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. 

Futsal League registration is now open for the

2023/24 season!

Futsal is recognized as the best option for player development. It is especially great for improving speed of play, technical skills, decision-making and fitness.

This Month in History:

September

13 September 2006 - Footballers Of The World, Unite!

On 13 September 2006, Arsenal defeated Hamburg 1-2 in their opening UEFA Champions League group stage match before a crowd of 51,258 at Arena Hamburg. The match was notable for the fact that, for a 42-minute period, the Arsenal side was comprised of 11 different nationalities.

Arsenal's starting eleven included ten different nationalities. The only duplicate was the Ivory Coast, due to the presence of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboué in defense. Toure suffered a thigh injury, however, and was replaced by Justin Hoyte in the 28th minute. At that point, the Gunners on the pitch were Jens Lehmann (Germany), Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast), Johann Djourou (Switzerland), Justin Hoyte (England), William Gallas (France), Tomáš Rosický (Czech Republic), Gilberto Silva (Brazil), Cesc Fàbregas (Spain), Alexander Hleb (Belarus), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), and Robin van Persie (Netherlands). That combination lasted until the 69th minute, when van Persie was substituted in favor of a second Brazilian, striker Julio Baptista.

The match itself was never in doubt, as Hamburg keeper Sascha Kirschstein was sent off in the 10th minute for tripping van Persie. Gilberto converted the ensuing spot kick and Rosický added a second goal in the 53rd minute. Hamburg's Boubacar Sanogo pulled one back in the 90th minute, but it was too late for the undermanned side to complete a comeback and the match ended 1-2 in Arsenal's favor.

As if eleven nationalities weren't enough, Arsenal had two more nations represented on the bench with Sweden's Freddie Ljungberg and Cameroon's Alex Song.

This article was taken from https://tdifh.blogspot.com/2009/09/13-september-2006-footballers-of-world.html 

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 '23 - 61

Fall Kick Off Challenge '23 - 215

Heartland Midwest Classic '23 - 140

Midwest All Boys '23- 253

Midwest All Girls '23 - 316

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.

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 

2022-2023 Heartland Numbers

 Spring league teams '23 1,380

Fall league teams '22- 1,322

League players - 42,000

Tournament teams - 3,011

Tournament players - 46,000+

Referees - 2,000+

Coaches - 4,000

Kicking Off the Fall Season with Soccer!

As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisper, there's so much excitement in the air. Fall has arrived, and with it comes the kick off of soccer season! One of the greatest aspects of fall soccer, is the backdrop that Mother Natures provides. Enjoy the vibrant colors around you as we begin this new season. And remember, fall soccer isn’t just about the game; its about teamwork and collaboration. Teams comes together, both on and off the field to create memories that last a lifetime. So, as we embrace the arrival of fall, let’s also embrace the beauty that surrounds the fields and our teammates, coaches and fans!

Tips for Fall Allergy Relief For Kids



Stay Indoors 

Ragweed pollen and dust are two big factors in Fall allergies. Make sure to try and avoid allergens when you can. Stay indoors around mid-morning, that is when pollen peaks, and even on really windy days. 

Buy A Dehumidifier

Consider buying a dehumidifier, if your child is sensitive to dust or mold. This will help eliminate it and allow your child to breathe easier while they are in the home. 

Wash Hands 

Make sure your kids are washing their hands frequently. Pollen and even germs get stuck on the hands and can make their allergies flare. Teach them to properly wash their hands throughout the day to minimize exposure, plus it is great for all the germs that are floating around.

Steam From A Warm Shower 

If your child is old enough let them take a nice warm shower. Or even stand in the bathroom with the hot water running in the shower to create steam, it can be soothing for allergy sufferers. 

Saline Rinse 

They make saline rinses for adults and special ones for kids. You can try giving this a go to see if it helps relieve any pressure from your child’s allergies. 

Bathe Before Bed 

Have your child bathe before bed, to be nice and clean before they hit the sheets. This will help remove some of the allergens that may have been collected on their clothes, hair, and body throughout the day.

Air Purifier

You can buy air purifiers and place in your child’s room or even in the main living room area of your home. This is a great way to reduce allergies in the home, that might come in off you or your pets and even air vents. 

Warm or Cool Compress 

Depending on your child try a warm or cool compress on their cheeks or even forehead. It can offer some relief from the pressure and itchy eyes. You can do a cold compress to lay over the eyes when they are puffy and itchy. Use a warm to place under your eyes on cheeks, to help release some pressure.

Dust Mite Covers 

Washing bedding helps, but using dust mite covers for your pillows and mattress will help block allergens from sticking to the surface of your bed! 

Seek A Doctor 

When all else fails and your child is still suffering, seek medical advice. They may need to be put on a medicine to help eliminate their symptoms.

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 

Wide or Central Attack

Set up

60 x 40yd area. The middle area is 30yds by 40yds. The end zones are reduced by 5yds on each side.

