Kentucky Youth Soccer

Courier Journal

2008-10-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

I ran across a really cool article today from the Louisville Courier Journal about Waggener High School Team. Great story, you should check it out.

High School Soccer Playoffs

2008-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

With the knockout stage beginning this week, there is a bunch on the line. You can follow your teams progress by visiting the KHSAA site.

Also, I've seen a bunch of online video and audio coverage this fall, which is great for all of these players and teams. If your team is lucky enough to receive that coverage, congrats. I would anticpate that that the State Tournament will be covered, just a hunch.

UK Womens Game to Televised

2008-08-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

The following information came across my email this morning. Sounds like great exposure for womens soccer here in Kentucky.

Kentucky fans will get an opportunity to see the UK women’s soccer team a little more this season as two of the Wildcats’ regular season matches have been picked up for television broadcast.

Originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 12, Kentucky’s match at perennial power West Virginia has been rescheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11 at 8:00 p.m. as part of the Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) and National Soccer Coaches Association of America College Soccer Game of the Week.

In addition, UK’s October 5 match-up against Florida, in Lexington, will be televised by Fox Sports Net (FSN). That match is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. (ET) start.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to give our fans across the nation a chance to watch UK soccer,” said head coach Warren Lipka. “And what better matches than West Virginia and Florida, two of the premier teams in the country, to showcase.”

The Wildcats, will resume pre-season workouts in preparation for their home and season opener on Thursday, Aug. 28 against the eighth ranked Texas Longhorns.

Javanon vs Lower Merion

2008-07-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Lower Merion scored early on in the second minute to take an early meeting. Will Vitalis equalized in the 26th minute to tie the game at 1-1.

The game just went to halftime. Hopefully the boys can come through in the second half to get their first win.

Brycen Howard puts Javanon ahead in the 71st minute. Weather is overcast today, and most likely the coolest day of the tournament. That saying a bunch since the current temperature is 95.

The game just went final. Javanon 2, Lower Merion 1. Reports say an outstanding effort was made today by Johnny Cantrell, who stepped between the pipes today in place of Taylor Hafling's, who was red carded yesterday.

Well done guys, you represented Kentucky well.

National Championships

2008-07-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Even though Javanon has not fared too well so far, just getting to the National Championships is a great feet. To get a full recap of the yesterday's mornings play, go here. To get more info on the evening matches, go here. Of course, if you visit this site, there is tons of information, videos, blogs, etc.

2nd Day in Little Rock

2008-07-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Javanon drew the early time slot this morning, but didn't get off to the start they had hoped for. YMS Xplosion from Eastern Pennsylvania got on the board early with a goal in the 18th minute. Still plenty of time left.

Report from Little Rock is the YMS scored on an own goal.

Game is at halftime and compared to yesterday, the weather is much cooler. YMS Explosion 1, Javanon 0. 40 minutes to go.

No goals in the second half, so Javanon loses 1-0. Unfortunately, more bad news, Taylor Hafling received a red card in the final minutes, so he will miss tommorrow's game.

Tommorrow's game is at 11:30 am against Lower Merion from Eastern Penn. Hopefully they can go out on a high note.

First Round of Play Complete

2008-07-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

Scores, stats, video and more at official web site http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org

Register as a Championships Insider to receive daily updates from the championships

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (July 23, 2008) - Games kicked off early this morning for the 2008 US Youth Soccer National Championships at Burns Park Soccer Complex, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Excitement filled the air as teams made their first push of the week towards a national title. Play started off with nerves and a lot of energy. Over 1,000 players will step on to the fields today and see if they have what it takes to be a national champion.

Tab Ramos, one of the most decorated players in U.S. soccer history, made his debut at the national championships as the head coach of the Under-14 Boys NJSA Gunners (NJ). Gunners took on Grand Rapids Crew Juniors (MI) where the New Jersey boys were successful 2:1.

There are four defending US Youth Soccer National Champions here this week. Among them, is Andromeda 90 (NTX) Under-18 Boys. This year adds an interesting dynamic to their strategy, since they are now defending a title rather than fighting for their first.

Team captain Anthony Gerhart said, “It’s just another game. We say we’re at nationals and we came this far, but when the whistle blows, it’s just a normal game like any other. We know that they know a little bit about us, but we come out thinking they are better than us, and we play like that.”

In their first game of the tournament, they faced Shattuck-St. Mary’s (MN). Shattuck started out with two goals early in the game, but there was still time for Andromeda to make their presence known after Shattuck’s second goal in the 47th minute by Samuel Asante.

Zachary Funk started the Andromeda come back with a goal in the 53rd minute. Down 2:1, Andromeda stayed in the game with strong defensive and offensive measures, but relief didn’t come until the 92nd minute.

“I knew that we needed it and I set up at the box when the corner kick was put in and I had a feeling it was coming to me. When it came my way, I just drove through it. I was sitting on the bench before I came in thinking, ‘I want to be the hero and save us.’ So, it was exciting to make the goal,” said Eric Frazier who scored the game-tying goal. “This year it’s a little bit different. I think the pressure is on because we’re the defending champs and we have that target on our back and everybody wants to come out and beat us.”

