Touchline Winter 2012 by Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

ach year, our Association has elections for its Board of Directors. Each Board position lasts for a term of two years. I know that many of you have great ideas and would be tremendous assets to our Board, but, every year I stand in front of our Annual General Meeting and watch as one per-

son after the next gets voted into office through acclimation (a candidate gaining office because they are unopposed). This year I would love to see that change. On March 3, 2013, our Annual General Meeting will be held in Reading. At that meeting we are having many important elections - President*, Vice President of Recreation, Vice President of Travel, Treasurer and our odd numbered District Commissioners. More than half of our Board! If you are interested in running you can advise our office or simply appear at the Annual General Meeting and self nominate from the floor. You should be prepared to present your qualifications and intentions at the time you announce your candidacy. Please do not shy away from this opportunity if you think that you may have interest.

Our Board and Association always needs fresh voices and ideas. If you want to discuss any of these positions, you should feel free to reach out to me or Chris. *In order to run for the office of President, one must have previously served as a member of our Board of Directors.

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“TO THE GAME”

hen elected in 2009, I promised to step away from the role of President of the Association after 2 terms, i.e. March of 2013. As the next copy of Touchline is not due out until April, this will be my last column as President. In light of that, I hope that you forgive the sentimentality of this column. I have been very fortunate in my soccer career. I have marched onto the field with the US National teams, had private coaching sessions with World Cup winning coaches, travelled the world to watch some of the sport’s finest players, and met and dined with the soccer “elite” from FIFA, US Soccer and several of the world’s greatest clubs. While every one of those experiences has been a thrill, for me it is the simple bond that

happens between people who share the love of this game that makes our game special. For instance: A month ago, I attended my 30th high school reunion. By the end of that night, I was sitting with a group of guys who had comprised my high school’s 1981-82 Boy’s Varsity soccer team...it was like we were all 18 again. Each year when I attend seminars, workshops, or Hall of Fame dinners, I find myself (and most attendees) caught up reengaging with people who I know (or know of) as if we were prodigal siblings. For the past few years, I have travelled with an Over 30 team to play similar teams from different parts of the world. Each time, we find a group of players who are immediately welcoming and treat us as long time friends.

coaching trees

e know Eastern Pennsylvania is home to some of the best youth soccer in the country. Our teams have represented this area so well over the years in regional and national competitions. Numerous players have been selected for regional and national teams and have had successful collegiate careers. But this area has been a hotbed for coaches too. The coaching fraternity in Eastern Pennsylvania has deep and strong roots going back to Walter Bahr (Frankford HS, Temple, Penn State); Walt Chyzowych (Philadelphia Textile, US National Team); Mel Lorback (National Championship at West Chester in 1961). Many, many of our area coaches have come from these “coaching trees.” The PIAA playoffs are in motion as I write. When I look at the brackets, I see some familiar names coaching at these schools. A great deal of these men and women have been active participants in our clubs and as our Olympic Development Program or educational staff coaches. It

assures me that high school soccer is a positive influence on our children. One girl’s matchup had Spring-Ford vs. Council Rock North. It featured Shelly Chamberlain coaching against Larry Sullivan, two hall of famers who back in the 90’s were coaching the women’s and men’s teams at Villanova University. Another recent boy’s match-up, Abington vs. CB East, had legendary coaches Randy Garber opposite Mike Gorni. Randy is our former director of coaching (and from the Bahr “tree”) and Mike founded FC Delco and has taken numerous ODP teams to the National Championships. In a quarterfinal game yet to be played, Downingtown West takes on LaSalle. Downingtown’s John Hatt (Spirit United) will be opposite hall of famer Bob Peffle. Peffle’s LaSalle team had to beat Archbishop Ryan and another hall of famer, George Todt, who retires after 44 years. There are many wonderful coaches currently working in our high schools. They teach the game and provide a great sense of community. Each of these men men-

