Why Splash n Dash?

Have you heard about our upcoming Splash-n-Dash, presented by KitKeepers, event on August 20th? If not, it's a super fun day filled with inflatable water slides, water blaster alley, soccer stations, and more all along a 1-mile course. I thought it might be helpful for me to share with each of you why you should Splash-n-Dash with us on August 20th. 

Kids and parents can complete the course! 

1. All ages are welcome.

The 1-mile fun run around WRAL Soccer Park is easy for people of all ages. Last year, we had young players, coaches, and parents at the event.

2. All abilities are welcome.

You don't have to be in the best shape of your life or be very technically skilled at soccer. The 1-mile loop is broken up by a lot of "stations" including splash stations (e.g., inflatable water slide, slip n slide, etc.) and soccer stations (e.g., dribbling) that anyone can do. These stations add a nice break into the loop and offer plenty of rest. Plus, we have drinking water stations around the course, too! This makes the course easy for kids and adults! 

a perfect Family outing!

3. You are not timed: go at your own pace! 

We don't post scores or who finishes first. The day is more about fun and the accomplishment of finishing the course. There is no pressure for you to run faster than you want. Each wave has about 40 runners and the participants naturally spread out so there's plenty of room for you to take your time and enjoy it. 

CASL Coaches are on hand to
support players and runners; many of them
run the course, too! 

4. Bonding: Family, Friends, Team, and CASL 
Last year, we saw so many families running together. Parents ran at the pace of their kids (or kids running at the pace of their parents?), while they encouraged each other along the way. Many friends and teammates were in costume and used the event as a great team bonding/building exercise. Finally, our CASL coaches and staff were on-hand to encourage each runner and make sure they couldn't escape the whole water motif of the day. It's a great way to get to know coaches (maybe you'll even get to send a coach into the dunk tank!) and staff!

Great team bonding day!

CASL coaches hitting the course
with their players!

5. Fundraising: support Financial Aid 

Each dollar raised from the day supports CASL's Financial Aid fund. Each year, many families are faced with the choice of whether or not they can afford for their child(ren) to play soccer in a safe and positive environment. We raise money throughout the year to make sure each child has a chance to play, regardless of family financial constraints. We award nearly $125,000 each  year to qualifying players and their families. We all know the positive impact team sports and soccer can have on youth. Let's help open up the game to others. 

CASL coaches and staff make sure you have FUN! 

#CASLPride in the Community

CASL players spread the game to youth in Nicaragua

by Jessica Kraus, CASL Intern

This summer, CASL families and staff have been making an extra effort to give back to the community! Equipment donations and community service events are just some of the ways everyone is getting involved!

Earlier this week, Ryan, Laura, and Wyatt (06 Academy Jrs Black South) Southard and CASL staff volunteered at the Wedge Community Garden in Raleigh. The Wedge Garden offers a safe place for community members to grow fresh produce and herbs. Many local organizations use the land to grow produce to help families in need fight hunger. The volunteers weeded and mulched garden beds as well as picked figs. Even though it was a hot summer evening, everyone gave it their all to make a difference!

CASL staff and volunteers at the Wedge Garden

Want to get involved?

Food Pantry: Later this week, CASL staff and volunteers members will be helping out at Urban Ministries of Wake County. Urban Ministries provides services to help families combat issues such as healthcare, homelessness, and hunger. CASL volunteers will be helping to sort food pantry items as well as bringing their own donations. You can sign up to be a part of this event on our community page.

Christmas in July: Next week from July 25- July 31, we will be participating in the Ronald McDonald House of Raleigh and Chapel Hill's Christmas in July event. We will be collecting donations during Team Camp at WRAL Soccer Park and Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12pm-5pm at the CASL Office (5017 Memory Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609).  Visit our Community Events page for more details on donations.

Equipment donations are also a hot topic at CASL. We have had a ton of donation items dropped off at the donation bin at WRAL this summer and have been able to help spread the love of soccer throughout Wake County and the world!  Last week, donations were sent out to the Wake County Boys and Girls Club as well as a mission community in Kenya. It will be the first time the children in Kenya will have ever seen soccer cleats.

Agility sticks, balls, goalie gloves, socks, cleats, and ball pumps
were distributed to the youth in the community

Community Update: We  also heard back from CASL player Kaitlyn Gosline (01 CASL Ladies Red) about her mission trip to Nicaragua. She and her dad (a CASL coach), along with another CASL Challenge coach and 3 CASL challenge players, helped her group host soccer clinics and a tournament that utilized equipment donations from CASL. The rest of the donations sent down with them will be used to help start a community soccer league in Nicaragua! To learn more about Kaitlyn’s trip and the work she did, visit her webpage: http://nicaragua.gosline.net/

Thanks to all who have given back to the community this summer and have spread their #CASLPride!

Spreading Soccer Around the World

By: Jessica Kraus, CASL Intern

Spreading Soccer Around the World!

CASL’s equipment donation bin at WRAL Soccer Complex has been super busy lately! With all of the generosity from our families, we have had our work cut out for us in sorting through the equipment, like gently used cleats, shin guards, goalie gloves, and balls. That is good news! We have been able to fill requests for soccer equipment donations all across the world. 

