Claremont AYSO Extra 
The Claremont Wolves
in 2022-2023

About the AYSO EXTRA program

Extra is a soccer program for players who want more competitive soccer at an affordable cost, while adhering to AYSO’s emphasis on player development, guaranteed playing time, good sportsmanship, and positive coaching. 

Claremont’s Extra teams are known as the Claremont Wolves. This will be our fourth season participating in the AYSO Extra program.

As in Claremont AYSO's Core and Select programs, every player plays ¾ of every game. 

The Claremont Wolves Calendar

Practices begin August 1. 

The Fall Extra season runs from early September to early December. The season is usually 12-14 games, played on Saturdays. 

Playoffs are in January. Extra teams may play in additional leagues and tournaments through the following July.

Claremont Wolves Coaches

Our coaches are selected based on their experience, commitment to AYSO’s six philosophies, game knowledge, and their dedication as Claremont AYSO volunteers. 

Claremont Wolves coaches must complete the coaching certification appropriate for their team’s division, concussion and sudden cardiac arrest training, and AYSO Safe Haven certification. We require that they become certified Regional Referees and upgrade their badges as they qualify. We also encourage them to undertake additional training—whether it’s for coaching, refereeing, child development, or first aid.

Because the Extra season is long and everyone involved dedicates so much time and effort to these teams, we expect Claremont Wolves coaches to be among the most committed to AYSO’s 6 Philosophies - Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development. 

We have no tolerance for coach misconduct at practices or on gameday. Our coaches are important role models for our children and are Claremont’s primary representatives in our neighboring cities. We expect them to exemplify good sportsmanship.

Player Selection

Players will be evaluated at tryouts by a group of impartial coaches and trainers. They’ll be evaluated on their technical skills, technical and tactical knowledge, and speed. Our evaluators will make recommendations and teams will be selected based on those recommendations by a group of impartial coaches, division coordinators, and AYSO Board Members. 

A family’s volunteer history will have an influence on the building of Claremont Wolves teams. Consistent with AYSO’s Extra Guidelines, coaches will not control who is selected for their teams. 

Tryouts

To be considered for a Claremont Wolves team, players must attend one of our tryouts. To attend, players must pre-register online at www.claremontayso.org.

On the day of tryouts, players will be put through a series of stations designed to allow our experienced coaches and trainers to evaluate the players’ technical skills, tactical knowledge, and speed.

This Year’s Tryouts

Our offerings are based on whether we received applications from qualified coaches.

Ultimately, we decide which teams to build in any given year based on the results of the tryouts. We will try to form teams that are competitive and have a solid core of volunteer parents. 

Costs and Travel

Registration for Extra in 2022-2023 will be approximately $400. Those fees covered AYSO National fees and insurance, two sets of uniforms, Fall Extra league fees, team pictures, regional costs for equipment, referees, and trainers, as well as City fees for field use and lighting. Extra teams also carry other costs later in the year. See the discussion of tournaments below.

In the Fall Extra season, Claremont Wolves teams compete against Extra teams from other AYSO regions throughout the Inland Empire and in parts of Los Angeles. 

Half our games will be a home in Claremont and half will be away. 

Cities who have played in the Eastern Division with us are La Verne, Upland, Corona, Jurupa, Riverside, Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Hemet, Beaumont, Chino, Chino Hills, Murrieta, Perris, Moreno Valley, Menifee, Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, and Walnut. 

We also play games against teams in Los Angeles, such as Beverly Hills, Palos Verdes, Santa Monica, South Pasadena, South Redondo Beach, Torrance, and Culver City.

Tournament Costs

Claremont Wolves teams will enter between 3 to 8 tournaments throughout the year, depending on what the coaches and parents decide. Most tournaments will be in the winter and spring months. 

Teams will raise money for tournaments through additional team fees and fundraising. You can expect to pay monthly fees in the winter months. In 2021-2022, these totaled between $400 and $500. Teams often conduct simple fundraisers that cover tournament costs. If fundraising covers all or part of a team's tournament costs, parents may end up receiving a refund at the end of the season.

Eligibility

Everyone is eligible to try out for the Claremont Wolves! 

Your player can try out free of cost so long as we are holding tryouts for their division.

Players may play up a division in Extra only if Claremont is not offering a team in their division. 

Player Commitment

Playing for the Claremont Wolves is a significant, year-long commitment, comparable to playing on a club team. 

In some ways, the commitment to your Claremont Wolves team is more serious than the commitment to club. On our teams, everybody plays. That means we have to keep our rosters small. We carry just enough players so everyone can play ¾ of every game. 

That means we carry only 9 players on U10 teams, only 12 players on U11 and U12 teams, and only 14 players on U13 and older teams. You won’t find such small rosters on club teams, and you won’t get an upfront promise of playing time. 

But it also means your teammates will rely on you to show up! You’re expected to come to practices and put in the effort so you can help your team on gameday. 

We therefore ask players to make the Claremont Wolves their top athletic priority. We don’t allow players to play on an Extra team and on a club. 

Before the season begins, each player will be required to sign a Player Agreement setting out these expectations.

Family Commitment

Families of Claremont Wolves players should expect to volunteer. In addition to coaches, each team will need referees, a team manager, a treasurer, a team parent, and field maintenance personnel. Some teams have a person dedicated to organizing fundraisers.

Referees should be prepared to work toward the next badge level so help provide top-flight referee support to our other Wolves teams during home games in the Fall season and at tournaments in the winter and spring.

Family Sideline Conduct

Families of Claremont Wolves players should also expect competitive and exciting soccer. Things will get more tense than during regular AYSO play. The play will be rougher, and the stakes may feel higher. 

It’s important to remember, though, that it’s still youth soccer, the referees are still just parents volunteering their time, and, at the end of the day, the kids will remember and value many things before they think of the wins, losses, and draws.  

Family members are expected to cheer wildly in support of their teams. But they’re also expected to model good sportsmanship, treat referees and the other teams with respect, and leave coaching to the coaches. 

Before the season begins, each parent and guardian will be required to sign a Parent Agreement setting out these expectations in detail.