Post Date: August 21, 2023

Dear Youth Leaders and Families,

We hope this message finds you well and filled with excitement for the upcoming year. We are thrilled to welcome you to the new and improved ESCO Youth Leadership Program. This year promises to be an extraordinary journey of growth, leadership development, and community impact.

Meet Joe Bush: Our Dedicated Program Leader

We are delighted to introduce Joe Bush, who will be leading and developing our program this year. Joe is an independent Certified Coach, Teacher, Trainer and Speaker with The John Maxwell Team, a Certified Health & Wellness Coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and a dedicated social science teacher at Elk Grove High School where he heads up their renowned youth leadership program. Joe has been involved in ESCO in the past, primarily leading a meeting or two each year, however, this year, he is taking on a much larger role. Joe has crafted a year-long curriculum that seamlessly connects our five levels of leadership to our meetings. Additionally, he will be instrumental in nurturing and shaping the ESCO Student Board. Welcome to the team Joe Bush! Connect with Joe on LinkedIn here.

One of the Most Rewarding Aspects: Supporting Our Community Outreach Soccer Program

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Youth Leader is the opportunity to actively support our ESCO coaches in our community outreach soccer program and ESCO FC. This connection between the two programs is the cornerstone of what Youth Leadership is all about. Youth Leaders work closely with children in grades 2-5 who may not have the means to participate in park district soccer, let alone club soccer. The stories that emerge from our scholarship applications about how this connection has positively influenced and shaped young lives are truly incredible. In our first meeting, we will walk through the expectations of a Youth Leader when they volunteer. Additionally, we always have a senior leader present at these sessions to mentor and guide the younger leaders on how to engage effectively with the kids.

The Five Levels of Leadership and Responsibility We Focus On:

1. Self-Discipline
2. Self-Direction
3. Helping – Being a Team Player
4. Leader on the Field
5. Leader Off the Field (Applying the first 4 levels to everyday life)

All Youth Leaders Are Expected To:

• Attend 5-6 leadership meetings throughout the year, starting with our first meeting on Sunday, September 17, from 5:00-6:30 PM at the fields located at 3350 Salt Creek Ln, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 (grass field across the street).
  Future meeting dates: 
  • Sunday, November 5
  • Sunday, January 7
  • Sunday, February 25
  • Sunday, April 7
• Participate in our service projects.
• Volunteer for a minimum of 12 hours throughout the year (service projects count).

Youth Leaders Will Be Engaging In Three Main Service Projects This Year:

1. Thanksgiving Food Drive: Launching towards the end of October.
2. Martin Luther King Day of Service: Monday, January 15.
3. Feed My Starving Children: A meal packing event sometime in February.

In addition to these service projects, there will be one or two fundraisers that we will ask our Youth Leaders to spearhead to help raise funds for our programs. We will provide more details on these fundraisers throughout the year.

We are truly excited about the incredible potential we see in each of our Youth Leaders and are committed to providing the guidance, support, and resources needed for their development.

Please keep an eye on your inbox for future updates, meeting reminders, and announcements. We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions or need further information.

Let’s make this year’s Youth Leadership Program the best one yet!

Warm regards,

Jay Casaletto
Executive Director, Elite Soccer Community Organization (ESCO)
Email: jcasaletto@elitesoccercommunity.org