Sorting through gently used equipment

The Bradley family is spreading the game of soccer to Jamaica this summer where the community is in need of some usable equipment. After visiting before, Mikayla ('01 CASL WFU Blue Girls) saw that those in the community playing soccer only had a rubber ball and wanted to make a difference!

Ted Sheeve from Celebration Church in Raleigh recently  helped coordinate a large equipment donation of cleats, soccer balls, ball pumps, and apparel to Nicaragua, where there is a soccer league being set up for youth in an impoverished area. Later this month, his group will take another donation to Kenya!

Ted Sheve (red shirt) poses with the Joe Espinoza of 

CASL player Meredith Keel, who played for '98 CASL Wake Forest United, will be taking a sizable donation to Agua Viva Children’s Home in Guatemala this summer, where she will supply kids with the necessary equipment to enjoy the game of soccer!

Not only do equipment donations help others across the world, but also right in our backyard! Donations are being set up with the Boys and Girls Club in Wake County to help our neighbors be better able to enjoy the game we love.

Cleaning out the donation bin at WRAL Soccer Park

So next time you are at WRAL Soccer Park, stop by the equipment donation bin at the clubhouse between the restrooms. Every little donation can make a huge difference in the lives of those who receive them.

Or, if you know of a group who is helping to spread the game of soccer, please let us know about their equipment needs by filling out this form: http://caslnc.com/Community/Donations 

A huge thank you to all who have already donated your used equipment and taken donations to deserving young players!

CASL Community Support

by Katharine Eberhardt, CASL Business Development Director

You might be aware that we have a lot of generous corporate supporters at CASL. You see them in the form of field names, jersey sponsors, tournaments, events, and fundraisers. All of these companies hold the same belief that you do about the power of soccer and the benefits it can have on you and your children. I hope that, during the course of your day, your week, or your year, you will consider supporting the companies who so generously support your child's experience at CASL. 

FREE Ice Cream anyone? 

A lot of our sponsors have put together deals and promotions just for CASL families. I would encourage you to check our our digital coupon bag: http://goveb.co/eb/d0759 There are more than 25 deals and promotions for you and your family. You can find out how you can get FREE ice cream from Dairy Queen, or a free dentist cleaning, or discounts off tires/installation and other products and services.

View the Digital Coupon Bag Here

Full disclosure: you do have to enter your email address to enter the bag. Some of you may be thinking... do I really want to enter my email to see the coupons? Entering your email is just so we can track how many people are using the platform and viewing the different coupon/promotional placements. It's really just a way to provide valuable feedback. Your email doesn't get shared with anyone, AND you can un-check the box when you sign into the Digital Coupon Bag so you don't get any future emails... it's that easy! 

I hope you will check out the coupon bag. You might just find something in there you can use. I'm lucky that day in and day out, I get to tell the "CASL story" (mine is even a personal story since I played here growing up) to each of these companies as well as prospective companies. And, in return, I get to hear why they want to support CASL and give back to the community. In upcoming blogs, I look forward to spotlighting some of our sponsors and sharing with you why they choose to support our programming. 

Until then, enjoy these great offers: http://goveb.co/eb/d0759

CASL Casino Night: Sneak Peak

As we start this new year at CASL, we are excited to host our newest fundraiser - CASL Casino Night & Silent Auction - on Thursday, February 18th, at the Stockroom in downtown Raleigh. All-inclusive tickets are $75/each. If you can't be there, you could sponsor a table ($200)! Buy your tickets here.

This is our second fundraiser of the year (the first one was the Splash-n-Dash in August; the final one is the golf tournament on April 18) that will raise money to support our financial assistance program at CASL. This year alone, we will award more than $125,000 in financial assistance to qualifying families across all levels of play. Without our financial support, many children would not be able to play. 

More about Casino Night

As you can guess, Casino Night will revolve around, well... casino games (with play money, of course!). With your ticket, you will receive $1,000 in casino chips to test your luck (and skill?) on blackjack, roulette, craps, poker, and more! And, guess who will be making rounds as dealers at your table???  CASL coaches and directors! 

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Empire Eats, you'll also be treated to delicious food from their restaurants (The Pit, Sitti, Gravy, The Raleigh Times). We can't thank Empire Eats enough for not only donating the space - the amazing Stockroom venue - for our event, but also for providing ALL the food - how awesome is that??!! Drinks (non-alcoholic, beer, and wine) are also included with your Casino Night ticket. 

Silent Auction: What to Expect

You'll also have the chance to bid on some awesome items in our silent auction. We are still collecting generous donations from our business community, but here's a sneak peak at some of the items you could bid on (and get a great deal!):

Looking for a special gift for her? Diamond's Direct is donating a $250 gift card. Or, treat her to a pedicure from Synergy Spa and a $100 shopping spree at Crabtree Valley Mall. 

We can't forget about him! Bid on one of these cotton ties from High Cotton. These ties bring back a "true Southern accent" made with the help of one of NC's home grown products - cotton. Oh, and they are machine washable! 

