Barry Salter, President’s Report 2008-2009

To The Members of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association:

As I complete my third year as president of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association I want to outline the successes we’ve had during the past year and also address some of the challenges and issues we face moving forward.

I first want to thank my fellow board members, the presidents of our member leagues and the myriad of volunteers around the state for everything they do to help enrich the soccer experience of our key constituents – the youth players of this association. I also want to thank the office staff of Cathy, Hilda, Diana and Lisa for everything that they do to make the State run and my job easier.

2008-09 Highlights

During the past year plus, ENYYSA, in concert with our leagues, has:

• Continued to clean up ENYYSA’s administrative procedures mainly by adding a full time Operations Administrator in our office.
• Continued to improve our financial processes and, as such, have continued to improve the financial health ENYYSA.
• Increased the number of Coaching Education courses and started to give free coaching clinics to recreation/intramural programs.
• Continued to refine and improve the ODP program.
• Ran our first formal ENYYSA Camps in several years for ODP Players, Rec. and Travel Players
• Continue to rebuild and develop relationships with other youth State Organizations. i.e. NY West, on coaching and referee courses.
• Worked to lower the registration fee for recreation/intramural players due to the increase in financial strength of ENYYSA. This will make us more competitive with other US Soccer Federation affiliates..
• Showed great success at the regional state cup level – ENYYSA travel teams that are registered with Long Island Junior and East Hudson Soccer Leagues had a successful year with four teams ( in total) going on to the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, and one of them finishing with a silver medal. We also had a two teams go to the finals of the new US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup Championship with one our teams winning the Girls 15 title
• Hired a full-time Director of Coaching to increase our coaching and player education in the State, as well as to develop an ENYYSA Camp program that is similar in nature to what other state associations are successfully implementing

Problems and Open Issues 2008-2009

We recognize that we have a number of open issues to address and we are currently dealing, for example, with the following:

• ODP: We have a way to go to solve a number of ODP issues but we as the State will be addressing the structure of the program; calendar issues, the fee structure; scholarship procedures; field issues, administration issues and the impact of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for boys and the Elite Clubs National Leagues for girls on ODP.
• Referee: Various referee issues, including ensuring that some of our very top-rated youth referees get moved along up the ladder as expeditiously as possible.
• Working with our Leagues to solve the growing impact of new competitors on our player registrations and programs

Outlook for 2009-2010

Looking ahead, we have a number of positive initiatives we are in the process of undertaking, including:

1. Working with Score and New York West in the development of a NYS Cup Champions tournament for the Challenge Cup teams
2. Working with the Leagues and Referee Associations to solve referee issues around the State
3. Starting the process of reviewing ENYYSA by-laws and all the Leagues’ By-Laws, as well as receiving all leagues’ financial statements, to insure they are in compliance with US Youth Soccer and the US Soccer Federation
4. Reviewing the need for a U11 festival tournament instead of the U11 State Cup, and further develop the small-sided U12 Sate Cup.
5. Continuing to streamline and expand the state’s risk management program.
6. Trying to bring in sponsors to help support the programs we have and to keep the registration fees from increasing.
7. Having a ENYYSA Strategic Planning Retreat with the League Presidents to help develop a long term plan for the State. This currently planned for the weekend of October 3rd.
8. Development of a Girls ODP Academy program with Region 1

I look forward to my next year as president and pledge to do everything possible to make the State Association user friendly and beneficial to all the players, coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers who make soccer in this state go.

Yours in soccer,

Barry Salter
President, ENYYSA