COMM U N I T Y
BY: LINDSAY CUOMO
A Great Pitch
Norman Parks, Youth Soccer Work to Upgrade Facilities
D
rivers making their way down East Robinson may have noticed some extra activity at Griffin Park these days. In additional to the usual springtime hustle and bustle, a few more of Norman’s youth soccer fields are getting a facelift. Officials with the Norman Youth Soccer Association (NYSA) are in the midst of a multiphase, multi-year renovation. “We are in our third phase,” said Steve Gillis, facilities director for the association. Through the 2015 Norman Forward bond initiative, the Norman Parks Department has already upgraded several existing fields with irrigation, lighting, improved playing surfaces as well as a new bathroom and fencing. “We are working to create a top tier facility,” Gillis said. “We’ve done the work in sections to ensure that league play is continuous.”
24 | April 2020
In addition to the construction, NYSA has made some internal changes, including the addition of Skip Thorp as their technical director.
Portland, New York and Philadelphia.
“The big goal of a soccer club is to offer opportunities for all interest levels, from the casual player to the most elite. Our goal has always been to build from within,” said Don Rother, the association’s executive director. “We want to develop players and coaches from right here in Norman.”
Despite graduating from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Thorp chose coaching as a career.
Rother said Thorp’s focus will be on developing and supporting coaches. “We’ve grown so much it was important to bring in someone to focus on coaching and create the best learning environment we can,” Rother said. Thorp brings with him more than 30 years of experience, and he has coached men’s and women’s soccer at the college, national and international levels as well as professionally in
“To have someone with Skip’s credentials and connections in Norman, it’s really incredible,” Gillis said.
“I always felt it was my calling,” Thorp said. “I started coaching younger kids when I was in eighth grade. The connection that kids and a coach share, for me, you can’t put a value on that. The expression on a kid’s face when they finally get something they have been working so hard on… it’s priceless.” Thorp said he’s already started observing coaches and exploring ways to make practices more efficient. “It’s important to have an established curriculum to help keep the program on track,” Thorp said. “We want to
