Heartland Soccer Association
9161 W 133rd Street, Overland Park, KS 66213
Phone: 913.888.8768
Heartland Soccer Association is recognized as one
of the largest soccer leagues and tournament hosts in the country. We offer recreational to premier divisions, ages U8 through U19.
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ImPACT Baseline Concussion Testing
Open to all Heartland Soccer participants
for more information click here.
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
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Note to Heartland Coaches
Please ensure your teams are ready to play
at your scheduled kick off time.
We have a huge number of teams playing and a delay of a couple of minutes per game can lead to the last games of the day kicking off significantly late. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
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Heritage Soccer Park Concession
Now Hiring Cart Attendant
Part time concession cart attendant needed.
Must be a minimum of 16 years old with
a valid driver's license.
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league teams this spring
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1,296
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league teams last fall
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1,265
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league players in 2015
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40,000
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tournament teams this year
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2,634
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tournament players this year
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42,000+
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referees
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1,600
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coaches
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1,400
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2015 Tournament Numbers
(number of teams)
| KC Champions Cup |
391 |
| Mothers Day Classic |
309 |
KC Invitational
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359 |
Fall Kick Off Challenge
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224
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Sporting KC Affiliate Friendlies
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125
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Heartland Midwest Classic
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202
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Midwest All Girls
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300
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Girls HIT
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238
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Boys HIT
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382
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NCAA Men's College Showcase
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104
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In 2015 Heartland welcomed teams
from a total of 17 states and Canada.
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Don't Forget to Register !
Kansas City Invitational
May 27-30, 2016
Registration deadline: April 25th
Last year over 350 teams participated. We anticipate an even larger turnout for 2016.
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Signup to be a referee!
Sign up to be a referee for
Spring 2016 Heartland league.
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A note from KSYSA
to Kansas Soccer Clubs
KSYSA would like to inform all of you of an updated rule that was put into place at the 2016 AGM.
Clubs may advertise their tryout dates and information, but may not open registration until May 15th.
KSYSA kindly asks, if you currently have registrations open for tryouts, that they are closed immediately and reopened on May 15th.
Thank you.
KSYSA
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Health Tip from HCA
Shin Pain
Shin pain occurs most frequently in athletes involved in running, jumping, or high-impact sports. Shin pain can be caused by shin splints (also called medial tibial stress syndrome), a stress fracture of the tibia or fibula, or compartment syndrome. The most common source of shin pain in runners is shin splints.
Symptoms
For all of the different causes of shin pain, athletes often complain first of pain, burning, or tightness along the shin. The following are symptoms of bone-related and muscle related shin pain.
Symptoms of bone-related shin pain may include:
- Pain in a very focal area of the shin
- Pain during and after running
- Pain that gets worse over time
Symptoms of muscle-related shin pain may include:
- Tightness or pressure in shins with running
- Pain only with running, relieved by rest
- No pain when pushing on the bone
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the foot
Causes
Shin pain is generally the result of one or more of the following issues:
- Body mechanics refers to the way the body moves while in motion. Athletes may experience pain due to poor body mechanics. The way the body moves can be influenced by different factors. For example, how a runner runs may be affected by foot type, running style, and hip and core (abdominal and back) muscle strength.
- Too much exercise can become a problem if athletes increase too quickly. A helpful reminder is the "10% Rule": no more than a 10% increase in frequency, duration, or intensity of exercise per week.
- Bone density (bone strength). Softer bones break easier, so if there is a stress fracture that is not explained by poor mechanics or rapid increases in training, bone density might be the problem. The causes of low bone density include:
- Genetics (it tends to run in families)
- Not enough calcium in the diet (more than 1,300 mg/day is the recommended daily amount, equal to 3 to 4 servings of milk, yogurt, cheese, or other sources)
- Irregular periods (no menstrual period for more than 6 months in a row), which causes low levels of the hormone estrogen
Tests
Shin splints can be diagnosed by their characteristic symptoms and physical examination findings. A stress fracture is suspected when shin pain becomes more severe, more localized (in a focal area), or if there are risk factors for weaker bones such as the female athlete triad. X-rays may show a stress fracture if the problem has been present long enough to see a healing response (4-6 weeks). However, x-rays can appear normal even when a stress fracture is known to be present. In order to confirm the presence of a stress fracture, it may be necessary for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
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Coaching Requirements
Heartland soccer league is sanctioned by Kansas Youth Soccer. There is a minimum coaching requirement. All recreational and premier coaches must complete the F license course. It is online and can be found at the following link.
