Nevada Welcomes New President;
Looks to Build On Decade of Growth

By Guy Hobbs, Past President

On July 12, US Youth Soccer of Nevada held its Annual General Membership meeting, the annual gathering to consider changes to the organization’s standing rules, and to elect officers for the coming two-year period.

While these meetings are rarely attended by individuals not directly involved in the voting process, the business conducted at these meetings has a direct and meaningful impact upon the direction of the entire organization.

Among the more significant actions during this meeting, Bart Farley was elected as President of US Youth Soccer of Nevada for the coming two years. While Bart is a relative newcomer to the Board of Directors that governs the affairs of the largest youth soccer organization in Nevada, he is no newcomer to the sport of soccer.

He has spent a considerable part of his life deeply involved in the game, and will bring his knowledge, dedication and passion for the game to this important position. US Youth Soccer of Nevada will be in very good hands under Bart’s leadership.

Since this marks the first change of leadership in over six years, it also provides an opportunity to reflect upon where we have been and to consider where we may be going.

Let me first say that it has been an honor and a privilege to have served as President of this remarkable and vibrant organization over the past six years. I have had the honor and good fortune to have served with some extraordinary people, most of whom volunteer their time for the betterment of youth soccer. It is the combined vision and effort of these individuals that has allowed us to make the gains we have made in recent years.

Some of the advances made over the past few years include the following:

• A complete re-drafting and updating of all of the policies and procedures that govern the conduct of youth soccer in our State.
• Increased focus upon risk management, including the implementation of the first comprehensive background check program for all adult volunteers and coaches. In addition, zero-tolerance policies regarding substance abuse and improper adult/youth contact have been enacted and enforced.
• Automation of the player registration process, intended to improve customer access to the process and enhance accountability. Once fully implemented, this system will integrate all functions and programs that were previously managed manually.
• Establishment of Goal Nevada as a means of directly communicating with, and providing soccer-related news to, our customers.
• Hosting of the 2007 Far West Regional Soccer Championships. This event brought over $13 million into our local economy and provided a revenue boost to our state association.
• An increase in the statewide registered player base, from roughly 11,000 just five years ago to an estimated 15,000 in the fall of 2009. This represents an increase of over 35 percent and demonstrates success in reaching players that were previously not taking advantage of our programs.
• The addition of four new leagues to the state association. Three of these leagues provide service to segments of our population that were previously underserved, while the fourth provides direct service to the competitive segment of our player base. Our state association now includes a complement of nine leagues providing service to our customer base.
• A marked increase in the level of success our teams have had on a regional and national level, and a dramatic increase in the number of players in our ODP program who have achieved regional and national pool status.
• The hiring of the longest-serving State Director of Coaching in the State’s history. While Eddie Henderson may be moving on to other pastures, his positive impact upon the Nevada soccer environment can not be argued.
• A significant increase in the number of registered referees providing service to the soccer community, and improvements to the licensing process for coaches.
• A significant overhaul of the Nevada State Cup, greatly improving the image of the event as well as providing for a more meaningful experience for the participants. This has included integrating part of the event within the northern part of the State, as well as introducing preliminary rounds of play, group seeding, and other necessary improvements.

While the items noted above are examples of accomplishments and improvements that have been made over the past few years, there are many others that space will not allow to be mentioned. While we are proud of having moved the state association in a positive direction, there is still much to be done to take us where we believe we need to be. Those of us who have had the honor of serving the youth soccer community over the past several years are confident that, under Bart Farley’s leadership, continuous improvement will stay at the forefront.

My thanks for the opportunity to serve.