Soccer Fever Hits Scarsdale With New Program

Forget the World Cup – how about the Local Cup?  Exciting news hit Scarsdale Soccer last week, as officials of the Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club selected the Westchester Soccer Academy to manage their operations and events, starting this fall.

"The partnership between WSA and SYSC is a great fit for both parties," said Westchester Soccer Academy CEO Sean Kenny in a press release.  "[It] will maximize the high standards in place by the SYSC and continue to provide players with a positive experience through a fun environment."

So what does that mean?  Complete restructuring, for one; the Soccer Academy will now be in charge of the club's training, tournaments, and tryouts.  They also hope to maintain the same educational staff from season to season.

"For the kids, we want to have continuity for trainers throughout the years," said WSA Co-founder and Director of Operations Mark Silvester.  "We're going to implement trainers into each age group and keep those trainers involved each season, get a much better feel going into try-outs for the children's progression."

One goal of the Westchester Soccer Academy is to provide as much training as possible for the most adaptive players.  Schedules will optimize progression based on students' preferences; the B or C-level teams will offer a more relaxed environment, while A-level teams will be more intensive.  The WSA also hopes to work around religious and other athletic schedule conflicts.

"Now that we're going into a new season, we're going to try to work at the grassroots for the kids," said Silvester.  "We're also going to try to promote more Saturday soccer."

The tentative plan for next season includes two clinics during the week and an array of optional sessions on Saturdays, including clinics for goalkeepers, strikers, and shooters.  Although there is no set location yet, WSA is currently looking at a number of neutral fields to hold clinics.  Options include Green Acres, Crossway, and Quaker Ridge.

But will the program cost more?

"The cost will probably be close to what we had before," Silvester explained.  "We'll obviously have to increase some charges as we add more programs, but the programs that we increase are going to be optional."

WSA expects around 350 to 400 kids to join its regular club.  An additional 700 young soccer players will attend the Micro program, which offers lessons for kindergarten through second-grade students.

"We selected Westchester Soccer Academy after an extensive review process, including defining training philosophy, compatibility with program, track record and ability to perform and meet the needs of the club now and for the future. Both Sean and Mark are familiar with Scarsdale soccer and understand the needs of the Scarsdale community," said Steve Tatz, President of Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club. 

A pre-season camp will be held in late August.