PENNSYLVANIA’S LEADING YOUTH SOCCER PUBLICATION | SUMMER 2014
eastern pennsylvania youth soccer
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WORLD CUP
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Volume XLV | Summer 2014 Published by: Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer 4070 Butler Pike, Suite 100 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Phone: 610-238-9966 Fax: 610-238-9933 E-mail: info@EPYSA.org Website: EPYSA.org EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Jim Kuntz Vice President, Travel: Michael Finnegan Vice President, Recreation: Dwight Wilkinson Treasurer: Nicole Posillico Epps Secretary: Melissa Weber Registrar: Jim Christian Past President: Bob McDade
14 2 SEPA Hall of Fame Induction 4 Summer Tournament Guide 6-7 Chris Albright, From Philadelphia to World Cup 9 Rec Soccer Spotlight: Hulmeville Soccer Club 13 September is Youth Soccer Month 14-16 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Championship Scoreboard 19 Life After Youth Soccer
STATE OFFICE STAFF Chief Executive Officer: Chris Branscome Director of Coaching: Mike Barr Director of Soccer Operations: Frank Olszewski Marketing & Communications Manager: Kylea Meredith Assistant Director of Coaching: Gary Stephenson Membership Services Specialist: Beck Kleinert Business Administration Manager: Kelly Connor Administrative Services Specialist: Barb Budgick Accountant: Judy Curran
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20 Quarterly Calendar 21 Background Check Implementation Program 24-25 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Teams Up With Snapcause 25 The Power of Social Media Communication Today! 26-27 Parents and Coaches Do the Right Thing 29 Licensed to Thrill: How I Earned My USSF National ‘E’ Level Coaching Certification 32 Coaching: Decision Making Off the Dribble
TOUCHLINE Editor-in-Chief: Chris Branscome Editor: Kylea Meredith Advertising Sales Rep: Dan Clark Printed by: The Pearl Group at CRW Graphics, 9100 Pennsauken Highway, Pennsauken, NJ 08110 Touchline is © Copyright 2014 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted; all rights reserved. Articles may not be reproduced or reprinted without written permission of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. Advertising space in Touchline is purchased and paid for by the advertisers. None of the products or services is necessarily endorsed by Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or its affiliates. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or its advertisers. Printed in the United States of America
Cheers to Community Clubs! by Chris Branscome, Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer
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ommunity based clubs are the backbone of our association. It’s the term I use to describe the typical organization which runs both an intramural and a travel program and has taken the name of their community, be it the township, city or school district. Community clubs are generally the entry point for all players, coaches and administrators. It’s where and how most people learned the game. For most of our association’s 42 year existence, community clubs were essentially the only place to participate in soccer. Today’s environment is different. There are far more choices on the menu pick from- a flavor for everyone’s tastes. There are many clubs today that do not fit that community mold. Their identity, methods and mission are different. The focus is on competing with a more regional and sometimes national scope. Some community
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clubs have adopted this approach, and for a variety of reasons. Soccer has benefited from this approach to the game and has produced some exceptional teams and developed many individual talents. The quality of play has certainly improved. But the community club still remains as the solid foundation for the sport in Eastern Pennsylvania and the rest of the country.
Soccer National Presidents Cup Championships in South Carolina – an outstanding achievement for these clubs to reach a national final. And in the Challenge Cup, teams from Whitpain, Hulmeville, South Middleton, Fox Chase, Gettysburg and Warminster, just to name a few, won championships while still working with home grown kids, and still volunteer supported.
Community clubs are highly relevant to the sports development and growth. In review of our state cups last month, we can see that these clubs are thriving and still providing highly competitive teams. Hershey, with a volunteer coach, won the U17 boys NCS and will move onto regionals- not the norm in today’s world, so they are deserving of some additional recognition. At the Region I Presidents Cup Finals, community based clubs like Lititz, FC York, Carlisle, Huntington Valley, Montgomery, and CASA will be all be moving on to the US Youth
I salute all of our clubs and team who participated in the cups and congratulate all of our champions, regardless of what club or what town. The point is, every community should continue to challenge themselves to provide the best possible resources and open up opportunities for all of their kids. These are some examples of clubs and teams who are doing a good job of that, cups or not. But it is proof positive that of all of the choices you have, the hometown flavor is still pretty good.
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Former ODP Player Inducted into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame he Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame (formerly the Philadelphia Oldtimers Soccer Association) celebrated the 2014 class of Hall of Fame inductees and award winners at their annual banquet May 10th at Cannstatter Volksfest Verein in Northeast Philadelphia. Among the ten inductees to the 67th class of Hall of Fame inductions that date back to 1947 was Erica Walsh, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Penn State University. Walsh, a Huntington Valley native who attended Lower Moreland High School was a High School All-American and was also a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team. Prior to her National Team appearances, Walsh was a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program. She attended the College of William & Mary and helped them to four NCAA tournament appearances as captain of the team. Her coaching career began as a graduate assistant from 1993-97. In 1998, she accepted
a position at Dartmouth, where she was an assistant coach for two seasons. After helping the team to a final NCAA ranking of No. 8 at the conclusion of the team’s 1998 Erica Walsh NCAA quarterfinal run as well as an Ivy League championship in 1999, Walsh assumed head coaching duties before the 2000 season. Walsh left Dartmouth to earn her Master’s in business administration at Lehigh University where she served as a graduate assistant from 2003-04. Beginning in the spring of 2004, Walsh joined the United States Under-19 team as an assistant coach where she helped with preparations for the Under-19 World Cup. The U.S. finished with the bronze medal in Thailand after defeating Brazil
Other inductees this year included Jerry Blaney, Rob Colasanto, Don D’Ambra, Cathy Ford, Ray Lynch, Michael Mancke, Jim Palmer, Brendan Sullivan, and Robert Watson.
Jim Kuntz
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Sydney
Megan
in the third place match. After the World Cup, Walsh was appointed the U.S. National Team’s U-17 head coach, a position which she held for three years. In January of 2008, Walsh was named as the assistant coach by Pia Sundhage for the U.S. National Team. With Walsh’s help and guidance the U.S. team completed its historic run with a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Even sweeter was that Walsh’s main responsibility was the U.S. Team’s defense, which held fellow world power Brazil scoreless in the gold medal game. Walsh enters her eight season at the helm of the Penn State women’s soccer program in 2014. Walsh’s 2012 Nittany Lions were the most successful team in program history after advancing to their first-ever national title game.
FROM OUR PRESIDENT It was my distinct pleasure to attend the President’s Cup & National Championship Series finals in May. I must say that what I saw, in talent and sportsmanship was exemplary. The players showed a level of talent, that over the years continues to improve and the fans were generally positive and upbeat. Some teams were new to the finals, while others were returning champions. All played extremely well and showed just how to play the game with skill and sportsmanship. Thank you all for participating in our cups and my hope is that you have come away with a positive experience. Good luck to all our champions going forward in the Region I finals. I will see you there.
Gavin
A very special thank you to the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer staff, that without their efforts these playoffs would not go on. Frank Olszewski has spent countless hours making sure that all the games were played and the results posted. Thanks, Frank for your successful efforts. As our spring season winds down, it is important to remember why we are here. The promotion of our sport among the youth ranks appears to be improving each year with our recreation players expanding and our travel players, playing at a higher level. Thanks again to all players, parents and fans who participated this spring and am looking forward to the fall season.
WHO’S YOUR TURKEY HILL DAIRY ALL-STAR? Youth soccer teams are filled with All-Star talent. It’s time for those stars to be recognized.
