President's Word

Most Recent Post

Questions or Comments? Email Bill Zimmer.

The Soccer Pyramid in Eaton Rapids

By:  Bill Zimmer


Did you ever notice the amount of soccer clinics, camps, and tournaments which are filling up the pitches and playgrounds these days? Well it isn’t hard to figure out why.  Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the United States for kids age 6 to 14.  In our small community of Eaton Rapids  alone there are  350 kids playing youth soccer at the different levels…in a community of 10,000!  That is by far the most participation of any youth sport.  There is a hierarchy within the soccer community, which is outlined by U.S. Soccer (formerly known as United States Soccer Federation), which is commonly referred to as “The Soccer Pyramid”.  This is made up of three distinct tiers; developmental, competitive, and premiere.   The purpose of these divisions is to develop soccer players within each community for high school, college, and beyond.  The purpose of this article is to explain how this soccer pyramid fits into the Eaton Rapids soccer community.

The majority of Eaton Rapids youth soccer players start out in our developmental soccer program, otherwise known as AYSO. (American Youth Soccer Organization…ayso.org)  This is a FIFA (…the world soccer organization) sanctioned, totally volunteer organization, and has programs in every State.  Kids from as little as 4 years of age can learn about soccer in a supportive and recreational atmosphere of fun. Coaches are usually adult volunteers, who are not necessarily formally trained in soccer.  AYSO provides coach training opportunities, as well as providing it’s own referee training.  There are no tryouts, and the emphasis is on developing skills and socialization.  Signups for AYSO in Eaton Rapids are in May, and information is sent home through the schools.  There is also information and links to AYSO on our soccer club website; (http://eatonrapidssoccerclub.org)

Competitive soccer is the next step for many kids who want to take their game to the next level.  The organization that Eaton Rapids utilizes for competitive soccer in our area is CASL, or, Capital Area Soccer League.  From their website;

The Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) is affiliated with the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA), and in turn, affiliated with the national organization, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) which is a member of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The purpose of this league is to provide competitive soccer for the more advanced players in the greater Lansing area.

Every Summer the Capital Area Soccer League holds tryouts in June at most area communities, and Eaton Rapids has a tryout for most age groups.  This year tryouts will be June 17th, 18th, and 19th,  and will be held at the “Smithville” fields, fro 6 to 7:30pm.  There is a local “Greyhound” soccer camp each spring after school is out which will be co-sponsored by the Capital Area Soccer League,  which will help kids to get ready for tryouts.  It is put on by our varsity boys soccer coach, Matt Boersma.  (This information is also posted on our soccer club website.) The benefit of having your son or daughter in this league is that they will be playing against better competition, and so will be honing their skills.  Travel is usually involved, so it requires a bit more financial and time commitment from the parents.  Playing soccer competitively is a major way for kids to improve their game and develop their skills for high school soccer.  Coaching is still voluntary, however it is highly encouraged that they receive formal coach-training, through a U.S. Soccer   sanctioned training course.  These courses are held periodically in several locales, and require coaches to take a written and a practical test to pass.

The top of the pyramid is premiere soccer.  The two organizations which oversees this arena in this state are the Michigan State Premiere Soccer League, and U.S. Club Soccer.  This is the highest level of competition for your son or daughter within club soccer.  There are currently 4 clubs in this area which have premiere teams in the U-9 to U-19 age groups. They are;  CA United,  TNT Dynamite, Michigan Phoenix, and Michigan Chill.   At this level teams compete with other clubs throughout the State, and also participate in tournaments in other States.  In addition to this  the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA) organizes a State tournament every year, called State Cup, for both boys and girls teams to determine State rankings for clubs in the U-14 and above age group.

All this may seem a bit complex at first, and believe me, as a parent of two boys going through this system it can be very time consuming. Fear not though, as I have walked in the valley of the shadow, and there is light at the end of the tunnel!  (…and it’s not a train!)  For you see, as your son or daughter climbs the ranks of the soccer pyramid, they are not just developing their soccer prowess, which can provide them with not only varsity letters, tournament trophies, and possibly college scholarships, but can also provide  a lifetime of friendships, and positive experiences.

There are literally hundreds of games played on Eaton Rapids fields each Autumn  and Spring.  It takes hard work and organization to pull this off, from lining fields, to making sure that goals are anchored, and corner flags are out, and even to insure that trash is emptied and fields are left clean and ready again for use the next week.    That is where your community soccer club comes in.  For the past 15+ years the Eaton Rapids Soccer Club has taken a leadership role in making sure that fields are clean, safe, and playable, and that the many needs of the Eaton Rapids soccer community are facilitated.  In addition to this, the Eaton Rapids Soccer Club raises money to provide our fields with equipment, for the 350 + boys and girls who utilize these resources on a weekly basis, year after year.  Your community soccer club helps the high school soccer program by subsidizing everything from field maintenance to new uniforms.  The soccer club puts on a yearly 4v4 tournament called “Island City 4v4”, which provides some of the funding for these works. So next time your soccer playing son or daughter has a practice or a game, whatever the level of play, you will know that they are a part of a larger commitment to their soccer development, and in a larger context, to their development as citizens of our community.  Have a great season everybody!!

( If you are interested in being a part of this important organization please contact Bill Zimmer via the website.  Meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of every month from February to November.  Please visit our website,  http://eatonrapidssoccerclub.org )

© 2006 EatonRapidsSoccerClub.org
Site Designed By: Ryan Ward