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Referee Availability for League & Tournaments
As our local soccer community grows, the need for new and experienced referes continues. Join America’s Largest Soccer League. More details on referee meeting schedules, training, and education can be found on the Referee Classes page. Games are available at SCHEELS Overland Park Soccer Complex, Swope Soccer Village, Compass Mineral Sporting Youth Fields, and new GARMIN Olathe Soccer Complex.
Sign Up to Become a Referee.
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Heartland Soccer Association
Celebrates 45 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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MYSA NEWS
Under MYSA's sanctioning agreement and guidelines, ALL Missouri based teams (all ages and divisions) registering for the Heartland Soccer Fall 2023 League season must be registered through MYSA.
Heartland Soccer is a qualifying league for Missouri State Cup.
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Let Triffic Shirts & More provide all your custom apparel needs including Uniforms and Spirit Wear for your school, clubs, sports teams, family gatherings, and much more. We provide:
* Screen printing from 1 to 6 colors
* Custom art and design work
*Personalized names/numbers for your team spirit wear
*Embroidery
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This Month in History:
April
26 April 1902 - The Name Change Seems To Have Worked For Them
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On 26 April 1902, English Second Division side Newton Heath F.C. changed its name.
The club, nicknamed the Heathens, was founded in 1878 by workers from the Newton Heath depot of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, located in the city of Manchester. Their origins were reflected in the team's original name - Newton Heath L&YR F.C. They joined the Second Division of the Football League in 1893, dropping the "L&YR" from their name.
By 1902, the Heathens were in financial trouble. Their debts - which had climbed to over £2,500 - threatened to force them into bankruptcy. The club captain, Harry Stafford, met with J.H. Davies, the managing director of the nearby Manchester Breweries. Stafford persuaded Davies to make a substantial investment, allowing the club to continue. In return, Davies became club president.
The team decided to adopt a new name and colors in celebration of their new ownership and fresh start. They abandoned their gold and green shirts for red and white and, after considering such names as "Manchester Central" and "Manchester Celtic," decided to call themselves Manchester United F.C. They were promoted to the First Division soon after, in 1906, and won their first league title in 1908.
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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
or 913-912-7578.
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2022/2023 Tournament Team Numbers
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Border Battle '23 - 160
Midwest College Showcase '23 - 85
Heartland Spring Cup '23 - 138
KC Champions Cup '23 - 453
Mother's Day Classic '23 - 429
Kansas City Invitational '22 - 361
Heartland Open Cup '22 - 61
Fall Kick Off Challenge '22 - 252
Heartland Midwest Classic '22 - 171
Midwest All Boys '22- 209
Midwest All Girls '22 - 291
Heartland Invitational Girls '22 - 391
Heartland Invitational Boys '22 - 427
*In the last 12 months Heartland welcomed teams from a total of 17 states and Canada.
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Come ESCAPE with us!
Exercise your MIND
at one of KC’s most exciting
escape room adventures.
Lots of fun!
Soccer weekends sell out quickly
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SAVE THE DATE
KANSAS CITY INVITATIONAL
May 26 - 28, 2023
Registration Deadline:
April 17, 2023
Kansas City Invitational is the single largest soccer tournament in Kansas City 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 Kansas City Invitational. Appropriate seeding of teams ensures that everyone can compete against opponents of their own ability level.
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SAVE THE DATE:
Midwest Mother's Day Tournament
May 12 - 14, 2023
Registration Closed
The Midwest Mother’s Day Classic consistently attracts over 425 teams including competition from 7 states every year. The Midwest Mother’s Day Classic offers up to six levels of play ensuring that every team finds itself matched against similar competition. In addition to providing excellent competition, this tournament is formatted to be particularly family friendly.
The tournament will be hosted at the SCHEELS Overland Park Soccer Complex and GARMIN Olathe Soccer Complex
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Sneaky Ways to Make Exercise a Habit
When it comes to exercise, most of us have the best of intentions, but it's all too easy for busy schedules, Netflix or the snooze button to get in the way. Before you know it, weeks or months go by without breaking a sweat. But here's the good news—if you're ready to get back into it, incorporating fitness into your life doesn't have to be difficult. If you're looking for ways to make exercise an automatic part of your routine, these tips can make the process a little easier.
Schedule a sweat session.
