Youth Soccer Month Underway
US Youth Soccer, the nation’s largest youth sports association, has officially kicked off the sixth annual Youth Soccer Month – Celebrating Soccer in America.
Youth Soccer Month is dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of playing Youth Soccer in America. Wisconsin is proud to support this effort and further the goals of Youth Soccer Month.
FUN: Whether recreational or competitive in nature, involvement in soccer is easy, affordable and rewarding.
Please take a minute to spend time with your family and friends this September to experience and support this great sport that has impacted so many lives. Click here for a schedule of activities planned to celebrate Youth Soccer Month in Wisconsin.
Join us for WYSA Day with the Fire on Sunday, October 12th as the Chicago Fire take on Columbus Crew at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. Special discounted tickets are available for WYSA players and families in 3 sections – Premier Midfield seats for $36.00, Premier seats for $31.00 and Corner Kick seats for $22.50. The Fire are also celebrating their 10 year anniversary so the first 10,000 fans will receive a free poster.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to check out professional soccer! All orders should be sent to Melissa Vukovic and must be received by Monday, September 29th. Ticket Order Form
Substitution Rule Change
As many of you are learning at pre league tournaments, the USSF recently made a change on the substitution rules. Beginning August 1st coaches now have the ability to substitute on any stoppage of the ball. This change in the rule was done to simplify the substitution process and be more consistent at all levels of the game. As an example, think of throw-ins. Before, if both teams wanted to sub, one team would have to stand and wait for the next substitution opportunity despite the match having already been stopped. Then, a few moments later, at another stoppage (perhaps the other team’s throw-in) the game would be stopped again to allow the players from the other team to complete their substitution.
In this new scenario, both teams will be able to complete their substitutions at the same time. The new substitution rule was not implemented during the season to avoid any additional confusion. The Wisconsin State Referee Committee decided it would be best to roll out this change at the same time that official FIFA law changes would be announced – although this is not a FIFA law change – and when the new soccer year begins.
Gamesmanship by coaches may occur but referees have been instructed to either add stoppage time or manage the gamesmanship of the coaches as the game goes on. As with any new ruling their may be some kinks that need to be worked out and we would be interested in your input as the season moves along.
For additional information, including a Q&A, please refer to the Wisconsin Program for Referee Development web site at http://www.wisref.org.
Concussion Program
There is little more important than the health and welfare of our players. This year, Wisconsin Youth Soccer is piloting a program to help our members learn about the identification, diagnosis and treatment of concussion. It is obvious that head injuries are frequently being incorrectly diagnosed and treated. When a player injures an ankle or knee, it is normally more obvious to coaches, parents and the player. However, an injury to the head is more subtle. The player may feel relatively fine. The coach or parent may not understand the symptoms they see to keep the player from the field. Click here to view the Concussion Program page.
Play Soccer, Save Lives
Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club is going to be hosting a Great American Soccer Marrowthon October 24-25 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. The event starts Friday night at 5:30 and continues through 6:00pm on Saturday.
What is the Great American Soccer Marrowthon? This event is a great way to teach players the value of giving back to the community by supporting the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), an organization that saves lives by helping patients in need of bone marrow transplants. For additional information on the NMDP, go to www.marrow.org.
The Kickers event will be only the second of its kind to be held and the first in Wisconsin! We will play 24 hours of soccer, raising money and awareness for the National Marrow Donor Program as well as the Kickers. We will also be hosting both a community blood and a marrow donor drive from 9-2 on Saturday. We are looking for teams interested in participating by playing and raising money through tax deductable pledges. For additional information or to register a team, contact Dawn Urban at 414-358-2678, ext. 220 or DawnU@mksc.org. More details can also be found at www.mksc.org.
