The Latest Score - December 2019

DECEMBER 2019

2019 In Review...

As we close out 2019, we wanted to give you a brief recap of what this year has looked like. We are excited about where we are and the direction we are headed.

Over the past year, a lot has happened at Wyoming Soccer. For starters, we had 7,307 registered players in 2019. Although this is down from total registrations in 2018, we believe we are growing. Spring registrations are usually higher than Fall, and we have the Spring 2020 season to finish out our 2019/2020 seasonal year.

In February, we held an ODP Sub-Regional event in Laramie and had 105 players register - a record for Wyoming! Thirty of those players were selected to attend Regional ODP Camps, and four of those players advanced to either a regional ODP roster or national training camp. We had one player make it to that level in 2018.

In March, we held our annual general meeting and brought in several speakers, including the founder of Changing the Game Project, John O'Sullivan. We held our very first Awards Banquet and honored players, coaches, referees, volunteers and administrators from across the state. This resulted in one of our very own coaches receiving a regional coach award from US Youth Soccer!

We held our annual Wyoming Cup & Championships event over Memorial Day weekend at the Casper Soccer Complex with 127 teams and 1400 players. We held our 2nd annual Wyoming Soccer Fest bringing in professional freestylers from California to entertain the kids and teach them some awesome new tricks!

Our Wyoming 307 Program registrations are up by 15% and ODP registrations are up by 18%. One team attended the 2019 West Region ODP Championships. In less than a month, we are excited to be sending four teams to attend this coming year's event in Phoenix, AZ!

In August, we enforced SafeSport to help keep our kids protected, requiring every coach, referee and volunteer over the age of 18 to be SafeSport certified. Our compliance levels were outstanding and we have 411 coaches, 131 team managers and 62 referees who have completed the course since we implemented it four short months ago.

We started a state Futsal League this past Fall and had 26 teams and 231 players from four clubs participate in our first ever Wyoming Futsal League games on November 22-23 in Casper.

Again, we are excited about these changes and the growth we are experiencing through the sport of soccer. Thank you for being an IMPORTANT part of it!

Stay tuned for continued stories of success coming up in 2020! The future is bright for Wyoming Soccer...

THE LATEST FROM WYOMING SOCCER ASSOCIATION

Nominate your Club's Players, Coaches, Referees, Volunteers, Administrators & TOPSoccer Players & Buddies!

The 2020 Wyoming Soccer AGM and Symposium is planned for March 7-8, 2020 in Casper at the Hilton Garden Inn. You do not want to miss it. We have a great line up and will host our 2nd Annual Awards Banquet as part of the event. This is your chance to nominate someone from your club who you feel is deserving of state recognition, and who knows...maybe regional and national honors!

Nominations are now open through January 19, 2020.

Please click here to view our list of awards, selection criteria and nomination forms.

Nominations for

Executive Committee Positions

on the WSA Board of Directors

are Open!

Voting for the President and Secretary of the WSA Board will take place at the Annual General Meeting on March 7th, 2020.

Are you interested in serving on the Board of Directors for Wyoming Soccer Association as President or Secretary?

These positions are selected through a process called for in the WSA Bylaws and are elected at the AGM. Information regarding these elected positions can be found in Bylaw 408 on page 8. For information on the roles, responsibilities and expectations of these positions, please review Bylaw 414 on page 9. The Candidate Information form can be accessed here .

The deadline to apply is February 7, 2020.

Wyoming ODP

Wyoming 307 Select Program

2020 West Region ODP Championships

Phoenix, AZ | Jan. 3-6, 2020

Wyoming Soccer is proud to be sending four teams to the West Region ODP Championships that will be held in Phoenix, AZ January 3-6, 2020 . The teams that will be competing are:

14U Girls ('06/'07)
17U Girls ('03/'04)
15U Boys ('05/'06)
17U Boys ('03/'04)

Thank you to the coaches and players traveling to the event.

Good luck and go Wyoming!

The next training for the Wyoming ODP teams is scheduled for:

December 21-22, 2019 in Laramie

Wyoming Soccer Association will bring you updates and highlights of the training and championship event as they come in!

Wyoming Soccer Welcomes new WY 307 Head Coach

Wyoming Soccer would like to welcome Conrad Damori as the new head coach of the 307 '03 Boys team.

Conrad has six active years of youth soccer coaching with the Campbell County School District and Gillette Edge Soccer Club. He has played soccer since childhood, earning 1st Team All-State in High School, and at the collegiate level at University of Mary.

The next training weekend for 307 Select teams is scheduled for:

January 25-26, 2020 in Laramie.

Please visit the 307 Select Program page on the Wyoming Soccer Association web site for complete program information.

Team results and photos are posted on Wyoming Soccer's social media platforms.

Be sure to follow us...

The state office will close at noon on Christmas Eve

and will reopen on Monday, December 30th.

Click HERE for a fun surprise

from the Wyoming Soccer elves!

Please join us for an opportunity to be invited to a West Region ODP Camp and possible selection for the ODP West Pool!