NATIONAL "F" LICENSE
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Congratulations
Dilary Heredia-Beltran
and Amelia Horton!
U.S. Under-14 Girls' National Team called up 48 players for the first U.S. Under-14 Girls' National Team training camp of the year which ran from March 19-26 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, Calif.
The majority of the players were born in 2002, but 14 were born in 2003. The U.S U-14 GNT did not have programming last year as players born in odd years start with two years in the U-15 Girls' National Team program. For this cycle, with the majority of players born in an even year, which are the age-cut-off years for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the players follow the path of one year as U-14s and then move to the Under-16 GNT (2 years), Under-18 WNT (2 years) and Under-20 WNT (2 years).
The players are starting the path that for some may lead to the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. For all of these players but two, this will be the first experience in the U.S. YNT program.
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Clarification on Recognize 2 Recover (heading)
Deliberate "heading" in the U10 and below levels of competition is no longer allowed under the USSF Recognize 2 Recover (R2R) program. This decision is not a change to the Laws of the Game. Instead, it is a safety issue. Why is this important to understand? The reason - because this is a safety issue instead of a foul, there is no ADVANTAGE when the ball is headed. Even if it goes to an attacking player who then scores, the whistle will blow and the goal will not count. So, what is the spot of the restart when the deliberate heading takes place in the Penalty Area? The Kansas Youth Soccer Association has published the following guideline which is being followed in all competitions managed by the Heartland Soccer Association:
When a player deliberately heads the ball in a game, an indirect free kick (IFK) should be awarded to the opposing team from the spot of the offense. If the deliberate header occurs within the penalty area, the indirect free kick should be taken
on the penalty area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred. If a player does not deliberately head the ball, then play should continue.
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Huge Thank you to Scheels!
Scheels host Heartland Soccer's monthly referee meetings in the Steven D. Scheels Training Center located in their Overland Park store.
Scheels donated gift cards as door prizes.
Winners of the $25 Scheels gift cards
Emma Grojean,
Christian Iskander Merdoiza, Ashton Santisteban, Maya Latham,
Julie Schaffer, Ryan Schuly, Brandon Hunley, Diego Barrios, Hans Weding
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Referee Development Update
The Heartland Soccer Association is an ecosystem that includes players, coaches, fans, fields, clubs and referees. The vision is to provide the highest levels of competition, access to the best fields, and additional investments in bringing you better prepared referees. The Heartland vision is committed to deliver a more successful soccer experience. Heartland has access to some of the finest fields in the country, which leads to more teams wanting to play at Heartland. More teams mean better competition. The higher level of play develops stronger players, who are led by some of the best and most knowledgeable coaches in the area. With the Referee Development Program Heartland is committing to developing higher quality referees.
The Referee Development Program Mission is to create an environment and process where every referee can further develop their knowledge and skills to contribute to a safe, fair and enjoyable soccer experience for our teams. The Referee Development Program is designed to develop our referees by providing increased levels of training and multiple levels of on-field mentoring. Currently, Heartland Soccer uses over 1,300 referees to manage your league and tournament matches.
Each season, the Referee Development Program team and our mentors work with the referees on the field. The staff works with the referees to develop their skills, to get them to perform at a higher and more consistent level, and to train them so they can better enforce the Laws of the Game. The goal of these programs is to provide your players safer and fairer matches. You will see the mentors at the fields and now you know why they are there. Thank you for supporting our referees so they will come back each week.
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Coaches Corner
Setup:
40x50 yard grid with cones every five yards on the sides. Play 8v8 free play with no keepers.
Instructions:
The team in possession of the ball looks to make 6 consecutive passes and then release a player outside the grid to receive the ball to score. The player's run outside the grid must be through a different gate than the pass.
