The Ilinois Youth Soccer Expo is the largest annual soccer-specific Expo in the Midwest and this year we're getting even bigger with our move to Toyota Park. The 23rd annual event will be held Saturday, August 9 from 9am - 4pm. ADMISSION IS FREE
What's New For 2015
Chicago Fire 1st Team Practice Come watch the Chicago Fire run-through their final preparation for their key MLS-match vs the New York Red Bull that will be played on Sunday night. The Fire 1st team will open their final pre-match training to Expo attendees. There will also be an excluse Expo-ONLY ticket special for the Sunday prime-time match.
Free ODP Clinics Players born in 2002/2003 can get a sample of what an Illinois ODP training session is like & how it has helped mold some of the top talent to come of out of Illinois over the last 30 years. Registration is limited to 40 Boys & 40 Girls. The Boys session will run from 9am-10am & the Girls from 1pm-2pm. Pre-Registration is REQUIRED.
Toyota Park Stadium Tours Chicago Fire reps give you an inside look at the premier soccer specific facility in Illinois! Tours run hourly and showcase areas that you might never get to see on game day, so don’t miss out on this exclusive tour that’s open to expo attendees ONLY!
Young Sportsmens' Soccer League Scheduling Meeting To allow their coaches the opportunity to take part in all the coaching workshops that includes field demonstrations and coaching seminars, the YSSL has moved their Fall Scheduling Meeting to Toyota Park as part of the Soccer Expo. Complete details on the YSSL scheduling meeting can be found here
Autograph Sessions Chicago Fire
Reigning MLS MVP Mike Magee, MLS Rookie Of The Year Candidate & Illinois ODP Product Harry Ship, starting Goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defender Gonzalo Segares, 1st Assistant Coach & Chicago Fire Legend CJ Brown, and Assistant Coach Clint Mathis will all be signing autgraphs starting starting at 12:45pm. Players subject to change
Coaching Demonstrations Illinois Youth Soccer has welcomed some of top National and International coaches to lead field demonstrations to showcase new training techniques for both coaches and players of all levels including US National Team Coaches, English Premier League Coaches, Bundesliga, MLS & more.
Here is the list of coaches who will lead demonstration in 2014
Coach
Demonstration
Time
Jen Pfeiffer Illinois Youth Soccer Associate DOC
Youth Goalkeeper Fundamentals
9am
Basic GK handling techniques and activities focusing on U10/U12 age groups
Rafael Amaya Former MLS Player
Finishing
10am
Shooting and finishing activiities going towards goal
Rick Flores Illinois Youth Soccer Director of Coaching
Crossing & Timing Of Runs
11am
Creating opportunities playing wide from off the ball movements
Larry Sunderland Chicago Fire Academy Directors
Anticipate To Intervene
12pm
Viewing the best options to penetrate quickly and push forward out of the back
Tony Jouaux Chicago Fire Strength & Conditioning Coach
Strength & Conditioning
1pm
Dynamic Activities and Methods: proper warmup and stretching
Ian Barker NSCAA Director Of Coaching Education
Activities To Increase Speed Of Play
2pm
Making decisions to drive into attacking form using supporting teamates
Chicago Fire's Soccer In The Community & Illinois Youth Soccer Staff
Grassroots U6/U8 Activities
3:15pm
Proper age appropraite Coaching Activites to ensure players have fun while learing the game.
Vendor & Exhibitor Show Find the largest collection of soccer merchants under one roof offering great deals on shoes, apparel, equipment, soccer camps and much more. Click here for a list of participating merchants.
The Chicago Fire's FireFest The Chicago Fire invites all soccer fans to join representatives of the club at the largest annual gathering of soccer supporters in Chicagoland at the Illinois Youth Soccer Expo & Chicago Fire’s FireFest!
The FireFest area will include:
Quick Feet – Try out this fully interactive video game that puts all of your touch and ball handling skills to the test.
Engine 97 – This convertible cargo van turns into a fully interactive XBOX station on wheels where you can challenge your friends to some fast paced FIFA action!
Speedshot – Show us your power by taking a shot on this radar monitored activation and see how fast your strikes clock in at.
Target Shot – Small inflatable wall that is used to test ball placement by challenging participants to shot into small target holes.
Inflatable Field – 30ft long enclosed “field” inflatable that allows for 3v3 play
Soccer Tennis Nets – for anyone to test their skills at soccer tennis
Junior Supporters Club – Sign up for the Fire’s official youth fan club to show your pride and earn rewards just for coming to Fire games!
Info Booth – Specially discounted tickets for Sunday August 10th’s match against New York Red Bulls available EXCLUSIVELY for Expo attendees
Photo Station
Poster Making Station
Sparky Appearance
Meetings & Seminars The Illinois Youth Soccer Expo and Chicago FireFest will offer a variety of informative seminars for parents, players, coaches and league administrators including the very popular College Recruitment Seminar, which will give players tips about how to get noticed by college coaches.
2014 Meeting & Seminar Schedule
Presentation
Description
Location
Time
YSSL Scheduling Meeting
Required meeting for all YSSL teams to finalize their schedules for the Fall 2014 season
Stadium Club Big Room
8am
State Premiership Meeting
Meeting for participating Fall State Premiership teams to discuss rules, procedure changes and the 2014 schedule
Media Room
9am
Tournament Directors Meeting
Required meeting for directors of tournaments that want to be sanctioned by Illinois Youth Soccer for 2015
Stadium Club Small Room
10am
Systems Of Play
Presented by Ian Barker, NSCAA Director of Coaching Education.
Interactive discussions on Global Academies, various team formations and shaped and future technical development of players.
Media Room
10:30am
Interactive discussions on Global Academies, various team formations and shapes, including the future technical development of players
What Is Illinois ODP?
Want to know what the Illinois Olympic Development Progam is? Get a complete breakdown of what ODP is and how it has helped develop some of the top talent that has come out of Illinois over the past 30 years.
Stadium Club Small Room
12pm
Chicago Fire & Illinois Youth Soccer: A Community Vision
A look at the new programs that Illinois Youth Soccer & the Chicago Fire have partnered on and how they will directly impact IYSA-members and the greater soccer community in Illinois
Media Room
12pm
Get up to speed on the variety of programs offered through the partnership of Chicago Fire and IYSA
Rec League Meeting
Meeting for all Illinois Youth Soccer member recreational league. Meeting will cover: Changes for the 2014/15 soccer year, insurance, concussion awareness & protocol and more
2-Star Club
12pm
College Recruitment Seminar
Want to play soccer at the college level. This very popular presentation will give you tips on how to get noticed by college coaches. Boy's and girl's soccer players & their parents are encouraged to attend this important presentation by Scholar Athletes USA, the official college recruitment partner of the Chicago Fire & Illinois Youth Soccer
Stadium Club Small Room
1pm
Follow Your Dreams
Presented by Rafael Amaya, Former MLS Player
A look at Inner City players who continued their path to success by not giving up and examples of how they stayed on track
Media Room
1pm
A look at Inner City Players who continued their path to success by not giving up and how they set examples of staying on track to accomplish their goals
Evolving US Soccer Education
Scott Flood, US Soccer & Coaching Education
A look at all the new changing Coaching Education coureses and the new US Soccer Coaching Platform.