Rules

Two teams of seven players and two goalkeepers

The teams are given a formation of 4-1-2 and play inside the central area of the pitch.

The teams can score in two ways:

Passing into the wide “target” goals = 1 point

Breaking through the center of the pitch to go 1v1 against the opponent’s goalkeeper = 2 points.

This scoring system encourages the teams to continually change the side of attack to create chances to score in the wide goals. Using this tactic effectively will create gaps in the middle of the opponent’s team and allow for the team to attack in the central goal to score against the goalkeeper.



When a player goes through with the goalkeeper 1v1, they have three touches to score. This enables the player to shoot or go around the goalkeeper. It also keeps the game realistic.

Place your Referee Kit Order Here Use Password HEARTLAND

 The Referee Corner: 



Goalkeepers and handling. A specific situation from the IFAB Laws of the Game application…  

Question:  Under pressure from an attacking team player, a defender deliberately kicks the ball to the goalkeeper.  However, because the ball will go into the goal, the goalkeeper handles the ball inside the goal area to prevent a goal.  What is the Referee’s decision?

Answer:  An Indirect Free Kick (IFK) is awarded to the attacking team which is taken from the nearest point on the goal area line  which runs parallel to the goal line.  In this case, there is no disciplinary sanction because the goalkeeper cannot be sent off (red card) for a handball offense in their own Penalty Area.

This decision comes from Law 12.2, Indirect Free Kicks.  The Law states that an Indirect Free Kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their Penalty Area, commits any of the following offenses:

• Controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it
• Touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another player (please note:  the goalkeeper is allowed to bounce the ball).
• Touches the ball with the hand/arm, unless the goalkeeper has clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball to release it into play, after:
• It has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate
• Receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
• A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with the hand(s) when:
• The ball is between the hands or between the hand and any surface (e.g., ground, own body) or by touching it with any part of the hands or arms, except if the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper or the goalkeeper has made a save.
• holding the ball in the outstretched open hand
• bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air.
• A goalkeeper cannot be challenged by an opponent when in control of the ball with the hand(s).

This was the subject of last month’s article also.  By sharing a specific situation my hope is that the Law makes more sense to you.  As we said last month, goalkeeper handling in the Penalty Area is always an Indirect Free Kick.

I want to give credit to the Missouri State High School Athletic Association for the following quote on OFFICIATING… This is the way Referees should approach the match and the way we should respond to their decisions:

“As an official you are neither inside the contest, as the players are, not outside it among the fans, but that the contest passes through you, like rainwater through a filer, and that you job is to influence it for the better, to strain out the impurities, to make it cleaner, fairer and more transparent without impeding it, corrupting it, changing its course or making it taste funny.”

To learn more about the Laws of the Game and how to become a certified Referee go the Kansas Referee Website . Entry Level Clinics for the Fall season are posted on our new Officials Management System software.  We hope to see you in class and help you lead the way in the correct application of the Laws of the Game for Heartland Soccer.

The Referee Blog

It’s Fall and soccer has arrived at Heartland….



The wait is finally over. Tournaments and League games have started. Now is the time for the players to show what they can do against the competition. Now is the time for you, the fans, to cheer the efforts and successes of the players and to rekindle rivalries. The game that we all love will fill our schedules until the winter holidays. With a record number of teams and players are you ready for some soccer!!!!



If your team played on Friday evening/night for either league or at the Fall Kick off tournament, you experienced almost “perfect” weather to start the season. It didn’t last for very long. A record heat wave forced the games to be shortened on Saturday and Sunday with mandatory water breaks. In fact, it was so hot that the Sunday afternoon matches were cancelled (for the safety of the players and the fans and the Referees). Soccer in Kansas can be like that – perfect one day and miserable the next. We know there will be more good days ahead. In a couple of months we will be talking about the cold and will forget about the heat of this past weekend. In fact, we will get back to talking about the plays and the decisions that determined the outcome of specific matches. We will be remembering the games, which is the reason we registered with Heartland in the first place. 

Once again you saw that many of the Referees assigned to your matches were young teenagers. Fall has always been a hard time for scheduling officials to soccer matches. High school and College soccer start, and these matches will draw the more experienced officials. The Adult leagues are finishing their seasons with their playoff matches again taking some of the more experienced officials. Heartland was able to staff these early weekend matches with certified officials because of the efforts of the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association and the State Referee Committee in recruiting and developing new Referees. We started Entry Level Clinics in early August, and by the end of the month we expect almost 170 new Referees will be joining the Kansas Referee pool. Your role is to help these new officials to come back next week so they can gain the experience to become even more effective at officiating your team’s matches as the season progresses. Remember that the primary reason Referees don’t come back (according to the Referees) is when the conduct of the sidelines becomes too much for them to put up with. You can be passionate, but also remember to stay reasonable. For this we thank you in advance.

