As I’d mentioned in my last update, this event was originally scheduled for tomorrow and was planned to be in person at the Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex. Again, out of respect for Governor Whitmer’s request we have decided to hold this event Thursday, virtually.

This event is intended for you, the Parent (and Coaches), to provide you an opportunity to meet in person and to ask any questions you’d like. There’s only so much you can do via email, websites, blah blah, blah, it just never replaces that ‘In-Person’ element. Please join us in the following:

U4 and U14 Division: Meet Your League Night

Thursday, April 15 · 6:00 – 6:30pm

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/xyo-ruwc-cqu

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 929-249-4792 PIN: ‪643 203 544#

U6 Division: Meet Your League Night

Thursday, April 15 · 6:30 – 7:00pm

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/mqw-zggz-yvj

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 785-251-8906 PIN: ‪736 886 649#

U8 Division: Meet Your League Night

Thursday, April 15 · 7:00 – 7:30pm

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rvu-qbjh-mko

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 443-671-4726 PIN: ‪939 351 181#

U10 and U12 Division: Meet Your League Night

Thursday, April 15 · 7:30 – 8:00pm

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/gga-vcbr-uoo

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 240-514-8491 PIN: ‪156 292 050#

Seating (or spots available to join) is limited and we expect to have several in attendance. First come, first serve. So, join early if you can. We will have 30 minutes for each and will begin promptly on the hour and half hour.

Please if you have any questions prior, shoot me an email at president@lakshoreyouthsoccer.com and I’d be happy to answer.

Jefferson

PS: Coach Equipment will be delivered April 17^th. Teams for U8, U10, and U12 will be created and communicated to you April 18^th. Your Coach will contact you soon after.

In response to Governor Whitmer’s latest Press Conference, April 9^th, MSYSA and SWM have been making adjustments to ensure compliance with her requests. (For reference, feel free to watch the Governor’s COVID-19 Update by clicking HERE.)

Our goal is to provide you the best youth recreational soccer experience possible, and this includes a safe and compliant one. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, and out of respect for Governor Whitmer, we have adjusted our approach to this event to be conducted virtually, Thursday April 15^th.

Prior to Thursday, we will send (and publish) you a link to attend the virtual event to allow for you to meet your Coaches and SWM Rec Leaders. The agenda for April 15^th is as follows:

U4 and U14 Divisions                                            6PM                 to         630PM

U6 Divisions (Girls and Boys)                                630PM             to         7PM

U8 Divisions (Girls and Boys)                                7PM                 to         730PM

U10 and U12 Divisions (Girls and Boys)               730PM             to         8PM

During this time, we will cover the following items:

1. Introduction to Board Members
2. Safety, COVID Considerations
3. Schedules, Teams, Game Format
4. Parking, Lincoln Charter Update
5. Question and Answer

Given the environment we are operating in, flexibility and patience is required. Thankfully, this event was planned with a backup option to allow for this to happen.

I promise, we are doing all we can to ensure you have an enjoyable, organized experience. Please if you have any questions, thoughts, suggestions, etc. reach out to me anytime at president@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com.

Jefferson

PS: SWM Rec Player Cup Week will continue as planned, no changes for this event.

Hello SWM Rec,

First, thank you for allowing your child to play soccer in SWM Rec this season. We look forward to meeting all of you. We are extremely excited about this upcoming spring season! Second, our focus for this season will be to ensure your kiddo develops a love for soccer and is able to take with them valuable learning experiences applicable to every aspect of their lives.

For this season, and beyond, we kindly request that each participant be respectful of their teammates, opponents, officials, etc. It is our desire that each participant practice good sportsmanship and teamwork for everyone’s enjoyment. Please re-enforce with your kiddo.

Now for the moment each has been eagerly awaiting –> Team Formation and Coach Assignments. Teams have been formed for the Coed U4, U6 Girls, U6 Boys, and Coed U14 divisions. These teams are subject to change as we have had several Coaches come forward to lead, since our latest communication from SWM SC President Gil Urban. Naturally, with our new Coach additions, we respect our new Coach requests and adjust the team rosters accordingly. These changes will occur in the short-term but will settle firmly before April 10^th, if not sooner. Now, to unwrap the surprise of your Team Roster, please login to your SWM Rec Soccer by clicking HERE.

In the event you do not have an opportunity to check prior to our ‘Meet Your League Night’ hosted by Beth Staley, April 13^th, we will have the list available. As for the divisions for U8 Girls, U8 Boys, U10 Girls, and U8 Boys, and Coed U12, these will be formed at the conclusion of SWM Rec Player Cup Week.

We cannot wait to kick things off!

Brittany Dunham

Vice President of SWM Rec Soccer

VP@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

LAKESHORE LEGEND; MDOT ENGINEER APPOINTED TO COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Stevensville – Jarret Burgess has been appointed to the Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex Development Committee as an Advisor. He will work with Committee Chair Jay Meeth, Committee Members Gil Urban and Jefferson Clark to ensure the capital improvement projects take into account our soccer community’s best interests and he will add his expertise in the area of civil engineering.

