Accessible soccer

AYSO's VIP program starts third season

Justin Liles just wanted to do the same thing his big sister Jessica did.

To satisfy that desire, Justin's mother, Vicki Liles, launched the American Youth Soccer Organization's Very Important Player's program in Summerlin in the spring of 2004 to provide a chance to play for children whose physical or mental disabilities made it difficult to participate on a mainstream team. Three seasons later, the program's a big hit and the chapter is now gearing up for its fall season.

"Justin's sister Jessica plays on a team with the AYSO and every time we'd go to practice or a game, he'd want to play," said Liles. "The VIP program gives him the opportunity to play on a team that caters to his abilities."

AYSO VIP team members in the Summerlin chapter include children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and attention deficit disorder. Although the league has yet to have any blind or visually impaired players or those using wheelchairs or walkers, Liles said all are welcome and the chapter has an "everyone plays" philosophy.

The VIP program allows participants to team up with partners -- dubbed "buddies" -- to assist them during the games, which usually consist of two 20-minute halves.

Some of these volunteers frequently include soccer enthusiasts and community members looking for ways to enrich the lives of others. One group of volunteer buddies that have really helped the Summerlin chapter are students from Sig Rogich Middle School's Honor Society. Rogich students often attend the games and receive credit for community service by volunteering and supporting the new league.

Liles, the AYSO VIP coordinator, said she groups the co-ed teams together by skill level and a lot of the players want to play goalie. She also said the games can be somewhat high-scoring and often are very entertaining.

"Some of our games are more exciting than the mainstream games," she said.

The first AYSO chapter in the Las Vegas metropolitan area was the Boulder City AYSO Soccer program, started by Gayle Cichocki, who moved to Henderson from Santee, Calif., where the VIP program has been a part of the AYSO for some 15 years now. Liles hopes her chapter can one day face the Boulder City chapter in some kind of playoff.

And Liles said soccer is the perfect athletic activity for the youngsters, ages 5 to 18, no matter what disability they have.

"There's not a whole lot available in Vegas (in terms of sports) for special needs kids," Liles said. "Soccer is the perfect sport for something like this."

Liles gets help from her husband, Jeff, who coaches, as well as Pete and Yogi Roesner and Stephanie Smith, an assistant coach. Members of the league over the first three seasons included Christian Pinkney, Megan Roesner, Tate Hubert, Sam Scheve, Justin Liles, Alex Simbal, Michael Gambardella, Julia Gambardella, Catherine Godenzi, Troy Watkins, Tyler Hubert, Devin Rhodes, Ryan Moreno, Skyler Candelas, Braden Marler, Sydney MacIntosh, Taylor Jacobson, Katherine Chavez and Zack Zabadai.

Besides giving youngsters a chance to play soccer in an organized setting, the league brings together individuals who have much in common -- something not easy to come by for parents with special needs children.

"The socialization is really important for both the kids and the parents," Liles said.

And Liles said she and the other parents and volunteers get almost as much out of it as the athletes do.

"I think it is very important once in a while that we stop the day-to-day hustle and bustle of our lives, be thankful for what we have and give something back to our communities," she said. "I feel recharged and ready for anything after spending the afternoon on the field and seeing all the joy in their wonderful faces."

After a successful spring and fall season in 2004, and this year's spring slate, Liles and the AYSO VIP Summerlin chapter are gearing up for the fall season, which runs Sept. 17 through Nov. 19. Games are played at 1 p.m. every Saturday at the Crossing Park, 1111 Crestdale.

The cost is $75 per player and includes a uniform shirt, shorts, socks, shin guards, a ball and individual and team photos.

The fall league on Sept. 10 will hold a Soccerfest, AYSO's annual all-day event that includes games, food, photos and more, held at Community Park in Summerlin on Town Center Drive between Charleston Boulevard and Sahara Avenue.

For more information on Summerlin's AYSO VIP program, call the AYSO hot line at 615-4422 or Vicki Liles at 278-9381. E-mail the league at RVIPC@AYSO.com or visit www.ayso1258.com/vip_page.htm. The AYSO home page is at www.aysol1258.com.