My closest group of friends came as a result of playing with them, coaching with them or working with them in the soccer community. My friend Mike uses a special toast when I am with him and my other “soccer buddies”. He raises his glass and says “to the game”. It’s a simple toast, not meant to be profound, but an honest reflection of how a bunch of 30-50 somethings view our sport...with love. This leads me to one very clear thought...we must focus on our love for this sport. Regardless of how you are connected with the game of soccer, recognize that if you embrace it, it will embrace you back...with life long memories and lasting friendships. Over these past few years, I have been honored to be the President of your Association. As the old adage goes, if we strive to leave something just a little better than how we found it, we have done our job, and, while I still have a few months of hard work to do before I leave, I hope you all feel that I did mine. tioned above have links to other legendary coaches, but have created their own coaching trees and it keeps the game stocked with coaching talent in our clubs and in our schools. I’m part of this legacy too. Sam Holt, the legendary Radnor coach, hired me as an assistant 25 years ago and things he taught me then, I still use today. Our Olympic Development Program has quite a coaching tree also, with its roots and limbs in the high school ranks. Many past and present ODP staff members are currently on the sidelines at area high schools: Don Brady (CB South), Tom Quintois (Souderton), Joe Krantz (Archbishop Wood), Bob Hartman (Moravian Academy), Tim Hall (Easton), Chris Wilson (Hempfield) Trajano Bastidas (Catasaqua), Joe Margusity (Owen J. Roberts). Former girls coaches Jen Tomlinson and Danielle Fagan are now active club coaches and part of our staff. Pennsylvania high school soccer is strong and an important part of our communities. They are intertwined with our clubs and have helped soccer to grow and improve. In addition to our great club coaches, we have many scholastic coaches to thank for developing our children. To whoever reaches the finals in Hershey, best of luck, and I’m sure we’ll see many of you in the state cups this spring!

Red Card Cancer: Together We Can Make A Difference

ed Card Cancer was initiated in the Fall of 2009 on the campus of Bloomsburg University. Paul Payne, Men’s Head Coach at Bloomsburg University, started the program as a tribute to longtime friend and mentor, Joe Bochicchio, Women’s Head Coach at Scranton University. When Joe passed away after losing his battle with melanoma, Payne began the campaign to raise awareness about cancer in the soccer community and raise funds for research. It was just a small grass roots effort to raise awareness about the destruction of cancer, especially among the soccer community, and hopefully make a difference, no matter how small. That year 17 programs (16 college teams and 1 high school team) reached out and wanted to become part of the effort. October 3rd, 2009 was then designated Red Card Cancer day across the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. In its first day, Red Card Cancer raised over $5,000. In 2009 fellow NSCAA Board member and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Executive Director Charlotte Moran passed away from pancreatic cancer. Like Joe, Charlotte had a huge role in growing the game of soccer here locally but also on the national level. Joe served the college game for many years, as did Charlotte with the youth game.

Cancer does not discriminate in who it affects nor in the type of cancer that strike people. Whether it was Joe with melanoma or Charlotte w/ pancreatic, I think everyone in the game has been affected by cancer. Obviously it strikes home, to many affiliated with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer from administrators, coaches and players in some manner or another. I hope that the soccer community can lead the way in raising an awareness of the destruction of cancer and support the research being done to lessen its impact on society. Red Card Cancer was then starting to garner the attention of Live STRONG, The US Soccer Federation and other big organizations around the country. It was evident that the message was so genuine and unique-The biggest game in the world was taking on the world’s biggest opponent. In 2010 the program started to spread over state borders and more teams reached out wishing to get involved. It was then Red Card Cancer partnered up with The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine and D.C. United of Major League Soccer to help carry the message a step further. It’s amazing to think that what we started here is now national in scope and being supported by the youth, high school,

collegiate and professional levels. Hopefully others join us in this cause as we continue the life-changing journey of Red Card Cancer. We hope that Red Card Cancer is a cause that individuals, teams, leagues can get behind to help us grow our message. There is no set way that Red Card Cancer raises funds. As coaches we often talk about creativity in players and in the game. Take this idea of creativity to help develop initiatives within the soccer community to help promote the cause of Red Card Cancer.

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Q U A L I T Y A LW AY S M AT T E R S

QUARTERLY CALENDAR 1-31

Winter Indoor Technical Training | 2001-2003 Boys & Girls

1-28

Winter Indoor Technical Training | 2001-2003 Boys & Girls

24-31

Office Closed, Winter Holiday

U-13 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup | Pocono Dome

26-28

Holiday Technical Training Camps | 2001-2003 Boys & Girls

U-15 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup | Riverfront Sports

9-10

U-11 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup Weekend* | In the Net

9-10

U-16 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup Weekend* | Wyoming Valley Sports Dome

16-17

U-10 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup Weekend* | YSC - Hatboro

Office Closed, President’s Day

22-24

U-13 through U-17 ODP @ Virginia Friendlies | Williamsburg, VA

U-9 Boys Indoor Cup | United Sports Training Center

Workshop | United Sports Training Center, Downingtown, PA

Awards Celebration | The Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Reading, PA

Annual General Meeting | The Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Reading, PA

1-31

Winter Indoor Technical Training | 2001-2003 Boys & Girls

Office Closed, New Year’s Day

U-9 Girls Indoor Cup | BucksMont Indoor Sports Center

2013 Outdoor Cup Registration Begins

12-13

U-12 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup Weekend* | BodyZone

16-20

NSCAA/US Youth Soccer Convention: Indianapolis, IN

U-17 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup | 422 SportsPlex

Office Closed, Dr. Martin Luther King Day

26-27

U-14 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup Weekend* | Wyoming Valley Sports Dome

U-19 Boys & Girls Indoor Cup | In the Net

* Indoor Cup may be played on Sat. or Sun. depending on the number of applications for each cup. The exact dates will be set after the deadline for registration has passed.