Media Room
2pm
A look at all the new changes and upcoming Coaching Education courses and programs as well as the new US Soccer Coaching Program
Goalkeeping Seminar
Presented by Aron Hyde, Chicago Fire Goalkeeping Coach
Media Room
3pm
Goalkeeping technical work and the adaptations in US Soccer
ALL SCHEDULES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Team Evanston Wins National Presidents Cup
Zayn Akbik, Rudy Bieglmeier, Mateo Blair, Jonathan Chavez, Isaac Diop, Noah Dolan, Theodore Dove, Deniz Gundogdu, Simon Jillson, Niko Kapetan, Jonathan Meneses, Luis Molina, Nathan Pollack, Zachary Rogers, Reed Schaefer, Colin Thompson, Aidan Tobin; Coach: Issac Moushi
After impressive runs through the Illinois Presidents Cup & Midwest Presidents Cup, Team Evanston Premier finalized their post-season adventure by winning the Under-14 Boys US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup, bringing a national championship back to Evanston.
“It's a great feeling to be National Champions,” Issac Moushi, Team Evanston Head Coach said. “The players did not know what to expect, however once the ball rolled they blocked the nature of the competition and played the game the way they have been trained. “
Team Evanston took home the U-14 Boys title after defeating Montgomery Arsenal from Eastern Pennsylvania in a match that went all the way to kicks from the mark after regulation and overtime ended 0-0. These two teams had met in the opening match of the tournament, which also resulted in a 0-0 draw.
“We played Montgomery in the first game of the competition and we created chances however their goalkeeper was always at the correct position collecting every shot we took and the final was no different as he played well again,” said Moushi. “The Arsenal players were bigger and very aggressive. We kept possession and we were trying to link our passes to get to their attacking third and we came up without scoring again and again. I did have a good feeling regarding PK's. As a coach I don't like it when we get to penalty kicks, however I had confidence in my players.”
Although Montgomery’s Vincent Scialla was awarded the Best Goalie honor as the top U14 goalkeeper at the tournament, it was Evanston’s 6’2” keeper Simon Jillson that stood out in the PK shootout. And it was for more than just his size.
“Simone was a key in the PK's,” Moushi said. “He intimidated their players and was moving on his line to confuse the shooters. Forced them to miss the goal twice and stopped the fourth shooter. He was great throughout the tournament.”
While Jillson handled the Montgomery shooters, Team Evanston’s Nathan Pollack, Deniz Gundogdu and Jonathan Meneses each converted their attempt clinch the National title 3-1 on PK’s.
“It was an all team effort,” said Moushi. “I thought the entire defending line played well, Mateo Blair and Isaac Diop were key players in midfield. Jonathan Meneses created many chances and also scored the only goal to win our third game that put us in the championship game.”
Although it was an entire team effort, Meneses did earn recognition for his individual efforts, winning the tournament ‘s U14 Boys MVP Award.
SASA finishes as National Finalists
Caleb Cheung, Devin Compton, Mitch Curry, Blake Dannehold, Nicolas Farris, Eric Heumann, Elias Hopkins, Grant Meckes,
Derek Miller, Zachary Mizera, Alec Paoni, Vincent Raby, Luke Reiser, Ty Rogers, Colin Sprague, Collin Tierney, AJ Underwood,
Tyler Vogel, Mark Wilson; Coach: James Paoni
In a rematch of the final group play match SASA Spirits looked to avenge their only loss of the tournament against LV Neon from Nevada. Unfortunately scores in the 27th and 83rd minute would secure the win for the Nevada squad.
Ty Rogers was awarded the U17 Boys MVP for his impressive play throughout the tournament
Fall State Premiership Chicagoland Teams
Central/Southern Registration Open Until July 31
Illinois Youth Soccer started the State Premiership Division in Spring 2013 with support from our competitive member leagues. This exclusive competition was designed to give elite teams that are registered with Illinois Youth Soccer competitive member leagues (Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL), Young Sportsmen’s Soccer League (YSSL), Central Illinois Youth Soccer League (CIYSL), Southern Illinois Soccer League (SISL), and ILLOWA) an opportunity to compete against the other top teams in the state. Since its inception in 2013, SPD teams include: 38 MRL Teams, 5 MRL Champions, 2 State Cup Champions, 2 State Cup Finalists, 5 State Cup Semifinalists and 9 State Cup Quarterfinalists.
In Spring 2014, the State Premiership expanded to two division, Chicagoland & Central/Southern Illinois.
Under-12 Boys Fall Chicagoland State Premiership Teams
Chicago Fire Academy 2003
Chicago Fire Jrs South Premier
Chicago Fire Jrs West
Galaxy SC Blue
Lyons Township SC Select
NSA Raptors
NSA Falcons
Oak Brook SC Blue
Raiders FC Premier
Under-13 Girls Fall State Premiership Chicagoland Teams
Chicago Fire Jrs West Red
FC United Select 1
Rockford Raptors FC
Schwaben AC
Strikers Fox Valley Premier
Wilmette Wings
Under-13 Boys State Premiership Chicagoland Division Teams
Bolingbrook SC Raiders Red
Chicago Fire Academy
Chicago Fire Jrs City Red
Chicago Fire Jrs North Red 02/03
Chicago Fire Jrs South Premier 1
Chicago Fire Jrs South Premier 2
Chicago Fire Jrs West Red
FC United Select U11
Grove United Revolution Select
Lyons Township SC Showcase
Oak Brook SC Navy
Panthers SC Orange
Raiders FC Classic
San Antonio FC
Under-14 Girls State Premiership Chicagoland Division Teams
Arlington Aces Tempest
Chicago Magic PSG North Blue
Crystal Lake Force Elite
Ela Elite
Elite SC Premier Garcia
FC United Select 2
Panther SC Orange
Team Elmhust Select
Windy City Pride
Under-14 Boys Fall State Premiership Chicagoland Division Teams
Chicago Fire Academy
Chicago Fire Jrs City
Chicago Fire Jrs West
Crystal Lake Force Elite
Ela Elite
FC-1 Academy Elite
Grove United Revolution Select
Kickers United FC
Lyons Township SC Showcase
Raiders FC Select
Rockford Raptors FC Select
Under-15 Girls Fall State Premiership Chicagoland Division Teams
Crystal Lake Force Elite
Ela Elite
FC United Select 2
Panther SC Orange
Rockford Raptors
Strikers FV Premier
Windy City Pride
Under-16 Girls State Premiership Chicagoland Division Fall Teams
Chicago Fire Jrs West Red
Crystal Lake Force Elite
Ela Elite
Elite SC Premier Black
FC United Select 2
Kickers United FC
Oak Brook SC Blue
Rockford Raptors FC
Under-17 Girls State Premiership Chicagoland Division Fall Teams
Bolingbrook SC Raiders Purple
Chicago Fire Jrs West Red
Crystal Lake Force Elite
Ela Elite
FC United Select 2
Firebirds SC Fusion
Oak Brook SC Inferno Blue
Team Evanston Premier
Under-18 Girls State Premiership Chicagoland Division Fall Teams
Crystal Lake Force Elite
Ela Elite
FC United Select 2
FC-1 Academy Elite
Heat United
Illinois Fusion Knockouts
NSA Showcase Lynx
Rockford Raptors FC
Windy City Pride
EXCITING CHANGES FOR THE STATE PREMIERSHIP DIVISION ANNOUNCED
FOR THE FALL 2014 SEASON . . .
