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First of all, congratulations on the upcoming completion of your U18 season! We hope you have had another enjoyable season on and off the field!

The purpose of this posting is to provide you some information on scholarship and playing opportunities for players your age.

A) As some of you may be aware there are a few scholarship opportunities also available to you as players of the Peace Arch Soccer Club. We would encourage you to review these opportunities and apply.

1. PASC in the past has offered four $500 scholarships a year. Click here for the application form and the deadline is May 1, 2012. Completed forms need to be scanned and emailed to mhughes@peacearchsoccer.com or mailed to Mark Hughes at: 13739 23A Avenue, Surrey, B.C. V4A 9V8.
2. Delta Youth Soccer Association (DYSA) also has the Evelyn Hartman Scholarship. Information and contact information will be available shortly on the DYSA web site (www.dysa.ca). In the past the deadline was March 31; however, you should keep a close eye on their web site. If you have any questions contact Vince Tomkulak at vtomkulak@gmail.com
3. BC Soccer also offers scholarships. Last year they awarded 11 scholarships. BC Soccer scholarship information has been posted on their website. http://www.bcsoccer.net/bcsa/COMMUNITY/ScholarshipApplications/tabid/156/Default.aspx . The deadline is March 31. Any questions please contact Susan Lenio @ 604-299-6401 or susanlenio@bcsoccer.net.

B) While your “youth” soccer experience may be coming to a close, we hope that you will continue to play this the beautiful game at one of the many men’s levels available to you.

1. Depending on the interest of the U18 graduating players, PASC would be willing to establish a FVSL Div. 3 team for this fall. This would be an ideal level for U18 players from all three existing teams to feed into next season. To get this going we would need to have a coach and /or manager volunteer set up to organize the team and a good number of players to sign with this squad. Please contact myself or Mark Hughes (Vice-President of PASC) at mhughes@peacearchsoccer.com if you are able to take on the coaching and /or manager role. We would need to know soon so this team can be added to the program for next season.
2. For those of you who may be interested in playing at a higher level of competition we recommend you contact one of the other men’s teams (Div 1, Div 2, Premier) at PASC. (Note: you need to be over 35 to play on a Masters team) These coaches / managers can advise you if there are any opening on their teams and what type of tryout or trial process may be involved. You can find this information on the PASC website under “Contacts – Men’s Team) – http://www.peacearchsoccer.com/executive/

Again, congratulation on your season and all the best in your future endeavours! Most of all, we look forward to continuing to see you on the pitch!

Sincerely,
Robert MacDonald
U15-U18 Director

I hope you have all enjoyed the holidays. As we resume our schedules this week, please do take the time to read through this newsletter and see what is happening with your club. As you all know, we have undertaken the task of exploring a merger between the clubs of Peace Arch Soccer and Semiahmoo Soccer. Accordingly, the overall sentiment has been that this merger is “a long time coming.”

You may be asking yourself why we are undertaking a cross-club look at merging Peace Arch Soccer Club, Semiahmoo Soccer Club and South Fraser Soccer Club. The following points, below, will explain this proposed merger in detail:

A. Background

Currently, there are three soccer clubs in the South Surrey / White Rock area: Peace Arch Soccer Club (PASC), Semiahmoo Soccer Club (SSC) and South Fraser Soccer Club (SFSC). Each of these clubs is a registered not-for-profit society under the BC Society Act.

In the South Surrey / White Rock area, recreational and elite soccer development programs are delivered by:

1. 1. PASC, to approximately 1,200 boys and 120 men;
2. 2. SSC, to approximately 1,000 girls and 120 women; and
3. 3. SFSC, to approximately 200 boys and girls. SFSC was formed in 2010 by PASC and SSC in order to apply for a BCSPL franchise, which was successfully obtained in February 2011.

These clubs all share many commonalities, which include:

• Serving the same families
• Offering soccer programs from U6 through U18 along with adult programs
• Utilizing the same facilities
• Having the same administrative functions
• Sharing a common objective of developing soccer players
• Operating in the same geographical area
• Having common executive member(s) in both clubs
• Having common administrative operations
• Having common coaches
• Having the same relationships with the City of Surrey, School District 36 and the City of White Rock

B. Current Organizational Challenges

Operating with three separate soccer organizations in South Surrey / White Rock, with so many commonalities between the Clubs, creates many challenges that could potentially be addressed and resolved through organizational and structural modifications.