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Communication Keys for a New Rec Coach

n the spring of 2011, I was approached by my daughter’s recreational league soliciting volunteer coaches. Having played in my youth, but never coaching any sport I assumed the club was looking for qualified volunteers, but threw my hat in the ring anyway. The league registrar thanked me for stepping up and gave me the roster for “my team.” The experience turned out to be a lifechanger. That team had so much fun they continued playing into the summer on the 3v3 tournament circuit; that summer I took EPYSA’s “E” coaching license course, and have been coaching at the lower levels ever since. I’ve found that kids will always find a way to surprise me -- whether it’s in how enthusiastic they can be about getting their game on, how quickly they pick up new skills and strategies, or how hard they’re willing to work when properly motivated. What follows are some strategies I’ve found to be helpful. Communicate with and engage parents. My players’ parents like to have a good laugh at my expense when I send out my post-practice emails; they’re usually a detailed explanation of what we worked on at practice, why we worked on it; and how what we did will help the team. Many have told me that those emails are a valuable tool for understanding how their player is progressing and what they can expect and work on at home. I’ve also had success grabbing parent “volunteers” during practice. Keeping parents engaged and having fun can have a huge impact on how players respond, since that’s where they pick up their cues. Communicate with the players. Growing up playing youth sports, I remember appreciating coaches who didn’t just have us run through the drills, but explained what aspect of our game each drill was intended to improve, and why we were

Communicating is easy, of course. Communicating effectively, however, is one of the hardest things to learn as a coach. doing it. Players will respond in kind if we treat them with respect, and honor their ability to process and understand what we’re trying to teach. Communicating is easy. Communicating effectively is one of the hardest things to learn. A brief one-on-one chat with a player is more effective than calling them out in front of teammates during practice (or mid-game). Coaches and parents should remain aware that each player responds in their own way, and one of the most valuable things coaches can learn is to respect and embrace differences in order to get the most out of every player. Remember the example you set. If you’re having fun, the players will, too. If you’re grousing about field conditions or opposition tactics or officiating, players will pick up on that. One of the most effective strategies I’ve found for getting their attention is lacing my 80s-era boots up and getting out on the pitch with them. At that point the giggling starts but they start having fun and pushing a little harder. When they’re practicing with a smile on their face, that’s when I know things are going well, since that’s when they’re usually going to be more open to learning new things. One of my fondest memories coaching

was after a 3v3 tournament where our team took a series of merciless drubbings; after the final game the glum faces crowded around waiting to be dismissed. The coaches briefly conferred, then sat with the girls and explained we were excited about the way the tournament went. We pointed out specific things that other teams did better than us, and that we’d focus on some of those aspects of our game at the next practice. By the time we explained how that would improve their games the girls were nodding in agreement. They still went home smarting from the losses but also excited about the next week’s practice. Have fun. Every season I tell the girls that I don’t care how they do in games and tournaments, but that I want to see out of them is having fun. I really want to see them trying hard and improving as players and leaders. If they’re having fun, they’re learning and improving, and are more likely to continue their soccer careers. That is how I measure my success as a coach.

The Value of I

Messi

t is certainly a wonderful gift to see what are considered the world’s greatest athletes perform in person or at least on TV. When I was younger I saw in person the play and skill of Willie Mays, Pele, Wilt Chamberlain, Jack Nicklaus, Edwin Moses, Mia Hamm, Michael Johnson and Tiger Woods. I saw Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Maradona, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretsky, Nadia Comaneci and Jim Brown numerous times on TV. The impact these sports stars had on me and the memories they created are everlasting. Their performances were inspirational, entertaining and provided an opportunity to retreat from the world’s conflicts and political mudslinging that now seem to consume our lives. As a youngster I cherished those times and spent each waking moment looking forward to watching the elite athletes in all sports perform. I was not consumed by soccer as I am now but I still value any top athlete’s performances and the effort put forth by each to meet success. Taking off my soccer blinders, I still can’t find a more gifted and motivating athlete today for young people to aspire towards than Lionel Messi. His