Wilmington Beach Escape 

What about for the family? We'll have plenty of items for your family to enjoy like a Wilmington beach trip! Enjoy a  hotel stay, (4) tickets to the aquarium, and this gift pack from the Wilmington CVB (includes dry bags, koozies, shirts, drawstring bag). Or, head West on I-40, instead, and take a trip with your family to Boone and enjoy the  Tweetsie railroad! We'll have more local adventures for your family to share as well (sporting event and other entertainment). 

La Maison Pillar Candles

We're also collecting awesome items for you to enjoy like these gorgeous Pillar candles from La Maison in Raleigh. These are valued at over $400! 

We don't want to spill all the beans, but we'll continue to share some teasers with you as the event approaches.

If you own a business and would like to donate to our silent auction, email Georgia.Kelley@CASLnc.com. 

CASL Night at the 'Canes

by Katharine Eberhardt, CASL Business Development Director

I hope you will join me this Friday (Nov. 20th) for CASL Night at the 'Canes. Afterward, you will be invited down onto the ice for a CASL group photo. For CASL families and friends, tickets start as low as $25! Purchase your tickets here: http://bit.ly/1X2uuvR 

Here's a little bit about why I love the Hurricanes, and why I'm excited to support them on Friday: 

In a past life, I used to work for the Carolina Hurricanes in the Community Relations department and the Kids 'N Community Foundation (the charitable arm of the Carolina  Hurricanes). I was immersed in an organization that was committed to using professional sport to improve the lives of children and their families in North Carolina. 

Me with the Stanley Cup in 2009

Each year through their Foundation, they award more than $500,000 in cash grants to deserving non-profit organizations who focus on the health and education of underserved youth. Recent grant beneficiaries have included InterAct of Wake County, State Games of NC, StepUp Ministry, Chrildren's Flight of Hope, and many more wonderful organizations. 

In addition to their cash grants, the team hosts toy, food, school supply, and military supply drives to provide much needed materials to our local community. They also send their players into the community to help brighten the spirits of children in the hospitals during the holiday season.

Some of their players carry out community initiatives on their own, too! Captain Eric Staal and his brothers created the Staal Family Foundation. Locally, Eric and his brother Jordan (who also plays for the Hurricanes) host children fighting cancer and their families in a luxury suite. Cam Ward, the goalie, also operates Cam's Champs - a free luxury suite experience offered to youth sport organizations and athletes who have special needs. 

All of this doesn't even take into account the great in-game experience you get - once you get to a game, you'll want to go back!

I could go on and on...My experience with the Hurricanes cultivated a passion in me to think about how we at CASL can help our community. Through the game of soccer, we provide youth a safe platform to develop and grow (and stay active!) on a day-to-day basis. Our financial assistance program helps open up this opportunity to hundreds of youth. We have created a charitable tournament held in January that provides 100% of funds raised back to the organization. In the past two years, we've raised more than $20,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. We will be announcing soon the beneficiary for the 2016 tournament. 

I look forward to cheering on the 'Canes on Friday for all these reasons and more, and I hope to see you there!

Buy your tickets here: http://bit.ly/1X2uuvR

Coaching Education: A priority at CASL

I've decided that I want to write about things that you might not know about CASL - blog posts from here on out might be a fun fact about our staff, a player spotlight, business operations insights, or anything else that might be of interest. It's my goal to give you a behind the scenes look at CASL - a view you likely can't get from the sidelines.

I am fortunate to work with some amazing people and companies in my job at CASL. Most of my day-to-day responsibilities revolve around finding ways to connect with like minded individuals who believe in what we do and share a vision for how we can all help make our community stronger.

For me, the belief in CASL and the outcomes it can have on young people isn't far-fetched. I am a product of CASL (I played Recreation, Challenge, and Classic at CASL from age 7-18 - proud '02 CASL Alum). I've seen the lasting impact that team sports and quality coaches can have (we all have those coaches who we loved to play for - win or lose). I still remember my first coach - Coach Forcum with the Falcons (pictured below) - who introduced me to the game and instilled a love right away. My Challenge Coach, Coach Currrier, who took a chance on a 10 year old girl and put her on a boys' Challenge team (back when this was allowed). The list goes on and on, I can talk about positive memories that all of my soccer coaches left on me. We rely so much on our our coaches to provide this positive youth sport experience for our players.

Me with my first CASL team, the Falcons  (circa 1992)

Coaching Education

Ever since Gary Buete came to CASL over a year ago, one of his main priorities has been coaching education across all levels. In the past year, I can honestly say we've made a lot of progress on providing coaches the resources and opportunities to be successful (a few highlights below).