Coaching Points:
Movement and support to keep possession. be patient in possession. Timing of run out of area-offside in effect Quality and timing of penetrating pass outside the grid.
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Heartland Soccer 2016 Referee Meetings Dates
Referees of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to attend Heartland's monthly referee meetings! Join us to learn tips and tricks for ARs and Referees, fun games, vital information, and fabulous prizes!
Parents are always welcome.
Monday, May 9th
Monday, August 8th
Monday, September 12th
Monday, October 10th (Columbus Day)
Monday, November 14th (End of Year Party)
Meeting times:
Mentors will meet 6pm-7pm
Monthly Referee Meeting from 7pm-8:30pm
Meetings will be held at the "Steve D. Scheels" Training Center in the northwest corner of the second floor of the Scheels store located at 6503 West 135th St, Overland Park, KS 66223
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A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR SPONSORS
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101 Ladies Accessories
Academy Sports and Outdoors
Advocare
American Family
Arvest
Burger Fi
Casey's
Chevrolet
Chick fil A
Corner Bakery Cafe
Damsel in Defense
Dick's Sporting Goods
Edible Promotions
Elle's Bakeria
Farmer's Insurance
FC Kansas City
Global Connections
Goodcents
Grimaldi's
Harlan C Parker Insurance Agency
Hasty Awards
Hayward's Pit BBQ
HCA
iFLY
Isagenix
It Works
J&K Soccer
Jamberry
Jimmy John's
Johnny Cascone's
Jon Russell's Barbeque
Kansas Athletics
KC Running Store/The Sports Medicine Store
Kincaid Coach
Lenny's Subs
Le-Vel
Levine Advertising
Mary Kay
McCarthy Auto Group
Menorah Medical Center
Missouri Comets
Molle Toyota
Momo Bands
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Moneytalks Financial Foundation
Nerium
Nill Bros.
Norwex
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Overland Park Soccer Club
Papa John's
Pickleman's
Pinstripes
Portable Soccer Goals
Prairiefire
Premier Designs Jewelry
Price Chopper
Rasmussen College
Research Medical Center
Rock and Brews
Rosati's of Overland Park
Salty Iguana
Scentsy
Scheels
Scott the Electrican
Shred-It
Slim Chickens
Smoothie King
Soccer Master
Southern Charmed
Sporting Kansas City
Storage Mart
Strouds
Sunflower Bank
Swope Park Rangers
Tastefully Simple
Team Snap
The Storage Place
Thirty-One Gifts
Three Sisters
T-riffic T-shirts
TSS Photography
Brent Walton, photographer
Urban Air
Valley View Bank
Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun
You Oughta Be In Pictures
Young Living Essential Oils
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If you would like to nominate a player for the play of the month email Katie Falco
falcokatie@gmail.com
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KC Champions Cup 2016
Heartland Soccer and GSI Sports welcomed a record breaking 410 teams from twelve states to the KCCC tournament over the April 8-10th weekend. Games were played at the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex, Swope Soccer Village and Olathe District Activity Center.
During the KCCC players, parents, coaches, referees and spectators had the opportunity to participate in the KCCC Champions Wall Photo contest. Participants took pictures in front of the Champions Wall and then posted them on social media.
Each day three lucky winners took home some great prizes that included Sporting KC gear, Jon Russell's BBQ gift certificates and Rosati's Pizzeria gift cards.
Thank you to everyone that participated in the KC Champions Cup and the Champions Wall Photo Contest.
Winners of the Champions Wall photo Contest
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Gateway Sports Village coming Spring 2017
The next great soccer complex is underway and it's right here in KC. The City of Grandview Aldermen voted unanimously to approve the Conceptual Development Plan for the 14 field soccer complex.
Located at 150 highway and 49 highway, the planned development will have mixed retail, commercial and residential housing along with 14 synthetic soccer fields.
Construction is already underway and the KC soccer community continues to evolve. The first phase of fields are scheduled to open in Spring 2017.
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| From the Heartland League Director, Richard Davies
Coaches, administrators, players and parents,
We are almost half way through the spring season at this point! I sincerely hope everyone is having a tremendous experience and enjoying being involved in the "Beautiful Game".