If you want to make exercise a non-negotiable part of your day, add it to your calendar, and treat it like an important meeting. You wouldn't blow off a work event or a conference call, right? If you give your workout the same respect, we guarantee you'll be more likely to get it done. Plus, checking something off your to-do list always feels motivating!
Keep your workout gear front and center.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind?" When it comes to exercise, your motto should be the opposite. Sleep in your workout gear to help resist the call of the snooze button, keep your gym bag by the front door or store your yoga mat on the couch. Having a visual reminder will help you make the conscious decision to follow through on your workout.
Get creative.
Exercise doesn't always have to look like an hour at the gym. If you live within a few miles of work, consider a walk, run or bike commute. Or use your lunch hour to walk up and down stairs and perform body weight exercises like squats and lunges. Not a fan of traditional exercise? A vigorous hour of housecleaning or yard work can count too!
Make it social.
Ask your pals to substitute an indoor cycling or yoga class in lieu of your usual happy hour. Or check out your local running store—many organize group runs after work or on the weekends. Exercising with friends will make the time fly by, we promise. Having others keeping you accountable can go a long way in helping you follow through because no one wants to hear, "We missed you last night—where were you?"
Go streaking.
A fully clothed, exercise streak, that is. Commit to a 30-day running or walking streak (where you log at least one mile every single day) or vow to attend 20 yoga classes in a month. These challenges can be tough but having a lofty goal can also be extremely motivating. To complete the challenge, you'll have to adopt a "no-excuses" mentality, which can help create a routine.
Follow the 10-minute rule.
Not feeling like exercising today? Commit to just 10 minutes. Whether it's a quick stretch session, a 1-mile jog or a walk around the block, a little bit of sweat is better than nothing. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by an all-or-nothing mentality, keep your expectations low. You don't have to run a marathon to create an exercise habit—even a little bit of movement is great for your health!
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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3 TEAM RONDO
Set up
3 areas of 15 x 12yds as sown in the diagram. The middle zone has 3yd channels marked with cones.
Rules
Three teams of four players.
One team in each half of the pitch and one team in the middle zone.
The team in the middle zone must split into two groups of two players.
To start, the red team keep possession against two blue defenders.
The players are limited to two touches.
The players can score in two ways (1) passing down the side channel or (2) making 8 passes.
If the ball is passed down the channel or leaves the pitch, then the two blue defenders return to the middle zone and two other two players must run to defend 2v4 against the white team.
When inside the middle zone, the blue players are not allowed to block passes in the channels.
Play for 3x3 minutes with each team having a turn as the middle team.
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2022-2023 Heartland Numbers
Spring league teams '23 1,300
Fall league teams '22- 1,322
League players - 42,000
Tournament teams - 3,011
Tournament players - 46,000+
Referees - 2,000+
Coaches - 4,000
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The Referee Corner: Law 12 – Send offs. Using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or actions …
Law 12 details those offenses that will result in a sending off (Red Card). The sending-off offenses include (but are not limited to):
- Delaying the restart of play by the opposing team
- Deliberately leaving the technical area to:
-Show dissent towards, or remonstrate with a match official
-Act in a provocative or inflammatory manner
- Entering the opposing technical area in an aggressive or confrontational manner
- Deliberately throwing/kicking an object onto the field of play
- Entering the field of play to:
-Confront a match official (including at half-time or at full-time)
-Interfere with play, an opposing player, or a match official
- Physical or aggressive behavior (including spitting or biting) towards an opposing player, substitute, team official, match official, spectator or any other person (e.g., ball boy/girl, security or competition official, etc.)
- Receiving a second caution in the same match
- Using offensive, insulting, or abusive language and/or actions
- Violent conduct
This month we are going to highlight the use of offensive, insulting, or abusive language. The reason – there have been reports of players and fans doing this in our league this spring. Even one report is too many.
We should all be able to agree that this is not the conduct we will accept at Heartland Soccer Association competitions. As we shared from the Laws of the Game, offensive, insulting or abusive language will result in a sending off (i.e., a Red Card).
The report states that the Referees did nothing to stop this behavior. We are instructing all of the Referees who do matches at Heartland to immediately address this type of behavior when they observe it on the field. They are being instructed to give the Red Card and to share the details of the language on the Red Card report. The league can then determine the length of suspension for the player and/or the team.
