thedrifter
06-24-07, 07:49 AM
After two tours in Iraq, AYSO offers new challenges to Marine
By: Frank Daly - For The Californian
MURRIETA ---- Marine Master Sgt. Patrick Lavely is giving new meaning to the popular mantra "support our troops" as he conquers the world of American youth soccer in his responsibilities as AYSO regional commissioner.
Accustomed to supervising Marines in Camp Pendleton's Amphibious Operations Battalion, the 43-year-old Murrieta man's civilian troops are composed of more than 2,000 Southwest County kids who range in age from 4 to 18 years old.
Nothing prepared the well-decorated Marine with two Purple Hearts and numerous campaign medals earned during his two Iraqi tours for the responsibilities he was about to undertake as commissioner when he was appointed by the board of directors last August.
But looking forward to the American Youth Soccer Organization's fifth anniversary in Murrieta this September, Lavely proudly reflects on his numerous accomplishments over the last few years as a parent soccer leader.
Realizing that his son, Nicholas, now 10 years old, was without a dad during the time he spent in Iraq, Patrick sought a meaningful way to develop an even stronger bond with his admiring son who, during his absence, missed out on normal father-son activities.
He chose youth soccer because it offered a highly competitive team environment within an organization he felt provided fairness and support.
In fact, AYSO's policy is that registration is open to any and all children who want to play.
"It's all for the kids," Lavely said. "It's not for the board, it's not for the parents; it's for the children who want to compete, have fun and become (proficient) in a sport enjoyed worldwide."
Lavely had virtually no soccer experience when he volunteered as a team coach in 2004. Using his Marine Corps grit and determination, he learned the sport from the ground up.
His tours in Iraq were a great prerequisite for his growth in the soccer organization and his desire to "learn the ropes," he said. Patrols of heavily bombarded small villages in the barren countryside revealed many children who needed shelter and guidance.
Between "sweeps" to ensure area security, Lavely spent time caring for the kids and families and helping them to adjust in their war-torn area.
"Work days consisted of 20 to 24 hours a day in 130-degree heat during the summertime," said his commanding officer, Maj. Sean Pascoli, who served with Lavely during a seven-month tour in Iraq.
"Not only did he perform his Marine Corps duties in an exemplary manner, he also supervised the construction of mosques, hospitals and new schools for the children," Pascoli said.
According to Pascoli, this was a voluntary effort on Lavely's part, which was above and beyond the call of duty.
"He always put the Iraqi families and children first above himself and his own personal safety," Pascoli said.
Currently, Lavely spends 20 to 25 hours per week on soccer activities. And he's quick to point out the dedication of others in the soccer organization.
"It is important to emphasize," he said, "that all of the AYSO board members and representatives are unpaid and work strictly on a volunteer basis."
AYSO has more than 60,000 teams and 600,000 players nationwide. It was established in Torrance in 1964 with only nine teams. It now has 250,000 volunteers to support the kids and the organization.
The spring program, which recently wrapped up, had 54 teams. That number balloons to about 110 teams during the fall season, which starts soon.
Lavely is asking parents, sponsors and others in the community to "support our troops" in AYSO by volunteering for the fall season.
"We are always looking for volunteers to coach, work in the concession and referee," he said. The sergeant is always there to pick up the slack if necessary, and last season he coached two teams, refereed games and roamed the field as commissioner to ensure that all of the players, coaches and parents are happy.
"One of our main emphases now is to get the point across that we are open to register any child who desires to play soccer in our league. It does not matter where they are from or whether or not they can afford to register. The region will take care of this," he said.
He has also gone the extra mile to spend quality time with his son by sending him to referee school. In addition to being a star on one of the teams that his dad has coached, Nick has also refereed at soccer matches for 6- to 8-year-olds. Several years from now, when he is 16, Nick hopes to coach a team.
One of Lavely's mentors was Charmaine Rugh-Kama, who has worked in AYSO with him for the past three years as assistant coach of his son Nicholas' team. Her son Andrew is also part of the team. She has been involved in the organization since she was on a soccer team when she was 13 years old, and continued to remain active beyond her playing days.