So, what did we see from the August matches?



Referee appearance: For the most part your Referees look the part. They are wearing the correct uniform, have their shirts tucked in and their socks pulled up. They are showing that they are prepared to do the job of match officials for your games.  

Hustle: When we observe the officials, we are interested in the Assistant Referees staying with the second to the last defender or the ball so they can correctly identify and call for offside violations. As the players get older and faster this becomes an even greater challenge for the officials. During the first two weeks of the season, I have seen a lot of effort being expended by the Assistant Referees to keep up with the attacking play. And, they have correctly identified offside infractions (position of the attacker at the time when the ball is last played by a teammate and active involvement). The Referees recognized the flags going up and the whistles were blown to signify the infraction.

Fouls: Our Entry Level Clinics focus on Law 12, Fouls and Misconduct, because this is a critical aspect of soccer officiating. We know that soccer is a contact sport. Not all contact is a foul, but when the contact is a foul, we all want to hear the whistle. Player safety depends on managing unfair and/or illegal contact. Sometimes the contact is careless, and the restart is the free kick. Other times the contact is more than careless (reckless, for example) and requires a caution to be issued. In August we have seen fouls and cautions. The players are ready and so are the Referees.

Restarts: How should the game be restarted after the Referee blows his/her whistle? Is the restart a Direct Free Kick or a Penalty Kick? Should the restart be an Indirect Free Kick or a dropped ball? How do you set up the wall on a free kick? These are the decisions that the Referees must make and so far, they have been right many more times than they have been wrong.  

Let’s see how you do with a match situation. 

The attacking team takes a shot on goal. The shot is saved by the goalkeeper who then punts the ball forward. The Assistant Referee raises her flag and waves it back and forth. The Referee who was focused on the play down the field doesn’t see the flag up behind his back. The parents who are standing by the Assistant Referee start to yell, “look at your Assistant! Her flag is up!”. The Referee then blows the whistle. What should their thought process be in determining what happened and how to correctly restart play? Remember, when the Referee blows the whistle, the ball is out of play.

We use this example because it will help you become more knowledgeable in understanding the Laws of the Game. Let’s examine the steps in processing the information:

• The Assistant Referee raised her flag. This means that she has information for the Referee.  
• The Assistant Referee is waving the flag. Does this mean more than just information to share? It does. Waving the flag indicates that the Assistant Referee has seen a foul.
• The goalkeeper punted the ball. There was no contact. What could the foul possibly be?
• The best way to confirm is to talk to the Assistant Referee.
• The Assistant Referee informed the Referee that the goalkeeper had the ball in his hands and left the Penalty Area.
• Is this a foul?
• The Law states that when the goalkeeper leaves the Penalty Area, they become just like any other field player.  
• Can field players use their hands? The answer is NO. 
• This is a foul and the foul in handling.
• What is the correct restart?
• Is handling a Direct Free Kick offense or an Indirect Free Kick?
• Since the violator was the goalkeeper, does this make a difference?
• 
  

What did you come up with as the correct restart? Is the defense allowed to set up a wall? How would you manage the restart?

The demand for good Referees is high. The rewards for making correct decisions are great. We would welcome seeing you in a Referee class to get certified so that you can make the correct restart decisions at Heartland. Become a part of the solution. Click here and sign up for a Referee clinic.

Q & A with Gavin



When did you start reffing? My first season refereeing soccer was in the fall of 2019 when I was in 7th grade.

What made you decide to get certified to referee? My grandpa refereed high school football for many years and he loved it! After seeing how much he enjoyed getting involved with a sport he was passionate about, I decided to do the same with soccer.

What is your favorite part about reffing? My favorite part about refereeing is getting more involved with soccer. It is an added bonus that I get paid while doing something I enjoy.

What is a life lesson you feel you have learned from reffing? I have learned how to be more confident and to stand up for myself when parents are yelling at me.

What level of referee to you aspire to be? I aspire to be a referee in the 2026 World Cup! 

Do you play soccer? I don’t currently play soccer, but I played for Sporting Blue Valley from age 4 to 14.

How long have you played soccer? Since I was 3 so for 13 years.

Do you participate in any sports/activities? At Blue Valley North, I participate in Model UN, FBLA, Forensics, and Debate, which is my favorite. I really enjoy going to competitions and I learn a lot of life skills through Debate.

Do you have another job in addition to reffing? This summer, I worked at Crazy Joe’s Fireworks. It was a blast!

Do you have hobbies? I like to travel with my family, play basketball, and watch sports like football, baseball, and basketball.

What was the last book you read? While not a book in the traditional sense, I recommend reading the “Laws of the Game.” It’s a real page-turner!  

What types of movies do you like? I really enjoy comedy movies and my favorite movie is “Step Brothers.” I liked the movie because I can relate to the struggles of having an annoying brother.

What's your favorite sports team? My favorite sports team is the Kansas City Chiefs.