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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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KCI Skills Challenge 2023
More than 75 soccer players of all ages took to the pitch on May 27th for the Heartland Skills Challenge at Garmin Olathe Soccer Complex to demonstrate their skills across various passing, dibbling and shooting challenges, putting their speed, accuracy, and precision to the ultimate test.
The day was filled with excitement and passion for the sport, and it was truly inspiring to witness participants incredible skills and determination on the field. Congratulations to the division winners and all participants who poured their hearts into this exhilarating event.
To explore more about the Skills Challenge event, including photos and division winners, along with upcoming event dates, please visit our website at www.skillschallengeusa.com.
Stay connected with us on facebook and instagram @skillschallengeusa for updates on future events and news.
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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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Heartland Soccer Fall League Registration Opens
May 29th
Registration closes Noon
on July 6th
No late registrations
will be accepted!
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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:
June
29 June 1950 - The Miracle On Grass
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On 29 June 1950, the United States pulled off one of the most improbable upsets in football, defeating England 1-0 in a World Cup group stage match before a crowd of over 10,000 at the Estádio Raimundo Sampaio in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
England had dominated international football after World War II, winning 23 matches, drawing three and losing only four. They also had forward Stanley Matthews, considered by many to be the best footballer of the era. The 1950 tournament was England's first World Cup, as they had not entered the previous tournaments, and expectations were high. Oddsmakers pegged England as 3-1 favorites to win the title.
The United States, by contrast, had lost their last seven matches (a series stretching back to the 1934 World Cup) by the combined score of 45-2, including a 3-1 loss to Spain four days prior.
Matthews had missed England's first match, a 2-0 win against Chile, and was left on the bench against the US, as England's selection committee, over the manager's objection, opted not to change a winning side. The decision was heavily scrutinized after the match; however, even without Matthews, England appeared to be in control, dominating possession and taking 20 shots to the US's one.
It was the one that mattered, though. In the 38th minute, American defender Walter Bahr sent a high, arcing ball into the England penalty area. As English keeper Bert Williams rushed to collect it, Gaetjens ducked, sending the ball off the back of his head and into the net. England applied frantic pressure in an attempt to equalize, but were denied by a combination of the woodwork and the sensational play of American keeper Frank Borghi.
Although the US were eliminated from the tournament after their next match, a 5-2 loss to Chile, and did not qualify for another World Cup until 1990, the 1-0 victory over England is considered a pivotal moment for the US national team.
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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 - 401
Kansas City Invitational '23 - 336
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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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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Spring 2023,
That's a wrap!
That's a wrap on another incredible season. Thank you to everyone for their passion, dedication and determination this past season. We believe that the off-season is a great time for us to recharge, improve our skills, and gear up for an even more amazing season ahead. So, let's dive into some tips to make the most of your summer break!
Rest
First things first, your body needs time to relax. Good rest is crucial to ensure you start the upcoming season at your physical and mental peak.
Maintain Your Fitness
Although rest is vital, it's important to maintain a baseline level of fitness during the off-season. Do some light exercising as it will make transitioning back into training easier when the Fall 2023 season begins.
Strengthen Weak Areas:
Now is the ideal time to focus on improving specific aspects of your game. Devote time to practicing drills and exercises that target these weak areas, giving you a competitive edge when the action resumes.
Play For Fun
Gather your friends or teammates to kick around the ball. Playing in smaller teams also means more touches on the ball, encouraging quick decision-making and enhancing your overall game.
Set Goals
Reflect on your past season and set realistic goals for the upcoming one.
Most Importantly, Enjoy the Break:
Finally, don't forget to enjoy your summer break! Spend time with family and friends, explore new hobbies, and have some fun! We wish you a great break and we'll see you back on the pitch soon!
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Sporting KC will host and recognize Spring division winners during halftime at the May 31, June 17 and June 24 matches. Sporting has a limited number of teams they can host at each awards night, match dates are first come, first served. See flier above for times and opponent for each match.
Each division winner will be assigned and contacted by a Sporting Kansas City Representative to set up your group's outing. To participate in the halftime recognition you must purchase tickets by speaking directly with the ticket representative at Sporting KC. For more information on tickets contact Lindsey Kleeman at Lindsey.Kleeman@sportingkc.com or
call 913.387.3400 and choose option 1.
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How Exercise May Help You Sleep
Researchers don’t completely understand how physical activity improves sleep.
However, we do know that moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of slow wave sleep you get. Slow wave sleep refers to deep sleep, where the brain and body have a chance to rejuvenate. Exercise can also help to stabilize your mood and decompress the mind, a cognitive process that is important for naturally transitioning to sleep.
The Timing of Exercise May Matter
Some people may find that exercising close to bedtime seems to keep them up at night. How does working out affect the mind?
