American Youth Soccer is all about having fun

The great Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." That may have been fine for his players, but Lombardi must never have heard about the American Youth Soccer Organization.

The AYSO was founded nationally in 1964 and has a different emphasis than a win-at-all-costs attitude. The organization stresses five main points: Everyone plays; balanced teams; open registration; positive coaching; good sportsmanship. These five rules stand above everything else — including winning.

"This organization is all about allowing the kids to get out and enjoy the game, enjoy playing without the pressure of a competition-level soccer team," said Michelle Brown, the Sandy/Draper area commissioner of AYSO for the past three years. "Of course people want to win, but more than that we want them to have fun."

There is a lot of work that goes into allowing the youths to have that fun. AYSO is an all-volunteer organization. There aren't any paid coaches or referees. There isn't somebody taking in a salary to split up the teams, put together a schedule or even find somewhere to play.

"I don't think anyone knows all the work that goes on behind the scenes trying to keep this thing going," Brown said. "When my husband (Dain Brown, who is assistant commissioner) and I agreed to take over three years ago, we had no idea how all-encompassing a job it was going to be. I would say we have literally put in thousands of hours.

"We have a lot of people that do a fantastic job in keeping things run- ning. There is someone designated to each little thing. We have a referee coordinator, a coach coordinator, someone over the Web site, someone in charge of safety, a treasurer. We even have someone that it is their responsibility only to make sure we keep our fields."

The Sandy/Draper region plays its games and holds practices at Union Middle School (615 E. 8000 South). Besides making sure the fields are lined before each Saturday's games, one person has to stay in touch with either the principal at Union or with Jordan School District nearly every week just to keep the agreement that AYSO can use the fields.

"They say there are plenty of places to play soccer around, but we are in a constant battle to keep up our deal with them," Brown said. "There are other organizations that are always trying to get the fields. From other soccer groups to football to baseball, someone always wants a place to play."