The second defending champion, Under-15 Boys Baltimore Casa Mia Bays (MD), not only won the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships but also qualified for nationals by placing as the top team from the inaugural US Youth Soccer National League. The new league sends two teams to nationals in the Under-15 and Under-16 age groups. Today they went up against the Boston Blast (MA) in a repeat of the 2008 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships and again came out on top (5:0). For the Bays, experience has proven itself.

The two defending girls champions weren’t as successful in their first day result. The Under-19 Girls Force Football Club (MI) faced off against the Slammers FC (CA-S) in a repeat of last year’s national championship final. The Slammers were determined to make up for last year’s loss and won today 3:2.

It was déjà vu for the Under-16 Girls So Cal Blues as they also relived their 2007 national championship final against the PDA Fire (NJ). The target on So Cal Blues was visible as Mary Gibson Wagner scored early (9:00) to put PDA on the board and the defense held with the keeper making eight saves.

Play resumes tonight at 7 p.m. Updated game results, stories and video are available throughout the day at http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org. Teams are seeking a positive result through the round robin play which concludes on Friday. Teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. The top two teams will advance to play for the national championship over the weekend.

On Saturday, August 9, The US Youth Soccer National Championships Highlight Show, presented by adidas, will air on the Fox Soccer Channel, US Youth Soccer's official television partner, at 1 p.m. ET. The two-hour show will highlight the national championships providing feature stories, interviews, game highlights and much, much more.

For complete statistic, please go to http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org.

Javanon vs Real So Cal

2008-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

We will provide scoring udpates as we get them from Little Rock.

Javanon goes up 1-0 in the 24th minute. Goal by Tyler Riggs.

Javnon scores another in the 35th minute. Goal by Goblirsch.

Game is at halftime with Javanon up 2-0. Report from Little Rock is the weather is hot and humid.

Real So Cal scored in the 43 minute. Javanon still leads 2-1.

Real So Cal equalizes in the 54 minute. Game now tied at 2-2.

Real So Cal scores two quick ones and now leads 4-2 with just minutes remaining in the game.

Game just went final. Real So Cal 4, Javanon 2. The reports is that the weather was a big impact in the second half. Javanon will look to rebound tommorrow morning at 7:30.

Player Luncheon Kicks Off 2008 US Youth Soccer National Championships

2008-07-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

The 2008 US Youth Soccer National Championships officially began today with the 56 teams competing for national crowns, in Under-14 through Under-19 age categories, gathering for the Player Luncheon held at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Over 1,200 players, coaches, referees, officials and administrators shared the afternoon honoring each other's accomplishments and commitment to soccer.

US Youth Soccer President Larry Monaco said, ""There were over 10,000 teams that began the journey in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and today we have the final 56 here representing the best teams in the country. We are looking forward to a great championship and crowning the national champions.""

""It is impossible to overstate the value of a tournament like this to our community. For one, the economic impact and two, in terms of its marketing impact," said Daniel O'Byrne, CEO of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. ""There are players and families from all of the country. We are really honored by their presence and the commitment they put in. We hope to reflect well on the values they bring to our community; we are going to be better off for their being here this week.""

The highlight of the afternoon for the players was the 2008 US Youth Soccer Regional Championship final highlight video. As the intro music began the players began clapping and bobbing their heads to the sights and sounds. Seeing their past successes during the second leg of the Series spurs them forward to beat the heat and humidity and emerge as the national champions this coming weekend.

Another highlight of the week is U.S. National Team standout Brian Ching. Ching will be at the Fox Soccer Channel booth at Burns Park Soccer Complex tomorrow from noon until 1 p.m. signing autographs. Ching plays for the Houston Dynamos, who are two-time MLS Cup champions.

The 2008 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country's most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing over 185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 state associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.

The US Youth Soccer National Championship trophies were paraded into the banquet hall by honored referees. The players were able to take pictures in front of the displayed trophies during the luncheon, but only a select 12 teams will be able to raise their trophy in victory after this weekend's finals. These 12 trophies hold a rich history of great soccer and will again be on display for the championship finals over the weekend.

Annually the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation's top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country. In 2008, over 600 coaches attended the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships including the majority of the top 25 men's and women's programs based on the final 2008 NSCAA/adidas National Rankings for NCAA Division I schools.

On Saturday, August 9 at 1 p.m. Eastern, The US Youth Soccer National Championships Highlight Show, Presented by adidas, will air on the Fox Soccer Channel, US Youth Soccer's official television partner. The show will highlight the national championships providing feature stories, interviews, game highlights and more.

For more information please visit http://Championship.USYouthSoccer.org.

National Championships

2008-07-22T07:07:00.001-07:00

The National Championships are finally here, and from everything that I've read and heard, the boys are ready to go. We are going to do our best to keep everyone updated on the coming and goings in Little Rock. The early reports in the weather is downright miserable, but its not like it exaclty been cold here in Kentucky. Check out the long range forecst here.

For an inside look from the official team blog, you can go here. Between the two of us, you should get a good picture of what going on in Little Rock.

To get the whole lowdown on the their upcoming game schedule, US Youth Soccer's got it taken care of.