Aerobic exercise causes the body to release endorphins. These chemicals can create a level of activity in the brain that keeps some people awake. These individuals should exercise at least 1 to 2 hours before going to bed, giving endorphin levels time to wash out and the brain time to wind down.
Exercise also raises your core body temperature. The effect of exercise in some people is like taking a hot shower that wakes you up in the morning. Elevation in core body temperature signals the body clock that it’s time to be awake. After about 30 to 90 minutes, the core body temperature starts to fall. The decline helps to facilitate sleepiness.
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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POSSESSION BREAKOUT
Set up
15 x 12yd pitch for the 5v3 game.
The breakout goals are 20yds from each sideline.
Rules
Two teams of five players and two goalkeepers.
The blue team has five players in the small area. The aim is to keep possession against the three red defenders.
If the blue team complete 5 consecutive passes, they can then break out of the area with two players in order to attack 2v1 on one of the goals. If the blue team score, they can now return to the small area and restart the game.
The three red defenders must try to regain the ball and score in the mini goals, if successful, they now change roles with the blue team in the game.
When the blue team break out 2v1 – if they are not able to score, the roles are also changed between the two teams.
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The Referee Corner: Law 11 - Offside …
FIFA has made additional clarifications in determining if a ball was deliberately played or deflected by a defender in determining an offside violation. As you know, deflections do not negate an offside decision. Let’s look at the new wording for the 2023-24 Laws of the Game:
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately played the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.
Deliberate play (excluding deliberate handball) is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of:
- Passing the ball to a team-mate
- Gaining possession of the ball; or
- Clearing the ball (e.g., by kicking or heading it)
If the pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player deliberately played the ball. The following criteria should be used, as appropriate, an indicator that a player was in control of the ball and, as a result, can be considered to have deliberately played the ball:
- The ball travelled from distance and the player had a clear view of it
- The ball was not moving quickly
- The direction of the ball was not unexpected
- The player had time to coordinate their body movement, i.e., it was not a cost of instinctive stretching or jumping, or a movement that achieved limited contact/control
- A ball moving on the ground is easier to play that a ball in the air
The additional wording clarifies the guidelines for distinguishing between deliberate play and deflection based on the expectation that a player who is clearly in an offside position should not become onside on all occasions when an opponent moves and touches the ball.
Another judgement has been given to the officiating team. We will see how this plays out during the Fall season. The decision is to strengthen the definition of a deliberate play (you cannot be called offside if you receive the ball directly from the defending team unless the play was a deflection). Defenders will continue to play the ball to deny attacks. Referees will now have to determine if the play was deliberate (negating offside) or a deflection.
To learn more about the Laws of the Game, consider becoming a certified Referee. Classes for the 2024 Certification period will begin in the summer. Please check for class availability at the Kansas Referee web page.
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The Referee Blog
The Spring season has concluded. Let’s take a look at the Referee Pool Development Report card, an update …
Another season at Heartland is in the books. From the players’ and fans’ perspective it ended on a high note with the weather being very gracious finally. Heartland continues to be the major league for soccer in Kansas City with over 1,300 teams for in-league play and many more for tournaments.
The league’s success means there is a need for Referees. As you have probably heard, this is a national challenge and Heartland is not immune to the problem. Before Covid, Kansas had 2,200 certified soccer Referees. For 2023 that number declined by almost 10% to 2,000. More soccer matches with fewer certified officials can have severe impacts. In some parts of the U.S. games are being cancelled because of the Referee shortage. This has also happened at Heartland, but only on a limited scale. Your assignors have been able to adjust schedules so that the matches are played, some with Club Assistant Referees. But matches are being played for the most part.
For the 2023 certification year the State Referee Committee scheduled over 50 Entry Level Clinics and certified almost 1,000 first year Referees. This means that we continued to lose certified officials and the pool consists of officials who have limited amounts of experience. As we have shared in many previous articles, experience is the key to improving Referee performance. Your question should be what are we doing to accelerate effective officiating?
There are three efforts in place to try and address the exodus of Referees from the Referee pool:
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Management of the sidelines: When we ask referees why they have elected to NOT recertify, the number one response is the harassment that they get from the sidelines. Referees have a number of reasons for certifying. These reasons include the love of the game, the opportunity to understand the Laws of the Game better so they can be better players, the opportunity to stay connected to the game they love, and getting paid. No one wants to be challenged or yelled at for decisions they make on the field. Heartland invests in Field Marshals to help manage the sidelines. On those rare occassions where the sideline behavior affects the officials and the game, the Field Marshals will intervene and dismiss the people who are doing the unacceptable behavior.
There have been multiple incidents over the Spring season where we have had Referees come back to the Field House in tears because of the actions of fans. In every case the Referee first wants to make sure their decisions and actions were in accordance with the Laws of the Game. Most of the time they are, but this does give the Field Marshals another opportunity to stress what the Laws expect from an official.