We know that everyone would agree that this kind of behavior is not acceptable in our league. What can you do if you observe foul, offensive and abusive language at one of your matches?
-Find a field marshal and report the incident to the Field Marshal.
-Let your coach know about the incident so they can also report it.
-Do NOT interrupt the Referee or Assistant Referee. Let them do their jobs regarding the match in progress.
Again, if we work together, we can eradicate this now. The Referees are being told to immediately send off any player guilty of foul, offensive or abusive language. You can help by not allowing it to go unreported. Thank you for your help in this important area.
Again, if you want to be a part of the solution, Entry Level Clinics to become a Referee are posted on the Kansas Referee website, https://www.kansasreferee.org.
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The season is underway. Typical Spring weather in Kansas. But we shouldn’t forget how good we have it at Heartland …
Last weekend was typical spring soccer in Kansas. On Friday night it rained, sleeted and even snowed. But the games went on. Then on Saturday the sun came out and everyone enjoyed 50+ degree temperatures. Then on Sunday, the clouds and the wind took center stage. It was cold, but the games were played. The players had the opportunity to compete and display their skills. The fans cheered whether their team won or did not win. And, the Referees worked to deliver fair and safe matches. Welcome to Kansas soccer in the spring.
I talked to a coach of one of the traveling teams who came to Overland Park this past weekend. His team was from South Dakota. His comments were that they haven’t had a chance to play in weather this nice since November (and this was on Sunday with the clouds and the wind). On Friday night the teams put up with rain, which turned to sleet and even some snow. It wasn’t perfect but the games went on. These events got me to thinking about how fortunate we are here in Kansas City and with the Heatland Soccer Association.
Can you remember when rain would shut down a weekend of soccer? The fields became mud and everyone knew that if we played the fields could be ruined for the next month or so. This resulted in cancelled tournaments and cancelled league play. If you lived in Overland Park this was an inconvience. If you traveled from Oklahoma or Minnesota or Nebraska or Iowa or Wisconsin it was expensive when the tournament was cancelled. In every case the players did not get rewarded for their practice efforts.
That wasn’t the case this last weekend because of the partnerships that Heartland has for world-class turf fields. This is one of the reasons why Kansas City is the heart of soccer in America. Lightning will delay matches, but rain and sleet and snow – well they make it a different kind of interesting because we get to play. And playing is the reason we love this game.
I talked to many of the Referees who worked this past weekend. They were wet and cold on Friday. But, they were there at the fields and ready to support the teams as they played soccer. The Referees really enjoyed Saturday. More importantly, even though Sunday was a cold and windy day, they were there again. The teams were ready to play. The coaches were ready to coach. The fans were ready to cheer. The Referees were ready to make sure the games were played in accordance with the Laws of the Game. It was Spring soccer in Kansas.
How involved were the teams and the fans? Let me share one example of what took place this weekend in a pool game in one of the 9 v 9 divisions. In order to advance to the finals one of the teams needed to win and to win by 3 goals. This team scored the first goal of the match. They were fired up to get the additional 2 goals so they could advance. Then, their opponent scored on a counter attack early in the second half. But wait! The Assistant Referee indicated offside so the Referee did not allow the goal. (The call was disputed, but please remember that some Referees are still learning and other, more experienced Referees might even get a call wrong. Yes, it happens. It’s is part of any game in any sport).
The game went on even though one of the teams’ sidelines was not very happy. The team that needed to win by 3 goals then scored their second goal. Everyone forgot about the offside call. The game was down to a simple fact. Could the team score their 3rd goal and also prevent the other team from scoring? Remember, they had to win and win by 3 goals. The team that was behind continued to attack, but they were unable to put the ball in the net. The team that needed to win by 3 continued to counter-attack. Both teams were focused and both sidelines (fans and subs and coaches) were fully engaged. What would the final outcome be?
Several excellent saves by the losing goalkeeper kept the score at 2-0. Then, when the Referee blew the whistle to end to match you could feel the tension disappear. It was an exciting match. One team was going on and the other team came so close but was done for the weekend. This is why we play the games. The players gave their all. The match was exciting. And someone won and someone didn’t.