Olympic Team

2008-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, the United States announced its Olympic Squad. Check it out.

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Chris Seitz (RSL).

DEFENDERS: Michael Parkhurst (New England), Patrick Ianni (Houston), Marvell Wynne (Toronto), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Nathan Sturgis (RSL).

MIDFIELDERS: Maurice Edu (Toronto), Stuart Holden (Houston), Freddy Adu (Benfica), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Danny Szetela (Brescia), Benny Feilhaber (Derby).

FORWARDS: Brian McBride (No Contract), Charlie Davies (Hammarby), Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Robbie Rogers (Columbus).

Women's Professional Soccer

2008-07-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

It seems like the return of professional womens soccer is on its way. See press release below with more information on the announcement of rosters.

SAN FRANCISCO (July 8, 2008) –Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) announced today the details of its player selection process leading into the kickoff of its inaugural season in April 2009. WPS teams will build their rosters through an allocation of U.S. Women’s National Team stars, a draft of international players, combines, additional League drafts and local team tryouts.

WPS will begin securing domestic talent with the post-Olympics allocation of the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) and U.S. WNT Player Pool in mid-September, to be immediately followed with a draft of the top international players. In October, WPS will conduct a general draft for both domestic and international players, followed by east and west coast combines in December and a post-combine draft in January. WPS Teams for the inaugural 2009 season – Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. – will then complete their rosters via local tryouts.

“The player allocation and draft process has been the top priority for the League office and Team owners since first announcing the League’s formation last September,” said Tonya Antonucci, WPS Commissioner. “WPS will be the ultimate showcase for the world’s best female soccer talent and, for those athletes competing in the Beijing Olympics, the next stage in their careers. As a North American league, our first priority is the U.S. Women’s National Team players, whose skills will be complemented by the world’s top players, as well as the domestic players who have the talent and dedication required of professional athletes.”

“This is an exciting time for the National Team players as the Olympics are right around the corner and then a few weeks after we come home from Beijing we’ll be allocated to WPS teams,” said U.S. National Team star Abby Wambach. “I’m eager to learn which team I’ll be playing for and to connect with the fans in that market.”
“From a team roster perspective, we are being very thorough in the player scouting and draft process,” said Jeff Cooper, chairman of the St. Louis WPS franchise. “The end-goal is to create a cohesive team ripe with talent and personality, and poised to win, of course.”

On a local level, teams are already rallying community support around their soon-to-be players, thanks to a Marketing Services Agreement (MSA) with the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA). The MSA allows members of the U.S. WNT / U.S. WNT Player Pool to appear at community events and media functions, as well as participate in photo and video shoots on behalf of the League and teams now through next February. The power of this agreement was on display last month in Portland, Maine, when U.S. WNT forward Abby Wambach was the guest of WPS at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships Opening Ceremony. There she reminded the tournament’s more than 5,000 participants that anything – including playing professional soccer – is possible with determination and hard work. Multiple WPS-related appearances – including charity/community events, media functions, and promotional clinics – by members of the U.S. WNT are slated for later this year and early next and will be announced by the League and individual teams as details are confirmed.

“All of the WPS markets have a rich soccer tradition, and WPS will be unique because our players will be some of the most fan-accessible professional athletes in the country,” said Thomas Hofstetter, CEO of Sky Blue Soccer (New Jersey/New York WPS). “That’s important to our fans, who will be cheering the players from the stands and avidly following them off the field, as well.”

U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team

2008-06-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

Looks like US Soccer has named its Olympic squad for the upcoming tournament in Beijing. To check out the full release, go here.

GOALKEEPERS: Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.).

DEFENDERS: Rachel Buehler (Del Mar, Calif.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), Stephanie Cox (Elk Grove, Calif.), Kate Markgraf (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.).

MIDFIELDERS: Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Heather O'Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Aly Wagner (San Jose, Calif.).

FORWARDS: Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Amy Rodriguez (Lake Forest, Calif.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.).

Alternates: Scurry, defender Ali Krieger, midfielder Kacey White and forward Lauren Cheney.

UK Soccer: Two TV Games Announced

2008-06-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- For the first time in school-history, the Kentucky men’s soccer team will have two of its 2008 games televised, including road contests at SMU and at the University of California at Santa Barbara, UK Head Coach Ian Collins announced Tuesday.
As part of a two-game California road trip, Kentucky will face UC-Santa Barbara on the Fox Soccer Channel, marking its first ever appearance on FSC. The game with UCSB will be on Friday September 5 in Santa Barbara, Calif., with a 11 p.m. ET start time.

Kentucky will then face SMU in its final road game of the season, on Sunday, November 2 in Dallas. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports - formerly known as CSTV - the third consecutive year the Wildcats and the Mustangs have tangled on CSTV. Two years ago SMU defeated UK 2-0 in the C-USA Tournament final and last year, SMU entered the UK game ranked No. 1, before Kentucky posted a 2-1 come-from-behind win at the UK Soccer Complex.

“We are very excited to have two games on television in 2008,” Collins said. “This will mark our first ever appearance on the Fox Soccer Channel. We are looking forward to competing with UC-Santa Barbara and SMU in two great College Soccer environments.”

