Youth Soccer Leagues

We salute Messrs. Cortez, Garcia and Oliveres for their hard work and dedication to young people (“More Than Kicks,” Sept. 8).

However, a clarification is in order.

The tens of thousands of young people who have participated in the American Youth Soccer Organization programs in the San Fernando Valley since 1967 are a testament not to one’s ability to pay 15 or 20 dollars more, but to the efforts of thousands of volunteers. They are parents or non-parents, adults or teens, male or female, from every religious background, distinguished by their desire to work with young people, not by their racial or ethnic background.

AYSO’s motto of “Everyone Plays” indicates its desire to offer every child not only the opportunity to “participate” in a program but also to “play” in every game, no matter what their economic status or cultural background happens to be. No willing child is turned away.

People make the program work, not dollars!

RON RICKLEFS

Granada Hills

Mr. Ricklefs was a co-founder in the AYSO programs operating at Petit Park in Granada Hills, Winnetka Park in Canoga Park and Balboa Park in Encino.