More about the Portage Soccer Club
Club History-
The Portage Soccer Club began in 1985 and gained status as an incorporated non-profit organization in February 1991. Starting with only four boys teams playing in the West Michigan Youth Soccer Association (WMYSA), today PSC is one of the largest clubs in WMYSA fielding both boys and girls teams from U9 all the way to U19. Although the Club has changed in size over the years, our philosophy of emphasizing player development over winning has remained the same, and our teams have performed very well on the field in terms of both skill and results. Our belief is that players, parents, the club, and the community will always "win through development" of youth to their maximum potential. PSC owns and maintains the Portage Community Soccer Complex at 4422 Bishop Road (east of Sprinkle and south of Bishop/Romence) where home games are played. This 9-field complex opened in 2002 and is now recognized as one of the outstanding soccer complexes in Michigan. In 2008, the Club opened a 6-field practice facility that allows teams plenty of space and at least one goal to shoot on at a time that's convenient for the team. The practice facility also enables other development activities such as common goalkeeper training. The Club hosts the Portage Soccer Classic tournament the second weekend in June, which is now in its 23rd year. In its 22nd year, the tournament had 140 teams competing at ages U-9 to U-19.
Club Mission-
The mission of the PSC is to promote the development of amateur soccer players. The PSC will accomplish this mission by:
A. Providing quality coaching, clinics and team play;
B. Providing competitive opportunities through participation in the West Michigan Youth Soccer Association (WMYSA), the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA) and the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA);
C. Promoting and sponsoring MSYSA and USYSA sanctioned tournaments;
D. Supporting recreational and developmental soccer programs in the community;
E. Working cooperatively with other recreational and developmental sports programs; and
F. Supporting the development and maintenance of soccer fields for PSC teams, for tournament play and for community use.
The PSC Experience-
PSC offers a good soccer experience that's more competitive than recreational soccer (AYSO), but typically not as competitive, time consuming, or costly as premier level soccer (TKO and Kingdom Reserves). The Club represents an outstanding value by providing excellent coaching and strong competition at one of the nicest soccer complexes in the state. The philosophy of the Club is to emphasize player development. We believe that consistent achievement at the highest level possible is a goal that is reached through development and not by coaching to simply win games in the short term. By focusing on development the Club also strives to keep players enjoying the game, and we seek to avoid the burnout that sometimes occurs when travel time becomes excessive, or when pressure to perform may exceed age-appropriate levels. PSC offers a very good experience that many outstanding high school players have benefited from.
Most teams practice twice a week, and typically play an average of eight (8) league games each season on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. The Fall Season typically runs from mid August to the end of October, and the Spring Season usually starts in mid April and lasts until mid June. Half of the games are played away (within an hour drive) while home games are played at the Portage Community Soccer Complex conveniently located here in town. Teams usually play two or three tournaments per year, which may include Memorial Day & Labor Day weekends. All teams are also required to play in the Portage Soccer Classic in June - we are the host organization.
PSC teams playing in WMYSA compete with other area clubs including Kalamazoo, River Oaks (Galesburg/Gull Lake area), Force (Plainwell area), Sting (Vicksburg/Schoolcraft area), Red Arrow (Mattawan), Battle Creek, Marshall, Breakers (South Haven), and SW Michigan (St. Joseph). At many ages (U-12 and older only), some teams play in the more competitive "Elite" league with the best non-premier teams from the Grand Rapids and Lansing areas. In special circumstances, a team may play in the state Premier league. The goal of PSC is to place each team in the league that maximizes the number of closely contested games, which helps make it fun and helps foster player development by exposure to good competition with coaches who keep winning in perspective.
PSC has a proven track record of producing many fine young adults and some excellent soccer players too. Some of the more famous alumni of PSC include Lindsay Tarpley, Jacob Peterson, B.J. Snow, and Eric Alexander. Each of these accomplished soccer stars played in the Portage Soccer Club at least through their U12 year before progressing to Premier at U13 or later (read more). It is suggested that parents who feel they can give their child an extra advantage by starting earlier with Premier read the "Parent's Guide" and "National Report Card" at www.sportsmanship.org concerning the perils of too much too soon. The community of Portage is fortunate to have so many parents who appreciate the importance of player development without forgetting about the importance of having fun along the way too!
What does it cost?
The PSC fee for playing soccer in 2009/2010 is $195 for the full year (U14 and younger) or $155 for high school players (U15 and older). An added on-time expense is about $100 for a uniform package consisting of two cool Puma jerseys, one pair of shorts, and two pair of socks. Included in the club fee are all referee and field rental fees, as well as the coaching stipend. Additional expenses include tournament fees, travel/hotel expenses, and coaches travel expenses for tournaments, which vary by team and usually total from $100-300/yr depending on how many tournaments the team goes to. Jackets, warm-ups, bags, and additional PSC apparel are available at a per-item cost for those interested.
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