Final Score Magazine
Mass Youth Soccer
Where Every Experience Tells a Story
MISSION
VISION
To serve, educate, and provide safe soccer play for all. Lead, inspire & unite soccer communities to create environments that support development, encourage dreams and foster belonging.
MASSYOUTHSOCCE R FUN GROWTH
INTERGRITY
MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION WITH MORE THAN: 327 member organizations and leagues
146,000 players
25,000 coaches, administrators, and volunteers
REFLECTIONS ON THE ODP TRIP TO ITALY
Travelling with the Massachusetts Olympic Development Program to Italy was the trip of a lifetime! To have the opportunity to experience how soccer is lived and played in Italy really opened my eyes to the differences of how Europeans view soccer compared to the US. The teams we played were so very different than the opponents we play with our normal clubs back home. Their emphasis on physical conditioning, first touch, ball movement, and speed of play have given me goals to build toward as I develop my own game. Training with the Italian coaches was a great learning experience as we got to better understand the skills they emphasize to best develop their players. The AC Mazzo coach we trained with in Milan was maybe one of the best coaches I have ever worked with!
When we were not on the field, it was fantastic exploring the Italian cities and countryside with my ODP teammates and my family Exploring the Coliseum in Rome, visiting the Vatican on Easter, taking pictures holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, seeing the majestic Duomo in Florence, and shopping for gear in Milan, we had so many great experiences throughout the trip My favorite stop may have been our lunch at the Tuscan farmhouse; the food was amazing – everything was so fresh and natural The Tuscan countryside was so peaceful and calming, with olive trees and vineyards, small little towns with such cool, old architecture and the Apennines rising in the background
I think my lasting memory of Italy will be the AC Milan vs InterMilan game at the San Siro The crowd had such unbelievable passion! The game was filled with their chants, their songs, their flags and scarfs waving for all 90 minutes. It felt like the stadium was alive! It was like no professional game that I had been to before – for any sport. To see the sport of soccer produce that kind of environment made me love the game even more!
I loved my ODP experience in Italy, and I would highly recommend it to future players in the program. I got on a plane barely knowing my teammates, and I came home with such great memories and friendships from our experiences together, and I will cherish this opportunity for many years to come. Che viaggio meraviglioso!
BY: HENRY MUELLER
T O W N S E L E C T L E A G U E GRADUATION
On May 18th, the Mass Youth Soccer Town Select League recognized 81 boys and girls born in 2011 at a graduation ceremony during their season ending Spring Jamboree in celebration for their har sacrifice, and commitment within the TSL Pr and during their career within our league. Pla who are 14, officially matriculate from the pr after the spring season as the league is designed for players U9-14U. To our graduating players, we honor you and extend gratitude to your parents for their belief in our development league . On behalf of Massachusetts Youth Soccer , we wish you continued joy and happiness, and we hope that all your dreams come true.
ed the following people for outstanding contributions to the TSL:
Years Of Service
Eddie Felker - 5 Year Service Award-TSL Coach
Dag Olsen - 5 Year Service Award- TSL Coach
Outstanding Contributions To The TSL Program Over ears
Jaime Balboni & Mass Youth Soccer Marketing or Helping the TSL Share Their Story To Expand Our Blueprint - Mass Youth Soccer – In Gratitude or Helping Us Schedule Fields For All Of Our
y & Mass Youth Soccer Facilities
atitude For preparing each practice and enue for the TSL with excellence.
osthumously presented to Robert Weatherbee age, beauty, & grace he shared with SL during his life and his 5 years of service to am and the players.
Isabella Aleman
Nicholas Alepidis
Reece Anastasia
Nishant Badgujar
Jaxon Baffuto
John Ballard
Joao Victor Barbosa Almeida
Madeline Blundell
Peter Boge
Landon Bohlken
Margaret Bradford
Lucas Brady
Levi Burgess
Riley Caissey
Zachary Carr
Shane Conway
Dermot Dalton
Avery Desautels
Morgan DiGiovanni
Domenic Doherty
Brian Fallon
Kyle Finelli
Ella Foss
Hailey Gangl
Lily Gerber
Sawyer Giannattasio
Lucas Graham
Ola Guziewicz
Elena Hudson
Edward Howell
Pele Johnson
Leaysha Johnson
Eli Kaplan
Joris Kamphorst
Colton King
Sebastian Koch
Morgan Lamb
Sara Leon
Tanvi Mathura
Emily McCarthy
Shay McFeely
Gia Michaud
Chase Mobilia
Lucy Moran
Margaret Morton
Samuel Maltais
Aidan Macinta
Isham Martin
Alessia Mulligan
Charlotte Pfluegl
Jossean Perez
Manav Pillai
Anna Price
Jackson Rabb
Ilan Rahman
Paetyn Rezk
Ella Rezk
Darwin Recupero
Sarvesh Selvaraj
Julian Semeter
Zoie Shapiro
Kaleb Sintayehu
Samuel Small
Jacob Smith
Matthew Smith
Richard Stearns
Brynn Stefanek
Abbigail Stull
Crystal Tcheouafei
Nikolas Tarasov
Caleb Strauss
Sienna Valley
Mia Vazquez
Vishy Venkat
Thea Wagman
Kira Welland
Amalia Weyant
Nathan Young
Lana Yang
Tali Zykorie
SafeSport is a comprehensive program of policies, procedures, and processes created to help participants detect and report abuse and misconduct, respond to it, and prevent future occurrences through education and training.
