(Revised 03/22/03)
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Notes from the President-David Rice
This edition of The Keeper will be my last opportunity to
address you from this column. My term as President ends at our Annual General Meeting. I won’t be seeking reelection for two reasons. First, our family will be moving out of the Portage school district later this spring and second, six years is long enough. I think the PSC can benefit from new leadership, ideas and methods of operation.
The challenge before us is to find, nurture and develop the
next group of PSC leaders. Any organization is only as strong as the commitment of its members. Let’s hope that the PSC will continue to grow under new leadership.
My family has been part of the PSC soccer family since
1988. Its been my pleasure to watch my three sons, Sean, Tyler and Andrew play for the PSC. My oldest son, Sean, is 23 years old and still has all the uniform jerseys from the PSC teams he played on! What memories it brings back to think of all the games played, the friendships made and the good times enjoyed. My wife Kathi is in her 15th year serving the Tournament as its
Fields Director. At times I think she could operate the Tournament in her sleep - she knows it that well.
I reminisce with you because my thoughts of the PSC are
pleasant. From the many Board members I have served with to the children I have coached, the PSC has been very good to the Rice family. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President.
PSC Elections
The 2003 PSC elections will have several key positions
available for interested members. The following is a brief description and terms of office for these positions:
President (3 years) - oversees the total operation of the
club and chairs meetings of the Board of Directors; serves on the United Soccer
Foundation Board as the Club’s representative.
Secretary (1 year) - records and distributes minutes of
Board meetings; manages the PSC calendar and oversees compliance with MSYSA
Risk Management Program.
Vice President - Coaches (3 years) - responsible for the
selection of PSC coaches subject to Board approval; develops and organizes
clinics and assists coaches with team training.
Vice President - Fundraising (3 years) - responsible for
coordinating all fundraising activities of the club including the scrip
program, team photographs and apparel and accessory sales.
Fields Manager (3 years) - oversees the operation of the
soccer complex including maintenance and repairs, contracts and field
schedules.
Members interested in serving in these positions or seeking
additional information can contact anyone on the Nominating Committee (Bob
Lopez at 324-0708, Greg Murray at 329-4144, and Jennifer Schatz at 321-8345).
Proposed Bylaw Change
The Board of Directors at its March 2, 2003 meeting approved the following motion:
The rationale for the change is to provide a more orderly
and efficient transition of duties from one administration to another. Under our current bylaws (section 2.1) our
election of officers occurs in May. New
officers, particularly in the areas of coaching, uniforms and registration have
only one month in which to select a slate of coaches for the following season,
approve tryout and registration procedures and select uniforms prior to PSC
tryouts in June. The proposed change will allow current officers who are
familiar with these duties to complete them and prepare for the next
season. The new officers elected in
September would then have more time to become acclimated before the rush of the
next season is upon them. The bylaw change will be effective thirty days after the
publication of this notice.
Tournament Update-David Rice
The 17th Annual Portage Soccer Classic will be held on the
weekend of June 14-15, 2003. This year’s tournament will be our second at the Portage Community Soccer Complex. We received many compliments
from the teams who competed in the tournament last year on our new home. Our Tournament Board has been working hard to make this
year’s event bigger and better. But we need your help to make it a success! Over 200 volunteers are needed from our teams to staff various positions. The time commitment is not great and our volunteer coordinators, Dawn Huczek (329-2503) and Daphne Walker (321-9309) will do their best to coordinate your work shift with your child’s game so as to minimize conflicts. Your team manager will be contacting you about volunteering for the tournament. We’re counting on you!
Did you know that the profit generated by the tournament is
earmarked for debt retirement at the complex? Last year we earned $15,000 all of which was used to pay down our mortgage. The tournament also
contributed $272,000 raised throughout the years to the cost of developing the
complex.
PSC Team Pictures-Kathy Brown
The Portage Soccer Club is holding its annual team and
individual picture day. This is an opportunity to capture a "Portage Soccer Club moment" and have a keepsake for years to come.