Turkey Hill Dairy and Philadelphia Union have teamed up again to shine a spotlight on the region’s most remarkable youth soccer players. That spotlight is the Turkey Hill Dairy All-Star Contest. Nominations will be accepted during the 2014 Major League Soccer season (March 8-October 26), and 17 All-Stars will be chosen.
WINNERS WILL RECEIVE:
A feature in the gallery of winners on Philadelphia Union’s
VISIT TURKEYHILL.COM/ALLSTAR TO NOMINATE YOUR TURKEY HILL DAIRY ALL-STAR TODAY! Comments or questions? Call 800 MY DAIRY. Visit our website at turkeyhill.com.
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EPYSA.org
Tournament Guide
Summer 2014
JUNE 2014 2nd Annual Harrisburg City Islanders Capital Cup
AUGUST 2014 6th Annual CRUSA/FC Bucks Invitational Tournament
Sage Stauffer Soccer Tournament
Philadelphia Union Summer Select 06/21 - 06/22, 2014
Council Rock United Soccer Association 08/01 - 08/03, 2014
The Gettysburg Clash
Pennridge Yellow Jackets Soccer Concussion Awareness Tournament
West Chester Summer Classic
Pennridge Yellow Jackets Youth Soccer Association 06/21 - 06/22, 2014
2014 Mid-Atlantic Cup: Boys Weekend PA Classics 06/27 - 06/29, 2014
HMMS 3v3 Soccer Tournament HMMS Soccer 06/28 - 06/28, 2014
Lehigh Valley 2014 Soccer Steamroll Lehigh Valley United 06/28 - 06/29, 2014
JULY 2014 2014 Mid-Atlantic Cup: Girls Weekend PA Classics 07/10 - 07/12, 2014
Fusion F.C. 3v3 Fusion F.C. 07/12 - 07/13, 2014
Pocono Cup Boys “Premier� Soccer Tournament FC Pocono 07/12 - 07/13, 2014
Pocono Cup Girls “Premier� Soccer Tournament FC Pocono 07/19 - 07/20, 2014
7th Annual Sarah Parvin Memorial 24 Hour SoccerFest Quakertown Soccer Club 07/26 - 07/27, 2014
Lititz Summer Showcase Lititz Youth Soccer Club 07/26 - 07/27, 2014
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West Chester United Soccer Club 08/01 - 08/03, 2014
KOPSC-Baxter Blast Tournament (Girls) King of Prussia Soccer Club 08/09 - 08/09, 2014
Lehigh Valley United Lou Ramos Classic- Girls Weekend Lehigh Valley United 08/09 – 08/10, 2014
Ridley United Invitational Ridley United Soccer Club 08/09 - 08/10, 2014
KOPSC-Danny Bevilacqua Tournament (Boys) King of Prussia Soccer Club 08/10 - 08/10, 2014
Catasauqua Youth Soccer Association 08/23 - 08/24, 2014 The Complex Group, Inc 08/23 - 08/24, 2014
VE Summer Tournament Vereingung Erzgebirge 08/23 - 08/24, 2014
Lehigh Valley United Lou Ramos Classic - Boys Weekend Lehigh Valley United 08/29 - 08/31, 2014
2014 Al Perlini Tournament Warminster Soccer Club 08/30 - 09/01, 2014
The Keystone Cup
Colleen Reilly Invitational Soccer Tournament Horsham Soccer Association 08/16 - 08/17, 2014
Hershey Cup Hershey Soccer Club 08/16 - 08/17, 2014
KidsPeace Soccer Invitational KidsPeace 08/16 - 08/17, 2014
11th Annual Boys Battle at Hill Top Powered by NIKE West-Mont United Soccer Association 08/22 - 08/24, 2014
CASA Mid-State Classic CASA CAPA 08/23 - 08/24, 2014
Pennsylvania Classics AC 08/30 - 08/31, 2014
Whitewater Cup Classic – Labor Day Weekend Mountain Top Youth Soccer Association 08/30 - 08/31, 2014
11th Annual Girls Battle at Hill Top Powered by NIKE West-Mont United Soccer Association 08/15 - 08/17, 2014
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ny club, league or association affiliated with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer may be granted permission to host a tournament. In order to be eligible to host tournaments or games a club, league, or association must be in “good standing.� Clubs, leagues, or associations are considered in “good standing� if all of its players have been properly registered with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or other US Soccer organization member. In addition, the team or organization is not subject to any disciplinary penalties prohibiting hosting imposed by Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, affiliate, organization member, US Youth Soccer, or US Soccer. Visit EPYSA.org for more information on these Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Sanctioned Tournaments.
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Profile: Chris Albright By Rick Woelfel
From Philadelphia to World Cup
T
he World Cup is one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports. The opportunity to play in one is the dream of ever soccer player on earth. In 2006, Chris Albright fulfilled that dream, as part of the U.S. Men’s National Team that represented the United States in Germany. He never appeared in a World Cup match but has lasting memories of the experience.
in the world of specialization that we live in now it’s important up to a certain age to experience all different positions. You understand the full scope of the game that way.” Albright also believes a soccer player benefits from competing in other sports. “I think those other sports allow you to experience different movements,” he says. “You’re jumping more in basketball. The fact that I ran track in high school helped me learn the form of being a cleaner, faster runner. For someone like me, whose best attribute was athleticism, I would say that certainly helped me.”
“Just to be on the field with some of the greats,” Albright recalls, “the Landon Donovans and the Claudio Reynas and the Brad Friedels and the Kasey Kellers. To be able to say I represented my country alongside players like that, that’s really what’s special when I look back.” Today, Albright is the assistant technical director for the Philadelphia Union, dealing with roster and player movement issues and working with the club’s minor-league affiliates. But he was once one of the finest soccer players in America. Albright seemingly was born to play soccer. Growing up in the Juniata Park section of Northeast Philadelphia he played a variety of sports. Later, his family moved to South Jersey. But soccer was in his blood Albright first played the game for the Juniata YSA at age 7. His early coaches included his father John and his uncle Larry Sullivan, the longtime coach at Villanova. But despite his pedigree, Albright didn’t take to the sport at first. “I hated it when I was a kid,” he recalls. “When I was five or six years old I despised it. It was in my blood, everybody played, and all the kids played on the weekends. But for whatever reason I told my parents I wanted to play tennis.” But Albright was a good all-around athlete and soon found he was the fastest kid on the pitch. That speed served him well throughout his career. “Once I realized I was good because I was a good athlete and I was fast I think that’s when soccer started to appeal to me,” he said. “That’s when I realized I could be successful at it.” Albright played high-school soccer at Penn Charter where as a sophomore he helped his team win its first Inter AC title in more than four decades. From there he went on to play two seasons at Virginia where he scored 31 goals and collected 20 assists in 49 games and was named a first-team All-American.