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performance game after game has been nothing short of amazing. There is no athlete in the world today that carries such remarkable pressure during each game to carry the mantle as the soccer world’s greater player. Messi has revealed in numerous interviews his character, growth as a player and dealing with success. Messi still remembers playing on his neighborhood teams at three and four years of age in Argentina. His stature was no different as a child and his response to questions regarding his size today is always, “I have no problems with my height (5’7”). I was always the smallest at school and in football.” As an Academy player for Barcelona he did not have starter status until Tito Vilanova took over. He never quit believing in himself or thought about giving up. “I always thought about keeping going with training and working toward fulfilling my dreams. I was lucky that, when Tito arrived, I started to play.” In response to a question does he play for glory, for something greater, competing with Pele and Maradona every day? Messi says, “I try to improve every day. If with

that, people compare me to those two players who were so great and considered to be today, that’s something amazing and really nice.” At the age of 25, Messi has accomplished more than most gifted international players accomplish in a lifetime. It is easy to believe the best is yet to come as he most likely will receive the Ballon d’ Or award for the fourth time, as best player in the world. His only competition should be Cristiano Ronaldo. A comment from Jose Mourinho sums up the feelings of most soccer fans, “I don’t want to have to think about the Ballon d’ Or, choosing who is the best in the world should be banned. They are two players from another planet.” His focus is never on himself. After criticism from Argentina supporters and in some instances coaches and ex-players, Messi has become playmaker for his national team. It was difficult to win over Argentina fans but now they realize the greatness of Messi and how he can change the fortunes of this former world power. Messi seems to perfect a weakness within his game every year. He was once criticized for his poor free kicks but now has become one of the best in Europe. He is currently

“I have no problems with my height (5’7”). I was always the smallest at school and in football.”

three goals away from passing Pele’s 75 goals in a calendar year and may break Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals. This past season he broke Muller’s record of goals in a European season. Surrounded by a talented cast of teammates, Messi stands out and his play now almost seems mesmerizing. Unfortunately, seeing him play on television may become a chore for many as Al Jazeera (Bein Sports), received the rights to televise the La Liga matches this season. Only Direct TV and Dish Network carry the feed and some areas of the country have banned Al Jazeera all together. Parents and coaches don’t miss the opportunity to have your children or your teams watch the magic of the world’s greatest player in Champion’s League matches or from web feeds. His touch, his work rate, his maturity, his leadership, and his loyalty to Barcelona make him a true hero and role model to millions. There will be a day when your children will look back and thank you for providing them

the opportunity to watch Lionel Messi’s grandeur on the field. Quite possibly with more satisfaction than I receive from the memories of athletes I watched perform. Quite possibly, a more telling quote for parents was a reporter asking him the question, “Would you advise your son to be a footballer?” Messi responded, “He should be what he wants to be. When he grows up he’ll work out what he wants and whatever he chooses will be fine with me, his Mum and with everyone.”

social media corner

taying connected with club members, players, parents and coaches through the off-season is key. With the appropriate presence for

your soccer club on social media, you’ll be able to share the many experiences from the season, talk about upcoming events, communicate important club information happening during the off-season and provide members with information on registering for next season. Facebook is a reliable way to keep in contact with everyone you choose to. Through a club fan page you have the ability to share pictures, post current happenings and videos. Members can tag themselves in your photos and share them with family members that may have missed a game during the season. Additionally the use of the Events tab is an important tool clubs should be using. Creating an event on your fan page allows your fans to send out invites to their networks and have a destination for that event where people can RSVP. This is a great feature for upcoming board meetings and award ceremonies to name a few. Twitter is another channel to utilize during the off-season. Twitter allows you to drive your friends back to specific pages

on the club’s site through tweets, which allows you to inform your followers of different tips, events and more and direct them to where they can find this information. You can also share all the different things there are to do in the off-season, such as indoor soccer leagues or reunion pizza parties to help the team continue to bond while waiting for next season. For those more into photos, create a club page on Pinterest, which allows you to create boards that are associated with the past season and the members of the club. Add various boards that highlight the different age groups and divisions, post a board from a club event, and highlight a tournament your club runs. These are great ways for everyone to see photos of past events and share it with their friends. They can “re-pin” your information and you can utilize these boards in future marketing efforts. Staying connected through the offseason is important and social media is a great way to do it. It’s straightforward, constant, and always takes the extra step to ensure our lives go a little easier.