State Premiership Central/Southern Division
The State Premiership Central/Southern Division will host its inauguarl Fall season for the following age groups
Girls Under-13
Girls Under-14
Girls Under-15
Girls Under-16
Girls Under-17
Girls Under-18
Boys Under-12
Boys Under-13
Boys Under-14
STARTING SPRING 2015 SEASON . . .
Beginning in Spring 2015, the following changes will be made to the Premiership Divisions.
Promotion and relegations system: Top teams EARN the right to keep their spot in the Premiership
Premiership champions earn a seeded spot into group play of State Cup for the following year
2015 Champions earn 2016 State Cup seed
Team must show continuity of roster of at least nine players
Additional Benefits for teams that participate include:
Team must be registered, paid in full and in good standing with an Illinois Youth Soccer member competitive league
Team must complete the State Premiership Division application in full
Teams (that have not already secured a spot based on the previous Premiership season) are selected based on their team resume. Factors that are important on a teams resume
League play results including league division championships
State Cup/Presidents Cup & MRL results
Head-to-head against current Premiership teams and/or other applicants
Other tournament results
If a Team is not accepted to participate in the SPD, the Team must play in the Illinois Youth Soccer Member League with which it registered prior to applying to the State Premiership Division. Since a team that is not selected to the SPD will resume play in the IYSA Member League, no refunds will be issued.
Schedule: The number of games is determined by the number of teams in a Premiership Division. Illinois Youth Soccer assigns match-up and designates who is the home team for each match. Teams then self-schedule at date and time at least 5 days prior to the game. Games will be played at the hosting Team’s fields to reduce the cost for all teams. There will be no charge for fields unless IYSA is asked to schedule games at a location that charges a rental fee. That rental fee will be charged to the teams and the teams would split the cost of the field rental.
SPD games are considered league games and shall meet all of the requirements of IYSA Member League play. Teams will follow all rules, policies and procedures established by IYSA concerning playing rules. Playing rules will be similar to State Cup Playing Rules. Teams will follow their respective IYSA Member League rules, policies and procedures for all other matters.
Referees: Illinois Youth Soccer assigns the center official for all State Premiership matches. The teams listed as the home team on the schedule is required to use their local assignor to get linesman that meeting specific Premiership criteria.
Teams registered with the IWSL or YSSL do not need to pay any referee fees at the field. Team registered with all other leagues must pay $25 to the center referee prior to the match.
Roster: The State Premiership Division will use the club passes system.
Unlimited transfers from within the club are allowed. Before a transferred player may participate in any Premiership game, the team must submit to Illinois Youth Soccer a copy of the transferred player’s Illinois Youth Soccer Member League team roster.
WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT STATE CUP DEADLINES & DATES?
2014 Fall Illinois State Cup
August 9: Open Cup 1 Games Must Be Scheduled By
August 23: Open Cup 1 Game Must Be Played By
August 25: Open Cup 2 Games Must Be Scheduled By
September 6: Open Cup 2 Games Must Be Played By
September 14: All State Cup Group Play Games Must Be Scheduled By
October 12: All State Cup Group Play Games Must Be Played By
October 15: Tie-Breaker Shoot-Out Date
October 18-19: State Cup Semifinals & Championships
*League games take priority over group play game. Teams must schedule games appropriately to avoid league game conflicts
2014 Fall Illinois Presidents Cup
August 9: Open Cup 1 Games Must Be Scheduled By
August 23: Open Cup 1 Game Must Be Played By
September 10: Open Cup 2 Games Must Be Scheduled By
September 13: Open Cup 2 Games Must Be Played By
September 17: All Presidents Cup Group Play Games Must Be Scheduled By
October 12: All State Cup Group Play Games Must Be Played By
October 15: Tie-Breaker Shoot-Out Date
October 18-19: State Cup Semifinals & Championships
*League games take priority over group play game. Teams must schedule games appropriately to avoid league game conflicts
Changes For Fall 2014 State Cup / Presidents Cup
SCHEDULE BY DEADLINES
All State Cup / Presidents Cup matches are required to be scheduled by the listed Schedule by date. Any game not scheduled by the Schedule by deadline will be FINED $50 PER TEAM PER DAY.
Teams contact each other and once an agreement is made about the match, they should email the following to iysascheduling@gmail.com
Teams Playing
Age Group
Date Of Match
Time Of Match
Location Of Match
DO NOT EMAIL BACK & FORTHS BETWEEN COACHES. ONLY SEND EMAIL ONCE THE DATE IS FINALIZED.
GAME CHANGE FEES
Once a date and time is emailed to iysascheduling@gmail.com the date is finalized. If either team requests a game change they must:
Pay a $50 game change fee (prior to the game change being approved)
If game was to be played at their home field, their opponent now becomes the host location
Any game change requests must be received NO LATER than 5 days prior to the scheduled match
US Soccer Legend To Be Part Of Soccer For Success Fundraiser
World Soccer legend Mia Hamm is coming to Illinois Youth Soccer on Saturday, October 25th and your daughter or son can play soccer with her!
Illinois Youth Soccer is very excited to announce Mia Hamm as part of our annual Soccer for Success Fundraiser
Every registered player has the chance to play soccer with Mia!
Each player raising at least $250 will attend lunch with Mia Hamm on October 25th, and may be accompanied by one parent or guardian. Lunch includes any one item autographed, a picture with Mia, followed by lunch with Mia, a Q&A, and finally a soccer game with Mia and the top 64 fundraisers broken into 4 separate age based games. Each game is 10 minutes and Mia will play 5 minutes for both teams.
The top 10 overall fundraisers sit with Mia at lunch. The top 2 overall fundraisers sit next to Mia!
You must register and fundraise to be eligible. It's as easy as 1-2-3:
2. Click "Register" and complete the short registration
3. Follow the simple instructions emailed to you and email your player fundraising link to family and friends asking for donations for Soccer for Success*
Illinois Youth Soccer has conducted FREE soccer programs with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) since 1994. IYSA conducts Soccer for Success Programs to empower children to lead a healthy lifestyle, value education and increase their social and life skills. This program provides fun, high quality sports-based youth development skill trainings and opportunities to children in urban communities. Soccer for Success programs are FREE to all children regardless of the child's gender, ethnicity, size, ability level, economic status.
All Illinois teams that traveled to Overland Park, KS for the US Youth Soccer Midwest Presidents Cup June 12-15 put on an impressive showing. In total 11 Illinois teams competed in the event; 6 won Regional championships, 2 finished as Regional Finalist and the three teams that did not advance to the finals all were in contention on the final day of group play.
Congratulations to the following teams that won the Region II Presidents Cup and will now represent Illinois and the Midwest in the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup July 10-13 in South Carolina.
