As the snow covered much of the city over the weekend and our cold temperatures stubbornly clung to well below zero, our BSA Winter Soccer kids literally experienced some real winter soccer fun! With hats on every head, and gloves on most hands (along with snow pants on a few) the BSA kids took to the snow covered pitch on Sunday afternoon. There was no need to mark the pitch with cones, as kids simply traced out the sidelines in the snow! Although keeper gloves were available they were rarely needed as most players had winter gloves of their own. The whistle was blown and the fun began with both kids and coaches racing around the field chasing a bright orange soccer ball.

The parents bravely cheered from the sidelines wrapped in every layer they could find! The many thermoses of warm drink also helped keep the insides warm along with the beautiful sun shining on a brilliant afternoon. Fun was had by all! BUT, here’s hoping for warmer weather this Sunday.

The Winter Soccer Program has been part of the BSA program for just over three years. What began with a bag of balls, a few coaches, and a few dozen players has developed into a program with over 80 players and 25 coaches involved.

As our thoughts slowly begin turning to longer days, warmer weather and the springtime, the BSA starts thinking about balls, bats and gloves! BSA Baseball, Softball and T-ball online registration is now open. Your child can register in one of the following programs on offer: U5 and U7 T-ball, U9 machine pitch, U11 boy’s baseball, U13 boy’s baseball, U16 boy’s baseball and U13 girl’s softball. All BSA registration is completed on line. The season begins in mid-March and continues through early June. Practices and games are mainly played at St. John’s and the International School of Brussels (ISB). Players new and old to baseball are welcome!

Join in on the baseball fun and follow along with a long BSA tradition of hitting the diamond on the weekend. The baseball program is the oldest of all the BSA sport programs and began in 1958, at the International School of Brussels under the guidance of James Sidgwick, founder of the BSA. Every year since this date, thousands of children from the Brussels community have donned BSA baseball shirts and are seen running the bases, hitting pop flies and fielding grounders!

The BSA is founded and thrives on the volunteerism of our coaches. If you would like to be involved in the program as a coach, we would love to have you. For information regarding coaching baseball, please go to Baseball Coaching Q&A.

For further information regarding our league please go to our Baseball FAQ.

Photo: The BSA All Stars, 1968

The U6 basketball team had their first practice at the International School of Brussels on Sunday, 22 January. There were over 30 little eager basketball players running up and down the floor along with 6 enthusiastic coaches leading them! The faces of the little ones lit up as they were each presented with their own little basketball and had the opportunity to take their first basketball shots on net! Each player was presented with their own BSA colored basketball jersey that they proudly sported!

Staci DeKunder, Director of BSA basketball, noted: "It was a super day where the kids, parents and coaches worked together to discover some new, basic basketball skills in a really fun environment. The kids practiced dribbling, bounce passes, ball control with their fingertips, and the all time favorite, shooting! They started to develop a sense of team spirit by doing little cheers after the skills stations. There were lots of smiles, and, I imagine, many tired, but excited kids at the end of the session. It is great to see such young children so excited about sports."

The U6 basketball programs continue next Sunday at the British School Brussels from 12:30-1:45.

The BSA Winter Soccer Program kicked off on the afternoon of Sunday 15 January at the International School of Brussels. The winter soccer program is happy to have 80 kids registered this year all being led by over 20 coaches, the largest amount of participants in the history of our winter soccer program.

Paul Johnson, BSA Soccer Director remarked:

“The BSA Winter Soccer program is a great opportunity for many kids to continue playing and developing their soccer skills in a relaxed and informal setting. We have had a fantastic turn out of both players and coaches this year, which attests to the continuing interest and enjoyment of our
BSA soccer programs”

These coaches met prior to the first session to discuss and plan the program along with picking up all necessary equipment for their programs. There are many familiar faces in the winter soccer coaching crew as many also led our teams in our fall soccer program.

They then proceeded out onto the ISB fields and the coaches led the kids through various developmental drills on a fantastic Sunday afternoon of activity.

If your child would like to get involved in Winter Soccer, please refer to our registration page. Please note that all programs except for our U13 boys program are currently wait listed.

On the 11 January BSA hosted their first BSA Basketball Referee Clinic at the International School of Brussels. The session was led by Raven Teeples, BSA Basketball Assistant-Director and former Division 1 American College Basketball Player. In attendance where two referees new to the BSA program along with three new students participating in the inaugural BSA Jr. Referee Program.

