Heartland Soccer Association
Celebrates 40 Years of Soccer!
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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| Kansas Youth Soccer Hires Joe Burger as Executive Director 
Kansas State Youth Soccer Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Joseph Burger as the new Executive Director of our organization. Joe joins Kansas Youth Soccer with over 26 years of soccer experience and most recently coming from Minnesota United F.C. (Major League Soccer), where he served as Youth Programs Technical Coordinator, a position he's held for the past three years.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Joe!
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Heartland Soccer is excited to partner with GOEX Apparel - a local KC, Fairtrade company - to bring you the "One League, One City" tee.
In the midst of the pandemic, GOEX launched Support Local KC to raise funds for clients & partners. Each shirt sold gives $15 to the organization to care for employees, support the business or for further investment in the community's
Proceeds from the sale of all Heartland Soccer tees will go into a fund to reduce fees when play resumes. The goal is to make sure all players are able to get back on the field as soon as it's safe to play.
Order your tee today at
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Concussion ImPACT Testing
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2019/ 2020 Tournament Numbers
(number of teams)
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Border Battle '20
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117
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| Heartland Spring Cup '20 |
155 |
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KC Champions Cup '19
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483
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| Mother's Day Classic '19 |
449 |
| Kansas City Invitational '19 |
282
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Fall Kick Off Challenge '19
|
189 |
Heartland Midwest Classic '19
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208 |
Midwest All Boys '19
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115 |
Midwest All Girls '19
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333
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Heartland Invitational Girls '19
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333
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Heartland Invitational Boys '19
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407 |
*In the last 12 months Heartland welcomed teams
from a total of 17 states and Canada.
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| Club Tryout Dates and Information for the 2020-2021 Seasonal Year
DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE CANCELLATION OF THE 2020 SPRING STATE TOURNAMENTS, THE TRYOUT DATES AND INFORMATION DETAILED IN OUR RULES HAVE BEEN AMENDED FOR THE SUMMER OF 2020 ONLY.
COMPETITIVE TRYOUT INFORMATION DETAILS
THE FREE AGENT PERIOD WILL BEGIN JUNE 19
th
, 2020 AND WILL CLOSE JULY 3
rd
, 2020.
However, starting June 1
st
2020
, Players/Parents may declare if they are returning to their
current club
and place a deposit down securing their spot in their
current club
without going through the tryout process.
A club cannot take a deposit from a current club player/parent prior to June 1
st
, 2020.
A club CANNOT take a deposit from a player/parent that currently plays outside their club or make the promise to a new player that they will have a spot in a new club or on a new team without going through the tryout process.
Also starting June 1
st
, 2020
, Clubs/teams can open up registration for tryouts. Players & parents can begin sign-up for try-outs if they are seeking an opportunity to look at other clubs. If a player/parent signs up for a tryout outside of their current club, they should not put down a deposit with their current club or team.
Tryouts, will begin on June 19
th
, 2020 for all competitive age groups,
subject to a determination that it is
safe to return to group activity by United States Youth Soccer (USYS), State Government or local governments
. Social Distancing and/or other requirements will be adhered to during this time as recommend by governing bodies.
Players shall remain free agents until July 3, 2020, or until a formal acceptance is made to an offer from a club or team. A Player shall still have ten (10) days from the date of their acceptance in which to rescind their commitment to the club/team without penalty, financial or otherwise.
See the links to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents below as a reference for more specific questions that you may have.
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FAQ's Tryout Information Sheets
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| Thank you to everyone for making Heartland Soccer recognized as THE LARGEST soccer league AND tournament host in the United States! Seriously, how cool is that?! We are so incredibly proud to be a part of this growing soccer community!
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2019/20 Heartland Numbers
Fall league teams '19
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1,281
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| Spring league teams '20 |
1,341
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League players
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42,000
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Tournament teams
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3,011
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| Tournament players |
46,000+
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Referees
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2,000+
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Coaches
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4,000
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This Month in History: May
The youngest player to play in the English Premier League. The previous record held by Matthew Briggs who broke the record in May 2007. Briggs was 16 years and 68 days. In 2019 the record was again broken by Harvey Elliot of Fulham at 16 years 30 days. The match against the Wolverhampton Wanderers ended in a 1-0 defeat. After playing in the final 10 minutes of the game Elliot attended school the next day. He currently plays for Liverpool and has become the youngest player to start a match at Anfield stadium. With appearances for Fulham, Liverpool and England's Under 17 national team Elliot has miles of potential ahead of him. Elliot was born April 4, 2003 the year Finding Nemo came out at the box office.
