Boxing Day match is a go

Hope to see you at 1pm.

Upcoming Special Matches

There will be no game on Christmas day, December 25, 2010.  We will, however, have a few special matches to make up for it, and one time change to note for the New Years Day game.  All games will be at Shawnee Mission East high school.  Here is a list of the match times:

Friday, Dec. 24 - 1pm
Friday, Dec. 31 - 1pm
Saturday, Jan. 1 - 10am

Traditionally, we have held a Boxing Day match.  Is there enough interest in a Sunday game this week that could be a dry-run of resuming our winter Sunday match at, say, 1pm?  Let me know if you can play and we will discuss it on Friday.

Triumphant return to East

Our nomadic game is headed back to Shawnee Mission East High School (75th & Mission Road).  The time is still 9am.  Hope you can make it!

New Special Match

There seems to be a lot of interest in playing the day after Thanksgiving.  The Upcoming Special Matches section will be updated and I am leaving the location as Shawnee Mission East.  If this changes, an email will be sent out and the section will be altered. 

This game is scheduled for 10am, so you will have plenty of time to hit the malls at 4:30am, get your shopping done, then make it to the match.

Hope you can make it!

Saturday match is moving to Maple Hills Park

The Saturday match is moving to the 85th and Switzer field.  Here is a map:

The time is still 9am.

New Wednesday time & Saturday alt field

With the rapidly decreasing daylight window, we will move the time of the Wednesday match to 5:30pm.  Hope you all can make the earlier start time!

Also, we will be giving the Porter Park natural grass surface some time to recover.  A couple weeks in a row of us playing on the rain softened pitch has had a negative impact on the park.  In the spirit of being responsible citizens, we will move our alternate location in the interim.  We have a couple locations on our short list, so we will meet in the parking lot of SME to discuss before moving.

If you would like my phone number, please send me an email.  Also, if there is any interest in a Twitter notification, we can set up a user ID for Youngs Park.  Please let me know if that would be helpful.

Pictures from Saturday

Our site's photographer (Ken) was active this past Saturday.  Check out his work!

SME Calendar

The calendar link is up and working.  September appears to be free and clear on Saturday mornings, but that is always subject to change, of course.

Tunde brought up the Pelada movie in a recent comment.  Unfortunately, Kansas City just had a screening a couple weeks ago, and it fell off my radar before I could pass the word.  I will keep my eyes and ears open for future screenings.  A couple of us saw it the first time it showed in KC and I would strongly urge everyone to see it if they have the chance.  The DVDs are now available from their website, so please check out the link at the bottom of this page if you are interested.

Labor Day match details

This is a reminder that we will be playing a special match on Labor Day, Monday, September 6 at 10am on the Shawnee Mission East field (75th & Mission). If the field is in use, our secondary choice is Porter Park (73rd & Roe), followed by Youngs Park (77th & Antioch) as our tertiary choice.

Hope you can make it!

School is back in session

As we start a new school year, we will surely run into conflicts with the Shawnee Mission East field.  This is a reminder that if the field is in use, we will move to Porter Park.  Here is a map from SME to Porter Park:

If anyone needs my phone number, please send me an email.

Ramiro

He's back!

New feature - Help requested

Tom and I were talking recently about all of the different countries from which our players (past and present) have originated.  We came up with a pretty good list:

I am not yet sure what we will do with this information, but we definitely want to post it somewhere on the blog.  So my request is two-fold:

1st - Please offer any suggestions you may have as to how and / or where on the blog we should show this information.

and

2nd - Did we leave any countries off of the list?  Also, I can think of at least one player who claims two countries as his country of origin.  That is ok, too.

If you would prefer to not leave a comment on this post, please feel free to email me.

Saturday and Monday

In case you didn't get Wasim's email, the Saturday game at Shawnee Mission East has been moved to 11:30am so everyone can watch the World Cup matches at 9am and 1:30pm.

Also, please come to SME on Monday if you have the day off (or an excuse ready) for the Independence Day match.

See you on the pitch!

While I am away...

Bob has graciously offered to cover for me during my extended time out of town.  If anything comes along, such as a place to meet to watch matches, Bob will post that information on this site.

