Effective: April 17th, 2026
Welcome
If you are reading this, your family is part of Cupertino FC — and we are glad you are here. This handbook covers the practical expectations for parents and players across all of our programs: competitive teams, camps, recreational training, and Adaptive Soccer. Think of it as the “how we do things” guide.
For enrollment, fees, payment, and refund policies, see our Competitive Team Enrollment Policy or Camps & Recreational Enrollment Policy. For behavioral standards, non-discrimination, and safety policies, see our Community Standards & Safety document.
Parent and Guardian Expectations
Communication
Your first point of contact for anything team-related — schedule questions, logistics, carpool coordination, game details — is your team manager. For coaching questions or concerns about your child’s development, your first point of contact is your child’s head coach.
For club-level matters (billing, registration, policy questions, complaints), contact admin@cupertinofc.org or call/text 408-673-8414.
Please respect response times. Coaches and team managers are not on call 24/7. Allow 24–48 hours for a response to non-urgent messages. For time-sensitive game-day questions, contact your team manager directly by phone or text.
Respect the Coaching Relationship
Our coaches are professional, licensed, and trained in a specific development methodology under Technical Director Bob Joyce. We ask that parents trust the coaching process, even when it is not immediately obvious why a particular decision was made.
This means: do not coach your child from the sideline during practices or games; do not approach a coach to discuss playing time, positioning, or tactical decisions immediately before, during, or immediately after a game (the “24-hour rule” — wait at least 24 hours, then request a conversation); do not instruct your child to ignore coaching direction or play differently than the coach has asked; and do not compare your child’s playing time, position, or role to another player’s in conversations with coaches or other parents.
If you have questions about your child’s development, playing time, or role on the team, schedule a time to speak with the head coach directly. These conversations are welcome and productive when they happen at the right time and in the right tone.
Attendance and Commitment
For competitive teams, consistent attendance matters. Your child’s development depends on it, and their teammates depend on them. Competitive players are expected to attend all scheduled practices and games. If your child must miss a session, notify the coach in advance — a quick text or message is fine.
We understand that school, family obligations, other activities, illness, and life in general sometimes take priority. Communicate early and honestly, and we will work with you. What we ask is that you do not commit to a competitive team if your family’s schedule does not realistically allow for consistent participation.
For camps and recreational programs, the commitment is lighter, but your child gets the most out of the experience when they attend consistently.
For Adaptive Soccer, there is no attendance requirement. Come when you can, as often as you can. Your child is welcome every session, whether it is their first or their fifteenth.
Drop-Off and Pickup
Arrive on time. Players should be at the field, dressed and ready, at the start of the scheduled session — not arriving at the start time and still putting on cleats. Pickup should be prompt at the end of the session. Coaches are not babysitters and cannot supervise children after sessions end.
For camps, check-in begins at 9:30 AM and pickup is at 1:30 PM (unless communicated otherwise). Please adhere to these times.
If someone other than the registered parent or guardian will be picking up your child, let the coach or team manager know in advance.
Medical Information and Emergencies
Make sure your child’s registration information is complete and current, especially emergency contacts, medical conditions, allergies, and medications. If your child’s medical situation changes during the season, update us immediately by emailing admin@cupertinofc.org.
If your child has a condition that a coach should be aware of during training (asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, seizure disorder, etc.), tell the coach directly at the start of the season. Do not assume this information will make it from a form to the field without a conversation.
For competitive players, California law requires that we provide you with information about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and concussions before your child participates. These resources are provided during the registration process.
Equipment
Competitive teams: players need cleats (soccer or multi-sport), shin guards, a water bottle, and their uniform kit for games. Uniform kits are purchased separately through the club at the start of the season.
Camps: cleats (or comfortable athletic shoes if your child does not own cleats), shin guards, water bottle. A Cupertino FC camp shirt is provided.
Recreational: cleats or athletic shoes, shin guards, water bottle.
Adaptive Soccer: comfortable shoes (cleats are optional), water bottle, and whatever helps your child feel comfortable.
Hydration and Sun Protection
Every player must bring a full water bottle to every session. Coaches will provide water breaks, but your child should not arrive thirsty. Sunscreen and a hat for pre- and post-session are recommended, especially during summer camps and afternoon training.
