Newsletter - The Pitch Pulse

Welcome to The PHMSA Pitch Pulse, PHMSA’s Newsletter for everything you need to know about AYSO Region 281 – registration info, volunteer opportunities, season updates and more! Keep an eye out for The PHMSA Pitch Pulse for important news and updates coming from PHMSA.

Friday, April 10, 2026

AYSO'S SIX PHILOSOPHIES
Did you know AYSO has 6 Core Philosophies? These are the principles that separate AYSO from other sports organizations. Stay tuned as we spotlight each philosophy – highlighting how it helps to provide a positive, fair and fun soccer experience for all our players.

EVERYONE PLAYS
AYSO’s goal is to get players out on the field playing soccer, regardless of their skill level. Rec is a place to learn and grow, and you can’t do that if you are not out on the field playing the game. AYSO mandates that each player on every team play at least 50% of each game. In PHMSA we have taken that one step further – every player must play 3 quarters before any player plays all 4 quarters. This means that the most skilled player can’t be out there all game, while other players only play half the game. This does not guarantee 3 quarters of play for everyone.

SUMMER CAMPS
Looking to kick-start your soccer skills over the Summer? Check out these Summer Camps in our area:

Challenger Sports – Quakes Camp

AMO Soccer Academy – Summer Camps

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
There is a reason questions get put in this category – because they are asked every season! Follow along as we dive into some of the top questions asked each Fall.

WHY DOES PHMSA HAVE A POINT SYSTEM & CORE VOLUNTEER ROLES?
We’re glad you asked! AYSO Regions are 100% volunteer run – there wouldn’t be soccer without them! However, as every volunteer run organization has come to notice, volunteers are getting harder to come by. While we understand people work and in general life is busy, the program would not exist for players to participate in unless we get help to run it. That’s where the Point System & Core Volunteer Roles come into play, so each family on the team can take a role (no matter how big or small) to help make this program a success. We have created roles that fit all different types of availability – from season-long commitment, to game day presence, and to end of season help – there is a role to fit every kind of availability.

Core Volunteer Roles
Coach (6U and up) – on-field, season long
Assistant Coach (6U and up) – on-field, season long
Team Manager (6U and up) – season long, time commitment as needed
Field Coordinator (6U and up) – game days
Referee (8U and up) – on field, game days
PHMSA Cup Volunteer (10U and up) – end of season

Find out more about PHMSA’s Volunteer Positions & Point System

JOIN OUR TEAM!
We need more players to join our team! PHMSA’s Board consists of volunteer parents just like you; we work together to bring this program to life.

Contact [email protected] if you would like to fulfill one of the open positions.

Secretary – are you organized, great at taking notes and like to stay on task? This is the spot for you!

19U Division Coordinator – help make our 19U division score! With only a few teams to manage, this is a great opportunity to step into a division coordinator roll and experience the fun!

Volunteer & Events Coordinator – helps with managing our extra volunteer needs like equipment & jersey handouts as well as our events like picture day and our volunteer appreciation dinner.

Awards Coordinator – hero to the players! The awards coordinator helps with selecting, ordering, and distributing end of season awards.

Safety Director – an important part of the team! Responsible for ensuring the safety of all PHMSA participants by inspecting fields and equipment, managing incident reports, and more.

Assistant Coach Administrator – as Asst. Coach Admin you will be helping with all things coaches; help ensure all coaches have competed trainings, help with coach meetings and trainings, verify regional coach materials are up to date, and more.

Assistant Referee Administrator – as Asst. Referee Admin you will be helping with all things refs; help ensure all refs have competed trainings, help with ref meetings and trainings, and more.

SIGN ME UP!

Registration now open

Early Bird registration for 6U – 19U is $165 per player. Registration is $200 after May 31st.

Playground/Schoolyard is $100.

For more information about PHMSA programs please CLICK HERE.

BUDDY UP
The “Buddy” question is the TOP question we get asked every year “Can I request a buddy on my team?” and the answer is yes – but only for the Coach and Referee Volunteers. The Volunteers may request to pair with each other to get their players on the same team. This is the only buddy pairing PHMSA accepts.

Buddy Pairings Allowed by Division

6U – Coach/Assistant Coach

8U – Coach/Assistant Coach OR Coach/Referee

10U and up – Coach/Assistant Coach, Coach/Referee OR Coach/Assistant Coach/Referee (to triple buddy with a referee the referee must be registered in Sports Connect and completed online training. Triple buddies must include a referee)

Please confirm your pairings will be registering to play in Fall Core 2026 and be volunteering before entering their names into the system. Triple buddies are not allowed in 6U/8U.

GET IN THE GAME
AYSO is an all-volunteer organization, from coaches, referees, board members and beyond, AYSO can only run successfully when families are involved. To ensure our region runs smoothly, our PHMSA families are expected to contribute to our volunteer program at some level. Please take time to check out our Volunteer Page to see how you can best help your team for the fall season. PHMSA can only thrive with your support!

THE SOCIAL SIDE
Have you discovered our pages yet? Join us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on the season, AYSO facts, and fun soccer memes!