One big push that we have right now at Heartland, is referee retention. We are growing as a league and are thus in need of retaining our referees. We have a lot of young boys and girls in our system, who have worked hard to become certified officials. Unfortunately, that certification is only the beginning of their training. Referees, like players, learn from the game itself, making mistakes as they become more proficient at the decisions they are making and job they are doing. If those 1st year officials do not return for a second season then the cycle just starts over again.
We all share the responsibility to retain the young referees, so that they can continue to learn the role and become confident, efficient and assertive officials. Heartland has invested funds and personnel into our Referee Development Academy and Referee Mentor Program. You will see our various members of staff out at the HSA locations. They are there to mentor and advise our officials about the performances they are having. Please let them fulfill their roles and if you need assistance please contact our field marshals who will be on the golf carts.
We all get excited about the game which is great. But we must remember it is a game, played by kids, which hopefully will become a life-long sport for them. Please remember that the officials are often children themselves. Think about how we would feel if an adult was shouting at our own children during their part time jobs. Please use the link below to see an article below written by an adolescent referee in a British magazine.
Enjoy the game we all love.
Richard Davies
http://www.grf-football.co.uk/message-from-a-14-year-old-referee-im-just-a-school-child-aswell
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| Kansas City Soccer Capital USA
"It's a testament to what we have been able to develop with Kansas City being the soccer capital of the nation," said Shane Hackett when asked about the growth of Heartland Soccer.
As the Scheel's Overland Park Soccer Complex, Swope Soccer Village and Heritage Soccer Park continue to be overloaded with games thanks to its booming success, Heartland can't ignore two of the organizations─ Sporting KC and FCKC─ that help make Kansas City the soccer capital of America.
The 90's is when it all started. Heartland Soccer came into being in 1995. In April 1996, The Kansas City Wiz played in their first game as a charter member of Major League Soccer. And in 2013 FCKC began play in the National Women's Soccer League.
This past week, Sporting Kansas City celebrated the 20
th anniversary of their first game. The match actually took place at Arrowhead Stadium, when The Wiz won over the Colorado Rapids, 3-0. On April 13th, 20 years TO THE DAY, the Rapids returned to Kansas City to take home the win 2-1.
To commemorate the 20
th anniversary of their inaugural MLS match, we want to thank Sporting KC for being the backbone to this soccer town. Over those 20 years, Sporting KC has won the MLS Cup twice, Heartland Soccer has become the largest youth soccer organization in the country, and FCKC is currently the two-time defending NWSL champs.
The organizations have the success─ the
city has the facilities. When you are the best soccer town in the country, you deserve the best fields. From Swope Soccer Village to Scheel's Overland Park Soccer complex to Childrens Mercy Park, there is no doubt that these state-of-the-art facilities are the best in the country.
Soccer has come a long way since April 1996. Who would have thought when those two teams went head-to-head in middle of a football stadium, that one day Kansas City would become the most favored soccer destination?!
Putting titles and facilities aside, the greatest indication of KC being the soccer capital is the passion. All you have to do is attend a game at Sporting Park with 20,000 of your closest friends or watch the 410 teams pile in for the KC Champions Cup to get a glimpse at the passion that this town beams. Heartland Soccer is proud to play a part in what makes this city THE SOCCER CAPITAL OF AMERICA.
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Cole Useldinger is the April PJHRS. His love for soccer led him to get certified as a referee just two days after his 12th birthday. later that year he would get certified to be a Futsal Referee.
Cole enjoys seeing the game from a point of view other than as a player. He had the opportunity to referee at Futsal Nationals this year. He met referees from all over the United States. Cole would like to continue to advance through the ranks as a referee and see how far he can go.
Cole enjoys playing soccer for his SBV team when he is not reffing. He has played soccer since he was 4 years old. He also enjoys playing baseball, basketball and track.
We look forward to seeing how far Cole will go as a referee.
As the PJHRS for the month of April, Cole will receive a Pizza Party for 10 , courtesy of Papa John's. Thank you Cole and Thank you Papa John's!