• Recreation Coaching License: Recreation Director Brett Malone offered the first CASL coaching certification course for our recreation coaches this fall. He had an amazing turnout of coaches who are invested in their role as "Coach". 
• Recreation Practice Plans: Brett Malone and David Rodriguez (Assistant Recreation Director) worked all summer to put together a Recreation curriculum so that our volunteer coaches are equipped with practice plans, tips, and player development focus areas. They a
• Challenge JDP: This past year, Damon Nahas, CASL's Technical Director, worked with Challenge Director Bryan Farnsworth to offer the first Challenge JDP (Junior Development Program) sessions. This coaching education initiative provides our challenge coaches the opportunity to learn about CASL's coaching philosophy. Coaches leave with tools needed to evaluate players, execute meaningful training sessions, and collaborate with each other. 
• Player Development Manual: Sean Nahas, CASL's Director of Player Development/ECNL Director, was tasked to create a player development manual to be used across CAYA, Classic, and ECNL/Academy. This is as much a benefit to the players as it is to the coaches, who are now all on the same page. For example, all U8-12 coaches now know exactly what is expected of them and their players. The manual provides tips to coaches on how to ensure they are providing the best player development environment for their players.  

Community Support

If it weren't for the generous support of our corporate community, many of these initiatives would not be possible. For that reason, I want to share some insights into a few of our sponsors whose support allows for your (you and your family's) experience at CASL to be improved. I'll be sharing a lot more as the season goes on! 

• Sheetz: Sheetz was a sponsor of our labor day tournament this year. As part of their sponsorship, they donated ALL of our referee lunches on both days of play. Money we would have spent can now be saved for our programs! 
• Dick's Sporting Goods: Dick's Sporting Goods is always willing to help. Whether that was offering discounts to our families all summer long at sizing events, providing every Recreation coach with $20 Bonus Bucks to help get them ready for the season, or giving our Friendship Cup players a drawstring bag, Dick's Sporting Goods is a faithful friend of CASL. Their sponsor support also allows us to recognize sportsmanship each season! 
• Sky Zone Raleigh: I've gotten to know Julie and Bob Russell at Sky Zone Raleigh over the past year. Their generosity astounds me, and they are all about promoting healthy, fun, and active living. You've probably seen the Sky Zone fitness center at WRAL Soccer Park, but I would encourage you to check out their trampoline park - all CASL members who wear a CASL shirt can jump for just $10! They are also having a birthday special - book before October 31 and all attendees receive a free pass - check out this cool video about birthdays at Sky Zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJEKx5fTpXQ  

Hamilton Sportsmanship Award Night a Success

Wow - I've clearly been on a hiatus this spring from the blog. It's been a busy soccer season over at CASL, but I look forward to getting back in touch with all of you this summer!

Hamilton Sportsmanship Award Night

I'm reintroducing myself to the CASL blog world with this blog post about our most recent Hamilton Sportsmanship Award night, presented by Dick's Sporting Goods. On Saturday, May 16, we recognized 140 of the sportsmanship award nominees at the Carolina RailHawks game. You can see a full list of all winners here. 

The night started off with players coming by the CASL tent to pick-up their certificate and commemorative gift pack. CASL CEO Gary Buete, Cindy Hamilton (the daughter of the award's namesake, Pat Hamilton), and our mascot, Cleats, were on hand along with our enthusiastic staff to help congratulate the winners. Thanks to Planet Smoothie, each sportsmanship award winner also got treated to a free smoothie prior to the game! 

Our players went home with the certificate, a CASL/Dick's Sporting Goods Tumbler, some trendy CASL/Dick's Sporting Goods sunglasses, a gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods, and an additional free smoothie coupon! They also went home with a memory of being recognized at halftime in front of a near record crowd at the RailHawks game - we paraded onto the field at half-time, as the cheers from the stands helped congratulate these winners for their outstanding displays of sportsmanship this season. As one mom mentioned to me, "it was an experience my first grader, nor I, will soon forget." All of the winners squeezed together on the field for a commemorative photo as well. 

Group photo with all of our Hamilton Sportsmanship Award Winners! 

Oh, and did I mention that some of our U8-U12 (girls) winners were surprised with a FREE entrance into the TeamFirst Camp (Thanks Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC!) hosted by Mia Hamm on June 21 as an added bonus to their awesome sportsmanship?!?! You can pledge to live fearless with BCBSNC for a chance to send your daughter to this camp hosted at WRAL Soccer Park: http://livefearlessnc.com/pledge-rules/  

The CASL Tower was packed on Saturday, and everyone showed their #CASLpride all night. We had more than 330 players nominated this spring by their coach or teammates, and we were thrilled to be able to provide this experience to our players. We've seen this number grow each season, and our goal is to have 100% participation from our coaches in the future. 

Thanks, again, to Dick's Sporting Goods and WakeMed Health & Hospitals, who sponsor our good sports! 

Free Food, Discounts, and More!

On snow days, I think we all sometimes look for a little distraction. Today, hopefully I'll share a beneficial distraction with you. I wrote earlier this month about the spring virtual discount/promotion bag we put together for our CASL families. We offered the opportunity for our sponsors and local community supporters to put together digital promotions, and we put them all into our "virtual event bag". 

A Sneak Peak into the Virtual Bag

We wanted to test it out this spring. If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to take a look into the bag. The companies that have put something into the bag are all financial supporters of CASL. In turn, their support (whether it's through a field sponsorship, jersey sponsorship, tournament sponsorship, or other sponsorship) helps us maintain and improve our services to our players, coaches, and families. 

