For many in the soccer community, on hearing the word “TRAVEL” we immediately equate that to meaning “traveling a far distance” and absorbing an exorbitant amount of expenses along the way. The reality of the situation is that for our players, coaches, and parents, unless we are practicing and/or playing games in our backyards, there is always some extent of travel involved in terms of getting to a field for soccer. There is, however, a major misconception that exists out there that our teams who participate at this level are traveling all over the world. What I hope to begin to convince you of here, and will follow up on in our Fall Informational Meeting, is that for those of you considering participating with one of our “REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS,” the travel is less than you might think, and in many cases is not much further than what you are used to traveling from your homes for your instructional/developmental team practices and games. Since the word “TRAVEL” often creates this idea that our teams are traveling very far for competitions, let us do away with this word and moving forward, utilize the word “REPRESENTATIVE” when talking about our teams in CSA who compete against opponents from outside of CSA. These teams should be titled as such because they are “representing” Concord Soccer Association when they compete against other organizations.
What is the difference between our Developmental/ Instructional Teams and REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS in terms of programming? In a nutshell, our REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS provide a different experience for those who are interested in more frequent soccer and playing at a higher level. In comparison to our instructional program (SDP), REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS practice twice weekly instead of once, receive coaching from nationally licensed coaches and trainers, and play against teams outside of CSA in league and tournament play. These are just a few of the highlights that our REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS offer. If you and your child are considering trying out for one of our REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS this spring, I encourage you to do two things:
1. Register/establish an account with us online (if you have not done so already). Once you have logged on, you can select “REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS” at the top right-hand corner, and download our “2009/2010 Representative Teams Operations Manual” – there you can read about every detail of how we operate this program and the players/ teams who participate in it.
2. Attend the informational meeting, “ALL ABOUT CSA REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS,” to be held at the Brandywine Hundred Library (1300 Foulk Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19803) on Monday, October 26, 7:00pm, in room 2009 (upstairs). I will be on hand, along with other members of CSA’s Board of Directors, to give an overview of this program and answer any questions that you may have.
We hope that those of you who are parents of players ages seven and older and who have enjoyed the experiences in our developmental/instructional program, will consider our REPRESENTATIVE TEAM program for next year and will attend our upcoming informational meeting to learn more! We hope to see you soon!
For more information on our representative program, contact Peter Flanagan, our Boys Representative Program Coordinator at csa@concordsoccer.com, Amy Sullivan, our Girls Representative Program Coordinator at sullivangang@hotmail.com, or Fran Kulas, Director of Coach and Player Development at frankulas@comcast.net.
Soccer Development Program News
Fall 2009 - A Season of Change for the Development Program
The fall season is full of changes for Concord Soccer's development program. I've included a list of items that you will find interesting. By the time you read this many will be old news and new changes will have happened. I encourage you to make viewing the Concord Soccerwebsite a routine as it is your best source for happenings at the club.
• The number of kids playing soccer this fall increased. At one point waiting lists were created while the club worked to ensure there were enough fields, referees and coaches. A highlight is we have twelve U8 boys teams with 147 players. This is great news for our future 2010/2011 U9 representative boys team(s). A warm welcome to the many new families. I encourage you to get involved and help make this your soccer club. With new fields and new people, we expect the next couple of years to be great ones as we start our next decade. • Thanks to Fran Kulas (CSA Director of Coach and Player Development), the Concord Soccer Board of Directors, and our coaches there are many new training opportunities being offered to development players of all ages. This includes clinics for coaches, goalkeeper training, and content online at www.concordsoccer.com. • For the second season we used the Blue Sombrero registration system for signups, email distribution and parent access to rosters and schedules for their children. Parents, please ensure your email address is updated for your account should you change it. • SDP administrators are also coaches and they prefer to do less admin. and more coaching! Please consider helping yourself to the answers to your questions by searching our website prior to sending an email. Should you need to email, please email csasdp@concordsoccer.com, as this group email box is checked by several people and more often than a personal email address. • A food and player snack service, as well as sales of soccer apparel, is being offered at Talley Day Park fields on Saturday mornings during the fall season. A special thanks to the parents and players of our representative teams who are staffing the effort. Proceeds go to finishing our new fields. • Players on the U12 and U14 boys and girls development teams were able to purchase sharp looking customized Adidas uniforms for their season. Look for them on the pitch as they battle area club teams. • Much of our success on and off the fields is based on our volunteers. Please consider helping the club in some way over the next year. Being a volunteer is a rewarding experience. The hardest part is taking that first step and offering to help. Please consider teaching your child the importance of volunteering while enriching yourself and giving back to the community.
Capital and Endowment Campaign
In addition to the funds on hand, we need to raise an additional $140,000 to $150,000 to get the fields open. While that sounds like a lot of money, the club has raised more than $450,000 over the past three years so we know that we can do it. We need everyone’s help to make the final push to get the players on our own fields this spring. We have recently submitted two grant applications and a third application is being prepared for local charitable foundations. In the past year and a half we have received $50,000 from foundations for our capital campaign. We are hopeful that these three applications will help us reach our goal. We are actively exploring other funding opportunities.
How can you help? 1. Write a check to Concord Soccer Association and mail it to PO Box 7063 Wilmington DE 19803. We are a 501(c) 3 tax exempt non-profit organization so all contributions are tax deductible. Contributions of $250 or more receive a tax receipt letter. 2. Support the concession stand at the Soccer Development Program (SDP) games. See the related article on this fundraiser! 3. Sponsor an SDP team. Send an email to csa@concordsoccer.com for more information. 4. Apply for matching grants with your employer. Many local employers contribute to organizations where their employees are involved volunteering or donating. 5. Think of Concord Soccer Association when completing your United Way campaign paperwork. We are United Way affiliate number 9448. 6. Support upcoming CSA shopping and dining specials; details will be emailed and posted on the website. 7. Talk us up with your family, friends and neighbors! We are a great tax deduction!
No amount is too small to help us towards our goal. Please do what you can.
CSA Mission Statement:
Concord Soccer Association is a non-profit, community-based, volunteer organization devoted to the development of youth through the sport of soccer. Our broad-based approach provides opportunities to play soccer at the highest competitive level appropriate, while fostering character development, sportsmanship, skill acquisition and fun in a positive, respectful environment. More about Concord Soccer.
