The initial roster for the U16 Regional Club Championships on May 9/10 in Virginia Beach has been confirmed and is listed below. Please note the following key points:

• The total cost for this tournament is between $175-$225; depending on how many more practices we can add on Astro-turf
• Deposits paid by players who have not been named either in the squad or as an alternate will be returned in the coming days. 
• Players named as alternates are invited to practice with the teams as often as they wish. This is something we encourage for developmental purposes and to help players understand the tactical info that will be used again and built on at future tournaments.
• Players named as alternates may subsequently be asked to participate in the tournament in the event of injury, unavailability or ill-discipline necessitating the replacement of a player from the original squad, or if their form at practice warrants their inclusion. 
• Alternates may also be asked to attend the RCC tournament as non-playing reserves, ready to step in to cover injuries or suspensions at the tournament itself. If a player is asked to fulfill this role, they will not be expected to pay for the tournament.
• If you wish to discuss selection decisions or get feedback from your coach, please follow the club rules pertaining to feedback, evaluations and conflict. 
• As per the tournaments section of our members guide, the U16 RCCs is a performance tournament. This is a highly competitive tournament with qualification for a national championship on the line, and is the only competition we participate in each year where no playing time is guaranteed.  All players must earn their time on the field and be willing to put the interests of the team first. Each family will have their own ways of supporting a child who does not see as much playing time as she would like, but our advice is to frame it as an opportunity to show resilience in the face of adversity. In the short-term (e.g. at the tournament itself) that might mean working through personal disappointment and continuing to support your team-mates. Longer-term, we encourage players to initiate conversations with coaches about what they can do to  get better, but it is more constructive to see this as a goal of constant improvement rather than framing it around "what can I do to get more playing time".
• Before, during or immediately after a game/tournament is not, in our experience, usually a productive time for a parent or player to confront a coach about playing time when emotions can be running high on both sides. Once again, we ask that you please follow the club rules pertaining to feedback, evaluations and conflict.