Just in time for the start of the Fall season, VYS has scheduled a new referee class.

If you have ever been interested in refereeing and are at least entering the 7^th grade, this is your chance to give it a try. The class will consist of three evening sessions – September 2, 3, and 10. We begin at 6:30 and run until 9:30 each night at Thoreau’s Lecture Hall. This is a “grade 9 class” which has nothing to do with school grades and everything to do with referee grades. If you pass you will be eligible to referee VYS games at the U14 and below level, and you will also be able to be an assistant referee for all VYS games until December 2011 (at which time you will need to either recertify or upgrade). Passing this class will not permit you to referee travel games, but if you find you like refereeing then you can take an upgrade class that will certify you as a “grade 8” referee and you can do travel games. This is a great opportunity to find out if you like refereeing for a relatively small investment of class time.

Interested? Then you will first need to go to the State Referee web site – www.vadcsoccerref.com – and follow the directions to get registered with United States Soccer Federation as a grade 9 referee (and pay $45.00 by credit card). (Please note your userid and password for future reference.) Once you have registered at the USSF web site you will need to wait a day for the data to transfer to the State system, and then you need to log onto the state registration system, and sign up for the new referee class in Vienna. Finally, please send an e-mail to Diane Florkowski, the instructor, to verify that you have successfully completed the process.

If you have any questions, please contact Diane at dflorkowski@cox.net.

VYS opens the Fall season soccer program by offering the following programs to coaches, assistant coaches and volunteers on Friday September 10 and Saturday September 11. All house games will begin the following weekend (September 18, 2010).

F Certificate Module

A required course for all VYS coaches.

The Virginia State Youth F Certificate Module provides the most current and advanced information on the growth and development of the youth soccer player. The F certificate Module takes the approach that the GAME WITHIN EACH CHILD is at the center of all beliefs, decisions, and actions taken by the child, coach, and organization. Coaching youth players requires bringing the game to life in a child’s world. This philosophy will allow youngsters to play, learn, grow, and enjoy soccer in a non-threatening environment, and should be central to every decision and action taken by coaches and organizations devoted to youth soccer. The F Certificate Module also explores the philosophy of coaching, characteristics of players, team administration, risk management, care and prevention of injuries and modified laws of the game.

RSVP by September 7, 2010 to dircoaching@vys.org

VYS will again be offering the PCA course Double Goal Coach 1 - Coaching for Winning and Life Lessons this Fall. To make it easier to fit into busy schedules, we will be offering the course twice, at the  following dates and times:

• Thursday, September 9, 7:30-9:30 PM, Kilmer MS Lecture Hall
• Monday, September 13, 7:30-9:30 PM, Kilmer MS Lecture Hall

If you are a coach of either a House or Travel team and have not taken this course when it was offered in the past year, it is required that you take it prior to the start of the Fall season. Take advantage of this opportunity to gain valuable information and skills about coaching in a balanced way that benefits everyone involved.

To register for one of the sessions (strongly encouraged) please follow this link or send an email to pca@vys.org with the subject DGC1 Registration. Please make sure to include you name, a contact phone number, what age group and team(s) you represent and which session you are registering for.

Please click here to register on-line.

Regular Fall 2010 soccer registration is now closed, but the VYS registrar is accepting online and mail-in applications for House recreation players, which will be placed on a waiting list. The waitlist does not apply to players registering for travel teams or the Parent League.

Age Group Commissioners will make every effort to accept as many players as possible from the waiting list, but there are no guarantees, given team size and availability of coaches. Registration fees will be returned if you do not receive notification that your player has been accepted on a team.

Please contact your player’s Age Group Commissioner prior to registering to see whether their specific division is still accepting players (see Contacts on the website for email and phone information).

Note: First-time registrants (except travel players) must also include a copy of the player’s birth certificate with their application for proof of age. Please mail forms, including registration fee, to: Vienna Youth Soccer, P.O. Box 993, Vienna, VA.  22183.

Note: Late “mail-in” registrations must also include a $25 late fee, or the application will be returned.

For further information, please email the VYS Registrar at registrar@vys.org.

The VYS Board of Directors is in unanimous agreement that in creating teams in the House leagues, the goal is to form balanced teams throughout each division, which should be structured to nurture all players in an age group, regardless of skill level.  The Board has specifically rejected the notion of creating tiers of teams within a division.

