Fall Season 2007
WELCOME BACK

Welcome back to AYSO Region 1046 soccer!

I hope you have enjoyed your first week of games.

Schedules have been posted to www.ayso1046.org under the TEAMS tab.

We will have 10 weeks of soccer, with the final games played on November 17th, the weekend before Thanksgiving Holiday.

Before anything else, I want to remind you that PHOTO DAY is September 29th. Keep in mind that the photo package is included as part of your registration fee.

In this newsletter please read all about:

Scroll down for more details!

Many volunteers are working hard to make this season a success. Please consider joining us, we can use all the help you can offer.

D-BACKS YOUTH SOCCER NIGHT

Tuesday, Sept. 18 - 6:40 p.m. at Chase Field
Arizona D-Backs vs. San Francisco Giants

AYSO players and teams wearing their uniform jerseys will have an opportunity to participate in a pre-game on-field parade at Chase Field. Coaches will be asked to wear their coach jerseys. It should be great fun!

Discount tickets are available. The D-Backs will donate $2.00 for every ticket sold, back to the region. Click here for details and order form.

Ticket orders must be placed by Sept. 11, 2007

Each Team Parent should collect their team's order by Sept.10th. This includes collecting the checks (made out to AYSO 1046) or cash payments. Then each Team Parent should send an email containing the details of their order to the region's Team Parent Coordinator, Stephanie Butler, tpc@ayso1046.org.

Stephanie will work with each team to collect the funds and distribute the tickets.

The AYSO Philosophies of…Why have them?

By John Ouellette
AYSO National Coach

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!
HOST A BRITISH SOCCER TRAINER

We have arranged for UK International to provide our region with three coaches to help us with training. The idea is not only for the kids to have fun with British coaches, but for our coaches to learn how to combine fun with effective skills development. The trainers will work with our teams during their normally-scheduled practices.  They will be here from Monday, September 24 through Saturday, October 6, 2007.

If you would like to host one of these coaches for one week while they are here, please email rc@ayso1046.org. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about a foreign culture and spend some time with a crazy Brit!  Week one will be six nights from Monday 9/24 through Saturday 9/29.  Week two will be six nights from Sunday 9/30 through Friday 10/5.  Family assignments will be made on a first-come first-served basis.

THANK YOU CITY OF PHOENIX & CITY OF TEMPE
PARKS AND RECREATION DEPTS.

We are grateful to the City of Tempe and City of Phoenix field managers for allowing AYSO to use their fields at Pecos Park and Tempe Sports Complex. Without the generous support of these departments, a larger portion of our annual budget would go to paying for practice space, game space and lighting.

Keep in mind that we are guests on these facilities. Obey all signs (specially parking signs); arrive early to find a parking spot; and help keep the facilities clean by picking up any litter that may be left behind. Pets are NOT allowed on Kyrene School Property. Observe posted signs at City Parks regarding pets.

A special THANK YOU to the many coaches that picked up after their teams last weekend; parents we can do better.

ADDITIONAL DATES TO KEEP IN MIND:

September 2007:
            Thu 6 to Sat 8 – Soccer Games Begin!
            Tue 18 – D-Backs Youth Soccer Night (order tickets by September 11, 2007)
            Sat 29 – Photo Day
October 2007:
            Mon 8 to Sat 13 – Kyrene Schools Fall Break – No Soccer
            Thu 25 to Sat 27 – Silent Soccer Games
November 2007:
            Sat 3 – Photo Makeup Day
            Mon 12 – Veteran’s Day Holiday
            Sat 17 – Soccer Games End
            Thu 22 – Thanksgiving Day Holiday

Please keep in mind that these dates are subject to change.
For the most up-to-date calendar please go to www.ayso1046.org and click on the Calendar tab.

U14G TOURNAMENT TEAM
SELECTED FOR HAWAII NATIONAL GAMES

In keeping with its philosophies of Everyone Plays, AYSO National Games teams are Randomly Selected from all the regions around the country and participate in a six-day tournament where sportsmanship and fun are emphasized. AYSO National Games are held every two years. The next games will be in Hawaii in 2008.  Region 1046 has been selected to send one U14G team.

