by Gordon Miller, VYSA Technical Director & Paul Shaw, VYSA’s
The Virginia Youth Soccer Association created this recreational newsletter, Foot Notes, to support and provide resources for recreational players, coaches, families, and member clubs throughout the year. If any members have ideas on how to improve the content shared in this newsletter, please contact Chloe Erazo at Chloe@vysa.com.
Read all about available resources for coaches, information on player health and safety, member club highlights, printable activities for players and more!
KICKING OFF A NEW RECREATION SEASON
SPRING 2024 RECREATION SEASON
It is that time again in Virginia. Cleats have been pulled out and dusted off for yet another season playing the beautiful game. Volunteers have stepped up, game schedules are set, and parents are busy signing up for post-game snacks.
The Recreational season is kicking off for most Virginia Youth Soccer Association member clubs! We can’t wait to follow along as players develop new skills, teammates turn into friends, and unforgettable memories are made—both on and off the field.
SPRING REGISTRATION
reporting referee abuse, and embodying behaviors that represent the best of us.
COACHES CORNER
Coach Development Retains Players
A recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cited that 70% of kids drop out of sports before the age of 13. At VYSA, players are the center of everything that is done on the field, and coaches play a crucial role in whether young athletes continue in the sport.
To support coaches, VYSA offers a variety of resources, including curriculum, lesson plans, formal courses, and informal clinics. One great starting point is VYSA’s free 2-hour “Coach for Community Clinic,” designed to help provide new coaches with an organizational plan. Struggling to get practice started? Finding that your players are bored or not learning? These concerns are addressed in both classroom discussions and practical on-field sessions.
The formal U.S. Soccer Grass Roots licenses are aimed at those who coach players in the various game structures, 4v4, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11. These four-hour courses consist of age-appropriate material designed specifically to give foundational information to coaches who play at those levels.
Both the Coach for Community clinics and Grass Roots license courses will enhance a coach’s knowledge on and off the field. The enjoyment of the game stems from the environment the coach creates, and as coaching theories and methodologies evolve, VYSA is always striving to improve.
VYSA’s Coaching Education team is committed to staying current, offering bi-monthly staff development for instructors and immediate access to valuable resources. Recently, U.S. Soccer Grassroots Educators met in Northern Virginia for a workshop to grow the skills of future instructors. Thank you to Lucas Cook, a VYSA Coach Educator, for leading this U.S. Soccer workshop for Grass Roots educators.
by Gordon Miller, VYSA Technical Director and Paul Shaw, VYSA Assistant Technical Director
ALEXANDRIA SOCCER ASSOCIATION C4C
COACH FOR COMMUNITY
Coach for Community (C4C) provides coaching education resources for grassroots coaches and is intended to help increase player participation and retain players and coaches. The objective is to share best practices for player development in games and training sessions and share member benefits for the host organization.
The Virginia Youth Soccer Association C4C course is a FREE 2 hour program in the course material of your choosing. You can select the 4v4, 7v7 to 9v9, or 11v11 format. The course will have a one-hour classroom portion and one hour field session.
At the conclusion of a Coach for Community event, each person that attended will receive a $25 voucher to use when registering for an In-Person Grassroots course of their choosing.
If your club would be interested in hosting this FREE educational opportunity to your recreation coaching staff, please complete our host a course form!
COACHING COURSES
UPCOMING COACHING COURSES
March 30, 2025
Coach for Community hosted by Powhatan soccer Association
LEARN MORE
April 24 - June 15
D License Course hosted by Central Virginia United
LEARN MORE
April 28 - June 22
D License Course hosted by Valley United
LEARN MORE
May 11, 2025
4v4 hosted by SW VA Rush
LEARN MORE
May 11, 2025
9v9 hosted by SW VA Rush
LEARN MORE
May 26 - July 21
D License Course hosted by Chesapeake United
LEARN MORE
June 16, 2025
7v7 hosted by Alexandria Soccer Association
LEARN MORE
June 17, 2025
9v9 hosted by Alexandria Soccer Association
LEARN MORE
Player Health & Safety Tips
Virginia Youth Soccer Association provides members with a wide array of player safety resources to ensure young athletes are prepared for injuries and stay healthy on and off the field. The Player Health & Safety section of Foot Notes will feature important articles on various topics such as injury prevention, concussion awareness, proper nutrition and more.
HEAT AND HYDRATION
Extreme heat can impact players' health and safe play Proper hydration and knowing when you need to drink are critical, to help prevent many injuries and illnesses, from muscle cramps to heat stroke. Players should drink water before, during and after a game or practice, which means coaches should make sure there is adequate water available. U.S. Soccer’s Recognize to Recover program gives players, parents, coaches and referees information and guidelines to make sure the desire to play does not cloud the decisionmaking process when it comes to evaluating environmental conditions to ensure the safety of those on the field.
