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.
Fall 2017 Heartland League Registration 
opens June 1st and closes
at 12pm on June 30th.
No late registrations will be accepted!
 
Fall League play begins  the weekend of August 4th-6th
 
Final Tournament of the Season!
SeatGeek Kansas City Invitational
May 26th - May 29th, 2017


SeatGeek Kansas City Invitational is held over Memorial weekend and consistently sells out. This tournament offers four different levels of competition: Gold, Silver, Bronze and Recreational. Teams have traveled from 14 different states to play in the SeatGeek Kansas City Invitational. Seeding of teams ensures that everyone can compete against opponents of their own ability level. All Kansas City Invitational games will be played at the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex and the world class quality Swope Soccer Village.


In honor of our Sport Shake Midwest Mother's Day Classic, what do you love most about the soccer mom in your life or about being a soccer mom?

"Love the friendships and life lessons they learn from playing soccer"


"What I love most, like any mom, is watching my kids do what they love. But also, having played for years myself, I love the sport as well. In this picture, we are probably on our way to the 4th or 6th game of the weekend #MPFC"

"I love watching my boys play. To be a former player and that same love in their eyes, is awesome."

 "I love watching my daughter grow and constantly bettering any team she is one with her determination and constantly supporting all her teammates. Through the wins and losses."

"I love watching my son play the game he loves while I cheer for him from the sidelines with the rest of my soccer family."
 


May 19 - 21 Rainout weekend
May 26 - 29 SeatGeek Kansas City Invitational Tournament

Fall 2017 Calendar
June 01
Fall 2017 Online registration opens
June 30
Fall 2017 Online registration deadline by noon on June 30
Jul 06
Recreational seeding
Jul 07
Premier pre seed & Recreational Final seed posted after 5pm
Jul 07-11
Premier seeding challenges via email deadline noon on July 11
Jul 12
Final premier seeding posted after 5pm
Jul 28
Schedule posted after 5pm
July 28-30
Dick's Sporting Goods Discount weekend for Heartland
Aug 04-06
First weekend of League Play
Aug 11-13
Fall Kick Off Challenge Tournament / League Play
Aug 11-13
Dick's Sporting Goods Discount weekend for Heartland
Aug 18-20
League Play
Aug 25-27
League Play
Sep 01-04
Heartland Midwest Classic Tournament
Sep 08-10
League Play
Sep 15-17
League Play
Sep 22-24
League play
Sep 29-Oct 01
League Play
Oct 06-08
Midwest All Girls Tournament / League Play
Oct 13-15
League Play
Oct 20-22
League Play
Oct 27-29
Rainout Weekend
Nov 03-05
Heartland Invitational Tournament-Girls
Nov 10-12
Heartland Invitational Tournament-Boys

2016/17 Heartland Numbers
 
Fall league teams
1260
Spring league teams
1296
League players 
42,000
Tournament teams
2,634
Tournament players 
44,000+
Referees
1,600
Coaches
1,400

2016/17 Tournament Numbers
(number of teams)
 
Border Battle '17
181
Sport Shake KC Champions Cup '17 407
Mother's Day Classic '16 407
KC Invitational '16
282
Fall Kick Off Challenge '16
224
Heartland Midwest Classic '16
198
Sport Shake Midwest All Girls '16
282
ALDI Heartland Invitational Girls  '16
339
ALDI Heartland Invitational Boys '16
431
In the last 12 months Heartland welcomed teams
 from a total of 17 states and Canada.
                                 Health Tip
        Mental Toughness: Brain Power for Sports

It is easy to play mind games when you play sports. No matter how much you practice, you always have to contend with your greatest enemy: the mind that asks "what if?" 
What if rather than chipping onto the green, you duff and send the ball into the water in front of the green? What if you are serving at match point and you double fault, giving your opponent the tennis match?
Imagine, though, if you no longer had to wonder "what if." Imagine if you had the toughness and confidence to succeed. With some simple training skills, you can have both.

What Is Mental Toughness?
Getting mentally tough does not mean bulking up your biceps to appear bigger, meaner, or stronger. It is not even about adopting a killer instinct. Instead, getting mentally tough means gaining the confidence that will pull you through any situation. Mental toughness is truly a state of mind. It is a skill that allows you to keep your eye on the goal while blocking out distractions. 
Yet for many athletes, the physical aspects of training overshadow any mental conditioning. Without practicing mental toughness, you risk not getting the success you would like or getting burned out.