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Albright’s professional career spanned 15 seasons and 235 games with five MLS clubs plus a handful of appearances with the MLS Pro-40 side. He finished his career with 11 goals and 22 assists. Albright’s great leap forward came when he played in the U.S U-20 World Championship. That experience afforded him an opportunity to train with the USMNT which was coached by Bruce Arena at the time. “I trained with them for a week leading up to them playing Argentina,” he recalls. “I had a really good camp and Major League Soccer came in and offered me a contract. I really had no intention of going pro. It just sort of transpired that way.” Albright entered MLS with D.C. United in 1999. He came into the league with a reputation as a goal scorer but that talent did not translate to the professional ranks. “I came in as a forward that was touted to score a lot of goals,” he recalls, “and frankly wasn’t ready to do so.” Albright’s career blossomed however when Arena, his coach with DC United, moved him to right back. He went to become a three-time MLS All-Star with the LA Galaxy (2004-06) and earned Best XI honors in 2005. The experience reinforced the notion that a well-rounded soccer player should be able to handle any spot on the pitch. “I tell parents and players, ‘go play anywhere,’” Albright says. “I think the fact that I played forward and midfield a lot in my career is what made me the attacking sort of right back that I was. It differentiated me from all the more defensive-oriented right outside backs. I think
Eastern Pennsylvania Players who made the U.S. Men’s World Cup Teams
He was part of three MLS Cup championship teams, with D.C. United in 1999, and with the Galaxy in 2002 and 2005. He spent his last two seasons in Philadelphia, making 10 appearances with the Union before retiring at the close of the 2013 campaign. “I always dreamed of finishing my career in Philly,” Albright says. “I obviously didn’t play very much, but that wasn’t that important to me at that point. I got to train every day, I got to be around my family. I got to transition into a role with the club that I had always wanted. So I’m thankful that it worked out that way.” Albright earned 22 caps with the USMNT. He scored his only international goal in his first appearance with the national side, in a friendly against Jamaica in September of 1999. Injuries likely kept Albright from achieving his full potential with the national team. He was hampered by two knee injuries as well as a torn hamstring. “I was a bit unlucky that way,” he says, “but that’s just sort of how it fell. I was lucky in a lot of other ways. Bruce saw something in me and always had faith in me and brought me along for the ride with him [in 2006] and I’m grateful for that.” Needless to say, Albright is keeping a close eye on this year’s World Cup. He’s pleased with the inroads soccer has made into American sporting culture.
1950 World Cup:
2006 World Cup:
Walter Bahr Ed McIlvenny Benny McLaughlin was selected but unable to get time off from work to attend the World Cup
Chris Albright Bobby Convey Ben Olsen
FIFA World Cup Facts The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. “The players that are on our World Cup team were able to watch soccer and play soccer video games,” he says, “and be fully immersed in the game, whereas guys that played in the 1994 World Cup didn’t have those same opportunities, didn’t have that same access to the game.” Albright looks forward to the day when more of the best American athletes choose soccer as their primary sport, as is the case elsewhere around the globe. He believes that day may be at hand. “Think about the defensive back playing in the NFL,” Albright says. “If he had a ball at his feet we’d be in a very different place, and I think that’s where we’re going.”
The current champions are Spain, who won the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month. A qualification phase, which currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s). The 19 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Italy, with four titles; West Germany, with three titles; Argentina and inaugural winners Uruguay, with two titles each; and England, France, and Spain, with one title each. The World Cup is among the world’s most widely viewed sporting events; an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. The next World Cup will be hosted by Russia in 2018 after the 2014 Tournament this summer in Brazil.
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REC SOCCER SPOTLIGHT:
Hulmeville Soccer Club
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he Hulmeville Soccer Club is a local youth soccer program located in the HulmevillePenndel-Langhorne area of Middletown Township consisting of players residing in all areas of Lower Bucks County. For the upcoming 2014 fall season, their thirty-sixth year of operation, their membership is once again expected to exceed 1,200 young athletes.
June 19-22, 2014
Last year, they competed in four male divisions with twenty-eight intramural teams, four female divisions with twenty-two teams, sixteen instructional under-six teams, and five instructional under-four teams. Along with their intramural program they also field seventeen travel teams.
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In addition, each fall Hulmeville Soccer Club hosts the John Hess Memorial Tournament, an intramural tournament held in honor of John Hess, a founding member of the club. Hulmeville began hosting the tournament in 1981 which draws intramural select teams from around the area. While the Board of Directors organizes the Hess Tournament, it is only through the volunteer efforts of the entire Hulmeville Soccer Club membership that they are able make it a success. Hulmeville Soccer Club also fields a male and female select team in U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and U19. The Hulmeville Soccer Club select teams not only compete in the Hess Tournament, but they also participate in various intramural tournaments in the area exposing Hulmeville Soccer Club players to an even higher level of competitive soccer. Consequently, many of
the Hulmeville Soccer Club select players move to Hulmeville Soccer Club travel teams. While the intramural program is one of the most successful programs in the area, Hulmeville Soccer Club’s travel program has also enjoyed great success with many teams reaching the semi-finals and finals in Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Cup competitions. Most recently, Hulmeville Soccer Club teams have appeared in multiple championship matches in their respective divisions. In 2013, the U14 boys Predators coached by Tim French finished first while the U13 girls Magic coached by Hugh Kelly finished second. In 2014, the Magic, now a U14 girls team, returned to the championship but this time were victorious while the U9 girls Freedom finished second. The success of these teams is a direct result
of the, dedication, development and training that is done within Hulmeville Soccer Club. Most of the players on these championship teams, got their start in the intramural program. When visiting any of Hulmeville Soccer Club’s many fields, it is easy to tell that everyone is having fun. The smiling faces, high fives and cheers are readily apparent. All sounds of a successful program making soccer fun. “To see the faces and hear the sounds from the players, makes it all worthwhile,” said Dino Cieri, Vice President of the Hulmeville Soccer Club. With the fall season approaching, Hulmeville is kicking into high gear. “The fall season is always our busiest time,” he said. We have a lot of kids involved in all sorts of different programs.”
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September is Youth Soccer Month! What is Youth Soccer Month? In September 2013, the National Youth Soccer Month campaign celebrates its eleventh year of educating the public about the joys, rewards and benefits of playing youth soccer, and offers a variety of resources to learn more about youth soccer and get involved. We hope that you will choose a unique way to celebrate soccer in September and spread the message about your positive experiences.
Goals of Youth Soccer Month t 3BJTF BXBSFOFTT PG :PVUI 4PDDFS BOE UIF benefits of playing the game.
Get Involved Anyone can spread the message about his or her positive experience with youth soccer. Youth Soccer Month celebrations can be found at soccer practices and tournaments, businesses, nonprofit and community centers, shopping malls, schools, private homes…..just about anywhere that kids who play soccer and those involved with those kids may gather. People who organize Youth Soccer Month Celebrations are soccer volunteers and administrators, parents, coaches, players… anyone who wants to celebrate our sport.
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Gets Involved
We want to hear how you participate in Youth Soccer Month this year. Visit epysa.org to tell us how you get involved in and celebrate Youth Soccer in America. Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer will be celebrating all month with events, t #SJOH LJET BOE GBNJMJFT PG BMM BHFT BOE BMM discounts, and promotions. And be sure to visit abilities together for fun, friendship and fitness. youthsoccermonth.org often during September t )JHIMJHIU UIF WBSJPVT QSPHSBNT BWBJMBCMF UP to see what’s going on across the country. children interested in participating in soccer, including inner-city, special needs, recreational and elite soccer programs. t &NQIBTJ[F TPDDFS BT UIF OVNCFS POF ZPVUI participation sport in America and a leading contributor to the healthy lifestyle of millions of American families
Male High School Student Athletes - 410, 982 Male High School Senior Student Athletes - 117, 423 NCAA Male Student Athletes - 23,365 NCAA Male Freshman Roster Positions- 6,676 NCAA Male Senior Student Athletes - 5,192
NCAA Male Student Athletes Drafted - 101 % High School to NCAA - 5.7% % NCAA to Professions - 1.0% % High School to Professional - 0.09%
Get Involved and Celebrate Youth Soccer in September!
