gwysl.com :: AYSO #1328
In 1999, a bunch of parents and their kids who had been playing a fairly regular pick-up soccer game in McCarren Park (actually, we snuck into the usually locked-up — and thus luxuriously grassy-side-yard of Automotive High School but we outgrew it at about the same time as the police discovered us) heard about an organization that would help us turn our games into a league so we could include other neighborhood kids.
Representatives from the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) from the Parade Grounds of Prospect Park helped us figure out how to put together the necessary group to get AYSO pilot membership and, with this bunch of friends now transformed into a newly minted Board of Directors, we founded the Greenpoint Williamsburg Youth Soccer League, AYSO Region #1328.
Our first season we registered 75 kids. The next, 120. This year over 400. And that's just in the Fall Season. We also have a Winter Indoor Season and a week-long soccer skills camp in the summer. Every year, the GWYSL provides a safe, fun and fair sports outlet to over 600 kids from all over North Brooklyn and Western Queens.
As it has been from the beginning, the GWYSL is a family-oriented, all-volunteer, non-profit organization which subscribes wholeheartedly to the AYSO philosophy of putting kids first and making winning secondary to the goal of every kid having fun in every game. AYSO's motto is "Everybody Plays" and that means that not only do we encourage kids of every level of skill and experience to join in but every kid plays at least half of every game. It also means that we want the whole family to "play" with us by volunteering in some capacity. Moms and Dads are our coaches, our referees, our team parents, registrars, fundraisers, field managers, treasurers...
For kids who can't get enough soccer, our Extra Play program offers extra practices and the chance to play against other Leagues in the City. We have also established a scholarship program that offers reduced rate fees for families that need help. We are always looking for new players, volunteers and sponsors — contact us at the GWYSL Hotline: (718) 609-9155.
To find out more about AYSO and tap into their deep trove of kids soccer resources, go to http://soccer.org.