There are a couple links you may be interested in this month. The first is a beta version of a very cool World Cup statistic website:

http://demo.qlikview.com/QvAJAXZfc/AccessPoint.aspx?open=&id=Demo|Kick%20it%20and%20Qlik%20it.qvw&client=Ajax&ga-link=hero

It is still in the testing phase so the company running the site is working out the kinks.  Check it out when you have some free time.

The other link is to my travel blog.  If you want to follow my trip, I plan to post every day, logistics willing.  I also plan to post more pictures than I uploaded last trip.  Here is the URL:

http://31daysin2010.blogspot.com/

See you all on the pitch when I return!

Memorial Day match reminder

If you have the day off work and want to play a little soccer, please come out to Shawnee Mission East High School at 10am. This is a special match in addition to Saturday's 9am game on the same field.

Also, we have decided to wait to order the long-sleeved shirts until this fall. If you would be interested in either the white or dark green short-sleeved Youngs Park Soccer Club shirt, please send me an email. I have only received a couple of emails expressing interest.

See you on the pitch!

Moving to Youngs Park.

The field is in use.

Posting poll results

The Saturday match is on as scheduled tomorrow. Hope to see you out there.

Since I have been slacking lately on the blog site, this is a quick note to let you all know the status of the shirts.  I spoke with the printers this week and we will get a cost estimate very soon.  Of course the more shirts we order, the cheaper they will be per shirt.  I have only heard from a couple people, so please let me know if you plan to order shirts, and have not yet contacted me. I just need the number of shirts you plan to request.

Here are the results of the poll for posterity:

Wednesday game, etc...

The gametime of the ongoing Wednesday match at Maple Hills Park has been changed to 6pm beginning this evening.  I have updated the time on the side-bar of this page, as well.

A couple weeks ago I sent an email about the new film called Pelada.  The film makers visited Kansas City this past Monday night and screened the movie.  It was very entertaining from both a human interest standpoint and the subject matter:  pick-up soccer games around the globe.  I strongly recommend checking out their site when you have a few minutes.  The photography was beautiful and you will experience parts of the world that will amaze you.  With the permission of one of the director / producers, I attached a banner in our link section.  Or you can click here.  [www.pelada-movie.com/]

See you all out on the pitch!

Special match tonight: Thu. May 13

Due to inclement weather last night, we will play this evening at 5:30 on the Maple Hills Park field.

Green wins!!!

The officially sanctioned Youngs Park Soccer Club shirts will be available soon in white and dark green. I will send out an email when we know the price, but if you know you are interested in purchasing one or more, please let me know.  The short-sleeved version will almost certainly be less than $20 each with the long-sleeved version a few dollars more.  I am hoping to give the manufacturer a rough estimate of how many shirts in each style and color we will need.

A great opportunity and a new poll

We are excited to announce we will soon have YPSC shirts available for sale. We will offer them in both white and dark, and all shirts will come emblazoned with the Youngs Park Soccer Club crest found towards the bottom of this page.

Please check out the pictures of the 2 styles we will offer on the right-side of this page, and vote in our poll to determine the dark color. The winner of the poll will be announced on Tuesday, May 11.

This week we should be back at SME, so come out to play some soccer and convince others why your choice for the dark shirt should win.

See you all on the pitch!

Moving to SMW

85th & Antioch

Same story, different week

Looks like the Shawnee Mission East girls have a game this week, also. Therefore, we will reconvene at Youngs Park at 9am Saturday morning.

Saturday, April 24 game is at Youngs Park

The Shawnee Mission East calendar indicates that the field will be in use for a Lancer Soccer Tournament. Our secondary field has been the home to a group playing lacrosse, so we will start at Youngs Park at 9am this Saturday.

Hope you can make it!

SME School Event Calendar

Here is a link to the school calendar:

http://www.highschoolsports.net/defaultcal.cfm?ct=m&schoolid=KS6620812104

At this point it looks like there are conflicts on the last Saturday in April (the 24th), and the first in May (the 1st).  We also have to be mindful of track and various soccer practices, or if they have rented the field to a 3rd party.

Porter Park is our secondary field and, if that field is also taken, Youngs Park will be our tertiary field.  Please let me know if you would like my phone number.

April 14 is the return of Wednesday soccer

The Wednesday game is coming back!  On the 14th of April, we will resume the Wednesday game.  To avoid further confusion, we will resume it Mission Hills Park where we had great success last year.  For those of you keeping score at home, it is point E on our interactive Google map in the right panel.  Somewhat curiously, because the sign has not changed that I am aware of, the park shows up as Sapling Grove Park on the map details.