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2020 Heartland Referee Meeting Dates Announced!
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, August 3
Monday, September 14
Monday, October 5
Mentors meet 6 - 6:45 pm and Referees meet 7 - 8:30 pm
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:
Congratulations to all our SCHEELS gift card winners!
From Left to Right:
Alexis Flint, Margot Tuttle, Aiden Comeaux, Bennett Parish, Mason Garlich, Chloe Cooper, Aiden Flint, Calvin Seithel, Dru Thomas, Dylan Thomas,
Jay Severson
Other gift card winners: Rick Zuzenak, Sean Overton
Nico Lazo, Haley Sachan, Gordie Wetmore, Nate Colling, Alan Rosenak, Frank Deslagen, Lucas Cuejilo, Jash Patel, Nicholas Edwards, Thomas Edwards, Irina Mikos
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First time checking out The Midfielder?
Executive Director Shane Hackett explains why this is a
great tool for players, coaches and parents.
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THE FIFA WORLD CUP IS COMING! #KC2026
Sign the petition and show the world that Kansas City
deserves to be a host city for the WORLD CUP!!!
Sign the Petition
Donate
Volunteer
Kansas City - In The Heart of It All
#KC2026 #United2026
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| "Why be a critic when YOU can be THE REFEREE!"
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| Kansas ODP player puts in 28.5 hours of training in April!
Shoutout to our #KansasODP players putting in the time using Techne Futbol app while also balancing their school work, club activities and family time during a pandemic!
Congratulations to Abby S. (2008 Girl) on accumulating 28.5 hours during the month of April!
We will post our Kansas ODP players every Tuesday on a weekly basis.
#TechneTue
sday
#KSYouthSoccer
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Go behind the scenes at Children's Mercy Park! Learn about the history of Sporting KC and take a look at the Pitch, Press Box, Broadcast Booth, Locker Room & more! For more information contact Kylie Perkins at
[email protected]
or 913-912-7578.
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Get certified to be a referee!
As our local soccer community grows, the need for new and experienced referees continues. Join America's Largest Soccer League. More details on referee meeting schedules, training and education can be found on the
Sign Up to Become a Referee for the Spring 2020 Season.
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Update: May 14, 2020
Based on the most recent reopening phases announced by local government and safety of our players and spectators, we have determined we will be unable to complete our 2020 Spring soccer season without programming into late July. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining games of the season.
We recognize this will be disappointing to many of you and, contrarily, a relief to others as we navigate this unprecedented medical crisis.
For many of us, soccer is a tremendous source of self-esteem, self-confidence, healthy exercise, friendship and happiness. Playing the game gives us the physical, mental and social well being needed in times of hardship, and we are now focused and excited for soccer events to resume in the fall.
Before suspending the season due to Covid-19, teams began playing the first weekend of March and we completed nearly a quarter of the spring season. We have teams that played as many as four games and there are teams that have played none. We will be issuing credits to be applied to the fall season based on the number of games unplayed this spring season.
Our single largest expense is for our world class turf soccer complexes. We have been working closely with our soccer complex partners and have asked to receive field rental and lease credits that can be applied for league and tournaments in the upcoming seasons. Accordingly, any and all credits received from the complexes will be passed on to the clubs and teams registering for the fall season (spring for HS boys) and will be reflected in the overall credit. We have also calculated the referee costs of the unplayed games. This will also be included in the amount of credit being forwarded to the returning teams this fall (spring for HS boys).
Unfortunately, we will not be receiving credits for ALL of our field rental and other spring business expenses. These expenses include field maintenance and related personnel, rent for office space, scheduling costs, league staff, utilities, insurance, sanctioning fees and other league related expenditures. However, we recognize the huge negative economic impact this medical crisis has inflicted on our families, clubs and our soccer community. Our goal is to pass on to our clubs and teams, any and all credits we have been able to secure.