RECOGNIZE
Thirst is a warning that your body is already in an early stage of dehydration. Drink when you are thirsty. Recognizing the signs of dehydration are important because the amount of water required will vary from player to player.
Dry, sticky mouth
Sleepiness or tiredness
Headache
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Rapid heartbeat
Rapid breathing
Fever
In the most serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness
recover
Add hydration breaks
Shorten practice
Practice early or late in the day when temperatures are lower
Use less-strenuous training activities during practice
Featured Program: Charlottesville TOPSoccer
John Schlenker, VYSA TOPSoccer Chair piedmonttopsoccer@gmail.com
All children can benefit from the exercise, energy release, and pure enjoyment of playing sports. Participating in sports can help boost self-confidence, manage weight, and improve skills in relationship building and working as part of a team.
However, there were absolutely no opportunities for children with cognitive and physical disabilities to play soccer in Charlottesville, so in March of 2024, Katie Kenny, Zayan Meah, and, Tyler Rynne decided to tackle this problem
Together, they founded Charlottesville TOPSoccer. In partnership with USYS TOPS and CASC, the program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl in Charlottesville who has special needs.
Now entering their third season, Charlottesville TOPSoccer continues to grow, with 12 registered players and over 15 dedicated Buddies. Their goal is to involve as many people as possible, thus providing volunteers with rewarding service experiences while increasing access to inclusive sports for children in Charlottesville.
“[My son] had the opportunity to play with TOPSoccer this past fall and had the most fantastic experience As a parent of a child with special needs and former coach and educator myself, I was impressed with the coaches' and buddies' positive attitudes, organization of every practice, individual approach to every child, and communication throughout. It is our goal to give our son every experience a child should have regardless of their abilities and TOPSoccer provided a better experience than we could have ever imagined !” – Stacey Gearhart, a Charlottesville TOPSoccer Parent
PROMOTING SOCCER IN SCHOOLS
A Partnership with VYSA and Sterling Soccer Club
Encouraging Health, Fighting Obesity, Drugs, and Violence, and Fostering Community Building and Engagement.
Sterling Soccer Festival held to Promote Soccer in Schools
The Vision and Mission
The Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) has long been a stalwart in promoting the beautiful game of soccer among the community's youth VYSA’s mission goes beyond merely teaching the skills and techniques of the game; it extends to nurturing a healthy and robust community spirit This year, VYSA is thrilled to partner with Sterling Soccer Club (SC) in an initiative to reach out to the schools and community's young boys and girls
Soccer, Combating Obesity, Drugs, and Violence
One of the primary goals of this partnership is to address significant societal issues such as obesity, drug abuse, and violence. Students engaging in sports like soccer are less likely to fall into the traps of unhealthy behaviors. The structured environment of a soccer team provides them with a sense of belonging and purpose, steering them away from negative influences We all know Studies have shown that kids engaging in sports do well in school
Furthermore, soccer instills a sense of discipline and respect for the rules These values are critical in combating drug abuse, violence, and school attendance The camaraderie and support system within a soccer team can often serve as a buffer against peer pressure and other negative influences
Working together creates an environment where young people thrive, not just as athletes and students but as responsible, healthy, and engaged members of society.
VYSA & ALEXANDRIA SOCCER ASSOCIATION
‘SOCCER IN SCHOOL’
INITIATIVE IS SELECTED
BY U.S. SOCCER
Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) and Alexandria Soccer Association (ASA), in partnership with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), were recently awarded an Innovate to Grow grant from US Soccer. Funded for three years and beginning this fall, ASA and VYSA will launch “Soccer IN School” the program will bring a two week soccer unit to every second grade physical education (PE) class in the ACPS district For the coming year, all 1,360 second grade students will participate in this groundbreaking program which includes:
Soccer training with professional U.S. Soccer licensed coaches
Introduction to referees and rules of the game by U.S. soccer referees
Professional player appearances
PE Teacher training by US Soccer coaching educators
A “Soccer Skills Challenge” take home packet including a soccer ball and jersey
ASA’s Outreach & School Programs Manager Johnatan Nunez partnered with the ACPS Health & PE Instructional Specialist, Kristin Donley, to develop the program Soccer IN School integrates U.S. Soccer curriculum with the Physical Education Standards of Learning for second grade students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The goals are to improve school day attendance and test scores, foster a love for the game, and get kids involved in soccer outside of school. Donley notes, “This partnership will be a valuable asset, supporting skill-focused instruction in the PE setting where both teachers and students reap benefits. Anytime you can enhance a unit of instruction by bringing in experts it increases student engagement and makes learning the unit more fun Additionally, this program will foster a social emotional perspective as students learn how to show good sportsmanship and work as a team”
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