| The Case for Leaving CYSA...."most “recreational” players are sentenced to a lifetime of mediocrity" |
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| on 10 Sep 2008 | |
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The Case for Leaving CYSA
“Grassroots football needs qualified leaders, at the political, administrative and technical levels.”
Uefa Grassroots Charter
"Football associations that are serious about the game's health and growth are duty-bound to promote mass participation and interest…Grassroots football, which acts as a vehicle for social integration, health and happiness, is the aim. As a by-product, talents will emerge. In Brazil, a love of the ball, expression through small-sided games, and the sheer joy of playing have been cultivated to such an extent that football passion and creativity have become part of the nation's DNA.
Andy Roxburgh – Uefa Technical Director Who Should Run Competitive Youth Soccer? There are many competitive youth soccer clubs and leagues under the CYSA umbrella. The problem is they are ruled by the CYSA state organization. Within the state organization lies many of the problems. There are many rules and restrictions which affect the competitive clubs ability to develop players. Often many of the leaders of the state organization are at odds with the competitive clubs and the competitive clubs voice is rarely heard. The culture of CYSA does not encourage feedback from those most interested in the product on the field – the coaches and competitive clubs. Instead the culture encourages advancement through agreement. Those who disagree with the current culture or those who would offer different points of view are often not invited to the table. For this reason CYSA currently finds itself as one of the most backward of all of USYSA soccer organizations. Who should be in charge of of California Soccer?
"Grassroots and voluntary work is absolutely essential for the élite, and sometimes this can be forgotten…..Without the grassroots, the élite would be absolutely nothing. If the work was not done in the grassroots, football would not be the most popular sport in the world."
Andy Roxburgh European Union Coaching Director We believe those most passionate about soccer have a duty to spread the world’s game to more people. There are two primary reasons underlying this belief. The most important reason is the benefits a high level activity provides to the youth involved. Study after study show youth with involvement in a high level activity have better grades, better health, higher self esteem and are less likely to engage in the taking of drugs and alcohol. We believe more of our youth should be encouraged to be involved in a high level activity – any physical activity - and soccer is a great choice, especially, because it promotes and leads to bodily health as well. The second reason passionate soccer people have a duty to spread soccer is their own Club’s progress and health. If you are a board member, coach, manager or a parent you have a duty to help your Club make progress towards a brighter future for more players. A great way to help your Club make this progress and remain healthy is to invest in your base. Every Club in youth soccer deals with dropout as players, especially recreational players, become older. We believe you cannot count on CYSA to provide a quality program which will properly promote soccer to our recreational youngster players. If this were ever going to happen, they would have been encouraging more competitive “learning” teams because it is common knowledge that the drop numbers among competitive players is much lower than among the recreational players. If it is to be done, the passionate soccer people and Clubs must nurture and develop their base to include more well trained players. Young people, or older, do not usually drop out of activities they enjoy and in which they are proficient! If a club does not promote a greater involvement with soccer to its base, players ages 4 to 10 – who will? If it is clear that offering soccer for 2-3 months a year sentences kids to mediocrity and promotes drop out, soccer clubs must act. CYSA has provided soccer programs for years. There are many volunteers who deserve to be recognized for their contributions to the welfare of our youth. However the present culture in CYSA creates a situation in which their leaders are seemingly unwilling to move into the future. The grassroots has been turned over to parent volunteers, many wonderful people, but are they passionate soccer people who can “ cultivate” a love for the game and develop “ football passion and creativity” which would allow it to “become part of the nation's DNA.” For this reason, we believe the next step for Competitive Soccer Clubs is to leave CYSA and move into the younger age groups by providing grassroots leagues for players in their area. We believe clubs must not only do this - they must do so quickly. Clubs can provide their own program for children from 4-10 if they leave CYSA. “Healthy competition”, on a worldwide scale, has brought improvement in almost every area of human endeavor. Why would youth soccer in America with grassroots soccer deviate from this basic truism that is beyond argument? While we do believe the soccer community is best served by a soccer structure which provides promotion, relegation and cooperation from a local level to a state level, we also believe clubs must grab a hold of the grassroots in their area. Let the youngsters in your area experience the world’s game first from passionate soccer people. Clubs developing using only US Club Soccer papers can form their own local leagues this spring and tap into vast number of youngsters waiting for the next fall season. Perhaps the league would offer a practice a week and a game a week or perhaps only a game a week. Anything is better than what is currently offered to many recreational soccer players during the spring – nothing! Under the current system, most so called “recreational” players are sentenced to a lifetime of mediocrity as a player because the season(s) of practice and play is so short. How can a young player be expected to become a passionate player and fan when they are expected to ignore the sport for 8 months of the year?
