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The Texas Elite Youth Soccer Association (TEYSA) held an opening ceremony at Beason’s Park Saturday, Sept. 28, for the start of their fall season.
The program is designed to offer competitive, high-quality soccer for youth groups aged 3-14, with full size soccer fields and professional referees.
Participants get the opportunity to promote good sportsmanship strategies and are challenged in regular season games as well as preseason and postseason tournaments.
The games will take place across Colorado County and other surrounding counties, with games taking place in Halletsville, Bellville, Cuero and Flatonia, in addition to games held at Beason’s Park in Columbus.
TEYSA Executive Director Jana Moffett alongside other board members, had an initiative to bring high-level competitive soccer to Columbus and Colorado County to raise the bar for performances at the high school level and beyond, given that the sport does not receive the same attention football or baseball does.
“We wanted to give kids the opportunity to play soccer at a high-level before reaching high school,” said Jana. “Why not bring the level of soccer in Columbus and Colorado County up to the same playing field as football or baseball? We want the kids to be able to compete in this sport against the schools that are known to contend, and we feel creating that pipeline at this young of an age can prepare these kids to do just that.”
TEYSA’s first inaugural season kicked off earlier this year in the spring, with the number of players growing rapidly due to what the program offers. TEYSA President Brad Moffett says the number of kids has nearly doubled, with travel opportunities offered to the older players, giving them the experience of traveling and playing different teams, and TEYSA offering an incentive the kids find hard to refuse.
“The kids love the jerseys,” said Brad. “We put in a lot of effort into what they wear because it brings them genuine joy. It is something other programs around the area do not offer, and we take pride in. We have gone from 42 players in the spring to 75 for the fall season, and that is without all the kids going to play football. Our older age groups, 10U and up, get the opportunity to travel and play to experience what it feels like to play at a true competitive level.”
For more information on the program and to keep up with the season, email [email protected] or call 979203-3744.