All pictures will be taken on Wednesday, April 23 from 5:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the West Middle School cafeteria. Managers will receive order forms and picture appointment times to distribute to their teams.
The photography company will be donating a portion of the
proceeds back to our club. These funds
will benefit the Portage Community Soccer Complex.
If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Brown at
372-2240.
Coaches Corner-Blake
Glass
Player Development
One of the main goals of the PSC is to develop players. Sometimes this means that the team results suffer a bit as players gain experience in a variety of positions. This exposure to playing in attack, midfield and defense will benefit the player in the future as they develop a
well-rounded set of skills. Please be positive in support of the coach’s decisions to play your child in other than their favorite position. Also, be
encouraging to the player as they learn new techniques and possibly struggle in
unfamiliar situations. In the long run they will be a much more versatile and better player.
Communication
As outdoor practices and games begin I would like to remind
everyone, players, parents, coaches and managers about the need for letting
each other know what is going on in your lives as it relates to soccer. Coaches and managers need to communicate about practice/game times and locations. Parents and players need to keep the coach informed about any scheduling conflicts or illnesses that will result in missing a game or practice. We all need to continue building an atmosphere of openness to make the travel soccer experience as successful as possible for everyone.
Tournaments
We wish the best of luck to all teams as they play in a
variety of tournaments around the Midwest. Please represent the Portage Soccer Cub in an exemplary fashion with outstanding play and sportsmanship both on the field and on the sidelines. If you have particularly good (and maybe poor) experiences at tournaments please let others in the club know about it. Coaches are always looking for good places to take their teams and we all want to avoid bad situations. Coaches and managers can report via the club website (portagesoccer.com) and parents can call their team’s parent representative.
Tryouts
The Portage Soccer Club tryouts will be held at the complex
from June 23 to 26. Please keep checking the message board area attached to the concession stand beginning in June for more details and the coaching assignments for next season.
Elite / Premier
Many PSC teams have qualified to play in the elite division
by virtue of their success in the WMYSA standings. The elite division is made up of top teams from WMYSA and the Grand Valley Soccer Association League (GVSA), and the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL). This includes teams from Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Traverse City and other West Michigan areas, as well as the Lansing and Central Michigan areas. The competition is challenging and the travel isn’t too time consuming.
TKO is the local option for players to be a part of the
state Premier League. Each year Portage has supplied many players for the TKO program. Premier league play involves games all over the state with a large percentage of the teams being from the metro Detroit area.
I want to take this opportunity to put in a plug for the
PSC. We have a very good group of coaches. Many of our veteran coaches
have stayed with the club even though they no longer coach their own
child. They bring valuable experience to their teams. We also have been very fortunate to have former PSC players return following their college careers and add a new dimension to our coaching ranks.
I encourage all players and parents to closely compare and
weigh all of the factors between what Portage Soccer Club elite teams and
coaches have to offer versus what the premier soccer teams require in terms of
fees, travel and who is coaching at that age group.
Signs of Spring-Steve Johnson
The boys and girls are getting back together for
training. We soccer moms and dads are seeing each other again. Very soon,
we’ll be out on the soccer fields on beautiful, sunny, spring Saturday
afternoons at our Portage Community Soccer Complex; the players playing the
Great Game with parents, grandparents, and friends watching and cheering. Can it get any better than this? I don’t think so. Our Portage Community Soccer Complex is a home to be especially proud of, and it’s already the envy of many Michigan and Midwestern soccer clubs.
The total cost for this exceptional soccer complex is
$1,520,000. When added to the $1,120,000 for River Oaks, $885,000 for Prairie View, and a $300,000 endowment, the United Soccer Foundation (USF) final goal is $3,825,000. The non-financial goal of all this is to create more, and safer soccer fields in our area and enable more people to be involved in soccer.
Great news: Most of the $3,825,000 is pledged or paid. USF is well on its way to total financial and non-financial success.