Under-13 Girls: Team Elmhurst
Amy Chiero, Riley Haug, Olivia Hurt, Mary Katherine Kapsch, Kathleen Levins, Taylor Marti, Sarah May, Allison Milkowski, Samantha Molis, Anissa Nourse, Lindsey Novak ,
Siena Pinkerton, Lindsey Schiller, Rene Sieracki, Madison Stark, Michaela Ward,
Alexis Warnke, Madeline Welz, Coach: Karston Roy
Team Elmhurst Select was crowned the U-13 Girls Midwest Presidents Cup champions after defeating KC Legends Inferno (KS) 3-2. Team Elmhurst came back in the second half after going down 1-0 from a KC Legends goal in the 5th minute. Mary Katherine Kapsch put Team Elmhurst back in it with a pair of goals in the 37th and 43rd minutes, and Lindsey Novak added a third in the 53rd minute. KC Legends scored another in the last minute of play, but ran out of time giving Team Elmhurst the 3-2 victory and championship
Under-14 Boys: Team Evanston
Zayn Akbik, Rudy Bieglmeier, Mateo Blair, Jonathan Chavez, Isaac Diop, Noah Dolan,
Theodore Dove, Deniz Gundogdu, Simon Jiillson, Niko Kapetan, Jonathan Meneses,
Luis Molina, Nathan Pollack, Zack Rogers, Reed Schaefer, Colin Thompson,
Aidan Tobin, Coach: Issac Moushi
Team Evanston Premier beat FC42 Lime Barry (OH-S) 2-0 to become the Region II Presidents Cup Under-14 Boys champions. Two first half goals won the match. The first occurred in the 19th minute by Rudy Bieglmeier and Jonathan Meneses added the second in the 28th minute.
A pair of goals by Kaylee Zimbelmann helped PSC Orange (IL) become the U-14 Girls champions, defeating KHSC Central Girls Red (KY) 2-0. Zimbelmann scored in the 14th & 37th minutes.
Under-15 Boys: SASA Spirits
Steven Albers, Nathan Cheung, Danny Collins, Conner Cunningham, Aaron Deopere,
John Gibbson, Jacob Gordy, Ethan Karr, Brandon McCombs, Reed Myerscough, Evan Paoni, Kelby Phillips, Levi Slater, Darian Turner, Logan Willard, Evan Wright; Coach: Steven Ablers
In an all Illinois Under-15 Boys Final and rematch of the Illinois Presidents Cup Championship match, SASA Spirits shutout FC Barrington 3-0 to advance to the National Presidents Cup
With regulation and OT ending in a 2-2 draw, kicks from the mark were required to determine the Under-15 Girls Region II Presidents Cup Champions. In PK's Warren United outshot Missouri Rush 4-2 to take the Regional crown
Under-17 Boys: SASA Spirits
Caleb Cheung, Devin Compton, Mitch Curry, Black Dannehold, Nicolas Farris, Eric Heumann, Elias Hopkins, Grant Meckes, Derek Miller, Zachary Mizera, Alec Paoni, Vincent Raby,
Luke Reiser, Ty Rogers, Colin Sprague, Collin Tierney, AJ Underwood, Tyler Vogel, Mark Wilson;
Coach James Paoni
After scoring 13 goals while allowing none during group play, SASA Spirits had their toughest match of the tournament in the Under-17 Presidents Cup Final. Ultimately the Springfield team prevailed 4-3 over United/SKY '97 of Kentucky
In addition to the Regional Champions, it was a tremendous showing by all teams from Illinois that played in the event:
SASA Spirits: Under-13 Boys Regional Finalists
FC Barrington: Under-15 Boys Regional Finalists
Ela Elite: Finished undefeated at the event winning one and drawing 2 but fell just short of earning a spot in the Under-16 Girls Finals
Illinois FC: Finished 2nd in Under-16 Boys Group B with 6 points
Hawthorn Woods Elite: Finished with 6 points in the Under-17 competition, falling 1 point shy of earning a spot in the championship match
STATE CUP CHAMPIONS
Illinois Winners Now Advance To Midwest Regional Championships In Dayton
The Chipotle State Cup has come to a conclusion for most age groups this past weekend, with teams in the U13-U17 teams earning a spot in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships, June 20-15 in Dayton, OH. .
Fall ’13/Spring 2014 Chipotle State Cup Champions
Under-12 Girls: Lake Forest Select
U12 G Finals
Lake Forest: 3
Chicago Premier SC: 0
Sarah Bires, Margaret Buchert, Samantha Burkett, Paige Copeland, Sophia Divagno,
Nicole Doucette, Halle Douglass, Ingrid Falls, Katherine Gotta, Anya Kavanagh, Julia Loeger, Emma Manolovic, Alyssa Marquis, Bridget Mitchell, Quinn Sokol, Coach: Oktay Akgun
Under-12 Boys: GLSA Libertyville FC 1974
U12 B Finals
GLSA FC 1974: 2
Chicago Fire Academy: 1
Preston Chartier, Zachary Dydo, Camden Edmunds, Nolan Ehlers, Logan Holevas, Cole Houser, Camden Kowalski, Ian McKernan, Benjamin Moseley, Rich Park, Garrett Porter
Matthew Quandt, Brendan Quigley, Charlie Rasmussen, Michael Reilly, Scott Skinner,
Luke Underwood, Sean Wittenbrink; Coach: Keith Bullion
Under-13 Girls: Campton United Navy
U13 G Finals
Campton United Navy: 3
Eclipse Select Composite West: 1
Emma Blankenship, Fatima Bustamante, Kaitlyn Cannon, Avery Davis, Ashley Diorio, Taylor Fluery, Sydney Gratz, Saydie Holland, Rachael Lutter, Abigail Mastropolo, Katie Montgomery, Brianna Muzi, Claudia Najera, Hannah Rittenhouse, Devyn Rossi, Celeste Wahlberg,
Allison Wessel, Zoe Zacker; Coach: Brian Nail
Under-13 Boys: Chicago Fire Academy
U13 B Finals
Chicago Fire Academy: 5
Raiders FC Premier: 1
Beckwith Alec, Roberto Alonzo, Gilberto Angeles, Luke Baumgartner, Alexis Delgado, Nick Fernandez, Eduardo Huerta, Jayson Iniguez, Daniel Iscra, Adrian Lara, Lincoln Lillwitz,
Andy Lomeli, Joseph Maher, Christian Marquez, David Ochoa, Joshua Penn,
Andre Reynolds, Samuel Sandoval; Coach: Charlie Trout
Under-14 Girls: Team Chicago Cruzeiro
U14 G Finals
Team Chicago: 4
Eclipse Elite USYSA: 1
Kerry Abello, Sarah Avery, Alyssa Bombacino, Marconi Francesca, Jamie Goralski, Jordan King, Kaitlyn Mauder, Riley O’Brien, Sofia Papoutsis, Emma Rydholm, Erin Sweda, Katherine Wieland, Bailee Witt; Coach: Phil Nielson
Under-14 Boys: GLSA Libertyville FC 1974
U14 B Finals
Libertyville FC 1974: 2
Lyons Township SC Showcase: 1
Bryan Alba, Jason Edmunds, Christopher Fox, Ethan Goebeler, Michael Hong, Josue Infante, Gregory Krikorian, Ethan Mendoza, Wade Parmly, Declan Porter, Will Powers, Andrew Pytlak, Nick Ramirez, Ryan Wittenbrink; Coach: Michael Zovistoski
Under-15 Girls: FC United Select
U15 G Finals
FC United: 2
Chicago Fire Jrs West: 1 (OT)
Ethan Barangan, Peter Becht, Patrick Breslin, Christian Davis, Cade Fink, Bailey Kish, Elijah Monjares, Connor Mote, Jacob Perakis, Joshua Perakis, Robert Reichert, Daniel Rohder,
John Schuler, Michael Usher, Jamison Yoder; Coach: Mike Skupien
Under-16 Girls: FC United Select
U16 Finals
FC United: 1
Eclipse Elite: 0