Team Group Chats and Digital Communication
Team group chats (WhatsApp, TeamSnap, or similar) are for logistics: schedules, cancellations, carpool coordination, and time-sensitive team information. They are not the place for complaints about coaching, playing time, referees, or other families. Keep group chats positive, brief, and on topic.
If you have a concern, take it to the appropriate person directly (see “How to Raise a Concern” below) — not to the group chat.
Coaches may communicate with the full team or with parents through group messages. Per our Community Standards, coaches will not privately message individual minor players without a parent or guardian included.
Social Media
We love when families share positive moments from Cupertino FC activities on social media. When posting, please be mindful of the following: do not post photos or videos of other people’s children without their parent’s permission; do not post negative commentary about coaches, referees, other players, other families, or opposing teams; and do not post content that identifies the specific location of a training session in real-time (for general safety).
Tag us @CupertinoFC — we would love to see your posts and may share them (with your permission)!
Player Expectations
Effort
We do not require perfection. We require effort. Show up, work hard, listen, and try your best. That is all any coach at Cupertino FC will ever ask of you. If you give honest effort, there is always a place for you here.
Respect
Respect your coaches. They are here because they care about your development. Listen when they speak, follow instructions, and ask questions when you do not understand.
Respect your teammates. Encourage them when they do well. Pick them up when they struggle. Never mock, exclude, or put down a teammate — on the field or off.
Respect your opponents. They are kids just like you, working hard at something they love. Compete hard, play fair, shake hands, and move on.
Respect referees. They are doing their best. Bad calls happen. Your response to a bad call says more about your character than the call says about the referee.
Respect the game. Play by the rules. Win with humility. Lose with dignity. No excuses, no shortcuts.
Sportsmanship
At Cupertino FC, how you compete matters as much as whether you win. Unsportsmanlike conduct — trash talk, deliberate fouling, arguing with referees, taunting opponents, or celebrating in a way designed to humiliate — is not tolerated. Coaches will address it on the spot, and repeated behavior will result in consequences as described in our Community Standards.
Attendance
If you commit to a competitive team, your teammates are counting on you. Attend every practice and game you can. If you cannot make it, tell your coach in advance. Consistent, unexplained absences affect your development and your team.
Taking Care of Yourself
Tell your coach if you are injured, feeling sick, dizzy, or “not right.” Do not try to play through pain to impress anyone. Your health is more important than any game or drill.
Bring water. Wear shin guards. Tie your cleats. These are your responsibilities — not your coach’s and not your parent’s.
Taking Care of Each Other
If you see a teammate being bullied — on the field, in the locker room, or online — say something. Tell a coach. Tell a parent. You do not have to solve it yourself, but do not pretend you did not see it. Looking out for each other is part of being on a team.
How to Raise a Concern
We want to hear from you when something is not right. Here is how to handle different types of concerns:
My child’s playing time, position, or role on the team: Talk to the head coach directly. Wait at least 24 hours after a game before raising playing-time concerns. Schedule a time to talk — do not ambush the coach at pickup.
A problem with another player (conflict, bullying, exclusion): Talk to the head coach. If the issue involves players on different teams or is not resolved, contact admin@cupertinofc.org.
A problem with a coach’s behavior or conduct: Contact the Club Director at admin@cupertinofc.org or 408-673-8414. You may also speak with the Director of Coaching (Pancho Tzankov).
A billing, registration, or policy question: Email admin@cupertinofc.org.
A safety concern or suspected abuse: Contact the Club Director immediately, at laeron@cupertinofc.org or 408-673-8414, or contact the Santa Clara County Child Abuse Hotline at (833) 722-5437 or local law enforcement. See our Community Standards & Safety document for full reporting guidance.
We will acknowledge your concern within 48 hours and work to resolve it as quickly and fairly as possible. We do not tolerate retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith.
A Final Note
Youth soccer is one of the best things a kid can do. It teaches them how to work hard, how to be part of something bigger than themselves, how to deal with setbacks, and how to find joy in effort. Our job — coaches and parents together — is to protect that experience. Not to make it about us, our anxieties, or our ambitions, but to make it about them.
Thank you for trusting Cupertino FC with your child. We take that trust seriously.
Cupertino Sports and Education Inc. d.b.a Cupertino FC
P.O. Box 2030, Cupertino, CA 95015