Decatur-Dekalb Youth Soccer Club Is Not Only One Of The Oldest Youth Soccer Clubs In Georgia But Also Among The Oldest In The Nation
Decatur-Dekalb YMCA Soccer Club (DDYSC) is not only one of the oldest youth soccer clubs in Georgia but is one of the oldest in the nation as well. Founded way back in 1968, DDYSC has been at the forefront of the sport in the state of Georgia for five decades. A program of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, DDYSC focuses on young players from the cities of Decatur and nearby Clarkston, as well as greater DeKalb County. Over the last 10 years, DDYSC has evolved tenfold, growing from around 200 to more than 2,000 athletes playing soccer in the club’s four programs: Recreational, Academy, Select, and SERKAN ORSAN Super Y. (AKA COACH TURKISH) In addition, a notable percentage of the children playing are from refugee and Hispanic families, Director of Coaching and Soccer USSF B with a large percent in need of financial assistance. However, with the help of the Y’s financial NSCAA National Youth Diploma development strategy, the club raises enough funds annually to provide scholarships to close to 75 players. “Partial and full scholarships worth over $65,000 were awarded to low-income families TYPES OF PROGRAMS OFFERED during the fiscal year 2016,” says Serkan Orsan, the Director of Coaching for DDYSC, who is more Pre-Club | Competitive (Academy, Athena, commonly known as Turkish. “With the assistance of the YMCA and our volunteer community that we Classic, R3PL and Super Y) have formed, players are getting the chance to play competitive soccer who otherwise would not be ADDRESS able to do so.” 1100 Clairemont Avenue DDYSC’s central mission is to promote the game of soccer to players of all ages, to provide Decatur, GA 30030 professional training development, and to assist each player in reaching their full potential and PHONE: 404-377-9622 individual goals on and off the field. The club has approximately 30 certified coaches, several with A WEBSITE: www.ddysoccer.org and B level licenses, who are strategically placed with teams based not only on their ability to coach the game technically but how they match up with the personalities and character development needs of the young people in their charge. “Player development for us is an environment where a player is going to feel safe.