Lila Adler,Allison Banta, Paige Bourne, Sheridan Bufe, Devin Burns, Lauren Chrisman, Isabella Ebihara, Jennifer Fishman, Celia Frei, Natalie Joyce, Danielle Kaufman, Kelly Maday, Olivia Peters, Shannon Powers, Molly Purcell, Blerina Saipi, Hannah von Kreuter, Adrian Walker, Alexandra Yasko; Coach: Craig Snower
Under-16 Boys: Chicago Magic PSG
U16 B Finals
Chicago Magic: 3
Galaxy SC: 1
Albert Arabik, Bryan Arambula, Stephen Batinovich, Alejandro Cervantes, Spencer Farina, Michael Gallo, David Guererro, Nick Klabjan, Adrian Macias, Mihajilo Miskovic, Benjamin Potter, Jacub Slomkowski, Grant Ugarte, Josiah Veloz, Patrick Wdowikowski, Jason Zobott;
Coach: Bato Rodonicic
Under-17 Girls: NSA Premier Jaguars
U17 G Final
NSA: 3
Eclipse Elite: 1
Abbie Boswell, Lauren Ciesla, Paige Filipek, Erin Fitzgerald, Ashley Ingolia, Kelly Keckler, Morgan Kemerling, Alison Kincaide, Jessica Kovach, Alyssa Kovatchis, Jamie Kovatchis, Megan Kozlow, Emma McCarthy, Erin Morgan, Lexi Pelafas, Meredith Tunney, Dannah Williams, Emi Yamamoto; Coach: Bonnie Young
Under-17 Boys: GLSA Libertyville FC 1974
U17 B Final
Libertyville FC 1974: 3
Chicago Fire YSC: 1
Dawid Babula, Larenz Brown, Adrian Coardos, Gianfranco DeCame, Max Goldsmith, Connor Gosell, Alen Hataric, Benjamin Ibarra, Lucas Iraci, Parker James, Noah Katner,
Alex Karmin, Breton Lowry, Clement Niyigena, Ben Osterlund, Benjamin Rogan, Miguel Sanchez, Jake Santellano; Coach: Branko Savic
Under-18 Girls: Windy City Pride
U18 Finals
Windy City Pride: 3
Team Chicago Santos: 2 (OT)
Lily Chetosky, Shayna Dheel, Alyssa Dorning, Kelly Fritz, Marisol Galvan, Sydney Gountounas, Gabrielle Gresge, Alise Holbert, Kimberly Jerantowski, Catherine King, Sam Messina, Grace Nasenbenny, Alexis Oneill, Emily Osoba, Paige Proctor. Jenna Rivera,
Nikia Smith; Coach: Ko Thanadabouth
Under-18 Boys: FC United
U18 Finals
FC United Select: 4
FCX North Black: 0
Perry Adampopoulos, Eduard Antal, Francisco Arellano, Will Belliel, Jack Cornelo, Keko Erber, Jose Garcia, Andrew Gjertsen, Luis Herrera, Clark Kipp, Joseph Long, Marino Lopez, Charles Malkin, Sammy Malkin, George Paul, Steven Rayo, Alredo Rocha, Kurt Roemer Jr, Alexander Sobrieraj, Phillip Spevok, Brian Tener, Adam Yaghmour; Coach: Paul Agombar
Under-19 Girls: Team Chicago Botafogo
Finals: Team Chicago: 1 - Eclipse: 0
Under-19 Boys: Chicago Fire Academy
Finals: Chicago Fire: 3 - Galaxy SC Blue: 0
PHOTOS BY TSS PHOTOGRAPHY, OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF ILLINOIS YOUTH SOCCER
In addition to the State Cup champions, the following teams have earned a spot in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships
Under-13 Boys: Cicero Mayas (MRL Premier I Champions)
Under-14 Girls: Campton United Navy (MRL Premier I Champions)
Under-14 Boys: Chicago Fire Academy (MRL Premier I Champions)
Under-15 Girls: NSA Premier Rockets (MRL Premier I Champions)
Under-17 Boys: Chicago Fire Youth Soccer Club (MRL Premier I Champion)
Under-17 Girls: FC United (MRL Premier I Champions)
Under-18: FC United (MRL Premier I Champions)
PRESIDENTS CUP CHAMPIONS
Illinois champs now advance to US Youth Soccer Midwest Presidents Cup in Overland Park, KS
The Sports Authority Presidents Cup concluded June 1 in Naperville with 7 teams securing a spot in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Presidents Cup joining the U15-U17 Girls teams that qualified in the Fall competition. Illinois state champions will travel to Overland Park, KS from to compete for a Regional title June 12-15. Regional winners then advance to play for a National title in the National Presidents Cup.
Fall ’13/Spring 2014 Sports Authority Presidents Cup Champions
Under-13 Boys: SASA Spirits
U13 B Final
SASA Spirits: 4 FC Athletico: 0
Nicholas Depooter, David Ejeh, Will Eller, Logan Evans, Caleb Fink, William Formea,
Jackson Hyde, Andrew Keller, Connor Novy, Luke Owsley, Reed Rogers, Niko Scott,
Kasten Streb, Reid Taylor, Ben Thiele, Andrew Wike; Coach: Chris Owsley
Under-13 Girls: Team Elmhurst
U13 G Final
Team Elmhurst: 3 Crystal Lake Force: 2
Amy Chiero, Riley Haug, Olivia Hurt, Mary Katherine Kapsch, Kathleen Levins, Taylor Marti, Sarah May, Allison Milkowski, Samantha Molis, Anissa Nourse, Lindsey Novak,
Siena Pinkerton, Lindsey Schiller, Rene Sieracki, Madison Stark, Michaela Ward,
Alexis Warnke, Madeline Welz; Coach: Karston Roy
Under-14 Boys: Team Evanston
U14 B Final
Team Evanston: 3 Chicago Fire Jrs North Red: 1
Rudy Bieglmeier, Mateo Blair, Isaac Diop, Noah Dolan, Deniz Gundogdu, Simon Jiillson,
Niko Kapetan, Jonathan Meneses, Luis Molina, Nathan Pollack, Zack Rogers, Reed Schaefer,
Colin Thompson, Aidan Tobin; Coach: Issac Moushi
Under-14 Girls: Panthers SC Orange
U14 B Final
Panther SC Orange: 3
Eclipse Premier NWI: 0
William Ahlgren, Jordan Allen, Michael Behrensmeyer, Cameron Burgess, Grant Carlson,
Victor Font, Kenny Heckler, Nick Hellmer, Sean Jackson, Matthew Jones, Arad Mor,
Aaron Penick, Luis Perez, Samuel Plummer, Gavin Schrader, Neil Tewksbury, Ethan Walmer, Joetaro Wilson; Coach: Mike Wingo
Under-16 Girls: Ela Elite
U16 Final
Ela Elite: 1
Oak Brook SC: 0
Courtney Bruckman, Claudia Debiase, Lisa Harwardt, Emma Jaeger,
Devon Kennedy,Savannah Kruse, Rachel Kuehr, Ashley Nensel,
Madelyn Osimowicz,Natalie Paparone, Lauren Pircher, Addie Reninger, Courtney Trom, Emily Udelhoven, Natalie Young; Coach: Matt Hamnett
Under-17 Boys: SASA Spirits
U17 B Final
SASA Spirits: 4
FC United: 1
Caleb Cheung, Devin Compton, Mitch Curry, Black Dannehold, Nicolas Farris, Eric Heumann, Elias Hopkins, Grant Meckes, Alec Paoni, Vincent Raby, Luke Reiser, Ty Rogers, Collin Tierney, AJ Underwood; Coach James Paoni
Under-17 Girls: Hawthorn Woods Elite
U17 Finals
Hawthorn Woods: 2
Palatine Celtic: 1
Mikayla Abbeduto, Emma Baker, Sharon Burke, Ashley Favia, Lexi Francke, Isabelle Griffith, Maddison Gulliame, Amy Holtschult, Laura Janousek, Alyssa Kozlowski,Jackie Lung, Kaitlin McKernan, Lexi Miranda, Gabrielle Mory, Hanna Parker, Maggie Petersen, Molly Powers, Carolyn Radecki,Alexandria Tassi; Coach: Tom Chmela
PHOTOS BY TSS PHOTOGRAPHY, OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF ILLINOIS YOUTH SOCCER
CIYSL-North Announces Major Club Division
Central Illinois Youth Soccer League – North, a division of the CIYSL that operates in the greater-Chicagoland area, has announced the creation of the new Major Club Division within its league.