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Providing For Everyone? The Challenge of the Small Club

s much as I am sure there are a lot of people, including myself, who feel a twinge of sadness at the changing face of youth soccer, moving further and further away from the pride of representing their local community (see the shift away from HS soccer at the directive of the USSF DA system) it is something that we are all guilty of promoting. We practice because we strive for improvement. We encourage our players to work hard to be the best they can be. Not just in soccer but with everything; get the best grades at school, go to the best college, get the best job/ biggest promotion. The modern world is full of examples of us striving for better (wasn’t this one of the ideals this country was founded upon?). As we strive to run our clubs providing a better service for our members and striving for improvement and increased opportunities for the players, under pressure from our members to keep up with bigger programs, it is worth reviewing if we are actually doing what we set out to do, serve the community with the best product available. Every club, big or small has common challenges, but these are more pronounced

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within the local smaller to mid sized organizations. Everyone strives for improved standard of play, better coaching, better facilities, clearer communication and so on. Stronger players are searching for better competition, to play in a higher division, with teammates that will push them in practice and who can help them win the big game. Other players may be looking for more playing time, or more meaningful playing time. There are also other players who would prefer to be able to play IM soccer and not travel but there is no viable option at a certain age to do that, so they end up struggling on a travel team with the time, commitment, travel and money that is often required. What about the members of the community who may have certain special needs and would love the opportunity that a program like TOP Soccer provides, but without the numbers, the facilities, the time and resources, they are left without a soccer opportunity in their community. The smaller club is not able to provide a competitive environment for its top players, who either leave to play on a “premiere/ elite/FC/All-Star” team because they feel

they are not getting the opportunity they are searching for, sometimes with the encouragement of their coach, often without, which creates big problems for the remaining teammates. If these players are genuinely not playing at the highest level they would like or are able then given our culture of striving for the best, it is no surprise they leave. It’s wrong of the local club to hold players back from getting all they can out of the game. The local club is not serving some of the best players in the area, as they do not have a suitable opportunity. We are a community soccer club that is not able to serve the most serious soccer players in the community! Another scenario is the club is able to attract other like-skilled, like-committed players into the program. This is something we have done successfully at our club but that is often difficult to manage if it is perceived that it can create a lack of opportunities for the lower level players. It often creates more opportunities as there is now a bigger player pool so the lower level teams have more players to keep the team going for longer. It is also a grey area - while the one community club benefits, another suffers. This dilemma of trying to provide for all

members of the community, from the most committed and most skilled, to the more recreational player, when you only have limited players and limited resources is an impossible task. You cannot have a mixed group with different agendas, all satisfied. When you evaluate what you are doing and why you are doing it, these issues are obvious and widespread across many if not all small to mid-sized clubs. As an organization we considered what we were trying to achieve and quickly recognized in addition to the issues raised in this article, there were many areas we were failing our players. Traditional tryouts and 8v8 competitive soccer at the younger age groups were certainly not providing our players with a place to enjoy the game, learn the game and become vested in the sport. This led us to be involved in the creation of the Directors Development Program (DDP). The DDP has provided our members with far more opportunities – it is inclusive of all players, it gives all players a chance to be challenged to improve their skill and technique at a level that is appropriate for them highest level, mid level and lower level players, it gives players a chance to be at the top of the player pool one week and to be challenged the next, with the flexible rosters that DDP encourages. Coaches have the opportunity to teach technique as the fear of losing is removed and so training sessions become player centered rather than team centered, which is more appropriate for the age groups involved. For players interested in challenging themselves and playing in

an environment that stresses appropriate competition we made huge strides with the DDP. We still have members playing DDP (travel) who would be far better served in an intramural program, with less pressure to practice year round – when it is basketball season, to only be playing basketball, rather than focusing on basketball but still doing an hour a week with the soccer ball. There are those who don’t want to travel to games or to pay towards training costs. It

Every club, big or small has some common challenges, but these are more pronounced within the local smaller to mid sized organizations. is not that the program is too intense, but there are soccer players within each of our communities who just want an intramural experience. Hanging on to the tradition of representing your local community within a local club is costing the local players opportunities. Failure to recognize this is a failure to provide the best for the whole range of members within our clubs. Far from throwing in the towel to the commercial machine that is becoming