The first half of the training took place in the classroom where the basic basketball referee hand signals where discussed followed by the detailed BSA basketball rules. The second half of the clinic took place in the gym where the new referees had the opportunity to referee one of our U13 boys practice scrimmages. It was great for the referees to then get the opportunity for some practical experience in the gym. The referees-in- training quickly realized that game situations are very different from the classroom setting! As the teams are sprinting back and forth up and down the court you have to react quickly to what is going on! The referees also benefitted from some wise words of wisdom by some experienced BSAU13 coaches following their performance:

"Make sure you are constantly encouraging the kids to get out of the front court and on to defense quickly to allow the team to bring the ball up the court” explained Victor Teixeira, U13 boys Head coach. Assistant coach, Chris Yeager went on: “Just be confident out there and make decisive calls!"

BSA is very excited to about this inaugural Jr. Referee Program. Not only do the students benefit from this referee clinic but hey will also have the opportunity to referee some games this season alongside an experienced referee!

Raven Teeples went on to explain:

"The junior referees at the clinic were enthusiastic about, and looking forward to the experience they will gain from, the BSA junior referee program. Their prior basketball knowledge makes each of them great candidates for the BSA junior referee program, which will provide them with new opportunities in a familiar sport."

If you are interested in participating in the BSA Jr. Referee Training, please send an e-mail to office@bsasports.org

It was on a beautiful Saturday afternoon on St. John’s fields this fall when BSA had the opportunity to thank the school for the decades of support they’ve provided for our organization. Following a pretty close BSA soccer match, Nathan Knight, BSA president, presented St. John’s director Tom Hawkins with a plaque acknowledging BSA’s ongoing appreciation for his school’s support of our yearlong programs. In addition, St. John’s athletic department provides BSA with weekly administrative support so that we are able to easily schedule and offer a wide range of sport programs for hundreds of children every year.

Tom Hawkins remarked on this special partnership:
St. John’s is proud to partner with and support the Brussels Sports Association in all their endeavors. As the director at St. John’s, and a coach for BSA, I see first-hand the immense benefits of having such a program for kids from all the various schools here in the Brussels area. All kids are welcome and come together for fun, instruction and competition in a friendly, supportive, professional atmosphere. BSA and its leadership provide great opportunities and experiences for hundreds of kids who might not have a chance to play a sport for their schools or a local club. Thanks to BSA for making our community a great place to live!

Did you know?
Another integral component of BSA’s success is the continued and vital dedication of our volunteers. The BSA sports’ seasons flourish as a result of this community’s strong sense of volunteerism. Members of St. John’s families can been seen devoting their time as BSA board members, sport directors, equipment volunteers, and of course, the always-valued BSA coach! Not only could Tom Hawkins be found on the sidelines this fall coaching his son’s team, his wife, Marcia Carlson, leads her daughter’s basketball team this winter. The Hawkins family is just one of the many examples of St. John’s families involved in coaching and volunteering for our BSA programs.

The Brussels Sports Association office has moved from Hoellart into the Chateau on the International School of Brussels campus! The BSA was officially welcomed onto the ISB campus in October and has settled in very nicely on the top floor of the beautiful Chateau building. This office space has generously been donated to the BSA.

When asked about the special partnership between ISB and BSA, Kevin Bartlett ISB Director responded:

ISB and BSA have been informal partners from the beginning, with the late Jim Sidgwick, former ISB principal, being a founder of BSA. Each year many of our students and families benefit from the vision and hard work of the extensive BSA team of volunteers, and we are pleased to be able to offer facilities for many of BSA’s Games. This year we are very happy to be consolidating our partnership to an even greater degree by offering BSA a ‘home’ at ISB. Their new office in the Chateau means they have an efficient operating base close to many of their community members. It also means that we can share ideas and plan collaborations even more effectively. It’s a genuine pleasure to welcome BSA into the Chateau and to build on this great relationship.

To mark the occasion, ISB held a thank you reception in the Chateau lounge where ISB staff, along with BSA members were able to meet and greet. Nathan Knight, BSA President presented a plaque to Kevin Bartlet to thank ISB for the newly donated office space along for the continued support offered by ISB to the BSA!

Thank you on behalf of BSA players and parents for supporting our programs. ISB's support enables us to offer meaningful team sports experience to 900 children each year.

Did you know?

• ISB has supported BSA programs throughout the past 50 years by donating field space for BSA practices and games.
• The school works closely with the BSA each week to ensure BSA teams have access to fields and gym space.
• Hundreds of ISB students participate in BSA programs each year supported by their parents and other volunteers.