These challenges include but are not limited to:

1. Game and field scheduling conflicts and less than optimal use of scarce field resources
2. Communication errors between the Clubs and their members
3. Misunderstandings between the Clubs, leading to less than optimal relationships between the Clubs at times
4. Duplication of many administrative tasks
5. Duplication of executive resources
6. Separation of ideas and energy between the Clubs
7. Duplication of City administrative fees for contracts
8. Duplication of registration and communication interface processes with families having boys and girls
9. Duplication of website functionality that is serving the same families
10. Lack of clarity on who owns what equipment
11. Duplication of sponsorship efforts
12. Confusion in the community as to what each Club does or represents
13. Constraints on growth opportunities

C. Organizational Review

After a number of sporadic and isolated attempts over the past five years to deal with the organizational challenges noted above, the Executives of PASC and SSC approved the formation of a cross-club committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the issues and challenges associated with a potential merger of the three soccer clubs.

The primary committee is comprised of three Executive members from each of PASC and SSC, which is being assisted by a number of sub-committees formed from other coaches, directors and members of PASC and SSC.

To date, we have developed the Vision stated below, and sub-committees are working on other organizational requirements of a potential merger, such as administration, financial, policies, governance and operational structure, and name/logo.

D. Vision

• Developmental: coaches, players, officials, leaders, programs
• Growth: in members, facilities and programs
• Top Club: professional, quality, competitive, dynamic
• Inclusive: all ages, all levels, all related activities
• Scope: giving-back, grassroots, local, partnerships, international

Members are encouraged to attend upcoming Information Sessions, the first of which will be held at the South Surrey Fieldhouse on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 @ 8 p.m.

All members are encouraged to attend one or more of these sessions. There will be an area on our website www.peacearchsoccer.com where all merger information including Q & A sections can be found. Keep checking back regularly.

There are a number of other things happening at this time. Don’t forget to show your support by taking in some of the Women’s Olympic qualifying games coming up soon in Vancouver. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_CONCACAF_Women’s_Olympic_Qualifying_Tournament

Cup play will be starting shortly for the U11-U18 age groups. We will be hosting the Men’s Cup finals at SSAP at the end of March. Check website for details as we get closer.

We are continuing to explore the concept of a full size indoor field with the city of Surrey. We are also looking at streaming video up at SSAP to have games recorded for streaming and/or playback.

This weekend will play host to a U12 showcase tournament. This is done to see all of the strongest players in this age group from the surrounding areas to help identify potential players for September’s U13 BC Premier League teams.

We have had great success using social media like Twitter with keeping our coaches and managers up to date on home schedules. Thank you to all of those that have registered to receive these updates. Please note that any of our club members can sign up to receive these schedule updates if desired. Just go to the game schedule page of our site to register.

Spring soccer is just around the corner. Registration will be open soon. An email notice will go out to all current and past registrants as soon as registration is open. Spring soccer registrations have grown dramatically over the last few years and appears to soon rival that of the fall season. Perhaps the weather has something to do with it.

Our current U18 graduating players have all been sent an email with information regarding scholarships that are available to them as soccer players including that of our club and the connected organizations such as BC Soccer and Fraser Valley Soccer League as well as our District.
Thank you for your continued support of your club.

Thank you and I look forward to meeting you if we haven’t already.

Sincerely,

Mike Hornak
Peace Arch Soccer Club

We are now heading into the cooler, wetter period of our playing schedules and there are a number of items we wanted to bring to your attention that pertain to this.

The first being that we ask that you please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for both games and practices. This would include having a proper jacket to wear while not on the field (i.e., before and after practice). Another thing to keep in mind when dressing your child for the weather is to not bundle them up too much. The players still need to be able to run around and can overheat if bundled up too much. It is not recommended that they wear a down-filled or similar type of jacket underneath their uniform. If you wish to have your child wear some type of jacket or undergarment, appropriate sporting wear is recommended and is available in branded form from the Club’s online store (www.peacearchsoccer.com).