For those of you who do not know Coach Burgess, he is a graduate of Buchanan High School, where he lettered in Football and Baseball. He earned his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Tri-State University now known as Trine University.

After graduating from college, he accepted a position with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in 2002 as a Design Engineer. He is currently employed by MDOT, and has worked in design, utilities, and permits. He oversees multiple bridge and road construction projects every year in SW Michigan.

He has coached varsity football for 19 years, 15 of which have been for Lakeshore. He has also coached high school track for about 17 years. He is a current Lakeshore Rocket Football Board Member and youth football coach and has been involved with the program for about 2 years.

Burgess has been involved in the Lakeshore community since 2004 and has lived here since 2016. His wife is Nicole Burgess, and they have 2 sons, Tyler (9) and Nathan (6). Both are active registrants of SWM Rec. His family loves Lincoln Charter and Lakeshore Schools and is deeply appreciative of what each provide to our community.

I know the Burgess family through my association with Lakeshore Youth Sports and jumped at the opportunity to add him to our team. I coached his son Tyler in t-ball, coach with him in Lakeshore Rocket Football, and will work alongside him in both Lakeshore Rocket Football and now SWM Rec Soccer. Couldn’t be more pleased to have him on our team.

When you see them, please tell them thank you for their time and service. Welcome to the team, Coach!

Jefferson

president@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

Meet Your Coach, Teammates, and Board Members Night Hosted by SWM Rec’s Beth Staley

It’s time to lace up the shoes and welcome everyone back!

With much awaited anticipation and excitement, we eagerly invite you to join us at:

Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex

6343 Cleveland Ave.

Stevensville, MI 49127

Tuesday, April 13^th

6pm for Age Groups U4, U6, and U14/15

(Team Assignments and Coaches will be finalized and Communicated March 28^th)

7pm for Age Groups U8, U10, and U12

(Rosters will be finalized the day following SWM Rec Player Cup Week April 18^th)

We will discuss the season and give you the opportunity to ask questions and know what to expect from our program. You will also find which field your soccer player will be participating on. For the safety of everyone, we kindly ask that attendees wear a mask and only the registrant’s parent, guardian be in attendance.

It’s going to be a great season with the sights and sounds of our children participating in soccer again. For coach related questions please reach out to Jefferson at President@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com or Douglas DeCamp at Douglas@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com, they would be happy to assist you.

See you at the field!

Beth Staley

Director of Parental Experience

Beth@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

If you ever thought, I could coach, you are 100% correct, you can. Now here is another secret, it is extremely fun and rewarding. If this is something you have been considering and just did not know how to go about doing, let me help you.

Here is what you need to do, and how to coach.

• Must have the desire to be a mentor, and help kids have fun.
• Sign up – it is as easy as sending me an email.
• Complete three online training sessions, within 45 days; two are for safety and the other is a how to.
• Show up with a positive attitude to every practice and every game.
  • Everybody understands there are times when life happens. When life happens to you, call me, and let me know.
• Understand your goal as a coach is to do three things.
  • It is about continual improvement
  • It is about fun
  • Focus on the process of improvement, not the outcomes of the competition.

Douglas DeCamp

Director of Coaching Development

Ddecamp01@hotmail.com

734.807.1221

Sean James

Director of Player Development

seanjames1320@gmail.com

JeffersonPresident@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

SWM Rec Player Cup Week

We hope all of you are as excited as we are to host this Spring 2021 Season! What better to way to kick things off than to have SWM Rec Player Cup Week. Those of you who were a part of our soccer league in the past are going to see a bit of a different format this season. Our goal is to provide the best recreational soccer experience possible.

In the past, there were significant differences in ability between teams which did not provide the children with a positive experience. To avoid this, SWM Rec is making positive improvements, starting with a mini camp (called Player Cup Week) for age divisions U8 through U12.

This will allow SWM Rec to build the most balanced teams possible. Not only will it give us the opportunity to create a positive experience for you, but it will also provide your child with the experience they require to have fun.

SWM Rec Player Cup Week will take place on April 17^th at the Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex. Please click HERE for a tentative schedule for the day AND HERE for the season. This is an excellent event for our league, and it will be an upgrade from the past. We want to make sure you and your kiddos enjoy the experience.

Please if anyone has any questions feel free to reach out to me at seanjames1320@gmail.com and we will answer those for you. We look forward to this season and look forward to seeing kids out on the fields again and enjoying soccer again in SWM Rec.

Sean James   

Director of Player Development 

seanjames1320@gmail.com                                                                                                             

Douglas DeCamp

Director of Coaching Development

Ddecamp01@hotmail.com                           

Jefferson

President@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

PS: Watch your inbox for more information regarding the Player Cup Week.

HOLY SOCCER BALLS AND SHIN GUARDS BATMAN!!!

Hello SWM Rec, our spring season activity is ramping up and we are looking forward to having all of you. The initial field measurement and outline was a success thanks to Varsity Coach Samuel, the Lakeshore Soccer Boosters, and a few SWM Rec and SWM Kickers volunteers. Great job!

