RICHMOND GIRLS SOCCER ASSOCIATION
SU P PO R TIN G O U R FUT U R E OU R CO M MU IT Y
Spring Newsletter 2016
RGSA has a new logo! Thank you to everyone for your valuable
input and feedback throughout this process! This new logo represents
the history and the future of RGSA!
Since 1974, Richmond Girls Soccer Association has seen many changes
in its 42 years. It all began playing 11 aside soccer on grass and gravel
pitches with wooden goal posts. Fast forward 4 decades later, you will
see our younger teams playing small sided games, games being played
on turf field and more players wearing our gear outside of practices and
games. How amazing is that!
With these changes, RGSA believes now is the time to make our logo
more visible and appealing to our players. We believe this new logo will
be worn with pride and will exemplify what RGSA is all about:
Commitment, Respect and Leadership.
Over the past couple of years, RGSA has become more involved in not
only the soccer community but also in the community as a whole. Our
coaches, players, families and members have been actively involved by
giving back to the community through volunteering for local
organizations to help disadvantaged individuals and families. Our club
is fully committed to our community and look forward to many more
volunteering opportunities to help others.
We believe that RGSA is not just about teaching players the game of
soccer but to help every player with life lessons and how to be a part of a
soccer team, a soccer family and the community at large! RGSA is
dedicated in ‘Supporting our Future, Our Community’
supporting our
future our
community
1
U18 RICHMOND RAVENS
It’s been an exciting final season of youth soccer
for the U18 Richmond Ravens and it’s not over yet.
The majority of this tight-knit group of friends has
been playing together for the better part of six
years, and it shows both on and off the field.
Long before the 2015/16 season began the coaches
proposed an awesome opportunity for the team.
They were given the chance to travel together to
Waikiki over Spring Break 2016 to celebrate grad
from both soccer and high school. What a way to
go out! And so the soccer year has been
interspersed with fundraising efforts in an
attempt to keep costs down. Pub nights began as
early as summer 2015, followed by running the
BBQ at the wind-up of the RGSA Spring Program,
Thanksgiving tournament concession, sales of
discount cards to local businesses, and selling
Purdy’s chocolates, pies and cookies. The year
became about more than soccer; the goal was
suddenly much bigger.
The season began with the Ravens competing in
BCCGSL Division 1. Although the play was pretty
to watch, with outstanding passing and stellar
goalkeeping, the girls did not find much success
on the scoreboard. That changed at the annual
Richmond Thanksgiving tournament.
The girls managed to play three games undefeated
and made it to the finals. As these things go, the
last game came down to a shootout which the
Ravens were able to win! Placing first at home was
a great confidence booster.
Following the Christmas break, the teams were retiered and the Ravens were moved down to
Division 2. This proved to be the perfect fit as they
then went on an undefeated streak, easily beating
their opponents in the next 6 games. They
finished the season in first place and gained home
field advantage over Chilliwack in the
Championship game. With both teams playing a
very tight first half, the score remained at zero for
both sides after 45 minutes. Just a few minutes
into the second half Richmond opened up the
scoring. Alina Badyal put two goals in the back of
the Chilliwack net before the opposition was able
to get one past the tight Richmond defense and
goalkeeper Ali Burns. However, it was not the
right day for Chilliwack as Alina put her third goal
in to take Richmond to a 3-1 victory. A great team
effort to feed the balls up to the goal scorer
resulted in Richmond ending the season in first
place. The girls will now represent the RGSA in
Coastal Cup in April. But first up, Hawaii!
The Richmond Ravens are: Kimberly Anderson,
Alina Badyal, Rhiannon Bal, Georgia Booker, Ali
Burns, Sara Cathcart, Laura Cuellar, Amy de
Souza, Alex Heroux, Kayley Hirose, Abigail Lee,
Amanda MacDonald, Nicole Monk, Elena Munk,
Alexa Sanderson, Bryanne Sanderson, and Aleena
Sharma.
The girls are coached by David Monk, Stephen
Burns, and Brian Hirose and managed by Sara
Badyal. They are under the Technical Direction of
Martin Bittengl.
