SYA TRAVEL SOCCER and U8 ACADEMY 

COVID 19 Update, May 1, 2020

 

An email was sent today to all SYA Travel Soccer and U8 Academy parents with an update. Please check with your Manager if you didnt get the email. 

 

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SYA TRAVEL SOCCER and U8 ACADEMY 

COVID 19 Update, April 15, 2020

 

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and that you are still finding effective ways to get through this difficult time.

 

All of you should have seen the CCL official league statement and update that was sent to you via TeamSnap on April 10, 2020.  There is a fair degree of promise as the league looks for ways to resume soccer play in late Spring and Summer that would positively impact our membership.

As efforts are being made to develop fall back plans in cooperation with CCL as well as with our SYA Board of Directors, foremost in our attention is the need to make good decisions for our families while considering the challenges of preserving the future health of the club.

 

SYA has continued to post on our website and social media platforms, updates concerning this unprecedented time.  In cooperation with our SYA Board of Directors, your Soccer Board is continuously working to consider all possibilities.

 

Your Technical staff and Soccer Board of Directors have been busy putting together a plan to credit lost Spring 2020 activity towards your 2020-2021 registration fees.  Refunds for some eligible players will also be offered, as well as the ability for all families to select an option to donate back to the club.  

This plan will be made available to all of you in the coming days.  We are also working to determine when the fall registration process can be opened. Some of this coordination is also being done with the neighboring clubs, who are obviously facing similar challenges caused by the pandemic.  

 

We appreciate your continued patience as we work through this, and please stay safe.

 

Michael Baptiste

Commissioner

SYA Soccer

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CCL - OFFICIAL LEAGUE STATEMENT - COVID-19 - APRIL 10, 2020 

 

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COVID 19 - CORONAVIRUS UPDATE APRIL 1, 2020

TRAVEL AND U8 ACADEMY SOCCER UPDATE

 

With new information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) arriving each day, SYA continues to work closely with the State Associations, US Soccer, Club Champions League and local government authorities to guide decisions on club programming for this soccer season. As we’ve all come to learn, the situation is fluid and subject to change at any time.

 

Just two weeks ago Virginia closed schools until June 12, and just this week the Governor of Virginia issued a “stay-at-home” Executive Order that could last through June 10. These steps are in the best interest of the health and safety of our players, families, and communities.

 

This means that all league play is suspended until June 10, although this could change if circumstances improve.

 

The overwhelming consensus is to monitor governmental guidance and model scenarios for a return to game play when it is safe to do so. With all the things that are in flux, the soccer Board of Directors believe that we should delay a final call on the path forward for the Spring 2020 travel soccer season.

 

We have chosen April 15 as a target date for final decision.  We believe that by that date, we will have a clearer picture on whether a modified season can be restarted, or if it is in fact canceled.  At that time, we expect to be able to better inform families enrolled in SYA travel soccer on refund options, if that becomes our chosen path.  Our goal is to arrive at a decision that we can stick by, especially if we are to choose the arduous and consequential step of ending the season

Rest assured, SYA is making a commitment to your son or daughter, they will have a place to play at SYA once soccer activities resume.

 

SYA’s staff and players have always been strong and resilient in the face of adversity. While COVID-19 represents a unique challenge in the club’s history, over the past week, SYA Executive Board, technical Staff and Coaching Staff have worked tirelessly to learn new technology, share ideas and best practices, and ultimately come together to support a new initiative designed to address the issues outlined above while keeping our players engaged with their teammates and the sport they love.

 

Coaches have long understood that one of the most important character traits developed through sports participation is “grit,” defined as “firmness of mind or spirit, or unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.” Grit allows a person to maintain the discipline and optimism to persevere in their goals even in the face of discomfort and rejection. Today’s mounting research on grit suggests that a child’s ability to work hard, endure struggle, fail, and try again may be the key to determining his or her long-term success and happiness. The SYA Staff understands that a virtual soccer program will require a unique type of dedication and commitment from players, parents, and coaches. As an exercise of collective, community grit we can all learn to reach for excellence in the face of adversity.

 

On a personal note, I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and calm in these troubling times, and that we remain mindful of the most essential things in life, the well-being of family, friends, and loved ones.

