NCYSA CHALLENGE COUNCIL

Saturday, February 5, 2005   - 10:30 AM

NCYSA State Office - Greensboro, NC

Meeting Called to order by Keith Price (VP Challenge)

Members in attendance : Jim Jenson (ABYSA), Frank Gavigan (BAYSA), Charlie Slagle (CASL), Bill Heafner (CCSC), Debby Wallace (CUFC), Andy Hammond (GRYSA), Ed O’Keeffe (GYSA), Ron Murphy (JYL), Gary Olive (KSA), Kevin Foster (MARA), Joel Tucker (NDSL), Garry Norman (NTSC), Rick Watson (NUSC), Jerry Healy (PGSC), Dave Gunnels (RASC), Joe Pata (SCSA), Steve Waters (TCYSA)

Associations represented by Proxy : (CRSC) Tim Hubbard, (D/CH) Cameron Tew, (EDSC) Jerry Healy, (HAS) Jim Jenson, (HVSA) Jerry Healy, (ICRD) Dave Clark, (KYSL) Garry Norman, (NBASA) Rich Reed, (PGSA) Rich Reed, (PSA) Billy Helms, (SGCSA) Kevin Foster, (SWSC) Jerry Healy, (URYSA) Dave Stump, (USA) Bryan Setser, (WOW) Dave Clark, (YCSBC) Dave Clark

Others in attendance : Chris Brewer (DOC-GYSA), Jane Williams (Rec/Tournaments/D&A-NCYSA), Debbie Morton (Asst. Dir. Classic-NCYSA), Kim Zimbal (Asst. Dir. Challenge-NCYSA), Bob Singer (Pres.-NCYSA)

A quorum was established

Motion: Frank Gavigan (BAYSA)

Seconded: Jerry Healy (PGSC)

The following motion was presented by Gary Olive (KSA): “There be no minimum age for players to participate in Challenge Soccer.” The explanation for this motion was to rescind the vote that was passes at the 11/21/04 Challenge Council meeting that stated “The minimum age for a player to participate in Challenge soccer must be that of a true U9 player.”

Motion to discuss: Gary Olive (KSA)

Seconded: Tim Hubbard (CRSC)

Discussion: Gary Olive provided the Council with some statistics of young players who are playing up in Challenge divisions. There are currently 4 five-year-olds (all playing U10), 15 six-year-olds (playing U10), 148 7-year-olds (145 playing U10, 2 playing U11, 1 playing U12) and 785 8-year-olds (758 playing U10, 20 playing U11, 7 playing U12). Additionally, some scheduling leagues have many teams that are made up of “true U9” players (CAYSL has approximately 30 teams and ECSA has approximately 19) Gary continued to say that it should be the clubs and teams responsibility to determine whether or not younger kids are allowed to play Challenge soccer, not NCYSA. Jerry Healy (PGSC) agreed that an 8-year-old might not be ready to play U10 Challenge, however there should not be a blanket rule from NCYSA disallowing those players to play.

Proposal: “The minimum age for players to participate in Challenge soccer must be that of a true U8 player.”

Motion: Kevin Foster (MARA)

Seconded: Joe Pata (SCSA)

Vote: Passed (2 opposed)

This rule will be effective as of the 2005-06 season.

The following motion was presented by Gary Olive (KSA): “Challenge State Cup begin at U10”. The explanation for this motion was to rescind the vote passed at the 11/21/04 Challenge Council meeting that stated, “Charlotte United makes a motion that, in keeping with Player Development, the Challenge Council recommends that the NCYSA will hold a U10 Challenge Festival in 2005 in lieu of Challenge State Cup. We also move that the current U11 age groups stay in the Challenge State Cup and be phased out over a period of two years.”

Motion to discuss: Gary Olive (KSA)

Seconded: Tim Hubbard (CRSC)

Discussion:

• If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
• If teams don’t want to participate in the State Cup, and would rather have a festival, let them have a festival on their own, but don’t take the opportunity away from everyone else.
• State Cup is a good opportunity for teams to play teams from other parts of the state that they don’t see in regular league play.
• Especially for more rural teams, State Cup is an important part of their season, and the teams get excited to participate.
• Without the “State Cup” environment, there is less attractiveness for a festival, when there are other tournaments out there that teams can choose to participate in.