In addition to the league credit to be applied to fall league registration (Spring for HS Boys), all teams registered this spring that register this fall will receive a $350 credit toward one of the following HSA Tournaments: KCI, Midwest Classic, or Border Battle that can be used in the fall 2020 or spring 2021 seasons. We have chosen these events as they do not conflict with League play and we have the capacity to accommodate a large number of teams and field credits available to us on those dates.
Clubs and teams will receive a credit statement for fall league in the next 10 business days. If we are able to secure additional credits from all the complexes and/or vendors in the future months, those will be passed on as well and added to the club and team credits.
We are also announcing a price freeze on league and tournament fees for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 fees. There will be no price increases for any play at any event.
With team tryouts moving to June 19, we will be moving Fall League start back to August 14, 2020. Accordingly, the registration date has been adjusted as well.
Be safe and we look forward to the fall season.
Heartland Soccer Association
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The Referee Blog
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. What have we learned and how are we going to approach the opening of Soccer season?
April has been an interesting and a challenging time for all of us who are a part of the Heartland Soccer ecosystem. The "stay at home" guidelines have kept us away from practice and from games. Players have been working on their skills in solo. The Referees have been watching YouTube match situations to keep their minds ready so they can be effective when the teams get to get back on the pitch. Fans are missing the excitement of the game (goals, tackles, saves, passes, fouls, etc.). Many of us know people who contracted the covid-19 virus. Many have recovered, but some have succumbed. It was a hard April.
The Kansas State Youth Soccer Association has cancelled the 2020 State Cup tournaments (State Cup, President's Cup and the Junior State Cup). We do not know what the final conditions for play will look like, but we are all excited to give the players the opportunity to get back on the pitch.
Yes, we have been missing the weekly excitement of the league season. When we do come back will we appreciate the opportunity, or will our pent-up enthusiasm create unrealistic demands on the players and the Referees (i.e., will we be more boisterous than in the past)? What have we learned during our "stay at home" period?
Many of us are soccer junkies. We cheer when our kids play, shell out dollars for uniforms and tournament travel, and some of us are now cheering for our grandkids as they continue to play the beautiful game. We have relished victories, been crushed by losses and, yes, have voiced our opinions to coaches, administrators and Referees. Soccer is a big part of our lives. But we know that soccer is not more important than life itself. One of my soccer friends just learned that she has stage 4 cancer. One of my neighbor's friends died from the corona virus. We the lucky ones who will get to cheer for players when the season starts. The lesson we have learned is to keep calm and love the soccer experience
.
It is a safe bet to say we all miss the game. When we do come back to fields, how will we respond? Let us remember the reasons why we love the game, the competition, and the community that is Heartland Soccer. Let us commit to be better again when we meet again at the complex. Remember that we are all in this together. We have the opportunity to grow from what has happened and to be better than ever. We look forward to seeing you at the complexes soon and sharing the game that brings us together.
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May Health Tip:
Common Mistakes Young Athletes Make While Conditioning
1. Wrong fuel = poor performance
Many young athletes either don't eat breakfast or eat the wrong thing for breakfast. They may even skip lunch. Don't forget "breakfast" literally remains "to break a fast ". This means after sleeping all night the body is craving appropriate nutrition. Not eating or eating too many simple sugars and not enough protein and healthy fats is a recipe for poor athletic performances. Eating foods rich in protein, like eggs, and healthy fats, like whole milk or lean meats, will allow the athlete to be well-prepared nutritionally for future events.
2. Lifting too much weight, too soon, too fast, and with poor technique.
Lifting the proper amount of weight, the proper number of times, with good technique will ensure fewer injuries and establish life-long exercise habits. Lifting to muscle fatigue or failure is fine, as long as EACH lift is done with perfect technique EVERY time. Be patient, consistent, and focused, and the strength will come!
3. Keep things simple.
For example, if you want stronger legs, squat! If you want more explosiveness from your legs, jump! If you want more strength to improve or refine a sports-specific technique, copy that move in the weight room. Practice makes perfect, but perfect practice makes perfection!
4. Sleep.
Enough said! If you need ideas on how to sleep better, the internet is full of them! Again, keep it simple. For example, no huge energy drinks full of sugar and caffeine after 3 p.m.