 

Sincerely

Mike Baptiste

SYA Soccer Commissioner

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COVID 19 - CORONAVIRUS UPDATE MARCH 31, 2020

SOUTHWESTERN YOUTH ASSOCIATION, INC (SYA)

5950 Centreville Crest Ln

PO Box 471

Centreville VA 20122

703 815-3362

SPRING2020@SYASPORTS.ORG

www.syasports.org

 

SYA Spring 2020 Refund Policy (Recreation Soccer)

 

In this difficult time, we would like to thank the membership for their patience as your Board of Directors deliberated on what to do with SYA’s spring athletic programs. We understand that many of our families are hurting and we want to be here to support and assist you both now, and in the years to come. Initially, in the interest of all our participants and their family’s health and well-being, we postponed all spring 2020 programs. As things progressed and change was occurring daily, your volunteer Board of Directors and staff have continually met to determine if we would be able to provide our participants with a meaningful program.   On March 30^th, Governor Northam issued a statewide Stay at Home order to protect the health and safety of Virginians and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. The executive order will remain in place until June 10, 2020, unless amended or rescinded by a further executive order.  This effectively eliminates the possibility of continuing our spring season.

 

We hope you understand that our organization has incurred and continues to incur costs even if facilities and field/gym use restrictions prevent us from putting on those programs. These are unprecedented times, and we want to be fair to our members while at the same time being sound fiscal stewards of the club as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity and a long-term community resource.

 

After careful and extended discussion among the Board of Directors, we are providing all families who have registered for SYA spring sports with the following three options:

 

1. As many of our member families have already done, you may elect to donate all or a portion of your spring sports registration to the organization.  As with any of our donations made to SYA, you will be provided with documentation of your donation suitable for tax reporting purposes as your local laws allow.  To DONATE your Spring 2020 registration, please send an email to SPRING2020@SYASPORTS.ORG by May 1, 2020. Please put the word DONATE in the subject line.
    
2. You may elect to have your Spring 2020 registration, less a $30 administrative fee, applied to any Summer, Fall or Winter 2020 or Spring 2021 sports activity.  A credit will be reflected on your household account.  To TRANSFER your Spring 2020 registration fee (minus $30) to another season, please send an email to SPRING2020@SYASPORTS.ORG by May 1, 2020. Please put the word TRANSFER in the subject line. 
    
3. You may elect to receive a refund, less a $60 administrative fee, of your Spring 2020 registration fee.  SYA has incurred general and administrative costs, as well as sport specific costs that simply cannot be recovered.  This make the possibility of a full refund impossible.  To request a refund (minus $60) of your Spring 2020 registration fee, please send an email to SPRING2020@SYASPORTS.ORG by May 1, 2020.  Please put the word REFUND in the subject line. 

 

IN THE EVENT THAT SYA DOES NOT RECEIVE AN ELECTION FROM YOU ON OR BEFORE MAY 1, 2020, YOUR SPRING 2020 REGISTRATION FEE WILL BE TREATED AS A DONATION AND WE THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US.

 

NO REQUESTS WILL BE TAKEN OVER THE PHONE

 

If you have previously requested a refund, we ask that you resubmit your request in an email to SPRING2020@SYAPORTS.ORG. If you do not have access to email, requests may be mailed to SYA, P.O. Box 471, Centreville, VA 20122. Admin fees will be charged for each registration.  Refunds may take up 3-4 weeks to process but we will get them out as soon as practical. If you paid by credit card your refund will show up as a credit to your account. If you paid by check you will be refunded by check.

 

All questions should be directed to our Chief Executive Officer, Gary Flather, at CEO@syasports.org.

 

Note: This policy does not apply to Travel Soccer and Competitive Cheer which are multi-season sports. The respective commissioners in these sports will be communicating with you directly regarding how this situation will be handled.

 

SYA will be applying for assistance under the recently passed CARES Act which may help us weather this storm.  If we are able to receive help from this or other government programs, we may be able to supplement the refunds at a future date. 

