The Passing the Ball Program is the recipient of the 2020 US Soccer Innovate to Grow Grant. The Passing the Ball Program under Alaska Youth Soccer Association will provide pop-up outreach programs to remote communities developing grassroots soccer opportunities including life lessons and player, coach, and referee education.
The Passing the Ball Program's goals are to cover all areas of the soccer programming to ensure that the program can be substantiable in the long term. The "intro to soccer pop up outreach" event will serve as onsite hands-on training for the youth and club volunteers such as coaches and referees. This unique program working directly within the communities allows Alaska Youth Soccer the opportunity to be flexible in the scheduling of the site visits which include affordability and accessibility for players technical instruction offering multiple levels of training and competition.
Grassroots courses for coaching and referee training will be conducted on-site in conjunction with the "intro to soccer pop up outreach" event. The courses are offered to community members who are interested in becoming involved in the program. The individuals will have the opportunity to receive hands-on mentoring and support during the "intro to soccer pop up outreach" events.
The Passing the Ball Program will directly address unique barriers to sports participation such as cost, equipment, uniforms, and travel within Alaska. Alaska Youth Soccer will work directly with local organizations, agencies, programs, and schools to provide opportunities and resources for youth who otherwise might be left on the bench. AYSA’s goal is to help relieve any barriers by providing youth an opportunity to play soccer directly in their community.
By rewriting the norm on how youth soccer should be programmed in communities, meeting youth where they are, and making sports accessible in Alaska, the Passing the Ball Program offers a unique experience that focuses on process over outcome and player achievements over goals scored. "Helping kids win on the scoreboard of life and making the community better through soccer is pure joy."
The program's goals will focus on the promotion of the game (sportsmanship, leadership, healthy choices), offering inclusive affordable programs, providing onsite instruction and activity, offering onsite grassroots coaching and referee certifications (recruitment and retention), providing administrative support and training resources, promoting female player and coach retention, and expansing the statewide Alaska Futsal League by offering new opportunities for statewide camps and leagues.
Alaska TOPSoccer
The Alaska TOPSoccer Partnership Program is the recipient of the 2020 US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer Grant with the focus of helping grow the game of soccer at the grassroots level! The Alaska TOPSoccer Partnership Program objective is to provide opportunities and resources for affiliate clubs while encouraging current growth within the program and support for affiliates who wish to start a TOPSoccer program. The program will develop working multi-club partnerships while encouraging participation in sponsored community-wide outreach events called TOPSoccer Goals. The program will promote a hands-on approach for participants and their families, providing support and resources within our Alaska affiliate clubs and their communities.
The Alaska TOPSoccer Partnership Program under AYSA will promote resources that focus on the common barriers which affiliate member clubs face within our Alaska communities. These resources include coaching and buddy support and certification opportunities, youth participant scholarships, uniforms, and providing affiliate TOPSoccer programs with adaptable equipment. The program will directly benefit youth participants and their families, buddies, and coaches while providing a supportive learning environment at no cost to clubs.
Contact Alaska Youth Soccer to tell us where the Passing the Ball Program or the Alaska TOPSoccer Goals Program can make a difference in a community. alaskayouthsoccer@gmail.com