The Major Club Division will consist of the Under-12 thru Under-18 teams from six member clubs:
Chicago Fire
FC United
Galaxy SC
GLSA Libertyville FC 1974
Raiders FC
Rockford Raptors
This division was created for like-minded clubs who meet certain standards both on and off the pitch, who were looking for a playing environment that provided very competitive games but also puts a major empathizes on player development. No scores or standings will be recorded during the season and league play will be held over specific weekends, with teams playing multiple games at one location.
Currently, the Major Club Division boasts: Seven 2014 State Cup champions, Three 2014 State Cup Finalists, 27 Midwest Regional League Teams and Two US Youth Soccer National League teams
"FC United is thrilled to be part of the CIYSL Major Club Division,” Baer Fisher, FC United Boys Director of Coaching, said. “We believe associating our club with an Illinois Youth Soccer-affiliated league comprised of highly competitive clubs that share similar developmental philosophies as us will only benefit our players and teams. We are looking forward to a long relationship with Illinois Youth Soccer, CIYSL as well as the other clubs in the league."
“The Rockford Raptors are excited and honored to be a part of the CIYSL Major Club Division,” said Frank Mateus, Raptors Director of Coaching. “We have a great amount of respect for the other clubs in the Major Club Division and we feel this will be a great opportunity for our players to grow and develop.”
“The creation of the Major Club Division provides a more consistent practice and education platform for our players at the Chicago Fire,” said Paul Cadwell, Chicago Fire Director Of Youth Development. “The ability to focus on our training environment without preparing or recovering from a midweek game will allow our coaches the opportunity to maximize their time with the players.
As some of the top boys clubs in the state, some of the Major Club Division organization will continue to also supply teams for the Illinois Youth Soccer State Premiership Division offering multiple levels for all players within their organization to compete against top teams from throughout Chicagoland.
No additional teams are being accepted for the 2014/2015 season for the Major Club Division but interested clubs can inquire about how to apply at ciyslnorth@gmail.com for the 2015/2016 season.
Young Sportsmen's Soccer League Add Divisions For South & West Suburbs
Fire, Raiders FC, Oak Brook SC, Southwest SC, Naperville Eagles, Raptors Commit Teams Starting At U8 Beginning Fall '14
The Young Sportsmen’s Soccer League (YSSL) has announced the creation of a new division within their league that will serve the southern and western suburbs of Chicago. Because of this and other league policy changes being implemented, the YSSL has already received commitments from the following clubs to bring teams starting at Under-8 to the Illinois Youth Soccer member league for the Fall 2014 season.
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire Jrs West
Chicago Fire Jrs City
Chicago Fire Jrs South
Chicago Inter Homer Glen / Southwest SC
Naperville Eagles
Oak Brook SC
Raiders FC
Rockford Raptors FC
Many of these clubs already have their Under- 13 and older teams registered with an Illinois Youth Soccer member league but were looking for an opportunity for their younger age group teams starting with the Under-8 age division.
With the support of these clubs, almost 100 new teams from the southern and western suburbs will be registered with the YSSL this fall, allowing the league the ability to geographically schedule games for teams. Eliminating long distance travel for younger age divisions.
“The YSSL anticipates a fulfilling and successful soccer year ahead,” Bob Berkley, YSSL Presidents said. “The quality of the clubs, and their leadership, that have committed to develop a YSSL South and West division will surely draw attention from other clubs in that area. With a focus on the geographical needs and an expansion for the competitive interests of these clubs, the YSSL looks forward to serving our new members.”
“The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is committed to growing and enhancing the game of soccer within the state of Illinois and a key component to this is the continued support of all platforms under the Illinois Youth Soccer affiliation,” said Paul Cadwell of the Chicago Fire. “The new YSSL South Division allows a place for our affiliate clubs to participate against appropriate opposition while expanding the presence of our club and Illinois Youth Soccer into the southern suburbs. We fully support the expansion of the YSSL into the southern and western regions of Chicago.”
By registering with the YSSL, all teams are now members of Illinois Youth Soccer and US Youth Soccer. With this membership they are eligible for exclusive Illinois Youth Soccer and US Youth Soccer member events including:
Chipotle State Cup & the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series
Sports Authority Presidents Cup & the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup
Midwest Regional League (MRL)
Wintrust Illinois Cup (U8-U11 statewide tournament)
State Premiership Division
US Youth Soccer National League
“This expansion shows that our member leagues are working with the Club Directors of Coaching to provide the structured playing environment that the clubs want,” said Gus Bender, Illinois Youth Soccer President.
Registration for the Fall season is open until July 1. Interested teams can register at www.yssl.org or call 847-818-1440.
ABOUT YSSL: The Young Sportsmen’s Soccer League is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in Illinois since 1968 and is affiliated with Illinois Youth Soccer. The YSSL is run by its’ Officers and Board Members who are elected through the member clubs. The league’s members and club Directors Of Coaching are guaranteed a voice in the direction and the structure of the YSSL. The YSSL provides a competitive schedule of games for boys’ teams U8 through U19. Teams are assigned to divisions by age and their level of competitive ability. At the end of each season, division standings are evaluated and teams are assigned for the next season. Teams move up and down the levels of competition based upon their earned point,
IL Youth Soccer & IWSL To Sponsor Red Stars Reserve
Sponsorship Of WPSL Team To Offer More Opportunities For Young Women
Illinois Youth Soccer & the Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL) are excited to announce a joint sponsorship of the newly formed Chicago Red Stars Reserves Team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL).
The Red Stars Reserves Team will consist of many Illinois homegrown players on hiatus from college and designated players on the current NWSL roster. The new team will work as a feeder program for the National Women’s Soccer League franchise and allow additional opportunities for young women to continue to play the beautiful game.
