The MYSA staff is dedicated to our members with decades of experience in and around the game as coaches and administrators and parents. Our staff is local and available to answer any questions you may have about your player or team. The Affinity registration platform also has a very responsive customer support department and several help desk articles relating to technical matters. Overall, our mission to promote, foster and perpetuate the game of soccer in the state of Missouri.
MEMBER DEVELOPMENT
As an organization, the development of our members is one of our main focuses. We want to ensure our members, both players and coaches, have the necessary opportunities to reach and exceed their personal expectations.
On the player side, our organization allows players a pathway from the grassroots level of the game to the largest and most prestigious national competitions. With over 35,000 kids registered last season, our member clubs across the state vary from local in-house recreational to national championship-winning competitive and everything in between. We strive to help the youth in our state find an opportunity to play soccer in their city.
MYSA membership includes several benefits. The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the only national program with in-state development pathways that lead to regional and national exposure. Our partnership with Choose It Right grants our members free access to one of the best college selection resources in the country. Our members are also recognized for their achievements at our AGM where they are nominated by their peers for several awards including player and coach of the year.
Great players are developed by great coaches. That’s why MYSA requires base training for ALL coaches at every level of competition. Our minimum standards include both technical and risk management training, to ensure our coaches are trained in all aspects of the game. As the level of competition advances to the regional level, license requirements increase as well. Interested coaches are encouraged to take the necessary steps to advance up the USSF pathway as they move to higher levels of competition. We are lucky in Missouri to have several local instructors qualified to teach all levels of player development.
Coaches who register with MYSA are entrusted with a variety of different resources as well. Partnerships with US Soccer and United Soccer Coaches allow are coaches to receive the best training possible. Our new Foundations of Coaching course was produced in cooperation with United Soccer Coaches, a global leader in coaching development who happens to be based in KCMO. The course is offered online, for free, fulfills the minimum requirement to coach in MYSA sanctioned events, AND includes access to a variety of United Soccer Coaches resources.
PLAYER SAFETY:
As you may know, the federal government has mandated some new changes to the youth sports landscape in the form of SafeSport. This training course educates and prepares coaches, administrators, and all persons involved with our players. Created as a response to the recent cases of child abuse in youth sports, this program reiterates the point that reporting child abuse is everyone's responsibility. Any person may report suspected child abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
On top of this training, all MYSA coaches and administrators must also pass a County and National level background check to ensure the safety of our players. As stated above, risk management is a large portion of our MYSA standards for coaching.
Concussion and head injury prevention and treatment have become a major factor in the modern game. All MYSA coaches are required to be CDC certified in Concussion Safety. All of this information is housed in our secure registration provider, Afiinity Sports, under the Dick’s Team Sports HQ umbrella. The protects the sensitive personal data of our members. Ensuring all players are birth certificate verified and all administrators are properly qualified.
All of these standards and requirements are put in place with our player’s best interests in mind. Not all soccer governing bodies hold their members to as high of standards, that’s why sometimes we have to deny sanctioning to certain leagues and tournaments.