youth soccer and the super-sized professional clubs, why can’t we do what we teach the children…work together as a team to find modern solutions? Maybe we need to find a new alternative by working together. Why can’t local clubs work together to pool resources, from volunteers, to facilities to player pools? There have been examples already in our state of two successful, independent clubs forming a premier level club as a partnership, so why can’t we do this at a different level? If we can put our egos, pride and ingrained opinions aside and look at what is better for the children in our collective programs, maybe we have enough like minded players together who would love to join together to form a inter-club local recreation program. We will always face the issue of parents not being happy with their child’s team or coach or placement after tryouts, but if we are truly offering that child a suitable place to play, we have served to the best of our ability, which remains the goal rather than making everyone happy. We are at a cross-road within youth soccer. By not facing the challenges and the new environment we are not serving our communities. By not working hand in hand with neighboring clubs we are making an already difficult situation impossible. I don’t want that to happen. I want my children to play for a local club, with the pride that brings, and I want them to have every opportunity they would get from playing for a “super-club.”

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WHO: Current high school juniors only (boys and girls) affiliated with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer through club or ODP team.

WHAT: Union League Good Citizenship Award is awarded each year to boys and girls who exemplify a well rounded profile of activities candidates must demonstrate exemplary qualities of cooperative effort, self-control, perseverance, serious scholarship and good sportsmanship. The student should demonstrate appreciation for America and endeavors to follow and uphold the best traditions and principles of American patriotism. Up to (21) candidates from Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer are nominated.

EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SOCCER Attn: Union League Good Citizenship Award 4070 Butler Pike, Suite 100 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. Have a sponsor, coach or other person submit the studentathletes. Personal Profile (1 to 3 pages max) with a brief cover letter. The student-athlete should follow the format below when preparing his/her profile:

WHEN: Coaches, AD’s or other sponsors must submit candidates profile by no later than Jan. 7, 2013. Mandatory Requirement - Recipients must attend Thursday, October 3, 2013 – all day leadership program and awards dinner at the Union League. If one cannot attned, please do not submit a resume.

WHY: Nomination of this prestigious award will add distinctive value to a student’s resume when applying to colleges/universities. Award winners are also eligible to apply for a college scholarship award of $1,000/year in their senior year of high school.

(1) Name, phone #, email and mailing address (2) Academics includes; GPA, class rank, SAT scores (3) High School Soccer & Athletics including club team(s) (4) Extracurricular Activities such as; class clubs, elected offices, the arts, etc. (5) Community Service such as; interact, church groups, volunteer work, etc (6) Awards and Recognitions (7) Part-time job(s) or other accomplishments Profiles MUST have references with phone numbers to attest to authenticity.

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Kyle Kauffman S

enior Day is coming early for one member of the Stevenson University men’s soccer program. Kyle Kauffman, who has spent the past four seasons as the team manager, will start the Mustangs’ game Oct. 23, when they host Hood College. Kauffman has cerebral palsy, and he said that although the physical challenges did not affect him much day to day, he thought they would prevent him from playing his favorite sport at the college level. Mustangs coach John Plevyak had a different plan in mind. “There’s no disability as far as we’re concerned,” Plevyak said. “The fact that he’s getting to play hasn’t caught anybody by surprise. Everybody’s just real glad it’s happening.” Plevyak reached out to Hood coach Brian Wall last summer, when they were working at a camp in Pennsylvania, and showed him a video about Kauffman, which some Stevenson students had made for a school project in 2010. In the video, Kauffman said: “I would love to be playing college soccer right now, but [God] has a bigger plan for me. It’s just something that I’ve accepted.” That quote inspired Plevyak to try to get Kauffman on the field during a game, and Wall agreed. Kauffman said his parents would be traveling from Lancaster, Pa., to see him play, and he was looking forward to the game. “I knew we were talking about it, but I honestly didn’t think anything would

happen,” Kauffman said. “Not that I didn’t believe Coach when he told me, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.” Kauffman’s involvement with the Stevenson program began four years ago, when he was visiting the campus. Jeff Kelly, who is now Stevenson’s dean of students, was showing him around, and Kauffman mentioned that he was the manager for the boys’ soccer team at his high school. “[Kelly] asked me if I wanted to do it here,” Kauffman said, “and I said, ‘Sure, I would love to do it here.’ He called coach Plev that day, and then before I even got home, Plev had left a message on my cell phone saying that they wanted me to come.” Plevyak, then in his second season at Stevenson, said the timing had been perfect, because he had been looking for a team manager. He gave Kauffman the option to move in a week early to be with the team for the preseason, and Kauffman agreed. Plevyak said Kauffman also came with the team on a trip to Italy in 2010. “He has a good work ethic,” Plevyak said. “He jumped right in and did whatever we had to do, and asked him to do, and we’ve been buddies ever since.” Senior captains John Adamo and Brad Davis said everyone on the team was glad Kauffman was getting to fulfill his dream of playing at the college level. They said Kauffman was an integral part of the team, not just in keeping track of cones, pinnies and balls, but spending time with his

