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The AYSO Plus program offers skilled players the opportunity to compete at a more advanced level than regular AYSO. It runs, in one respect, counter to the organization’s famed philosophy where talent does not matter. But the renewed emphasis on what had been a rather obscure, 10-year-old program nudges the largely volunteer program closer to the highly rated, and intensely competitive, club soccer. Club tends to pick off AYSO’s more skilled players somewhere between ages 8 and 10. Plus games are often held in the offseason; a Plus team from one AYSO region squares off against a Plus team from another region. But not every AYSO region has implemented AYSO Plus, which is still considered a pilot program. AYSO Plus already is changing to meet market demands and may merge with a new nationwide competitive soccer lineup called Supplemental Play. Currently, AYSO Plus is offered to 11- to 15-year-old players in certain regions, including Orange County. A Plus coach has to be certified. To join an AYSO Plus team, a player must spend a day or 2 in tryouts, just like most club soccer teams. AYSO Plus was established in 1994, partly in response to the growing popularity of club soccer, which now has a giant foothold. AYSO hoped to retain some of these players by offering a club-style league of their own. Because club teams have a year-round season and aren’t required to adhere to an “everyone plays” philosophy, club teams are seen as more seriously competitive than AYSO. More competition isn’t necessarily better to many AYSO families. One thing that impeded the adoption of AYSO Plus nationwide is that not all parents and players have been pleased to see the club-style emphasis on player selection and aggressive play brought into the AYSO. After all, AYSO is widely regarded with affection because of its 5 philosophies, all of which apply to the Plus as well: Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, and Good Sportsmanship. According to the AYSO website: “We strive to create a positive environment based on mutual respect rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude, and our program is designed to instill good sportsmanship in every facet of AYSO.” The whole notion of competitive supplemental soccer programs in AYSO makes many parents bristle. A web chatter named Soccrfn on the bigsoccer.com forum said: “AYSO should stick to what it does best. It is great for getting lots of kids involved in soccer, but unfortunately not at keeping them interested as they get older. AYSO should focus on improving the coaching for the younger levels, not trying to develop national team players. AYSO should work with local club programs to work out scholarships and player development.” Lost in the debate is that some of the best youth soccer coaches, at least in this region, can be found at the AYSO level. Simply because they are volunteers does not make them less talented in teaching, motivating and improving young players. Another parent sees the upside of programs like AYSO Plus and Supplemental Play, especially in Southern California: “In our large region it is very hard to make the Spring Select team. The same coaches pick the same players year after year. My daughter loves soccer and just wants to play. She wants more than just a 10-game, fall season; she wants to play year-round. In our area, the only option was club.” A Tustin mother of 3 boys who play soccer is wary of a club, year-round program and the toll that might take on family and school life. “I’m interested in giving them another level in which to play, if they choose,” says the mom, who has boys ages 10 and 6. “But not at all cost.” More, but not too much In locales with huge numbers of youth soccer players, AYSO’s Supplemental Play programs fill the need for an in-between league, more competitive than recreational soccer but without the expense and intensity of club. Karen Falagrady, secondary programs director for AYSO Region 85 in Orange County, says that AYSO supplemental programs offer both challenging soccer and AYSO’s 5 Philosophies. “AYSO Plus is for those players and coaches who wish to participate at a more competitive level than the regular fall season offers.” Unlike club soccer, however, players don’t have to say goodbye to the “everyone plays” philosophy. “The Plus program must abide by the same national rules that all AYSO programs follow, so, yes, everyone on the team plays.” Many AYSO regions with Supplemental Play programs also have affiliations with local club systems. In Falagrady’s region, the AYSO Plus coaches and administrators encourage and assist in the transition of older players to the Pacific Soccer Club, a local club system. According to Falagrady, “This is for those players who wish to compete at an even higher level than the Plus Program. The usual progression for an above-average player would be starting in the AYSO recreational program until they are old enough for Plus. After some experience in the Plus Program, players usually try out for the Pacific Club teams.” Rather than being a direct competitor with club soccer teams, AYSO Plus has emerged as a stepping-stone from regular season AYSO to year-round club soccer. Praise from club soccer Karen Sparks is executive director of Coast Soccer League in Orange. Coast Soccer League (CSL) is an affiliation of club soccer teams throughout California. CSL has more than 160 clubs and more than 26,000 players who will participate in some 13,500 games played on 300 fields. CSL also has a Premier Development Program to expose the top soccer players to advanced training opportunities. Sparks says, “I think AYSO does a great job on the recreational side of youth soccer and our league benefits each year from the passion they instill in young players. The number of CSL teams will probably go above 1,800 this year; a number of our entry-level teams come from AYSO.” “Both of my sons started playing soccer in AYSO, before transitioning to club, and they both had great experiences. I don’t see AYSO and club as being in competition with each other, but rather in a partnership to try and provide a great soccer experience for all kids.” Tom Barton is assistant commissioner for AYSO Region 37 in Riverside County. AYSO Region 37 is the largest in the country, with more than 5,000 players, but has never implemented the AYSO Plus program. Instead, Barton’s region offers a Spring Select program and a Tournament Team program, both of which offer a more challenging level of soccer than regular season AYSO. “This is an aspect of our AYSO program that we are trying to grow as an alternative to the Plus program since we are not able to offer the Plus program to our kids,” he says. However, Region 37 supports the new Supplemental Play proposal, and will likely form Supplemental Play teams in the future, pending approval from AYSO’s national board of directors for the Supplemental Play program. Barton has been an AYSO coach and his 3 children have all played in AYSO. His 11-year-old daughter has played on club soccer teams and AYSO All-Star teams, so he has seen both sides of the coin and believes that AYSO supplemental programs bring club-quality competition to families that couldn’t otherwise afford it. “Playing club soccer is a big commitment for a family to make. The annual cost is typically over $1,000 per player in dues and fees...The time and money invested in it is enormous compared to AYSO.” A nationwide Supplemental Play program in AYSO will “enable the families to become more involved and see what higher-level programs require without taking the big plunge into club soccer.” AYSO started in Southern California in 1964. Now its enrollment is at an all-time high of more than 650,000 soccer players nationwide. AYSO’s directors are debating the future of AYSO Plus and it’s likely to be merged into a countrywide Supplemental Play program sometime this year. Barton finds that a welcome prospect and a pleasant alternative to the club soccer scene, where “the pressure put on these kids that are 8 to 11 years old is just incredible.” He says that AYSO can implement more competitive programs without driving the fun out of the game. “Everyone Plays, Good Sportsmanship, and Positive Coaching are keys to any successful soccer program regardless of whether it is club or AYSO...When these philosophies are emphasized, the kids have fun and enjoy the great game of soccer.” David Kries writes from Mission Viejo. Executive Editor Craig Reem contributed to this report. |
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