| 1969 |
Bridgewater Youth Soccer was organized as a League. The program started with 4 boys teams between the ages
of 8 and 12 and played only in the fall. The first 4 teams were the Hustlers, Sparks, Wolves, and
Celtics. There was one soccer field made at lower Legion field that ran from the Skate Park through
the Stonedust Field.
|
| 1970 |
Bridgewater Youth Soccer had 60 boys in its program. |
| 1971 |
Soccer was introduced as a Boys Varsity sport at B-R and a soccer field was built at Scotland Field, where
the parking lot now stands, for their home field. There were 80 boys in the youth program.
|
| 1972 |
Bridgewater Youth Soccer expanded to include girls teams in its programs, also between the ages of 8 and 12.
The games were played only in the fall and the Recreation Commission allowed BYSA use of the new field
at Scotland Field as well as Lower Legion.
|
| 1973 |
BYSA selects its first All-Star teams and they consisted of both boys and girls teams in U-10, U-12, and
U-14 age groups. They were entered into the BAYS Spring Travel League. The girls used Scotland
Field as their home field and the boys used the Football Field at Legion. Lower Legion could not be
used during the baseball season. Bridgewater also traveled to Hazlet, NJ for the first time in the
fall with the boys All-Star teams and a new tradition was started.
|
| 1974 |
Hazlet, NJ traveled to Bridgewater in the fall and brought with them both boys and girls teams. Every
year continuing until 1980 we alternated travel between the two towns.
|
| 1975 |
The South Shore Soccer League was formed with Boys teams only to start Spring Travel locally. The 6
original towns in the League included Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Rockland, Abington, Whitman, and
Stoughton. The boys teams from BYSA expanded to include U-16 and U19 teams as well. The girls
teams were still playing in the BAYS League and the Youth program had grown to 190 boys and 84 girls. On
November 6th, the Articles of Organization were signed and the Bridgewater Youth Soccer Association was
incorporated as a non-profit organization. Plans were made to add teams to accommodate children over
the age of 12 in the Fall League. Soccer was introduced as a Co-Ed sport at the Williams Middle
School.
|
| 1976 |
Wood from the barn at Kairit's Milk Farm was donated to the League to build a kick board at Legion Field, so
the wood was dismantled piece by piece and the kick board was erected. Now that BYSA had expanded the
programs to include ages over 12, additional soccer fields were needed.
|
| Bridgewater |
Soccer Capital of Massachusetts was put on file at the State House in Boston by Peter Flynn. |
| 1977 |
The Dream of Our Own Fields. The
League was growing, but there were still only 2 soccer fields to accommodate approximately 400 kids. The
League again went to the Recreation Commission in search of field space. BYSA was told that it would
be losing Scotland Field so that a softball field could be built, but was allowed use of 2 fields for fall
only. One was between the Lazaro and Hayes baseball fields at Legion Field and the other was behind
the new softball field at Scotland. In the spring, only the football field at Legion was available for
use, but Bridgewater State College allowed use of their fields. The Prison also allowed play on one of
its corn fields on Summer Street in the Fall, after the harvest. BYSA decided it was time to search
for land to build our own fields. Soccer was introduced as a Girls Varsity sport at B-R. The
South Shore Soccer League began a Girls Division for U-10, U-12, and U-14 and BYSA added a U-16 girls travel
team to play in the Norfolk Soccer League. BYSA traveled to Waterville, Maine with the Boys and Girls
All-Star teams in the fall.
|
| 1978 |
State-owned land on Flagg St, part of the State Prison property, was discovered by BYSA and negotiations
began with State Officials. BYSA began fundraising to pay for the property, and many donations were
received. The property lease agreement was signed on October 13th. Boys and Girls Teams from
Waterville, ME traveled to Bridgewater for a weekend of soccer.
|
| 1979 |
Work on the Flagg St fields began in early Spring, the holes for the parking lot retaining poles were dug by
hand and installed to keep the cars off the fields. The Girls Spring Travel program added a U-19 team.
BYSA was summoned to Boston to explain to the IRS the $20, 000 in raised funds, as that sum was deemed
to large for a non-profit organization. The National Guard's Army Corp of Engineers was contracted to
begin work on the fields themselves.
|
| 1980 |
Fields 1 and 2 were completed. |
| 1981 |
The first games were played at Flagg St fields in the Fall. |
| 1982 |
The first Spring Travel games were played on Flagg St fields for the U-10, U-12, and U-14 teams. The
U-16 and U-19 teams were still playing at College and Legion fields, as the new fields were not large enough
for this age group, additional fields were still needed. The State asked BYSA to organize and run the
first Special Olympics Soccer Program.
|
| 1983 |
Preparations were made to begin work on Field 3. The South Shore hosted it's first Referee Licensing
Course.
|
| 1984 |
BYSA hosted the StateTournament using Legion and College fields in addition to the Flagg Street fields.
Construction began on field 3.
|
| 1985 |
Field 3 was completed. |
| 1989 |
Field 4 was completed. |
| 1991 |
BYSA started a Summer Instructional League for 4 to 6 year old players. |
| 1992 |
BYSA hosted the Inaugural Bridgewater Challenge Cup Tournament at the Flagg St fields. |
| 1993 |
Field 5 was completed. |
| 1999 |
Field 6 was completed. |