teammates off the field as well. “Whenever we were not together with soccer, we were always together off campus,” Adamo said, “whether it was going out to get food at our lunch place up here or it was going out anywhere. … I’m so glad that he’s still here with us, because I think his character can show everyone else some strength, the mental strength that it takes to overcome something like this.” Davis has spent time with Kauffman in the classroom as well, because they are both public history majors. “I didn’t know too many people on the team [as a freshman], but he was one of the first people on the team that came up to me and introduced himself,” Davis said. “We’ve been close ever since then.” Kauffman said there was a real sense of community on the men’s soccer team. “We’re basically like a family,” he said. “We all have different things we bring to the table, and we all make it work. We always have fun together. It’s just a great atmosphere with the guys. I feel really close with all of them.” Kauffman said he had a lot of good memories from the four soccer seasons, particularly when the team won the Eastern College Athletic Conference South championship in 2010. “It’s been a great four years,” Kauffman said. “It’s one of the best times of my life that I’ve had, so it’s been great and I’m going to miss it a lot.”

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Eastern Pike Soccer Wraps-up

unday, October 28th marked the final weekend of play for Eastern Pike Soccer’s Under-4, Under-6 and Under-8 divisions. Dingman-Delaware campus teams and Delaware Valley campus teams met together at Warrior Stadium at the Delaware Valley High School to conduct a round-robin tournament on the turf. The tournament was a great opportunity for all players and coaches to get a chance to play on the turf at the stadium and compete against an opponent they have never faced during the regular season. After the tournaments conclusion, coaches met with the players and families to award each player their participation medals. Eastern Pike Soccer’s recreation league is comprised of approximately 500 players and coaches. To accommodate such a large amount of players and teams, Eastern

Pike Soccer is split into two campuses. The Delaware Valley campus teams are primarily residents of Milford, Matamoras and Port Jervis and play at the Delaware Valley High School athletic fields. The Dingman-Delaware campus teams are primarily residents of Dingmans Ferry, Shohola and Hawley and play at the Dingman-Delaware Middle School Athletic fields. However, on Sunday, all players from each campus were present to see which campus would win the battle of campus superiority. In the end, smiling faces and fun prevailed as players, coaches and families enjoyed an awesome day of remarkable sportsmanship and athletic competition. Eastern Pike Soccer continues to be an important part of the community and acts as a building block for Delaware Valley Soccer. The recreation program is comprised of age groups ranging from Under-4 through Under-14. A Challenger league also provides rewarding soccer experiences to children of special needs. The league continues to strive to promote the basic skills and rules needed for the development of a youth soccer player, as well as encouraging sportsmanship and fun for all players, coaches, families and community members. For more information about Eastern Pike Soccer, visits us at http://www. easternpikesoccer.com, “Like” us on Facebook (facebook.com/easternpikesoccer) or follow us on Twitter (@eastpikesoccer).

The Dingman-Delaware Under-4 Chipmunks drive down the field on their way to a goal.

A Dingman-Delaware Under-6 Falcons player dribbles past a Delaware Valley Under-6 Tigers player.

A Delaware Valley Under-8 Typhoons player looks to pass to her teammate and score on the Dingman-Delaware Under-8 Blizzards. Photos courtesy of April Smith

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Hey, Kids! (And adults, too!) WANT TO APPEAR IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE OF TOUCHLINE? There is an exciting new 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. And perhaps you have said to yourself, “I want to be in Touchline Magazine!” 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 fill in the bio information, and email it back to rbrown@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 also not a guarantee of getting published. We wish you good luck, and who knows? Perhaps when you open the next issue of Touchline Magazine, you will find yourself staring back at you! To register go to:

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EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SOCCER Player Profiles

ANNALIESA DUDLEY

CRAIG POTTS

JACOB RAWSON

JENNA FLENNER

KAELYNN N. SHEETZ

Age:

Team Name:

Hulmeville Galaxy

FC York Elite 00

Team Name:

Organization/Club:

What position do you play or what do you do on your team?

Hulmeville Soccer Club

FC York

Eagles

Exeter Eagles

Defense or whatever my coach wants me to do.

Center Mid or Center Defense

Wing and Fullback – like to score

What is your nickname?

What is your nickname? E.B.

What is your nickname?

Liese

Who is your role model? Why?

Lionel Messi because he is an awesome soccer player.

