Fort Atkinson Youth Soccer Association
Mission Statement
Our vision is “to share the joy of the game with our children”
We as a group of volunteer parents are united in our desire to offer all the children of our local community a fun-based opportunity to learn, play, and grow in their soccer knowledge, understanding, and skills in order to play the game at the highest levels.
Playing to win is “how” we play the game. It is not “why” we play. We play because it is fun. And soccer is a game that offers a lifelong opportunity to have fun. As an outdoor game it offers the benefits of fresh air and sunshine. As a physically demanding game it provides plenty of opportunity for good exercise and life-long physical fitness. As a mentally demanding game it requires players to think decisively, creatively, and intuitively. Finally, as a team-sport, soccer requires that players individually do the things necessary to make the “team” better than the sum of its parts.
We emphasize that we are a group of volunteer parents. Our volunteers enjoy the opportunity to strengthen their father/mother relationships with their sons and/or daughters. In addition they also enjoy the opportunity our program offers to cultivate relationships with their children’s friends and their parents. We feel that parents are the best people to serve as role models to teach our children the values of sportsmanship and playing within the rules. Parents are also the most motivated people to effectively emphasize and positively reinforce the rewards that result from facing the obstacles and challenges that come from competitive play.
Our program begins with a Junior Soccer program for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders. This program is designed to teach the fundamentals of the game in a non-competitive atmosphere. Each week players are brought together by grade for one hour of instruction from parent and high-school age instructors. For approximately the last half of each session players are randomly divided into groups for small-sided game play with instructors continuing to be actively involved with the play on the field.
The next level of our program is our U10 (Under 10) co-ed program for 3rd and 4th graders. Competitive play is introduced as players are divided into teams of 10-14 players. Each player is provided a colored t-shirt as part of the fee. Parent coaches are assigned to each team and one or two practices are held each week. Games are played on Friday evenings. We play 8-v-8 with the goalkeeper being the 8th player. Referees are asked to explain their calls in order to provide instruction on the rules of the game. Coaches are asked to give each player an equal amount of playing time each game and each player should be played at as many different field positions as throughout the season. Scores and standings are not kept. Games may sometimes end in a tie.
Beginning in 5th grade we offer our children a competitive traveling soccer program. Children can choose to play on an all girls team or a co-ed team. Players are divided into teams based on age and/or grade level. Occasionally players may be allowed to play above their age and/or grade level but only if the parents and coaches agree that this would be appropriate. Uniforms including jersey, shorts, and socks are provided. Practices are held 2-3 times per week. The seven-week fall season begins the weekend after Labor Day and the seven-week spring season ends the week before Memorial Day. We play within the State Line District (SLD) of the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association (WYSA). Teams play approximately half of their games “on the road” in the other communities of the SLD. These communities include Big Foot, Burlington, Delavan, East Troy, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Whitewater, and Williams Bay.
We are continually striving to improve the competitiveness of our teams while trying to balance this with keeping our program affordable and available to all of the children of our community. Children all grow in different ways at different rates and at different times. Part of the quality of life we enjoy by living in our local community is the close personal involvement we experience watching our children grow. Our hope is that the life-long friendships and memories our children develop here will have a long lasting positive impact on their lives. We feel our program should be a vehicle to enhance this growth and development rather than take away from it. In the end we also feel that the local based nature of our program will also be the most advantageous way to promote and achieve long-term competitive success. The more our children play together the better they will play together.
We are of course always looking for your input and suggestions and we will always try to be responsive to your concerns.