Striking It
Rich
supporting our
future our
community 2
STRIKING IT RICH
RICHMOND STRIKERS Feeling Rich in Life and Soccer Experience
Wow! What a year it has been for the 2004 Richmond Strikers! Bringing a full team of U12 girls up to
compete at the U13 Gold Level seemed to be a daunting task. However, with a positive attitude and
strong work ethic, it turned out to be a wonderful and fun experience for all the girls. First and foremost,
the girls had a tremendous amount of fun. Second to that, the girls continued to develop their soccer
skills and soccer IQ to a higher level. As the coach of this team, I witnessed firsthand how quickly the
love for the game of soccer, and for each other, grew each week. These players started to come to practice
15 minutes early and continue to practice for an extra 10 minutes after. For games, the girls showed up
1 hour before kick-off. The U-13 Strikers developed an understanding of mental and physical game
preparation while also enjoying some pre-game laughs to ease the jitters. While the Strikers were always
the smaller team in stature, their tenacity, teamwork and skill worked favorably during Coastal league
play. As their passion for soccer grew, I felt it was important to also teach them the importance of
becoming community leaders as well. For the second straight year, this group of girls donated their
time, money and effort for various causes.
Some of our key accomplishments this year include:
 Enjoyment and love for the game of soccer
 Developing into great leaders within the community
 Volunteering to serve food to the elderly at Century House in New Westminster
 Donating food and toys to the Richmond Christmas Fund
 Volunteering their time to participate in the Windows of Hope at the Richmond Auto Mall
 Successful season with only 2 losses and 5 goals against
 7 players specifically asked to attend BCSPL Assessments
 4 players being offered a spot with a BCSPL team
 Qualifying for the Coastal Cup
As the team enters the Spring Travel Program for the 3rd straight year, I know that they will continue
to form the chemistry good teams have while also building the relationships and memories that will
last a lifetime.
Mandhir Punia
Richmond Strikers
supporting our
future our
community 3
U10 RED REBELS
In reflecting on the 2015/16 season one question comes to mind. How do you measure success? If
the answer is winning games then some would consider our season as a complete failure. I measure
success in the attitude and individual growth of my players. This U10 group has now completed a
season of playing against the best 2006 born players in the south district. They had to learn many
lessons such as positioning, ball possession and the urgency of gaining possession back when lost.
An important aspect with our team has been to teach them how to compete at a high level. I can
say that we trained hard and we as coaches did push them, to which they reacted very well. I as a
coach demand attention, focus and positive attitude during all training sessions and games. In
return my goal is to still keep the “fun” in the game. This group set new standards each and every
session. Coaching this team was always the best part of my day and I enjoyed them very much.
The Red Rebels parents have been the greatest example of a positive parent group that I have had
the pleasure to come across during my years of coaching soccer. They cheer (not coach or
direct) their kids from the sidelines and applaud their successes. They trust the coaches and T/D
staff and respect the voluntary time given. They bring their daughters to the park ready and
prepared to train and send timely emails when their children are sick or injured. They sit in the
rain and cold and watch each game and training session. The Red Rebels are one of only a few
RGSA teams that are staying together as a team through Spring 2016. This speaks volumes to the
character of the players and parents. Once again I will leave you with my original thought. How do
you measure success?
Sincerely,
Marty Mueller
U10 Red Rebels
U10 Red Rebels
The u10 Red Rebels want to thank Braeden V for being an amazing
coach along with coach Marty and Mike. You help us learn, you
motivate us, you are funny and most of all you make us enjoy soccer!
We hope you continue with our team next season!
The 2016 BC Summer Games are scheduled to take place July 21 - 24, 2016 in Abbotsford. Athletes
from eight distinct zones will compete in several events.
The Zone 5 BC Summer Games program commenced with tryouts in April and will continue until the
conclusion of the Games in late July. 18 players will be selected to participate in the BC Summer Games
and take part in either tournaments or friendly matches to prepare for the BC Summer Games. A shout
out to Clive Clarke and Rachel Ramsden who will be coaching the BC Summer Games!
A special thank you to Katarina M, Nicola M and Jaya
P for volunteering during the Whitecaps Spring Break
Camp! You helped the little ones with learning skills
and having fun! Thank you for your leadership!
supporting our
future our 4
community
VOLUNTEER BOARD
Thank you to all parents, players, families and friends for your amazing volunteer work for RGSA
throughout the year! Your dedication and commitment to volunteering your time is invaluable to the club.
Thank you for your leadership and for being great role models for our community.
CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION
THIS ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
YOU
HAVE BEEN RECONGIZED AS A VALUABLE AND
IMPORTANT VOLUNTEER FOR
RICHMOND GILRS SOCCER
ASSOCIATION
FROM RGSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
supporting our future, our community
5
Our Values
The Richmond Girls Soccer Association Values have been established to remind players, parents, coaches
and staff that the life skills and experience obtained through participation in skill development,
competition and teamwork are far more valuable than just winning on the field of play.
