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.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Fall League Registration Runs from
June 1st through noon on July 10th
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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
|
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
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: June
The UEFA Champions League a prestigious tournament held in Europe hosting the worlds top soccer clubs. Originally called the European Cup the first season was held from September 1955 to June 1956. Only 16 teams participated in the original tournament and were selected by the organizers. They played a straight knock-out system with home and away games and aggregate score being counted. An instant success the tournament drew in over 800,000 fans throughout its 29 matches and 127 goals. The Finals; Real Madrid Vs. Reims. It was the 13
th
of June 1956 and nearly 40,000 spectators awaited the match. Real Madrid defeated Servette, Partizan Belgrade and AC Milan during the knock-out rounds and Reims eliminated Arhus GF, Voros Lobogo, and Hibernian. Reims was down by two goals within the first 10 minutes but was able to make a come back in the second half with 3 goals from Hidalgo. After going down in the second half Real Madrid came back to score two more goals and win the first European Champions Cup 4-3. "It is always rather moving to witness the birth of a tradition" wrote Antoine Blondin a French reporter.
UEFA's Communications and Public Affairs Division. (October 2004). 50 Years European Cup. https://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/240459.pdf
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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:
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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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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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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 Fall 2020 Season.
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The Referee Blog
The NEW Normal will become the Heartland NORMAL.
The countdown to soccer at Heartland...
 Heartland's soccer fields are empty today. Progress towards reopening is happening. The shutdown (our normal for the Spring) is moving into the rear-view mirror. Zoom sessions and individual skills training will be replaced with team sessions and on-field coaching. The tryout process begins on June 1. The Fall season is scheduled to start in August and tournaments are opening for registrations.
We can watch professional soccer from Germany on TV, and soon we will have a full global lineup to choose from. The stands in Germany are empty. Substitutes are wearing masks and are social distancing. Yes, soccer is coming back but with changes. We expect there will be some changes at Heartland also. The focus of this month's Referee article is not on the changes, but instead, on those things that will stay the same, what happens inside the lines of the field.
Players remain the focus inside the lines. They will be running, dribbling,  attacking, defending, and building team tactics and team spirit. The field will look normal (like this picture) with players and excitement. There will be attacks and missed passes and shots that are off target and shots that are on target. Some of the shots will be saved and some of them will be goals. The Referees and Assistant Referees will be on the field also with their whistles and flags to render decisions based on the Laws of the Game. Soccer will be played inside the lines.
Let us remember how a soccer match is played. There are outstanding plays and average plays and sometimes misses. There is contact. Some of the contact is fair and some is not fair. The judge of contact that is not fair is the Referee. Most of our Referees have not been engaged during the shutdown. Yes, it will take time for them to get match ready.
How will we support them when they take the field? The Peer Mentor program that was initiated by Heartland and is now sponsored by the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association will be there to help our Referees back to match ready. The Referees have missed the action just like the players. We are confident that they will work hard to make up for lost time. Their mission is to enforce the Laws of the Game and to provide a SAFE environment for FAIR soccer. They, like the players, want to be successful. When they make decisions, support them.
Shaking off the rust inside the lines will come quickly. What about the other part of the soccer world, the activities that occur outside the lines. This is the home of the coaches, the substitutes and you, the fans. The fans are what makes soccer magic. Everyone wants their team to be successful. The reality is that two teams play, but only one team wins. When I talked to some of our senior coaches last season, they shared that their focus was to help their players and their teams to improve every week. This was their most important goal. Who can argue with their logic?
We want normal on the fields (inside the lines) to be effort, spirit, teamwork, skill, sportsmanship, and improvement every week. This is our goal for both the players and for the Referee team. We want normal on the sidelines (outside the lines) to be encouragement, appreciation, soccer IQ and passion that is focused on making the game a positive experience for everyone. And we want you to show respect for others.
We are going through many challenges in our country today. The pandemic, the impact on the economy, and now the protests about justice. Working together for the good of the community is what makes our country the greatest in the world. And we are fortunate that we get to live in this country and will now get to experience the beautiful game of soccer. Let us build on our experiences of this past Spring and lead in the process to making our game a place of growth and accomplishment.
Thank you. Good luck at tryouts. We are looking forward to experiencing the best season ever with you this Fall. Yes, absence makes the heart grow stronger. This Spring's absence should make our hearts much stronger, more open, more understanding, and should do the same for our minds. We are the Heartland Soccer Association family. Welcome home. Soccer is almost in the house.
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Dear All,
We hope you are all staying safe and healthy through this weird period that we are experiencing.
Soccer and other sports are always a great way of distracting our minds and occupying our players time and energy. The outlook has been looking increasingly positive in the last couple of weeks and we are extremely confident that the 2020 Fall season will go ahead as planned.
Registration is open and filling up consistently. We know everyone has tryouts coming up and teams will have changes. So wherever you end up we look forward to seeing you all back on the fields in the near future.
Thanks as always for participating in our league and tournaments, we truly appreciate your support.
See you on the Fields!!