The final step in the field setup will be completed by Coach Samuel and the Lakeshore Soccer Boosters on March 20, 2021. Volunteer help is needed for lining every week so please sign up to complete your volunteer obligation if you haven’t. A healthy, vibrant, and effective volunteer workforce is required for our viability as a league.

Our partnership with SWM has reduced our volunteer requirements for overall field lining, therefore our share of the load is focused on the U6-U10 fields, March 20^th through June 6^th.

Please check the sign up sheet for dates and times. The SWM Director of Field & Facilities, Jason Neidlinger, will lead most field linings. You will meet him at the Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex shed.

Jason will guide you in how to line the fields and answer any questions you have.  For those not familiar with the Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex, you will meet Jason at the blue shed (I think it’s blue) located near the parking lot off of Rocky Weed, East of the soccer fields.  

If you are not able to do field lining, we have 3 other volunteer opportunities: Picture Day, Gameday Photography, and Our Player Clinic.  The information for each volunteer opportunity is located on the sign-up sheet.  

Picture Day, Player Clinic, and Gameday Photographer Sign-Up Sheet

Field Lining Sign-Up Sheet

We kindly ask that all volunteers have their selections made no later than Friday, March 19. Starting Saturday, March 20, we will fill the spots that are empty with volunteers that did not sign up. 

It is your responsibility to show and help during the time you are scheduled. Please don’t let SWM Rec down by not showing up. Attendance is required and attendance will be taken. 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions. We are very thankful to all of you. Youth sport organizations depend on volunteers to run successfully.  Without volunteers youth sport leagues would cease to exist.

Jefferson

president@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

PS: Please check our website to stay abreast of current events by clicking HERE. Please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator Kristi Rumsey at kristirumsey@gmail.com with any volunteer specific questions you may have.

Board Elects Former Mayor; President to Leadership Team

Stevensville – SWM Rec has elected Beth Staley to its leadership team and thankfully she has accepted. She will lead the organization in the area of Parental Experience. Our goal with her position is to help improve the experience with our league from the perspective of the parent. We all know the league is for our kiddos, however, our Parents are a BIG BIG part of the experience.

Staley will focus on those things that our league can do better to ensure our parental experience is the best possible. Prior to joining our leadership team, Staley served as a Mayor in California, President of Child and Youth Services, VP of Youth Sports and Activities, and several other community leadership positions.

I am fortunate to know Ms. Beth through my involvement with Lakeshore Rocket Football. Her son Blake, and husband Mike were both a part of the team I coached. Mike Staley was an assistant coach of mine and is slated to be head coach for our league. Mike Staley is a Veteran of the United States Army, and I am very grateful and appreciative for the service he and his family provided to our country. Please give them a warm welcome and thank them for their service to our league. Much much appreciation from SWM Rec to the Staley’s.

You could not ask for a better family to be a part of our league. Grateful to have them and their time. The Staley family is testament to the leadership team we have built for SWM Rec. Staley’s election and acceptance rounds out the final leadership team post. Going forward we will work to focus on executing a solid spring Season for all of you.

Today is the last day for registration, unfortunately. Please, if you haven’t register with us, do so by clicking HERE. We’d love to have you. Coach, League, and Volunteer communication soon to follow for those involved. Please do not hesitate in reaching out to me if you have any questions.

Jefferson

president@lakeshoreyouthsoccer.com

PS: See tentative Spring Calendar HERE. As registration comes to a close, we’ll update this with detail highlighting events and schedules.

Irrigation; Auxiliary Parking Lot Approved by Lincoln Charter Township Leadership

I love you Lakeshore and let me give you an example why; our Community Leaders have seen the interest you have in soccer and have approved, Tuesday, capital improvement work on our Youth Soccer Complex to make YOUR soccer experience an enjoyable one.

This approval includes work to improve field irrigation and drainage along with an additional new, auxiliary parking lot to the north of the soccer fields, off of Cleveland Avenue. We met yesterday morning at the Lakeshore Youth Soccer Complex to discuss plans for the approved work. Exciting stuff!

As I stated in my prior communication, when there is a need, our people deliver. A sincere and special thanks to the following for making this happen:

Dick Stauffer, Terrie Smith, Stacy Loar-Porter, Marc Florian, Deb Peterson, Rick Stone, Kevin Gillette, Dave Austin, Gil Urban, and Jay Meeth

Like I said, you were heard very LOUD. And very CLEAR. Soccer belongs in Lincoln Charter Township and our community’s leaders, resoundingly, agree.

Love y’all.

Jefferson

PS: Registration closes March 15^th. Register HERE. For a tentative schedule for this Spring Season, click HERE.

Also, as I’d mentioned earlier, we are proud supporters of all local Lakeshore Youth Sports. This includes the fine programs they have at The Garden Ice Arena of which we (Me, Emma, Levi, and WillieHank) are a part. Spring programming is now open, check them out by clicking HERE.