The Northshore Youth Soccer Association functions much like a co-op in one major way: NYSA is run by the members. From team snack person to the NYSA President, all are members (and usually parents). As you will see from the following description of how NYSA functions, this requires the volunteer help of thousands of people. NYSA would not exist without that volunteer participation.
Note: Anyone working, in any way, with children within NYSA is required to complete a national background check (RMA) through the WA Youth Soccer Affinity Sports System.
NYSA BOARD
At the top of the Northshore Youth Soccer Association pyramid is the NYSA Board of Directors. Officers include: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar. Club Presidents are NYSA Board members and represent their clubs. There are also several at large members including two youth board members.
The Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month and is responsible for compliance with all NYSA, Washington Youth Soccer, USYSA, USSF, and FIFA rules. The Board oversees NYSA's business and operations.
NYSA is a member association of Washington Youth Soccer. Washington Youth Soccer is divided into seven administrative Districts - each overseen by a District Commissioner. NYSA is in District 2, with Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA), Eastside Youth Soccer Association (EYSA), and Snoqualmie Valley Youth Soccer Association (SVYSA).
NYSA CLUBS
NYSA is divided into clubs for administrative purposes. NYSA has 4 Clubs for the U6 to U12 recreation players: Bothell, Inglemoor, North Creek, and Woodinville Clubs. These clubs are formed around the Northshore School District's elementary school feeder pattern to the high schools.
United Club serves the U13 through U19 recreational players. The NSC club is NYSA's select program for U10 to U19 teams; and the Sound FC Club is NYSA's premier program for U9 through U19 players.
The Sound FC and NSC clubs meet monthly while the rec clubs meet monthly prior to, during, and after the fall season to get input from the clubs and attend to club business. Your Club is your communication link with the NYSA. All teams should have a coach and, ideally, a manager attend these meetings. The Club meetings (and email communications) are NYSA's vital link to its membership.
Clubs are responsible for many administrative and association duties. Those duties can include: overseeing the club's returning and new player registration, finding coaches, allocating practice fields, soliciting referees to referee games that do not have a referee, lining fields, etc.
Club officers can include President, VP's (that match NYSA's VPs), Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar (Club registrars serve under the NYSA Registrar). Other jobs include: Referee Assignor, Equipment Manager, Practice Field Scheduling, Risk Management, etc.
TEAMS
All teams must have a coach and preferably, an assistant coach. Coaches must become licensed through the appropriate coach license clinic offered by NYSA.
Coaches plan and run practices each week, coach the weekend games, and attend the appropriate coach training offered by NYSA. Coaches are responsible for maintaining proper behavior on their team's sidelines at games.
NYSA strongly recommends that each team have a manager. Managers (or team parents as they are sometimes called) do the organizational work for the coach and attend club meetings with the coach. Managers distribute information, coordinate uniform purchase (if necessary), coordinate team travel (if necessary), distribute game schedules, and find other team parents to handle additional tasks such as picture person, snack person, and parent referee.