DIAMOND BAR AYSO

In 2009, Alex Morgan became the youngest member of the U.S. Women's National soccer team and competed in the 2011 FIFA World Cup. She was the first overall pick in the 2011 WPS draft, and in 2012 she will play for Team USA in the Olympic Games.

From Diamond Bar AYSO to Team USA, the alphabet soup of soccer means little to Morgan’s mom, Pam. All she knows is that her daughter was always something special.

“Alex deserves this – she has put her all into everything she does,” said Pam Morgan. “Since her first Diamond Bar AYSO soccer game at 5 years old, she has always just given her best every time she steps on the field. Sports, school, friendships, and family have been instrumental in shaping her life. She took the ball and ran with it. She's a great daughter – a real joy.”

Alex Morgan was a multisport athlete growing up, but she didn’t start playing organized soccer until she was 14 years old. She attended Diamond Bar High School, where she was a three-time all-league pick and was named an NSCAA All-American. After high school, Morgan went to the University of California at Berkeley, where she led the Golden Bears to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years (and to the second round twice). In 2008, she helped the United States get to the championship of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against North Korea—named the Goal of the Tournament and second-best Goal of the Year by FIFA.

At the end of her Berkeley career, in the fall of 2010, she was tied for third on the school’s list of all-time scorers, with 45 goals, and she was third in points (107). (She missed numerous Berkeley games in her senior year to play games for the national team, or she likely would have finished at number one on both lists.) She was named to the All-Pac-10 team four times and was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention selection.

In 2011, Alex Morgan was drafted first overall in the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer draft by the Western New York Flash. That same year, she was on the U.S. National team in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The youngest player on the team, she scored her first World Cup goal in the semifinal match against France, and the team went on to the finals (only to lose to Japan in a shootout).

Once the WPS league suspended play at the end of the 2011 season, Morgan joined the Seattle Sounders Women of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, along with other U.S. National team members such as Hope Solo, Sydney Leroux, Stephanie Cox, and Megan Rapinoe. In the summer of 2012, Alex Morgan joins her American teammates for the Summer Olympic Games in London, where they will seek a fourth gold medal for the United States (the American women’s squad has won three of the four Olympic titles since women’s soccer was first included in the Olympics in 1996).

The youngest of three girls, Morgan, grew up here in Diamond Bar in Diamond Bar AYSO. Morgan played soccer exclusively in Region 31 until she was in U14 when she was recruited to So Cal Infinity. Playing in both the Fall and Spring Programs, Morgan was the sparkplug for the U14 Spring Select team of 2003 which won the Tri-Section Championship (and almost everything else that year) according to team coach Nancy Davis.

“All of us were athletic – we played softball first then volleyball, and soccer but Alex loved soccer the most,” sister Jennifer Morgan said. “My dad wanted all of us to play softball but once Alex started to be recruited by club teams by the age of 11, we knew she was special.”

Determined to let her have a childhood, her dad didn’t want to enter the club team circuit right away. Morgan played volleyball, soccer and ran track at Diamond Bar High School, but when forced to choose, she picked soccer.

While in high school, Morgan was selected to play in the Olympic Developmental Program, where she gained a lot of exposure. In her senior year at DBHS, she tore her ACL and was told she would need 9-12 months to recover but Morgan fought back and returned in only six months.

While on scholarship at the University of California at Berkeley, Morgan rushed through her final year to graduate a semester early so she could take off with the US National Team.

AYSO has announced a new campaign aimed at returning the focus of AYSO to it’s foundations beginning with "RESPECT.starts.with.me” -- the new theme for the 2012 AYSO membership year.

A national Facebook campaign will be launched this fall to reward those great examples of respectful behavior during the season. Respect will also be featured on the cover of PLAYSOCCER Magazine which will home delivered to the family of every AYSO registered player during the first week of September.

No one is perfect. Mistakes get made. But when respect is the foundation of our relationships, we treat each other with courtesy, consideration and patience. Kids watch the behavior of adults and they learn how to relate to the world around them. Youth sports are as much about learning life lessons as they are about learning the sport on the field.

Respect isn’t about “the other guy,” it always starts with ourselves. Respectful behavior towards other parents, referees (who volunteer their time to ensure that every game is fun, fair and safe), coaches (who dedicate hours every week to make sure every player is learning soccer and having a great AYSO experience), administrators (who give countless hours to register players, line fields, hang nets, set up schedules and rosters, process money and so much more) and, most importantly, the kids that we all care so much about.

Respect may not specifically be one of the Six Philosophies of AYSO, but it is embedded in everything AYSO does. From good sportsmanship to Kids Zone, respect on the field, on the sidelines and in the community is what makes AYSO the special organization that it is.

The RESPECT Campaign began as a “respect for referees” initiative in Europe and has now spanned the globe, picking up meaning as it has traveled. Under its U.S. Soccer umbrella, the governing body of all soccer in America has launched a fan-respect campaign for fans in the stands; the European Football Union (UEFA) added an anti-racism component and AYSO has kicked the ball further, by embracing it as a campaign for parents, players, referees and coaches.

Remember, RESPECT.starts.with.me!

Spring Select 2013

20th Annual Cottontail

Country Classic Tournament

Parties

AYSOs Concussion

Safety Policy

The 2013 Tri-Section Meeting is returning to the Anaheim Marriott the weekend of April 12-15, 2013. Don’t Miss Out!!

Join in on a weekend full of fun, networking and continuing education. Make sure not to miss some of the new course offerings including: ABCs of Coaching the Goalkeeper, TEAM AYSO, AYSO Amplified, More Fields for More Soccer, and “REC” Is Not A Four Letter Word.

A full lineup of instructor courses will be offered Friday for all those aspiring instructors and we’ll be bringing back the popular field sessions in the exhibit hall.

AYSO has adopted the world-wide RESPECT campaign for the 2013 Section Meeting season with our own theme “RESPECT.starts.with.me.”

Respect for referees, opposing teams, coaches, parents and players is an essential part of ensuring every AYSO game is safe, fun and fair for all! Learn more about how to support the RESPECT.starts.with.me. campaign this season by attending the Section 1/10/11 Conference Meeting.

Click here to RSVP NOW! Early-Bird Registration Closes Friday, February 15th.

Download the Agenda to See the Exciting New Workshops Being Offered This Year!

There are plenty of ways to get involved. Interested in volunteering at the Conference? Click here to have fun helping out!

700 W. Convention Way,

Anahiem, CA 92802