Adrian Talks Tryouts

2008-05-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

No matter how you conduct your soccer try-outs somebody will find a flaw, somebody will be unhappy, even if you opt to keep every player that attends the try-outs. The reason being is that it comes down to opinions and the inability to please everyone.

You can ask the parents or the players what their definition is of a good effective coach and again you will get many different opinions. So trying to educate people to understand the different shades or gray can sometimes be a difficult task. Are you all about winning or does player development play a huge role in your way of thinking?

Clubs and organizations can make their lives easier by portraying their expectations from day one and sticking to it. Gagging fine balance of developing players and swinging the axe to cut players from teams is something that needs to be measured depending on what the club wants to achieve. However if they are to be successful both need to take place.

The approach of keeping as many players at the youngest age group in an academy format seems to be a good avenue to take. However it is probably important to learn from the mistakes which in my opinion are being made be the European clubs. Instead of naming the few elite, you should try to keep all the players involved with the program. We may not be able to find a perfect answer for the definition of a coach but one of the roles and responsibilities is to develop and educate the players.

The mistake that is being made by many of the professional clubs in Europe is that they take the elite few for the younger age groups, but many of them fail to go on and make the grade at the top level. So the process of keeping a bigger pool so that you can develop and mold more players in to the clubs style can take place. This would not mean naming players in to first, second and third teams but to keep players training and playing together so that the club can develop more savvy soccer players.

Eventually the process of cutting and naming of A and B teams has to occur, because clubs have to start separating the elite, not for purposing of winning games but simply because the same caliber of players have to train and play against each other. However there should always be the opportunity for movement to take place between the two levels.

Of course this can cause problems if the process is not clear from the begging to those who are being selected. To keep yourself from the emotional turmoil that parents and players can drag you through during this process, you can keep it clean and simple if you follow some the guidelines below.

1. Put your philosophy across early and stick to it, therefore if you cut players say you are going to and why.
2. Collect as much data on the players during the try-outs and keep the players continuously involved.
3. Have neutral coaches come in and assist you.
4. If the club is going to form a second team, explain that movement can take place in between the teams from season to season. Club directors of coaching should encourage as much communication between the coaches of the two teams.
5. When posting or naming the teams inform the players and parents that if they have not been selected and would like some feedback, that it is the players responsibility to contact you. We recently did this with the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program and received zero phone calls from parents but several from players showing their true maturity request information on how they can improve.
6. Stick to your decisions but be fair.

There is no perfect answer to what can be volatile situation but if you remain strong to your ideas and keep avenues and lines of communication open you will gain respect from the people that really matter, the players.

2008-05-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Women’s Soccer Releases 2008 Schedule

The Kentucky women’s soccer team has announced its 2008 schedule which includes matches against perennial powers Duke, North Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

The Wildcats open the season on Thursday, August 28 when they host the Texas Longhorns. Texas finished the 2007 season ranked 11th (Soccerbuzz) in the country and is an annual contender for the NCAA Championship.

Additionally, UK will participate in the Nike/Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill where they will battle 25th ranked Duke and sixth ranked North Carolina.

Following the trip to Chapel Hill, Kentucky then travels to Morgantown, W.Va. to take on seventh ranked West Virginia.

In addition to the season opening match against Texas, the Wildcats will host eight home contests including six conference schools, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

UK will also host non-conference matches against Oakland and Cleveland State.

For the sixth straight season, the SEC will hold its postseason tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama. The Wildcats will look to become the only school in conference history to make an appearance in all 15 conference tournaments.

Teen hopes to play soccer in Paralympics

2008-05-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you in Lexington, you may have heard the story of Alex Dornbusch, who in 2004 was injured riding his bike. Well, he's recovering nicely and still has dreams of competiting on the soccer field at the highest level.

Check out this story as he tries to fulfill his dreams.

UK MEN'S SOCCER LEADS C-USA IN ATTENDANCE

2008-05-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

For all you Wildcats fans, the information below just rolled across my desk.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -For the second time in its three years as a member, the Kentucky men’s soccer team has paced Conference USA in attendance, averaging 888 fans per game in 2007.

The UK men’s soccer team, a member of C-USA for just three years, has led the league in attendance for two of its three years. In 2005, its first year as a member, the Wildcats totaled 969 fans per game with nine home games. In 2006, UK ranked third to South Carolina (1,156) and UAB (954), with an average of 742. UK’s 888 average in 2007, leads the league, with UAB ranking second with an average of 747 fans per game.

“We have great fans,” Kentucky head coach Ian Collins said. “Our students always turn out in force and throughout the State people have always been behind us. In one of the top conferences in college soccer it is imperative that we have excellent fan support, and the attendance numbers over the past three years backs that up. For us to lead the league for the second time in just our third year in C-USA, speaks volumes about the program and the type of fans we have throughout Big Blue Nation. We have a great home schedule in 2008 including South Carolina, Michigan, Memphis and FIU and the players and coaches are looking forward to giving all of the fans something to be excited about in 2008.”

