Great Growth for Soccer in Southern Minnesota!
December 16, 2024 - The Southern Minnesota Soccer League (SMSL), founded in early 2021, began with five clubs meeting to discuss how to improve youth soccer in our area of the state. SMSL started that first fall season with 11 soccer clubs spanning the geography from southeast to southcentral Minnesota.
Since that initial fall season, SMAL has played three full years, with six-game seasons in the Fall and ten-game seasons in the Spring-Summer season. This last year, SMSL facilitated some 1800 soccer games! Additionally, SMSL teams have participated in the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association state tournament, representing our region well by bringing home state championships.
Team registrations from SMSL's first year through its third year, showing approximately 135% growth in teams entered and a similar increase in player registrations. Initially starting with 11 independent soccer clubs, the Southern Minnesota Soccer League now has twenty-four different club members including seven communities fostered by SMSL to kickoff and begin playing traveling soccer!
SMSL looks forward to growing our great game, getting more kids on the field, and creating lasting memories.
Annual Background checks are open!
All club admins, coaches, and managers need to complete a background check. Background Checks completed (approvals) after November 1, 2024 will be valid through December 31, 2025. By state law, all adults assigned to your club (admins, coaches, managers) must have an approved background check. Here is the link to send to coaches/managers for them to complete their background check, as well as required Safe Sport and Concussion Training :[MYSA Player Safety].
Once MYSA approves an admin, coach or manager, clubs can then create/upload/update that adult account profiled in their SMSL Stack Sports Platform. Clubs should keep their own file of all copies of Safe Sport and Concussion Certificates and may also upload those documents to the account adult profile in the SMSL Stack Sports Platform. Once verified as approved, adults can be assigned to club teams. Member Clubs should not allow adults to have contact with youth soccer players until this step is complete!