The United States Congress (federal law) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), U.S. Soccer and Mass Youth Soccer Policy.
SafeSport Abuse Prevention Training (Yearly Requirement) - There are very few exceptions on who must complete SafeSport Abuse Prevention training, click HERE for to review those exceptions.
U.S. Center for SafeSport Reporting Requirements – There are no exceptions to this other than being the victim of abuse. Adult Participants are Mandated Reporters of Child Abuse and are also required to report all Sexual Misconduct, Prohibited Conduct, and Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy (MAAPP) violations as outlined in the U.S. Center for SafeSport 2024 Code and MAAPP. Additional important policy information is also found in the MA Youth Soccer Athlete and Participant Safety Policy
For More Information, please review the Mass Youth Soccer Reporting Abuse and Misconduct web page. or contact the Mass Youth Soccer Director of Safeguarding at mrelic@mayouthsoccer.org. CLICK HERE TO REPORT A CONCERN.
REMINDER FROM THE RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT:
IMPORTANT: Prior to participating in any Mass Youth Soccer sanctioned activities, all adult participants of Mass Youth Soccer and its Member Organizations are required to be in full compliance with all applicable Adult Participant Requirements, which can be found on the Adult Registration webpage; click HERE.
1.For a list of who must register with Mass Youth Soccer and what adult participant requirements they must meet click HERE.
The Adult Participant Requirements policy is outlined in Section 3 of the Mass Youth Soccer Policies, Procedures, and Regulations document. Please note that noncompliance may jeopardize a Member Organization's Good Standing with Mass Youth Soccer.
8 Mental Health Tips for Athletes
1.Practice daily mindfulness and meditation: It can help manage stress, enhance focus, improve overall wellbeing — and may boost athletic performance and resilience too.
How: Apps such as Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer (free) and Oak (free) are great places to start!
2.Adopt a growth mindset: View challenges as opportunities for learning. Embrace feedback. Persevere through setbacks.
How: Check out Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset” and engage in a daily “good, better, how” reflection after practice Write down what went well, what you want to do better, and how you will work toward improvement.
3.Practice self-compassion: Talk to yourself like you would talk to a good friend. Validate your emotions. Know that you are not alone — many athletes have bad days.
How: Try out some of these statements: "I'm doing the best I can right now " "I'm human, and it's okay to feel this way " "This is a tough situation, but I'm not alone." "I'm strong, resilient, and I can get through this."
4.Focus on things that you can control: Your attitude, preparation, and effort.
How: When you notice yourself focusing on something that is out of your control imagine grabbing it, acknowledging that it is out of your control, and then crumpling it up and throwing it in the nearest garbage can Then remind yourself of what is in your control in the current moment!
5.Stay connected to friends and family members who help you feel a sense of belonging and understanding.
How: Talk to trusted friends and family about challenges you are facing and openly communicate so you can get the support you need!
6.Make time for rest and recovery: Allow your body to repair and rebuild and your mind to reset so you can avoid injury and burnout.
How: Incorporate rest days, develop hobbies and activities outside of sport that bring you joy, and establish a regular sleep schedule with a calming bedtime routine
7.Be present: Use breathing and sensory grounding practices to feel the power of now. This can reduce anxiety and improve performance.
How: Explore strategies such as box breathing and the 5,4,3,2,1 strategy (name of 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch/feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and one thing you can taste)
8.Set realistic goals: Focus on your process rather than outcomes to stay motivated and positive.
How: Break long-term goals into smaller, manageable short-term or daily goals so you can see your progress
Mental health tips from Taryn Brandt, a counseling specialist in sports psychology from the Boston Children’s Hospital Sports Behavioral Health Clinic team.
WITH GOPLAY INTERNATIONAL SPORTS TOURS
TRIPHIGHLIGHTS
Milan
Guided walking tour of Milan / Piazza del Duomo
Inter Milan Women vs. Roma Women match
Serie A match: AC Milan vs.
Atalanta
Matches against local team and training session
Florence
Tuscan farmhouse lunch
Visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa
See Michelangelo’s David Walking Tour / Piazzale
Michelangelo
Matches against local team and training session
Rome
Explore the Colosseum
Hands-on pizza-making experience
Gladiator School training
Visit the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps
Matches against local team and training session
It’s a color-coded spreadsheet designed to help manage adult participant’s Risk Management requirements; for usage instructions, click HERE, scroll to the bottom and click the arrow next to “Risk Manger Support Resources and Email Templates”.
https://mayouthsoccer.org/risk-manager-information/
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