Welcome to the
Arkansas Soccer Club

Dear Parents,

Attached you will find the latest update from the Director of the Arkansas Soccer Association. It is rather long but gives you a good summary of the direction of the Arkansas Soccer Association and their recommendations for the spring season.

Good afternoon, Everyone. Earlier today, I had a conference call that was open to all club administrators and staff, as well as all club presidents. We had 59 individuals on the call, and I've spoken with several folks thereafter who were unable to make the call today. While I suspect you will likely be hearing directly from your clubs, I wanted to reach out to you directly to provide you with the information that was presented to the club membership, along with the responses to some of the Q&A that occurred and some other ideas that were discussed. Again, this is a very fluid situation and things could change rapidly, especially with Arkansas now reporting 218 presumed positive cases, along with two deaths.

1. Suspension of soccer-related activities is extended from March 29 through April 17 (which also matches the current school closure date). This is a suspension, not a cancellation of the season, at this point. It is very possible that the April 17 date may be extended to May 1, but there is no need to make that decision five weeks ahead. We'll wait and see and re-evaluate in 10-14 days.

2. Depending on when the suspension is lifted, we are looking at the possibility of a condensed season (both for rec and classic) or possibly having some of the season extend into June, though this may not be as viable at the classic level with some teams advancing to Regionals and other teams being re-formed following tryouts for the 2020-2021 season.

3. USYS Regional and National events are still on calendar but it's a fluid situation so things may change. At this point, though, those are on and remain as scheduled in June for South Carolina and Dallas.

4. Ron Heller and State Cup Qualifying Weekend dates remain on calendar on their original dates (May 2-3 and May 9-10, respectively) but it is very possible these may be all consolidated on State Cup Championship Weekend (May 16-17).

5. Adult soccer is shut down until April 30 per USASA directive, which noted that any local activity before then would be deemed unsanctioned, meaning uninsured.

6. Our insurance carrier has advised that any youth soccer that occurs during a suspension status of any State Association, will be deemed unsanctioned, meaning uninsured.

7. If a spring cancellation occurs, ASA will look to be as liberal as possible regarding refunds, but we are still awaiting decision from above regarding upstream fees owed to USSF, USYS, and K&K insurance.

8. If schools are cancelled for the remainder of the year, that will not necessarily govern our decision on the spring season but would be one factor we would consider. We are also looking to the CDC, federal and state officials, AR Dept of Health, USSF, USYS, and other State Associations for guidance. We are also looking to various towns and schools regarding their decisions on the closure of their parks, as that may impact our ability to return to action.

9. We are contemplating a series of jamborees for rec and classic soccer, especially if the spring season is cancelled. These would not be tournaments but opportunities for kids to play 3-4 games in a weekend once we are able to resume soccer related activities.

Your individual clubs can provide more details on the conference call which lasted just over 30 minutes, but the above information hits the key areas of discussion. As always, if you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to me at Jim.Walker@ArkansasSoccer.org and I will happily respond to any questions you may have. Until then, be sure to follow us on social media, as we continue to provide updates, training ideas, coaching education materials, raffles, etc. to keep folks engaged in soccer during this difficult time. You can also find updated information on COVID 19 on our website at www.ArkansasSoccer.org, as we have a link on our home page that will redirect you to our dedicated page on the coronavirus. Thank you for your continued patience and support, and we wish you and your families, as well as your players and their families, the very best to stay well.

Jim

Executive Director

Arkansas Soccer Association

For more information about ASC's programs you can call us at 501-954-9549 or email us at www.arkansassoccerclub@yahoo.com

Always check the rainout hotline if you suspect there may be rain, lightning, or flooded fields
the rainout hotline # is
501-312-5971

Disregard the Age Chart for Winter and Summer Camps & Clinics

Before you register if you do not know your child's age group please take a look under the Programs tab for the Age Chart tab to make sure you are registering for the correct age group. These age parameters don't apply to the younger in house (academy) players, only those 9 and up who are playing out of house (i.e. other teams outside of ASC}.
If you would like your child to play up an age group you may register and then make a note of it in the special request box on your registration form.

The ASC program is overseen and conducted by a Nationally Licensed Coach who understands recreational soccer and will evaluate each player's ability and talent for a possible later move to classic soccer.

If You have questions or need more information please call
501-954-9549 or email us at arkansassoccerclub@yahoo.com

Arkansas Soccer Club is a proud member of the following organizations:

United States Soccer Federation	National Soccer Coaches Association
US Youth Soccer	Arkansas State Soccer Association