It’s VCL time!

So you’ve made the squad, you’ve been through weeks of training and you’ve finally memorised the names of all your new team mates... So what do you do next? You play your first game of course!

This Sunday the VCL finally kicks off and now you have the chance to strut your stuff and put all the things you’ve learnt so far into practice. Everyone involved in the VCL, from coaches and referees to players all around the state are buzzing to get started and we’re sure you are too – so we’ve put together this weekly email to let you know exactly what’s going on this season.

What’s new?

Whether you are an experienced campaigner or a first time player in the VCL, now is the time to introduce you to some new initiatives that will come into play this year.

This season you will get to play more games, which is what we know you love most about the VCL! The Championshipseries has been swapped for an extra gala round this year so that means means more players playing more games, which will add to your development as a player and help you to fulfil your potential!

There will also be new ways to earn competition points for your team – technical and respect points.

Respect points are all about respecting the match officials and your opposition. Don’t argue decisions, be good sports and play fair and you will be contributing points for your team on the ladder! An extra 20 points per season is available for respect, that’s the equivalent of more than six and a half wins! So be a good sport and you’ll scoring goals without even having to put the ball in the net :)

On the other hand, your team will lose points if players show poor behaviour, so do the right thing by the referee, and you will be doing the right thing for your team.

Another 40 points will also be available in technical points. Attempting to play out from the back, good support play, having width, transition into defence, positioning and attempting to keep possession are all things your team can be awarded points for. Don’t worry about making mistakes – as points are giving simply for attempting these things and not giving up!

The VCL is about making you the best player you can be, not about teams winning – so if you can concentrate on your skills, your attitude and following your coach’s instructions, you will be the ultimate winner!

There are 28 scouts watching you in action this season, so do your best to impress! All of them have at least a C Licence and 19 of them have a B or A licence. So they know their stuff and can't wait to see you play!

Gala Weekends

A popular fixture in last season’s calendar, this time around we will have four gala weekends with every team playing in two. The gala weekends are your first taste of being a professional football player, having to travel to new areas and staying overnight with your team.

For metro based players, it's also a great chance to see what country football can be like. Our friends in regional zones sometimes travel for four hours just to get to training!

Professional footballers get the exciting job of travelling all around the world when they play for their team, staying in team hotels and experiencing new things, and this is your chance to experience what it is like to make a living out of sport, being able to go on team trips and feeling like a sports star.

The gala weekends will be held during Rounds 8 (Mildura), 9 (Shepparton), 14 (Gippsland) and 15 (Geelong).

They will each go for Saturday and Sunday, with your team playing two games. Get excited!

Useful Links

Rules of the VCL – as a general note, rules are usually important, so read all about them here.

Technical Points – the official document which lets you know how technical points are handed out.

Respect Points – the other official document, this one lets you know how respect points are handed out.

GDT – what happens when there is bad behaviour on or off the pitch. Good behaviour is expected from players, coaches and spectators.

Season Launch – the online article which went on our website launching the VCL.

Don’t forget to Self Register

All players need to self-register in order to play in this year's VCL. Every zone’s registration process is slightly different, so if you haven’t done so already, get in contact with your zone administrator and they’ll give you a ‘how-to’ guide. Winning!

Volunteers

Are you or your parents keen to help your zone? All 12 zones are looking for more volunteers to help during game days and in the running on the zone. Many hands make light work, so the more volunteers the better. Don’t leave it up to someone else, contact your zone today!

See if you can find us on Facebook

Hint: we’re right here. ‘Like’ us on Facebook to keep up to date on all things VCL. Feel free to post any photos of you and your team on wall, write some match reports or simply say hello!

If you or your parents have taken photos or videos of you in action, we would love to see them. Any content you have, encourage your parents to post them on Facebook or email it to us by clicking here.

Also, keep an eye out for articles that may appear in your free local papers! If you find and article scan and email it to us by clicking here! With so many papers out there, we can't keep track of them all so we need your help!

Don’t forget out Twitter and Youtube accounts too!