Welcome to AYSO 2 Summer Camps

This summer we have 4 camps coming at you, with 2 in July and 2 in August.

It's a great way to get ready for your very first soccer season,

or just knock off the rust.

Challenger Sports

 Just click on the date you are interested in and you will be transported to the Challenger Sports website for registration.

Here are the dates for our 2 camps with Challenger Sports:

    July 9 - July 13     or    August 6 - August 10

AYSO Soccer Camps

Just click on the dates you are interested in and you will be taken to the AYSO Camps website for registration.

Here are the dates for our 2 camps with AYSO Soccer Camps:

      July 16 - July 20   or   August 13 - August 17

Registration for the 2012 Fall season will be Saturdays, April 21st and May 5th.

Where: Camino Grove School in Arcadia

When: 8am - 2 pm both days

Flyers - English, Chinese, Español - if the links are broken, please visit http://www.ayso2.org/registration.php

New players (U8+) are required to have a skills assessment, so come prepared with the right shoes.

Coaching classes (U6-U12) will be held at the May 5th registration day.

Check the Registration page for full details on how to register using eAYSO.

I’ve watched a lot of kids play recreational sports and I’ve coached in several local leagues the past 15 years: YMCA basketball, Santa Anita Little league and AYSO Region 2. As a family, we have also been fortunate to see our two oldest sons play varsity sports at Arcadia High School, so you can say we are a seasoned youth sports family – a.k.a  - old!!!

To be quite honest, as a native Californian, I never really expected my oldest son to stay in soccer. At the time, we thought, he’ll play a couple of years and then he’ll move on to the real sports. Fast forward 15 years later and we have never left AYSO Region 2 soccer!

The reason I’m writing this email is to give my personal perspective on AYSO versus club soccer. I believe club soccer is without question a good option, but can also be a bad option. Like most things in life, there are pros and cons.

If your goal is to have your child play college soccer, then club soccer is an absolute must. Every year at Arcadia High and Monrovia High, we have seen several kids fortunate enough to move on and play at the college level. The key question is, “when do I transition to club?” I see too many kids go club too early and parents get caught up in the hype that “my kid is a club player”. Truth be told, there’s a lot of kids in club soccer that are no better than our AYSO Regional All Star players.

If you’re going to choose club soccer, do your homework. As I mentioned, some club teams are equivalent to AYSO teams, only you’re paying a lot more money. Is the club team bronze, silver, silver elite, gold, etc? Also, interview the club coach and trainers – there are too many stories of emotional and verbal abuse that takes all the fun out of the game.

The very earliest I would recommend a player going club is U12, while U14 is the best. Why do clubs recruit U8-U10 AYSO players? Answer:  Club soccer is a BUSINESS and they want your MONEY. It’s been interesting to see the many kids who go club and a year later return to AYSO.

Last, I have seen a lot of very gifted kids suffer burn-out before they even reach high school. Playing year round sports year after year takes an emotional toll on kids. I personally enjoy a season of no sports, so we can go to the beach or sleep in on a weekend. My oldest son, his eighth grade year, played fall AYSO, winter all stars, spring soccer, then summer tournaments. His freshman year at Arcadia High, he told us that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to try out for the soccer team!

For $150 bucks versus $2000, AYSO Region 2 has a pretty good soccer program and I’ll be the first to tell you that we’re not always as good as club. However, both of my older sons played Varsity Soccer at Arcadia High School WITHOUT club soccer and for that, I’m grateful to Region 2.

In Region 2, it’s all about the kids! For more information, invite me out for a cup of coffee!

Regards,

Ken Joe - Region 2 RC

If you were only certified with Safe Haven Coach (online or in-class), you do not need to re-take the new AYSO's Safe Haven if you only want to coach or referee.  You cannot perform the duty as a Team Parent nor a Board Member until you completed the new Safe Haven Certificate.

If you were only certified with Safe Haven Referee (online or in-class), you do not need to re-take the new AYSO's Safe Haven if you only want to continue to referee.  You cannot perform the duty as a Coach, an Assistant Coach, a Team Parent, nor a Board Member until you completed the new Safe Haven Certificate.

If you were only certified with B.A.S.I.C. (online or in-class), you do not need to re-take the new AYSO's Safe Haven if you only want to be a Team Parent or a general Board Member.  You cannot perform the duty as a Coach, an Assistant Coach, nor a Referee.

If you were certified with B.A.S.I.C. and Safe Haven Coach, your certificates are equivalent to the new AYSO's Safe Haven.

There are 3 ways to be certified with new AYSO's Safe Haven Certificate:

1. Online Training at AYSOTraining.ORG
2. Webinar posted on AYSO.ORG
3. In-Class Courses posted on http://www.ayso2.org/referee.php#safehavencourse

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