The Durango Youth Soccer Association is celebrating 30 years of providing kids in the community an opportunity to play the game while also learning some life on the field this year.
DYSA began in 1993 when a group of soccer enthusiasts organized a nonprofit club to promote the sport in Durango and La Plata County. Today, it's the largest nonprofit youth athletic association in the city, averaging between 350-400 players ages 9-19.
From the beginning, the mission of the club was broader than just teaching soccer skills. Through soccer, DYSA is dedicated to creating respectful leaders who positively influence others. The club strives to achieve that by focusing on character, commitment, work ethic, selflessness and leadership.
The organization is a Safe Sport, meaning all of the club’s coaches, officials and any volunteers who have contact with players undergo a background check through various national services. The Safe Sport online course, provided through the U.S. Soccer Federation, covers both physical and psychological safety practices, to keep the athletes safe.
The teams, organized by age groups, feature players who are roughly comparable in development. The boys’ and girls’ teams have always received equal support, DYSA said, and every age group has a set of age-appropriate skills to master. As players age, they learn more advanced skills. All the club programs, however, have similar expectations: technical development, physical development and lifestyle skills. Just as important, coaches are tasked to make it fun, instill a love of the game and develop a spirit of camaraderie that comes from working together as a team.
To some extent, the club is a victim of its success. To find challenging teams to play against, many of the older teams play in the Duke City League in Albuquerque.
In 2019, the club affiliated with the Rio Rapids Soccer organization in Albuquerque. While maintaining local control, DYSA gained access to administrative policies, practices and other resources that a larger club can provide.
The club also works with both the Durango 9-R School District and the City of Durango, resulting in projects and programs that have benefited the community.
In 1995, the club committed $5,000 to the development of the Riverview Sports facility.
In 2004, DYSA helped in the creation of the athletic fields at Escalante Middle School. Club members and supporters contributed cash and in-kind labor and supplies totaling over $275,000 to create three full-size athletic fields.
In 2010, the city’s application for a GOCO grant for $700,000 to construct the Smith Athletic Fields at Fort Lewis College was turned down due to a lack of local financial support. In response, DYSA donated $40,000, Durango Lacrosse donated $2,000 and American Youth Football donated $500. The show of local support helped the city receive the grant when it reapplied, and the fields opened in 2017.
In 2020, during the worst days of the pandemic, DYSA was the only youth sports organization to successfully provide a sports season for its members. By strictly enforcing San Juan Public Health’s COVID-19 guidelines, the club provided games against teams from the Four Corners without a single case of COVID-19 being attributed to those activities.
Recently, in 2022, the club partnered with FLC to create a scholarship fund for players who make the college’s soccer teams, furthering the connections of the college with the Durango community.
The club’s major fundraising event is the annual Durango Shootout tournament. Usually held during Mother’s Day weekend, the tournament typically draws between 120 and 150 teams from the region. This year, 138 teams registered for the tournament.
A Fort Lewis study, under the direction of professor Deborah Walker, concluded the tournament generated $2,347,254 in new economic activity for Durango. It calculated that the city received $52,205 in sales tax revenue and $11,893 in lodgers tax revenue. DYSA also paid more $600 to the city and school district for field use.
The association uses the tournament to keep costs down for its players. DYSA covers approximately 50% of the total cost per player, and its budget includes $15,000-$20,000 for scholarships. The club’s goal is to make sure no player is turned away for financial reasons.
More information can be found at https://www.durangosoccer.com/