Date: February 22-23, 2020

Location: University of Wyoming Indoor Practice Facility in Laramie, Wyoming

Fees:

$120 through January 17, 2020

$145 on or after January 18, 2020

Siblings will receive a $25 discount

Check-in will take place from 6 - 7 p.m. on Friday, February 21st and from

7:00 - 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 22nd. Sessions begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. The event will conclude by 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 23rd.

*Room Reservations can be made here for the Hilton Garden Inn.

*Reservations for the Holiday Inn can be made here.

Please register early!

The registration fee will increase after January 17th and closes on January 31st.

COLE VENABLE

Wyoming Soccer's Player Spotlight for December is Cole Venable. A center mid and left wing who started with the Worland Soccer Association and has been playing soccer for the past 11 years.

At one point or another, Cole has guest played for Casper, Rock Springs and Lander. Every fall for the last 4 years, Cole has played with the Jackson Youth Soccer Club since his hometown, Worland, team didn’t have enough players. This past season the Worland boys joined forces with Heart Mountain United Soccer Association in Powell and signed up as a combined team.

Cole's school activities include FFA, FBLA and Soccer. When he is not traveling for soccer, he likes to play video games and spend time with friends. He considers himself an average dancer and says "I like to try new things at restaurants. I also like to cook and create new recipes in the kitchen."

Cole first started playing 307 soccer in 2015, the first couple of years were a great experience for Cole; as he was exposed to the best talent that the state had to offer. When ODP was introduced into Wyoming, Cole participated in the trainings they held in different towns across the state. Cole has been selected to the Regional ODP camp three times and has made the journey twice to participate. At the most recent Regional Camp, Cole was selected to represent Wyoming and the West Region at the Interregional event in Bradenton, Florida.

Here are a few comments from Ron Overcast, Worland High School's head soccer coach, “The first thing that I noticed about Cole was his extremely high soccer IQ! He has excellent foot skills and very good speed. As a freshman for Worland High School he started as an attacking midfielder and showed great vision, excellent passing ability, and the ability to shoot with both feet. Cole always gives great effort, has an exceptional attitude, and is a great teammate. Not only does Cole excel on the soccer field but likewise in the classroom he presently maintains a 4.0 GPA.”

We want to hear more about players like Cole. Remember, the player spotlight can highlight achievement in any area, whether it's soccer, academics, community, or attitude. Please share your kids with us!

To nominate a player from your club for the Player Spotlight, please click here . Scroll down to the general section. Click "Player Spotlight Submission Form" and it will save to your computer. The form is very simple and should be emailed to wssa@wyomingsoccer.com .

THE LATEST FROM US YOUTH SOCCER

Applications for the Farwest Regional Tournament & the West Region President's Cup are due by December 31, 2019

That's right...the deadline to apply for entry into both regional events is December 31st!

The 2020 Farwest Regional Tournament is in our backyard again this year, and will be held in Boise, ID June 15-21.

Preliminary games will be played June 15-18, Championship elimination rounds will take place June 19-21. To view the application, please click here .

The 2020 West Region Presidents' Cup will take place at the Silver Lakes Sports Complex in Norco, CA on June 8-14.

Preliminary games will take place June 8-11, with quarter finals on June 12, semi-finals on June 13 and finals/championships on June 14. To view the application, please click here .

NCYS STRIVE AWARD: USYS NEEDS YOUR VOTES!

The National Council of Youth Sports and AIG proudly recognize organizations that implement promising practices and policies to protect young athletes with their STRIVE Award. US Youth Soccer has been nominated to win this award based on recent health and safety initiatives.

Please click HERE to vote!

Voting ends TODAY, December 12th!

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

There are several Referee Clinics scheduled over the next several months. Be sure to register for one near you!

February 29th, 2020 in Rock Springs

March 7th, 2020 in Casper

Colorado Soccer Association is hosting a C-License course in Arvada on the following dates:

July 31-August 4 – First Phase

September 21-24- Second Phase

Apex Field House

5724 Oak Street

Arvada, CO

For all questions, please contact: mfreitag@coloradosoccer.org

For course information please click here.

Please SAVE THE DATE!

Registration for these courses is not yet open.

Be on the lookout for more communications from Wyoming Soccer and posts on our social media platforms. Please follow us here:

WSA encourages coaches to continue their education and get reimbursed through the Coach Development Initiative .

Additional on-line courses are added on a periodic basis.

The 2020 United Soccer Coaches Convention is just one month away! Are you registered? If you are able, we highly encourage all Wyoming soccer coaches to try to attend the largest gathering of soccer coaches in the world! T he United Soccer Coaches Convention and US Youth Soccer Workshop draws more than 6,300 coaches and more than 14,000 attendees. Over five days, there are more than 250 educational opportunities consisting of live field demonstrations, classroom sessions, meal and social functions, award presentations, coaching diplomas and more!

You don't want to miss this opportunity to hear from some of the best coaches and technical directors in the country. In addition, the MLS SuperDraft will be held during the convention, not to mention the announcement of the 2020 USYS Annual Awards - of which one of our own, Brian Orr, is in the running for the boys competitive coach of the year!

For a complete schedule, please click here . For complete convention information, including housing and registration, please click here.