“Since half of our members are girls,” said Illinois Youth Soccer president Gus Bender, “it is incumbent on us to support programs that provide opportunities for women in an organized and progressive environment.”
“We are excited to be a part of this opportunity to support and grow women's soccer,” Flo Dyson, IWSL President said. “The addition of the Chicago Red Stars Reserves will strengthen the cadre of accomplished athletes available to reach and compete at that higher level.”
The Chicago Red Stars players are some of the most accomplished athletes in their respective discipline in the country. The team is made up of Olympic medalists, World Cup champions, NCAA champions and All-Americans. The Red Stars 2014 NWSL roster currently boasts several players who competed in the IWSL and many who were part of the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program including Illinois ODP.
Illinois Youth Soccer Associate Director of Coaching, Jennifer Pfieffer will serve as an Assistant Coach for the team. Chris King is the team’s Head Coach.
“This was the perfect time for us to add a reserves team under our umbrella,” stated Red Stars General Manager Alyse LaHue. “The support of both IYSA and IWSL has been unwavering for the women’s game and we excited to take this step forward with them for women’s soccer in Illinois.”
The Red Star Reserves WPSL season kicks off May 31 at 4:30pm versus the Des Moines Menace in Iowa. The home opener will be at 1pm on June 1 at the Oak Brook Polo Fields against the Minnesota Twin Stars. Click here for a complete Red Stars Reserve schedule
Ela Earns 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition
Becomes 1st To Earn New Award
Just two weeks after revealing their new Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition, Illinois Youth Soccer is pleased to announce the first recipient of the prestigious award, ELA SOCCER CLUB.
Not only is Ela the first club to receive this recognition, they also are the first organization to have earned both the Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition AND the US Youth Soccer Region II 5-Star Recreational Program Recognition for their recreational program.
“We are continually working hard to improve all aspects of our program and this recognition emphasizes these efforts and demonstrates our commitment to every aspect of development, safety and education,” Jackie Marais, Ela Executive Director said. “We are very proud and honored to be the first club to receive this recognition and our exceptional staff and coaches will continue to work hard to instill the love of the game in all players and maintain the high standards we set for our club.”
“I’m not surprised. Ela Soccer Club knows how to do things right, “ said Illinois Youth Soccer’s Executive Director Mary Jane Bender. “Their board, administrators and coaches work very hard to provide the best possible experience for the children in their program. They hire quality staff, they support coaching education and player development, they invest in good programming, they involve their parents, they maintain high standards and they provide a safe playing environment.”
Located in Lake Zurich, Ela Soccer Club has competitive programs for boys and girls from ages 8 to 19 . Ela provides the opportunity for players to learn and play highly skilled soccer in a supportive and challenging environment. For teams U13 and above, their Ela Elite program offers more focused and rigorous trainings with a more comprehensive travel schedule. The U15-U18 Elite teams participate in major national tournaments and state-wide competitions. Five Ela Elite teams were selected to participate in this spring’s Illinois Youth Soccer’s State Premiership Division. Three Ela teams competed last fall including their U16 Illinois Girls Premiership Champion. Ela Soccer Club boys teams participate in the Young Sportsmen’s Soccer League (YSSL) and their girls teams play in the Illinois Women’s Soccer League (IWSL).
To earn the 5-Star Competitive Club recognition, Ela met all of the requirements showcasing their dedication both on and off the field. The 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition requirements are:
Illinois Youth Soccer Membership & Support
All of the Club’s competitive teams/players and recreational program teams/players, with the exception of the Club’s US Soccer Academy primary teams that are excluded from participating in any other program, must be registered with an Illinois Youth Soccer member league.
The Club must actively support Illinois Youth Soccer programs and encourage their players to participate in the Illinois Olympic Development Program.
The Club must place Illinois Youth Soccer logo and link on its website.
Coaching Education
All the Club’s competitive coaches must have the following US Soccer Federation licenses:
All U9-U12 coaches must have at least an ‘E’ License
All U13 and up coaches must have at least a ‘D’ License
All Directors of Coaching must have at least a ‘C’ License AND a National Youth License
Referee Development
All referees including assistant referees that the Club assigns must have a US Soccer license.
Risk Management
The Club must meet all of the following Illinois Youth Soccer risk management criteria:
All goals used by the Club, whether they are in use or not, must be anchored and stored according to the goal manufacturer’s safety standards. All fields, nets and equipment must be safe.
All coaches, assistant coaches, administrative staff, board members, referees and all affected persons 18 or older must submit a background check.
All coaches must submit a certificate to the Club showing that they have successfully completed the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Heads Up Concussion test.
All coaches must use the Illinois Youth Soccer Concussion Notification Form.
Parent Education and Sideline Behavior
The Club must certify and document that it has a parent behavior program in place.
For more details on the Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Club Recognition click here.
What's Kickin'
New Weekly Blog Of Illinois Youth Soccer
FRIDAY, MAY 9
Welcome to the new weekly blog of Illinois Youth Soccer. Every Thursday you'll be able to find out what we've been up to along with a variety of soccer news for players, parents, coaches and fans.
Illinois Youth Soccer Event News
The Sports Authority Copa Chicago will feature over 40 teams from particiapting Illinois Youth Soccer - Soccer For Success programs. This great event will be held Saturday, May 10 at Adams Park in Chicago.
Wintrust Illinois Cup Champions
The 2014 Wintrust Illinois Cup was held May 3-4 at the Naperville Polo Grounds. Congratulations to the champions and finalists. Team photos will be posted next week.
U9 Girls Champions: Chicago Fire Jrs West
U10 Girls Champions: Chicago Fire Jrs South
U8 Boys Champions: Chicago Magic
U9 Boys Champions: Daredevils SC
U9 Boys Champions: Morton Blaze SC Red
U10 Boys Champions: BTSC Hawks
U10 Boys Champions: Chicago Champs
In the Under-11 Division, the following four teams secured a spot in the Illinois Cup semifinals on May 31 Boys Semifinalists
GLSA Libertyville FC 1974
Chicago Fire Jrs North
Bayern Munich Nationals
Wilmette Wings
Girls Semifinalists
Kickers United FC
GLSA Libertyville FC 1974
Chicago Fire Jrs West
Wilmette Wings Red
Player Of The Week
Did you or one of your teammates accomplish something exceptional on the field this week? Did someone on your team do something great off the pitch for their community? Let us know about it. Each week we'll select an Illinois Youth Soccer Player of the Week that will be announced here on What's Kickin'. Player of the Week winners will receive a 4-ticket pack for a Chicago Fire game of their choice (subject to availability and game restriction)To nominate a player send an email to chrisj@illinoisyouthsoccer.org that MUST include all of the following:
Player Name
Age
Team / Club
League the team plays in (must be IL Youth Soccer affiliated)
What they did and why they should be Player Of The Week
Nominations due Tuesday
Team Of The Week Although an indivdual player may standout, it takes a whole team to achieve real success. What did your team do both on and off the field. Did they win a tournament, go undefeated for a season, raise money for a charity, do a community service project? Let us know about it. Each week we'll select an Illinois Youth Soccer Team of the Week that will be announced here on What's Kickin'. To nominate a team send an email to chrisj@illinoisyouthsoccer.org that MUST include all of the following:
Team / Club
League the team plays in (must be IL Youth Soccer affiliated)
What the team did and why they should be Team Of The Week
Picture of team (that we can publish here)
Nominations due Tuesday
Rick traveled to the Urban Symposium in Washington D.C and learned about a better urban perspective with more collaboration for coaches and players.
