A summary of Forest Park Youth Soccer, by John Hosty, Board President.
FPYSA (Forest Park Youth Soccer Association) is a volunteer board run association. We receive support from the park district and the “premier” turf field is a town jewel our taxpayers can be proud of.
We offer two seasons (Spring and Fall) of competitive and fun soccer. Our goal is not wins, but skill building- both of soccer skills as well as team building skills.
Many FPYSA players have gone on to high school to be highly successful players — some played at upper levels their freshman year.
We hire former players to ref which gives many their first work experience and entry into job responsibilities.
This fall we are looking to add a new younger pee wee division to offer a skills-type structure and a fun opportunity for children too young and unfocused to participate in a team structure.
I have been involved since 2002, first as a coach. Then I joined the board and took on the role of President 2005. It’s the board members who make this program a success. Without them all this would not work. Most parents in any organization do not understand the time and effort volunteers put in- they deserve a big thanks. This also applies to the volunteer coaches. Most coaches are parents, but we have been
fortunate to also have Pepe Flores, of the Forest Park Police Department and Matt from the UK, who was a past Premier League coach.
Our theory has been to work at improving the program each season with small changes versus revamping and running the risk of harming a successful program.
We have an automated registration process, keep the equipment updated and have created skills camps.
Photos Courtesy of Michael Racanelli
