Our SAY Rec program exists to provide a safe, fun, learning environment for
ALL Waynesville youth interested in playing and competing in the game of soccer.


Here is what that means: 

Safe
Safety above all else. This comes directly from SAY and is something we are adamant about; both the physical and psychological/emotional safety of our players. There is a significant amount of rules and training involved in being a part of youth sports, and that is no different with us at the WSA. But we do it because it all comes down to safety. Everything from no toe-cleats to concussion training, and from Ref Training to our expectations on how parents and coaches interact with our referees - each thing serves a distinct purpose to ensure the safety of our youth. These rules also protect the coaches and board members who are leading it. Your support means a lot and ensures the safety of everyone involved - most importantly the kiddos! 

Fun 
The SAY Soccer motto is, “Kids having fun!” Soccer Night, Kona Ice, Pizza Parties, Ball Boys/Girls are all part of that. But we also look to ourselves as coaches, parents, and board members to lead with energy and excitement - and we have to say, we have an INCREDIBLE team. Seeing our 76 coaches run around the fields at practices giving high fives, calling out nicknames, dying their hair or taking a pie to the face over wagers with their players, and just being “all in” is contagious and models so many excellent things to our youth. And the laughter and camaraderie at meetings and many many hours of hard work on and off the field from the 18 board members, shows that this program has a great deal of heart. For that, we couldn’t be more grateful for the good thing we have going. Thank you, everyone.

Learning Environment
The learning environment of the WSA SAY Rec Soccer Program is something we are constantly paying attention to because there is a balance and it evolves and fluctuates. We put Safety and Fun first, because it informs the type of learning environment we strive to cultivate. We also strive to provide training that gives all players basic soccer knowledge. We believe there is a distinct line between recreational and competitive soccer (we offer both) because each serves a unique and important purpose in the sport. Rec Soccer provides a low-pressure/highly encouraging environment to learn and compete in soccer, a fun atmosphere to be part of, and a means to reap the many benefits of being involved in a team sport. Year-to-year we are assessing and adjusting our programming to make sure we are balancing the value of sound fundamental soccer training, while also staying in the lane of recreational soccer. For the WSA that means we: 

• Provide training that makes soccer fundamentals accessible to all players no matter what level/age they start soccer
• We celebrate the small stuff (and the big stuff too!)
• Equip our coaches with soccer skill benchmarks and fundamentals for each division
• Provide our coaches with educational resources to support their planning of practices and games
• Provide our coaches with the equipment needed for training 

Some players will go on to join competitive soccer programs, some will continue to play recreational, and some will move on to other interests. Our hope is to nurture confidence and develop soccer and life skills that equip our players for success in whatever their future holds. 

For All Interested Youth
We are 100% committed to making sure that any Waynesville youth who wants to play soccer, is able to play. To do so, through partnership with our soccer families, the WSA organizes our annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival booth and parking fundraisers. These two fundraisers are paramount to the financial health of the WSA and allows us to: 

• Maintain one of the lowest registration costs in the region making soccer financially accessible to most
• Provide full scholarships for players in need
• Provide family discounts and put a cap on registration costs for large families
• And maintain a healthy budget to invest into our training, fields, and equipment.

 If you have not signed up for your two-hour volunteer slot, please use the links found here.

This is the gist of our why we do what we do at the WSA. If you ever have concerns, feedback or questions - please share via email at [email protected]. It is 100% about Waynesville youth and we exist to make it great for them. We’re at our best, when we all work together. 

Thank you everyone,

The WSA Board