Last but not least, we understand that it is not always comfortable standing beside the pitch during the inclement weather and you may choose to sit in the comfort of your vehicle or leave the park. If you choose to do this, we ask that you please ensure that you promptly come to the pitch side before and after each game and practice to pick up and drop off your child. When 100 + children finish their game or practice all at once, they have a tendency to run off with their friends in various directions. We must have you or another responsible individual at the pitch to pick them up.

I encourage you all to have your coach’s cell phone numbers and provide them yours. If for some reason you have had to leave the park and will be late returning, it is imperative that you communicate with your coach or manager. As a backup plan for game days, we suggest that you inform your children that if they can’t find you afterwards, that they go stand in front of the concession stand and wait for you there. There are always responsible people there during game days.

Within the soccer development environment that we provide, the health and safety of your child is our number one priority. Your assistance with the items noted above will help ensure this.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Sincerely,

Mike Hornak
President
Peace Arch SC

Due to the new league structure for the 2011/12 season the Conference Cup will no longer continue, there will now be a round robin tournament for all teams to participate in. There will be smaller groupings based on their standings in league play, 2 teams from each group will receive medals from the 5 District League.

All make up games must be completed before Jan. 1, 2012.

Greetings PASC Members,

Our 2011/2012 season is now fully underway. This new season has not come without its challenges and successes. One new item was the election of a new club President and Vice President. Maeve Glass has done a terrific job over the last number of years as President. Unfortunately her position with the Women’s Canadian National Team has taken, and will continue to take her on the road for many extended periods of time, limits her availability to the club. Maeve’s travels take her internationally to places such as, Rome, Greece, and Germany, just to name a few. Is there any room in your suitcase for a stowaway Maeve? That being said, Maeve will remain on our current board and will continue to provide valued insight and expertise. She has been instrumental in bringing the National team out to SSAP, with “mini camps” that enable our club members to “drop by and watch the team and for learning/instructional purposes.

Another big thank you goes to Grant Morrison who has graciously (been) volunteered to work with the equipment side of our club. As Grant worked closely with me over the past number of years doing equipment, we felt that he was the best person to take assume this position. When you see Grant, please take the time to say a big, “Thank you!” as it was not easy taking over this position, especially at a time of newly added projects such as the EA SportsBCPL and development programs. Grant, the new White Chevron Jersey’s look fantastic!

We were privileged to earn one of 8 EA Sports BC Premier League franchises, see link below: http://membersystem.bcsoccer.net/BCSA/Clubs/portals/BCSoccerPremierLeague/default.aspx

As this has been an evolving entity, many of the other program start dates, such as evaluations, were delayed. Everything is now done.

This was a joint partnership venture between Peace Arch Soccer Club (herein known as PA) and Semiahmoo Soccer Club (herein known as Semi). The jointly formed entity is South Fraser Soccer Club. It is an elite level league of both boys and girls from ages U13 – U18. In the past, PA and Semi have partnered on many projects: For example, Turf field #9 and the Whitecaps summer camps. There are many parents and board members that have children in both clubs. For many years both clubs have been talking about a merger/convergence. This will be covered later in this letter.

We have seen a significant increase in the number of registrations to our Mini Micro program, which is the U6-U10 age range. In the past we have capped registration for U6-U8 at 100 per age group, but this year we increased that number to 120 registrants. We also added a U8 Development program that runs simultaneously with an additional 24 – U8 boys which we test piloted last spring with rave reviews. This means there was an increase of 44 boys playing just at the U8 age alone. Our U9 development program currently has 4 teams. We believe this will generate a much larger pool of quality players to draw from when they start the U11 program, and play outside our club in the other leagues. This is also the age when the Rep programs officially begin. The Rep programs have undergone a name change. They will no longer be Gold and Silver. They will now be Div 1, Div 2 and the house program will be known as Div 3. This is what is commonly done in soccer programs around the world. Many of our Rep teams have had a great start to the season, and their standings and schedules can be found at BC Soccer Central. A direct link can be found on our website.

