Goal Lines Magazine - Issue 12 - January 2017

OREGON YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE

ISSUE #12

GOAL LINES AND THE WINNERS ARE… On January 21st, 2017, the Oregon Youth Soccer Association hosted it’s Awards Gala at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Portland. This is where we recognized 10 of you and your contributions to the sport of soccer in Oregon. Look inside to see the winners, and other highlights from the Annual General Meeting, including the presentations, the speakers, and the rest of the show!

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GRASSROOTS COORDINATOR: ALY HOLLEWIJN All of our Grassroots Coordinators have extensive coaching background around the state of Oregon, and elsewhere so they bring unique experiences to their particular region.

We are proud to have Aly in the south of the state representing OYSA and she has been a fantastic ambassador for women in the game of soccer.

WOMEN IN COACHING In a recent edition of GoalNation, University of New Mexico’s head Women’s soccer coach was featured in a discussion about women in coaching and the hurdles they are facing in this era. A consistent theme in this discussion was the concept of being gender blind in the evaluation process of coaches. She clearly states that coaches should be evaluated on how well they can teach, motivate, and lead players, not by gender (Scavuzzo, 2016). That each of these traits are “gender blind.”

In the past decade that I have been working in the coaching world I have seen the movement for equality for female coaches take a fast and quick upturn. As time has worn on and female coaches voices are getting heard one theme that seems to be hitting the press is the concept of equality through being gender blind. Essentially, what this means is hiring and measuring employees (coaches) based off of skill and performance rather than what the assumed outcome will be based off of gender.

The concept of being ‘gender blind’ is not one that can be achieved overnight. Because of societal norms, many of us are raised making assumptions about what genders are capable of and what traits they ‘should’ poses. This has unfortunately set up many professional women for failure. These women might not fit in their assumed norms and therefore are put in the wrong position which leads to potential burn out and disappointment. In Jim Collins’ popular business strategy book, “Good to Great”, he drives the point home of “getting the RIGHT people on the bus and then putting them in the RIGHT seats” (Collins, 2001). And when it comes to being gender blind, establishing what the right seats are cannot be based off of gender but off of technical skill, experience, education, and a whole gamut of soft skills.

Here is your first step for being ‘gender blind’ within your organization. Fill your open positions with the proper resume and skill set. If you want to hire more female coaches, please do. Do not assume that the 23 year old former college player is perfect for your U10 girl’s team because she is a young energetic woman. Learn her traits and skills and plug her into the team that demands her skill set.

This discussion of being ‘gender blind’ is a much larger one than a short article, I will be speaking at the OYSA Annual General Meeting where we will be taking an hour long, engaging, deep dive into organizational structure and how eliminating gender bias from our hiring process can empower not just your female coaches but all participating parties within your club (coaches, players, administrators, parents, and board members). Please see the schedule provided by the OYSA for more information.

BRUCE ARENA’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS USA BOSS Every now and again we come across an article that really is thought provoking. This is one and we’d like to share it with you. Written by Luis Miguel Echegaray, and taken from the Guardian Newspaper on 11.25.16. Credited below, and continued after the jump.

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Bruce Arena, the Brooklyn-born, no-nonsense manager who once elevated USA as high as fourth in the Fifa rankings, will return to a seat he once occupied for eight years. Between 1998 and 2006, the 65-year-old collected 71 wins for the US national team – including a memorable run to the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals – and became the most successful coach in the history of the national team. He has also proved himself on the domestic stage, winning five MLS Cups with LA Galaxy and DC United.

Arena, however, may well be judged on his decisions off the field, particularly how implements his strong beliefs about the identity of American soccer. Beliefs that are vastly different from Jürgen Klinsmann’s.

To begin with, it will be interesting to see how Arena challenges the notion that USA should imitate a European model and embrace Klinsmann’s obsession with dual-citizen players in foreign leagues. “I think the majority of the national team should come out of Major League Soccer,” said Arena in 2014. “The people that run our governing body think we need to copy what everyone else does, when in reality, our solutions will ultimately come from our culture.”

This year, on Alexi Lalas’s podcast, his opinion changed slightly. Arena said that no matter where someone was born or where they play, they should be proud of to represent the US, something he believes has been lost in recent years. The comments shifted slightly from two years ago but still indicated a questionable slant to Arena’s thoughts on patriotism.