 

SYA has been in existence since 1973 and has served our community continuously since that time. We have provided sports opportunities for generations of families in the area and have provided thousands of scholarships to ensure that any child who wishes to play sports is able to participate.  This crisis is unprecedented in our lifetime and is causing a serious financial strain on our organization along with many of our families. We have tried to create a policy that will allow the club to survive this event and also give some relief to our families in need.

 

I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I thank you for your support,

 

Jeff Stein

President

Southwestern Youth Association

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COVID 19 - CORONAVIRUS UPDATE MARCH 27, 2020

SYA Parents,

We have received encouraging information that there is a possibility that fields could reopen sooner than originally anticipated.  Our sports are working on contingency plans to start the season sometime in May. This is a fluid situation and we will keep you informed as new information becomes available.  In the meantime, various sports are working to find activities for kids to do to keep up their skills while they are stuck at home. Please be on the look out in the next weeks for links on our website with this information. As always thank you for your patience and understanding.

Thank you for your support,

Jeff Stein

President

Southwestern Youth Association

COVID 19 - CORONAVIRUS UPDATE MARCH 24, 2020

SYA Parents,

As you are aware, Governor Northam has closed all schools for the remainder of the school year due to the COVID 19 Coronavirus Pandemic.  Every one of us is impacted by this decision and SYA has been following the lead of our government to ensure the safety of all SYA participants.  With the closure of schools, comes the closure of facilities (gyms, fields, parks) which impacts our ability to continue our sports programs and we will be forced to shut down for the remainder of the Spring season.  As a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization, this will have a major impact on SYA.  Registration fees are used not only for officials and uniforms, but also are used to cover all operational expenses such as insurance, field maintenance, equipment, website, processing fees, rent and mortgage expenses along with salaries for our administrative staff.

Some parents are contacting us inquiring about refunds as a result of the school closures.  We ask you to be patient as we determine how best to proceed. Our ultimate goal is to get all our kids back out playing as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support,

Jeff Stein

President

Southwestern Youth Association

 

COVID 19 - CORONAVIRUS UPDATE MARCH 20, 2020

 Parents

At SYA, we hope that all of you are staying safe.  We continue to monitor the situation and are currently looking forward to our Season opening.  We are hard at work with our volunteers to put alternatives together depending on when Fairfax County re-opens the fields/gyms/parks.  As of now, we hope to be able to start our season April 13th. We will keep you updated as we learn of any changes.  Please visit our website as we will be posting messages from various sources with activities and ideas to help keep our children busy and active.

Thank you

Jeff Stein

President

SYA

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Updated Mar 13, 2020

Dear SYA Soccer Community,

As the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has spread around the world, it has challenged all of us in different ways.

The uncertainty of it all can be frightening, but we are a strong community and we are here to support one another. To that end, the SYA Executive Board of Directors has been gathering information, consulting with local health officials (including our partners at INOVA health) and conferring with other Soccer clubs and Fairfax county school officials, with the foremost goal of serving, protecting and supporting our Athletes and families, the club is committed to doing our part to minimize the spread of the virus. We recommend reading the link below for the most up to date information available. 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

After careful consideration, we have made the following difficult, but we believe necessary, decisions for the 

well-being of our community:

    Travel Soccer 

• All SYA Travel Soccer events, league play, CCL, NCSL ODSL matches, tournaments, practices and team meeting will be canceled immediately. Modified league play is scheduled to continue April 18-19^th. This aligns with VYSA State Cup which will now start April 18th.

• SYA Travel Practice can resume at this point on April 13^th (in this fluid situation that may change at a later date)

Recreational Soccer

• The SYA Soccer board, have made the decision that the Recreational season start date will be pushed back two weeks until April 18^th.

• The Recreational coaches meeting scheduled for March 18^th will be rescheduled to a time closer to the start of the season. 

• Recreational Coaching Education PDI’s scheduled for March 21^st and 28^th will be rescheduled in conjunction with VYSA

• Due to Fairfax County Public School policies closing its school athletic facilities, a revised practice schedule will be communicated at a later date.

We ask for your patience as we navigate this complex situation. We will communicate additional information as it becomes available.

The goal of these changes is preventative, achieved by minimizing gathering in large groups and spending prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, soccer fields hotel rooms and residential buildings. We encourage all members of the SYA community to continue practicing prevention behaviors outlined on the COVID-19 page.