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Poland Youth Soccer Association to begin 33rd season
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Neighbors | Submitted.Sara Bushaw (right) dribbled against defender Gianna Stanich during a practice of the U14B team of the Poland Youth Soccer Association team.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Poland Youth Soccer Association U14B team players (from left) Molly Malmer, Peyton Jakovina, Sara Bushaw and Gianna Stanich chased the ball during practice.
By TIM CLEVELAND
In 2014, the Poland Youth Soccer Association will be starting its 33rd year, with 48 rec teams and nine travel teams playing at Poland Township Park. The teams range from U7 [5- and 6-year-olds] through high school. The travel division has both gender separated boys and girls teams from U10 up through U14 [takes them up through eighth grade].
There are 650 players in the league, which begins Labor Day weekend and ends at the end of October. Around Halloween weekend, the community hosts the postseason tournament for the U14 travel teams, both boys and girls, in the YAYSL [Youngstown Area Youth Soccer League]. Those games are played at Poland Seminary High School’s football stadium.
PYSA elected member Jim Krumpak said that is how the future high school players get experience, short of the significantly more expensive - though quite valuable - privately run club participation.
Krumpak said there are many benefits for children participating in the league.
“The benefits are fun, physical activity, socialization, team work, learning to take instruction from an authority figure, learning the game of soccer, learning to love the game of soccer, learning the benefits of competition kept in balance with sportsmanship,” he said. “Oh, and did I mention fun?”
Krumpak said soccer’s simplicity plays a big part in the popularity of the sport among young people.
“Running and kicking a ball are very basic activities that one can do at a young age that tend to raise one’s endorphin levels [natural ‘happy’ chemicals produced by the body],” he said. “There is activity and movement all the time, unlike, say, baseball at the 5- and 6-year ages. Don’t get me wrong, I love baseball, I played in college, but at that early age, there’s just too much standing around in the sport for my liking. Back to soccer, there’s a reason why it’s know around the world as ‘the beautiful game.’”
Krumpak said he feels the future of soccer is bright in the United States. He said he doesn’t think the popularity of the recent World Cup will play a big role in the future success of soccer among Americans.
“I feel that soccer will only continue to grow in our country,” he said. “Notwithstanding the tremendous interest shown by Americans toward the World Cup this past month – way above even four years ago when the U.S. team got just as far in the tournament – growth will be slow and steady, but not exponential. It probably will grow at a slower pace yet in Northeast Ohio, where football is still king in the fall [which is when high school soccer is also played]. But soccer is played year round, both indoors and out, and with the recent emphasis on head injuries with our youth - although concussions occur in soccer too - I know, my son received one while competing in high school), soccer is certainly an alternative.
“Also, both parents and kids, after being exposed to more of the sport over the years, have come to realize it is not just a sport you do if you’re not athletic enough to play football. Soccer players, both boys and girls, need to be extremely athletic, and you generally don’t see overweight soccer players, like you can in some other sports.”