Regardless of the name, the location of the park is 85th and Switzer.  Hope you all can make it!

Porter park prevails

2nd poll is complete.  I will be updating the website in the coming days with the correct failover location.  Thanks for voting!

No 3pm game today

Another weekend wash. At least the calendar now reads 'Spring'...

Saturday game is canceled

Sunday at 3 is still on at this point, however.

The snow that fell is very slushy and it was deemed to be too hazardous. The weather wonks are calling for even more snow today, so please check back before tomorrows match, as well.

Poll reinstated

Hopefully everyone had a chance to check out Porter Park. In case you have not, I will keep the poll open until next Friday.

Please register a vote if you have an opinion on our back-up field.

2nd poll is suspended until next week

Unfortunately, I could not save the results but it is possible you will want to change your vote after Saturday.

The bulk of this post was sent in an email this week. If you did not receive this email and want to be included in the list, please send me an email.

Tom found a very promising field that is a little closer to Shawnee Mission East that the field we used last week (Franklin Park). No one sent objections, so we will meet at SME this coming Saturday for the match as planned. If the track team is practicing, as they were last Saturday, we will move to Porter Park. The directions follow:
Exit the parking lot and turn left onto 75th Street. Turn right at the light at Roe and proceed less than 3 blocks north. The park will be on the right side of Roe Avenue. Tomahawk Road borders the park on the north side.

If the SME field is open, we will play there and then anyone who wants to check out Porter Park can follow me there. Next week, I will open the poll back up with Porter Park as one of the options. Perhaps you were considering changing your vote after Tunde's passionate appeal for Youngs Park votes. Next week will be your chance...

See you on the pitch!

1st poll is closed

Subs vs 2nd game

By an overwhelming majority, the option of the subs starting a second game has prevailed. Tom or Wasim will continue to bring the goals (both sets) and on those rare occasions that neither will be able to play, I will try to arrange for transport.

We will set up the first game and put the second goals on the side of the field. When the game is full (11v11), any later arriving players can set up the other field for a second game.

Of course we are not a rigidly run group, so rules are always subject to change. Since everyone had a chance to let their opinion be known, this will be the guideline as the majority has voted for it.

Not sure how you all feel, but I cannot wait for some warmer weather...

Alternate field for the Saturday match

This past Saturday was a stern reminder that we need to have a plan in place for times when the scheduled field is in use. This smacks of a new poll!

Please register your vote if you have an opinion as to where we should move when we cannot use SME.

I found a calendar for the East field. It looks like the field will be in use on April 24 and May 1, so we will have to find an alternate field for those two Saturdays. It was not clear, however, the dates that the track team will be practicing, like they were this past Saturday.

If you would like my phone number to call or text when you cannot find the group, please send me an email.

Balmy weather!

This is a rare occurrence when mid-50s seems exceptionally warm. Please arrive early to make sure you get a spot in the main game.

Brian shared this great link:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/health-gains-for-grownup-soccer-players/

If you come across something that will benefit the group, I will post it here and tag it with 'link' for easy reference later. Very cool, Brian, thanks!

In 2 years he'll be back

Off to Wyoming

Last weekend in February

While the weekend temps seem destined to remain under the Atabong-Threshold (40 degrees F), upper-30s does not seem horrible anymore. Hope you all can make it Saturday at 9am and Sunday at 3pm. Check the right-side of this page for more details, if needed.

There are only 4 days left to vote on your preference for large turn-out matches. Make your voice heard if you have not yet voted.

Games on...

...For now. If the snowocalypse hits, we will reassess at that time.

Sanat returns

Chicago to KC

Five bucks!

Looks like this weekend will be warmer, unless the weather wonks are lying again.

Reminder for those of you not working on Monday (or if you have a long, flexible lunch hour):
The annual Presidents Day Grudge Match is scheduled for Monday at 10am on the SME field. Start thinking now about who you have a grudge against and how you can line up on the other side. If you need suggestions, please contact Ramiro who plays out his grudge against Wasim almost every week. Unfortunately, the Treasury Department does not produce enough $5 bills for him to pay off his debt.

