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ABYSA BY THE NUMBERS
From May 2010-May 2011… 5,010: Total children participants Number 3,338: particiof leagues pants in Recreation program 304: participants in Challenge/Academy program 814: participants in Outreach program 295: soccer players in summer camp program 545: players on 36 teams in Classic program 187: players in total children adult recreation and adult program participants 1,095: number of players in Asheville Buncombe Adult Soccer Association program 14: number of years a child could participate if he or she played from youngest to oldest levels soccer balls 14: number of bought per year soccer fields used at John B. Lewis Soccer Complex on Azalea Road 11: number of fields used at the Buncombe County Sports Park in Candler. Many: soccer balls kicked into the Swannanoa River
6,160
SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT
ABYSA’s Soccer in Schools program teaches thousands of children about the game each year. the organization has done Soccer in the Schools, where an ABYSA coach helps lead an area school’s gym class for a week. “It’s trying to reach kids who otherwise would not participate in sports activities,” Rottjakob said. “It’s our mission to serve kids and provide them healthy sports activities. Kids who participate in team sports are much more likely to exercise as adults, so we’re really also trying to do our part to address long-term health issues.” ABYSA also has a financial aid program that has doled out more than $70,000 during the current fiscal year to help underprivileged children play soccer. Children who might have problems getting to a soccer game because of transportation issues can participate through outreach programs that bring the soccer to children, Rottjakob added. “We really want to serve the whole community, not just those kids whose
1,225
parents can walk in here and write a check,” Rottjakob said. “We don’t want only to be known as big, but to be known as compassionate, to be known as concerned, and that we’re really making an effort to serve the entire community.” Kim Bava and her family moved to WNC from Florida when the oldest child, Daniel, was about 13. Daniel is now 27 and is one of eight Bava children — five girls and three boys — who have
W N C PA R E N T. C O M
4,335: uniforms bought per year 1,750: practice T-shirts bought per amount of year financial aid 3,415: games for 2010 played per year among all divisions 100: number of referees 300+: number of games coached by Kim Smith, who has coached the most games and is still active 42: schools in Buncombe and Madison counties served through Soccer in the Schools 21,000: number of children served in Soccer in the Schools during 2010-11 tournaments 1,332: hours of hosted in 2010 instruction from Soccer in Schools during 2010-11 school year 4,757: hotel rooms booked because of tournaments More than $2.7 million: estimated economic impact from tournaments 11: full-time employees estimated 41: part-time volunteer hours paid coaches per year 380: volunteer recreation coaches per year
$72,861
7
44,700
participated in ABYSA over the years, the most of any family. “We were driving by one day and saw kids out there playing soccer, and I said, ‘Wow, they have soccer up here,’ ” Kim Bava said of how she first learned about ABYSA. “I think it’s a really good organization that strives to have a positive atmosphere for the kids, and they really encourage good behavior and sportsmanship.”
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