Reasons not to have State Cup for U10’s (have a festival instead)

• A festival would eliminate a champion, and the recruiting that goes along with wanting to win. A festival will give teams three games to develop and have fun against good competition. Many weaker Challenge teams don’t participate in State Cup because they are beat too often and too bad. A festival would increase participation, not decrease it and would be cheaper (only one weekend).
• If the goal is to have Challenge teams/players eventually move up into Classic, why crown a champion when Challenge isn’t the highest level of play? The seeding for Challenge is done so that the worst team could be seeded number one.
• A festival isn’t taking away competitiveness, it’s providing an opportunity to control it. Is the goal to have good competition to build better players? Or win a trophy? Dividing the teams into competitive brackets will be more effective, not less.
• Parents are pushing the kids, and are the ones who want to have a State Cup. In a festival, the kids will still have the opportunity to go to a tournament and play other teams, but they will be seeded properly. “A” teams wouldn’t play “C” teams and have a blow-out game.
• Having a festival is a way to have an amazingly well attended tournament that will develop the players, which will in turn filter into the college system. If we don’t change the format of the State Cup, there won’t be an increase in the number of players that play soccer at the college level. Now is the perfect time to make the change.

Proposal: “Challenge State Cup will continue to begin at U10.”

Motion: Gary Olive (KSA)

Seconded:

Vote: Passed (28 for, 12 opposed)

Discussion: This topic was brought up at the Classic Council meeting on 1/8/05 and was added to the Challenge Council agenda for discussion regarding consistency across all levels of play. Some associations feel that it is necessary to run a 3-man system at all games, even small-sided, because it is necessary for accurate offside calls. In addition, it was brought up that a young referee doesn’t get enough practice when refereeing a game on their own. Another reason why a 3-man system is needed is because the parents need more and more management, and one referee can’t pay attention to the game and keep the parents under control at the same time. Those associations who were opposed to mandating a 3-man systems gave financial reasons. Many small associations don’t have the money to pay 3 referees for every game, and often do not have enough referees to even assign to every game. In response to the comment about the parents needing management, it was noted that parents do need monitoring, however the coaches need to step up in that area.

Proposal: Inter-league competition (Challenge State Cup and NCYSA sanctioned tournaments/events) requires a 3-man referee system. Within Challenge league play, either a 1 or 3-man referee system can be used.

Motion: Charlie Slagel (CASL)

Seconded: Gary Olive (KSA)

Vote: Passed unanimously

The State Cup Committee made the following proposal: “The State Cup Committee proposes an increase in the Field Usage Fee paid to the Cup’s hosting association from $117 per field used to $175 per field used. It is proposed that the Challenge Council increase the entry fee for the Challenge Cup from $400 per team to $450 per team.” The explanation for this proposal was that the Challenge Cup is currently losing money even if fees are not adjusted. Furthermore, if the field usage fee is increased, there is even more reason to increase the entry fee. (Please see Fall 04 budget and Fall 05 proposed budget comparison.)

Discussion: The options available to avoid the continual loss from the Challenge State Cup are to increase team entry fees, or increase registration fees. There was a general consensus that increasing everyone’s registration fee is not fair, when they are not participating in the Challenge Cup. Bob Singer noted that registration fees will probably be increasing anyway, since insurance costs are rising.

Proposal: “The State Cup Committee proposes an increase in the Field Usage Fee paid to the Cup’s hosting association from $117 per field used to $175 per field used. It is proposed that the Challenge Council increase the entry fee for the Challenge Cup from $400 per team to $450 per team.”

Motion: Charlie Slagel (CASL)

Seconded: Kevin Foster (MARA)

Vote: Passed unanimously

          Soccer Show - Feb 12

AGM - Feb 13

Minutes respectfully submitted by Kim Zimbal, NCYSA Asst. Dir. Challenge