Kentucky capped of its 2007 season with a 5-3 conference record, including the first win over a No. 1-ranked team in program history, a thrilling come-from-behind 2-1 win over SMU. UK returns several key cogs of that team in 2008, including C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Barry Rice, goalkeeper Dan Williams, as well as midfielders Masumi Turnbull, Jason Griffiths and strikers Tim Crone and C.J. Tappel. This along with some outstanding newcomers should give UK a platform for success in 2008.

EKU Women's Soccer Schedule

2008-05-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s soccer schedule for 2008 is highlighted by non-conference dates at Fresno State and San Francisco, along with in-state rival Western Kentucky visiting EKU Soccer Field for the first time in the series’ history.

“By diversifying our schedule, we’re going to see a lot of different teams and a lot of different styles,” head coach Lindsay Basalyga said. “And I think that will prepare us well for a very competitive conference slate this season.”

The soccer Colonels will host Western Kentucky on August 24, their first regular season match of the year. A week later, they will travel to play Tennessee-Chattanooga before flying to California for early-September matchups with the Fresno State Bulldogs and the San Francisco Dons.

Click here to check out the rest.

Derby Cup

2008-04-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Thoroughbreds Soccer Club got some great press in the Louisville Courier Journal this morning. Check out what they had to say.

Free Kicks

2008-04-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

As part of Adrian's coaches newsletter, the video above will take you through some of the best free kicks around. All we can say is WOW. Enjoy.

Field of Dreams

2008-03-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

We've talked before about what the city of Elizabethtown is planning. It would be great for the players of Kentucky to get another great place to play and train. Looks like there might be some adjustments to the orginial plan. Check out what is being said.

5 Cuban Players Missing

2008-03-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Five members of the Cuban Under-23 national soccer team left their hotel Tuesday night and and then Wednesday night two more players left the team, raising the possibility they all may be trying to defect.

The initial players were discovered to have left the team hotel hours after earning a 1-1 draw with the United States in the Pre-Olympic tournament.

I guess this is not a suprising story knowing the political background in Cuba.

To check out ESPN story, jump here.

US Youth Soccer ODP

2008-03-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, US Youth Soccer hosted the ODP National Championship in Frisco, Texas. Other than a small delay due to Snow in Texas, everything went really well. Unfortunately, Kentucky did not send a team this year, but there is always hope in 2009. To check out the stories, pictures, and more, please click here.

US Soccer Blog's

2008-03-12T04:38:00.001-07:00

Wanted to share a few links this morning to a few blogs out there you might be interested in checking out if you have time. All of theses are postings from ussoccer.com and have great inside information on the three national teams (Men's, Women's, and Youth). Check them out.

Men's National Team
Women's National Team
Youth National Team

U-23 National Team

2008-03-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

U.S. U-23 men's national team coach Peter Nowak named the 20-player roster for 2008 CONCACAF Olympic qualifying. The U.S. faces Cuba first on March 11 at 8 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

"We have seen many strong players over the past few months, and had some difficult decisions to make," said Nowak. "We feel that the group of players that will compete in the qualifying tournament represent the team that gives us the best chance of going through a difficult stretch of games to advance to the Olympic Games in Beijing."

After playing Cuba, the U.S. will face Panama on March 13 at 8 p.m. ET and then finish Group A play against Honduras on March 15 at 7 p.m. ET. All three U.S. matches will be the second match of three doubleheaders played at Raymond James Stadium and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN Deportes.

Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The top two teams from Group A and B will move on to the semifinals on March 20 in Nashville, Tenn., where the winners will earn berths to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Georgetown College Hires Coach

2008-02-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

Derek Willis accepted the Men's Soccer Coach at Georgetown College. Derek has been working as the Central Hardin High School boys head coach for the last five years. In addition to working at Central Hardin, Derek also worked with Javanon and is the assistant coach for the 1993 Boys ODP team.

To read more about this, check out the Elizabethtown News-Enterprise story.

Player of the Year Signs with Western Kentucky

2008-02-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

2007 Eurosport Player of the Year, Kaylyn Pratt signed a letter of intent with Western Kentucky last week. You can read the rest of the article from the Richmond Register.

Congratulations Kaylyn.

WKU Discontinues Soccer

2008-02-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

Some bad news came down the pipe on Friday when Western Kentucky decided to discontinue its mens soccer program, effective immeditately. Check on the official release here. 15 returning players, and 6 recruits will now have to decide whether to transfer or give up the game they came to love. Good luck to those players and we all wish that decisions like this could be avoided.

New Mens National Team Jersey's

2008-02-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well, looks like Nike and Federation have come out with the newest national team kit. My first thought have it looking like a t-shirt or polo that I would buy at Old Navy. BUT...its a clean and cool look. I'll be interested to see what the away uniform looks like.

If your interested in buying, go here.

Javanon finally gets a home

2008-01-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

Derek Poore of the Lousiville Courier Journal talks about Javanon's new home. Congrats to Javanon.

U.S. Soccer's 2007 Best Of Awards

2007-12-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO (December 19, 2007) – The final four winners of the 2007 “Best of U.S. Soccer” awards were announced on Wednesday on ussoccer.com, with Studio 90 presenting the fan’s choices for Best Soccer Bar, Best Blog, Best Goal (Men) and Best Performance (Player).