Sincerely,
Heartland Staff
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Visit SCHEELS, your retail destination.
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June Health Tip:
There's a Downside to Vigorous Interval Training
High-intensity interval training may boost your fitness at a cost -- perhaps increasing your risk for injuries.
This popular type of training combines aerobics, weight lifting and calisthenics at maximum effort, followed by recovery periods.
"These workouts are marketed as 'one size fits all.' However, many athletes, especially amateurs, do not have the flexibility, mobility, core strength and muscles to perform these exercises," said study author Dr. Joseph Ippolito. He's an orthopedist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Researchers analyzed 2007-2016 U.S. government data and identified 3.9 million injuries caused by exercise equipment (such as barbells and kettle bells) or calisthenics (such as pushups and lunges) that are common in interval training.
Most of those injuries involved knees, ankles and shoulders. White males ages 20 to 39 had the highest injury rate.
There were an average of nearly 51,000 injuries a year, and the number rose alongside rising interest in interval workouts.
Significant increases in nerve damage, internal organ injuries, concussions, puncture wounds, dislocations and strains and sprains were seen during the study period, according to the study.
Doing interval workouts without supervision raises risk for injury from poor form and muscle overuse, according to Ippolito.
"There is strong evidence that these types of injuries -- specifically from repetitive overload at the knee -- can lead to osteoarthritis," Ippolito said in a university news release.
The study results are in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
If you're new to interval training, talk to your doctor first, the researchers advised.
"We certainly do not want to discourage people from this type of exercise because of its numerous health benefits, but recommend that they understand the pre-existing conditions and physical weaknesses that may predispose them to injury," said study co-author Nicole Rynecki, a medical school student.
So what are the benefits? Interval training can improve heart-lung fitness, boost energy, build lean muscle mass, and burn fat, according to the study.
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
SOURCE: Rutgers University
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Referee Corner:
The Laws of the Game for 2020/2021 have been released...
 FIFA updates the Laws of the Game every year. The updated Laws have now been published. They go into effect for the Fall season. We wanted to share the changes with you so everyone is on the same page when we get back on the field in the next 6-8 weeks.
The good news is that the major changes occurred over the past couple of years. We should be familiar with these laws. The most current version does not introduce major changes. Let's look at what the current version says. I am starting by sharing the Introduction....
The philosophy and spirit of the Laws:
(
Football) Soccer is the greatest sport on earth. It is played in every country and at many different levels. The Laws of the Game are the same for soccer throughout the world from the FIFA World Cup Final through to a game between young children in a remote village.
That the same Laws apply in every match in every confederation, country, town, and village throughout the world is a considerable strength which much be preserved. This is also an opportunity which must be harnessed for the good of soccer everywhere.
Soccer must have Laws which keep the game "fair" as a crucial foundation of the beauty of the "beautiful game" is its fairness - this is a vital feature of the "spirit" of the game. The best matches are those where the Referee is rarely needed as the players play with respect for each other, the match officials, and the Laws.
The integrity of the Laws, and the Referees who apply them, must always be protected and respected. All those in authority, especially coach and team captains, have a clear responsibility to the game to respect the match officials and their decisions.
The Changes for 2020/21 are relatively few and are mostly clarifications, as the major revision of the Laws has been completed. The main changes are:
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Handball - the boundary between the arm (handball) and shoulder (not handball) has been defined and the wording for accidental handball offenses had been made clearer.
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If a Penalty Kick misses the goal or rebounds from the goal, the goalkeeper is not penalized for encroachment unless it clearly affected the kicker.
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The goalkeeper is warned for their first offense at the taking of a penalty kick, and then cautioned (yellow card) for any further offense(s)
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Cautions are not carried forward into kicks from the Penalty mark
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In VAR matches .... You can read about this in the Laws, but it does not apply at Heartland
If you want to make sure you are up on the current Laws of the Game, you can access them (for free) by downloading the Laws from the app store for either your iPhone or your Android phone... You will look for the IFAB Laws of the Game application.
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Papa J
ohn's Heartland Referee Spotlight:
Q&A with Dru
When did you start reffing?
3 years ago
What made you decide to get certified to referee?
To make money, help the community and get to watch more soccer
What is your favorite part about reffing?
watching a good game and watching the little kids play soccer
What is a life lesson you feel you have learned from reffing? You will make mistakes, you can't be perfect
When did you start reffing futsal?
Last year
What level of referee to you aspire to be?
High School referee
Do you play soccer?
Yes- KCSG Club team. I will be a freshman and play for Liberty North HS next year
If so, How long have you played soccer?
Since I was 5 or 6 years old
Do you participate in any sports/activities?
Club soccer, wrestling for my school, National Junior Hockey Society, Student Council, Breakfast Club (helping community & school).
Do you have another job in addition to reffing?
lawn school and snow removal
What was the last book you read?
No Other Home
What types of movies do you like?
Action movies
What is your favorite sports team?
Manchester United
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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
Dick's Sporting Goods
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
Urban Air
Yokohama
Zaxby's
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