The Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA) is our state component of the national and international soccer organizations (FIFA, USSF and USYSA). OYSA is made up of approximately 120 member clubs in 16 districts. Administration is by a Board of Directors, including district representatives and an elected Executive Board. OYSA offers a wide array of playing opportunities through a variety of programs.

Recreational soccer is a program offered to youth players of all ages, with emphasis on fun, fitness, and skill building in a less competitive environment. Recreational soccer is administered through the local districts and clubs.

The OYSA Recreation Council serves to promote recreational soccer for all youth soccer players throughout the state. The Recreation Council is guided by the philosophy that "Recreational Soccer should be organized so that: 1) participants experience soccer in an environment of fun, based upon equal playing time and balanced team competition; 2) players develop the skills n ecessary to play soccer with confidence; 3) all players, coaches, parents, and spectators demonstrate good sportsmanship; and 4) any and all eligible youths (subject to reasonable terms of registration) are accepted as participants."

Recreational soccer teams and games are governed by the OYSA General Rules of Play and FIFA Laws of the Game, as well as by applicable local club rules.

Classic Soccer is a competitive league provided by OYSA to youth soccer players U12 (under 12) through U19 who are selectively rostered to teams based on ability. Selection is usually through a tryout process. Teams participate in preseason qualifying tournaments to determine their level of competition (Premier, Gold I, Gold II, or Gold III).

The OYSA Classic Council administers the classic league statewide, taking responsibility for formulating specific rules of competition, scheduling games and referees, and organizing statewide qualifying and championship tournaments. Classic soccer teams and games are governed by OYSA Competition Rules of Play and FIFA Laws of the Game.

The Olympic Development Program was organized by USYSA to identify and train a pool of players to represent the United States in international competitions for youth national teams. Tryouts are open to all age-eligible players for State Association Teams; these players attend camps and competitions from which Regional Teams are selected to advance to National competition. There are approximately 200 players involved in Oregon ODP each year.

The OYSA High School Recreational Coed Soccer League provides high school age players, who do not play on their high school teams, an opportunity to continue playing soccer in a fall league.

The season begins the first Saturday, after school starts in September. The first game of the Fall 1998 season will be played on Saturday, September 12th. Each team is scheduled to play 10 games, with a post season jamboree, In the past, all games were played on Saturdays.

The league is open to all high school age teams state wide, but at present, most come from the greater Portland Metropolitan area. In the past, teams have registered from Sisters (Bend), Sweet Home, and Newport, however, these teams had to travel for all their games. They were usually scheduled two games a day, every other Saturday. All teams must, be registered through an OYSA affiliated club.

In the Fall of 1997, there were 12 teams from the Portland Youth Soccer Association, 5 teams from Tigard SC, 2 teams from Lake Oswego SC, 1 team from Hillsboro SC, 1 team from Newport SC, and 2 teams from Sweet Home (registered through Albany SC).

The high school recreational coed soccer league is divided into two age groups, freshman/sophomore and junior/senior.

The cost to register a team in 1997 was:

$180.00 team fee

$415.00 referee fee

$8.50 per player and coach OYSA registration fee

The fees for 1998 have not been set at this time, but it is expected that they will remain close to last year’s. Last fall, the team registration deadline was August 15th.

Registration information for fall 1998, will appear in the March Goal Lines. For further information, you may call 503- 626-4625 ext 422.

The OYSA Rec. + pilot program of last year was such a success that OYSA will offer the Rec. + program again, in the fall of 1998. In an effort to make the registration of teams easier, club registrars will be mailed information on registration procedures for the league. It will then be up to each club registrar to inform the players and potential coaches about the program. We are using the club registrars to form the teams this year, in an effort to achieve team formation in accordance with the mission statement. The Rec. + teams are not intended to be selective teams. Information will not go out to U-11/U12 coaches as it did last year.

Information about the Rec. + program should be included with your club’s normal fall registration packet. This will give potential players an opportunity to express interest in this league. Each club registrar will be responsible, (with help from club coaches) to form the teams. This year, OYSA will field both U-11 and U-12 teams. Team rosters will be limited to 18 players. No U-10 players, it is an OYSA rule!

All six games will be played on Sundays beginning September 13, l998. It is our intention, if possible, to schedule all games after 1:00 in the afternoon.

Registration for the Rec. + teams is due in the OYSA office at the same time as recreational team registrations; the deadline is August 28, l998.

Items that will be required with the registration:

1. Team rosters with players and coach’s mailing addresses and birth dates. Roster size is limited to 18. All players will be issued player cards, and birth dates must be accurate. No U-10 players!
2. Team fees will be $150.00. Fees cover referees and administration of the league.
3. A designated home field to be used during league play. Please provide the field name, location, and brief directions, along with times available. Without this information, your team will be placed on a waiting list. NOTE: field size must be a minimum size of 100 by 50 yards according to the FIFA rules.
4. If your club can provide USSF referees, grade 8, at least 14 years of age, and they are available to referee on Sunday afternoons for the league, please include their name and address along with a telephone number. Only USSF grade 8 or better referees will be used this year. League rules will be mailed to all referees. The rules will be consistent with OYSA rules.

Enclosed with this letter, you will find the league’s mission statement. If you have any questions, please call the Rec. + voice mail at 672-9264 ext. 538. Messages will be retrieved several times daily.

On the evening of Wednesday September 17, OYSA successfully launched a new program named TOPSoccer. The Outreach Program for Soccer (TOPS) is a community based training and team placement program for both mentally and physically challenged athletes who would like to participate in soccer. Our goal is to enable the thousands of young athletes with disabilities in Oregon to become valued and successful members of the Oregon Youth Soccer family.

The first stage of a two-tier plan is complete. We have been provided with an indoor facility to begin skill and small-sided game training in the fall, by Portland Parks and Recreation Disabled Citizens Department. This was a nine-week program on Wednesday evenings. Due to the success of this inaugural season, OYSA decided to follow up with two sessions this spring (1998). There is now a Monday night program on the west side of Portland at Terra Linda Elementary, Beaverton as well as the Wednesday evening program continued at Mount Tabor Middle School. Over 40 young people have experienced the fun of a TOPS session so far. It is our hope that eventually this program will identify clusters of interested young players, such that outdoor or indoor small-sided teams can be formed in different communities and be sponsored by their local youth soccer club.

We have now been granted sponsorship from Kellogg’s and we have the help and backing of Oregon Special Olympics, the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, Portland Public Schools and Portland Parks and Rec. If you know of any interested parties, please get them to give me a call at the OYSA office, or if you know of any similar teams/organizations in your area, again please let me know. We already know of a team formed in Aloha and one forming in Lake Oswego. Let us all pull together to give these kids the opportunity they deserve to play the great game of soccer!

The newspaper of the United States Youth Soccer Association is published quarterly and mailed to all OYSA registered coaches and administrators.

The newspaper of the Oregon Youth Soccer Association is published eight times a year and mailed to the households of all OYSA registered players, coaches, and administrators.