Fans can watch a special presentation of all 11 winners on ussoccer.com’s Studio 90, which has already showcased the first seven award winners, including Best Assist, Best all_access Video, Best Fan Atmosphere, Best Goal (Women), Best Performance (Team), Best Photo and Best Store.

To check out the rest, buzz here.

King Kaka and Marta crowned

2007-12-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

2007's top players almost predictably both hail from the beautiful game's spiritual home of Brazil. Kaka topped the men's side while Marta scooped the award for the women.

Ac Milan's Kaka, who just days ago snapped up the Ballon d'Or as Europe's top player for 2007, was again the centre of attention on 17 December at the Zurich Opera House. The wide-smiling, elegant midfielder from Brasilia became the fifth Brazilian to be named FIFA World Player of the Year amid boisterous applause and all-around appreciation.

His exploits in helping Milan win both European and world titles played a big role in seeing the thoroughbred midfielder achieve the ultimate success on a night in which he beat out Lionel Messi of Argentina and Barcelona and fleet-footed Manchester United and Portugal trickster Cristiano Ronaldo.

On the women's side of things, sumptuous Umea striker Marta picked up her second player of the year title in succession. She helped drag an amazing Brazilian side to the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup in China in September and is fast emerging as the shining light of the female game.

Rampaging Marta, predictably overwhelmed by the honour, beat out Birgit Prinz of two-time world champions Germany and her own Brazilian team-mate Cristiane.

In the night's other commendations, Barcelona received the FIFA Fair Play award and 'O Rei' Pele picked up the FIFA Presidential Award.

Louisville pro soccer team getting closer

2007-12-10T10:07:00.000-08:00

A professional indoor soccer team based in Louisville could begin playing as soon as next fall, an investor behind the planned team said this morning.

Wayne Estopinal, the owner of an architecture firm in Jeffersonville, Ind., said he would be the majority investor in the new team. It would be the 10th squad in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Estopinal said he's still in talks with other investors and with corporate sponsors who would help raise about $3.7 million for the first three years of salaries, marketing, rent and other costs. The team is looking to play its first couple of seasons at Freedom Hall, then possibly move to the planned downtown arena.

To check out the rest of the story, jump here.

Brycen Howard named to 1992 All American Team

2007-12-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

adidas All Stars Named from US Youth Soccer ODP Boys Interregional

FRISCO, TEXAS (December 3, 2007) - US Youth Soccer today announced the adidas All-Star Teams from the recently completed US Youth Soccer ODP Boys Interregional at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex from November 25-27, 2007. The 18-man rosters for the '92, '93 and '94 adidas All Star teams were selected for their outstanding performance during the annual interregional event.

The annual event brings together the four US Youth Soccer ODP Boys Regional Teams and two of U.S. Soccer National Teams for competition and player development. The event also creates an excellent opportunity for the nation's top colleges to preview the future of their respective programs.

The teams practiced on Friday, November 23, with competition play beginning on the 24th and running through Monday, November 26. The Under-14 age group gained experience by competing against two of the U.S. Soccer National Teams.

US Youth Soccer ODP, designed to identify and develop a pool of players from which U.S. National Teams may be selected, is the original Olympic Development Program in the United States. US Youth Soccer ODP is the only elite player development program that can claim members of Major League Soccer and Women's United Soccer Association, as well as a majority of current and past national and youth team members, as alumni. With programs in all 55 State Associations as well as regional and national championships and participation in international tournaments, US Youth Soccer ODP continues to lead the way in elite player identification and development.

For more information on US Youth Soccer and US Youth Soccer ODP please visit USYouthSoccer.org.

Youth indoor soccer league to start in January

2007-11-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

Barren River Soccer Club and the local YMCA have joined to bring the first year of indoor soccer to Glasgow for kids ages 6-18. Children will receive coaching instruction from high school and certified soccer coaches to help players further their ball control in tight spaces. There will be two sessions a week, Monday and Thursday at 5 p.m., for each age group and the season will run Jan. 7 through Feb. 15 at the Barren County YMCA.

The first session for each age group will be a training session with the second a game session where the fast-paced indoor game becomes the teacher.

For those under 10, both weekly sessions will involve games as the game is the best teacher.

Cost to participate is $30. There will be no uniforms or assigned teams and children can play “pick-up” style games under the direction of a club coach. Every child will play an equal amount of time.

Registration deadline is Dec. 22. Forms and a $30 check, made to BRSC, can be mailed by Dec. 22 to: BRSC, P.O. Box 73, Glasgow, KY 42142.

For more information, direct questions to Ryan Simpson at gregory.simpson@wku.edu.

Soccer Tournaments: My True Beliefs

2007-11-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

I gave Dave McIver the opportunity to write the Kentucky Youth Soccer Coaches Corner Newsletter this month because the subject is an issue which I feel is not helping in the overall development of youth soccer throughout the United States. Not that I have ever had a fear of ever expressing my opinions but I thought expressing them through our blog is better, so that they can be viewed, shared and commented on by other soccer coaches.