Traits of the Mentally Tough
Those who have acquired mental toughness exhibit similar psychological characteristics. They believe in themselves and their abilities. 
Belief in yourself and your abilites goes a long way. Success is the ultimate goal. The desire to succeed motivates you to be committed to your sport. 
Finally, you need to realize that you will face adversity. You might have a great day followed by a really bad day. In the long run, managing your lows may be more important than managing your highs.

The Two Faces of Mental Toughness
Mental toughness consists of 2 elements. The first is self-efficacy, or believing that you can perform. Remember that chip shot over the water? Being mentally tough means knowing that you can place the ball safely on the green.
The second part is focus. Take, for example, basketball players shooting a free throw during a major game. Not only do they have to make the shot, they also have to block out the swarm of fans who are trying to distract them.
So how do you get these elements? With practice. 

How to Muscle Up Your Mind for Mental Toughness
It's important to clear your thoughts before your workout and stay focused throughout.Don't dwell on past mistakes, move forward. Here are some techniques that athletes often use: 

Focus  To make the most of your time, spend 5 minutes focusing before your workout. Close your eyes, take 10 deep abdominal breaths, and visualize what you would like to happen. Speak positive affirmations by telling yourself you can handle any situation. Then when you practice, you can spend the whole session focused on making improvements in your game. 
Breathe  Concentrate on breathing, whether you are practicing or competing. As you inhale deeply, breathe in confidence. As you exhale, release your doubts and fear. Use this technique especially when you get in situations that might ordinarily cause you to choke. 
Practice Mental Imagery  This will improve your physical skill and quell the what-ifs in your head. See yourself making those impossible shots in golf or nailing those free throws. 
Emulate the Pros  Watch 5 minutes of videos before you go to sleep. Pop in a tape of a professional athlete in your sport. Then as you close your eyes, breathe deeply and visualize the fluidity, gracefulness, and speed of the athletes. You may find that these positive thoughts make their way into your dreams. 
Get into a Zone  To decrease your anxiety, spend time alone before you compete and clear your thoughts. Use mental imagery and deep breathing. 
Maintain a Balance in Your Life  To avoid putting excessive pressure on yourself, spend quality time away from your sport, get proper sleep, eat healthy, and pamper yourself before a big event by doing something that makes you feel good, like taking a hot bath. 
Believe in Yourself  As your beliefs about your limits change, the limits themselves will begin to move.


        
KSYSA Members:
Please be advised of a rule change regarding Free Agent Period, Tryouts, and Player Recruitment, effective April 26th, 2017. CLICK HERE to review. 
If you have any additional questions, please contact our  office. 
Than k you, 
Kansas State Youth Soccer Association    


From the Heartland League Director,
Richard Davies  
 
Dear All,

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful Spring weather and having fun watching the kids playing and competing on the fields. 

It is amazing that we only have a couple of weeks left in the season, it has literally flown by.

It has been a great season with some fantastic games, sportsmanship and individual brilliance.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for participating and spending your weekends with us. We know that without the support of the parents and guardians, there would be no league for these players. THANK YOU!

We will soon be looking forward to the Fall 2017 season, with some exciting prospects on the horizon. The biggest of these is the opening of new turf complexes in the metro, where heartland games will be played. There will be 8 turf fields and 4 grass fields at the Wyandotte Sporting Fields, which will be open for the start of the Fall season. There will also be up to 7 turf fields available at the Gateway Sports Village in Grandview at some point during the Fall. That will lead to more fantastic opportunities for the players to showcase their skills on turf and also a chance to give some of our grass fields a much needed rest.

Enjoy the rest of the Spring season, have a great Summer and we will see you in the Fall!

Thanks
Heartland staff.

KSYSA Spring Coaching Licenses

National "E" License 
June 30-July 2, 2017; Overland Park
June 30-July 2, 2017; Valley Center
August 4-6, 2017; Topeka 

National "D" License
May 19-21, 2017; Overland Park
July 14-16, 2017; Overland Park
July 21-23, 2017; Wichita


go to the www.kansasyouthsoccer.org for more information and to register.  

2017 Referee Meetings

  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, June 12
Wednesday, July 12 
Monday, August 7
Wednesday, September 13 
Wednesday, October 11 
Wednesday, November  8 
Monday,  December 11

*Mentors will meet from 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

Thank you to Scheels for providing gift cards to our March 15  referee meeting award winners.
winners:  Zach  Waldenburg Drew Klem,  John  Mulvane Gage Mohacsi,  Cade Cowdry, 

Trey Torrez, 

Marlin Walenburg,  Brad Cahoon,  Josh Boxberger,  Patrick Whitehouse


Get certified to be a referee!
  Sign up to be a referee for
Spring 2017 Heartland  league.
Reimaging How the World
Manages Youth Sports
 
GET IN THE GAME!
       