5. If something is hurting, it's hurting for a reason!
Learn to listen to your body, and it will tell you amazing things. If something hurts acutely, STOP! Use ice and ask for help from your coach, athletic trainer, parent, or teammate. If something hurts for more than three days, ask for help! Don't let injuries sideline you for longer than is necessary.
6. Use your heart rate to guide the intensity of your workouts.
For simplicity's sake, 220-age=maximal heart rate. Working out at a submaximal heart rate (85 percent of max heart rate) for prolonged periods increases the risk of injury. No heart rate monitor? If you can talk while exercising, you are in a good zone. Once talking becomes more difficult, you are nearing your submaximal heart rate.
HCA Midwest Health is the official healthcare provider for Heartland Soccer Association and we work with parents and coaches to keep athletes safe and on the field of play year round, learn more about our services at
www.hcamidwest.com
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Guilt-Free, Gluten-Free & Full of Flavor!
Minsky's Cauliflower Crusts Now Available in Large
Minsky's is happy to announce our popular Cauliflower crust (which was formerly available only as a small size crust) is now available in a Large 14" size! If you've not yet tried Minsky's Cauliflower crust, you're in for a treat. Lower in carbs and gluten-free one of life's tastiest luxuries available to those on a gluten-free diet or those that might be watching their carbs.
Did we mention the great taste of our Cauliflower crust?! You're going to love it - and now with our large size there's even more to love - better for sharing (or keep it all to yourself!).
At Minsky's we believe when you eat well, you live better. Our Cauliflower pizza crust is higher in fiber and lower in calories and makes a great alternative to our legendary traditional crust. The best part? Our Cauliflower crust is so delicious it's hard to believe even healthier!
Don't just take our word for it, try one for yourself! Substitute Minsky's Cauliflower Crust on any small or large pizza at all Minsky's locations.
Click here to order now!
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The Referee Corner
Law 12... Fouls and Misconduct ... A Player's perspective....
Soccer is a contact sport. Some contact results in a foul call. Other contact is allowed. We are going to focus on Law 12 for the rest of the season. The goal will be to create a more common understanding of what will result in the Referee blowing their whistle or issuing a card. Here is the beginning text of
Law 12:
Direct and indirect free kicks and penalty kicks can only be awarded for offences committed when the ball is in play.
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
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charges
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jumps at
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kicks or attempts to kick
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pushes
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strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
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tackles or challenges
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trips or attempts to trip
If an offence involves contact, it is penalized by a direct free kick.
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Careless
is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed
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Reckless
is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned
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Using excessive force
is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:
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a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
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holds an opponent
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impedes an opponent with contact
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bites or spits at someone
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throws an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object
Is it possible that contact could be accidental? It is a fact that soccer is a contact sport. The Referees are instructed to look at the result of the act to determine if a foul occurred. If, in the opinion of the Referee, there was
contact that fits the descriptions listed in Law 12, the result should be that a foul is called. This is where differences of opinion with the Referee's decisionsbegin. How many times do we hear the sidelines say that the contact was accidental or that the player didn't mean to foul? Depending on your point of view (was it your team fouling or being fouled) the Referee is many times put into what we call DIYD/DIYD position (darned if you do call the foul and darned if you don't call the foul). We hear this from the sidelines when part of the fans are saying, "Come on Ref, let them play!" and the other fans are saying "Ref, you are losing control of the game!".
There are times when the players know they fouled. There are other instances where the player's intent was not to foul, but their actions created the contact that resulted in a foul being called. This is when a player may protest the Referee's decision.
Do Referee's get to consider intent when they call fouls? The answer is yes, but not on whether the foul occurred. Referees have to make decisions on intent and results if they feel the foul or act was Reckless or using excessive force. Their decisions are now enforced with the issuing of a yellow or a red card. Another opportunity for players and fans to challenge the decision of the Referee.
The purpose of this month's article is to introduce you to those acts defined in Law 12 as fouls that are restarted with a Direct Free Kick (the team taking the kick may score directly from the restart). There are 13 of these acts. There are 8 acts where the restart is an Indirect Free Kick. We will review those acts in next months Referee corner.
Looking forward to seeing you at the complexes in the near future. Remember, if you understand fouls you are a candidate to become a certified Referee.