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2014 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outdoor Cup Champions U12 Boys
2014 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup (NCS) Champions U12 Boys
West Chester United SC Predators U12 Girls
Ukrainian National Blasters Black
U14 Girls
U16 Boys
U13 Girls
U15 Boys
U16 Girls
U14 Boys
U15 Girls
U17 Boys
PA Rush Patriot FC Red
YMS Premier Pride Penn Fusion YMS Premier Xplosion
Lower Merion Magic Penn Legacy Black
TE FC Europa Samba
U12 Girls
U14 Girls
U16 Girls
U13 Boys
U15 Boys
U17 Boys
U13 Girls
U15 Girls
U17 Girls
CASA CAPA 2K United Carlisle Revolution
Championship Series. It serves as an open competition that draws teams that participate at the highest levels of youth soccer throughout the state.
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The Presidents Cup is an open competition that is focused on teams that wish to play in a statewide competition that also offers opportunity at the regional and national level.
3 Competitions
Lititz Elite Parkland Area SC Pride
Southampton Scorpions Cantolao Explosion
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer teams were extremely successful at the 2014 Region I Presidents Cup Championships. Throughout the tournament Eastern Pennsylvania teams went 45-9-10. An Eastern Pennsylvania team was in the finals of every age group except U17 Boys and Girls and we even had two teams playing each other in the U14 Girls division.
Penn Fusion 95 U18 Girls
Berks Soccer Academy Rage 95
U12 Boys Champions
U15 Boys Finalists
U12 Girls Finalists
U15 Girls Champions
U13 Boys Champions
U16 Boys Champions
U13 Girls Champions
U16 Girls Finalists
U14 Boys Champions
*Teams will be representing Eastern Pennsylvania in the National Presidents Cup Championships in Greenville, SC July 10-13.
FC York 01 Elite
U19 Boys
Montgomery United Black 94/95
West Chester United Eagles 01
U19 Girls
CASA Capa 2K United*
Continental Barca 94
Carlisle Area Revolution* Montgomery United Arsenal*
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U14 Girls Champions
Region Maine to Virginia
USSF Licensed Referees used in
North Union United Lady Cannons
Hershey Orange Pride TE FCEuropa Storm
The Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup is an open competition that draws teams that wish to participate in a competition which crowns a statewide champion.
Hershey Elite FC
continued on next page…
U18 Boys The Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup competition is the
U16 Boys
Montgomery United Arsenal
U17 Girls
CUPS
U14 Boys
FC York Elite Lehigh Valley United
U13 Boys
Lehigh Valley United
2014 Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup Champions
Huntingdon Valley AA Freedom*
LYSC Elite 98
Keystone Athletic Grifos 98* FC Europa Samba 97/98* North Union United Lady Cannons
U14 Girls Finalists
Hershey Elite FC ‘99
13 State Associations
Teams that advanced to Region I Presidents Cup Championships as wildcards in Slippery Rock, PA over Memorial Day weekend.
TEAMS
31 Teams
965
5731 Goals
Under-12 Girls
West Chester United SC Eagles Under-13 Girls
CASA CAPA 2K Magic Under-14 Boys
FC York Elite The U12 Boys North Union United Cannons advanced to US Youth Soccer Region I Championships to be played in Kingston, Rhode Island, June 26th through July 1st as wildcard.
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Under-14 Girls
Huntingdon Valley Freedom Under-15 Girls
Keystone Athletic Grifo Under-17 Boys
Harleysville FC Ready White 15
EPYSA.org
2014 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outdoor Cup Champions (continued from previous page)
2014 Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup Champions U9 Boys ‘A’ Division
U11 Boys ‘A’ Division
U14 Boys
U9 Boys ‘B’ Division
U11 Boys ‘B’ Division
U14 Girls
U9 Girls ‘A’ Division
U11 Girls ‘A’ Division
U15 Boys
U9 Girls ‘B’ Division
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Life After Youth Soccer By Joanne Neal
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o your son or daughter has played youth soccer and “graduated” from U19…now what? The good news is that soccer doesn’t stop after youth. Eastern Pennsylvania is fortunate to have an adult program for those who are interested in continuing to play soccer. Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association (EPSA) is the amateur adult division of soccer, directly affiliated with the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) which is a member of the
US Soccer Federation (USSF). The office, conveniently, is located in the same complex as Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. EPSA is run by an Executive Committee, comprised of President James Bollinger, 1st Vice-President Larry Samples, 2nd Vice-President Blair Thomson, 3rd Vice-President (President of EPYSA) James Kuntz, General Secretary Len Weckel, State Referee Administrator Frank Giancroce, Treasurer Jeff DeLuca and Past President Werner Fricker, Jr. The Association has one paid staff member, Office Administrator, Joanne Neal. There are many opportunities to join a team in Eastern Pennsylvania, as EPSA currently supports over 4500 registered adult players, in 15 Leagues from Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley to York to Harrisburg. Teams include men, women and coed in Open competition, Over -30, Over-40 and even Over-50! Many of our teams play in sanctioned tournaments throughout Region One and we also participate in the National Cup Competition. This prestigious tournament takes State winners and runs a program similar to the Youth National Cup. Winners advance to the Regional rounds of
competition, and eventually to the National level. So as the kids grow into young adults, go to college, then come home from college, remind them that their love for the sport doesn’t have to end. Teams are always looking for new players, or they can cobble together a new team, but the opportunity to play is there. And in many instances the annual cost will be less than the cost of playing on a youth travel team. Remember, Soccer… the Game for Life! Find more information about Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association at www. eastpasa.wix.com/eastpasa or call Joanne Neal at the State Office, 610.940.5755
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Policy on
Background Check Implementation
Quarterly Calendar June 2014
August 2014
6-8
Region I ODP Tournament | Lawrenceville, NJ
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Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Day | PPL Park
14-15
Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Soccerfest & Viewing Party | Lehigh Valley
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Board Meeting | Plymouth Meeting, PA
26-Jul 1 U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships | Kingston, RI
July 2014
September 2014
1
RG-1 Club Registration Due
4
Independence Day, State Office Closed
6-10 Resident Camp | Immaculata University | & 13-17 Malvern, PA 10-13
U.S. Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup | Greenville, SC
21-27
U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships | Germantown, MD
1
Seasonal Year Begins
1
Labor Day, State Office Closed
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Primary Fall Registration Fees Due
Visit EPYSA.org for more details on events, contests, and promotions regarding Youth Soccer Month.
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nited States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer adopted the Kidsafe program nearly twenty years ago. The elements of this program include the registration of all coaches and administrators at the state, local, regional and national levels, development of health and safety guidelines, publication of a booklet containing suggested health and safety guidelines, promotion of ongoing educational activities to support the Kidsafe program and the questioning of all coaches and administrators about convictions, crimes of violence or crimes against persons. Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer has insisted on compliance with the disclosure procedure since the 1996/1997 seasonal year. Each affiliate has been urged to adopt and enforce its own program specifically tailored to its needs. As approved by the Board of Directors in January 2013, for the 2013/2014 season, we are insistent upon full compliance in the way of mandatory background checks. This applies to all individuals 18 and older regardless of the competitive level, i.e. – travel and recreational/intramural, or employment status, i.e. paid or volunteer.
How to Comply: I Each organization should appoint a Risk Management Coordinator
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(RMC). That person should be organized, discreet, and someone committed to your organization. Their primary responsibility is to monitor compliance with the Kidsafe program mandates and to oversee their membership’s compliance. The RMC should see that the on-line Risk Management is completed for each coach, assistant coach, trainer, referee, program administrator, manager and volunteer or employee who has significant contact with the children participating in Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. Basically anyone over 18 who will have contact with children.
III The State Association (Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer) will, IV
review the reports and in the event of a problem, will communicate on a case-by-case basis with the individual involved. In the event that a background check reveals disqualifying information, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer will contact the individual directly. Pending further investigation and a decision resulting in a disqualification, the organization RMC and/or president or chief officer will be notified.
