Message from the new Regional Commissioner (RC)

Hello AYSO Region 13 community,

I have the privilege of serving as your new Regional Commissioner. Many of you know me, but for those of you who do not: I joined Region 13 in 2011, as a 6U coach for my twin boys. After coaching for a few years, I switched over to the referee side of volunteering when my boys entered 10U. Since then I have also volunteered as Referee Administrator, Tournament Director, and Game Scheduler for Region 13.

As you might expect, since I accepted this position ten days ago, I have repeatedly asked myself, "How am I going to do this?" I did not play soccer as a child. How am I qualified to help run one of the largest AYSO regions in southern California? 

And the answer is simple: Volunteering for Region 13 - in whatever role - is not really about soccer. One of our past RCs, Neil Weinberger, always liked to point out that, "We don't run a soccer league. We run a child development program that uses soccer as its primary tool." Region 13 is really about creating an environment in which we nurture our children and allow them to grow and experience new things, via the teamwork and sheer fun of soccer. As it turns out, almost every volunteer role in AYSO involves working for that goal. Knowledge of soccer is secondary.

We will open registration for the fall season on May 1. When your register your children, please sign up to volunteer. Whether this means being a coach or a referee, maybe serving on the board to help manage fields, setting up goals, or being a team manager, we need you. Every single person in AYSO Region 13 is a volunteer, and we can't do it without you. I understand we are all busy, especially this year. But if I can volunteer to be RC, you can volunteer for a role as well. And trust me, you will never regret it. Volunteering for Region 13 has been one of the most rewarding things in my life. You will have a great time.

Finally, please join me in thanking Terry Takahashi for his service to Region 13, most recently as Regional Commissioner, and in all his many roles before that. He has agreed to stay on to assist with the management of our field permits, for which we are very grateful. Thank you, Terry!

I will see you out on the fields very soon!

Patrick Shopbell

Your new Regional Commissioner

Fall registration opens soon! 

• 4U/5U: program will play once a week on Saturday mornings for 8 weeks |  ayso13.org/preschool
• 6U-8U: teams can be formed with friends, by neighborhood, etc. but it depends on volunteers so if you want to make a request, volunteer as a Coach or Referee!  
• 10U-14U: teams are formed by blind assignment via an algorithm designed to distribute players based on skill and experience in an effort to form balanced teams. 
• 16U-19U: teams formed by coach draft, training starts mid-July, and games start in August so that they're finished before the CIF season starts.

Want more soccer?

If your player wants more soccer, Region 13 has offered Sunday afternoon pickup games for the last few years and will look to do so again this fall. This way, kids can form their own teams with friends of all ages, and play with whomever they want, in addition to the regular league games. If your player is 10U-14U they can also check out the NEXT Program which is a slightly more organized form of pickup games. Please indicate interest in NEXT during registration.

Financial support - No child will be turned away because of ability to pay, so if the cost is a burden for your family, the registration system will let you pay what you can. Please email registrar@ayso13.org if you have any questions.

Equipment for families impacted by the Eaton Fire

Our community is still overcoming the Eaton Fire and will be for months, and for some, years to come and Region 13 is doing what we can to support those impacted. If you are in need of any replacement soccer gear, Region 13 volunteers can get you what you need. You can fill out the form at ayso13.org/eaton/ or reply to this email. The Region can supply socks, shoes, shin guards, coach/referee gear, etc.

Get Involved! 

It's time to apply to volunteer! Region 13 can only form teams if there are enough Coach and Referee volunteers so please volunteer when you register your player. Volunteers also don't need to have a player in the program - any who want to contribute to the community are welcomed. As long as you understand children, AYSO will teach you everything you need to know to get started, and provide all the equipment. AYSO's system has evolved over 60 years, and continues to lead the nation in best practices for youth sports. The Coach and Referee classes are in July and August, just before the league starts in September.

There are also open Board positions. A few roles are highlighted below but you can check out any open roles on our leadership page. 

• Auditor - Assists the Regional Commissioner in their fiduciary responsibilities
• Stats Manager - Enter scores, sportsmanship points, and other information from the game cards

Please reach out to Patrick (patrick@ayso13.org) if you are interested in a board position.

Photo of the Month

Congrats to the R13 Scarlet Storm (G10U) on taking home the trophy at the Dirk Keck Cottontail Classic!

Upcoming

Looking for summer camps? Check out soccer summer camps offered by local partners here: https://ayso13.org/camp/.

Find Zoom links to board meetings and more by subscribing to the Region 13 calendar. The board meeting is usually the first Thursday of each month.

You are receiving this message because of your involvement with AYSO Region 13, 711 W. Woodbury Rd., Unit E, Altadena, CA 91001, USA

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