"He takes it to heart, has fun with the kids, while teaching them not only soccer skills, but human values designed to assist them later in getting along in life," Rugh-Kama said of Lavely. He uses a "very fair and compassionate" approach to coaching, while being direct enough to ensure order and instill self-discipline, she added.
She notes that he is continually improving his coaching skills and bringing out the best in his players.
This hard work paid off last year when the team qualified for the regional competition held in Colton.
"Patrick has done an outstanding job in improving the region, including increased numbers of participants in the spring and fall seasons, recruiting the right people to run various facets of the program," said Chuck Neve, area manager of AYSO. "He's figured out the nuts and bolts of steering the ship in the right direction."
Neve's assistant area director, Allen Merrill, attributes recent local success to Lavely's "terrific ability to get his arms around this multifaceted program."
Lavely's Murrieta-Temecula region was recognized as an AYSO Platinum Performance Award winner for its accomplishments, which include such criteria as recruitment, outstanding service, parent participation and supervision of the region and its officers. Lavely just received word that the region earned its second award in as many years.
Although he is sure his days of combat duty are now over after 24 years in the Marine Corps, he says he looks forward to his continued involvement in the soccer organization.
This is in sharp contrast to the danger he faced during a total of five combat tours ---ñ two in Iraq, the others in Somalia and Panama. During his first tour in Iraq, his unit was the first to go into combat. But his career in the Corps will come to an end sometime in the not too distant future, he said.
Although proud of Lavely's military accomplishments and his contributions to his country, his wife, Holly, is happy he is now at home. Both her husband and her son are committed to soccer and work together on the field during practices and games.
SOCCER REGISTRATION
What: Signups for the fall season.
When: from 6 to 8 p.m., June 27 and July 11.
Where: Bob's Murrieta Pizza, 41539 Kalmia St., Murrieta.
Info: E-mail AYSO1463@aol.com, or call (951) 304-7972.
Ellie
By: Frank Daly - For The Californian
MURRIETA ---- Marine Master Sgt. Patrick Lavely is giving new meaning to the popular mantra "support our troops" as he conquers the world of American youth soccer in his responsibilities as AYSO regional commissioner.
Accustomed to supervising Marines in Camp Pendleton's Amphibious Operations Battalion, the 43-year-old Murrieta man's civilian troops are composed of more than 2,000 Southwest County kids who range in age from 4 to 18 years old.
Nothing prepared the well-decorated Marine with two Purple Hearts and numerous campaign medals earned during his two Iraqi tours for the responsibilities he was about to undertake as commissioner when he was appointed by the board of directors last August.
But looking forward to the American Youth Soccer Organization's fifth anniversary in Murrieta this September, Lavely proudly reflects on his numerous accomplishments over the last few years as a parent soccer leader.
Realizing that his son, Nicholas, now 10 years old, was without a dad during the time he spent in Iraq, Patrick sought a meaningful way to develop an even stronger bond with his admiring son who, during his absence, missed out on normal father-son activities.
He chose youth soccer because it offered a highly competitive team environment within an organization he felt provided fairness and support.
In fact, AYSO's policy is that registration is open to any and all children who want to play.
"It's all for the kids," Lavely said. "It's not for the board, it's not for the parents; it's for the children who want to compete, have fun and become (proficient) in a sport enjoyed worldwide."
Lavely had virtually no soccer experience when he volunteered as a team coach in 2004. Using his Marine Corps grit and determination, he learned the sport from the ground up.
His tours in Iraq were a great prerequisite for his growth in the soccer organization and his desire to "learn the ropes," he said. Patrols of heavily bombarded small villages in the barren countryside revealed many children who needed shelter and guidance.
Between "sweeps" to ensure area security, Lavely spent time caring for the kids and families and helping them to adjust in their war-torn area.