There’s no such thing as being too careful, not when the statistics reveal a disturbing trend. Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under. Although 30-40% of victims are abused by a family member, 50% of those reporting abuse by someone outside of the family said it was by someone whom they know and trust. Also, nearly 70% of child sex offenders have between 1 and 9 victims; at least 20% have 10 to 40 victims. Many reports indicate that because sexual predators target trusting environments where children are present, the incidence of child abuse is actually higher in the youth sports community. Your participation and fullest cooperation is necessary to create a safer environment for our children. Make sure your club is in compliance. Visit EPYSA.org for more information.
Abuse Prevention System’s 5-Part Safety System for Your Club I. ABUSE AWARENESS TRAINING
IV. TAILORED POLICIES & PROCEDURES
* Foundational piece of an educational model
* Policies are what you DO – not what you SAY you do
* Explains safety principles behind policies and procedures
* Policies should be tailored to specific programming – no ‘one-size-fits-all’ form
II. SKILLFUL SCREENING * Critical component of an effective system * Use of forms and processes to obtain and recognize high-risk responses from applicants III. APPROPRIATE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK * Necessary component of an effective safety system, but not a ‘stand alone’ system
* Policies are marginally effective without training V. MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT * Ensuring that you DO what you SAY you do * Periodic review of the system: new programming, performance reviews, and accountability
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EPYSA.org
Anna Desch
Daniel Bloyou
Sean Burke
Team Name Copa Black Organization/Club Upper Dublin Soccer Club
Team Name Lighthouse Lancers Organization/Club Lighthouse Soccer Club
Team Name FC Danubia Eagles Organization/Club FC Danubia
What is your nickname? I don’t have one, but it would be cool if I did.
What is your nickname? Danny
What is your nickname? Sean
Who is your role model? Why? Abby Wambach, because she is an amazing player.
Who is your role model? Why? Cristiano Ronaldo, because he’s an outstanding player and he has an unstoppable free kick.
Who is your role model? Why? Cristiano Ronaldo because he is a good soccer player
What is your favorite soccer team? Manchester United
What is your favorite soccer team? Real Madrid
What is your favorite movie? She’s the Man
What is your favorite movie? The Game of Their Lives
What is your favorite song? The Man by Aloe Blacc
What is your favorite song? “Say Something” by Christina Aguilera
What is your favorite book? Percy Jackson Series
What is your favorite book? The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
What is your favorite book? Diary of a Whimpy Kid Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
What is your favorite food? Pancakes
What is your favorite food? Pizza
What is your favorite food? Buffalo Wings
What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Basketball
What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Football
What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Basketball
What is your biggest pet peeve? When a ref doesn’t call a foul.
What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)? Losing something important
What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)? My older brother
Age: 11
Hey, Kids! { And adults, too! } Perhaps you’ve said to yourself:
“I want to be in
Magazine!” eastern pennsylvania youth soccer
Want to appear in an upcoming issue of Touchline?
This is an exciting feature in the magazine where Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer players, coaches, and parents get an opportunity to be seen and heard by the rest of our readers. Well, now is your chance! If you would like to be considered to appear in an upcoming issue, simply answer the 11 Questions that appear on our website (and on page 23 ), fill in the bio information and email it to info@epysa.org. Most importantly, you need to send a photo of yourself with the email… the higher quality, the better! If there is not a photo, then we can’t use your entry in the magazine. Entering is not a guarantee of getting published. We wish you luck, and who knows? When you open the next issue of Touchline magazine, you could find yourself staring back at you!
To register go to:
http://www.epysa.org/communications/player_profiles/
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FC DANUBIA
LIGHTHOUSE SOCCER CLUB
UPPER DUBLIN SOCCER CLUB
YOUTH SOCCER PLAYER PROFILES
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I would go to the UK, because there are a lot of good soccer teams there. What do you want to do when you’re older? I want to be a professional soccer player. What position do you play or what do you do on your team?
Age: 14
Age: 8
What is your favorite soccer team? Manchester United What is your favorite movie? Grown Ups 2 What is your favorite song? Timber by Pitbull
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Spain, because that’s where my favorite team is from.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Professional Soccer Player
What do you want to be when you grow up? A professional soccer player
What position do you play or what do you do on your team? Striker, I am in charge of scoring for my team.
What position do you play or what do you do on your team? Left Wing
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Proud Partner of
The Snapcause App is Here and fundraising just got easier Download the New Mobile App for Free!
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and Snapcause Announce Fundraising Game Changer Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and Snapcause are working together to make it easier for soccer clubs to raise more money. “Clubs are looking for new fundraising sources so they can provide more opportunities for athletes in their clubs, and Snapcause is an innovative mobile app that can help them do this,” said Chris Branscome, Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. Josh Neubert developed the mobile app: “Soccer taught me many valuable lessons, and it is a privilege to help the clubs provide opportunities for children across Pennsylvania.” Josh played for the Souderton and Towamencin clubs. Snapcause – the mobile app that lets you support your soccer club by eating at restaurants – provides clubs with a great way to boost fundraising opportunities without parents having to sell anything. Snapcause also provides the unique opportunity for members to earn back their registration fees with every snap.
How It Works If you eat at restaurants, you can give back to your club! Support your club by simply using the free app to find a restaurant that will make a donation to your club. After your meal, use the app to snap a picture of your receipt. Snapcause collects the donation from the restaurant and forwards it to your club.
To get started: t Encourage your club to join Snapcause. t Download the free Snapcause app from the App Store or Google Play™. t Find participating restaurants in your area. t After enjoying a great meal, use the app to snap a picture of the receipt.
Making It Easy for Clubs and Parents In addition to making fundraising straightforward for club members, Snapcause simplifies the process for club administrators as well.
Clubs can be set up in Snapcause in minutes and Snapcause provides everything you need to get started.
How to Get Your Club Added Getting started with Snapcause is a piece of cake. t Club administrators should register your club at www.snapcause.com/EPYSA. t A Snapcause Fundraising Coach will call the club administrator to get the club set up in the app. t Use the Snapcause tools to let everyone in the club know about the new fundraising opportunity. t Members enjoy great meals and support their clubs at the same time. For more information about Snapcause and how you can register your club, visit www.snapcause. com or call 215.305.8259.
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s more and more people turn to social media for clarifications, questions, decisions, and voicing opinions, it is necessary for our local clubs to embrace these communication issues. It is important for our clubs to elevate their presence on these channels and allow members to discuss or comment on club activities using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or other channel. The United States Men’s National Team (#usmnt) World Cup Roster announcement is a prime example of these communications. When many surprising players including the biggest, Landon Donovan, didn’t make the cut, forums across the soccer world lit up with opinions and comments. Alexi Lalas, former USMNT player, tweeted “life isn’t fair and soccer isn’t fair. A WC roster isn’t about form, merit or history. It’s simply a coach’s preference.” Many of our local clubs can relate to these communication issues, especially with recent travel team selections and changes to club policies and procedures for the upcoming year.
