As you may know, our parent non-profit organization Quaker Valley Recreation Association (QVRA) has worked very hard over the course of several years to develop youth sports fields at the James P. Bouchard Family Park, located over 37 acres at the intersection of Fern Hollow Road and Camp Meeting Road in Bell Acres, where today baseball and softball families enjoy watching their children play in a picturesque setting.
In order for Sewickley Area Soccer to continue its commitment to support the development of our community’s youth through the game of soccer, we have started a fundraising effort to build a Leo Moss Memorial Soccer Field in this park. In 2022, a separate fund – the Quaker Valley Recreation Facilities Development Fund (QVRFDF) – was founded in order to focus contributions on field development starting with the Leo Moss Memorial Soccer Field.
In 1976, just after the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Superbowl for the second time in the city’s history, a small group of parents led by Leo Moss (1930-2012) founded Sewickley Area Soccer. Much like the Steelers and their success in Pittsburgh at that time, little did these Sewickley parents know that so many years later Sewickley would become one of the biggest soccer towns in the state of Pennsylvania, with a flourishing community youth soccer organization and highly successful local public and private middle and high school soccer programs.
It’s been said that Leo’s time spent overseas as a younger man in the U.S. Navy and later in the Peace Corps with his young family provided him exposure to the world’s favorite sport. Those of us who had the pleasure of knowing Leo Moss and his late wife Lois remember Leo as a kind and thoughtful man. His wife Lois was warm and welcoming and had a great sense of humor. Together the Moss’s owned and operated the United Men’s Clothing Store and Soccer Shop on Beaver Street in Sewickley, where for nearly 20 years boys and girls alike found all the soccer apparel a kid could need, which, back then, was often a pair of tight shorts and white cleats.
Much has changed since then, both in the sport of soccer and in the Sewickley community. SAS has continued to grow gradually each year. In 2022, we experienced our highest number of youth registrants in the past 30 years. This likely reflects the growth of soccer in the United States as well as the continued success of our local high school soccer teams. But more importantly, this increase in registrations lays bare the crucial need for additional field space for our young, developing players.
Through his founding of Sewickley Area Soccer 47 years ago, Leo Moss touched the lives of thousands of parents and children in our community, and many in our community continue to support soccer in very significant ways. Recently, long-standing SAS supporters Dr. Joel and Mrs. Maria Swanson made an initial pledge of $100,000 to fund the Leo Moss Memorial Soccer Field. We hope that you will join us in this project of developing well needed field space to ensure the continued success of the sport of soccer in the Sewickley area for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Noah Rahm
President, Sewickley Area Soccer
It takes a generous, dedicated community to successfully develop a comprehensive recreation facility like this one! Quaker Valley Recreation Association (QVRA) and its affiliated foundation, Quaker Valley Recreation Facility Development Fund (QVRFDF), is committed to providing a long overdue park for the community to enjoy. We need your help!
Your tax deductible contribution is an investment in the future of the Sewickley Valley region. The Park will serve the 11 municipalities of the Quaker Valley community for generations!
To give, click the link below or send a check payable to Quaker Valley Recreation Facility Development Fund (QVRFDF) to PO Box 385 Sewickley, PA 15143. If you would like to speak with someone about how you or your family can make a tax-deductible donation to the Leo Moss Memorial Soccer Field, please do so at [email protected].
Donor Categories Hall of Fame: $100,000+ · Naming rights opportunities; special recognition in the facility pavilion
Wall of Fame: $25,000 to $99,000 · Special recognition on a permanent wall centrally located in the complex
Legacy/Gene Klein Circle: $10,000 to $24,999 · A paver on the legacy path with family recognition; option to be included in the Gene Klein Circle, the Western PA soccer coaching legend and long-time QVHS boys’ soccer coach
Walk of Fame: $5,000 to $9,999 · A paver along the walk of fame with family recognition
Foundation Donors: $500 to $4,999 · A brick along the walk of fame with family recognition
Community Donors: Up to $499 · Permanent recognition on QVRA and capital campaign website
*Legacy Donors ($10,000 – $24,999) who contribute to the Leo Moss Memorial Field campaign have the option to be included in the honorary Gene Klein Circle. (Please indicate on your check which designation you would like your donation to be recognized – Legacy or Gene Klein Circle.) In addition to being the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds S.C., Gene Klein is one of the most accomplished scholastic coaches in Pennsylvania history. Klein won a record six PIAA state championships and more than 500 games coaching the boys’ soccer team at Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, Pa., where he taught social studies for 33 years. He is a two-time inductee to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Hall of Fame, both as an individual and as coach of the undefeated 1996 Quakers. He was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America/ Umbro National Coach of the Year in 1997. He also served as Director of Coaching for the PA West state association and as President of the PA Soccer Coaches Association.
Take your chance at beautiful soccer paintings by a local artist, autographed memorabilia by local sports celebrities Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team, and other items of interest. Winning bids are tax deductible contributions. Winners will be announced at the Gala and recognized as donors under the appropriate donor category.
All gifts are tax deductible, as QVRFDF is a 501(c)3.Â
Thank You, Donors!
