Soccer field renovation celebration Saturday

This Saturday, 9/12/09, marks not just the beginning of the fall season for the YS Recreational Youth Soccer League, but also the grand opening of the completely renovated Morgan soccer fields. Hundreds of local individuals and many organizations worked together over the past five years to accomplish this major field improvement project, so please join us in celebrating and acknowledging the work of those involved at 10:00 am, Saturday 9/12/09, behind the Morgan Building.

Five years ago, when Sarah Wallis was helping coach the girls’ high school soccer team, the holes in the turf of the girls’ practice field were leading to injuries among her players and she decided to do something about it. With a little help from her friends, Bob Curley, Karen Crist, Emily Fine, Jocelyn Hardman, Bill Hardman, and Lauren Miller, the Board of Trustees for the local nonprofit youth soccer organization, YS Soccer, Inc. (YSSI), was created. The YS Community Foundation supported the new group in obtaining federal 501(c)3 status, and Lee and Vicki Morgan agreed to a $20,000 leadership grant toward the field improvement project. The YS Community Foundation donated $15,000, YS Schools contributed $1,000 and full access to the land, which they own and generously allow the community to use for the Recreational Youth Soccer League each year. Finally, many individual donors have contributed each year, as well as to the Saul Young Memorial Fund, which totaled nearly $10,000.

The beautiful work on the field grading, seeding, and improved drainage was completed by Mercer Group, Inc., which specializes in athletic field installation. The Yellow Springs Tree Committee and Roger Beal have also generously contributed time, landscape planning, and plantings, which will continue to be filled in over the years to help protect the fields with a natural green border. Furthermore, each year many local residents contribute hours of their time as coaches, referees, parent coordinators, and players, and those numbers grow every year. According to the last census and YSSI participation counts, more than one third of all local children participated in youth soccer, and the numbers have grown every year for the last five years. Although the Recreational Youth Soccer program is not free to provide, individual donations and YS Community Foundation support allow us to continue to keep the program free and open to all.

So, thank you, Yellow Springs! The Morgan soccer field improvement project is just another example of what a whole community working together can achieve. We ask only that you respect the community investment by no longer parking on the new fields, as we used to do in the past. Please use the high school parking lot for overflow parking during Recreational League games and practices. We look forward to seeing you Saturday morning to celebrate the beautiful game – and another YS success in thinking globally and acting locally. ¡Olé!

Jocelyn Hardman, Secretary
Yellow Springs Soccer, Inc.