Our Mission
To create a fun and safe learning environment where players, coaches and parents can play and mature
through the game of soccer.
The Richmond Girls Soccer Association is dedicated to helping all our soccer players realize their sporting
potential. All coaching is crafted to our players' specific levels of commitment and stages of development.
It is our steadfast belief that young players who are encouraged to express their own natural ability, who
are comfortable trying new things and who are not afraid to make mistakes will better reach their
potential and develop a life-long love of the game. Lessons learned on the soccer pitch and training
ground create good habits and life skills that will equip our young athletes for future success in any field.
Our Vision
The Richmond Girls Soccer Association will become a “league leader” in the soccer community, with a
growing reputation for excellent coach and player development and effective club administration.
Soccer will be coached, played and supported in accordance with the spirit of the game, represented by
fair play and sportsmanship.
supporting our
future our 6
community
Our Goals:
Our recreational program is to provide soccer for every player who wishes to play within our community.
For each age group the competitive program will have teams represented at all tiers of competitive soccer
and will also offer quality programming for those desiring a lower level of commitment.
Through prudent financial management and fundraising initiatives, the Richmond Girls Soccer
Association will continue to secure the use of year- round training facilities within the community in
collaboration with the City of Richmond and/or the Richmond School Board.
Our elite players will be regularly securing scholarships to university and college programs and competing
for places on BCSPL, Provincial and National teams.
Our top-level coaches will share their coaching expertise with less experienced coaches and older players
creating a cycle of knowledge that will sustain Richmond Girls Soccer Association into the future.
New complements to our staff of professional coaches will be recruited primarily from players graduating
from our program.
Players of all abilities will return year after year because at Richmond Girls Soccer Association they learn
skills and improve their game while having a great time.
Philosophy: Long Term Player Development is the primary objective of Richmond Girls Soccer
Association. This development breaks down into four components: Technical, Tactical, Physical, and
Psychological. As the age level increases, different components are stressed.
Technical growth: The individual ability to handle the ball consists of: dribbling, passing,
receiving, shooting, heading, and goal keeping. A solid Technical foundation increases the players’ ability
to understand the Tactical aspects of the game.
Tactical awareness: A player must understand when to apply the appropriate technique based on
the demands placed upon them by their opponents. Tactical awareness is a players understanding of a
system of play or strategy. As a player progresses through age groups, Tactical play becomes a major
component of our teaching.
Physical ability: Soccer is a demanding physical sport, and each player will need to obtain a certain
level of fitness. A majority of this fitness training takes place in the actual training exercises. Physical
fitness determines a lot in the game of soccer. When players become physically tired, they become
mentally tired. When they become mentally tired they can no longer perform the technical skills needed.
When players lose their technical ability, their tactics disappears.
Psychological understanding: How a player reacts to certain situations can either help or hurt
the overall team effort. Our goal is to focus on the present. Soccer is a game of mistakes. This is how we
learn. We will work to focus all of our player’s energies in a positive manner, and on things they can
control.
7
Excellence
We believe in the right of all individuals to pursue their personal levels of excellence. The
Richmond Girls Soccer Association will strive at all times to sustain club excellence.
Fun
We believe in soccer being fun.
Fairness
We believe in fairness on and off the field of play, as characterized by equality, integrity and
trust.
Respect
We believe in free and open communication and respect for the views, role and contribution of
all.
Leadership
We believe that those who coach and lead soccer teams and activities at the Richmond Girls
Soccer Association have a responsibility to teach and apply the values of the club. We also believe
that youth participation in sport builds leaders.
supporting our
future our 8
community
BRENT BRANKER
RGSA Technical and Development Coach
from 2012 to present
RYSA 1994 boys Provincial Champs,
National Championship Finals
RYSA 1997 boys multiple Provincial
Championships at the metro level
Argentina AC (Vancouver Metro Premier)
First Division Champions
CASSIE SAMMARCO
Fusion FC 2011 to present
Whitecaps FC 2010 to present
RGSA 2012 to present
U14 Girls Provincial Team in 2013
U16 Girls Provincial Team in 2014
Western Canada Games in 2015
Fusion FC 1997 and 1998 Boys (BCSPL)
RGSA 2001 girl’s metro (current)
Fusion FC 1998 Girls (BCSPL/current)
Whitecaps FC training Camps
Caribbean All Stars 2005 Nations Cup
Champions
VOLUNTEER COACHES
MARTIN BITTENGL
RGSA Technical and Development Coach
2012 to present
Delta School District Coach 2013-present
UEFA B License lecturer 2010
FC Zandt German Soccer Club Assistant
Manager and Coach 2009-2011
U17-U19FC Viktoria Plzen Professional
Youth Academy Head Coach 2007-2011
We also want to thank all our volunteer
coaches who also provide quality training to
all age groups. Way to go to all the moms,
dads and friends for volunteering your time
in coaching to help kids enjoy soccer.
supporting our
future our
community 9
RGSA will be doing a photo shoot to replicate Team Canada picture above. We are looking for various
age groups to be a part of the photo shoot to be posted on our website. If interested send your child’s
name to [email protected] Date and time of photo shoot TBD.
