Youth soccer participation at all-time high

WASILLA — Local soccer programs are reflecting an increasing national interest in the sport, as clubs like Wasilla Youth Soccer Association have seen substantial growth in recent years.

WYSA now serves not only as the recreational league for youth soccer in Wasilla, but also offers competitive teams and auxiliary soccer opportunities. The organization has grown from 550 players to 1,200 members since their 2007 season, with the administration and programming of the club seeing similarly positive development.

In 2014, WYSA appointed Lisa Catlett to be executive director, the first full-time position in the club’s history. Catlett previously volunteered as a coach, program director and board president, before assuming her role as the head of the organization. She has worked closely with the board of directors to better the club in a number of ways.

One of those improvements is in the organization’s programming. WYSA made Michael Green — a former Major League Soccer player and top-certified coach — their technical director in 2012. In his position, Green develops training programs for each age level, which are then implemented by WYSA coaches. The club has additionally progressed from a summer-only program to one that offers year-round opportunities to play.

Mark Cascolan and Kaula Rowe, both former players and well-trained coaches, serve as WYSA coaching directors. Green, Cascolan and Rowe are not only instrumental in the club’s technical programming, but are also available to help WYSA recreational and competitive coaches improve their training sessions.

The organization has also taken over as the Valley’s competitive soccer representative. In recent years WYSA introduced a team called Valley Revolution, which offers statewide competition to the club’s more advanced players. Kids can try out for the team starting at the U-9 age level, and as part of the competitive team players are offered advanced coaching and intensified training. Valley Revolution teams have small rosters so that every player on the team gets crucial game time.

This division of WYSA has seen recent success especially with its younger teams. The club’s U-11 girls team won second in the Alaska Airlines Cup June 7 and the U-11 boys won the tournament with a 5-0 victory in the finals.

“They are just awesome,” Catlett said.

In the same spirit of including players of all abilities, WYSA offers a program called TOPSoccer, which provides training and games for children with disabilities. TOPSoccer currently has twelve players, but Catlett and WYSA directors hope to expand the program in coming years, including a possible partnership with Special Olympics Alaska.

Thanks to support from the City of Wasilla, as well as donations from the Rasmuson Foundation, the Mat-Su Health Foundation, MTA, ENSTAR and Alpine Septic, WYSA is also working on a project to expand the Bumpus soccer field complex and its parking lot, to account for the growth of the club. In doing so, WYSA hopes to make participation easier on families. The expanded space will effectively reduce field fees and centralize where different siblings play in the Valley, according to Catlett.

“The idea is to get more soccer in (fewer) places,” she said.

Indeed it seems that recent improvements to the organization and its current developmental status are meeting parent and player expectations. Parent Kathy Swartz said she has been pleased with her son’s participation in WYSA.

“We are so fortunate to have a quality soccer program in the Valley for our 8-year-old son,” Swartz said. “He started playing in WYSA’s recreational soccer two years ago and is now a member of Valley Revolution.”

For more information about WYSA, visit wasillayouthsoccer.org

Contact Kaden Weaver at 352-2270 or kaden.weaver@frontiersman.com.