Get in the Game Marketing - St. Louis

Coaches: Sign Up by 9/18 to Save on Vetta Winter Youth Indoor Soccer Leagues Sports

Proud support of St. Ann Athletics and the Monsignor Sprenke Soccer Tournament. . Ann Catholic Church & School

Proud support of St. Ann Athletics and the Monsignor Sprenke Soccer Tournament. St. Ann Catholic Church & School

Team Up. Show Up. Kick Off Fall with Vetta Adult outdoor leagues return this fall — join the action.

Proud support of St. Ann Athletics and the Monsignor Sprenke Soccer Tournament. St. Ann Catholic Church & School

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Proud support of St. Ann Athletics and the Monsignor Sprenke Soccer Tournament. St. Ann Catholic Church & School

Patrick Britt Joins Krilogy®, Named Partner & Senior Wealth Advisor Krilogy®, an independent RIA headquartered in St. Louis, has announced the addition of Patrick Britt, who joins the firm as a Partner & Senior Wealth Advisor. Britt holds nearly two decades of experience serving high-net-worth individuals, executives and professionals.

Empower Soccer launched its Premier Program this spring. We have 5 teams playing in SLYSA and 3 teams playing in the SCCYSA - totaling 87 players. We believe it is important to invest in, and develop, some of the very talented youth soccer players we have in NoCo.

Our challenge is the cost. Our team registration fees alone are over $12,000. Along with home/away uniforms, field rentals, admin and coaching costs, the majority of families we serve are not be able to cover the full cost (i.e. pay-to-play) of being able to play at this level.

We do charge each player a registration fee but we need your help to cover the just over $10,000 shortfall in costs. Investment in NoCo youth is critical to the health of our community, so please consider donating even if your kids or grandkids are not involved - yet! THANK YOU.



empowersoccer.org/donate

“Pay to play is not ruining youth soccer. Millions benefit. It's a business catering to a market willing to pay for the product. Soccer (like piano lessons) is not an inalienable right. Free soccer costs money. Someone has to pay. So who will pay for all this free soccer?”

This is a quote from Alexi Lalas on X last July, in response to criticism of the ‘pay to play’ soccer culture in the US.

Here’s the problem, for all the YouTube, Instagram and TikTok soccer commentators I follow, ‘pay-to-play’ is inextricably linked to the development of ‘select’ level players. Their focus and advice always dwells in the context of developing tournament winning teams or cultivating aspiring MLS Next players. If that’s your focus, then sure, playing soccer isn’t an inalienable right.

But there are some of us out here that see team sports in a MUCH WIDER CONTEXT. The reality is that the opportunity to play community team sports, at a low cost (or free), for youth in underserved areas is vital to improving both individuals and their communities. I often get frustrated at criticism of youth in underserved neighborhoods but the inability of those same critics to provide opportunities & resources for those youth to develop into good citizens.

Community, or recreational, sports isn’t about developing MLS players. It’s about developing good teammates, leaders, and empowered individuals. Statistics show the importance of community sports on academics, physical health, self-confidence, and self-esteem. The bonus is, the wider the base of recreational sports, the more opportunities exist for elite athletes from diverse backgrounds, to go on and play (and pay or get scholarships) at the ‘select’ level. For certain, I’m all for getting a few players college scholarships and into the MLS as a result!

Bottom line, we all benefit from community sports. So yes, Alexi, I think someone should pay for it.

At Empower Soccer (a program of Empower North County) we are working on ways to subsidize the costs of playing soccer for all kids in our community. Whether it be through income generating activities, sponsorships, donations, etc. We are partnering with local municipalities, who see community sports in the wider context, to provide suitable facilities. We are working with local schools to integrate sport opportunities into their community outreach. We haven’t figured it out yet. We are learning from counterparts around the country who are also taking a holistic approach to community sports. So please join us, follow along and add your thoughts.

Thanks for reading
Andrew

Just finished our 3rd Annual Fall Recreational Soccer League and Fall Peewee Sessions. Thanks to all the volunteer coaches (close to 50 coaches were involved), our wonderful concessions stand volunteers and our referees (yes without these guys we have no league). We appreciate the parents of over 550 players taking them to practices and games over the last 7-10 weeks and the family members that CHEERED :) from the sidelines! We hate that some players didn't get a winners medal, but I'm pretty sure most of them walked away with a WIN. Thanks everyone.