Arena needs to be careful. His words appear to question who qualifies as an American… to continue reading this article click the logo here:

THANK YOU (Keynote Speaker!)

TIMBER JIM SERRILL

US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by youth soccer association volunteers.

The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl, who has a mental or physical disability. Our goal is to enable the thousands of young athletes with disabilities to become valued and successful members of the US Youth Soccer family.

How do you participate?

Check out the list below of areas where clubs already have a TOPSoccer program running or contact your club about starting one. We can help you, too, to set up and run a program within your club, and ALL FEES ARE WAIVED for the TOPSoccer program by the Oregon

EXISTING PROGRAMS Click on any name to email the director of that program.

Albany

Beaverton

Clackamas

Eugene

Gresham

Medford

Milton Freewater

St Helens

State Chair (OYSA)

Youth Soccer Association.

SOCCER’S HIGH TECH FUTURE

Every now and again we come across an article that really is thought provoking. This is one and we’d like to share it with you. Written by Clemente Lisi, and taken from USSoccerPlayers.com on 9.19.16. Credited below, and continued after the jump.

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Let’s imagine what the MLS Cup Final could look like in the year 2026. Los Angeles FC, featuring 31-year-old superstar Jordan Morris, prepare to host the New York Red Bulls. They're playing in a state-of-the-art downtown LA stadium.

Coaches for both teams pace the sidelines with the ability to pull up data on a device. The referee has quick access to video technology to review plays. Fans in the stadium and those watching at home can monitor player data and biometrics in real time. That would include such things as heart rate and number of yards covered in a match.

This is the future of soccer. Tech surrounds us these days. From smart phones to the proliferation of the internet, it’s everywhere. Technology is also rapidly changing. From the device you are reading this article on to the ability to pull up your favorite highlights whenever you want, soccer has not been immune to such innovations. While this technology has made it easier to read about and watch your favorite teams and players, it has taken some time for it to actually become part of the game itself.

That’s no longer true. The technology that has permeated every part of our lives will someday soon be a very normal part of the beautiful game.

“All of our clubs are doing some data analysis (on players),” Jeff Agoos, who serves as Vice-President for Competition at MLS, said in July during the All-Star break in a roundtable discussion titled “Future of Soccer” in San Jose.

"Wearables are a big part of that.”

Wearables, similar to ones used by joggers, can track a player’s movements, allowing MLS teams to scout talent and even help to prevent injuries. The data obtained could also help coaches make decisions and help players improve any… to continue reading this article click here.

GIRLS REC COACH OF THE YEAR

GIRLS RECREATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR:

MATT MAYER Club/Org: Aloha Soccer ———————— Coach Matt has been instrumental in working with all his players. I have seen the attention Matt has shown while working with his team.

He has built confidence in the shy players like my daughter. My daughter Andi well as other players wanted to play but were reluctant to try anything. Matt encouraged them the play positions they were comfortable so they can become part of the team and then slowly moved them into more competitive positions. This built up their confidence and are now key players within the team. Over the years that I have known Matt, he has always been there for the girls rain or shine. He knows that the girls depended on him and he has never let them down.

He has also worked with the parents to encourage them to challenge their children. Even though his daughter plays on the team, Matt has never played favorite's. He treats everyone equal and pushes them to be better. One of the things that makes Matt great is that although he like to win, school and grades are first.

He makes it clear to all that if any player is struggling with homework or grades, he support school rather than the game.

Matt is one of the best coached they I have dealt with. He defiantly deserves this award.

VOTING CATEGORY:

BOYS REC COACH OF THE YEAR

BOYS RECREATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR:

ANTONIO GONZALEZ Club/Org: Raleigh Hills ———————— Coach Antonio was an outstanding coach and role model for my child and the entire team. Although my son has been playing soccer for the past three years he struggled playing the game.

Coach Antonio was able to break down the technical aspect of soccer as well as to motivate him to perform at a higher level than he ever thought he could. It has been wonderful to watch his interaction with the team. He has modeled and demands respectful behavior, fairness and good sportsmanship.

He exhibited all of the following: Positive communication, clearly and consistently taught soccer fundamentals and rules, gave positive and direction during practice and during the games.

Helped players become fit while providing a safe environment. He helped kids develop character by caring, being honest and respectful and taking responsibility.