Sometimes you might play on Dick's Sporting Goods field or notice the SportClips logo on the back of your kid's jersey and wonder why they are there. They are there because they believe in what we do at CASL and in the positive influence a youth soccer experience can have on all of your children and the community. I am fortunate to work with these companies on a day-to-day basis, and it's truly rewarding to witness their corporate generosity. With that in mind, if you ever get the chance to return the support of these (and all of our generous sponsors), I encourage you to do so. 

Below is a list of all the companies and highlights of the promotion/deal they are offering CASL families in the Virtual Bag. Don't be alarmed if you are prompted to "sign in" to the platform - this just allows us to maximize the benefits of the platform and track the activity on the page so we can be more informed moving forward. 

Enter the Virtual Bag Here

PassHat: Collect money for gifts and dues with this simple tool (they also have a partnership with the team management app TeamSnap!) - PassHat is offering CASL members a 50% discount off already low service fees. 

Kitty Hawk Kites: CASL members can save 15% on hang gliding at the OBX (sure sounds nice on a day like this, right?!)

Sky Zone Raleigh: Wear your CASL or CAYA jersey/t-shirt into the indoor trampoline park and jump for only $10!

Orthopaedic Specialists of NC: $10 Sports Physicals

Carolina RailHawks: Buy Season Tickets in the month of Feb. and receive a free autographed mini-ball!

SportClips: Free HairCut for New Clients

Crown Trophy of Raleigh (your CASL Awards supplier) is offering a FREE coach gift

Kanki (Crabtree Valley Mall) is offering a buy one adult entree, get one kids' entree FREE

Newcomb & Company: 10% off annual HVAC Maintenance Agreement

The FishRoom: the Triangle's premier aquarium store

Dragonwing Girlgear: 20% off sports bras, compression shorts, and more!

TriSure: Managing Risk from a Unique Perspective. Yours.

CiCi's Pizza: Free Kids Meal

KitKeepers: Happy Mom by KitKeepers

Exclusive CASL deals coming to your inbox very soon!

As we get ready to kick-off the spring season (some of you may already be playing), I wanted to pass along a cool opportunity coming to your inbox next week. 

• Be on the look out for a Virtual Event Bag link to access exclusive deals for CASL families from our generous corporate sponsors and community supporters. This link will be distributed to all of our CASL families on Friday, February 13th so be sure to check your inbox.

We are going 'GREEN'! This is the first year we are using the Virtual Event Bag platform to pass on coupons and promotions as well as CASL information to you in a concise and efficient manner. We encourage you to download these coupons/promotions and support the companies whose CASL sponsorship helps us serve you better. 

Download the full 20% off storewide coupon from Dick's Sporting Goods
through the Virtual Event Bag opening February 13th 

Sneak peaks into the Virtual Event Bag:

• Dick's Sporting Goods/CASL Shop Weekend Coupon for 20% off throughout the store - you'll get to download the coupon and redeem it any  Triangle location Feb. 13 - 15. This is a great opportunity to restock your soccer equipment and any other sporting goods needs before the season gets underway! 
• CASL Golf Tournament Registration - The spring golf tournament is set for April 20 at Prestonwood Country Club. Be sure to reserve your spot or foursome early. All funds raised will support the Goal Assist Fund, which supports player financial aid, soccer outreach, coaching education, and facility maintenance. 

We'll release some other teasers soon, but the only way to access these great deals is to click on the Virtual Event Bag link in your email inbox com February 13th. 

'Tis the Season

The Salvation Army of Wake County is no stranger to helping families in need. In a single year, the Salvation Army provides more than 10,000 nights of shelter, helps more than 116,000 individuals, and serves nearly 50,000 meals each year. 

The holiday season is no exception. This year the Salvation Army of Wake County registered nearly 9,000 children to be part of the Christmas Cheer Program. Through this program, children receive new clothing, toys, and stockings. Volunteers and donations help provide a special Christmas for these children. 

The U10 CAYA Black North Girls, coached by Jason Wolfe, had their winter team party this past December weekend. In addition to spending time together and celebrating a great season, the team put together stockings for the Salvation Army's Christmas Cheer program. They also had a little creative fun putting together gingerbread houses! 

This kind of spirit is certainly contagious. Please share with us any community service or support efforts you are providing this holiday season, either as an individual or a group. We pride ourselves on being a committed community partner. We are nearing the end of the year and we are proud to say that through this team's service effort, we have documented our collective 40th service effort in the community! Check out all that our club and our players have done this year to to give back to the community that has supported us for so many years. 

Hamilton Night at the RailHawks game

written by Chelsey Stark, CASL intern

Despite the November rain, wind and cold weather, almost 150 Hamilton Sportsmanship Award winners and their families came out to the RailHawks game to be recognized for their outstanding fall seasons as exemplary sportsmanship role models. Thanks to the generous corporate support of Dick's Sporting Goods and WakeMed Health and Hospitals, these players were treated to a special night at the Carolina RailHawks last home game of the season. 