“Constant development of the game is imperative, and the foundation of all football growth and advancement lies in the grassroots.”
Andy Roxburgh If a competitive soccer club leaves their league they will often improve their hand because they can go to the schools, the news papers, and the parks to advertise their club without concerns of poaching. Many leagues tolerate class I soccer but do not support it. Many lower level coaches speak poorly of competitive club soccer and in fact, actively withhold players from those teams. Competitive clubs are hamstrung by a myriad of rules which keep them from really advertising their programs. At the very least they allow recreational soccer people to ingrain a negative view of competitive soccer in many people creating an uphill battle for clubs. By offering soccer more year round, without too many restrictions, Clubs can be flexible in the rules and their league format shaping their programs to match their area. A club can run it’s own 4-10 year old program. Offering three, three month seasons, with one month off would insure children could play soccer year round – if they choose to. Currently a recreational player who wanted to play soccer more than the recreational season could, in some areas, have a hard time finding an organized program. If competitive clubs offered grassroots recreational soccer, the so called “recreational player” could play enough to sharpen the skills and not stop playing just as they begin to develop competence with the ball. The clubs who register only through US Club Soccer will not need to follow the current restrictive rules on Club promotions (flyers, ads, etc.). They will be able to book fields and operate under US Clubs Soccer’s insurance. Can you imagine operating free from most restrictions facing Clubs at the present time? Of course Clubs should cooperate with neighboring Clubs to insure there is a good environment surrounding soccer. Can you imagine how many “recreational players” would become accomplished players if given the structure in which to thrive as player and fan?
"Football is not a sport for the elite……It is available for everyone, irrespective of size, shape, colour or faith. It is a real sporting democracy, which offers educational values, health benefits, social opportunities, and sporting worth. The game is a wonderful vehicle for personal and sporting development. At the base of the football pyramid, grassroots football benefits all levels of the game."
Uefa Grassroots Charter Who is watering the “Grass Roots” of Northern California Soccer? There are 200,000+ youth players in Northern California. Most are recreational players, many should be, but there are an incredible amount of youngsters who have the ability to be better – much better!. They never realize this potential because in the present soccer structure most young players never play more than 3 months a year – the length of the current recreational season. As crazy as it may seem, many youngsters are never introduced to the idea embraced by the rest of the world - playing soccer throughout the year for about nine months. Most are encouraged to play multiple sports, which may be more reasonable for baseball and football, but soccer, played with the feet, can only be mastered by first spending a significant amount of time, over a period of time, with the ball. Playing multiple sports is not a problem but taking 8 - 9 months off, between seasons, at a young age is a problem. The season should be 9 – 10 months with a 2-3 month break – it is the reverse. This 9 month break does not help develop a players ability, a lack of which, can diminish ones enjoyment of the game. Playing soccer for 3 - 4 months a year sentences kids to mediocrity in a great sport, which should be widely available year round. The short season for the recreational player robs most players, except the very talented athlete, of future competence as a soccer player. If Clubs formed their own club leagues, for players ages 4-10, through US Club Soccer they could offer more opportunities for young players to play soccer. Imagine if those players registered in your youth Clubs never read the extremely negative articles sent to them monthly in their CYSA magazine ripping competitive soccer. Imagine if your players were encouraged to move up the ladder from recreational soccer to competitive soccer. For these reasons alone, those people most passionate about soccer, the competitive soccer Clubs, should start leagues, first for player’s ages 4 - 10 and eventually for players 4 - 50. By building programs offering soccer more year round to more youngsters in their area of operation surely they can encourage players to have a greater involvement with soccer. Clubs that fail to take advantage of US Club Soccer and its league sanctioning program will fail to offer the opportunity for the world’s greatest game to be enjoyed by many more children. Passing up the opportunity to offer players even a few extra months of soccer will greatly diminish the likelihood that these youngsters will enjoy and continue to play soccer. Having passionate people involved at the base of the pyramid will insure those players are encouraged, by those who love soccer, to reach their potential in soccer.
UEFA's mission as the parent body of European football includes helping to ensure that the sport maintains a healthy grassroots – the foundation on which the élite game can thrive.
Uefa Grassroots Charter If your club is” serious about the game's health and growth” then you “are duty-bound to promote mass participation and interest “. Grab hold of your soccer future now! Benjamin Ziemer |
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