Soccer Club policy is as follows:


    If a coach, manager, parent/guardian, athlete, or other individual sees lightning, or hears thunder, that person shall immediately notify the coach, and the coach is required to:


    • Suspend the outdoor activity; and
    • Direct all players to seek a safe shelter* location for at least 30 minutes from the last time lighting is seen or thunder is heard.

    Coaches and managers should download the free WeatherBug App lightning detector app, which may help track when lighting might be near. Anytime the app denotes lightning within ten (10) miles, all outdoor activities should cease immediately.


    Safe Shelter: According to the NWS, safe shelter is either a substantial building (one with plumbing and wiring such as a home, school, church, office building, indoor concourse or recreation center) or a fully enclosed metal-topped vehicle such as a hard-topped car, minivan, bus, etc. Unfortunately, many of the fields used by DC Soccer Club do not have access to substantial buildings for safe shelter. 


    Therefore, while DC Soccer Club coaches, managers, and management have the best intentions for the safety of our players, parents/guardians are reminded that they are ultimately responsible for ensuring players have access to a safe vehicle during outdoor activities. 


    Parents/guardians should ensure that a responsible person with a safe vehicle remains at the field if/when there is a risk of severe weather forming.


    Other Possible Reasons for Schedule Changes or Cancellation

    At their discretion, DC Soccer Club staff may cancel practice, including, but not limited to, individual team trainings in the winter months. Any DC Soccer Club club-wide decision about field use supersedes any coach’s decision. Some reasons coaches or DC Soccer Club staff might cancel scheduled activities include, but are not limited to:


    Frozen Surface: If the playing surface is frozen and/or contains blocks of snow and/or ice, activities may be cancelled.

    Severe Flooding and Road Closures: In the event of severe flooding and road closures, activities may be cancelled.


    Field Closures

    DC Soccer Club uses fields managed and operated by the DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR), Montgomery County, schools, and other private organizations and will follow the operating policies and procedures established by each institution with respect to severe weather. Playing on a field that has been closed by the field owner/manager is strictly prohibited and is considered a violation of DC Soccer Club policy.


    Notifications and Communication

    DC Soccer Club staff will make best efforts to communicate modifications and cancellations ninety (90) minutes in advance of a scheduled activity, in accordance with the above policies; however, staff may cancel activities, should fields be closed or weather conditions change and present safety risks to participants prior to or during scheduled activities.


    DC Soccer Club or its coaches will make best efforts to communicate cancellations by sending emails/alerts via the PlayMetrics platform to affected players, coaches, managers, and/or teams. 


    For DC fields managed by DPR, participants can sign up for email and text alert notifications by going to their website.


    Policy Enforcement

    Any coach who does not follow the Severe Weather Policy will be in violation of the Coach’s Code of Conduct and subject to disciplinary action. Any parent/guardian who does not adhere to this policy will be considered in violation of the DC Soccer Club Parent/Guardian Code of Conduct and/or subject to disciplinary action. Any player who does not adhere to this policy will be in violation of the DC Soccer Club Player Code of Conduct, which may result in disciplinary action.


    Additional Weather Resources