The Portage Soccer Club has an obligation to contribute
$225,000 in non-dues income to the USF campaign. To date, 135 families (just over 40% of our 335 families) have pledged $106,000, an average pledge of $785. That leaves $119,000 to be paid by PSC families. If each of the 200 families that have not yet pledged or have pledged minimally were to pledge $595, we’d meet our target.
Remember, you can take three years to pay your pledged
amount. So for $200 per year for three years, you can do your part in paying for one of the most wonderful soccer complexes in the Midwest.
The USF will be wrapping up this phase of the campaign this
spring. Please do what you can; make the decision and be a part of this terrific campaign! At this point, your contributions are voluntary and deductible. Later this year, the USF and PSC Boards of Directors will decide what to do about any financial shortfalls. With your help, PSC can fulfill its
obligation of $225,000 and we will be able to enjoy the games on our community
fields for many years to come.
WMYSA Update-Deb Jackson
Coaches, by now you should all be aware that you must have a risk management card in order to be a coach, assistant coach or manager in
WMYSA. Please keep track of your card and the date it expires. Most renewals can be accomplished on-line at msysa.net by moving your mouse over “programs” along the top list of menu items (you may have to wait for the entire page to load), click “Risk Management” from the list of choices that appear, and then scroll down and select “online risk mgmt re-certification (initiated by individuals)” and completely fill out the form. Your renewed card will then be sent to the WMYSA administrator who will forward it to you.
Coaches should also be aware that players are covered by
MSYSA insurance. This is a secondary type of insurance, which may be helpful in
some cases. If you have a serious injury during practice or a game, someone should contact the MSYSA office. Preferably, this call should be made by the parent, but as a coach you need to be aware of the existence of this program and the requirement to report injuries soon after the event. Keep in mind this insurance does not cover any indoor activities.
Make a Lasting Impression-Kathy Brown
Portage Soccer Club and AYSO Region 74 families are being
offered an opportunity to make a "lasting impression" at the Portage
Community Soccer Complex with personalized bricks. Just imagine your family name or the name of your favorite soccer player(s) permanently displayed at the new complex!
The engraved bricks will be installed on a first-come-first
serve basis. Your message may contain three lines (maximum) with up to 15 characters per line (including spaces). The price per brick is $50. All proceeds will benefit the new Portage Community Soccer Complex.
A special thanks to the families who participated in this
program. The first group of 50 engraved bricks has been received and will be installed in the spring. Thirty bricks are still required to complete
the second order.
Please consider making your "lasting impression"
today. Visit portagesoccer.com to obtain an order form or call Kathy Brown at 372-2240.
Portage Soccer Complex Certificate Program-Kathy Brown
The following PSC and AYSO families, plus two businesses,
have participated in the Certificate Program from August 1, 2002 through
February 28, 2003. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT!
Amidon Knue
The goal is to increase participation to 60 families per
month. You can help by purchasing
certificates on a regular basis. These
funds will help support the beautiful, new Portage Community Soccer Complex!
NET PROFIT
November 1, 2002 -
January 31, 2003 Retailer
November December January
Total Meijer
$ 300
$ 300
$ 450 $ 1,050 Harding's
100
50
150 300 Kohl's 200
50
100 350 Applebee's
0
100
0 100 Godfather's
0
0
0
0 Big Apple 0
100
0 100 TOTAL
$ 600 $ 600 $ 700
$ 1,900
Participation in
Certificate Program November December
January Number of Families
30
40
41 The Certificate Program is an ongoing fundraiser that DOES
NOT REQUIRE THE SELLING OF ANY PRODUCTS! A minimum of 5% is earned on all certificate purchases. This program provides a simple and convenient way to raise funds. The following certificates are available: .
MEIJER $ 25 Certificates .
HARDING'S $ 50 Gift Card .
KOHL'S $ 25 Gift Card .
APPLEBEE'S $ 10 Gift Card .