What is your favorite soccer team? Argentina

What is your favorite movie? The Smurfs

What is your favorite song? Waka Waka -Shakira

What is your favorite book?

The Hunger Games

What is your favorite food? Pizza

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Softball

What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)?

Who is your role model? Why? Coach Matt Herrington because he believes in me

What is your favorite soccer team? Tottenham Hotspurs

What is your favorite soccer team? Chelsey

What is your favorite song?

Stomp the Yard Whistle

Benchwarmers Holiday

What is your favorite book?

What is your favorite food?

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer?

Anything Hardy Boys Peanut Butter Basketball

Junie B Jones Rice

Baseball

What is your pet peeve What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)? mad or drives you crazy)?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

A pro soccer player

LAMPARD – he is a good soccer player

What is your favorite movie?

When people chew with their mouth open

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Who is your role model? Why?

What is your favorite movie?

I don’t like poor sportsmanship or disrespectful people

Brazil because it is a cool country

FOOT

England to watch a professional soccer game because they are awesome soccer players

What do you want to be when you grow up? A professional soccer player or coach

Losing my IPOD

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Hawaii – awesome beaches and waves

What do you want to be when you grow up? Police man

HMMS Wildfire

(HMMS) Youth Soccer Association

What position do you play or what do you do on your team? Goal Keeper

What is your nickname? Bubbles

Who is your role model? Why? Taylor Swift, because she has worked hard to accomplish much as a young person.

What is your favorite soccer team? Harrisburg City Islanders

What is your favorite movie?

“Kicking and Screaming”

What is your favorite song? “Dynamite”

What is your favorite book? “The Girls Rule”

What is your favorite food? Pancakes

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Gymnastics

What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)? People who do not play fair.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Hawaii, because there are volcanoes there.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Explorer

Team Name:

Rheems Extreme

Organization/Club:

Rheems Athletic Association

What position do you play or what do you do on your team? I play mostly Striker.

What is your nickname?

K.Sheetz, Sheetz, Cupcake or Turkey Hill

Who is your role model? Why?

Abby Wambach, she’s a good player and she inspires me.

What is your favorite soccer team?

Womens USA Soccer Team and my own team, Rheems Extreme

What is your favorite movie? Transformers

What is your favorite song?

Glad You Came- By The Wanted

What is your favorite book?

Wayside Stories from Wayside School

What is your favorite food?

Watermelon and chocolate chip pancakes

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Football and hockey

What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)? When my dog eats my toys

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Back to Disney World because it is so fun and there is so much to do!

What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know yet.

dribbling from the english F.A. ORGANIZATION • Dribbling warm up and Dynamic stretching not shown • Area 20x20yds, with 4 corner grids, corner grids 8x8yds • All players have a ball each and are divided into 4 groups and allocated a corner grid SEQUENCE & PROGRESSION • Each group has a designated task for the players to perform(eg 4 scissors moves; 4 turns inside of the foot) • On coach’s command the players dribble to another corner grid (eg clockwise, diagonally etc)

ORGANIZATION • The field is organized with four sets of two gates, as illustrated. • All players have a ball each • Each set of gates is allocated a player to act as a guard who attempts to tag the attacker from escaping.

COACHING POINTS • Close ball control • Correct execution of moves • Change of pace when triggered • Various parts of the foot used for control

must complete a move task (e.g. 4 scissors) then they can re-enter the game • A player must perform a move when dribbling through a gate VARIATIONS • Replace the guards with Goal Keepers

SEQUENCE & PROGRESSION • On coaches command and time limit, the players try to dribble through the gate to escape • Once a player has escaped through a gate they can re-enter the game through a different gate • If a player is tagged by a guard they

COACHING POINTS • Awareness of guards position • Recognize the opportunity to escape • Use various parts of the both feet while dribbling • Moves to wrong unbalance guards • Close ball control

ORGANIZATION • Two end zones are added to the 20yd by 20yd grid. Players are split into 2 teams of 3 or 4 players

COACHING POINTS • Players dribble controls the tempo of play (slowing down and speeding up) • Use of moves to beat a player or create space • Head up and dribble into space to commit defenders

SEQUENCE & PROGRESSION • Team scores by dribbling the ball into the end zone and stopping the ball. Nobody without a ball is allowed into the end zone • If the need add extra balls to increase touches on the ball.

INE

• Then the coach appoints a designated player – who when completed task moves in the direction of their choice, whose action triggers the whole group. • Place a dribbling defender between each corner grid who tries to tag the transferring defenders • Coach can award points for first group to get to the next grid – competition

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