We as a staff want to give another update to ensure all information is being received as we continue to have numerous new registrations and move closer to starting yet another fun-filled season. Please see below as this information may answer any questions you have.

Player Placements- We are continuing to move through each grade and placing players on their appropriate team based on the information we received during the registration process. Parents, you can see which team your child has been placed on by logging in to your LeagueApps account (the same account used during registration). On your account dashboard, there is a section titled My Child’s Activities. On there, you can see which team your child has been placed on and can click on the name of the team to see who else has been placed on the team with your child. Also within the My Child’s Activities section, it will tell you if you have or have not paid the registration fee. Your child will not be placed on a team until registration payment is received.

Players who have not been placed on teams: We generally look for more registrations to come in from children who attend your child’s school and are also looking to be placed on a team in an effort to have them on a team with some familiar faces. As we get closer to the end of registration, we form these new “Pool” teams and begin finding a volunteer coach for the team, which is generally a parent volunteer. If your child does not have a team they are joining and you are interested in coaching your child, feel free to reach out to Kevin khoeprich@brsoccer.org or Stanley sjohnson@brsoccer.org.

Coaching Placements- As of 12:00 pm today (July 26), we have received all team submissions via the Google form that has been sent out. Louisiana Soccer Association has been moving over to a new system and it has caused a delay with getting our new coaches’ background checked and registered. Returning coaches with up-to-date risk management statuses/background checks have been placed on their teams and can view their team page on their LeagueApps account dashboard by clicking on their team name within the My Staff Assignments section. Coaches, you can see contact info for your team members to set up external communications or communicate via the message feature on the team page. Once we can begin clearing new coaches and coaches with expired risk management/background checks, those coaches will be able to do the same. Those coaches can feel free to reach out to Kevin khoeprich@brsoccer.org if interested in finding out how many players have been added to the team at this time.

Uniforms/Gear- All recreational players through 5th grade will need to have the red and white BRSC recreational jerseys. In each game the home team wears white and the away team wears red. Players on older teams should confirm with their coach that their team will be wearing the BRSC recreational jerseys before purchase. They can be purchased in store or online at Third Coast Soccer. The jerseys on the website are the Recreational Entrada 18 Jerseys. Here is a link to the jerseys: https://thirdcoastsoccer.net/club-kits/brsc-rec-academy-1/

PreK-2nd grade players are not required to wear cleats but shin guards are required at all ages to prevent injury. Shin guards, cleats, socks, and shorts do not have to be purchased at Third Coast Soccer but they do have plenty of gear available at the store. Their knowledgeable staff can assist you in purchasing any gear you may need. For those new to soccer, just be sure that socks worn during games and practice are long enough to cover the shin guards and that cleats are soccer-specific (ie no metal or sharp studs like in football or baseball).

Practices- There have been a few coaches asking about the practicing schedules. Our Recreational Coaching Director Stanley Johnson will be getting in touch with coaches as we move closer to the season start date about practice options at our parks.

As a staff, we’re here to help make sure your family has a fantastic experience playing in our recreational soccer league. Feel free to reach out to Kevin khoeprich@brsoccer.org or reply to this email if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Thanks!

Dear members,

I wish to inform you that the BRSC leadership has decided to modify our Team Camp structure for next week. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience to your family as a result of this decision. Please rest assured that we have explored all possible options to provide a full camp. Yesterday, we met withthe BREC staff to discuss BRSC field usage, re-opening the back of Burbank on July 26, closing the front of Burbank for field repairs starting July 30, etc. Subsequently, Caleb Hatcher, Sports Turf Manager BREC, informed us that Burbank has taken on a record 24 inches of rain this past summer, and we still have two more weeks left in July. We were all in agreement that it is in the best interest of preserving our Burbank fields to forego conducting camp at the complex as initially scheduled. To this end, we will modify our Team Camp schedule next week to allow ALL teams to conduct two practices at their current scheduled practice times for the fall at our Independence Park Complex. We have amended the field assignments on our practice matrix to depict the field space each team will be using. Your coach or manager will also inform you of the field assignment for next week.

Notes:
– Teams will utilize the current practice schedule (Indy Fields).
– Black level teams will practice on Tuesday and Thursday. Coaches discretion regarding changes
depending on player availability, weather and or field conditions.
– There will be no goalkeeper training this week; they will practice with their team.
– Players are required to wear practice gear: Dress code- black jersey, shorts, and socks.

We appreciate your consideration and patience in dealing with this modification. The unprecedented amount of rainfall has rendered Burbank virtually unplayable.

The updated practice matrix is now available here.

Best,
Marvin

What started as a small dream for both Ralph Mayer, Scott’s dad, and his friend Jan Weinen has become so much more for everyone who bought into their idea. Through their devotion to this plan, we are lucky enough to participate in what we know the club and organization to be today.
Ralph Mayer was from Germany and grew up playing soccer so well that he would end up in New York playing professional soccer. After his time in the concrete jungle, he would go on to serve in the military and eventually found himself settling down in Baton Rouge with his family. He and Jan met working for a department store in downtown BR known as Godchaux’s, which was owned by the well-known Sternberg family at the time. They showed great support in helping the two friends get their idea off the ground by sponsoring their very first tournament and supplying them with all the team apparel and any other materials necessary.
These two individuals displayed a great level of dedication to this idea of a cheap and fun way for kids to learn about and participate in the beautiful game. Ralph and Jan did so by going to many different school boards and meetings across Baton Rouge to promote this proposal and started by persuading BREC to aid them in this initiative. With the help of both parties, they went on to build fields at several different schools for both them and the schools themselves to use. As Ralph still had some minor things to figure out, Scott was tasked with keeping up with the fields at each school and manicuring them on the weekends until they could figure out a more permanent solution.
Through their basic necessities being met, they were able to get enough participants to form 7 teams within the league. With the assistance of everyone involved, their very first elimination style tournament took place, won by the young Wildwood Cobras, and coached by Scott and his friend Bill Adkinson. Some notable players from this team include Eric and Scott Derk, Timmy Daffin, Kevin Cuss, and their goalkeeper Charles Morgan. However, the coaches stayed with the team for a few years afterward until Scott returned to school to become a teacher and coach out of this newfound love. He would go on to coach for both Tara and Broadmoor high school even after his son was able to play under him.
As soccer began to become more and more popular throughout Louisiana due to leagues being set up like this one, it allowed the LHSAA to officially incorporate the sport in high schools throughout the region. This only helped the new soccer association garner more attention and more participation, so much so that they were able to start teams with older kids and even introduce their recreational adult leagues. Scott was rather reminiscent of the adult leagues, where he described it as just an enjoyable atmosphere that allowed people to get together and create lasting friendships.
Ralph Mayer and Jan Weinen created so much more than just a fun league for the youth to become disciplined and connected in. Through their commitment to promote a love for the game, they demonstrated vast levels of passion that have gone on to create a wonderful community of people carrying on their legacy. As we remember and honor the beginnings of this club, we are a part of, we should continue to contribute to the efforts and ultimately relish what they’ve done for us.

Story by Joseph Smith