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Christian Duke, the first player to be
signed
to the Swope Park Rangers
Christian Duke is one of KC's home grown, who has been playing soccer since he was three years old. "Soccer has always been in my blood, with my dad playing professionally for the Comets, I grew up loving the game and being around it." "For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to play professional soccer." Christian recalled watching old film of his dad playing. "One day....I'm going to be better at soccer than you." He stated.
Christian grew up playing youth soccer for the KC Nomads and Blue Valley Stars. He went on to play for the KC Wizards Academy, USD Toreros, Sporting KC, Orlando City, OKC Energy and now he's back home in KC with the Swope Park Rangers. The journey to become a professional soccer player has not come easy.
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"It takes countless hours of practice, commitment, determination and doing the right things to develop and grow as a player." states Duke.
The professional athlete Christian looks up to the most is Matt Besler. "He is the definition of a pro, on and off the field. He does a lot in the community and shows great leadership on the field."
Christian's game day rituals include a morning walk with his dog, some good food and a 45 minute nap so he is refreshed and ready to go at game time.
When Christian is not playing for the Rangers, he likes to coach. "Giving back to the youth and teaching them the game I love is amazing."
His advice to young players that aspire to become professional soccer players, "Dream big and don't stop. You never know when an opportunity might present itself so always be prepared and be determined. Watch games at a high level and try to imitate what you see."
The next Swope Park Rangers home game is April 27 at Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village (Kansas City, MO). Click here for more information
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Keep your cool in hot weather
April 8, 2016
 Even the best trained athlete can develop heat illness when it's hot and humid. Exercise-related heat illness happens when exercise is done in high temperature and high humidity. It's one type of injury, unlike sports injuries caused by contact, that can almost always be prevented with proper attention to safety and common sense.
Our body's constant temperature is around 98.6°F and when we exercise our body heat rises. Sweating is our body's response to get rid of excess heat. As the heat and humidity rise, sweating can actually become less effective at cooling the body. Body temperature can rise to dangerous levels if the body is unable to dissipate the excess heat, resulting in heat illness.
Recognition and Treatment
A common factor that can lead to heat related illness in young athletes is dehydration.
Heat illness can progress to heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke. Young athletes can develop faintness, extreme tiredness, headache, fever, and intense thirst. Other signs include nausea, vomiting, hyperventilation, and skin numbness or tingling.
- Heat cramps: painful muscle contractions
- Heat exhaustion: body temperature up to 104°F, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fainting and flushed or moist skin
- Heat stroke: body temperature greater than 104°F, confusion, combativeness, seizures and/or stroke, shock and unresponsiveness.
When you see any signs of heat illness or heat stroke, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Your child's coach should seek immediate medical assistance and work on cooling the young athlete. Treatment tips include:
- Getting the athlete to a shaded area.
- Cooling the athlete rapidly using cold water. You may use spray from a hose, cold water sponging, placing cold towels over the entire body or immerse then in a tub of cold water if available.
- Monitoring body temperature.
- Providing cool beverages.
- Getting medical assistance as soon as possible.
Prevention
The best defense is prevention. Prevention means that your child's athletic organization has an Emergency Action Plan to prevent heat illness. That plan should include:
- Adapting athletes to heat gradually over 10-14 days.
- Establishing hydration policies.
- Establishing hot, humid weather guidelines.
- Ensuring appropriate body cooling methods are available.
- Monitoring the athletes closely.
Return-to-play
In order to safely return an athlete to full participation following a heat related illness, a return to play strategy should be implemented. Work with your sports medicine physician or primary care physician to develop a plan. The length of recovery time is primarily dictated by the severity of the incident.
As an added resource, the staff at Overland Park Regional Medical Center is available to diagnose and treat sports-related injuries for young athletes. To make an appointment, call (913) 541-3365. For more information about the Sports Medicine Program at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, visit
oprmc.com/sportsmedicine
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D
ana C. Brewington, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician with additional board certification and fellowship training in sports medicine. Dr. Brewington delivers comprehensive family medicine, with specialized clinical interests in sports medicine and women's health. She has authored presentations, articles, and research papers in the field of sports medicine. She has served sports organizations at the high school, collegiate, and municipal levels, giving her a breadth of experience with athletes of all ages and skill levels.
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