Not only did we feel that we were so fortunate to have him as our sons soccer coach, our son and I would say the team as a whole felt that way.

We hope that Morgan can have him as a coach next year. He continues to use the skills he learned from Coach Antonio while playing soccer at school and carry the confidence that he gained with him.

VOTING CATEGORY:

GIRLS COMPETITIVE COACH OF THE YEAR

GIRLS COMPETITIVE COACH OF THE YEAR:

CORY HAND Club/Org: Westside Timbers ———————— I have known Cory for many years and his dedication and passion for both the game is his players have never changed. His outgoing nature and positive outlook in contagious. I have heard countless stories of Cory’s dedication in getting girls into various college and his tireless dedication in helping these ladies both on and off field. It does not matter what the socio economic background of these girls, he treats them equally and works just as hard of each one them to reach their goal. Whether it is getting them exposure to colleges, National Team, ODP, etc. All you have to do is talk to Cory and instantly you will feel his passion for the game and for his players. He dedication is not only limited to girls in our club but in many instances has helped girls outside our club. Cory has conducted outreach soccer camps with Hispanic youth,, worked with youth in Nicaragua , has trained both coaches and players in the African nation of Rwanda as a part of Play for Hope, a non-profit aimed at bringing professional-level coaching and hope to vulnerable children through soccer. The program's outreach academy grew from 200 youth to over 800 in a year-and-a-half, with Cory serving on the academy's board of directors.

Cory says “Coaching, for me, is more than just a game; it is a conduit to help young athletes understand and explore their God-given talents and abilities, to learn how to express those skills in life.” Cory is not only a coach in our Club but also is the Women's Soccer Head Coach for George Fox University, a National Staff Coach for the Oregon based U.S. Training Center, Olympic Development Program Coach. Cory and his wife Samara are proud parents of two. We are truly fortunate and proud to have such a compassionate, caring and dedicated coach as part of our Westside Timbers family.

VOTING CATEGORY:

BOYS COMPETITIVE COACH OF THE YEAR

BOYS COMPETITIVE COACH OF THE YEAR:

NATE WALSER Club/Org: NEU/PDX ———————— Nate Walzer is the Age Group Head Coach for the 2000, 2001 and the 2004 Boys Age Groups. Nate also balances these responsibilities while being an Assistant Coach at Concordia University. Nate also oversee all of the Goal Keeping and Speed, Agility, Quickness responsibilities for Northeast United Soccer Club. Programs that continue to grow in depth due to his dedication.

Nate's responsibility as Age Group Head Coach includes all parent communication, curriculum, training planning along with guiding 8 team coaches. Nate is responsible for bridging the gap Northeast United Soccer Club had at the High School Ages for Boys.

Growing last years 2000 boys from one team to 3 teams (2000 & 2 2001). The 2004 have grown into 3 teams , nearly 50 players due largely to Nate's communication and player development. Speed, Agility & Quickness is quickly becoming one of our most loved external programs due to his expertise, energy and enthusiasm.

Nate's tireless dedication to his players development across the widest spectrum of players is amazing. Many of the High School Age Boys come from very tough home environments and without Nate's connection with them it would be easy to see them taking a less desirable path.

Watch Nate’s speech here (courtesy of NEU Twitter page!)

VOTING CATEGORY:

TOPSoccer COACH OF THE YEAR

TOPSoccer COACH OF THE YEAR:

SEBASTIAN TRICKETT Club/Org: Eugene Timbers ———————— He is always full of energy, kids love him. He is sensitive to each players disability. He picks awesome volunteers. He is also really kind to parents. All around "He is Awesome!"

He has a way to encourage players to get out there and be motivated to try. He is out there jumping around and playing with the kids. He is great to watch!!! He get's the kiddos making goals and cheers them one. They get high fives and loud cheers.

My son is so proud of how he is doing and loves making goals. everyone is a winner on his team. He trains his staff so well its fun to watch their great acting. Yes acting.. The goal always let the person kicking towards the gaol score. It is so hilarious to watch. They do this so dramatically by falling over the ball to allow them to score. The kiddos love it so much!!! If you could see the smiles and joy of every player it is amazing to watch.

My son loves his couch and all the volunteers. It takes someone very special to do so well with special needs.

Their smiles, laughter and proudness of playing says "Everything" TOP Soccer.

