History of the Vigo County Youth Soccer Association (VCYSA)
The VCYSA Soccer Club was started over three decades ago in 1978 because a few kids in the community had gotten interested in soccer watching Soccer Made in Germany in 1977 and wanted an outlet to play. One of them included the son of an Indiana State University (ISU) professor and friends of Coach and VCYSA Director of Coaching, Mike Aycock. (One of them grew up to be a very successful goalkeeper at ISU).
The club was founded by coach Aycock with the help of some of his teammates and ISU English professor Fred Rusch. The club initially held soccer clinics in 1977, but didn’t start play until the spring of 1978, as coach Aycock recalls. Coach Aycock was the first President of the organization and coached two teams, refereeing many of the games as well. The club started with six (6) or eight (8) teams total and played at the former Honey Creek Junior High School, out on the field where the track is today. Lee Phifer provided some income through concessions he ran from an RC Cola trailer he brought each week.
The play was all recreational and focused on the 12-14 age group. Older kids were added first, but eventually the younger ages were added; which was what caused the club to grow to a size that needed much more than one field. The club grew into Travel soccer pretty fast, sometime around 1981, while coach Aycock was the men’s coach at ISU. The clubs first sponsor was the Terre Haute Lions Club, whose color is purple. So, prosaically enough, that’s how we started wearing purple uniforms.
Not long after that, because the Oberlandler Club was also a sponsor, we started hosting an Octoberfest Tournament that we held on the front grounds at the Vigo County Fairgrounds. After a year or two at Brittlebank Park, we eventually settled at the Fairgrounds, renting the space that we used for many years... until 2009 when the now Springhill Soccer Complex was completed and ready for play.
One of coach Aycock's teammates that helped quite a bit from early on was Tunde Davies, originally from Nigeria. He moved away with his young family to the Chicago area, but eventually returned to Terre Haute and has helped the club over the past few years.
VCYSA Mission
“To develop and promote the growth and appreciation of the game of soccer and to provide the best possible soccer experience for all players.”
Meet VCYSA Life Member - Mike Aycock:
Coach Aycock is one of the founding members of the VCYSA soccer club. He has been involved in coaching youth soccer for over thirty years. He is the former coach of the ISU Men, Terre Haute South Girls, and is presently Head Coach at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. He holds a USSF (United States Soccer Federation) B and Youth National License. He is also well-respected and recognized in IYSA (Indiana Youth Soccer Association) as a one of the best staff coaching instructors in the state. In addition, he is an Indiana ODP (Olympic Development Program) Head Coach and has served that program for twenty years.
Coach Aycock was bestowed Life Membership on the Board of Directors. We are extremely fortunate to have such an experienced and knowledgeable soccer expert as a member of our Board and soccer club!
Associations
The VCYSA soccer club is a member of Indiana Soccer and US Youth Soccer.
VCYSA Board Members
| Title | Name | |
| President | Chris Lozier |
president@vcysa.org |
| Vice-President |
Morgan Shanks |
shanksmo@gmail.com |
| Second Vice-President | Steve Reed | tournamentdirector@vcysa.org |
| Past President | Ethan Rayburn |
ethanrayburn@vcysa.org |
| Secretary | Ashley Bowers |
amarie0224@hotmail.com |
| Treasurer | Ethan Rayburn |
ethanrayburn@vcysa.org |
| Risk Manager | Jim McDonald |
jim@vcysa.org |
Commissioner Chairpersons
| Division | Name | |
| U4 KiddieKicks | Morgan Shanks |
shanksmo@gmail.com |
| U6 | Breanna Tanoos | bkntravioli@gmail.com |
| U8 | Kayla Hoogenboom |
kayla.liffick@gmail.com |
| U10 | Chris Hogue | chris3hogue@gmail.com |
| U12 | Emily Maxwell-Fritz | emily.maxwell@aol.com |
| U15 | Curtis Bodine | curtisbodine@msn.com |
| Adult League | Open | |
| High School Rec | Kyle Baker | kyle@vcysa.org |
Committee Chairperson
| Committee | Name | |
| Fields | Courtney Hubbard | c22hubb@yahoo.com |
| Equipment | Morgan Bennett |
mbennett612815@gmail.com |
| Sponsorship | Ethan Rayburn |
ethanrayburn@vcysa.org |
| Web Site | Chris Hogue |
chris3hogue@gmail.com |
| Awards | Tabitha Wright | tdheady@aol.com |
| Vendors | Jim McDonald | jim@vcysa.org |
| Marketing | Tara Counterman | marketing@vcysa.org |
| Fundraising | Dustin Romero | dustin.romero@ti-films.com |
| Tournament Co-Director |
Steve Reed | tournamentdirector@vcysa.org |
| Tournament Co-Director | Jim McDonald |
jim@vcysa.org |
Referee Assignors
| Title | Name | |
| Recreation Assignor | Noah Sutton |
travelassignor@vcysa.org |
| Travel Assignor | Noah Sutton | travelassignor@vcysa.org |
Staff & Advisory
| Title | Name | |
| Director of Soccer Operations | Melissa Brown | melissa@vcysa.org |
| Director of Coaching & Player Development | Kyle Baker | kyle@vcysa.org |
| Academy Director |
Kevin Millington | academydirector@vcysa.org |
Club Contact Information
Mailing Address
PO Box 2003
Terre Haute, IN 47802
Costs of Operating A Soccer Club
One of the more often asked questions is "Where do our registration fees go for soccer?". The question can be asked about both travel and recreational soccer as the fees can be considered high by many parents. The reality is that registration fees are subsidized by other sources of revenue generated by the Club. These sources can include sponsorships, concessions and tournament income. Currently, registration fees make up approximately 75% of the income collected by the Club on an annual basis.
There are several expenses that affect the Club, regardless of travel or recreational soccer. The major cost is associated with the mowing, fertilization, seeding and maintaining of 35 acres of playing surface and an additional 10 acres of grass. These actions occur on an on-going basis throughout the year even though our seasons will end. The continued maintenance with gravel and grading of the parking lot will add to that cost. Other expenses are shown, but it’s not an all-inclusive list.
Insurance
Trainers
Player & League Registration Fees
Security
Recreational Awards
Coaching Education
Building & Equipment Repairs
Recreational Uniforms
Referees
Personnel Costs
Utilities & Telephone
Typically, travel registration fees are higher than recreational fees due to the additional costs required by the State (player registration and referee fees) and the allocation of available trainers to the travel program. Members of the Board continue to review and monitor other soccer club's fees within the state in an effort to keep our program priced as competitively as possible. We have been very fortunate to have a Club that is still managed and supported by volunteers.