AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) is a national, nonprofit, non-stock corporation,run by volunteers. It was founded in California in 1964, and has rapidly become one of the United States most successful youth programs, with over 40,000 teams, and 635,000 players in 46 states.
AYSO Region 183 (Chicago, IL) was started in 1978 at Peterson Park on the northside of Chicago, IL., we also play at Hollywood Park. We are not affiliated with the Chicago Park District.
AYSO is a child development program, which uses soccer to accomplish its mission and goals. In keeping with this we subscribe to the five principles of this organization.
OPEN REGISTRATION
Open registration is AYSO's equal rights measure. It means AYSO does not restrict membership on the basis of talent, race, religion or any type of belief or attitude. There are no tryouts or cuts in AYSO: there is only registration, and team assignments. Since 1971 AYSO has been open to girls as well as boys.
EVERYONE PLAYS
Everyone plays, means just that. Every child, regardless of ability, plays at least one half of every game. In AYSO everyone plays because children learn skills, teamwork, sportsmanship and develop self-confidence and self-esteem by playing, not watching from the bench.
BALANCED TEAMS
Balanced teams are AYSO's way of keeping competition fair, so it's more fun for everyone. Team balancing dates back to AYSO's first season when 50 or so players who showed up on registration day were simply distributed randomly. A few scrimmages later, adjustments were made to assure teams were comparable in talent. In larger regions like 183, balancing teams can be a bit more complicated these days, but the original intent and the ultimate results are the same. Balanced teams still mean competitive games, but ones that are fair to all players.
POSITIVE COACHING
Positive coaching is the glue that holds together the AYSO principles and gives them meaning for AYSO players. Positive coaching means instructing without condemning, praising the individual and correcting the group, displaying good sportsmanship, and in general setting a good example for AYSO kids. Positive coaching may require patience, but mostly it requires a lot of love for the kids. Region 183 coaches must attend AYSO training courses, which teach positive coaching and through its "Safe Haven" program, sensitivity to child psychology, safety and protection awareness.
GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
Good spotsmanship is one of the most important lessons an AYSO player can learn from this program, and its is one, which will prove valuable in every facet of their lives. Coaches are encouraged to teach their players that it is much more important to be good players and good citizens. Referees record comments about the team's behavior on their game cards, which are compiled at the end of the season. Special good sportsmanship patches are also given out sometimes by referees after the game to an individual player, who demonstrates exceptional good sportsmanship.