VOTING CATEGORY:

TOPSoccer BUDDY OF THE YEAR

TOPSoccer BUDDY OF THE YEAR:

KAELA LEE Club/Org: FC Columbia County ———————— Kaela is the epitome of what a TOPSoccer Buddy should be.

We started a program out here in St Helens this year and had more buddies initially than kids! One kid, 7 year old Angie, just fell in love with Kaela from the moment she arrived. Angie has some mobility issues, and Kaela was so incredibly patient with her, and they formed a real bond together. Whether it was kicking a ball, just sitting and chatting or simply being a fantastic role model, Kaela was someone who Angie knew right away every week she came.

She would always gravitate to her, and they became close.

The best part was that they stayed in touch outside of TOPSoccer, too. She asked for Angie specifically to come out and hold her hand during her Youth Night games at the high school, and she made her the unofficial mascot of the team.

Everyone fell in love with Angie. I just found out that Kaela also is putting together a Christmas package for her this year, which almost melted my heart.

These two, separated by nearly 10 years in age, have formed an inseparable bond and I cannot wait to see what they end up doing in the future. Kaela Lee is an outstanding TOPSoccer Buddy.

VOTING CATEGORY:

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR:

JON LUCERO Club/Org: Yamhill Carlton ———————— Coach Jon Lucero exemplifies the kind of grassroots involvement in soccer that can truly effect the face of soccer in our area and ensure that it truly is a game for everyone. Coach Jon first came to our community as a volunteer coach at the request of Mike Smith in 2013 for a Timbers Camp. Ever since that day, Jon has been hugely involved with well over 400 hours of volunteerism annually, helping our club develop programs that have greatly strengthened not only the skill level of our players and coaches, but the community of soccer in Yamhill Carlton. He has trained with every age of player in the club and continues to help us expand our coaching education. Jon is dedicated to our club philosophy that the only way we can guarantee truly great soccer opportunities for ALL our youth in Yamhill Carlton, is to bring the highest level of coaching possible into the community, keeping all our players involved and connected here at home. To this end, Jon worked to secure a job in Carlton with the School District so that he could be fully available to help with our small-sided games program and to establish and conduct academy programs in both outdoor soccer and indoor/futsal skills for our 5th-8th graders after school and before his paid coaching positions at GFU and in Portland. The Academy program has allowed all of our middle school players to afford an exceptional soccer experience right here in our own community because of Jon’s amazing volunteerism and leadership. (Academy cost is $80. and runs year round to include outdoor, indoor and futsal skill training with scholarships available to all in need in exchange for club project involvement.) In addition, Jon encourages our coaching staff to attend (and join in) his academy practices so that we can each take what we have learned back to our individual teams and programs.

Just as important as Jon’s incredible volunteerism of time and skill, is the deep since of responsibility, sharing and giving back he has brought to the players. He leads by example with kindness and inclusion, and teaches all the players that they can (and how too) take ownership of their game, inspiring them to become leaders on and off the field. You can see his influence, especially on the middle school players, as they welcome younger players to join in at Drop in’s with encouragement and guidance, as well as, offering their friendship around the community. The connections being made between the players of all ages and skill have lifted up our club and inspirited our families to create a very special kinship.

Yamhill Carlton is truly blessed to have Coach Jon Lucero as an invaluable leader in our club and our community! We deeply believe he deserves to be recognized as the Volunteer of the Year!

VOTING CATEGORY:

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR:

KRISTI POLTE Club/Org: NEU/PDX ———————— Kristi is the business manager and registrar at Northeast United Soccer Club. She positively impacts 2000 players and families across Recreational, Development and Competitive Programs. She supports 200 Recreational Volunteer Coaches, including team formation. On the Competitive side she handles all team tournament registration along with player billing.

In addition Kristi is responsible for processing vendor accounts, setting up bill pay and reconciling accounts. She is working closely with the clubs Treasurer and Club Director in the financial reconciliations and reporting areas essential to the success of the club. Her customer service levels and communication with our membership are second to none. She does all of this while supporting her daughter and son in their soccer pursuits. Her tireless work with Bonzi to set up registrations to streamline programming for our families is a necessary business function we could not do without. The expansion of her role within Northeast United Soccer Club from only the registrar function and into a greater business manager speaks to her qualities. Her latest pursuit has been to update our internal processes and procedure manual. A detailed 100+ page document, which was sorely needing attention to continue to be aligned with our constantly growing / changing club.