Named in honor of Dr. Pat Hamilton, an advocate for the development of youth soccer in North Carolina, the Hamilton award is presented to an individual from each team who is a standout not only on the field, but off the field as well. CASL emphasizes the importance of growth and development of young adults, teaching sportsmanship traits needed to be successful in life, not just the game.

one winner proudly taking her picture

With hot chocolate in our arsenal, Hamilton Award winners, families and friends corralled around our tents to receive their certificates and gift bags while enjoying a cup of liquid warmth before the game. Dick's Sporting Goods was on hand to help congratulate the award winners with additional free giveaways. Each sportsmanship award winner also received a free ticket to that night's game. The CASL Tower was packed with sportsmanship award winners and their supportive coaches, teammates, friends, and family.

Cleats leading the parade of champions down the final stretch of applause and cheers!

Luckily, the weather held off for a much drier 90 minutes as the RailHawks took to the field. In a game where the RailHawks needed a victory against Minnesota to advance to the post-season NASL Championship, the excitement of the game was at an all-time high, along with attendance. The first half closed with a 1-0 RailHawks lead.

At half, Hamilton winners lined up to start their parade around the stadium to high-five and wave to the large crowd. Cleats, CASL's mascot, was on hand to lead the parade of award winners. Many of them could look up to the videoboard to see themselves recognized on the big screen for all to see. These athletes demonstrated tremendous character, leadership, integrity and respect toward their coaches and fellow teammates for the Fall season, qualities that deserve high recognition.

The line of athletes snaked back to the field exit, and it wasn’t too much longer before the game turned into a spooky day-after-Halloween phenomenon with a power outage and only the videoboard to shed light on the stadium, delaying the second half for 30 minutes.

The RailHawks finished their 2014 NASL regular season with a 2-2 tie, and to their fans dismay, unable to advance into contention for the NASL Soccer Bowl championship.

We would like to congratulate all CASL Hamilton Sportsmanship Award winners! 

End of Year Celebration at the RailHawks Game

The Challenge and Recreation teams closed their fall seasons this past Saturday with CASL friends, family and fun at the RailHawks game.

Players in the Fan Tunnel

Many players first had the opportunity to rev up the RailHawks in the fan tunnel before the game. Swoops – the Carolina RailHawks beloved mascot – also made an appearance on the field to mingle with the fan tunnel and get them ready for the player walk-out.

Kids were then dismissed to watch the chilly first half as the RailHawks took on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The game got off to a slow start, as neither team created any quality chances.

Half-time activity amped up the spectators as CASL athletes took to the pitch for a quick-paced and fun relay race around the field. Kids of all ages were jumbled into four teams of six and assigned a jersey color (red, white, orange or black) which acted as batons.

Each relay teammate was set up at either a corner flag or the half-field line for their baton pass until the last runner arrived back at the starting line. The red team edged out all other competitors in the last leg of the relay in a photo finish with the white team.

The race took all of two minutes, props to the CASL lightning-fast sprinters who showed up for the half-time fun.

Other teams who were there anxiously waited for their team picture to flash up on the big video board. As part of the celebration, teams were able to submit their team pictures to the RailHawks and be featured during the game!

The RailHawks and Strikers then reconvened to the field to finish off the game. The RailHawks went behind 0-1 mid-way through the second half, but answered with an amazing back-of-the-heel, trick-shot goal to tie it up 1-1 in the 82nd minute of play. With this result, the RailHawks remain in contention for a spot in the NASL playoffs.

Don't forget to get your $10 discounted CASL Tower tickets for the last Carolina RailHawks game of the season. Click here to buy your tickets! 

#GrowTheGame - CASL Fall Fundraiser

Many of you may have heard, but this year's Fall Raffle Fundraiser is underway. Special thanks to BlackFinn Ameripub, Class Act Maid Services, Nick Cerullo of Merrill Lynch, and SkyZone Indoor trampoline Park, we've already kickstarted our fundraising efforts through sponsor support. 

Click HERE to purchase your tickets online.

In previous years, we executed a traditional paper ticket raffle. This year, we are catching up with the times and moving to an entirely secure online raffle ticket system. This process should make it easier for anyone to share the link and purchase tickets to help us reach our fundraising objectives:

1. Increase CASL's Financial Aid program that distributes more than $50,000/year to qualifying players
2. Improve the fields and facilities at WRAL Soccer Park and all of our other used fields in the area 
3. Provide our 500 volunteer and seasonal coaches with resources and education to be successful 
4. Grow the game of soccer through outreach programs targeting diverse, underserved populations

The raffle will be live through December 4th. Every ticket purchased will have the chance to win one of many amazing prizes, many of which were generously donated by community supporters. The grand prize winner will have the choice of three trips: Jamaica, New York, or Disney World. Others of you could win a $250 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card, Harris Teeter Gift Cards, SOCCER.com gift cards, UNC Men's Basketball Tickets, a Sonicare Toothbrush, or even a Supreme Air Birthday Package from SkyZone. We keep adding prizes, so check our updated prize list back regularly. 

We are encouraging all Recreation, Challenge, CAYA, and Classic players to sell two tickets each. All ECNL players should strive to sell 5 tickets each, and Academy players should sell 10 tickets. 