There have been lots of articles about the nation become crazed on soccer tournaments yet through the whole US Soccer hierarchy we keep promoting and creating more while as encouraging teams to participate in them. Why? So money can be made? Tournaments are a quick way for clubs or organizations to make a quick buck and the higher the caliber of teams participating the more expensive the entry fee.

My loathe of tournaments does not come from one time I refused to take a depleted team to a weekend packed with four games to an event one week before the league started, which probably lead to me finally being fired from coaching the team. Nor does it come from battling to change the mentality of 30 coaches at a club I was the Director of Coaching. It simply comes from I have never been to or seen a tournament that understand that the development of players should come first. Perhaps US Youth Soccer State and Regional Events Tournaments have a better understanding but even I have some concerns about they way this are ran.

Physically I feel I still have a decent level of fitness but I could not ever really imagine myself participating in four, sixty minute games that realistically take place over less than 48 hours. Yet we ask youth soccer players, who are still developing physically to do this. When I discuss tournaments with youth soccer coaches I will ask them if they would play in this amount of games during this short period of time and I always receive the same response, “No”.

The pressure of winning or better yet performing at the highest level tournaments so players can achieve the magnificent full ride scholarship to a division one college has resulted in teams traveling around the country and spending less time on the training ground where the true development should be taking place. Of course you need to compete and play games otherwise that would be like asking professional actors on Broadway to rehearse their entire careers and never perform in front of a sold out crowd. But I am aware of teams with 11 year old girls traveling to twelve tournaments a season, so in less then 4 months that probably participated in almost 50 games. When did the practicing and development take place? I know when the burning out of youth soccer players and families came about.

During coach and parent education clinics I will often show the A&E documentary “Playing to Extremes”. This program covers several children and adolescents who are involved with youth sports such as hockey, ice skating and soccer. The soccer clip follows a family who spend almost ever weekend of their lives traveling up and down the east coast to tournaments. Winning these events has become part of their expectations yet when they film the young soccer player displaying his trophies won at tournaments; he pulls out a cardboard box from his closet. My conclusion of this footage would be that the child does not care about the winning and would probably enjoy having some weekends of being a child. Further in the filming the father shows his disappointment in way that has become costumed of soccer parents.

Tournaments do offer the opportunity for coaches to put teams in to a team building environment, as well as providing the players the chance to play against some different competition. I don’t have too many problems with entering tournaments for this reason but realistically this should probably be limited to three or four tournaments a year and that would not include entering into State Cup, which should not be included as an extra event.

For at lot of teams seasons are made or broken by how successful they are in State Cups and I could question if it is because of this event that the nation has become tournament crazed. At the 2007 Kentucky Youth Soccer Association I was shocked with the lack of teams who tried to play “attractive soccer” at a fear of losing. Coaches and parents struggling to find other ways of measuring success other than by results, perhaps if a child continues to stay playing then the coach has been successful.

Websites have been created on where youth teams are ranked nationally, and soccer magazines who usually promote the development of the game also create issues that focus on tournaments and which teams are the most successful at these events. During his time as the national team coach, Bruce Arena said “There are only two teams in this nation that need to be concerned about results, the Men’s & Women’s National Teams”. Therefore the only rankings we should care about are those created by FIFA.

Of course we see the top teams at club and the national level participating in tournaments but the players participating experience a lot of rest in between games, and even there are some concerns about these players over playing. Realistically it would be impossible for a hosting organization to set up their tournament in this kind of format, so the best option is to limit teams to playing one game a day.

I may just be one voice with one opinion that will never change a nation, just like we will never bring back the generation of the Sandlot Kids (perhaps that should be my discussion for another time). But unlike some I am pleased that the United States Soccer Federation has created the academy program, it will fit in better with the practice to game ratio which is encompassed by European, African and South American nations. By no means does this mean that the US will now produce a Men’s World Cup winning team but it may make some over enthusiastic coaches, parents and clubs realize that the true development takes place on the training fields.

Adrian Parrish, Director of Coach and Player Development

Elizabethtown's Goblirsch named Miss Soccer

2007-11-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

LEXINGTON — Even if she came down with amnesia, it would be extremely difficult for Jenna Goblirsch to forget about what happened this weekend.

On Saturday morning, the Elizabethtown High School senior was in Evansville, Ind., with her Javanon club team to play in one of the Midwest’s top tournaments.
On Saturday afternoon, she had to drive east to Lexington to play in the annual Coaches’ All-State Soccer Games at Lexington Catholic High School.

On Sunday, she was back in Evansville again to play three games and help lead Javanon to the championship.

“I’m extremely worn out,” Goblirsch said Sunday night.

Fortunately for her, she’s got something better than medicine, an ice pack or a heating pad to soothe her sore muscles: the area’s first-ever Miss Soccer plaque.

As the recipient of the West State Player of the Year earlier this month, Goblirsch or Fort Thomas Highlands defender Caitlin Beck, the East State Player of the Year, was guaranteed to be the winner of this year’s Miss Soccer award.

Beck, who has verbally committed to play soccer collegiately next season for the University of Louisville, led the Lady Bluebirds to last year’s state tournament title.

To read the rest of the story, jump here.