"Work days consisted of 20 to 24 hours a day in 130-degree heat during the summertime," said his commanding officer, Maj. Sean Pascoli, who served with Lavely during a seven-month tour in Iraq.
"Not only did he perform his Marine Corps duties in an exemplary manner, he also supervised the construction of mosques, hospitals and new schools for the children," Pascoli said.
According to Pascoli, this was a voluntary effort on Lavely's part, which was above and beyond the call of duty.
"He always put the Iraqi families and children first above himself and his own personal safety," Pascoli said.
Currently, Lavely spends 20 to 25 hours per week on soccer activities. And he's quick to point out the dedication of others in the soccer organization.
"It is important to emphasize," he said, "that all of the AYSO board members and representatives are unpaid and work strictly on a volunteer basis."
AYSO has more than 60,000 teams and 600,000 players nationwide. It was established in Torrance in 1964 with only nine teams. It now has 250,000 volunteers to support the kids and the organization.
The spring program, which recently wrapped up, had 54 teams. That number balloons to about 110 teams during the fall season, which starts soon.
Lavely is asking parents, sponsors and others in the community to "support our troops" in AYSO by volunteering for the fall season.
"We are always looking for volunteers to coach, work in the concession and referee," he said. The sergeant is always there to pick up the slack if necessary, and last season he coached two teams, refereed games and roamed the field as commissioner to ensure that all of the players, coaches and parents are happy.
"One of our main emphases now is to get the point across that we are open to register any child who desires to play soccer in our league. It does not matter where they are from or whether or not they can afford to register. The region will take care of this," he said.
He has also gone the extra mile to spend quality time with his son by sending him to referee school. In addition to being a star on one of the teams that his dad has coached, Nick has also refereed at soccer matches for 6- to 8-year-olds. Several years from now, when he is 16, Nick hopes to coach a team.
One of Lavely's mentors was Charmaine Rugh-Kama, who has worked in AYSO with him for the past three years as assistant coach of his son Nicholas' team. Her son Andrew is also part of the team. She has been involved in the organization since she was on a soccer team when she was 13 years old, and continued to remain active beyond her playing days.
"He takes it to heart, has fun with the kids, while teaching them not only soccer skills, but human values designed to assist them later in getting along in life," Rugh-Kama said of Lavely. He uses a "very fair and compassionate" approach to coaching, while being direct enough to ensure order and instill self-discipline, she added.
She notes that he is continually improving his coaching skills and bringing out the best in his players.
This hard work paid off last year when the team qualified for the regional competition held in Colton.
"Patrick has done an outstanding job in improving the region, including increased numbers of participants in the spring and fall seasons, recruiting the right people to run various facets of the program," said Chuck Neve, area manager of AYSO. "He's figured out the nuts and bolts of steering the ship in the right direction."
Neve's assistant area director, Allen Merrill, attributes recent local success to Lavely's "terrific ability to get his arms around this multifaceted program."
Lavely's Murrieta-Temecula region was recognized as an AYSO Platinum Performance Award winner for its accomplishments, which include such criteria as recruitment, outstanding service, parent participation and supervision of the region and its officers. Lavely just received word that the region earned its second award in as many years.
Although he is sure his days of combat duty are now over after 24 years in the Marine Corps, he says he looks forward to his continued involvement in the soccer organization.
This is in sharp contrast to the danger he faced during a total of five combat tours ---ñ two in Iraq, the others in Somalia and Panama. During his first tour in Iraq, his unit was the first to go into combat. But his career in the Corps will come to an end sometime in the not too distant future, he said.
Although proud of Lavely's military accomplishments and his contributions to his country, his wife, Holly, is happy he is now at home. Both her husband and her son are committed to soccer and work together on the field during practices and games.
SOCCER REGISTRATION
What: Signups for the fall season.
When: from 6 to 8 p.m., June 27 and July 11.
Where: Bob's Murrieta Pizza, 41539 Kalmia St., Murrieta.
Info: E-mail AYSO1463@aol.com, or call (951) 304-7972.
Ellie