Welcome to the Steel Valley Soccer Club, proudly serving the youth of Munhall, Homestead, West Homestead and neighboring communities.
Fall 2010 Registration. Registration for the Fall 2010 is closed. Late registrations are being accepted on a limited basis. For information, contact SVSC Registrar Stacy Drane at 412-462-2591. A $10 late fee will be assessed for any late registrations. YOU MUST BE BORN BEFORE AUGUST 1, 2006 TO PLAY-NO EXCEPTIONS. The registration form can be downloaded HERE.
Fall Season Delayed By One Week. Because of scheduling conflicts at St. Therese Field, the Fall In-House season, which normally begins the first Saturday after Labor Day, will not commence until Saturday, September 18, 2010. The last games of the season will now be played November 6. As a result of the late start, players will probably not hear from their coaches until late August or early September. This does not affect the travel schedule.
SVSC U17 Boys Win Edinboro. Congratulations to Ray Ruffing's U17 Boy Travel team, which won the PA West Open Cup (Silver Division) at Edinboro University, conceding not a single goal en route to the title. The Open Cup is the end of the season tournament open to all PA West teams, as well as teams from other regions. The U17 Boys began the tournament with a resounding win over local rival West Mifflin, 4-0, then nosed out Pittsburgh Dynamo, 1-0. In the championship game, the U17 Boys scored a convincing 2-0 win over Canon McMillan. The championship team that weekend included Ben Bobick, Nathan Grace, Zak Grace, Corey Joyce, Sean Langan, Ryan Mains, Jared Ruffing, Ryan Scott, Ken Sikora, John Spirnak, Ryan Tuttle and Adam Wyke. This marks the second consecutive year a SVSC team has won at Edinboro. In 2009, Dan Evan's U19 Girls turned the trick.
SVSC U18 Girls Win Promotion. After an outstanding regular season, Bill Abraham's U18 Girls travel squad earned promotion from Division 4 to Division 3B under PA West's new promotion/relegation system. The U18 Girls are the first SVSC team to earn promotion. Well done, Score-pions.
Parking at St. Therese Field. As a convenience to parents and fans, SVSC has created a parking area at St. Therese Field. SVSC hopes that the parking area adds to your enjoyment of SVSC soccer. However, drivers are cautioned that the gate to the field is generally locked and may not be open, especially for practices, thereby preventing access to the parking area. If the gate is not open, please DO NOT park in front of the gate, so that if the gate is opened later, cars can get through. Also, do not park on the access road, as it is a fire lane. Every effort will be made to open the gate and the parking area but SVSC cannot guarantee that on any given day at any given time the gate will be open.
Smoking Policy. At the SVSC Board Meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2009, the Club adopted a new policy on the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and illegal drugs at St. Therese Field and Campbell Field. The new policy provides: "The use of tobacco products, alcohol or illegal drugs is strictly forbidden at St. Therese Field and Campbell Field while Steel Valley Soccer Club games and practices are being held. Adults may smoke beyond the tree line at St. Therese Field or outside the fences at Campbell Field during games and practices. Steel Valley Soccer Club thanks you for helping to maintain a healthy and safe environment for our children." SVSC thanks you for your anticipated cooperation with this policy, as we strive to provide a positive and healthy environment for the children who play for the club.
New Playing Up Policy. To play up (that is, playing in a higher age group than is otherwise dictated by the child's age), the child must have demonstrated superior playing ability, and must have the approval of his or her coach, the Age Group Commissioner, and the President of SVSC. Otherwise, play up requests will be entertained only upon demonstration of special circumstances. All players playing up will have to execute a play up form, which can be downloaded from the Registration page of this website. This policy does not apply to travel players; travel play ups will continue to be determined by the travel coaches.
Volunteers Needed. Please consider volunteering your time to help the Club this Spring. A number of volunteer opportunites are available, including coaching, refereeing, concessions, field maintenance, fundraising and sponsorship of travel teams. The Club can only be as strong as the commitment of its volunteers.