Jen attended the Illinois Cup in Naperville over the weekend to watch the future Illinois soccer stars competing in games. She also attended the upsetting game of the Chicago Fire with a loss against Real Salt Lake.
This week both of the Directors held a Quarterly Director of Coaches meeting with over 30 coaches to discuss club concerns, a leadership presentation by Rick, presentation by Arnim Whisler the owner of the Chicago Red Stars, and Carlos with FootGolf. Rick will hold another meeting in Bloomington and in O’Fallen for the other Directors of Coaching in our state this upcoming week.
This weekend is the Board of Directors meeting so Rick will be in attendance to voice the concerns and questions from the Coaches side of soccer. Jen will have the weekend off to be part of the volunteer staff at the Crossfit Games North Central Regional event at Navy Pier.
We have another Coaches Workshop for Lesson plans on Monday, May 12 from 6-8pm at IYSA office. We will have another Field Session Workshop on Tuesday, May 20 from 5-7pm at Prairie Park. Everyone is welcomed to attend.
Next week the Directors will travel to do training sessions for the Metro East Legacy Soccer Club and Thunder Recreational Soccer.
ODP News Former Illinois ODP standout Katie Naughton was among twenty-seven players have been called to attend the upcoming Under-20 Women’s National Team Camp - May 11-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. - in preparation for the 2014 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Coaching Info
We're hosting a special E License Course in conjunction with the Chicago Fire. The course will be held at Toyotoa Park and use the traning areas used by the Chicago Fire. Other additional benefits to attendees include
Ticket to Chicago Fire vs Sporting KC match
Pre-game technical scouting report with Fire staff
This week's new lesson plan and activities are now posted on the Coaches Corner
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THE MOTHERS!
Are you an Illinois Youth Soccer member and have some info that we should include here? Let us know about it. Email chrisj@illinoisyouthsoccer.org with details
Fire & IL Youth Soccer Announce New Strategic Partnership
Expanded Partnership Is First Of Its Kind Between MLS Club & US Youth Soccer State Association
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Illinois Youth Soccer Association have announced a long-term strategic partnership to support the growth of grassroots soccer throughout Illinois. Through a variety of collaborative programs and educational initiatives, both the Fire and Illinois Youth Soccer will work together to positively impact every level of youth soccer within the area.
“From the youth levels on up to the professional ranks, we have a responsibility to grow the game of soccer in Illinois,” said Fire Chief Operating Officer Atul Khosla. “A key component of this growth is the continued development of the youth game, and Illinois Youth Soccer does a tremendous job engaging thousands of players, coaches, and referees each year. Together through our new partnership, we will align our collective efforts and resources to elevate the overall youth experience.”
One of the largest youth sports organizations in the state, Illinois Youth Soccer currently reaches over 75,000 players, 10,000 coaches and 5,000 referees through its development programs. Serving the Illinois community since 1975, Illinois Youth Soccer focuses on the development of players at all levels: recreational, competitive, and Olympic development. The organization will now look to enhance its player development programs through the new partnership with the Fire.
“The Chicago Fire are an important presence in the soccer community and critical to the development of the sport,” said Illinois Youth Soccer President Gus Bender. “Our new initiatives will benefit our members by enhancing coaching education and player development throughout Illinois. We look forward to working together to inspire the next generation of players.”
The partnership between Fire and Illinois Youth Soccer will consist of several new joint initiatives. Beginning this summer, the Fire will serve as the Official Recreational Camp Provider for Illinois Youth Soccer and will host the 2014 Illinois Soccer Expo at Toyota Park on August 9.
The Fire and Illinois Youth Soccer will also collaborate on new opportunities through the Club’s “Soccer in the Community” initiative that supports the continued education and development of players, coaches and referees throughout Illinois. Soccer in the Community, which includes free clinics and other grassroots programs, will be extended to over 82 recreational leagues, ensuring the Fire and Illinois Youth Soccer are at the forefront of the next generation’s soccer experience.
As the Fire continue to see success from the Illinois Youth Soccer talent pool, especially after products such as Harrison Shipp, Chris Ritter and Victor Pineda have made their way to the Fire’s first team, the Club looks forward to working with the organization to further enhance the technical curriculum of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and groom more local players for successful professional careers.
For more information regarding the joint programs and initiatives, visit www.chicago-fire.com.
5-Star Competitive Club Recognition
New Award Will Acknowledge Top Clubs
The Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition will be awarded to an Illinois Youth Soccer Member Competitive Club that promotes Illinois Youth Soccer programs, coaching education, referee development, risk management, parent education and sideline behavior.
Illinois Youth Soccer will recognize the 5-Star award recipient on its website and publications and provide the 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition medallion for display on the recipient’s website and publications.
Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Competitive Club Criteria
Illinois Youth Soccer Membership & Support
All of the Club’s competitive teams/players and recreational program teams/players, with the exception of the club’s US Soccer Academy primary teams that are excluded from participating in any other program, must be registered with an Illinois Youth Soccer member league.
The Club must actively support Illinois Youth Soccer programs and encourage their players to participate in the Illinois Olympic Development Program.
The Club must place Illinois Youth Soccer logo and link on its website free of charge to IYSA.
Coaching Education
All the Club’s competitive coaches must have the following US Soccer Federation licenses:
All U9-U12 coaches must have at least an ‘E’ License
All U13 and up coaches must have at least a ‘D’ License
All Directors of Coaching must have at least a ‘C’ License AND a National Youth License
Referee Development
All referees including assistant referees that the Club assigns must have a US Soccer license.
Risk Management
The Club must meet all of the following Illinois Youth Soccer risk management criteria:
All goals used by the Club, whether they are in use or not, must be anchored and stored according to the goal manufacturer’s safety standards. All fields, nets and equipment must be safe.
All coaches, assistant coaches, administrative staff, board members, referees and all affected persons 18 or older must submit a background check.
All coaches must submit a certificate to the Club showing that they have successfully completed the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Heads Up Concussion test.
All coaches must use the Illinois Youth Soccer Concussion Notification Form.
Parent Education and Sideline Behavior
The Club must certify and document that it has a parent behavior program in place.
Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Club Recognition Benefits
A Club that earns the prestigious Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Club Recognition will receive the following benefits from Illinois Youth Soccer:
Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Club Recognition Logo for display on the Club’s website and publications
Listing on Illinois Youth Soccer website, e-newsletter and Network News that is distributed to approximately 90,000 families statewide
One (1 ) free banner ad in Illinois Kicks e-newsletter for the Club’s next tryouts
One (1) free ‘E’ or ‘D’ coaching course credit for use by one of the Club’s coaching candidates
Illinois Youth Soccer is very excited to announce Mia Hamm as part of our annual Soccer for Success Fundraiser 
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The Illinois Youth Soccer 5-Star Competitive Club Recognition will be awarded to an Illinois Youth Soccer Member Competitive Club that promotes Illinois Youth Soccer programs, coaching education, referee development, risk management, parent education and sideline behavior.
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