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Asphalt Green Wave Soccer
Asphalt Green Wave Soccer-New York City, NY-Upper East Side
www.wavesoccer.net
www.asphaltgreen.org
Age Ranges:
This season we’ll be fielding Girls & Boys travel teams from U8 to U15 along with instructional classes for kids ages 3-14.
Number of Teams:
This season we’ll have 10 teams in our Girls travel program and 10 teams in our Boys travel program. We also have a coed U8 Academy
Number of Players:
We have 150 players in our Girls travel program and 150 players in our Boys travel program, plus 30 players in our co-ed U8 academy program and players in our co-ed community program. The players travel from as far as Brooklyn and New Jersey to participate in our competitive travel program.
Leagues:
CJSL for Boys & WYSL for Girls.
What Makes Our Program Special:
Asphalt Green is a unique non-profit organization – in terms of both our facilities and our constituents. We are New York City’s premier sports, fitness, and aquatics center with a special emphasis on youth sports education. Our 5.5-acre urban campus includes a brand new, state-of-the-art FieldTurf soccer field, duplex fitness center, 50-meter indoor pool, and an indoor soccer gym. We border Manhattan’s Upper East Side (a relatively wealthy residential neighborhood) and East Harlem (also known as Spanish Harlem – a relatively poor residential neighborhood).
Our soccer program covers the entire spectrum of the sport – from an instructional program for children ages 3-14 to one of the most competitive youth soccer programs in the area, currently fielding teams from U8-U15. Our Boys teams compete in the City’s Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League whereas our Girls teams compete in the regional Westchester Youth Soccer League. Several of our sides regularly rank first in their age group and win numerous tournaments. Our U14 Boys team competes in a metro area “super league” and our U11 Boys competed in the 2009 U.S. National Futsal Championships (and were finalists in 2008). Our Girls teams dominated the WYSL this past season, with our U11 Green, U12, & U14 teams finishing first in their leagues this spring and our U11 White & U13 teams finishing second.
The majority of the participants in these fee-based soccer programs are Upper East Side residents, though – given the popularity of the program – we do draw from all five boroughs as well as northern New Jersey & Westchester. And not all come from wealthy families. In fact, approximately 10% percent of our travel soccer players received scholarships in the 2008-9 season.
We also run a free youth soccer league that draws mostly from disadvantaged youth in Harlem and East Harlem. As a non-profit, we provide a third of our programs and services free of charge to the community. The free youth soccer league also serves as a feeder system for our competitive fee-based program (we provide scholarships to talented players identified in our free program).
In 2008, we added a conditioning program to our free youth soccer league in an effort to help reduce childhood obesity. In New York City, 24 percent of the children in grades K-5 are obese. In East Harlem, where most of our free youth soccer league players come from, that percentage is even higher.
In additional to our world-class facilities, what really distinguishes our soccer programs is the level of instruction our players receive. Our coaches are all certified professionals with accreditations from the NCSAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America). This ensures that our players receive top-level instructional training that is appropriate to both their age and ability. To supplement our soccer program, we also offer soccer camps and private training using our experienced coaching staff.
And, as part of our total player development approach, we have partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance to teach our coaches, parents, and players that there is a lot more to youth sports than simply “winning at all cost.” We teach our young athletes about teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-discipline because we want them to be the best they can be – both on and off the field.
There are several things that make Asphalt Green an exceptional place – especially when it comes to youth soccer. It’s who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. The following is a brief summary:
Our Passion & Commitment
Our mission is to assist individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve better health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. And that journey begins with youth sports and fitness. We believe that soccer is central to that mission in that it is the people’s game – a sport that can be played and loved by all, whether young or old, rich or poor, big or small. So it serves as an ideal platform for introducing kids to sports and fitness. Plus, it is the beautiful game, and we love it dearly!
Our 5.5-Acre Campus
We have a truly world-class athletic complex set in an urban location that serves one of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods as well as one of its poorest. We cater to a broad demographic, and our youth soccer program bridges many social and economic divides. Like FIFA, we believe that sports can build a stronger community for all, and we practice that every day.
Our Diverse Youth Soccer Program
From a free league for disadvantaged kids to our highly competitive boys and girls traveling teams, everyone gets a game at Asphalt Green. We have designed our program so that there are no barriers – economic, strength, or skill – just opportunities. Once you are part of our team, players can maintain their recreational status or take an intensive development track with the goal of national team duty lurking in the back of the proverbial net.
Our Youth Sports Philosophy
When it comes to youth sports education, we believe in total player development. We provide professional training in the fundamental skills of the game, competitive leagues, instructional camps, and personalized coaching. We emphasize teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-discipline in addition to winning. And our age-appropriate Competitive Conditioning program develops players’ strength, speed, and stamina.
Our Perfect Pitch
Last but not least, we have a brand new FieldTurf soccer field equipped with stadium lighting and a Daktronics digital scoreboard. The state-of-the-art turf feels like grass but never gets flooded or even muddy. And the stadium lighting helps extend our practice time into the evening. We’ve got the newest – and nicest – field in the entire city!
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