Great Collaboration Among State Associations Benefits Everyone In Soccer
Instead of several educational videos on goal safety, New Jersey Youth Soccer collaborated with several other State Associations and the results were a more cost-effective and higher quality video. So smart. So logical. And, definitely keeping the focus on what’s best for the game.
New Jersey Youth Soccer, in collaboration with all several other state associations in the US Youth Soccer East Region, has just launched a new goal safety educational video. The goal was simple. Keep youth soccer players safe. The goal safety video is an important Safe Soccer resource for New Jersey’s youth soccer clubs.
“This project highlights our commitment to a fun and safe soccer environment for all our youth players.”
Evan Dabby, New Jersey Youth Soccer’s Executive Director
Injuries from improperly secured goals have happened to several players and it is critical that educational safety information is available to continually educate coaches, referees, players and soccer families.
“Across the country, we have too often heard of injuries stemming from an unsecured soccer goal,” said Evan Dabby, NJYS Executive Director. “This project was completed by leveraging the expertise and guidance from executives throughout the USYS East Region.”
“We don’t need tons of different goal safety videos, each specific to a different US Youth Soccer State Association. Now, we have one and we simply change the branding so it becomes state-specific,” said Dabby. “The result is a resourceful product on an important topic. Collaborating with other State Associations in US Youth Soccer’s East Region we were able to save money and resources. The video cost New Jersey an estimated 10% of what we would have spent producing our own and 10% of the effort — because of the pooling of resources. If we can figure out how to really harness this approach in other areas, I think we’ll be more effective and better State Associations.”
Narrated by NJYS Director of Coaching Rick Meana, the topics of discussion include moving goals, securing goals into the ground, anchoring goals, securing nets and preliminary tests that should be conducted before allowing players to take the field for a game or practice setting.
The video, which was produced by Double Jump Media House, provides goal safety measures that should be taken prior to any training session or competitive match.
The video was primarily filmed at the Wall Soccer Complex in New Jersey, with volunteer support coming from Wall Soccer Club and Soccer Specific Training (SST).
It is great to see the collaboration of several US Youth Soccer State Associations, joining together to achieve a shared goal for the betterment of their members.
