President's Message

Hello.  My name is Ray Moffatte, Jr. and I am a soccer junkie.  The irony is that I am no different from many of you reading this page on the TPCJSA website– I’m just a guy who loves soccer.

Many of you may recognize me as a referee.  I work games at all levels:  youth, high school, college, professional development league games and even games with the Sounders FC Reserve squads.

When I am not refereeing I watch games all the time:  in person, on television, even on the Internet.  I attend at least five soccer related meetings a month.

I came to soccer in 1986 as an older brother with a job to do.  My mother told me that I had to take my little brother to his soccer practices.  That started me down a path that has led me to serving you as your association president.

My journey has followed this path– older brother, Assistant Coach, Head Coach, Equipment Chair for the South Tacoma Soccer Club (STSC), STSC Registrar, STSC Vice President, STSC President, TPCJSA Member Association Representative (MAR), TPCJSA VP of Competition, and now TPCJSA President.

I’ve gone from son and brother to father along the way.  I remember thinking early in my son’s playing days that there was no way that I would ever pay to have someone coach my child.  Boy, did I ever get that one wrong.  My parenting duties went from driving my son to fields around Pierce County for Saturday games to taking him to the airport for weekend trips to league games in Eastern Washington and out of state.

Soccer has grown and evolved during this 25-year journey.  It continues to change today.

At the national level the United States Soccer Federation is focusing more and more on youth players, trying to develop methods to identify and build up players who may have a future on our national teams.  Major League Soccer and Women’s Professional Soccer are partners in this task.

Elite players… those who are destined for NCAA Division I scholarships, or a chance at playing internationally, or as a professional… are rare.  When found, we will support them as they climb the ladder within our sport, but our main focus at TPCJSA is on the thousands of players in our clubs who won’t have those opportunities.  They are the players who look to us for support and are the backbone of our game.

Washington Youth Soccer (formerly WSYSA, the Washington State Youth Soccer Association) is undergoing a series of changes, with committees making decisions “for the good of the game” at the state level.  The first big wave of changes, which were set in motion at the state AGM several years ago, is impacting the format and structure of the state’s top leagues.

Change is controversial.  Some (pick one:  clubs, teams, coaches, administrators, players and parents) will embrace each new direction, others will not.  We are a strong association… if we stay together and communicate I am confident that we will be able to adapt to these changes as a group.

As WYS’ restructuring continues, there will be changes that will trickle down and affect how things are done at the district, association and club level.  As we go through this period of changes, keep in mind why it was that you signed up your child to play soccer in the first place.

Was it for fun?  A healthy activity they could take part in outside?  Was soccer something to do with their friends? Was it a way to meet new friends?  Soccer’s lessons include sportsmanship, teamwork, and fair play.

As your president, I hope to rekindle your basic love for the game.  Soccer is called “The beautiful game” for a reason.

We want to give your children the opportunity to play, to learn new skills and techniques, and to interact with adults who can be role models and be a positive influence in their lives… so that your children can grow up and learn to love the game forever as I do.

With your help, this can be done… but I need your help.  Look for the “Our Clubs” link here on the site.  Find the club that you belong to and go to their website.  Contact your club’s leadership and ask what you can do to help.  The more willing volunteers we are able to find, the easier it will be to get the job done for our players.

As the signature block on my e-mails says:  Play as hard as you can, for as long as you can- from the first whistle to the last.

Ray Moffatte, Jr., TPCJSA President