Fall 2010 Gulf Coast "SuperLiga" & Soccer Summit: Middle & High School Youth!

[US98 Sports]

Advocates for Our Soccer Playing and Loving Youth!

After being contacted by and speaking with some local concerned parents, US98 Soccer is organizing a meeting regarding the best way to address the local middle schools' decisions to cut the soccer programs from their curriculum.

This Saturday at 11:00AM at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach (one of local youth soccer's most consistent supporters and sponsors) has been suggested. Please confirm your availability and attendance, and we can prepare accordingly. Please let anyone else who may be interested know about this meeting.

Also, if you have not done so already, please get signed up for the Inaugural Gulf Coast "SuperLiga" for U-14 through U-18 Age Divisions (ages 11 to 14 and 14 to 17 years old, respectively, depending on experience). This will be what is known as a "Super-Rec" League, and Teams will be playing against other teams from Panama City Beach, Destin, Freeport, DeFuniak Springs, and South Walton!

Please view the attached flier regarding this upcoming season, that specifically focuses on offering an affordable soccer option for your children and you, this and every future Fall and Spring Season. And if possible, please help us get the word out by printing out as many of these as possible to distribute to Your Player's schools and their peers.

Registration Deadline is Saturday, August 14th!

Cheers & See You at The Red Bar!

D. Christian Franek
President
US98 Sports, Inc.
US98Sports - Home

"Success is doing what you love and having a positive impact on people's lives, without starving to death."
Anonymous

 

[US98 Sports]

Youth Soccer Advocates of Walton County!

A good turnout yesterday, with roughly 20-25 attendees. It appears that not as much will be changing as some feared, as the schools will work with the parents on organizing teams and will provide equipment as available. The major points of consideration will be as follows:
Fundraising: Needed for additional uniforms, as needed; field maintenance and preparation; and referees. Coaches will be volunteers. Parents will be working with school administrators to identify needs and organize efforts to raise money for those needs.
School Identity: There was talk of doing something other than having school-specific teams, but if there is enough interest, everything should be done to foster and promote school identity and spirit, and each school should maintain its own distinct team. This could and should include Freeport and DeFuniak Springs, if possible. Each team will compete in the established league in which Emerald Coast and Seaside have previously competed, and there will be no try-outs, as all Players willing to make the commitment will be allowed on the team. Discussion of a Walton County-only league was brought up.
Schedules: Efforts will be made to get youth soccer, middle school soccer, and high school soccer all on the same page and working together to foster a seamless transition for Walton County Youth through their soccer experience. US98 Soccer and US98 Sports will work with Emerald Coast Middle School, Seaside Middle School, Freeport Middle School, DeFuniak Middle School, South Walton High School, Freeport High School, and Walton High School to ensure as much as possible that recreational seasons do not overlap or otherwise conflict with school soccer seasons.
Coaches: With the recent accomplishments of local Walton County parents, Brian Maas and Mark Williams, achieving coaching and referee certification and licenses, we now have credentialed resources available to Our Youth that are also, importantly, part of local families with children in local schools. Every effort should be made to avoid any conflicts of interest with coaches that may want to coach, but have any ties to club and/or travel teams outside of Walton County and may see coaching Walton County Youth as means to recruit youth to their pay-to-play programs, in essence eventually being paid for a volunteer position. This came up yesterday and there was a surprising audacity on the part of a few with questionable motives to verbalize their interest in using this opportunity as an unethical recruiting tool. US98 Soccer parents have firmly voiced their opposition to any such attempts. Along with local licensed local resources, US98 Soccer coaches Britton Bartlett, Jack Ederer, Deborah Shost, Mike Dunaway, William Watson, Seaside Neighborhood School Girl's Soccer Coach, Steve Weiner, and others with ties to Our Community who have evidenced a commitment to teaching Our Youth (without ulterior motives) should be invited to be involved in some form or fashion in coaching our middle and/or high school children.
Updates: Fletcher Isaaks, current assistant soccer coach for South Walton High School and former middle school soccer assistant coach, will be working with US98 Soccer and US98 Sports to outline exactly what will be available to our Walton County Middle School-Aged Youth this winter, and we will then keep everyone updated on preparations. Look for an update within the next few weeks, as the details of middle school soccer for Walton County are finalized.

As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are planning a follow-up meeting within the next few weeks, once we have more information to share.

In the meantime, it is not too late to get your soccer-loving youth, ages 12-17 years old, signed up for the Fall 2010 Gulf Coast "SuperLiga", including teams from Destin, Panama City Beach, Freeport, DeFuniak Springs (the "Yak"), and of course SoWal! This is a great and affordable opportunity for your child or children to gain further soccer experience for their upcoming middle or high school season, or just to continue their soccer matriculation in general!!

Cheers & See You Out On The Pitch!

D. Christian Franek
President
US98 Sports, Inc.
US98Sports - Home

"Success is doing what you love and having a positive impact on people's lives, without starving to death."
Anonymous