Many members do not understand the process and alternatively have little ability to attend Board meetings to voice their opinion or question policy. Age appropriate training methods and practice protocols for travel or intramural groups are often questions that go unaddressed. Issues arise on referee calls or the rules of the game that go unaddressed and never discussed. Setting up a presence across these various social media channels allows clubs to create an avenue for coaches, board members, players, parents and spectators to voice their opinions or question policies, rules or other decisions. These open channels create dialogue to the club community to assist in providing solutions, answers, education and a better general understanding amongst its members. During this off-season I encourage you to setup a Q&A session with your members on one of these channels. If using Twitter, create a unique #hashtag for them to send questions. For example, “On Tuesday evening we will answer
all registration questions from 5-6pm on Twitter with hashtag #CSCregistration.” Finally, during the season encourage members, parents, players and others to share their opinions at a unique hashtag. E.g. #CSCuropinioncounts. Remember educating people on where to post this information is just as important as the communication process. Handout flyers before games, include it in your email blast and mention it during all communications with members. As for the World Cup Roster…we’re interested in hearing your opinion of coach’s picks. Tell us your opinion of the world cup roster at #epysaroster.
World Cup Social Media Tip:
Two games are scheduled for 6:00 PM and one game is scheduled for noon. To ensure you don’t find out any of the day’s action before you get to see it, block out those you follow that would be tweeting results or updates. Don’t forget to follow @epayouthsoccer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
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Parents and Coaches – Do the Right Thing By Mike Barr, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Director of Coaching
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here is no doubt in my mind that youth soccer has become an adult, money driven sport that serves the needs of parents and, too many times, not the children. I want to make it clear, I believe there is no parent intentionally leading their soccer playing children down the wrong path but because of the immense social pressure attached to this upper middle income sport, parents are taking the complicated trail of youth soccer and ignoring the consequences attached. Many of the clubs in the Philadelphia area have professional coaches working with players as young as five years old and, in many cases, these coaches have little training in child development or even soccer training methodology. There may be a recreation program in these clubs at the younger ages but most parents have their eye on the prize- the exclusive travel teams. The never ending drama begins for those children and their parents at try-outs. Imagine telling children at seven years of age that they did not have the skills as determined by a few adults to make the team. These adults rarely take into consideration the advantages a child born early in the birth year has over a child born later in that year. Those evaluating the try-outs cannot envision the future potential in a child, also unwilling to consider the enormous changes children go through when they reach puberty, suddenly demonstrating athleticism, psychological growth and physical change. Incredibly, these same clubs cutting players at seven years old publicly display on their website that their program is all about development. How in the world does development take place when a child is eliminated at seven years old? I am sure that all of you really believe that a child should enjoy a sport that he or she plays but how can a child be sure they enjoy that sport or another activity outside of sports, if they have never been exposed to other sports or activities. Soccer has been very good to me but the direction the sport is going begs for an explanation from the governing body of U.S. Soccer who only throws out random recommendations. The U8 travel player with the professional coach is now training two nights a week initially and playing in
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a game or festival on the weekends at a cost of $1500 a year. This may seem relatively inexpensive until you take into consideration other cost factors associated with travel soccer even at this young age and the pressure placed upon the parents by some clubs and their coaches. In addition to the initial training schedule, tournaments and travel expenses, clubs provide extra training one or two nights a week at an additional cost, mandatory camp attendance, mini-tournaments within the club and the biggest detriment to youth soccer: extra tournaments around the United States in order for an individual club to gain points and move up in the rankings state-wide, regionally and nationally. From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem illogical but to a parent wanting only the best for their child and feeling a sense of competition with the other parents, having a vision of scholarships, and possibly a professional soccer career, they buy into the whole program. What drives these parents? One word: Fear! Fear their child may not get the same opportunities of other players or a chance to be exposed to quality coaches and reap the final rewards. Author John O’ Sullivan describes this phenomenon as “The race to nowhere in youth sports.” He further goes on to say, “it produces bitter athletes who get hurt, burn out and quit sports altogether.”
the lights; the temperature was 31 degrees with wind gusts up to 25 miles an hour. Incredibly the coach, who I know well, was chastised in an email by a parent that there was not enough instruction going on during the shortened hour and a half session. The coach told me all he wanted to do was keep them moving in order to eliminate frost bite. A local club has mandated that every travel team in their program must now play in ten tournaments a year in order to accumulate GOTSoccer points and move up in the ratings. Every time you go to a GOTSoccer tournament, points are awarded, in addition to the points your team receives based on performance in the tournament. You could have a mediocre team that moves up in the rankings and a mis-informed parent will buy into the quality of this club based on their rank. So much for development! Let’s remember that term fear, as we take this rational self-therapy journey to what road is best for your child.
This process may deliver a young child from a normal intrinsically motivated childhood to one that is purely driven by a parent’s ego or fear of their child being overlooked. Let me give you some personal examples of what is occurring at some clubs in the Philadelphia area:
Your son or daughter is now playing U10 or U11 travel for a premier club. Training is up to three days a week, some training is now at up to two hours each session. The coach has taken the position that success only comes if your child is totally committed to soccer and he encourages you to remove your son or daughter from the conflicts created by other sports. Training continues through the winter at an indoor facility and your child now plays in a futsal league. Tournaments are played in North Carolina to Florida from December to March at an added expense.
One of the largest clubs in the Philadelphia area actively pursues children at six or seven from local clubs promising better coaching and yearround training and playing, because that is the only way to get to the next level. This rampant recruiting destroys smaller clubs and eventually the opportunity for children of families with modest means to continue to play soccer. This club has up to four teams in each age group because parents buy into the promises. I had a chance to watch a U8 team from this club train this past March. The training began at 6:00 under
As the players get older, the commitment becomes larger and, in addition to other sports, all extracurricular activities at school begin to suffer including music and the arts. School friendships become less strong or important and your child’s close friends become primarily members of the soccer team, some who live fifty miles from your house. Your son or daughter begins 11th grade and there are just a few letters from colleges and you search back to the promises of your club coaches. You begin to question your decisions but it is too late. A few offers come from Division
One colleges and even a few provide modest scholarships but these are not the schools you envisioned your child attending. Keep in mind that soccer is a non-revenue producing sport and coaches are forced to split what money they have available. As a former teacher, I repeatedly saw parents questioning teachers, counselors and administrators if they felt their child was not in the proper academic setting or not being challenged by teachers. Soccer parents rarely question the motives or the training methodology of the professional coach working with their child. Parents, you must hold paid coaches to the same expectations and requirements you have of teachers in your schools. In an age where a club coach can make as much as a first year teacher by coaching two teams, parents rarely examine coaching credentials, playing experience or the coach’s knowledge of periodization. Periodization refers to properly running progressive training sessions based on the number of practices per week and the number of games per week. If your son or daughter is playing at an elite level, coaches must demonstrate a complete knowledge of periodization to keep their players free from injury and fit for competition. In addition, periodization also encompasses weekly training loads and seasonal plans. Another area soccer coaches should realize and be concerned with is how the training load would change for individuals if they are attempting to play another sport or sports. Over-use injuries
begin to occur and some injuries could be career ending if a coach is unaware of periodization in their training and not aware of over load days, under load days and recovery days within their team’s training schedule. In addition, a coach must take into consideration substitutes who do not get the opportunity to play in a full match. Those players should be required to participate in overload training after a match in order to maintain proper conditioning. Do you as parents realize that a full match demands 72 hours for full recovery and a 24 hour rule that any day following a match is a recovery day? This data comes from U.S. Soccer. Think about the most recent tournaments you attended and the three to five matches you played in two and a half days. We examined the fear factor in parent decision making with their child but there is also an element of fear with the paid coach or coaching director within a club. Their fears include: not maintaining a steady income, not bringing in more money to the club and not winning tournaments and matches. These fears make for decisions that are sometimes unfair to players and parents. To tell a child that he or she must focus on one sport to meet success or to search out better players at 8 or 9 years old rather than develop from within, is a product of those fears. It is going to take parents and players to stand up to those unfair demands of coaches who ask or demand a player not participate in other sports or activities. Many top flight athletes participated in other
sports and achieved success. Taylor Twellman was drafted by the Kansas City Royals, Sergio Garcia was a soccer player before focusing on golf, Zlatan Ibrahomovic was strong enough in Taekwondo to be considered for the Olympics, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane were both boxers (not too surprising), Theo Walcott ran track, Abby Wambach, Stephanie Cox, and Heather O’Reilly played basketball in high school, Tobin Heath was a tennis player and a surfer, Mike Trout played football in high school but the most impressive athlete playing more than one sport is Christie Rampone. She played lacrosse, basketball and of course soccer in high school and college. In addition she was the leading scorer in all three sports in her conference while in high school. These are only a small example of athletes I thought readers could identify with and see it is not necessary to focus on one sport especially at the early ages. I was the head soccer coach at Strath Haven High School for twenty five years and still have an allegiance to the school. At the most recent Penn Relays, the Strath Haven girls’ relay team broke a 17 year record for the 4X400 by running a time of 3:53.3 in the Central League Section of qualifications. More importantly they broke the county record for the 4X800 that same day and they qualified for the Championships of America in that race. This may seem insignificant but three of the girls ran in both races and better yet all three play soccer. Allie Wilson was the Delaware County Soccer Player of the Year, Kristen Miller was first team All Delaware County and Jamie Kenny was Second Team All-County. In addition they also played basketball, lacrosse, volleyball and swimming. When asked if any boy or girl between the age of ten or twelve should focus on one sport, they answered: “It is too early to decide what sport really interests you and it is too early to discover what sport you are really good at playing.” Their advice to those young athletes: “Make sure you are enjoying the sport and if the pressure becomes too much, remember why you are playing in the first place and do what makes you happy!” Parents, give your child a chance to experience other sports and allow them to make the decision when they want to focus on just one sport. Be aware of over-training and too many matches. Your son or daughter expects you to do the right thing!
