Former BRYC Travel star Kika Toulouse, who played on no fewer than six Virginia State Cup Champion teams in her youth, was kind enough to spend a couple of hours on a recent Sunday afternoon at BRYC Recreational Soccer’s Photo Day, helping to promote BRYC Night at the Washington Spirit on May 11.  Kika posed with several teams, chatted with players and parents alike, and autographed cards, water bottles, jerseys and even arms, probably until her wrist hurt.  Thank you Kika, for your support of BRYC Rec Soccer.  It was a Photo Day to remember.

After an absence of several years, BRYC has returned to the Old Dominion Soccer League (ODSL) in the form of the U12 Girls "Rage", coached by James Clark, assisted by Fred Welther.  BRYC’s ODSL participation, managed within the Rec Soccer program. is expected to grow in the coming years.  ODSL teams represents a step up the competitive ladder from the traditional recreational soccer program to the professionally coached BRYC "Elite" travel program.  For more information on BRYC’s participation in ODSL, contact BRYC’s ODSL Club Representative (and BRYC Board Member), John Davis.

On the weekend of March 23^rd and 24^th, BRYC Cheer Elite athletes, families and coaches traveled to Virginia Beach, VA, to compete in the 2013 The Grand ~ National Championship by the Sea, one of the largest and most competitive events in the Mid-Atlantic region, attracting some of the best programs in the country.  BRYC Cheer Elite won first place and National Champion in the Recreational Cheerleading Senior (U18) Level 2 division for the second year in a row!  A special congratulation goes out to Mackenzie Kalnitzky who was named as a finalist for 2013 Senior of the year out of over 150 contestants.

The BRYC Boys 14-1 team had another outstanding tournament and earned the boys their first ever bid to Open Nationals! They played a 25-23 third set to 15 against Club Lehigh, then went on to beat Yorktowne (who had taken 2nd in Rochester the previous weekend) in a tiebreaking set to advance to the gold division. They then faced off against arch nemesis Eden (a perennial power from Buffalo NY) and lost a hard fought match 17-15 in the third. The team finished in a tie for 5th, but with other teams having secured bids previously they were awarded a spot for Nationals, and are Reno bound in June!

Congratulations to Larry Best, coach of the BRYC 95 Elite Girls.  Quoting from the USYS press release:  "With Larry Best, the emphasis is on development, not winning. He focuses on player improvement and doesn’t restrict his commitment to the field. He is involved in helping his players during their college selection process. His focus on improving skills helped BRYC 95 Elite win the US Youth Soccer Virginia State Cup, Region I Championship and U-16 National Championship. Meanwhile, his players also achieved their best team GPA and performed community service."

Women’s professional soccer is coming back to Washington this spring and summer in the form of the Washington Spirit, one of eight teams in the newly formed National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).  And playing on the back line will be Kika Toulouse, returning to DC after a year on the Swedish professional team Ragsveds,  Kika is a 2010 graduate of the University of Virignia, a member of the U-23 Women’s National Team, and six time Virginia State Cup Champion with two different BRYC squads.  Welcome back to the women, and especially to "the Kikanator!"!

On Saturday, November 17, The BRYC U-11 lacrosse team, coached by Howard Sloan and Bruce Caslow, won their division of The Fairfax Fall Brawl Tournament held at Robinson Secondary School, in the eleventh year the tournament has been in existence. 

BRYC also had a U-15 team participating in the tournament.  They also had a strong performance, finishing with a record of 4-2.  Next year we hope to field teams in the U-9, U-11, U-13 and U-15 divisions.  

With enough U12 Girls registered in BRYC’s fall season recreational soccer program to warrant it, BRYC entered two squads of girls in the Herndon All Star tournament, played trhe week before Thanksgiving.  And it was worth it.  The talent in the league was so deep that both squads of girls, playing at two different locatoiopns, came home with championship trophies.  Congratulations to Coaches Jon Fredrick and Tom Small (whose team is pictured above) and Coaches Tom Mastal and Ed Gagermeier, for doing BRYC Recreational Soccer doubly proud.

The National Champion U-17 BRYC 95 Elite Girls, whose coach has been honored with both state and regional "Coach of the Year" awards (see the previous story) were featured in the October edition of the US Youth Soccer Show on the Fox Soccer Channel. 

Check it out in the video frame to the right...with the BRYC segment beginning at 13:23 into the program.

Ever wondered about that locked door between San Vito’s and Hunan West in the Kings Park Shopping Center?  And where do those stairs lead?  It’s the "BRYC Clubhouse!"  Seriously, we are pleased to announce that through an arrangement with Regency Centers, the owners of the shopping center property, BRYC has now assumed responsibility for the second-floor room, suitable for business meetings or social gatherings of up to approximately 50 people.  The space has a small kitchen and two restrooms, and has been freshly painted in December 2012.

Braddock Road Youth Club is proud of our rich history in the Fairfax community since 1966. Since the first game in 1966, BRYC has brought group sports to an estimated 175,000 children. In everything we do, our goal is to create and foster a positive environment for the children to grow and learn as individuals and as a team. BRYC continues to be a vital part of the community, bringing parents and children in the areas of Fairfax, Annandale, Burke, and Springfield together in sport.