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Continuing Referee education: The Kansas State Youth Soccer Association has created a full-time position – Director of Referee Development. This individual holds monthly meetings for Referees at all levels to learn more about how to effectively implement the Laws of the Game. The meetings now draw a full house and are attended by both experienced and newer officials. Game clips are a mainstay of the education, with the goal of getting more consistency in decisions across all the different levels of competition.
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On-field Peer Mentoring: The final tool to affect Referee development is the Mentoring program (again funded by KSYSA). Referee Mentors observe Referee performance and provide feedback on ways the Referees can improve. It is interesting that most of the questions from the mentees relate to specific decisions that need to be made on the pitch. However, the mentoring program focuses on basic skills that will equip the Referees to be in a better position to see what happened so they can make more effective decisions.
The skills areas of the on-field peer mentoring program include:
- Appearance: Do you look like a Referee?
- Hustle: Are you moving with the play so you are in a position to see challenges? The thought process is that officials need to be able both to see and to sell their decisions. Proximity is critical.
- Getting to the goal line: For decisions that need to be made at the goal line (goal, corner kicks, goal kicks) are the Assistant Referees putting themselves in an effective position to make that decision? Our goal line technology is not a Video Assist Referee (VAR). Our goal line technology is the Assistant Referee.
- Staying in position with the second last defender to be able to determine offside infractions: This is not as easy as it sounds. It takes focus and fitness to consistently be in the right position to make offside decisions.
- Restarts and signals: Basic skills that demonstrate an understanding of the Laws of the Game.
Once we have the basic skills addressed we can focus on specific decisions. You can see why experience is a key to developing Referee effectiveness.
We are working to enhance Referee quality.
What you can do is help us build the number of Referees by considering becoming certified. We will be posting new Referee Entry Level Clinics for the Fall season later this summer at the Kansas Referee web site . If you are a player and want to understand the game of soccer better, becoming a Referee can help you. If you are a parent and want to keep the games in Kansas being played in a fair and safe manner, you can help us. You get paid, get exercise and develop your life skills in the process.
Thank you for your help in building the Referee pool so we can all enjoy the game we love here in the State of Kansas. We look forward to serving you in the Fall.
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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
- August 21 (Monday) 7-8:30pm
- September 18 (Monday) 7-8:30pm
- October 16 (Monday) 7-8:30pm
- November 13 (Monday) 7-8:30pm
All meetings will be hosted at the
Field House meeting room, 13700 Switzer Rd, Overland Park KS 66213
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And, if you are interested in becoming a Referee, please check out the Entry Level Clinics they will be posted After July 15 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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Q & A with Taft
When did you start reffing? My mom mentioned that it would be an easy way to make money. Also it would be a good way to help out community so I decided to give it a try.
What made you decide to get certified to referee? I just wanted to help out the little kids and make sure that there were enough refs for there games.
What is your favorite part about reffing? The environment, I like all of the positive people and all the people that support you and help you when you don’t understand something.
What is a life lesson you feel you have learned from reffing? I learned that in life you always need to get to your job early and be accountable.
What level of referee to you aspire to be? I want to just be intermediate referee because I enjoy reffing kids and watching the development of how kids play over time.
Do you participate in any sports/activities? I play football and basketball for blue valley high-school. I am a quarterback and power forward. I also go to church at the church of the resurrection. I volunteer with my grandmother at the Hillcrest thrift store in platte city.
Do you have another job in addition to reffing? Yes, I work at a summer camp called summer at Barstow. I enjoy summer at Barstow because it’s a good way to connect with kids and help influence them and help the do things that they love.
Do you have any hobbies? I like to workout and be active. I also enjoy spending time with friends.
What was the last book you read? The last book I read was “The 100 Yard Journey” by Gary Pinkle
What types of movies do you like? I like comedy movies the last movie I watched was step brothers. My favorite part is when they build bunk beds.
What is your favorite sports team? My favorite sports team is the Kansas City Chiefs
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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
Connelly Plumbing Solutions
Dick's Sporting Goods
Drs. Hawks, Besler, Rogers & Stoppel
GameChanger
Goodcents
Grimaldi's
Hasty Awards
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Hawaiian Bros
HCA Midwest Health
Hy-Vee
KC Current
Kansas City Comets
Krusich Dental
Lean Kitchen
Levine Advertising
McShane & Brady Law
Menorah Medical Center
Molle Automotive Group
Museum at Prairiefire
Nautical Bowls
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Papa John's
Pittcraft Printing
Raising Cane's
Rob Ellerman and
Reece Nichols Real Estate
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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
Tropical Smoothie Cafe
T-riffic Shirts & More
Truity Credit Union
Urban Air
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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