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New Jersey Youth Soccer

About TOPSoccer

  


TOPSoccer is a community based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities. The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl with disabilities. The New Jersey Youth Soccer / US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer program provides assistance to affiliated organizations with ways to enable players with mental or physical disabilities to play soccer. The emphasis of this program is on development, training, and meaningful participation rather than on competition. Our goal is to enable the thousands of young athletes with disabilities to develop their physical fitness, technical skills, courage, and self-esteem, through the joy and excitement of playing soccer. There are thousands of children with disabilities who need, and can be provided the opportunity to play soccer through TOPSoccer. That opportunity exists for these athletes to achieve, develop and participate according to their individual abilities.

Player registration and TOPSoccer Coach/Buddy training is currently offered at no cost, thanks to the generous support of RWJBarnabas Health.

Interested in starting a TOPSoccer Program? Contact Coach Lou Mignone at [email protected].

Registration Requirements

A recognized program has a minimum of five (5) registered players with disabilities. Each year, TOPSoccer programs are asked to re-register their programs with New Jersey Youth Soccer. To update your contacts for the new seasonal year, email [email protected] with the name, email, address, and phone number of the TOPSoccer Coordinator. 

  1. Updating Program Contacts
    • Email [email protected] with the name, email, address, and phone number of the TOPSoccer Coordinator
  2. Club Registration
  3. Player Registration
  4. Coach Registration
    • TOPSoccer Coach Registration Link*  (background check every 2 years)
    • SafeSport Training (Annual requirement- must be dated after Jan. 1, 2022)
    • Concussion Training (may be dated anytime)

Coachs 
A NJYS recognized program has a minimum of one (1) TOPSoccer Coach who has completed the TOPSoccer Coaching Course.  All coaches shall follow the minimum guidelines for risk management.

Buddy Registration
A recognized program has at least one (1) TOPSoccer Buddy who has successfully completed the TOPSoccer Buddy Training. TOPSoccer buddies should be paired up with no more than two (2) Athletes. In other words, there should be a minimum of two (2) TOPSoccer buddies and one (1) TOPSoccer Coach to train five (5) TOPSoccer Athletes. The purpose of this standard is for the safety and well-being of all participants. Buddies over the age of 18 should register as a coach.

All participants should be reported to NJYS within 1 week to the start of your program.  This will ensure proper insurance coverage for your program. 

PROGRAM EDUCATION

TOPSoccer Buddy Course
New Jersey Youth Soccer offers a free 2-hour TOPSoccer Buddy Course that examines the role of the Buddy for creating fun, safe, and inclusive opportunities for the players as they explore, problem-solve, collaborate with others, and build competence through guidance and encouragement. An emphasis is placed upon considerations for special needs of players, skills for effective communication, and awareness of expectations for each session.

To submit a host request for a Buddy Course, click here. 

Upcoming Courses: (registration is required to attend)
SNK Soccer Club (in-person)
Program Date: Saturday February 24, 2024
* registration closes Friday February 23, 2024
Program Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Registration link:  https://njysa.sportsaffinity.com/eventmanager/public/event.asp?calid=15574793
 

TOPSoccer Coach Course
New Jersey Youth Soccer offers a free 4-hour TOPSoccer Coach Course that fosters understanding relating to organizing and implementing a TOPSoccer session with fun, safe, and inclusive training activities, considerations for special needs of players, increasing effectiveness of TOPSoccer Buddies, identifying unique challenges for safety and risk management, addressing injuries and emergencies, and applying a variety of coaching strategies and qualities. Skills are explored for organizing, checking and adapting, effective communication, designing program formats, developing staff, and planning learning progressions. 

To submit a host request for a Coach Course, click here. 

Upcoming  Courses:(registration is required to attend)
SNK Soccer Club (in-person)
Program Date: Saturday February 24, 2024
* registration closes Friday February 23, 2024
Program Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Registration link:  https://njysa.sportsaffinity.com/eventmanager/public/event.asp?calid=15574521

New York Red Bulls (in-person)
Program Date: Monday March 18, 2024
* registration closes Sunday  March 17, 2024
Program Time: 8:00am - 11:00am
Registration Link:  https://njysa.sportsaffinity.com/eventmanager/public/event.asp?calid=15577274



 

RESOURCES

TOPSoccer Jamboree

Additional Programming

NJ Youth Soccer is pleased to communicate opportunities for players with disabilities in other communities. Although these are not registered NJYS TOPSoccer programs, we invite you to click on the programs below to learn more.

Contacts

Lorie Hynes (Player Reg., Program Affiliations)
[email protected]
(609) 336-2021

Lindsey Nappi (Course Requests, Background Checks)
[email protected]
(609) 336-2022

Contact Us

New Jersey Youth Soccer

3 Paragon Way, Suite 400
Freehold, New Jersey 07728

Phone: 609-490-0725
Email: [email protected]

New Jersey Youth Soccer

3 Paragon Way, Suite 400
Freehold, New Jersey 07728

Phone: 609-490-0725
Email: [email protected]
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