2017 State Tournaments
 Scheel's Overland Park Soccer Complex
May 30th-June 7th 

Come out and support #TeamKansas #roadtofrisco

               
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
 
Attention!
 
If you have a referee, coach, club, team or player accomplishment or photo that you would like to share please email Katie Falco at katie@falcocreativemedia.com
 
 
A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR SPONSORS  
3 Women and an Oven
4 Wheel Parts
7 Eleven
AB May
Academy Sports and Outdoors
Advocare
ALDI
Audi, Shawnee Mission
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
Boy Scouts of America
Buca di Beppo
BV Crossfit
California Pizza Kitchen
Casey's
Chartroose Caboose
Chick fil A
Chili's
Columbia College
Costco
Cricket Wireless
Dick's Sporting Goods
Drs. Hawks, Besler, Rogers & Stoppel
FC Kansas City
Freezing Moo Ice Cream
Fry Wagner
Fuzzy's
Gambino's Pizza
Global Connections
Go Ape
Goodcents
Grill Park Place
Grimaldi's
Hague Quality Water
Harlan C Parker State Farm
Hasty Awards
HCA Midwest Health
Huntington Learning Center
J&K Soccer
JF Consulting
Jimmy John's
Jon Russell's BBQ
KC Comets
Krusich Dental
Kumon
Land of Paws
Legoland/Sea Life
Lenny's Subs
Levine Advertising
Market Leverage
Menorah Medical Center
Mickey Cotton Candy Man
Minsky's
Missouri Comets
Molle Toyota

 Momo Bands
 Moneytalks Financial Foundation
Morrill & Janes Bank
Museum at Prairiefire
NAIA
 Nerium
Noodles and Co
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Pacific Dental Services
Paciugo Gelato
Papa John's
Pickleman's
Pizza Hut
Pizzeria Locale
Presto-X
Price Chopper 
Raising Cane's
Research Medical Center
Rock and Brews
Rosati's of Overland Park
SeatGeek
Scheels
Scott the Electrican
Security Bank
Shred-It
Simple Science
Simply Soccer
Simplified Team Management
Slim Chickens
Smoothie King
Soccer Master
Sport Shake
Sporting Kansas City
Stinkboss
Storage Mart
Stroud's
Sunflower Bank
Swope Park Rangers
The Foot Spot
The KC Steak Company
The Roasterie
The Sports Medicine Store
The Storage Place
Timber Challenge
T-riffic T-shirts
University of Missouri Kansas City
Urban Air
Valley View Bank
Wendy's
Which Wich
Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun
Zaxby's 
Zip KC

2017 Mother's Day Tournament In The Books!


The 2017 Sport Shake Midwest Mother's Day Classic was a complete success as Heartland welcomed in 385 teams from 7 states;  Arkansas,  Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri , Nebraska and  Oklahoma. We want to thank all the players, coaches and parents who participated and attended this anticipated tournament. A special shout out to all the moms who shared their Mother's Day with us and the soccer community. It was a wonderful weekend and we couldn't have done it with out all of you! Congratulations to all the participants and winners and we look forward to seeing you next May for this annual event! If you have any pictures from the weekend, we would love to see them! Please feel free to share them with us on Facebook or Twitter or you can email them to HSAmidfielder@gmail.com.

Executive Director Shane Hackett and Heartland Soccer's Katie Falco wrap things up for us...
               

Division Winners- Spring 2017

Heartland Soccer will officially announce the Spring 2017 division winners after the games scheduled for the May 19-21 weekend.  
Below is Information regarding the division winner timeline and the Sporting Kansas City, Heartland Awards Night.  

Timeline:
May 19-21 - Last league games played
May 22 - All game cards must be received by noon; inputting of scores will be completed; any
challenges of scores must take place before 3 pm
May 23 - Division winners will be calculated
May 24 - Division winners will be notified by email; emails will go to coaches and team administrators; Medals will be available for pick-up
June 3, June 10, and July 1st - Heartland Award Events with Sporting Kansas City

Medals:
Medals will be available starting May 24th for all players on division winning teams. The medals
may be picked up between 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Heartland Soccer Association office; 9161 West  133rd Street, Overland Park, KS.  If your team is a division winner, please have one representative pick up  the medals for the entire team. 
 **Medals WILL NOT be handed out at the Heartland Award Events at Sporting KC. 