Equipment Requirements. All players must wear shin guards to practice and games. THE SHIN GUARDS SHOULD BE COVERED WITH SOCKS. Additionally, all in-house players must have maroon and gold t-shirts for games. T-shirts (as well as maroon shorts and socks) are available for purchase from SVSC. Please contact Uniforms Manager Nashaun Forney at 412-736-3883 for additional information. While not mandatory, it is recommended that players wear soccer cleats and have a soccer ball for practices (Size 3 for U6, Size 4 for U8 and U12).
Background Checks for Coaches. All coaches, both head and assistants, 18 years and older, must register with PA West for a background check. The background check is good for two years. SVSC would ask you register as soon as possible, so that final rosters can be completed. You may go to www.pawest-soccer.org, scroll your cursor on "Youth Div." at the top of the page (horizontal menu), then click on "Risk Management" from the drop down menu. Follow the directions on that page. The whole process only takes a few minutes. Note that as part of the registration process, you will be asked to identify your club. Please select "Steel Valley" from the menu, or we will not receive notice of your registration. Also, at the end, you will be prompted with a payment box. Simply navigate away from the payment box, and upon receiving notice that you have registered, SVSC will send a check paying the $10 fee on your behalf (thus, registration for the background check will not cost you anything).
Board Meetings. SVSC Board meetings are held the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the West Homestead Boro Building. Everyone is invited to attend, and please consider doing so, as your input is needed to make SVSC the best it can be. Please note that the September Board Meeting is cancelled because of SVSC Youth Night.
Steel Valley Soccer Club (SVSC) is an all-volunteer association providing children in Munhall, Homestead, West Homestead and adjacent communities the opportunity to play and experience the “Beautiful Game” of Soccer. It is affiliated with the PA West Soccer Association (PA West), the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), and FIFA.
SVSC sponsors an in-house soccer program for children as young as 4 years old and as old as 13 years old. It also sponsors a travel team program for children 9 years old and up.
The SVSC in-house soccer program consists of a U6 (Under Six Years Old) coed league, a U8 (Under Eight Years Old) coed league, and a U12 (Under Twelve Years Old) coed league. Two separate seasons are held: Fall (which usually starts in early September and runs through October) and Spring (which usually starts in late March and runs into late May). Players must register separately for the Fall and Spring seasons. Teams in each of the in-house leagues play games on Saturdays during the season.
The SVSC travel soccer program is defined by a number of factors, not the least of which is player interest, but generally speaking, SVSC sponsors in any given year travel teams for boys and girls in age groups from U10 to U19. SVSC travel teams play in the PA West South District for both the Fall and Spring seasons. As with the in-house program, players must register separately for the Fall and Spring seasons. Games are held Sunday afternoons. Play culminates for each team with participation in June in the PA West Open Tournament (held in recent years at Edinboro University). Children who play on travel teams may also play in-house if they are age-eligible.
In addition to programs for soccer players, SVSC has a vibrant program for youth and adult referees.
The Steel Valley Soccer Club is an all-volunteer organization, and its ability to provide opportunities to area youth is directly tied to the kindness, talents, and dedication of its volunteers. You are greatly encouraged to volunteer. Simply put, the more volunteers the club has, the better the programs it can offer, and the more the children benefit. Volunteer opportunities are available for coaches, referees, field maintenance, fundraising, concessions, sponsorship and so forth. Training opportunities and materials are provided for coaches and referees, at no cost to the volunteer. Please consider volunteering!
Please note that SVSC, for the protection of its players, is firmly committed to PA West’s e-Kidsafe program. As such, volunteers who will have regular and direct contact with the players will be asked to register for a background check. All costs associated with this program are borne by SVSC.
If you have an interest in volunteering, please contact Mike Pavlick (412-462-4253; pavlick.svsc@comcast.net).