Bob Briare
Q. Share a brief bio on yourself.
Until November of 2023, I had lived my entire life in Las Vegas, and now I live in Reno. I was in the hotel industry for years, and then in 2016, I left and became the Executive Director at Nevada Youth Soccer Association (NYSA). In 2018, I left to become the tournament director for one of the nation’s largest international youth soccer tournaments, the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup. When I moved to Reno, I rejoined Nevada Youth Soccer Association as the Director of Northern Nevada Soccer.
Q. What is Nevada Youth Soccer Association?
The Nevada Youth Soccer Association is a nonprofit organization that oversees and manages youth soccer activities within Nevada. NYSA serves as the state association of the national United States Youth Soccer Association. The Association serves as the governing body for youth soccer and offers various services and programs that promote the development of soccer for players ages 5 to 19.
Q. Why is NYSA important for the youth soccer industry statewide?
NYSA establishes rules and policies that ensure consistency and fairness across leagues, tournaments, and teams. We provide training to coaches and referees as well as offer parent education. For players, we oversee the Olympic Development Program as a pathway for players to reach college, professional and even the U.S. National team. For competitions, we provide a program for Nevada State Champions that moves on to compete in the USYS National Championship Series. We ensure that safety regulations, such as concussion protocols, insurance, and safeguarding policies, are followed. Child safety is the most important responsibility we have. We require any adult that has any interaction with children to have a background check and complete a rigorous Safe Sport Training. SafeSport Training is a program designed to prevent abuse in sports by educating coaches, athletes, officials, administrators, and volunteers about recognizing, preventing, and responding to various forms of misconduct, including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. We just want to provide the safest and most satisfying soccer experience for Nevada’s youth and their families.
Q. How has the business of youth sports in Nevada changed over the last few years?
Years ago, when organized leagues first started in Nevada, it was some dads putting together church youth teams to play against the parish on the other side of town. If you were lucky, one of the players' dads might have been from a soccer playing nation and would coach the teams. Starting about 25 years ago, you started seeing the development of soccer clubs. These soccer clubs, in order to attract players, would hire professional coaches. These coaches would need to earn a salary, so that would fall upon the players’ families to pay coaches’ fees. So, not only are these teams competing on the soccer fields, they compete for players to help make their payroll. There is a lot of money in youth soccer and youth sports in general. That complicates our job as teams compete for players, training space, fundraising tournaments, and whatever else soccer clubs need to do to be financially successful.
Q. What do you think the future holds for youth sports in Nevada?
We see all the changes that are going on in youth soccer, but really it seems to be the same in all youth sports. Soccer competes with Lacrosse and football for the same field space. One of the fastest growing youth sports right now is girls flag football. They will also compete for that precious field space. Currently, the Reno area is underserved in providing field space for these sports. That is one of the reasons we see leagues like Great Basin Youth Soccer League spearheading new soccer field development in the area. The future of youth soccer and any field type of sport is going to be dependent on having the field space available to accommodate everyone.
Q. Is soccer still a top choice for youth sports, or have competing sports made an impact on choices?
Well, there are certainly choices in youth sports, and I think there are opportunities for every sport to have successful programs. Although I am totally involved with youth soccer, I feel parents should have their kids play any sport they like. The Great Basin Soccer League offers a great product for kids to play soccer, but there are other sports kids should try as well. If they do well in soccer and have fun with their team, they will stick around. It is really about providing a safe and fun activity for kids that is going to get them moving and learn some teamwork and social skills along the way. Other sports do that too, I just like watching soccer more.
Q. What are some of the resources NYSA offers?
NYSA can offer a wide range of resources to support the development of players, coaches, referees, and leagues. These include player development programs, such as the Olympic Development Program and coaching and licensing courses. Referees can benefit from certification, training, and mentorship opportunities. There are health and safety resources, such as concussion protocols, risk management, supplemental insurance. Additionally, NYSA organizes tournaments including the state championships. NYSA also provides background checks and Safe Sport Training for any adult that is involved with the players.
Q. What is the importance of discipline on the field as it relates to not just the youth, but to the parents and game onlookers as well?
This is a continuing problem for not only youth soccer but all youth sports. I am also on the NYSA board of directors and have been elected as the Vice President of Discipline. Unfortunately, we have to deal with a lot of parental behavior, not only in referee abuse, but also parents behaving inappropriately towards each other. It’s interesting because any parent you speak to will agree that any negative spectator actions towards referees, parents and especially players is unacceptable, but some still do it. They get so involved in the competition, they forget what it really is all about. These are particularly difficult because often, the child has nothing to do with it. You can’t really punish a child because her parents are acting like knuckleheads. So, we put a lot of the responsibility back onto the clubs and make them hold their spectators accountable. If not, bad spectators will have to watch from the car.
Q. For youth in soccer, explain how the fitness aspect and team-building aspect are good for them physically and mentally.
Soccer is the perfect sport for kids. It offers a fun way to stay active while developing important life skills. On the field, players build strength, speed, and coordination, improving their overall fitness and health. But the benefits go far beyond the physical. Soccer fosters teamwork, boosts confidence, and teaches discipline. For those who know the game, soccer is as much a chess match as it is a sport. Kids learn to work together, think on their feet, and develop resilience, all while making friends and having fun. It’s the ultimate combination of fitness, friendship, and personal growth.
Bob Briare, Nevada Youth Soccer Association, Director of Northern Nevada Soccer.