I have reviewed this goal with the Commissioners for several seasons.  However, a repeated complaint from Commissioners is that special requests for teams and coaches have in some instances made balance throughout a division almost impossible to accomplish.  VYS is committed to developing players, NOT to developing teams.  Creating balanced teams is a critical element in successful player development.  Accordingly, at the May 3, 2010 Board meeting, after much discussion, the Board agreed to eliminate the special request section on the registration form in order to further our goal of forming balanced house league teams, and in turn developing better soccer players.

While the lack of a special request section is a departure from the VYS registration form in previous seasons, it is consistent with other Vienna sports leagues. The removal of the Special Request box does not equate to children being unable to play with some of their friends and total random mixing. Commissioners will still look at schools and neighborhoods, and possibly even previous team assignments.  However, Commissioners will also be taking into account other factors, including past game results, in an effort to form teams of equal strength throughout divisions.  For many of the divisions, especially the younger divisions, we doubt that there will be vast changes in team assignments.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we strive to provide the opportunity for children of all abilities in our community to have a high-quality soccer experience in a fun and safe environment.

Mike Gurdak
VP of House Soccer

VYS is proud to announce a new partner in our fundraising efforts.

We've joined TD Bank's Affinity Membership Program, which provides our organization the opportunity to earn annual cash contributions. We're thrilled with the ease of participating in this program and there is no cost to our organization or our members.

Here is how it works:

TD Bank will contribute a percentage of the annual balance in every one of our members' accounts directly to VYS. Checking, savings, money market, CD's and retirement accounts are all included! And there is no limit to the amount that TD Bank can potentially contribute!

Here is how you can help:

Make TD Bank your bank. Visit any TD Bank location and open any of the above mentioned accounts. Let the TD Bank representative know that you want your account linked to Vienna Youth Soccer Affinity Program. That is it....TD Bank will take care of the rest. If you already have a TD Bank account, just visit a TD Bank location and let a representative know that you want have your account linked to Vienna Youth Soccer.<

Additional incentive: Open a TD Bank Checking account and get a Flip Ultra camcorder.

Limited Time Offer. April 25 to June 5.

Feel free to contact VYS for more information or visit a TD Bank location and speak to a Customer Service Representative.

Thank you in advance for your support of VYS.

TD Bank - www.tdbank.com

Address: 308 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA 22180

Telephone: (703) 281-1257

Office hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-5:00; Th-Fri 8:30-8:00; Sat 8:30-3:00; Sun 11:00-4:00
Drive-up hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-8:00; Sat 7:30-6:00; Sun 11:00-4:00

• Team will be introduced as one of the Fair Play Teams of the Game and carry the DC United banner and the Fair Play banner on the field with the starting lineups.
• Each team will receive scoreboard recognition during the game.
• Parents, friends and family members of the team may purchase additional tickets at a discounted price of $24 per seat (regular price of $32).

VYS congratulates Michele Sullivan and Drew Fielding on being recipients of the Pollin Award, honoring their dedication to youth sports. Michele and Drew coach a VYS U8 girls House team.

The Pollin Award was created to honor those individuals who show an outstanding dedication to their community.

Named after Irene and Abe Pollin, Chairpersons for the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center. The Pollin’s vision is matched solely by their willingness to help improve the quality of life in this community and around the world.

This year the Washington Wizards teamed up with the nonprofit organization Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) to honor the Washington DC Metropolitan coaches. PCA’s mission is to "transform youth sports so sports can transform youth." Since 2001, PCA has operated in the Washington, DC area, impacting tens of thousands of local youths. Each award recipient receives two (2) complementary tickets to a designated Wizards game. The winner is recognized in the game and receives the award on court.

Exclusive VYS merchandise is now available at PJ’s Soccer and Lacrosse. Just in time for an end-of-the-season coaches gift or for the holidays. Visit VYS Merchandise at PJs! to see the merchandise.

All VYS families receive a 10% discount.

PJ’s Soccer and Lacrosse donates 5% of all VYS merchandise sales to the VYS Hardship Fund.

PJ’s Soccer and Lacrosse
7500 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043
(703) 506-8009