NEWS & NOTES: 

Registration for State Cup is now available.  The registration deadline is Friday, March 1, 2013.  Register now!   Reminder of AYSA's November 1st Policy

CLUB TOURNAMENT APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Applications for all club tournaments for the 2013-14 season are due no later than March 1, 2013.  Please submit applications or any questions to:  Email

AYSA - MAY 1st POLICY
Any player registered with AYSA may not have contact with another club without prior permission from the players current club until May 1, 2013.  Coaches and team administrators are reminded not to have any contact with prospective players until this date unless you have prior, written approval.  If you have any questions regarding this, please reference AYSA Bylaw 812, section 6.  

AYSA & SCION COMMENCE PARTNERSHIP:

Arizona Youth Soccer Association is pleased to announce a partnership with Scion Motors. Effective immediately, Scion will be known as, "The Official Automobile of Arizona Youth Soccer".

Additionally, Scion will become the Presenting Sponsor of the 2013 Arizona State Cup  The event will be renamed to, "Arizona State Championships Presented by Scion".

Proceeds from this partnership will benefit several AYSA programs that are designed to enrich the soccer community in Arizona. These programs include "KICKIN' IT AFTER SCHOOL", TOPSoccer and the Olympic Development Program.

PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING AYSA & SCION PARTNERSHIP

INFORMATION ON SCION MOTORS

HELP AYSA SUPPORT,

"COACHES UNITED AGAINST CANCER"

Childhood Cancer strikes 175,000 youth per year - worldwide... The costs of treatment and research are ever increasing.

In an effort to provide much needed funding toward childhood cancer research, the St. Baldricks Foundation was born. Founded in 2000, the southern California based foundation strives to work with communities and organizations across the United States to raise money in a very unique way... by having heads SHAVED!

Over 240,000 people, including over 24,000 women have had their heads shaved in less than 12 years to raise money for childhood cancer!

ARIZONA YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOUR HELP...

On March 5, 2013, AYSA is sponsoring an event called, "Coaches United Against Cancer". Organized as a "Club Challenge" the goal is to have at least one coach per club raise money for having his/her head shaved while on public display!

Most AYSA clubs have been notified of this event. AYSA would like to encourage all players and their families to contact your club to offer assistance in fundraising efforts. If your club is unaware of this event, please contact AYSA Technical Director- Austin Daniels by email. The goal is to have a significant coach from each club drive home that night with a shiny head!

"Coaches United Against Cancer" will take place in Tempe at the Sports Authority location at Arizona Mills Mall. In addition to head shavings, the event will feature a silent auction and many other fun activities for the entire family.

The financial goal of "Coaches United Against Cancer" is to raise $5,000.00; however we would like to greatly surpass that goal. Thus, if you or your company is interested to have your head shaved, or would like to participate through one of the many ancillary fundraising methods, please contact Ron Gilmore, Director of Marketing & Communications for AYSA by email.

"Coaches United Against Cancer" is a fantastic way for the Arizona soccer community to demonstrate to the rest of our state that we can organize ourselves and step-up to support children in need and we are counting on your participation!

For more information on the St. Baldricks Foundation, please visit their website

Clubs, please click here to register. Once your designated coach for head shaving has registered, the fundraising can begin.

US YOUTH SOCCER - PLAYER OF THE MONTH NOMINATIONS:

Do you know a youth soccer player who should be recognized for his or her achievements, both on and off the field? If so, send in a nomination to have that young person honored as a US Youth Soccer Player of the Month. Learn more and submit a player by clicking here.

ARIZONA YOUTH SOCCER - FEBRUARY FEATURE ARTICLE

Sead Karaselimovic

Director of Coaching

Valparaiso United FC

I was recently invited to be one of the 200 delegates at the 33rd annual AEFCA (Alliance of European Football Coaches Associations) symposium held in Split, Croatia from November 18th - 22nd. This world-class symposium had delegates attending from all of the continental associations as well as high-level delegations from UEFA and FIFA.

The title and the focus of the symposium was "Modern aspects of football coaching". The symposium included, among other things, the technical analysis of the EURO 2012, EURO 2012 U17 teams and, to the lesser extent, the London 2012 Women's and Men's Olympic Soccer Tournament. Also discussed was the different player and team development strategies of the Swiss FA, presented by its former U17 Men's National Team coach and 2009 U17 World Cup winner Danny Riser. The symposium also featured a member of the UEFA Technical Study group who dissected the 2 EUROs from 2012. The final speaker was a representative of the Belgian FA who explained how Belgium has revolutionized its youth development program creating a new generation of great Belgian players playing in some of the world's top clubs.

But the highlight of the symposium was the round table discussion that took place among the Head Coaches and FA Presidents from the former Yugoslav countries like Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Slovenia. The round table focused on how such small countries consistently manage to produce such an extraordinary number of world-class players.

The round table discussion all ultimately led to a single consensus; namely, those countries experiencing success in the area of player development are all focusing on the technical development of players while stressing possession within an offensive soccer mindset. Most importantly, perhaps, is that they are all encouraging experimentation and creativity at younger age groups. Countries around the world are encouraging players to take more risks (which means making more mistakes) while trying new concepts without regard to result. Youth soccer in the US is the antithesis of the European model. Here, we are not player development and as a result coaches can ill-afford to leave players on the field who make mistakes or take chances. Learning through trial and error simply doesn't.

My conclusion about what is important for the US and Arizona soccer based on the information presented at the symposium is that: (1) we have too many coaches who stress a too direct of style of play; (2) most of our coaches are result driven and the results are achieved at the expense of player development; and (3) too many coaches base their player selections on the player's physical build rather than technical ability or potential. Unfortunately, the development of players requires a solid understanding of the game and its technical, tactical, physical and psychological components by the coach. Such an understanding requires a large educational investment by the coach in staying up on the latest concepts being developed in the soccer community. It also requires the coach to have the strength of character and conviction to ignore the cries to win-at-all costs while embracing the concept that player development leads to the creation of outstanding individual players who will ultimately come together for team success. Europe and most of the rest of the world has figured this out.

Now it's time for the US and Arizona to join the rest of the world. If we don't we will continue to be a dis-service to our kids and will continue to underachieve on the pitch when it ultimately matters most.

Click Here for the February offer good thru the 28th

 AYSA & THE PHOENIX SUNS ANNOUNCE,

MORE INFORMATION ON AYSA SUNS NIGHT