QVRA and SAS are deeply appreciative of all of the individuals, families, corporations, and organizations that contributed to the first phase of our capital campaign in the 2000s and 2010s. We are also very thankful for the current donors who have contributed to this next phase of the campaign. For the full list of current donors please click here: https://www.qvrfdf.org/campaign-donors
Donor Categories
Hall of Fame: $100,000+
· Naming rights opportunities; special recognition in the facility pavilion
Wall of Fame: $25,000 to $99,000
· Special recognition on a permanent wall centrally located in the complex
Walk of Fame/Gene Klein Circle: $5,000 to $24,999*
· A paver along the walk of fame with family recognition; option at $10,000 or more to be included in the Gene Klein Circle, the Western PA soccer coaching legend and long-time QVHS boys’ soccer coach.
Foundation Donors: $500 to $4,999
· A brick along the walk of fame with family recognition
Community Donors: Up to $499
· Permanent recognition on QVRA and capital campaign website
*Walk of Fame Donors ($10,000 – $24,999) who contribute to the Leo Moss Memorial Field campaign, please indicate on which designation you would like your donation to be recognize – Walk of Fame or Gene Klein Circle. In addition to being the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds S.C., Gene Klein is one of the most accomplished scholastic coaches in Pennsylvania history. Klein won a record six PIAA state championships and more than 500 games coaching the boys’ soccer team at Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, Pa., where he taught social studies for 33 years. He is a two-time inductee to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Hall of Fame, both as an individual and as coach of the undefeated 1996 Quakers. He was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America/ Umbro National Coach of the Year in 1997. He also served as Director of Coaching for the PA West state association and as President of the PA Soccer Coaches Association.
Gala for Goals Saturday, March 4, 2023 Allegheny Country Club
Sewickley Area Soccer Alumni
The Sewickley area is a community rich in soccer history. We are home to legends like Leo Moss and Gene Klein. Both Sewickley Academy and Quaker Valley High School have competitive teams year after year, and QV boasts nine PIAA state championship titles. Sewickley Area Soccer (SAS) always has the largest group of registrants of all QVRA’s youth athletics programs, with record registrations in 2022. Â
Alumni, please read the tributes to Leo Moss and the Sewickley Herald soccer articles from yesteryear at the bottom of the main page!
We thank you for your support!
A History of the James P. Bouchard Family Park in Bell Acres
In 2007, Quaker Valley Recreation Association (QVRA) signed a lease agreement with the QV School District in when the District found the ground at the park could not support a school building. The lease runs for 50 years and has a provision that QVRA will build WPIAL-compliant baseball and softball fields.
QVRA quickly developed a plan that included not only baseball and softball fields, but also a turf soccer field, an additional lacrosse/soccer field, a little league baseball field, restroom and concession facilities, playgrounds, and pathways for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding. Finally, a first-class comprehensive recreation facility to serve the entire community!
Many citizens of Quaker Valley’s 11 municipalities made significant contributions toward the campaign, it became even more evident that this was something the community not only wanted but needed.
As work began on the Park, it became evident that vast sums would be required to minimize water runoffs into the Little Sewickley Creek Watershed. QVRA spent $2 million for improved grading and rain gardens. Since 2013, we have planted approximately 2700 trees with Tree Pittsburgh, Boy Scouts, and school groups.
QVRA leadership understands the importance, need, and value of the water runoff reduction. We have spent the money, done the work, and secured the property. Soccer families and other citizens of the area, though, are deeply disappointed about where their donations had to go.
We all expected a soccer field, playgrounds, and trails. Fourteen years after we started, the citizens of all 11 communities are more ready than ever to build the park our community needs and deserves! To this end, in 2022, the Quaker Valley Recreation Facilities Development Fund (QVRFDF) was founded in order to complete the field development project.Â
Support the Leo Moss Memorial Soccer Field at The James P. Bouchard Family Park, and be a part of the Legacy!Â
Ray Moss
In 1973, when I was 12 years old, my father Leo took me to sign up for youth soccer in Montgomery County, MD. At registration they told him they did not have enough coaches and asked if he could help. He told them he knew little about soccer and less about coaching, but they signed him up, anyway. My father took the responsibility seriously. He read several books about soccer and coaching at that early time. He embraced the game and proved to be an effective coach. He coached for three years in Maryland, advancing from the community league to competitive travel teams.
In 1976, he and my mother Lois moved to Sewickley and purchased a clothing store the United Men’s Store. At that time there was no organized youth soccer in the Sewickley area. Leo found other interested parents and together founded Sewickley Area Soccer.
Through the years, soccer became an important part of his life. In addition to coaching, he also became a referee, and he owned several retail stores that included a soccer section. He remained involved in soccer as long as age and health allowed.
Leo was born in Pittsburgh, educated at the University of Pittsburgh, and served his country in the U.S. Navy. His early career included being Peace Corp Director of the US Trust territories in Micronesia and subsequently in Malaysia, where he encouraged, supervised and guided hundreds of volunteers in order to help improve the lives of others. His service to others and his deep community involvement later earned him the honor of being named 1987’s Sewickley’s Man of the Year. Volunteerism and helping other people remained important to him. Later in life, my father became a Big Brother and a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for at-risk youth.
After the death of my mother Lois in 2000, he moved to Maryland to be closer to his daughters, my sisters. He passed away peacefully in 2012.
My father was a modest man who did not seek recognition. But it is certainly heart-felt to see that he had such a profound impact on Sewickley, a community he cared for greatly.
— Ray Moss, QVHS graduate 1979, QV boys’ soccer team 1979, Sanibel, Florida resident
Leo Moss: A Local Legend
— Gene Klein, former teacher QVHS, former head coach QVHS boys’ soccer team
Gene Klein inducted into Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club Hall of Fame