Heartland Award Events with Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City will again host an awards ceremony at the following games:
  • June 3rd -   4 pm game  
  • June 10th - 7 pm game
  • July 1st -     6 pm game
All division winning teams attending the game will be recognized during a half-time parade at field level. A large block of tickets has been set aside for sale to Heartland division winners. After that block is sold, tickets will be standing room only. Other details for the events will be included in the congratulatory email sent to division winning teams.  If you have any questions, pleases do not hesitate to call.  

Thank you.

Wendy Reyes
Special Events Coordinator
Heartland Soccer Association
Direct: 913-707-1344


Gateway Sports Village Update


***Heartland Soccer will also be collecting donations for Lily's League at our office throughout the Spring and Summer seasons. Our office is located at
 9161 W. 133rd Street, Overland Park , KS***
 
Sport Shake is a delicious, creamy milk shake that is made with real dairy and with no added growth hormones. It provides 9 grams of protein to help muscles recover, and an excellent source of calcium to build strong bones.  Sport Shake has more potassium in one serving than an entire banana to help replace what's lost in sweat during a strenuous practice or game. This nutritional profile helps soccer players recover quickly to show their power on the field the next day. Sport Shake is a great tasting REAL DAIRY POWER SHAKE in both a chocolate and vanilla flavor available at Price Chopper, Hy-Vee, Hen House, CVS and Amazon.com.  Visit SportShake.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information, and be sure to sample the product at upcoming Heartland Soccer tournaments.
Sport Shake is manufactured in the Midwest, where milk from surrounding Kansas and Missouri farms goes into the product.  The brand is owned by Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. ("DFA"), a dairy cooperative headquartered in Kansas City.  Each time Sport Shake is purchased, the profits go back to nearly 15,000 dairy farmers that own the company.
We encourage you to download a coupon and try a can of Sport Shake for FREE:  sportshake.freesamplerequest.com
Coaches Corner
Description:
This functional practice is set-up with GK and back line defense. When the coach calls out the name of the server, the defense immediately shapes to deal with the through ball, bent in, driven in and lofted in and also passed in.

If the defense gets the ball under control, they look to play the ball into one of the small goals on the half-way line. If the 2 forwards win the ball, they look to score on goal.
Objective:

To improve back-line defense dealing with long balls and through passes.
Coaching Points:
  1. Early communication from the GK as to whether he will play the ball or which defender should deal with the serve.
  2. Coherent movement from the back-line and GK to deal with each serve.
  3. Reinforce defensive communication and intelligent decision making from the GK and back-line throughout and particularly in through ball situations.
     


"I enjoy getting to watch the younger kids play because it reminds me of me playing when I was younger." 

Savannah Reinhart, who started playing soccer at the ripe age of four, started reffing last August. Becoming a ref was a no-brainer for Reinhart as this is something she has wanted to do since she was a little girl. It hasn't taken long for her to realize just how much she loves it and enjoys being reminded of the old days. 

When she is not on the field as a ref, she is playing for her high school team, Louisburg, and her club team, KS Elite . Along with soccer, she is a member of FCA (Fellowship of Christian  Athletes), LEO's (a community service club at Louisburg) and FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America). Besides her astonishing list of community service activities, she also participates in the school plays and musicals along with youth groups and the prom committee.

We want to thank Savannah for her involvement in the community and for bringing her giving spirit to the fields at Heartland Soccer!

More about Savannah:
Last book she read: Harry Potter, The Cursed Child 
Favorite types of movies: All movies- she loves movies!
Favorite Sports Team: Sporting KC, of course!

The Referee Corner:
Experience is the ONLY teacher
 
Here is a Question for all
 of us who love the game of soccer and play in the Heartland Soccer Association.  How many Referees does it take to deliver a Heartland season (including tournaments)?  In the Fall Heartland contracted with over 1,200 Referees to fill all your matches.

There are over 2,000 certified Referees in the State of Kansas (yes, we do use Referees certified in Missouri as well).  As you can see from the chart the largest majority of them are under 17.

Age
%
<17 70%
18-25 13%
25+ 17%

The question for all of us is how do these young Referees, many of them having this as their first "real" job get better?  The certification process gets them started.  In the classes the new Referee candidates review the Laws of the Game, take a test (requires a score of 80 or better to become certified), and do field exercises.  And, they are required to attend a recertification session every year. Is this enough to be the Referee in charge of your child's game?  We would all agree it is not enough.