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Licensed to Thrill: How I Earned My USSF National “E” Level Coaching Certification By Kevin Kinkead
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’ve always been interested in coaching some day. I’ve played soccer since junior high, and thankfully my 29-year-old legs are still good enough to get me through 90 minutes in the Casa Soccer League on Saturday afternoons. I’m also privileged enough to write about soccer, but I’d love to be able to teach the game when I finally retire from local rec leagues and pickup games. Now, if you want to go out and coach your six-year-old daughter’s youth team, you probably don’t need a license. But other organizations do require a license, and if you’re serious about it, you can take courses that give you full instruction from already-established coaches. Complete the course, and you get your certification. The program is run by U.S. Soccer, but it begins at the state level. So, if you live in Philadelphia, like myself, the courses are administered by Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. There are different levels of licensing, beginning at “E” and going all the way up to “A”. My story begins at the “E” level.
Friday, April 4 This course spans three days and 18 hours. There’s a Friday evening session, followed by two full days of instruction on Saturday and Sunday. Finding a weekend to dedicate to the class is a pretty significant commitment, especially if you’re already working full-time or weekend hours. Our instructor is Don Brady, and he’s been coaching for longer than I’ve been alive. Don is an A-licensed coach with a master’s degree and 33 years of experience. He’s spent the last 18 coaching high school boys at Central Bucks South, and he also coaches in the “Olympic Development Program”, which is tied to U.S. Soccer and serves to identify select players for inclusion at various national team levels. Long story short, Don has done pretty much everything over the last three decades.
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He’s got a laptop computer projecting the E-license guidebook onto a pull-down screen at the front of the room. But before we get into the slides, our first assignment is to partner up with another classmate, learn about them, and then tell their story to the rest of the group. I’m sitting next to a young woman named Ashley. She’s probably in her mid-twenties, a former college player at Seton Hall University and a north Jersey native. She played semi-pro soccer in England, but she wants to take the E-license course because she’s found an assistant coaching job with Clayton State University, a small college about 15 miles south of Atlanta, Georgia.
Back to the classroom – Don takes us through the slides, and we talk about the four components of long-term athletic development: technical, physical, tactical, and psychosocial. The discussion is engaging and bright. The experienced coaches are dropping knowledge left and right, and I invoke my experience with the Philadelphia Union to mask the fact that I’ve never worked with a nine-year-old kid.
Stage 1 is a warm-up exercise: Get the blood flowing, get your players going. Stage 2 is a small-sided activity, with emphasis mostly on technical skill. Stage 3 expands that activity, and Stage 4 is a full-fledged training game or scrimmage. Throughout the weekend, we will be learning activities to fit these various stages, which we’ll then present to the rest of the class. My topic for teaching is “redirecting serves to go forward.”
Saturday, April 5
Proof I was there…
It’s a diverse group inside the community center. Raphael is 23 years old, and he’s from Greece. Like myself, he’s on the younger side of the group, with no coaching experience whatsoever. On the other hand, Pat has been coaching at Fox Chase Soccer Club for the last 10 years. “It’s for my boys, you know?” Pat told me. He explained that he was here to better his coaching and learn more about the game. I’d find out later that he’s already pretty good. But let me backtrack for a moment. I had to prepare a few different things before the class even started. First, there are three online programs to complete. Two involve basic rules of the game, and the third is a course about concussion protocol. You finish these exercises, print out the certificates of completion, and bring them to class. The other prerequisite material is a pair of essays. Piece of cake for a writer, yeah? I whipped up two pages on my “personal coaching philosophy” and answered a separate series of basic questions.
We spend a good bit of time talking about the U9 to U12 curriculum and how training sessions generally progress through four “stages”. This is a theme reiterated throughout the weekend.
Our instruction room inside the Southampton Community Center
We’re back in the classroom at 8:30 on Saturday morning. This is difficult for me. I’m a second-shift worker, and I usually don’t even wake up until 9 a.m. on most days. We finish up another set of slides before heading outside to Veterans Field. It’s cold, windy, wet, and overall pretty miserable outside. On a normal Saturday morning, I’d just be waking up, pouring a bowl of cereal, and sitting down on my (roommate’s) couch to watch English Premier League. We’re joined today by the charismatic and engaging Antonio Bayon. Antonio is also an A-licensed coach and a native of Valladolid, Spain, which is about an hour north of Madrid. He actually played for Valladolid’s youth team and dropped out of high school during his playing days. Eventually, he met his wife, moved to the United States, and got a master’s degree in engineering. “Land of opportunity, for sure!” he exclaims. We split into two groups, and Antonio and Don introduce some very basic drills that we can teach our players. Antonio takes us through offensive movements, going over a variety of 1-v-1 situations that emphasize beating a defender and dribbling beyond the play. We add to the drill incrementally, telling the defenders to up their pressure, expanding the playing field, and introducing passing elements.
Rafael explains his “stage 3” exercise to the class. Antonio jots down notes that will go into Rafael’s evaluation.
Don is working on defense on the other side of the field. He takes us through similar 1-v-1 drills, where we shield the ball from an opponent and attempt to win and keep possession in various situations. You get the sense that he’s a more defensive-minded guy while Antonio brings some of that Spanish attacking flair to his lessons.
