STYSA Communication Letter to Members 2017 Letter from STYSA ...
STYSA Communication Letter to Members 2017 Letter from STYSA President
May 16, 2017 Dear STYSA Family, A little over a year ago, I issued a Communication Letter to Members, as the newly-elected STYSA President, and on behalf of Vinicius Moreira, the newly-elected STYSA Vice-President. Now that we have completed our first year in office, we would like to update you on the state of our Club and focus for the future. First and foremost, we would like to thank the many volunteers and supporters of our Organization. We appreciate the STYSA Board Members and their countless hours of service; our valued Sponsors and Community Partners; as well as all of our STYSA Coaches, Parents, Players, and Members. Our Referee Assignor, Bryan Moore, and the referees who cover our games and tournaments all year are another key to the success of our Organization. We also appreciate Chappapeela Sports Park, the Park Staff, and the beautiful facilities. Thank you all for being part of the STYSA Family. 2016 was an extremely busy year, made more difficult by an immediate transition from the previous Administration to the new Administration, and massive flooding in August around our area – just as we started our Fall season and the Santa Fe Fall Classic Tournament. Ultimately, these activities helped to provide some distraction from the damage caused by flooding. We welcomed new players to our Club, including flood victims who had relocated from Denham Springs, Baton Rouge, Zachary, and other western areas to Hammond and Ponchatoula. We also worked with LSA behind the scenes to cover some of the registration fees for families affected by the flood. Locally, many of our coaches and players assisted with volunteer efforts to help clean up flooded homes. As we mentioned in our first Communication letter last year, our top priority is to improve the soccer experience for kids in our area. We also welcome members from other areas to come and join our STYSA Family. At the end of our seasonal soccer year this May 2017, we reflect back on a successful Santa Fe Fall Classic Tournament, successful Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 soccer seasons, the highest membership in Club history, free community events such as the Circle of Champions, introduction of a new Academy Program as a transition between our Recreational and Competitive Programs, approval for an Adult Soccer League, and unprecedented success from our teams this Spring, with four State Championships and one State Finalists. Behind the scenes, we reviewed operational procedures and made changes for increased efficiency, transparency and effectiveness. Cost-cutting measures were implemented to ensure fiscal stability and responsibility. As we crossed into 2017, we began planning for the Strawberry Cup Tournaments in April, with the Girls Tournament being held on April 1st & 2nd, and the Boys Tournament held on April 8th & 9th. We saw the largest participation in tournament history, beautiful weather, and our famous trophies were filled with delicious Ponchatoula strawberries!
At the end of April, we held the 2017 STYSA Annual General Meeting and congratulated Greg Leyrer on his election to the STYSA Board as Competitive Commissioner, Rebecca Sequeira as Board Secretary, and Sparky Welles on his retirement from the Board and his position as Recreational Commissioner. Currently, competitive tryouts for the younger players have finished and we are headed to the next round for the older players at the end of the month. At the beginning of June, we will host the TetraBrazil Summer Camp from June 5th – 9th, which is a great opportunity to work with Brazilian coaches here at our Chappapeela fields, and then we will open registration for the Fall 2017 Recreational season in late June. This will be followed by more planning and activity behind the scenes during the rest of the summer in order to get ready for the next seasonal soccer year. Coach Vinny and I will continue to work hard with the other members of the STYSA Board to ensure the success and development of our Recreational, Academy, and Competitive programs. Our goal continues to be to improve our programs and the soccer experience for kids in our area, to welcome new members to join our STYSA Family, and to manage the Club in an efficient and effective manner, with increased transparency and open communication. We are excited about the opportunities ahead for STYSA! With your continued support and that of the STYSA Coaches and Volunteers, our Sponsors and Community Partners, Hammond Recreational District, and Chappapeela Sports Park, we will make our Club one of the best in Louisiana. Yours in soccer,
Eddie Sequeira STYSA President “One Team, One Club, One Goal”
May 16, 2017 Dear STYSA Family, A little over a year ago, I issued a Communication Letter to Members, as the newly-elected STYSA President, and on behalf of Vinicius Moreira, the newly-elected STYSA Vice-President. Now that we have completed our first year in office, we would like to update you on the state of our Club and focus for the future. First and foremost, we would like to thank the many volunteers and supporters of our Organization. We appreciate the STYSA Board Members and their countless hours of service; our valued Sponsors and Community Partners; as well as all of our STYSA Coaches, Parents, Players, and Members. Our Referee Assignor, Bryan Moore, and the referees who cover our games and tournaments all year are another key to the success of our Organization. We also appreciate Chappapeela Sports Park, the Park Staff, and the beautiful facilities. Thank you all for being part of the STYSA Family. 2016 was an extremely busy year, made more difficult by an immediate transition from the previous Administration to the new Administration, and massive flooding in August around our area – just as we started our Fall season and the Santa Fe Fall Classic Tournament. Ultimately, these activities helped to provide some distraction from the damage caused by flooding. We welcomed new players to our Club, including flood victims who had relocated from Denham Springs, Baton Rouge, Zachary, and other western areas to Hammond and Ponchatoula. We also worked with LSA behind the scenes to cover some of the registration fees for families affected by the flood. Locally, many of our coaches and players assisted with volunteer efforts to help clean up flooded homes. As we mentioned in our first Communication letter last year, our top priority is to improve the soccer experience for kids in our area. We also welcome members from other areas to come and join our STYSA Family. At the end of our seasonal soccer year this May 2017, we reflect back on a successful Santa Fe Fall Classic Tournament, successful Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 soccer seasons, the highest membership in Club history, free community events such as the Circle of Champions, introduction of a new Academy Program as a transition between our Recreational and Competitive Programs, approval for an Adult Soccer League, and unprecedented success from our teams this Spring, with four State Championships and one State Finalists. Behind the scenes, we reviewed operational procedures and made changes for increased efficiency, transparency and effectiveness. Cost-cutting measures were implemented to ensure fiscal stability and responsibility. As we crossed into 2017, we began planning for the Strawberry Cup Tournaments in April, with the Girls Tournament being held on April 1st & 2nd, and the Boys Tournament held on April 8th & 9th. We saw the largest participation in tournament history, beautiful weather, and our famous trophies were filled with delicious Ponchatoula strawberries!
At the end of April, we held the 2017 STYSA Annual General Meeting and congratulated Greg Leyrer on his election to the STYSA Board as Competitive Commissioner, Rebecca Sequeira as Board Secretary, and Sparky Welles on his retirement from the Board and his position as Recreational Commissioner. Currently, competitive tryouts for the younger players have finished and we are headed to the next round for the older players at the end of the month. At the beginning of June, we will host the TetraBrazil Summer Camp from June 5th – 9th, which is a great opportunity to work with Brazilian coaches here at our Chappapeela fields, and then we will open registration for the Fall 2017 Recreational season in late June. This will be followed by more planning and activity behind the scenes during the rest of the summer in order to get ready for the next seasonal soccer year. Coach Vinny and I will continue to work hard with the other members of the STYSA Board to ensure the success and development of our Recreational, Academy, and Competitive programs. Our goal continues to be to improve our programs and the soccer experience for kids in our area, to welcome new members to join our STYSA Family, and to manage the Club in an efficient and effective manner, with increased transparency and open communication. We are excited about the opportunities ahead for STYSA! With your continued support and that of the STYSA Coaches and Volunteers, our Sponsors and Community Partners, Hammond Recreational District, and Chappapeela Sports Park, we will make our Club one of the best in Louisiana. Yours in soccer,
Eddie Sequeira STYSA President “One Team, One Club, One Goal”
