Team Thunderclouds emerges as creative sign winners for SAM Soccer’s Quiet Weekend!

Each season the SAM Soccer Recreational and Select League takes part in a Quiet Weekend to promote a better sideline environment and to allow the players a chance to communicate amongst themselves and put their learned skills to the test. The idea is to allow the players to develop without constant directions from their coaches and parents! While we recognize this goes against our natural tendencies we have had many former coaches and players express how grateful they are for this experience, many coaches implementing this strategy to this day.

This year, approximately fifteen teams entered a creative signage contest to win a pizza party for their team. The goal of this contest was to help promote our Quiet Weekend Initiative and ensure that both parents and the players enjoyed themselves! We were very pleased to see all the participants and can’t wait to see what you come up with next season! This season’s pizza party winner was the 9U Girls Thunderclouds (Pulliam/Doss) team with honorable mention awards going to the following teams:

• 9U Boys ESYDA
• 9U Girls Poolesville Pythons (Lee)
• 7U Boys Elwood
• 8U Boys Brit-Am White

A warm thanks to all coaches, managers, families, and players for participating in Quiet Weekend. It was very cool to be at the fields and hear only the sounds of the players communicating with one another and cheering on their teammates. For one weekend every season, we ask that all adults refrain from directing verbal communication to the players and referees on the fields. It’s a fantastic learning experience for both the players and the adults that hopefully carries over to the “normal” league weekends.

Thanks again to all for your Quiet Weekend participation, a vital component of our Fair Play Please Sportsmanship Program.