Dear Members of WWPSA:
Even though many of you may not have been thinking of soccer during the off-season, your Board was working on a number of issues throughout the winter and we would like to provide you with an update now that the spring season is underway and we prepare for the future.
First, we took a hard look at our existing facilities and recognize that we need to put significant resources into appropriate facilities and infrastructure to ensure training and games occur in a soccer-appropriate safe environment. In addition:
- We prepared and reviewed a comprehensive inventory of our available fields.
- We considered the importance of program delivery for the existing recreational, travel and adult programs.
- We formed a committee to consider both short-term and long range planning to create a comprehensive Facilities Plan.
- The Board reviewed and approved a Facilities Plan and decreed implementing it as our association's highest priority. The Facilities plan includes:
- Improving the game field surfaces by top dressing, re-seeding, re-leveling and, in some cases, actually rebuilding the pitch.
- Improve general field maintenance
- Provide better practice fields and expand the number of lighted practice fields.
- A vision of identifying and developing a series of primary assets that will include multiple fields in both West Windsor and Plainsboro, including Duck Pond Park located off of Meadow Road.
Of course, all of this takes money, time and manpower to accomplish. Your Board is prepared to explore facilities projects that, if implemented, will likely deplete the current WWPSA Capital Projects Fund within the next 12 to 18 months. We do not take these expenditures lightly and have put checks and balances into place to give the Board reasonable assurance that we will receive realistic financial estimates for these projects and that they will efficiently use the appropriated funds. The first of these projects will begin in approximately one month with the upgrading of the natural turf at WWCP Field #1 to ensure it is ready for the fall season.
Second, we recognize that additional resources will be required for these longer-term projects and acknowledge that our registration fees cannot be the sole source of this revenue. To this end, we have formed a Fundraising Committee to spearhead significant fundraising efforts to enable development and future expansion of fields and facilities.
Third, we have identified and approved a new website provider and are looking forward to rolling out an improved website in early April. The address remains the same (
www.wwpsa.org) but the format will appear much more current and in line with other progressive soccer clubs of our size and diversity, the content will be more up-to-date and easier to find, we will all have greater access to relevant information and the overall result will be something of which we can all be proud. Check it out! but the format will appear much more current and in line with other progressive soccer clubs of our size and diversity, the content will be more up-to-date and easier to find, we will all have greater access to relevant information and the overall result will be something of which we can all be proud. Check it out!
Fourth, we distributed an RFP ("Request for Proposal") to solicit competitive bids to identify a Training Provider for the Youth Recreational Program that will offer our association the highest-quality training at the most reasonable cost and improve the service we receive as a result. We reviewed the responses and accepted ProActive Sport's bid to serve as the WWPSA's official recreational soccer training provider for 2006. We have since begun working with ProActive to craft a Training Curriculum to provide our children and coaches with the proper guidance they need to meet clearly defined expectations at each age group and ability level. We are excited about this leap forward in providing our players and coaches with the direction they need to improve the skills of everyone involved in our programs.
Fifth, we successfully launched our spring recreational soccer programs and filled up all available spots in our Spring Rec Program in a record 3 ½ weeks! We're proud that we can offer a variety of programs to our association whose quality is reflected in its high demand.
Sixth, we are exploring opportunities to provide training during the summer and expect to announce several new initiatives shortly.
Seventh, we've been busy preparing for our very popular Travel soccer tournament, the 12th Annual Sunburst Soccer Tournament to be held on June 3rd & 4th. Teams have begun to register and preparations are moving smoothly. Check out the details on
www.wwpsa.org.
As for our Travel Program, many of our travel soccer players didn't rest at all over the winter. The teams went indoors to hone their skills and stay sharp and practice outdoors on the synthetic turf at Mercer County Community College. As of the beginning of March travel teams were outdoors again and already playing league matches and tournaments in New Jersey and the surrounding states such as Maryland and Virginia.
With all of these programs and initiatives, your Board cannot do this alone. We will need your help and support, and our most pressing needs relate to volunteers to assist with Fundraising and Fall Recreational Soccer. Please help us continue to offer the high-quality programs you and your children have enjoyed and come to expect from the WWPSA.
Remember: stay involved, volunteer to help and please keep the feedback coming! We're looking forward to seeing you on the pitch!