Want to nominate a coach of the month?
Who has inspired you? Send your
nominations to
[email protected]
http://www.kidsportcanada.ca/
supporting our
future our
community 10
RGSA
SUPPORTS
If you want to get involved in the Canadian Mental Health Week’s GET
LOUD program, contact [email protected]
Children, youth, and depression
While we may think of low mood or other
challenges as adult problems, they can affect
people at any age. Children and teens can
experience mental illnesses like depression.
Sometimes it can be difficult for adults to
understand how difficult children’s problems
can be because we look at their problems
through adult eyes. But the pressures of
growing up can be very hard for some
children. It’s important that we remind ourselves that while their
problems may seem unimportant to us, they can feel overwhelming to
young people. It’s important to take depression in young people
seriously. Please check out CMHA website for more information at
http://www.cmha.bc.ca/
Let us not be ashamed to talk about mental health! Let us be brave because together we
can beat this! RGSA wants to host a get together to offer conversations around mental
health. If you are interested in helping organize a discussion group, please email
[email protected] to get started!
supporting our
future our
community 11
RG
RGSA would like to congratulate the players and coaching staff of the U18 Division 1
Richmond Ravens who won their semi-final game on the weekend and are now not only
advancing to the Coastal B Cup finals but also the Provincials in July.
We would also like to congratulate the players and coaching staff of the U15 Metro
Richmond FC who also won their semi-final game this past weekend and are heading to
Coastal A Cup finals as well as the Provincials in July.
Attention all players. Are you looking for some volunteer opportunities? If so RGSA has some great
opportunities for you to get involved in. Come volunteer for tournaments, special events, fundraising
and more. Contact [email protected] for more
information.
RGSA’S
Psst…. RGSA is looking for you!
If you have a special skill or talent
that you want to share, give us a
shout! We know there’s lots of
MUSICALLY talent out there and
we want to celebrate you so hurry
& contact
communtiyconnections.rgsa@gm
ail.com
for more information
supporting our
future our 12
community
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a disturbance in brain function caused by sheer stress to the brain tissue.
We Need to Take Concussions Seriously
Most concussions resolve without complications in 7-10 days. The danger occurs when the injury is not
recognized or the player is not managed correctly (second impact syndrome)
Returning to activities too early can put a player at increased risk for future concussions and serious
complications.
Research
Recent research indicates that recovery takes more than just sitting in a dark room with no stimulation
waiting to feel better
Research has shown that having physiotherapy treatment from a concussion trained therapist increases
your chance of returning to activity earlier.
You Should Know
You do Not need to lose consciousness to sustain a concussion
You do Not need direct contact to the head to sustain a concussion
You can get a concussion while wearing a helmet
Concussions are often Not managed well
You CANNOT diagnose a concussion on x-ray or CT scan, as there is no obvious structural damage…no
visible sign
There is still controversy over how to best manage a concussion
Common Symptoms
Headaches
Difficulty Concentrating
Fatigue and Drowsiness
Dizziness
Foggy
Feeling Slowed Down
Light Sensitivity
Balance Problems
Difficulty with Memory
You may have only one symptom…or several!
Contact your Doctor for more information!
Cattonline.com currently provides a free online concussion toolkit a:
Concussion Awareness Training Toolkit for Parents, Players & Coaches.
www.cattonline.com
supporting our
future our
community
13
NAME THE WORLD CUP FLAGS
IN 90 SECONDS…
unf _____________________________
tohso ___________________________
luasev __________________________
lgao ____________________________
ouarcsguoe ______________________
ifnoctned ________________________
dpro ____________________________
ssroc rba ________________________
whort ni _________________________
What’s your story?
If you want to be featured in the next RGSA Newsletter, send us a story about yourself or
anything you are passionate about and want to share with others. We’d love to hear from
you! Contact [email protected] for more information. Your story is
important to us and we look forward to hearing about it!
supporting our
future our 14
community
15