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Papa J
ohn's Heartland Referee Spotlight:
Q&A with Calvin
When did you start reffing?
I started reffing in the fall of 2018
What made you decide to get certified to referee?
I decided to get certified because I love soccer. It's my favorite sport, but I'm not too good at it. So I figured this way I'm still involved in the sport that I love.
What is your favorite part about reffing?
My favorite part is just sitting in the referee lounge and talking with the other referees after my games.
What is a life lesson you feel you have learned from reffing?
That people will debate something no matter how ridiculous it sounds if it will give them the slightest of advantages and you have to learn to ignore that.
What level of referee to you aspire to be?
My ultimate goal is to get to as high a level as I can whether that's U19 boys as an AR or up to reffing the Fifa World Cup, I mean you never know.
Do you play soccer?
Like I said I'm not very good at soccer but I do play on a rec soccer team with a few of my friends.
I've played soccer since I was very little, but I took a break a couple of years ago to focus on other sports.
Do you participate in any sports/activities?
Yes, I participate in lots of things such as cross country, track and field, basketball, going to Harvesters food bank to help out, or other things of that sort. The thing I love most is cross country because I love to be with my friends and run long distances.
What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was The Alchemist. It is about a young shepherd who wants to see the world. On his travels, he meets an old king who tells him of a treasure that is far away. He goes in search of the treasure despite not having enough funds. So he lives off of the signs and omens along the way. My favorite part is when he meets an Englishman that is pretty much his polar opposite but they become friends due to the similarities in their search.
What was the last movie you saw?
One of my favorite movies is John Wick, but I'm not really to into movies. I prefer to read.
What is your favorite sports team?
Favorite sports team is St. Louis Cardinals.
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Visit SCHEELS, your retail destination.
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We want your photos!
Heartland Soccer Association is seeking action photo shots of kids of all ages and abilities playing soccer in Heartland League Games or Tournaments. Submitted photos may be included in Heartland Tournament, League and other promotional materials as well as social media posts.
Instructions for submitting photos:
All submitted photo files must be .jpg format, must be a minimum of 1,200 x 1,600 pixels, and no larger than 2 MB in size. Submitting a photo doesn't guarantee that it will be used.
By submitting a photo for consideration for use in Heartland Soccer Association promotional materials, you agree that:
1.
You are the sole author of the photograph and control all rights for its use. The photograph is original. You have the rights to grant usage of the photograph as stated below. There has been no prior sale, publication or transfer of rights to the photograph. The photograph shall not contain any libelous or scandalous matter. To the best of your knowledge, the photograph's creation, publication and use shall not infringe any copyright, right of privacy or right of publicity, or infringe or violate any right of any third party.
2.
You grant to Heartland Soccer Association all rights to use the photograph in any and all forms of media, including but not limited to electronic, digital media and print.
3.
You allow Heartland Soccer Association the right to edit, revise, adapt and crop the photo as necessary.
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Attention!
If you have a referee, coach, club, team or player accomplishment or a
photo that you would like to share please email:
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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS
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AB May
Academy Sports and Outdoors
AC Print
ALDI
Big Whiskey
BFAME KC Entertainment
Chick-fil-A
Cinzetti's
Commercial Capital
Dave and Buster's
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Drs. Hawks, Besler, Rogers & Stoppel
Discount Tire
First Watch
Goodcents
Grimaldi's
Hasty Awards
HCA Midwest Health
Heritage Tractor Supply
Hy-Vee
Jason's Deli
JBAR
Jimmy John's
Kansas City Comets
Krusich Dental
Land of Paws
Lenny's Subs
Levine Advertising
Menorah Medical Center
Minsky's Pizza
Molle Toyota
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Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Overland Park Ballroom
Papa John's
Raising Cane's
Rob Ellerman and
Reece Nichols Real Estate
Research Medical Center
Rock and Brews
R Todd Laytham CPA, LLC
Salty Iguana
SCHEELS
Security Bank
Scooter's Coffee
Soccer Master
Spin Pizza
Sport Clips
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City II
Starting Point Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
Storage Mart
Swope Park Rangers
Taco Bell
The Rub Bar-B-Que
The Storage Place
Tohi
T-riffic T-shirts
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Zaxby's
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