Not The "Typical" Soccer Organization
Our goal is to assure your youth soccer community is receiving personalized attention. We recognize needs will vary from league to league and aim to provide the flexibility and support to assist you in reaching your goals and objectives. SAY Soccer encourages interplay with other SAY organizations, as well as Non-SAY organizations.
A Brief History
The Soccer Association for Youth was established in 1967 in Cincinnati, Ohio at a meeting of the eight Founding Fathers. This new Board of Directors met to organize a youth soccer program. Each director had a vision for the program and immediately saw the possibilities of a national program. The Founders got to work creating a trademark, playing rules, organizing officials, creating a Constitution, Bylaws and more.
The first President was Tom Allen Stevens. Members from Finneytown and Schwaben, a local German Club in Western Hills, formed the initial SAY Soccer season with approximately 400 players and 27 teams. SAY Soccer was off and running.
Soccer was growing exponentially in the US and SAY Soccer saw expansion to all parts of Greater Cincinnati including Northern Kentucky and Dayton. In 1972, SAY proudly announced the beginning of the girl’s program lead by Mary Ann Kaminsky. The SAY Board grew to 20 members as the organization required additional expertise. Several significant additions to SAY Soccer were player insurance, tournament play, expanded rules, creation of a Referee Handbook and training for coaches, referees, parents, and players. SAY Soccer had become a full-service organization for the recreational player.
In 1980, the great Pele visited Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as part of a SAY Soccer promotion. An autographed ball still highlights the SAY Soccer office display. In addition, SAY Soccer expanded into multiple states and neighborhoods. The number of players had reached 70,000.
SAY Soccer also went through several changes including reducing the National Board of Directors to 9 members from 22, expanding risk management practices, data collection, improved communications and creating a robust online store presence. The Roland Bedard Hall of Fame (RBHOF) was created to commemorate our long-serving, one and only Commissioner. Today, there are 14 members of the SAY Soccer RBHOF.
In 2017, SAY Soccer celebrated its 50th anniversary with a formal celebration and after several decades of renting office space, the organization purchased a building in Springfield Township that became the SAY Soccer National Headquarters and the permanent home for our employees, RBHOF, National Board meetings and more. The National Office allows for additional funding of member programs by keeping player fees low.
Today, SAY Soccer is a proud member of the US Soccer Federation (USSF) with 100,000 players in 35 states. The Board of Directors and National Staff are focused on world-class customer service and operating in an efficient and effective manner for all stakeholders today as well as future generations.
Everything we do is focused on our motto “Kids Having Fun.”