We return to the classroom to finish up our guidebook part of the course, but not before going through some goalkeeper activities. I have to say, it’s a little weird watching 50-yearold men crawling around on the ground, but the goalie exercises are both practical and entertaining at the same time. It’s a short lunch break and we’re going back outside to Veterans Field. The second part of Saturday is when we become the teachers. Again we’re split into two groups, half of us with Antonio, and the other half with Don. I’m in Antonio’s group, and my job is to take the rest of my classmates through a stage two exercise on my “redirecting serves to go forward” topic. Antonio will watch and take notes. I section off an area and create a 3-v-2 situation with yellow-clad attackers outnumbering orange defenders. There is a sixth player, wearing a blue jersey, who functions as our “target.” The idea of the game, I explain, is that you must pass it to the person in blue before you can move into his area and get forward. He’s our attacking pivot, and I want them to play to him for a layoff or redirection forward. We spend about 10 minutes running the drill, and it goes pretty well. We regroup to talk about it, and Antonio seems pleased with the concept. He suggests that I can expand the drill and get the “target” more involved by allowing them to drop into the zone and look for the ball. This way, the child I’m coaching is a little less “static,” and more involved in the drill. Mind you, there are no kids out here, so we’re the guinea pigs in these demonstrations. I’m still in my twenties, so I feel comfortable running all the drills. Some of the older guys in our group are a bit more “labored” as they go through the exercises, but you have to give them a lot of credit for putting in the physical work in addition to learning and observing at the same time.
I’ve got a Casa League game at 5:45, so I hop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and drive over to Wayne to play a full game on the turf. I’ve got the Union and Fire game on the DVR for later viewing. Between the coaching course, my own game, and the Union game, I probably spent 15 hours dealing with soccer on Saturday. continued on next page…
Field Time
Don explains the importance of keeping your players active and involved during drills. It was cold, wet and windy on Saturday morning.
The group demonstrates goalkeeper drills.
“Now you have an appreciation of what your players have to go through,” Don says. “Obviously if you don’t have the playing background, it’s a little more difficult, more challenging. All of us are getting older and you need that fitness level to play. But it’s not that overwhelming, I don’t think.” Everyone finishes up their stage two drills, and we’re done for the day. Well, most of us are.
Antonio (right) and Don (left) giving instruction to the group.
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EPYSA.org continued from previous page…
Sunday, April 6 We spend the entirety of our final day outside. It’s not as cold as it was yesterday, but after those 90 minutes at center back (we won 3-2), my legs are pretty much done. Sunday belongs to us aspiring coaches. My job for the day is to teach the rest of the class the stage three version of the topic I’ve spent the weekend working on. Don takes us through warm-up drills that we can do with our youth players. We go over the basics, like quad and hamstring stretches, hip flexor and lunge exercises, and things like that. Most of our stretching and warming-up is done in a “mobile” fashion. We aren’t static when we stretch, and Don explains that the modern trend is incorporating movement and activity into stretching. Now that the blood is flowing, it’s our turn to teach. My exercise starts with a 3-v-3 in the middle of the field, with each team working off a pivot player and two goalkeepers at opposite ends. I’m serving in 50/50 balls that the players must win and play to the pivot. I explain to them that they can’t enter
the final third until they get the ball to their target man, and only then can they shoot on goal. Again, the drill goes over pretty well. The rest of the class goes to another exercise, and I stay behind to discuss with Antonio. He asks me if I’m happy with it, and I explain that I would have preferred to play 4-v-4 inside the box instead of 3-v-3. He suggests removing the goalkeepers and allowing the target players free movement around the field. This makes sense to me. I’ve been focusing the drill on the “target” player, sort of treating that person like a hold-up striker or a big-bodied center forward. But Antonio explains to me that I can use that person in any fashion. Maybe the target is an attacking midfielder. If so, we can get the ball to his feet in deeper positions. It’s all about keeping your players involved in the drills, especially if you’re coaching nine to 12-yearold kids. One thing I notice about both Antonio and Don is that they spend quality individual time with their “students.” When I ask them about their involvement with the course, they both start their answer with the same three words: “I love it.” “I coach at many levels, but coaching the coaches
is one of the most rewarding (things) and some of the most fun I’ve had in this career,” Antonio explains. “The fact that the candidates give us 18 hours of their weekend to be with us, we know that they’re coming here to learn, and we expect them to learn, but there’s also a lot of quality. We get college players, who are very good. We also get the typical mom and dad, where they just want to get involved. It’s a huge, diverse spectrum.” “This isn’t just coaching from the seat of your pants,” Don adds. “We’re all here to develop as coaches, to help the players develop. Sure, we can all go out and do drills, but do we know why we’re doing it? I appreciate the person who’s willing to research and to find those exercises, but also to know why they’re doing it, and how they’re implementing it, and whether or not they are really helping players to get better.”
PHILADELPHIA UNION CHALK-TALK Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and the Philadelphia Union joined forces in a partnership
To bring coaching education topics to the fans and coaches who are supporters of the Union. This partnership is unique to most state associations but both parties in Eastern Pennsylvania will bring the latest methodology from U.S. Soccer Federation's Coaching Education Department and provide correlating
We take a team picture, say our goodbyes, and hit the road as newly licensed youth soccer coaches.
information and Jim Curtain, Assistant Coach of the Union providing a scouting report, use of software in scouting and a
Kevin Kinkead is a writer and producer for CBS 3 Eyewitness News. Follow Kevin on Twitter, @ KevinKCBS3
Pennsylvania plan to provide more sessions in the future.
COACHING EDUCATION
uPCOMING COACHING COURSES
National E License
National D License
National D License
Valley Youth SA Sayre July 25 – 27, 2014
Ukrainian Nat. SC Horsham August 1 – 3, 2014
Penn Legacy Landisville August 8 – 10, 2014
National E License
National E License
National E License
Penn Legacy Landisville August 8 – 10, 2014
Amity AC Birdsboro August 8 – 10, 2014
Hamburg Area SA Hamburg August 15 – 17, 2014
May 17 Philadelphia Union v New England Revolution Game
U.S. Soccer Federation Coaching Education Department Philadelphia Union Assistant Coach, Jim Curtin discussed the current game day lineup, as well as treads/strength of the New England roster
GAME
NATIONAL D & E LICENSE For more information, details and registration, please visit EPYSA.org [1]
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SUMMER CAMP CAMP SUMMER
DECISION MAKING OFF THE DRIBBLE By Gary Stephenson, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, Assistant Director of Coaching
SOCCER GUM Organization
t Where is the gum or defender? Always know where the defender is.
Sequence & Progression
t Get away fast or slow? How do I shield for possession to get away?
t Progress by adding more “Gums” (Defenders) t Keep away, ½ with soccer balls, ½ without. Team with the most after 30 seconds wins
SOLD OUT
Coaching Points
t 1-3 players have a vest in their hand. Try to tag ball with their vests (keep score)
Resident Camps at Immaculata University
July 6-10 & July 13-17 Boys & Girls ages 10-17
t How do I play it off my foot? t Can I beat a defender? Or shield?
COMMUTER OPTIONS STILL AVAILABLE
Day/Evening Camps
4 CORNER GAME Organization
t Set up a 30 yd x 25 yd grid. t 3v3 or 4v4 – use neutral players or coach as neutral player, if needed. t Players can score by dribbling into any of the 4 corners; they keep the ball after scoring.
at a field near you
Coaching Points
t Establish good attacking shape. Cues to dribble or possess 1v1, 1v2, space in behind, no support, etc.
All Summer Long What to Expect: Fun filled activities High energy sessions Injury prevention techniques
4 GOAL GAME Organization
t Make field wider than longer to emphasize width for players in order to isolate defenders t Players can score by “passing” through gate
Sequence & Progression
t Coach’s Decision – if you score on one side, your team keeps the ball and attacks the other goal
Training habits that give players confidence Improved technical & tactical training of the game
What’s included: Tactical training Technical training Physical dimensions U.S. Soccer curriculum FIFA 11+ warm-up program
t Change 4 goal to 2 for 4v4 game
Register Now @ EPYSA.org
NIKE . CO M / S O CCE R