News from the North Alabama Soccer League President

October 28th, 2003

All,

      We are aggressively approaching the end of the season. For all of us it has been long hard road.
       I am not sure if any of you realize, but we have had over 600 games that have been scheduled, re-scheduled, and canceled for the duration of this season.
      This league has experienced Region III, State League, NASL games, tournaments, college games, AYSO, adult, GSC, city parks and rec, and rec plus.
      We are finishing up the season by hosting the DI and DII tournaments. These tournaments will bring in over a 170 teams. In addition to the DII tournament, the
Gulf South Conference will once again have it's semi-finals and finals, where else, but here! To add one more thing to the mix, the GSC will be hosting a free clinic to any girl ages 10 to 18 on the November the 7th. There will be close to 200 players present for this clinic. These things do not just happen on their own.
       All of us coach, manage, lead, follow, drive everywhere, work, spread ourselves too thin.
       Most of us are in over our heads. However, without those individuals, we would not have a league, clubs, fields, tournaments, TEAMS.
      We have the best league, the best parents, the best coaches, and the best players. We have the best of everything.
      We also have the best Scheduler in Region III, Craig Hardwick. We cannot let this season go without giving him the THANK YOU that he deserves.
      Craig deserves so much more than just a thank you. As a manager, each of you had to schedule your team's games. Perhaps your coach even had two teams, so then you had to work around that, it was not a cake walk.
      Just to help everyone with numbers, NASL has 87 teams and @1600 players. Craig deals with each and everyone of you.
      Unfortunately, Craig will be ending his job as scheduler at the end of the Spring season. I will be honest and say I am very concerned about who will be able to fill such an important role in our league. I hope that all of you are concerned as well and will take an active role in making sure that YOUR league can and will continue to move in the right direction.
      I encourage you all to take the time to tell Craig how much you appreciate the very difficult job he has done for the past 5 years.
      Craig, you have set a precedence that will be difficult to follow, however we appreciate the high standard that you have achieved that has only benefited the one thing that matters, our players.
      I cannot end without pointing out another important person in our league, Ken Gamble. Ken, thank you for the above and beyond job that you do for NASL. Thank you for the wonderful job that you do!!!!
     Last thing, MEMBERSHIP, we, you, us, have two very important tournaments that will take place over the next two weeks. These are your tournaments, find out
what you can do to help. We need people to help sell t-shirts, set up and take down tents at all the venues. We need people to help put together team packets on Friday. We need people to check in from time to time to see if help is needed.

     FINAL NOTE: WHEN THE SCHEDULE IS POSTED, FIND OUT WHEN
OUR NASL TEAMS PLAY AND GO SUPPORT THEM!!!!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL TEAMS!!!

Thank you,
Christie Clark
NASL President