What did the Referees learn from this match? They learned that they have to be ready and have to make correct decisions. They learned that controversial decisions are not always met with acceptance. They learned how important it is for them to know the Laws of the Game so they can make correct decisions. They learned how important it is for them to work as hard as the players. They realized that some matches are easier than others, but their performance needs to be at a high level if they want to be successful. And, they learned how bad it feels to make a possible mistake. In this match, the disputed call did not materially affect the rest of the day for either team (the soccer gods were with them).
This is soccer in Kansas. Players play hard. Some results go their way and some don’t. Referees will make some mistakes, but they will get more calls right than they will get calls wrong. And most of the time the soccer gods will be with everyone.
Thank you for your passion and your participation. Referees could not do what they do without the support of the players, coaches and fans. We are a soccer community. Let’s keep playing and know that the Kansas weather will turn to warm and sunny very soon.
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And, if you are interested in becoming a Referee, please check out the Entry Level Clinics that are posted on www.kansasreferee.org. There are many ways to create successful young adults in our game. You can build up players. You can support the coaches. You can congratulate Referees on their efforts. You can thank the assignors on site for their contributions. All of us can enjoy the opportunity that we have to enjoy the beautiful game in the Heartland Soccer Association. Remember, this foundation was not created by accident. A lot of committed people spent a lot of their time making this happen. Thank them.
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Monthly Referee Meetings
Are you wanting to improve as a referee? How about get less grief? What about being considered for higher level games and state cup? Attending monthly Kansas Referee Program meetings is a great step to help all of that happen! Don't miss opportunities to hone your craft, win some fun prizes, make new friends and elevate your game as an elite Kansas soccer referee! Referees of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to attend!
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2023 Referee Meeting Dates
May 15
All other Meetings will be hosted at the SCHEELS Overland Park Soccer Complex Field House meeting room, 13700 Switzer Rd,
Overland Park KS 66213
A huge shoutout to Security Bank for attending our recent meeting and gifting our referees gift bags. We are so lucky to have you as a partner!
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Q & A with Lucas
When did you start reffing? September 13, 2022
What made you decide to get certified to referee? Because I’ve played soccer for 9 years and always wanted to be a referee.
What is your favorite part about reffing? Making friends with the field marshals and all of the other referees.
What is a life lesson you feel you have learned from reffing? It’s taught me patience in a lot of situations.
What level of referee to you aspire to be? I aspire to be a national referee eventually.
Do you play soccer? Yes, I play for sporting Blue Valley Academy in e64 . I’ve played soccer for 9 years.
Do you have any hobbies? My hobbies are soccer, reffing, gaming, and track.
What was the last book you read? What was it about? The Hunger Games and it was about a girl named Katniss who gets selected to compete in the hunger games and my favorite part is how good the story is.
What types of movies do you like? The last movie I saw was Scary Movie 4 and I don’t really have a favorite part but I like the whole movie because of how funny it is.
What is your favorite sports team? My favorite sports teams are the Chiefs and Sporting KC
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AB May
Academy Sports and Outdoors
AC Print
Azura Credit Union
Barley's Kitchen and Tap
BRKTHROUGH
Burger Shed
Capelli Sport
Chick-fil-A 7500 W 135th St
Chick-Fil-A 15919 W 87th St Pkwy
Chicken N Pickle
CH Roofing and Exteriors
City Thrift
Connelly Plumbing Solutions
Dick's Sporting Goods
Drs. Hawks, Besler, Rogers & Stoppel
Easton Roofing
Fearless & Capable
GameChanger
Goodcents
Grimaldi's
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Hasty Awards
Hawaiian Bros
HCA Midwest Health
Hy-Vee
KC Current
Kansas City Comets
K.C. Hopps
Krusich Dental
Lean Kitchen
Levine Advertising
McShane & Brady Law
Menorah Medical Center
Molle Automotive Group
Museum at Prairiefire
Nautical Bowls
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Papa John's
PinStripes
Pittcraft Printing
Raising Cane's
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Rob Ellerman and
Reece Nichols Real Estate
Research Medical Center
Rock and Brews
Salty Iguana
Security Bank
Soccer Master
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City II
Starting Point Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
State Farm-Harlan Parker
The Merchant Fitness (Julah)
The Rub Bar-B-Que
Tick Tock Escape Rooms KC
T-Mobile
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
T-riffic Shirts & More
Urban Air
Xfinity
Zaxby's
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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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