Photograph by Lea Tauriello
Trevor Ryan (front) defends the goal for The Frogs last Saturday in AYSO Soccer action.
By NATASHA COLLINS
The rhythmic beating of his heart becomes almost deafening in his ears as adrenaline pumps through his veins. The ground is swallowed up by his feet as he runs faster, faster, faster. He shifts left, then right, to avoid the defense. He's only yards away from his goal--one, two, three steps--almost there. As if in slow motion, he bends his knee and flexes his leg forward in a powerful kick. He strikes his target--a black and white checkered soccer ball--and sends it hurling into the air. He scores!
It's this adrenaline rush that thousands of kids in the American Youth Soccer Organization experience each season on fields in Sunnyvale and across the country.
"It is the largest growing participation sport in America," said Cupertino AYSO Regional Commissioner Randy Powell. "Practically every field in the area is being used on Saturdays for soccer."
In Sunnyvale there are two AYSO regions, with more than 1,000 kids registered to play, and the same is true for Cupertino. There are also several independent leagues, such as the California Youth Soccer Association and the Mission Youth Soccer League, which hold tryouts to build their teams.
AYSO, founded in 1964 and one of the largest soccer organizations in the United States, has the motto "everyone plays." Anyone who wishes to participate is guaranteed to take part in at least half the game, according to AYSO rules.
In Cupertino, the region has decreed that each child will play at least three quarters of each game. Referees monitor playing times to make sure coaches are following the rules.
"Everyone gets a chance to play," Powell said. "It is an opportunity for everyone to be equal and to be part of a team."
Soccer games are played on a field about the length of a football field, or 100 yards. Games are divided into two equal halves ranging from 20 minutes to 45 minutes each, depending on the age of the players.
AYSO players range in age from 6 to 18. There is a special division for 4- and 5-year-olds called the Kindergarten League.
"Soccer can be played at any age," Powell said. "We have a league for the younger players because they wanted to play. You can learn the skills at any age."
A team has a maximum of 11 players on the field at one time, although a game can be played with as few as seven players. There are goal keepers, defenders, halfbacks and forwards who use their kicking, passing, dribbling and trapping skills to move the ball down the field and make--or stop--a goal. When the ball is too high to kick, players may "head" the ball to pass or to score a goal. Players, unless they are goal keepers, may never use their hands.
Soccer is a sport both girls and boys can play. It is also a sport that satisfies the competitive spirit, according to Kara Roberts and Meredith Rich, who have been playing in the Sunnyvale AYSO for eight years.
"I'm a competitive person and like to win," 12-year-old fullback Roberts said. "Plus, it's just fun."
Soccer teaches the players about team work and improves their self-esteem. It is also great exercise, Powell said.
Richard Gee, 9, who plays on the Cupertino AYSO Gators, believes teamwork is the essential part of playing soccer.
"I like to play with a team," Gee said. "I get to see and play with my friends."
Soccer is a sport for players and spectators alike. Parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends fill the sidelines regularly, rooting for their favorite teams.
"It is great fun. It is a great recreational sport," said Pete Burrows, whose three children play soccer. "I spend all day Saturday watching soccer."
There are fundraisers throughout the year, to benefit those who can't afford the $70 registration fee, that help pay for expenses such as uniforms and pictures.
"No one is excluded," said Michelle Rugo, a Sunnyvale AYSO board member and a mother of three soccer players. "We want everyone to have an opportunity to play."
According to Rugo, there is even a soccer team for children with disabilities, called the Gold Miners. It is the only team in Santa Clara County and one of 26 teams in California designed to meet the needs of disabled players.
"When we say 'everyone plays' we mean everyone plays," Rugo said.
The AYSO soccer season began Sept. 7 and runs through Thanksgiving. Cupertino AYSO is still looking for volunteers to help with coaching and refereeing.
For more information about AYSO call (310) 643-6455.
More soccer groups in Santa Clara County:
Centro Leonino--294-9461
EuroSoccer Development Program--241-2650
Go 4 Gold Soccer Schools Inc.--997-7775
Morgan Hill Toros Soccer Club--779-6696
Off the Wall Soccer/Mission Youth Soccer--988-6900
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks Soccer Club--295-4295
South Bay Adult Soccer League--629-2522
South San Jose Youth Soccer League--578-3101
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 18, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.