Our goal is to raise $75,000 specifically to support the aforementioned areas of need. We launched the raffle about a week ago, and have started to make a dent in our fundraising goal. We still have a ways to go, but with your help, I believe we can achieve this goal. Please help us share the link or help us reach our goal by participating in this year's fundraiser.

We've already seen success stories of many of our players who have sent out the link to friends and family. Duncan Wegner, U14 Academy, sold more than 10 tickets in about 48 hours just by sending the link out. If you need any help, please reach out to me directly - katharine.kelley@CASLnc.com  

Parents Night Out, Kids Night Donating

Parents and kids enjoyed separate entertainment before the Carolina RailHawks game this past Saturday night. Parents got to unwind in the party deck at WakeMed Soccer Park with complimentary wine and appetizers while the kids got their hands dirty with tie dye and community giving.

Pre-game festivities began when the parents dropped off their kids at the tie dye tent with members of the CASL staff (just call us your neighborhood babysitters!) before heading off to enjoy a relaxing hour among other parents and free accommodations. The kids took part in a messier evening of bright dyes and free pizza donated by CiCi's Pizza.

The most important element of the event, however, was a clothing drive to benefit Helping Hand Mission. Those who donated to the clothing drive were given a new CASL t-shirt to splatter with tie dye and take home. Thankfully, tie dye washes off both grass and hands, but the notion of supporting their community will stick with the kids as they grow. 

Helping Hand Mission provides relief and support to needy families, which often includes food and clothes. They receive reusable items from around Wake County in order to assist these families.  CASL’s event filled two boxes worth of clothing to donate to the organization. Thanks to everyone who came out and donated! 

After all of the pre-game festivities, many CASL players in attendance walked out with the RailHawks starters as they entered the field. The 22 CASL players proved to be good luck charms for the team, as the RailHawks defeated the league-leading San Antonio Scorpions 3-1, catapulting them to 4^th place in league standings. Many CASL teams and families also took advantage of the $10 discounted tickets in the CASL Tower (like the U10 Challenge Boys Boca Juniors - pictured). 

Next Saturday, September 20, the RailHawks will take on the New York Cosmos. After the game, fans can enjoy free post-game FIREWORKS!! For information on CASL Tower tickets (sections 502-504) to the next RailHawks game, click here. 

U14 CASL Beau Soleil donates to Read and Feed

Cleats Visits U14 CASL Beau Soleil to Recognize their Volunteer Efforts

written by Cleats

On May 10, U14 CASL Challenge team Beau Soleil participated in a soccer clinic to benefit Read and Feed.  At the clinic, conducted by a CASL player completing a service award, Beau Soleil enhanced both their soccer skills and their knowledge on illiteracy. They were educated on illiteracy in America and its effects on society.  

U14 CASL Beau Soleil and Cleats

Read and Feed is a local organization aiming to fight illiteracy by traveling to schools and assisting young children, helping them learn to read and get better at it while having a snack.  Collections of books as well as small prizes are awarded to the children after each session, allowing them to practice their skills at home and encouraging improvement.  

Beau Soleil donated over 50 books and prizes to Read and Feed, demonstrating their care for the world around them as well as their knowledge of illiteracy in America. In reward for their dedication and service, Beau Soleil was rewarded by a visit from Cleats, CASL’s mascot. To learn more about read and feed, visit readandfeed.org.  

CASL 40th Anniversary: CASL Teams Host School Supply Drive

It's been a while since my last blog update. The month hiatus was primarily due to my personal life developments. I was married in July so was gone for a good chunk of the summer (if you see Eberhardt come across your email - it's from me!). However, now that I'm back in the swing of things, I'm looking forward to more frequent blog updates and informally sharing with you the happenings at CASL.

This year, CASL entered a landmark year. CASL officially turned 40 in March , and we've been celebrating all year long. Most of our celebrations have come in the form of soccer specific and soccer-related service activities. It has been our goal of this anniversary year to show how we are living our mission in everything that we do both on and off the field. In case you have never taken notice, here is our mission statement:

The mission of CASL is to provide positive and high-quality instructional and competitive youth soccer opportunities at all levels of play that enhance character, community and the love of the game for a diverse membership of children ages 4-18 and their families across Wake County and to serve as a community partner in improving the quality of life in Wake County. 

The 40th Anniversary efforts have focused on the latter half of our mission: "...to serve as a community partner in improving the quality of life in Wake County". We want to show that CASL and youth soccer in general can be a platform for awareness, change, or action. As an organization, CASL has hosted events like the CASL Play 4Kay 4v4, which was a 100% charitable soccer tournament to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. With your help, we raised more than $14,000 to support their mission of ending cancer. We also hosted a food drive that generated more than 300 meals for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. We've hosted and participated in other events and community outreach efforts that have supported our community organizations including Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Ronald McDonald House of Durham, Haven House Services of NC, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and more. For a full list of our efforts, click here. 

