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Brief History of SAY
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The Soccer Association for Youth was established 1967, in Cincinnati, Ohio. A Board of Directors comprised of eight people met to organize a youth soccer program. Each director had a great vision for the program and immediately saw the possibilities for a national program. Members from the Finneytown area of Cincinnati and a German Club, Schwaben, located in Western Hills, initially formed the SAY organization with approximately 400 players and 27 teams.
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The following 10 years found soccer exploding in the United States. This trend had a positive impact on the SAY organization. In 1977 the organization had grown to 29,000 players in two states. SAY Soccer was becoming a dominate power for recreational soccer in southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky.
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Moving into the 1980’s, organizational and playing rules have been firmly established and the increase in player numbers was still on the rise. Player numbers were in the neighborhood of 71,000 players and 4,731 teams by 1988.
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Moving into the 1990’s, SAY Soccer continued to expand into several other states across the US (87,000 players), move to a more simple and refined Board of Directors, and most importantly, several committees were set in place for the good of the organization.
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2000 SAY breaks the 100,000 player mark supports 20,000 coaches, over 8000 referees and thousands of volunteers.
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In 2009 SAY Soccer assists over 600 Soccer leagues, 150,000 players, 36,000 coaches, across the United States and continues to be "The" Leader in Recreational Soccer Support.
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2010 and beyond...the climate in soccer is changing from the professional ranks, select and premier, to the grassroots recreational programs. SAY Soccer understands the needs of individual clubs will vary from city to city and state to state thus, in addition to our core offerings, we provide assistance that is tailored to the specific needs of your community. Our aim is to be flexible to meet your ever changing needs while providing the stability and backing of a national organization affiliated with US Soccer Federation.
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A professional and courteous staff is always available to assist you. Select 'Contact Us' from the menu above to view the SAY National Staff Page. The organization is now governed by a National Board of Directors comprised of 9 members from all over the country.
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