Tryouts for the U14G and other tournament teams will be held sometime in October; stay tuned....

VIP PROGRAM SEEKS PLAYERS

AYSO VIP program provides a quality soccer experience for children - and adults - whose physical or mental disabilities make it difficult to successfully participate on mainstream teams.

 

VIP teams may include those who are

These kids are Very Important Players (VIP) in AYSO. We recognize that all children need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance. The VIP program offers that acceptance and carries our philosophy of Everyone Plays® to new heights - giving everyone a chance to play.  Please contact our VIP director, John Mills, vipdir@ayso1046.org, for more information.

SILENT SOCCER

Once again this year, we will practice “Silent Soccer”. During all U12, U14, U16, and U19 games scheduled Thursday - October 25 through Saturday – October 27.

Only the players and referees will be allowed to say anything out loud during the entire game. Parents are only allowed to clap to acknowledge good play. Coaches are asked to sit in a chair and are allowed to chat with their substitute players on the sidelines.

U6 and U8 teams are asked to implement a “Silent Second Quarter” and the U10s are asked to do a “Silent Second Half”.

Experience we’ve had doing this in the past is best captured by the following lessons learned by AYSO Region 88 when they did Silent Soccer:

What we learned from Silent Soccer

Maybe you loved it. Maybe you hated it. But Silent Soccer proved to be a huge success, and we can learn some great lessons to make our program even better and helpful to our children.

The bottom line is: "What is the best sideline behavior to support and develop our kids through soccer?"

Think about this: Parents and teachers do what they can to prepare for their children for tests, but once the test begins, we don't hover over their shoulder yelling, "pick A, pick C, the answer is 16, Gettysburg Address, etc". Sure, with our help, they might get a better grade...hopefully..., but they wouldn't have to think at all and they would suffer from that. There is no difference in soccer. The kids learn in practice. The game is the test...albeit a fun test.

Great things we saw from Silent Soccer:

  1. It gave the kids a chance to just go out and play. Coaches and parents were not micro-managing and dictating every play of the game, so players were making their own decisions...right or wrong.
  2. We also saw players talking to each other more often and helping teammates out.
  3. No one screamed at the referees.
  4. Most importantly, the entire weekend, including an article in the LA Times, everybody was discussing appropriate sideline behavior and how involved should coaches and parents be during their child's sporting event. (see below)

Side effects we saw from Silent Soccer.

  1. The inability to cheer for great plays and goals was really no fun. Applause was nice, but left out the emotion of the sport.
  2. Coaches could not make minor changes, such as player positions, or alter strategy.
  3. Games were a bit subdued due to the quiet nature of the game.

Overall, Silent Soccer made us all think a bit about our sidelines behavior.

One disturbing trend we did notice was the coaches/parents who WON were happy with Silent Soccer and they were proud as they believe they had fully prepared their teams to win. The coaches/parents who LOST usually felt like they had no control and if they could have been involved, their team "definitely" would have won.

The truth is somewhere in between, and Silent Soccer gave us the opportunity to remember that AYSO really is for the kids, and we need to look deep and see if how we act is really best for our children.

FINAL WORDS FROM COACH TOMÁS

When I volunteered for this position over two and one-half years ago, I never imagined that it would be so much fun, and so much work. The phrase "AYSO = All Your Saturdays Occupied" has never been more true.

I took on the job believing that if no one volunteered, this great program would not continue, and my three daughters would have to look elsewhere for their soccer kicks. Now my term will expire in December, and I realize that I will miss this job when I’m done. I will especially miss all of you who are so generous with your time and talent; who help just by being asked.

I ask for your assistance in finding a replacement and keeping this region strong and growing.

I invite you to volunteer as a coach, team parent, referee, board member, or tournament committee member to help make this season a wonderful one. If you would like to spend a little time making a big difference, please email me at rc@ayso1046.org. 

I look forward to meeting you on the field and chatting about our Region.

Have a Great Season!

Tomás Guerra
Regional Commissioner
AYSO 1046
Ahwatukee * Tempe * Chandler
www.ayso1046.org
rc@ayso1046.org