By SportsXpress Team
The Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association (EMSA), with its 150 local member teams and leagues, does a fantastic job managing all of these organizations and their conflicting agendas to make soccer run smoothly in the area.
The man at the top is John Dutot, who has held the role of president of the EMSA for five years. Born in England, Dutot has been playing soccer since he first learned to walk. He has refereed and coached countless games and teams locally, and has been to his share of board meetings over the years.
EMSA’s current executive team consists of treasurer Brent Ashby, registrar Gus Katsiroumbas (since 1987), vice-president Cam Vassallo, secretary Suzanne Koyounian, and director-at-large Danny Clarke. The team also has appointed members, including district coach Jon Hasson, district referee co-ordinator Joe Sa, and women in soccer representative Sarah (Regan) Irvine. Office staff include Debbie Johnson, Ellen McCallum and Tracy McCallum.
Some of the challenges John and his team face include issues related to the OPDL (Ontario Premier Development League) and the LTPD (Long-Term Player Development) programs, which come with hurdles. The executive works hard with its members to find solutions.
Since Dutot has been at the helm, EMSA has managed to develop consistent discipline procedures and game rosters, which are used in various leagues in the association. Currently, the organization is trying to get similar standardized rules and regulations shared across the local soccer landscape.
As Dutot notes: “A key goal of ours is to continue to strive to get local clubs and leagues working together.”
It’s not an easy job, but the EMSA, under the leadership of Dutot, has made great progress in achieving that very goal. And the team remains focused on providing the very best soccer experience for local players of all ages.
www.emsadistrict.com