GODFATHER'S PIZZA $ 10 Certificate .
BIG APPLE BAGELS $ 10 Booklet To purchase certificates, simply contact the Certificate
Program Coordinator nearest you.
Kathy Brown 372-2240 Colony Woods
Beth Elliston 375-1817 Amberly/Colony Woods
Judy Hayes 372-9072 West Middle School Area
Jennifer Schatz 321-8345 Woodbridge Hills
Sharon Wenglinski 323-2672 Austin Lake Please share this information with your relatives, friends,
neighbors and co-workers. Thank you!
Wanted
The soccer complex is in need of a gasoline engine powered
air compressor to use when striping the fields.
If anyone has one that could be donated, please contact Verne
Genisio (375-8521).
Classy Trash-David
Rice
When you visit the soccer complex this spring look around at one thing we all take for granted. Where to put our trash? Gone are
the old rusting barrels of many colors. The trash containers have all been redone with several coats of bright white paint and the addition of the PSC logo in green. This project was the handiwork of Brian Campbell, one of our PSC members. Brian, who paints professionally, found the new barrels, primed and
painted them, drilled drainage holes and delivered them to the complex. Thanks Brian for a job well done!
Portage Soccer Club Calendar 2003
Sunday April 13 PSC Board Meeting Sunday May 4 PSC Board Meeting Sunday June 1 PSC Board Meeting Sat - Sun June 14 - 15 Portage Soccer Classic
Tournament Mon - Thurs June 23 – 26 Try-Outs for 2003-2004
teams Sunday July 6 PSC Board Meeting Sunday August 3 PSC Board Meeting Sunday September 7 PSC Board Meeting
Portage Soccer Club Web Site-Silvia and Dan Salemka
A wealth of information about our club is available at
portagesoccer.com including this newsletter. If all else fails, remember this site when looking for phone numbers or schedules or other soccer information.
Soccer Complex Maintenance Crew
These three gentlemen have done an absolutely marvelous job
maintaining our soccer complex in such great condition, and that’s no small
task. The Soccer Club owes a big Thank You to Verne Genisio, Mike Flynn and John Calnin pictured above. Thanks guys!
“Resolved that the annual meeting of the Portage
Soccer Club be changed from the second Thursday of May to the third Wednesday
of September.”
Tax is included for each package.
$ 10.00 Each
$ 12.00 Each
$ 7.00 Each
$ 7.00 Each
$ 4.00 Each
$ 7.00 Set
$ 12.00 Set
$ 16.00 Set
$ 20.00 Each
Some Thoughts for the Spring Season
Ammaan Kucinski
Baumgart
Beadling Lamont
Beebe Larson
Bennett Ledden
Bierman Lopez
Bishop MacLeod
Bolkcom Martin, B.
Brink
Martin, J.
Brown Meyer
Buckstaff Michalak
Buerkel Murray
Butler Nixon
Campbell Noverr
Carpenter Olan
Cattell Olken
Charbeneau
Otto
Chicoione Padilla
Clancy Penland
Cornerstone
Construction Perry
Cronick Pfund
DeBliek Pierce
Dentler
Pitchford
Drabik Prinz
Elliston Rice
Elzinga Salemka
Flynn
Sarratt
Foreit
Schatz
French
Schikora
Fuller
Seeley
Garneau
Sherwin
Germay
Sindelar
Goss
Smodic
Gould, Stinson
& Gray, P.C. Stinson
Gray
Swoape
Greenberger
Suley<
Groves
Terpstra
Hawkins Tesaitis
Hayes Thaisrivongs
Hayward
Therkildsen
Heitzman Thompson
Higaski
Trebing
Huczek Turner
Hull
VanBuskirk
Ilcyn
VanderSloot
Jackson Wade
Jansen Walker
Jarrad
Waszak
Jesaitis
Weiber
Johnson,
M.
Wenglinski
Johnson,
S. Wigley
Keilen
Wolf
Kerwin
Woolley
Knight