Also, please vote in the poll. There have been strong opinions on this one, so feel free to express yours. Notice there is no place for comments. I will play around with that to see if I can add a suggestion area underneath.

Another cold, wet weekend

Currently all games are on as scheduled, but I will post a message here if that changes. One of these days the weather will clear up...

Check out the new features if you have not been out here lately. I set up banners for the links (feel free to suggest other sites that the group will enjoy), and finally figured out how to change the graphic for local weather. Hope you find that helpful!

Last weekend in January

Games are on as planned. It is going to be chilly, so throw on a few extra layers.

I also wanted to see what you all thought about taking a group photo before or after every match and posting it to the site. You could always opt out, of course, but those who wanted to could gather like we did at the end of the Guillo Memorial match on MLK Day. Would it be better to take the shot before the game started or afterward? We can discuss it on Saturday if you would prefer to not comment here.

See you on the pitch!

Goal Fund update

Our Goal Fund is now large enough to purchase 2 new aluminum goals. Thank you all who contributed!

Game on

Rain will not stop us!

Goal Fund Phase II

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our last Goal Fund Drive. Unfortunately, we had a transit-related incident where we lost one of the new goals out of the back of the pickup. We have a bit of money left over from the last drive, but we need more to purchase aluminum goals. Please let Tom, Wasim, Tunde, or me know if you can contribute.

Thank you, again!

Guillo memorial match

Thanks for the great skill & friendship!

***** No 3pm Sunday match tomorrow *****

There is rousing support for the MLK Day match, but too many people are out for tomorrow.

Also, the field today was snow-covered, but temps are supposed to be warmer Sunday and Monday. Hopefully the part of the field where we played today will be clear by 10am Monday morning.

Hope to see you all on the pitch!

Weekend matches & MLK Day game

It appears that the weather is going to cooperate this weekend for a change.

I have not driven past SME lately to see how the field looks. Will someone be able to do that today and leave a comment here?

Even though the temperature is expected to be warmer, some players are nervous about snow on the field. A knee surgery or two certainly warrants caution. Please check back here for field conditions if that is something that concerns you.

Also, does the time and place for our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day match work? It is listed as 10am at SME. Hopefully we can get enough players to continue the tradition. Feel free to comment on this, as well.

See you on the pitch!

Get stuck in lads

Good match!

Small Goals Massive Dreams

*** Game On!!! ***

We are giving it a go today. There was visual confirmation that the field has not been touched, snow-wise, but we are going to play. Please come out if the snow does not frighten you off.

Added bonus: I will be playing in pants. You read correctly... pants.

The title of this post is a rough translation of our crest's motto. I think we all know what our fore-fathers were thinking so long ago when it was created. [For those of you keeping score, it was Bill last week.]

See you out there!

Weekend games?

Never before in our storied history have we experienced a mix of cold and snow for such an extended period of time. We have had an unprecedented 3 week gap in games during this 2009 - 2010 season. I am posting this to gauge interest in matches this weekend.

My recommendation is to skip Saturday, but play Sunday at 3pm.

Please let me know your thoughts and, if possible, leave a comment if you are interested in playing on Sunday. I will post something here on Sunday before leaving for SMW if the game is on, or earlier if it is apparent that there is not enough interest to get in a match.

Of course I am always available via phone, text, or email (send me an email if you don't have my phone number and want it):
tbragg2@gmail.com


*** Huge props to Bill L. for developing the Youngs Park Soccer Club crest!!! Fantastic work, lad, pip, pip! [Next post I will reveal what 'Vegrandis Calx Magnus Somnium' means. Again, Bill, Brilliant!]

Added feature and Sunday's match

A weather section has been added below and to the right, but you have to change the zip code for it to have any real meaning. Zip codes are now included in the locations of the ongoing games for easy reference.

Immediately above that section, I added a LINK that shows the hour-by-hour forecast for Shawnee Mission. If you need to know to add an extra layer in the winter or bring an extra bottle of water in the summer, you may find this helpful.

Who is in today? Please comment here or send me an email.

If the link above doesn't work, my email address is:
tbragg2@gmail.com

Hope to see you on the pitch!

Game on!

Looks like we have enough to go today. Hope to see you all out there at Shawnee Mission East!

***** No New Years Day match today *****

We will try again tomorrow at 9 on the Shawnee Mission East field. Who is in for tomorrow?