TOPSoccer and Soccer Across America Programs

TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community based program that is designed to meet the needs of children and young adults that have physical and/or intellectual disabilities.

This program is geared towards player development rather than competition and is designed to be a fun and meaningful experience for the player; meant to improve overall fitness, self-esteem and social skills.

Games and activities will be adapted in ways that ensure the child will learn at his/her own pace.

For more information on Soccer Maine’s TOPSoccer Program or to talk with us about a grant to start a program, please contact Soccer Maine at administrator@soccermaine.com or 207-239-7834.

SOCIAL SKILLS – Players interact with their volunteer Buddy and other athletes in a fun, group setting and learn proper social behaviors.
TEAMWORK – Players learn to trust someone else and rely on them through soccer activities and games.
PERSEVERANCE – Players might encounter difficulties with activities, but they will be encouraged to keep trying and overcome challenges.
CONFIDENCE – Players will achieve success on the field that carries over to their lives off the field in so many ways!

• BUDDIES – Each participant is assigned a volunteer, trained ‘Buddy’ who is typically a little older and neurotypical. This Buddy works with their player individually and makes sure they are safe, engaged, supported, and having fun. The player-Buddy relationship is maintained throughout the course of a season, resulting in strong interpersonal bonds and an establishment of trust and confidence that allows each player to achieve their full potential.
• COACHES – TOPSoccer coaches and administrators have taken formal USYS education and certification training that assists them in successfully delivering the program. In addition to providing coaching strategies and tactics specifically for children with special needs, the training identifies the traits of the most common disabilities and provides guidance on how to modify typical soccer practice activities so everyone can be successful.
• GROUPINGS – Players are grouped by ability, not just age, such that they can develop at their own pace and participate amongst others with similar abilities.

Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the United States. It has reached into communities from coast to coast and from north to south. Yet, soccer has not always served inner city and rural communities and all economic and ethnic groups. In order to insure that every child has the opportunity to play our beautiful game, US Youth Soccer founded the Soccer Across America program.

Soccer Across America programs are run locally by existing clubs and leagues, by Boys and Girls Clubs and Y’s, by neighborhood and parks and recreation departments. There is no one size fits all model for Soccer Across America.
Each program starts differently and is created locally to meet the needs and capabilities of the organization and of the players. Programs in the nation’s biggest cities may include thousands of children, and yet there are hundreds of small programs that focus on one or two teams, one group of kids in a single neighborhood or one corner of a rural farming community.
Programs may last as little as a few weeks in the fall to as much as full seasons in more than one part of the year. Many programs adopt traditional soccer rules with full-sized fields and full length games while other choose to introduce soccer through “Small-Sided Games” on smaller fields. The choices about how to begin are as varied as the places in which they begin. Soccer Across America can help your community decide on how to get started by providing written information and hands-on technical assistance.

Create local awareness of your efforts to begin a Soccer Across America program
Talk to US Youth Soccer and Soccer Maine for written and programmatic support
Seek out other Soccer Across America programs near you and try to learn what worked for them. Often, Soccer Across America sites in the same state have a lot in common.
Identify a local coordinator, and if possible, a visible role model (well-known soccer person such a professional player, a college coach, even older players, high school or college, from your community or nearby communities)
Find a coaching instructor
Identify all the adult administrative functions you will need and develop a volunteer base, as necessary, to fill those functions
Seek community leadership support first from existing soccer organizations and programs, but also from: Boys and Girls Clubs; neighborhood centers; police athletic leagues; YMCA/YWCA; housing authorities; park and recreation departments; high school and college service organizations; and churches.
Ask for help from local and state soccer organizations: in setting up basic organizational structures from legal formation to functions needed on your start-up Board of Directors; finding coaches, especially youth coaches; finding a trainer for your new coaches; setting up equipment exchanges; and helping with scheduling questions.
Seek community-based financial support from: service organizations such as Kiwanis and Rotary; churches; neighborhood small business such as restaurants, record stores, clothing outlets, sports stores; service providers such as neighborhood doctors; any other business which are active in the Soccer Across America neighborhood, it is in their interest to help.
Identify your equipment and supply needs and look for sources to get them donated or to acquire them at the lowest cost to you. Ask existing organizations where they get there equipment and see if you can set up a way to acquire used equipment from them.
Develop instruction agendas and plans of action for: administrators, coaches, and referees.

Implementation
In order to promote the Soccer Across America program at the local levels and gain community involvement and awareness, certain equipment, services and financial support is needed. Some of these needs are:

• Leadership, high-profile spokespersons and role models
• Local organization, implementation and administration through volunteer coordinators
• Caring volunteers willing to commit sufficient time to the program as referees, coaches, managers, drivers and chaperons
• Equipment
• Fields or open playing areas
• Transportation
• Corporate, private and community financial support
• Local leadership, organizers and soccer clubs and leagues

• State Association Soccer Across America Committee representative or coordinator
• State Association Soccer Across America/Recreation representative to the State Board of Directors
• US Youth Soccer Across America Committee
• Distribution of program materials and educational opportunities
• US Youth Soccer Across America website
• US Youth Soccer national staff

Costs Involved
The cost of participation varies depending upon your registration fees, insurance premiums and uniform and equipment costs.  At all times, cost should be kept to a minimum for all possible participants.  Grants are available through US Youth Soccer and the U.S. Soccer Federation Foundation with assistance from your State soccer Association.  There are other philanthropic entities, such as the Shriners, which offer assistance.  Research other avenues of funding such as local, state and federal government grants and community groups such as the Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, etc.  Approach local retailers, companies or corporations for cash or in-kind donations.