Watch Kristi’s speech here (courtesy of NEU Twitter page!)

VOTING CATEGORY:

YOUNG MALE REFEREE OF THE YEAR

YOUNG MALE REFEREE OF THE YEAR:

OSCAR BENAVIDEZ When Oscar Benavidez finished high school in Mexico, he decided to come to the United States to improve his english.

While back in high school he met a friend, who was a soccer referee who later invited him to get into the referee world which he did. After being in the US for just two months he had the opportunity to ref in a latino league where a colleague invited him to be part of the USSF referee program.

After doing his tests he became a USSF soccer referee a year ago and has been able to do more games, and recently participated as a referee in the last high school season and playoffs.

Oscar says the attributes that have allowed him to do a good job in every game are justice and tolerance. His short-term goals are to prepare better himself and be in the important tournaments, while his medium-term goals are to get upgraded to the highest level he can.

Ultimately, he wants to be a national referee, an MLS referee and to be in a world cup.

He credits his parents for always telling him: "Do whatever you want, but do it well and be the best one."Â

VOTING CATEGORY:

YOUNG FEMALE REFEREE OF THE YEAR

YOUNG FEMALE REFEREE OF THE YEAR:

LAUREN THOMPSON Lauren Thompson is a sophomore and collegiate soccer player studying Health Fitness Promotion at Colorado Mesa University. She’s been a referee for almost six years and is currently a Grade 8. She’s played competitive soccer her whole life, and was a four-year starter on her Varsity soccer team at Oregon City High School.

Her sophomore year she was selected for Second Team All League and senior year was awarded First Team All League, Co Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All State.

At age 11 she started playing competitive soccer starting at Thelo United, then switched to Lake Oswego where we won State Cup and ended her career at FC Portland ECNL where they won State Cup and Northwest Champions League.

Off the field in High School she volunteers for Three Rivers Top Soccer, and Oregon’s Manager of Ref development, David Grbavac says that Lauren is one of the more established young referees that we have in Oregon and certainly one that other refs can look to when seeing how to conduct themselves during games, and following the right paths to being successful with the whistle.

INSIDE VINNY Vinny is our van. We use him for a lot of things like transporting gear to clubs, carting around signage, video gear, and those all important trophies and medals for the tournaments around the state.

We also do interviews inside him. This week, we’ve got Timbers legend, Mick Hoban in the hot seat. It’s an absolute fascinating conversation with him, where we cover Timbers in the 1970’s, how he basically started Nike soccer, and what he’s been doing since! Click below to watch.

It’s Mick Hoban!

ROAD LOG So far this month Vinny has logged over 1,000 miles visiting different places around the state.

CLUBS/PLACES VISITED:

Scappoose, Liberty Stadium,

Hillsboro, The Dalles, and Washington Timbers.

FOLLOW VINNY ON TWITTER

ALAN BLACK We were extremely excited to welcome Alan Black to our Annual General Mtg and workshops to give 5 hours of instruction to our top referees in the State.

Alan’s resume speaks for itself and we consider ourselves very lucky to have had someone instructing our referees who has such a vast knowledge of the game.

Alan’s bio: In 2002 refereed first Irish Premier League game as a 26 year-old and was 11 years as a professional referee. Appointed to the FIFA list as a referee in 2007 and in 6 years refereed in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, ‘A’ internationals, under age level internationals (U17,19, 21) 2 UEFA finals tournaments (2007 U17 in Belgium and 2010 U19 in France).

Over 6 years as a FIFA referee, officiated in 60 games in nearly 40 countries, including as a referee at the World Student Games Tournament in Belgrade in 2009. In 2010 was selected as one of only 12 referees in Europe to be part of the UEFA Talent and Mentor Development Program (2year program). Retired from active refereeing in 2013 aged 38.

Within one year was selected to become an elite Irish FA Premier League Assessor and became referee coach for two FIFA referees.

Since arriving in the U.S. in 2015, I now work as a Cal South State Instructor, one of the new USSF National Referee Coaches for 2017 and recently appointed as PRO Match Official Regional Development Assistant in addition to duties as an MLS Assessor.

Look what we found in the vaults!

This is from Goal Lines in 2003. Oh how soccer has changed!

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