Your Board of Directors decided that "magic" was not the best answer for developing effective Referees.  They have funded the Referee Development Program which includes on-field Peer Mentors and Monthly Education Meetings.  However, there is no way that we can observe every Referee in every possible learning experience (e.g., game).  However, when we combine the education, field sessions and mentoring with experience we have the only proven way to develop "effective" Referees for Heartland.  And, experience is measured in seasons.  

Let me share a story about the value of experience and commitment.  A young man certified as a Referee when he was 12 years old.  He did it because he loved soccer and wanted a job.  His first match was not a good experience.  He was nervous to make calls because he did not know how the players and parents would respond.  When he made his first call, his fears were realized.  The sidelines responded with "what are you calling Referee?".  He went home and told his father that he didn't want to be a Referee any more - it was too hard.  

His father didn't want his son to end on a bad experience so he asked his son to give it one more chance.  The son agreed (wasn't excited about the decision but didn't want to quit).  The next week he got some positive responses to a call (got some complaints also) and decided that he could do this.  He came back the next week and the next season.    

Earlier this month this young Referee was selected to attend a FIFA development event in Switzerland.  Yes, he is also a member of the Professional Referee Organization and does MLS matches as an Assistant Referee.  A definite success story.  But, if you want to understand the whole story, he is also a key person in the Heartland decision to create the Referee Development Program.  He knows how important it is to get experience and wants to make sure that the Referees that officiate your games have the best chance at success.

Remember his story the next time you want to complain to a young Referee.  It could be your child, it could be a future adult Referee or it could be another story of someone who quits too early.  It isn't magic, it is experience.



Name: Matthew
Team:KC Legends
Position: Defender


Name: Megan
Team: Leavenworth United
Position: Keeper

 Overland Park Regional Medical Center Health Blog
By Dan Gurley, MD, College Park Family Care Center

  A Tale of Two Matches:
 
 "It was the best of times at Heritage, and it was the worst of times at Heritage".  

Let me share why I thought this would be an appropriate introduction to this month's Heartland Newsletter.  I am going to share input from the coaches and parents from two matches contested this month, both at Heritage.  One was an Under 12 Boys game and the other was an Under 10 Girls game.

In the first match the Coach's evaluation (he was the winning coach) started out as follows, "Unfortunately, I don't have good things to say about this Referee (and I am sure you are going to get complaints from other parents also).  For some reason, he was mad at our team".  The Referee shared that the sidelines were complaining about fouls not being called on ball tackles early in the match.  The sidelines were saying "keep them safe".  The Referee started calling the game tighter.  The response from the parents was "just let the boys play".  One team was upset because they received 4 yellow cards (they said that only one was clearly deserved).   The summation by the sideline was that the Referee turned this game into a personal vendetta.  

 Of course, this is not the experience we want to provide you with our investments in Referee Development and the Mentoring Program.  We want your experience to be more like the one below: 

In the second match, the report came from a parent on the team that lost the match.  His introduction included the following
 statement, "This is our second child to play soccer and I have noticed that the quality of Referees are getting better.  Yesterday we have some great Referees... The older guy in the center did a great job of calling fouls and talking to the kids on the field.  He even helped tie my daughter's shoe because it had a knot in it.  All the Referees seemed to take pride in their work and they all did a super job".

The primary difference between these two matches is that "deliberate heading" is not allowed in U11 and below matches.  Otherwise, the Referees are trained to call the same fouls, offside, foul throw-ins, etc.  I might conceed that 12 year olds may be more prone to commit fouls, but the rules are the same.  What is interesting is that the Referee was the same person in both matches.

The Field Marshalls and the Mentor teams observe a number of games each weekend.  We admit that it is possible that a Referee can have a "less than effective" match during a day.  But, would a Referee who ties a player's shoe turn around and have a personal vendetta against a team in the next match?  I think you would agree the chances are slim.  Being a Referee is a "tough" assignment.  Referees are trained to make calls based on what the players do on the field.  They are not perfect at this level.  In fact, Referees are not perfect at any level of competition.

Yes, it will be the best of times and the worst of times every week.  We thank you for your understanding of the challenges your Referees have being a Neutral party in a game of involved and passionate players, coaches and fans.  And, we do follow-up on your concerns.  The moral is that Referees developing just like the players and working together is how we end the day with a better soccer experience.