From SYSA President, Duncan Munro

SYSA Families,

Yesterday I began my new role as SYSA President and I am excited to be given the chance to lead an organization that delivers the sport of soccer to 13,000 families in the Seattle area! Over the course of the last 2 years, my predecessor, Parker Mason, provided vision and execution during a transitional time for our Association and we are deeply indebted to him. Parker's personal commitment to the goals of our collective effort have been exemplary and sets the stage for new challenges ahead. We also owe Doug Anderson yet another round of thanks for the additional service he has provided to SYSA as Secretary following many years of involvement and leadership.

I am joined by Paul Payton - VP of Administration, Glyde Hart King - Secretary and Shawn Tucker - VP Recreational Development. I am confident that with the energy and ideas that Paul, Glyde and Shawn bring to the table, the SYSA Board can continue to serve our membership. To do this effectively we need to be capable of hearing your voices. I will undertake to send you progress reports in our monthly newsletter. Much as I would like to hear from you individually, in the era of email the potential for overload seems very high. I ask you that you use your Club, and in particular, your Club SYSA Commissioner to bring your ideas and concerns to the Board's attention.

This is an exciting time for youth soccer in Seattle. Spring Soccer is delivering an awesome learning environment for our players, many of whom are multi-sport athletes, SYSA's new Premier and Select program, Seattle United, has put in place a phenomenal leadership team and is gearing up for tryouts and team formation and our parent association, Washington Youth Soccer, continues to work towards an integration of competitive play that will serve, not just SYSA's players, but all players across the State.

Sincerely,
Duncan

I grew up in Sheffield,  England. My academic background is in Geology. I have a PhD in Geology and Geophysics for the University of Hawaii. I am a Technology Program Manager at Seattle Public Utilities. I speak fluent Spanish having worked in Ecuador and lived in Madrid for 6 years. I have been married to Sharon since 1992 and we have two daughters, Maile - ('My - lay") 16 and Claire -13.

Have been a soccer fan since forever. Played soccer through my junior year at High School and then sporadically whilst in grad school. I  have  a USSF D-license at the 'State' Level and have coached my daughters'  Modified and Rec teams from U7 and U10, they are currently playing Rec Soccer at U14 and  U17. They both play competitive volleyball so I am  familiar with the challenges of competitive youth athletics   I have been  a USSF Grade 8 referee since 2006 and accumulate games at a snails pace!

I was Mod Soccer Coordinator at Woodland for two years, then Uniform and Equipment Manager for 4 years and  President for 5 up until December 2010. I spent last year as Woodland's representative on the SYSA Disciplinary Committee.My goals were to educate and make coaches more successful, to bring fiscal transparency to the Club and to put in place succession processes that avoided the club being left high and dry every time someone left. I believe strongly that meeting each of these goals can strengthen all SYSA Clubs.

I grew up in England playing the game from U-8 to U17 at a recreational level.  Here in Seattle, I have two children, who will be playing at U16 Boys and U11 Girls. Our family lives in Shoreline and is now part of Hillwood Youth Soccer club.

My son started recreational soccer at U8 and played for six years for a Ballard Youth Soccer team. I was an assistant coach on the team from U9 onwards until he left at U13 to join a local premier select team. For the past two years, he has played for two premier teams in the Seattle area and this summer joins his third with Seattle United. My daughter started playing recreational soccer at U7 for a Hillwood team. The past two years, I've helped the team as an assistant coach and my wife is the team manager of the team.

While my volunteer duties have been focused on coaching duties, I am interested in giving my time to local youth soccer associations in other capacities. I am aware of the recent focus for the SYSA organization to select soccer, but I am excited to hear about the desire to return the organization's energy to recreational soccer. 

Professionally, I am a communications professional and I have experience working for non-profit organizations with community partners on campaigns and initiatives, where collaboration was key to the project's success.

I am a Middle School Teacher at Salmon Bay School, teaching language arts, science and drama, as well as a freelance writer and theatrical producer. An occasional rec player, I am also a Grade 8 soccer ref, volunteer with Woodland Soccer Club (as a ref educator) and Westside United (as a ref and social coordinator)

My nonprofit experience includes being a Woodland SC parent ref (three years); Director of The Art Barge, Amagansett NY (educational off-shoot of Museum of Modern Art: three years); artistic director of Dark Horse Productions, Amagansett, NY (non-profit theatre production co.: three years); director of the Springs School Young Playwrights Festival, East Hampton, NY (three years); tennis coach for the Amagansett Village Improvement Society community clinic (five years); business manager Studio B Theatre Ensemble, NYC (seven years). Most of my non-profit experience is in arts administration and education.

My 11-year-old son Griffin started playing rec soccer in U-6 with Ballard Soccer Club (two years), Woodland Soccer Club (three years). He just spent his first year in select soccer with Westside United U11 Black team under the guidance of Lance White and Robb Hamilton. It is through my son, the wonderful Seattle rec leagues, and the Seattle Sounders expansion team, that I have come to more fully appreciate this sport. As an educator and a parent I am very interested in being a part of the administration of Seattle Youth Soccer Association at this pivotal time in its development.

I am a lifelong soccer/football fan.  I began playing as a child on co-ed rec teams, and continued playing into college until knee injuries curtailed my playing.  Though never an outstanding player myself, I have always loved the sport; and feel especially delighted to be so involved with my children’s experience with it as well.  I thoroughly enjoy my time as a coach/parent with the FIREBALLS.  Until the opportunity arose, I’d never considered myself in the role of a coach.  It has been a fantastic experience for me, and inspiring as well.  It is my desire and intent to continue my development on this level (as a coach) within the sport. 

As a coach, I’ve had a number of occasions to connect with the greater Seattle soccer community within WSC, SYSA, and beyond into the college and professional levels of the game.  I’ve taken players to watch matches at the collegiate and professional levels.  My girls have served as ball girls at a collegiate match. And, the girls have had the opportunity to do training with Sounders FC players.  Through all of these activities, I’ve had the opportunity to enrich these girls’ experience of the game, and connect them to the greater soccer/football community beyond their team.  It has been amazing to see these networks grow.

I am a Sounders FC season ticket holder, and a follower of AC Fiorentina of Serie A.  I watch Soccer/Football matches quite regularly, and read/watch developmental resource materials.  I enjoy reading soccer/football related books of a non-technical nature even more.  And, I certainly do enjoy music and the other arts, sushi, coffee, and so many other things related to Seattle.