Hello Middleville AYSO Family,

Now that the fall season is finished and the snow has begun to fall it’s time to start thinking about spring soccer and a few other things.

Open Board Member Positions

We have a few volunteer roles that need to be filled over the winter. These three roles are vital to our program and without them the spring half of our season will be a step behind. Read these descriptions and visit the links for more information.

Coach Administrator
One of the 7 required Regional Board positions. The AYSO volunteer position of regional coach administrator is intended to administer a quality coaching program within the region. This volunteer works with other administrators of the region to ensure there are enough coaches to support the size of the region. Coordinate a pre-season coaches meeting where issues of sportsmanship, safety, new laws, and specific regional issues are presented. See that Coach Courses are conducted for all new coaches.

Safety Director

One of the 7 required Regional Board positions. The Safety Director is to serve as the Region focal point for Safety Awareness and Insurance Information. The primary responsibilities of the Safety Director include; Implementing a Regional Safety Plan including First aid kits, Field and equipment inspections, Injury prevention, Procedures for environmental hazards, Acting as the focal point for Insurance Information and safety awareness, Ensuring compliance with AYSO Emergency Treatment Authorization, Incident and Concussion Reporting.

Fields Manager

The AYSO volunteer position of field coordinator is intended to be responsible for maintenance of all playing fields. Assist the safety director in ensuring a proper and safe playing environment. Coordinate with the referee and the safety director the correction of any and all hazardous conditions on or near the playing fields. Arrange field maintenance – mowing, raking, etc. Organize and supervise the field painters.

If you are able to fill one of these board member roles please reply to this email and let us know. We will provide training for these positions.

Referees

We are always in need of referees. The more referees we have available the more games we can play at one time. If we had more referees we may be able to not need to play 8U games on Friday evenings. With more referees we would be able to host more home games and more favorable times

We absolutely love having our youth referees and will always welcome them. To be a youth referee you must be at least 12 years old and complete the in-person referee training. Once certified you’ll be able to referee games that have players two years younger than you.

We are severely lacking in certified adult referees. We have so few adults that are eligible to referee our 14U games. Will you step up and be the one whistle on game day? Will you be a positive role model for the players, parents, and coaches? To be a certified adult referee you must pass a background check, complete online safety courses, and participate in an in-person Regional Referee training course.

Referee Training Courses

You must contact Middleville AYSO and plan ahead if you want to attend one of these courses. The online safety courses must be completed before you attend an in-person course.

Date: January 21, Location: Portage, MI

Date: March 18, Location: Portage, MI

Date: TBD, Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Spring Dates

It’s never too early to mark the calendar for spring soccer dates. The spring half of our season will begin on Monday, April 10, 2023. 4U Playground, 5U Schoolyard, and 6U Practice/Games will begin that Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. Games for the 8U divisions will begin that week Friday. Games for 10U/12U/14U will begin that week Saturday.

All teams will remain the same for the spring half of our season. If your player is NOT going to return to play in the spring please reply to this email with your player’s name, and team name and we’ll respond to verify their status.

Picture Day

This season picture day for all players will be on Saturday, May 6th. Mark your calendar so that your player may participate in individual and team photos.

Lost and Found

Over the last calendar year we have accumulated a large amount of lost and found items. We will retain these items for the spring season. However, once the 2022/2023 season concludes any items left unclaimed will be donated to a local charity, or offered to other members of Middleville AYSO that may be in need of soccer equipment.

Golf Cart

Middleville AYSO is looking to replace our golf cart. You may have noticed, or rather not noticed it out and about much this fall. Our current golf cart is showing its age and has become less reliable than we’d like. If you have a lead on a used, well running cart with cargo capabilities please reply to this email with some information.

Father Daughter Dance

Last but not least, be on the lookout for more information regarding the annual father daughter dance. With the overwhelming support we had with the return of the dance we have outgrown the school gymnasiums. We are working on securing a larger event space. Once we have all the details worked out we’ll open ticket sales.

Thank you everyone for a wonderful fall season. We look forward to seeing you on the pitch again in the spring.

Middleville AYSO