'01 CASL Red Ladies

CASL Teams Donate School Supplies

U10G Black North CAYA

What makes us most proud, though, is our teams who take initiative on their own to make an impact in our community. This trickle down effect is powerful and will expand the reach that our youth soccer platform can have. Most recently, two of our teams, the U10G Black North CAYA team and the '01 CASL Red Ladies classic team hosted a team school supply drive to benefit Hope House Inc. located in Wake Forest. Each team spent time gathering and preparing school supply donations for Hope House. To help kickstart their collection efforts, CASL donated school folders and pencils to be distributed through the collection. We also wanted to recognize both teams for "making assists on and off the field" with 40th Anniversary CASL t-shirts.  Thanks to both teams for being role models in our community and for helping make a difference!

CASL heads to Ronald McDonald House of Durham

On Wednesday, CASL staff will join a few generous CASL families who signed up to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Durham (RMH-Durham). We will be baking brownies and cookies for the families who are staying at the house. It is our goal as an organization to live our mission and be a committed community partner.

If you don't know about the Ronald McDonald House network, here's some insights:

• the Ronald McDonald House offers a comforting home away from home and a community of support for seriously ill children and their families
• The RMH-Durham has been operating since 1980
• RMH programs provide families with private bedrooms, community spaces, home-cooked meals and a stocked kitchen, a playroom, and a computer room and laundry facilities.

This is a timely opportunity for CASL considering a local McDonald's co-op is sponsoring CASL's Friendship Cup this weekend. McDonald's is a generous corporate community partner which is proven by their long history of support for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Team Becky: Walk like MADD

This volunteer effort is just one of the many efforts CASL is having in our community. Our 40th Anniversary motto is to "make assists both on and off the field." So far this year, we've made nearly 30 "assists" in our community through various efforts. Below is a list of many of the organizations we have helped in our community through promotion, activation at our facility, volunteer support, and fundraising: 

• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle: BackPack Buddies Program and Grocery Bags for Seniors Program
  
• Kay Yow Cancer Fund: Over $14,000 raised to support breast cancer research and programming
• Haven House Services, Inc: FREE soccer clinics to youth in the programs
• Susan G. Komen Foundation: CASL team and staff participated in the event to support breast cancer reserch
• Walk like MADD: CASL supported TEAM BECKY, who was walking in honor of Becky DeNardis - a former CASL player tragically lost her life to a drink driver in March
• H.A.N.D.S: 291 lbs of gently used soccer gear donated to Helping Haiti and Soccer
• Jimmy V Foundation: CASL donated a gift/raffle basket for Red and White Soccer Classic hosted by NC State Students
• Go Red for Women: CASL promoted and help make our membership aware of the risk for women and heart disease
• Nessie Foundation: Through CASL's soccer community outreach, youth living in Parrish Manor community were given the opportunity to participate in free soccer clinics
• Wake County Public School System: CASL hosted after-school clinics for students at Forestville Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, and Hodge Elementary - all schools who have high volume of youth on free and reduced lunch. 
• WolfPack Backs Pinkerton Clinic: Through promotion and attendance, CASL supported the free clinic hosted by NCSU, which helped raise funds and support Ben Pinkerton, former CASL coach who is facing the toughest battle of his life against cancer
• NC Museum of Life and Sciences: CASL staff meeting held off-site at the museum, which supported the Friends of the Museum
• CASL Golf Tournament: raised funds to support CASL scholarships, community outreach, facility improvements, and coaching education/retention
• Comfort Zone Camps: two CASL players participated in the Beach to Battleship half-marathon in support of Comfort Zone Camps, which is a bereavement camp for grieving children. CASL promoted the event and the camp
• Boys and Girls Clubs: CASL's mascot, Cleats, added to the excitement at no charge for the spring Carnival at the Raleigh Boys and Girls Club
• Agua Viva Orphanage: CASL provide soccer balls and equipment to a mission trip headed to Guatemala 
• American Cancer Society CASL donated Davis Drive Park field space to a Relay for Life event to help raise funds and awareness for American Cancer Society
• YMCA: Cleats passed out pencils and interacted with the kids during soccer week at the YMCA of the Triangle at no cost to the community non-profit organization
• MiracleFeet: through on-site activation, flyers to families, and social media, CASL has promoted and supported MiracleFeet's "socks" campaign, which supports club foot correction in underserved countries
• Raleigh Parks and Recreation: CASL's soccer communtiy outreach programming offers free soccer programming to youth involved in community centers around Raleigh including Peach Road and Method Road
• Special Needs Population: through HEART, CASL provides a free soccer program for youth with intellectual disabilities. The program has grown over the years and the players engage in 8 practices each season. This year, games were incorporated and three teams will be participating int the Friendship Cup



CASL Community Outreach at Raleigh
Parks and Rec Facility

• Friendship Cup: CASL's Friendship Cup is a free, single day tournament for youth from underserved communities to play soccer in a safe, inclusive environment (set for Saturday, June 28)

Thanks to everyone who has supported our 40th Anniversary campaign. We are halfway through the year and well on our way to exceed our goal of engaging in 40 unique efforts in our community. If you have ideas or opportunities for CASL to support a community effort or organization, please let us know by email katharine.kelley@caslnc.com