Kicking off the weekend, WSYSA President Doug Andreassen established the purpose of the Summit; “WSYSA is here to listen, listen, and listen some more. We are looking at our structure and programs from top to bottom, nothing is immune. Change is overdue and we want your input.” He further stated, “We must return the common sense to soccer.”
Mediated by various WSYSA Board members, day one focused on key issues related to Select Clubs and Recreational Soccer. From the lively discussion early on, it became clear that the significant topics for those in attendance were the PDL (Premier Development League) and CYL (Commissioners Youth League). Extensive conversation continued as distinct differences in club and association infrastructure ultimately lead to the realization that many of these groups faced the same challenges and issues. As discussion continued, the lack of a solid understanding of league definitions and communication across all organizational levels became central themes of the day.
With 80% of WSYSA’s participants falling under the recreational umbrella, the recreational meeting in the afternoon was well attended with the majority of the guests remaining from the morning discussion. Similar to challenges faced around the country, WSYSA associations discussed their frustrations with recreational player retention, opportunities for play at the older levels, player passes, coaching education for the novice coach, the extensive amount of rules and field limitations.
As the day continued, members were also treated to a special power-point presentation by WSYSA’s new Diversity Committee. Citing staggering statistics, Committee members touched on the need for an inclusive multi-cultural youth soccer program and the steps being taken by WSYSA to fulfill the promise of making soccer “the game for all kids”.
Lead by influential community members, the Diversity Committee is currently reviewing ways to best integrate players of different cultures and ethnicities into the WSYSA organization. This complex issue not only brings into account WSYSA’s infrastructure from the club level up, but also addresses the challenges caused by the state’s extremely diverse population, geographical limitations, and financial accessibility. With their goal of starting small in order to create a successful model that can be administered state-wide, the Diversity Committee will initially focus on reaching out to the large Hispanic population and then expand their efforts to incorporate other ethnic groups in the youth soccer system. With complete WSYSA backing and support, the Diversity Committee’s promotional endeavors will soon have a constant presence within the state’s communication outlets including the web site and Play On! publication.
To end the first day, WSYSA hosted an invitation only working dinner that included state Board members, committee chairs, and association presidents. The discussion led by WSYSA President Doug Andreassen and Executive Director Todd McGann was a result of discussions that occurred at the Association Presidents session during Soccer Fair, in April 2007, asking for more communication with the BOD. It was at dinner that WSYSA leadership took the opportunity to reinforce the weekend’s theme of “listen, listen, and listen some more,” and encouraged discussion and answered numerous questions from the membership.
On the second day of the Summit, WSYSA welcomed attendees from all across the state, including Directors of Coaching; all of whom wanted to address concerns at the Premier Club level. Dave Schumacher, WSYSA Director of Coaching, led the open forum by stating, “the game is changing; coaching is becoming professional. Coaches and administrators need to work in concert for the betterment of the game.”
With that, the group covered an array of issues including player movement, the PDL, USSF’s new Academy Program, club passes, the soccer calendar, judicial and appeal challenges, the Olympic Development Program (ODP), and the State Cup. Due to the multitude of ideas that were generated during the initial discussion, WSYSA separated the participants into break-out sessions to address the four priority topics as decided by the group – Disciplinary/Judicial, Player/Parent Contracts, the Soccer Calendar, and Club Player Passes.
Each group was allocated an hour to collaborate and provide WSYSA with suggestions on how to improve issues relating to their topic and provide potential action items for consideration. Thanks to the extensive soccer backgrounds and experience of the attendees, the subsequent presentations reflected positive and sweeping ideas for change in an effort to strengthen the development of youth soccer throughout Washington.
As the Soccer Summit concluded, the WSYSA Board Members, motivated by the ideas that stemmed from the weekend, convened an emergency Board meeting. As a result, the WSYSA Board unanimously approved the Club Pass proposal presented by the task force. By approving the Club Pass proposal, WSYSA recognized the shared importance of player mobility and development and therefore will adopt this pilot program, effective immediately for the PDL Program’s 07-08 soccer season. Complete details will be released to the membership about the Club Pass in the upcoming weeks.
“Soccer Summit 2007 was a huge success,” exclaimed WSYSA Executive Director Todd McGann. “Our goal at the state level was to listen to those most affected and open up the lines of communication at all levels. The great ideas that came out of this weekend will be the basis for helping WSYSA shape the future of youth soccer here at home and ultimately improve our programs for these young athletes regardless of the level they play at.”
Comprehensive details and discussion notes from Soccer Summit 2007 will be posted to the WSYSA web site at www.wsysa.com shortly. Based on its inaugural success, the next Soccer Summit is currently being planned for this winter. Event details will be announced as they become available.
For additional information, please contact Todd McGann at Washington State Youth Soccer Association, 253-476-2237 x.105.
