As part of AYSO's education agenda, Kids Zone is a dynamic program targeted to eliminate negative sideline behavior. It is aimed toward producing a thoroughly positive impact on everyone involved in youth soccer. To execute this program, four  basic elements are involved:

1.The Button. This is a pin-on button bearing the program's logo. This will be worn by program supporters at games, and will serve as a reminder of the importance of positive sideline behavior.

2. The Sign. A large sideline poster, which lists positive behavior standards, designed to be posted at the entrance of participating fields. Parents and spectators who will abide by these standards are welcome -- all others are not.

3. The Pledge. We will request AYSO parents to sign a pledge that holds them to the Kids Zone standards.

4. The Video.  This is a 12 minute documentary that introduces AYSO's principles and its Kids Zone action plan to new participants.  Viewers will also watch a parent intervene to change another parent's negative behavior.  CLICK HERE to see it!

In order to make this program work, we need your help!

The Kids Zone button, parent pledge form, poster, video and more are available from the AYSO Supply Center at 888-243-2976 or \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Kids Zone video can also be downloaded by CLICKING HERE.

History

Kids Zone was the "brainchild" of then Region 234 Commissioner Steve Hamann in 2000. Steve sensed during his field "walkarounds" that the environment was changing. There was more tension, more shouting (definitely more attitude) and less fun than the region's parents and volunteers had come to expect.

A man of action, Steve came up with a plan that he believed would remind parents that their behavior at games is crucial to setting a good example. His plan included three-inch Kids Zone buttons distributed to parents and coaches and field signs to remind visitors of appropriate conduct. In Region 234 it quickly became obvious to parents that it was up to them to ensure good sideline behavior or suffer the consequences.

Steve approached staff members at the AYSO National Support & Training Center to help him get his plan under way. The National Board of Directors and NSTC staff members provided partial funding and support to implement the plan and that, as we say, was the beginning. The plan was for Region 234 to pilot the program that fall and then make the project ready for national implementation the following year. Steve and Region 234 did an exemplary job and provided the BOD and NSTC staff with reports, ideas and help to launch the new program.

Since its inception, we have added a Kids Zone Parent Pledge and other assorted materials and paraphernalia. Currently the Kids Zone program is being used in nearly 50 percent of our AYSO regions. Kids Zone does help in controlling negative sideline behavior, but it is not a magic potion, it takes continual reinforcement and commitment to the ideals of good sportsmanship and the AYSO philosophies.

Elements for Download

Kids Zone is sure to be a big part of the AYSO scene. AYSO Regions by the bunch are signing up for Kids Zone. The regional volunteers will roll out the program in the fall. Thousands of buttons and signs are being shipped to communities across the country. From New York to Oregon, from Texas to Michigan---and lots of places in between, Kids Zone will be there. You may read about it in your local newspaper or hear it discussed on your favorite radio talk show. Kids Zone is big news. You may even have experienced Kids Zone at tournaments this summer.

We believe in this program so much, Kids Zone was even adopted as the official theme of AYSO for the 2001/2002 season.

Just to keep you posted on the latest and greatest news about the program, Soccer Now will feature a Kids Zone article in each of the next few issues to keep you updated.

If your region isn't in "the Zone," talk to your coach and find out why.

If it is, wear your Kids Zone button proudly and spread the word.