Speaking of website, we have now launched our new website at the same address www.peacearchsoccer.com . It was time. A big,” Thank you!” goes to Joel Kitching who has been helpful over the last few years with updating and posting information (while attending school). Thank you Joel. The new site will have many new features and capabilities. One of those being Twitter. Admittedly I haven’t used twitter, but in today’s day and age, it is essential to get information out quickly. This will mean that when the Home Game Master Schedule is completed each week, or revised due to weather/conflicts, you will be able to sign up for our club twitter account and receive an instant notice when the schedule is up or changed. You can then go to the site and look up your team’s assignment on the Master Schedule. This will be available to everyone who registers. This should avoid any challenges for those who might not receive the schedule due to being away. Please also note our Sponsors Banner at the top of our home page. Without our sponsors, our programs would not exist the way they do. Also, check out the Philanthropy section. Many of you wonder what happens to our older equipment and uniforms. For years we have been sending items with students and coaches who do volunteer work with children and schools around the world. We have been blessed to live and play in our community, and feel it is a privilege to help out other children who are less fortunate.

You will hopefully have had a chance to go to our club online store which can be found on our website www.peacearchsoccer.com . On there you can find Branded Club Wear. You will notice that we have standardized ALL the training gear throughout the club. This means whether you are playing Men’s, Rep or Div 3 (formerly house) you all have the same training gear. It’s more convenient if you end up moving up next year and still fit into the previous year’s training gear you purchased. We chose to go with initials for identification instead of numbers this year as you may not have the same shirt number year after year.

Our Men’s programs have also expanded. With the success of our PA Dragons (Masters) getting to the Provincial finals last year (lost in PK’s), and our open Premier team winning the Pakenham Cup (again) our Men’s program is larger than ever. We currently have Div 2, Div 1, U21, Masters Perm (2 teams), Masters Div 1(3 teams) and open Premier. We forward to hosting the Pakenham Cup finals this year, which will likely happen in early April, date still yet to be confirmed, at SSAP. Please watch for details. Also, we can’t forget that our Men’s summer team PA United (Legends division) won the Knight League title this past summer in a convincing 7-1 victory. Many of our coaches within the 2 clubs played on this team and enjoyed the Tandoori chicken celebration afterwards. As well, we are also currently working on having an over 40’s and an over 50’s team that would play under our Club Banner. The goal is to create a Club where you can play from youth to adult and anywhere in between at whatever level you are at.

Last but certainly not least, is our current projects. We are exploring a number of facilities’ projects this year. Field house facilities expansion, a stadium-type facility on #7 grass field, and preliminary discussions with the City of Surrey about the possibility of a full-size indoor soccer field at SSAP. At this point, the City of Surrey discussions are still in the early stages, but keep your ears open as we see where this may go.

One of our Club’s biggest challenges has been, and still is, properly lighted training facilities. It’s hard to believe that only a few years ago we didn’t have any turf fields. Now we have two (2) and they are at full capacity, with an ever increasing demand for more. The other item I wanted to update you on is the convergence/merger between the PA Soccer Club and the Semiahmoo Soccer Club. This has been discussed many times over the past years, and many already have the belief that we are already together. Although we are not currently one entity officially, we have done and continue to partner on many initiatives. These include such items as the equipment and online store to the most recent South Fraser Soccer Club. A committee with representatives from both clubs has been selected and get together to meet every 2 weeks to discuss and work out the details. As this has been a suggestion by many members of both clubs over the years, our aim is to complete this project by the end of the current season. We will continue to update you on its progress and outcomes. If you feel that you have a certain professional expertise that this project can benefit from, please contact me directly at mhornak@peacearchsoccer.com

Thank you again for your support of our Clubs. The boys, girls, men and women of the Peninsula value and appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Mike Hornak
President Peace Arch Soccer Club.

South Fraser Soccer Club was granted one of the eight original franchises in BC Soccer’s High Performance League. More information about South Fraser Soccer Club can be found on their website.

• Semiahmoo Soccer Club and Peace Arch Soccer Club are very concerned about traffic safety in South Surrey Athletic Park.
• We ask all park users to exercise their highest level of caution when driving and parking in South Surrey Athletic Park.
• We ask all park users to obey all parking signs in South Surrey Athletic Park (particularly in the drop off zone north of Field 9 and on the roadway west of Field 10).
• We have informed the City of Surrey of our concerns and have asked them to patrol and enforce all traffic regulations in South Surrey Athletic Park.

With your help we can ensure that the park is a safer place for all of the children and adults that use the park on a weekly basis.