2009 President's Message Lucille Abate

With our 2008 season now a distant memory, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our coaches, parents, players and volunteers for helping to make 2008 a tremendous success!

Mother Nature was not very kind  in the month of July, and presented us with some challenges due to the numerous rained out games, however, we did manage to get them all re-scheduled to ensure they awere completed before the end of year Challenge Cup.

The 2008 season introduced many new experiences for our club.  We worked with our photography supplier to facilitate our members’ requests for varied locations for photographs.  Although we faced a few minor issues, three separate locations were implemented and were very effective and efficient. Our photographs arrived just weeks after they were taken and were distributed quickly.

All of our tournaments, Soccerfest, All Star and Heart of York, were a great success due to the dedication and hard work of our Directors and volunteers.  Planning for 2009's tournaments is already well underway!

Our competitive division experienced unprecedented successes.  Our U14 Girls won back to back Ontario Cups (2008 & 2007) which qualified them for the National Championship.  They represented Ontario at Nationals, and won the Bronze Medal, placing third.  They represented our club, our community and our province with pride! 

We had 3 teams competing at the highest level of play in our province, the Ontario Youth Soccer League.  Our U14 Girls tied for first place in their division, and our U18 Boys ranked first in their division.  Our U16 Girls have been ranked 5^th for all teams and age groups in Ontario.  These teams have made a tremendous contribution to the future of our players and club!  We thank them for their hard work, success and dedication to the NSC!  We are very proud of all of them!

We introduced our Club Head Referee, Jackie Hinde, who has been responsible for the scheduling, training and development of our referees.  Jackie came to the NSC with a wealth of experience in this role, however, had to face challenges in her first season.  We look forward to continual improvements in the training and development of all of our referees.

Our Technical Division, led by Mark Marshall has proven once more to be very successful.  All of our camps and clinics were completely sold out, and the proof of their effectiveness is mirrored in the successes in all of our players and teams.  We will be expanding our development programming with the introduction of our Indoor Facility.  Thanks to all of our Technical Staff and Student Mentor Coaches for delivering effective and quality programming.

Reflecting on our successes this past season, we have begun implementation of our plans for improvements for the upcoming Outdoor season.  Special attention will be given to our newly formed Select division, replacing our former All Star division.

The introduction of our House League Draft and Equipment Pick Up day was received with overwhelmingly positive feedback.  Our House League Committee introduced for the first time ever a “blind draft” in the U7 – U18 divisions.  Our attempt at keeping balanced teams throughout every division was well received, however, was not an exact science!  With the assistance of all of our coaches submitting accurate player ratings at the end of each season, our draft will become more accurate.

Our Technical Division hosted many pre-season clinics for both coaches and parents, which were received with outstanding attendance and much appreciation.  Our house league coaches attended theory and on-field sessions which were very informative and well received! Dates for the 2009 season are being confirmed and will be posted soon…come out and volunteer!  Help us make a difference in the lives of the youth of our community!

The introduction of our new Indoor Facility will prove to be a very valuable asset to our organization and offering all of our members a place to play in the winter months.  Development programming will be offered, as well as an Indoor League for both youth and senior players.  Great progress is being made, however, due to the enormity and complexity of this project; we have been faced with challenges due to the current economic crisis.  Stay tuned for further updates!

In closing, I would like to thank each and every player, parent, coach, volunteer, Director and staff member for their hard work and dedication to the NSC.  We look forward to seeing all of you return for the 2009 season and working together we will make our club, a club to be envied by all!

 

Yours truly,
Lucille Abate
President