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Executive Director's Corner

Phil McGovern - Executive Director

2024 Annual General Meeting

Thanks to all who attended our Annual Meeting.

If you weren't able to attend please catch up on our club's business by reviewing the Preliminary Meeting Minutes

Financial Assistance

HYSA is committed to ensuring that financial restraints do not inhibit any player in the Helena area from participating in soccer.

Financial aid is handled on a case-by-case basis and is offered at all levels of play. If your family wants to play soccer and has a hardship preventing one or more children from playing I encourage you to get in touch with me. We have helped many families over the past seasons and we can assist you.

Please email me, executivedirector@helenasoccer.org to let me know privately and securely the reasons for hardship and your financial situation.

For more information visit our Policies Page

Play Fair, Be Respectful, Have Fun!

Phil

HYSL & Micro Corner

Caitlin Rivers - HYSL & Micro Director

Welcome back to another wonderful Fall soccer season !

For the fall 2024 season, we have 569 recreational players and 60 volunteer coaches forming 48 HYSL teams and 8 micro groups.

As we head into our first few games, a reminder that YOU have the ability to positively contribute to the overall soccer experience of our recreational players. This starts by remembering that these are children, this is a game, and attitudes are contagious.

Players; Have FUN and GOOD LUCK!

Caitlin

Academy Corner

Greg Bibeau - Academy Director

Role Reminders

As we get full speed into the Fall season of games, let me remind you that each of us has a role during a youth soccer game.

Some have the role of players. Some have the role of coaches. Some have the role of referees. Others have the role of spectators, our parents. We must remember to stick to our role. For example, if we are players, our role is to play the game, not to call fouls or off-sides. If we are a spectator, our role is not to be another coach on the far sideline. And if we are coaches, we must not think that we can put on a uniform and play in the game. Ha ha ha.

The wonderful people we have as referees do not need us to say anything to them from the spectator side. It is the coaches’ responsibility to communicate any necessary needs about the safety of their players to the refe es. Outside of that, communication to referees should be nonexistent.

If we consider our goal in youth sports, especially at HYSA, it is that our kids are having fun, staying active, and learning to get better at soccer. If you missed it, winning is on that list. However, winning is a byproduct and will happen if those three things happen. Even if the scoreboard doesn’t tell us that we’ve won a game, we will have won if those three things happen.

So, for those of you still reading this today, I want to say thank you and encourage you to help us maintain a positive environment within our club at HYSA games and practices. This Fall, let’s keep negativity and gossip to a minimum. Let’s magnify the good parts of our players, coaches, referees, and the list goes on and on. Let’s be a positive voice this Fall in a world where there’s a lot of negativity.

Thank you, and go HYSA, Arsenal, & Academy!

Greg

St. Peter's Health

Tips for Keeping Your Bones Strong and Healthy

There are 206 bones in our body and each plays a critical role in protecting our organs, providing structure and giving a good anchor for our muscles to cling on to. This is why maintaining good bone health is so important. Did you know that our bones are constantly changing and growing? It’s hard to wrap your head around because to most of us, our bones seem hard and motionless. But that’s quite the opposite. Just like our skin, our bones are living, growing tissue that needs attention and care to remain effective at its job.

Osteoporosis is a common health condition that causes your bones to become weak and brittle, or “low density.” According to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, 54 million Americans are impacted by this condition and the disease is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones every year.

One common misconception is that osteoporosis only affects elderly white women. While it’s true that the disease most commonly impacts this demographic, it does not discriminate and can impact both men and women at any age. Being proactive about our bone health in our 20s, 30s and 40s is key. It is much easier to prevent developing low bone density compared to reversing it later on. So, what can you do to maintain good bone health? Know the facts about osteoporosis, take steps to keep your bones strong and healthy, and know what to look out for when assessing your own bone health is a great first step to keeping you healthy.

What impacts bone health?

Vitamins and diet: Like most health advice, maintaining a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in calcium and vitamin D is great for maintaining long-term bone health.

Exercise: It’s no secret that squeezing in at least 30 minutes of exercise each day is great for your overall health. Specific to maintaining or increasing bone health though, incorporating muscle-strengthening and weight-bearing exercises can help build bone density.
Smoking and alcohol: In general, it is good health advice not to smoke and to use alcohol in moderation. According to Mayo Clinic, research suggests that tobacco use and excessive alcohol intake can contribute to weak bones.
Some medications: Long-term use of certain medications can impact your bone health. Contrarily, there are medications that can be prescribed to help you build bone density. If you have questions about medications, be sure to speak with your provider.
Your individual makeup and family history: Your physical size, gender, age, race, hormone levels, family history and more can all affect your bone health. Keep these factors in mind as you assess your risk for bone disease.

Osteoporosis is known as a “silent” disease because often folks don’t know they have low bone density until they have broken a bone. Knowledge is power. Be sure to speak with your provider if you have questions or concerns about your bone health.

About the author: Dr. Kelsey Hoffman is a Primary Care Provider at St. Peter’s Health. She earned her Doctor of Medicine at the Midwestern University - Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her fellowship and residency in the Montana Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Hoffman is a board-certified member of the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Family Medicine-Sports Medicine.