UK Player Named of the Week

2007-11-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Already honored on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week, sophomore forward Tim Crone has received his second accolade of the day, earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors, after netting both goals in leading the Kentucky men’s soccer team to an improbable 2-1 upset of No. 1 SMU on Saturday.

Crone, a sophomore forward, had missed the previous four games after suffering an injury that will require surgery at the end of the season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native, came off the bench in the 60th minute and needed just 23 seconds to tie up the game with the high-powered Mustangs. Crone headed the ball home after taking a brilliant lob cross from freshman C.J. Tappel and sending it into the back of the net from inside the penalty box. Just a few ticks later in the 65th, Crone netted the game winner for the Wildcats, taking a lob from UK assist man Masumi Turnbull, and heading the ball off the crossbar into the net. Crone ranks second on the team in points (11), tallying five goals and one assist on the year.

Crone was earlier honored by CSN [collegesoccernews.com] as one of 12 players named to its weekly National Team of the week.

Soccer Teams Fight Breast Cancer

2007-10-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Teams donate $5,300 for breast cancer research

On an emotional Senior Night on Saturday in Danville, Ky., the men's soccer teams at Centre College and Austin College donated $5,300 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, in part to honor Sue Hauck, the mother of senior midfielder Robbie Crump (St. Xavier).

Hauck died of breast cancer this fall.

Crump, who hadn't scored all season, booted the game-winning goal in overtime as Centre won 3-2.

"I have to believe that his mother was looking down with a smile," Centre coach Jeb Burch said in a release. "This is a truly amazing story, one I will never forget in my lifetime."

MLS Playoffs

2007-10-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

So, who is going to step up? Will DC get a home game in the MLS Cup? So many story lines, so much great soccer. You gotta check it out. Get all the details at MLS website.

Greg Ryan Era Ends

2007-10-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (October 22, 2007) — U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced today that the contract of U.S. Women's National Team head coach Greg Ryan will not be renewed when it expires at the end of 2007, ending his nearly three-year tenure as the team’s head coach.

“At the conclusion of each world championship cycle, every national team's performance is closely analyzed,” said Gulati in making the announcement. “There are many factors considered in this analysis, and it certainly isn't just about one loss or one particular coaching decision. In this case, after looking closely at the last six weeks and the team's performance at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, we have made a decision to change leadership of the U.S. Women’s National Team. I want to thank Greg Ryan and his staff for their work over the last two-plus years. We look forward to the continued development of our National Team as one of the best in the world.”

To check out the rest of the story, vist US Soccer's website.

Sierra Mist Goal of the Week

2007-10-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Have you voted? Come on, check out this weekly contest sponsored by Sierra Mist.

US Youth Soccer Registration Numbers Up

2007-10-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

See message below from the President of US Youth Soccer:
As of today, our total player registration figure for 2006-2007 is at 3,123,698. That is a net increase, so far, over last year of 59,329 player registrations, or 102 percent of the 2005-2006 figure. Once we get the final player registrations, the increase will be even greater.

Congratulations to each and everyone of you for your super efforts. Thank you for all you have done and are doing. This is further proof that all of your time, energy, and efforts are paying off. We continue to offer and improve the best youth soccer programs and activities for all our youth players, at all levels and abilities—without a doubt.

Take care—and thanks again. Keep on playing the great game!!!!!!!!!!
Larry Monaco

TOPSoccer Fun Bowling Green

2007-10-01T09:59:00.001-07:00

Elizabethtown Youth Soccer and SKY had 12 TOPSoccer players attend the Western Kentucky and Kentucky game on Friday night. The athletes had a blast watching the game and even scoring a few goals on Big Red. Big props to the Bowling Green High School JV soccer team for their hospitality.

US Women Take Third Place

2007-10-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

For those that got up early on Sunday and watched the US Women take apart Norway in the third place game, what a game. The women played with the passion and desire that was missing for much of the tournament.

To see the official recap, check out US Soccer main page.

Hiance Named SEC Freshman of the Week

2007-09-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Freshman goalie has recorded two straight shutouts

LEXINGTON, KY – Freshman goalie Sydney Hiance has been named this week’s Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week as announced by the league office this afternoon.

Hiance, a native of Ft. Thomas, Ky., posted back-to-back shutouts for the Wildcats last week, helping UK to a 1-0 victory over Morehead State on Thursday and a 0-0 tie with No. 22 ranked Louisville on Sunday.

To check out the full story, go here.

US Women Advance to Play Brazil

2007-09-24T11:58:00.001-07:00

TIANJIN, China – The U.S. Women’s National Team scored three goals in a 13-minute span early in the second half to defeat England, 3-0, putting on a commanding quarterfinal performance to qualify for the semifinals of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The USA got goals from Abby Wambach in the 48th minute, Shannon Boxx in the 57th and a capper from team captain Kristine Lilly in the 60th minute to effectively put the match out of reach with a half hour remaining.

The USA, which has advanced to the semifinals in all five Women’s World Cups that have been contested, will now play the winner of Sunday’s Brazil-Australia quarterfinal. The USA’s semifinal will be played at Dragon Stadium in Hangzhou on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m. local. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 starting at 7:55 a.m.

US Women to Play England Tommorrow

2007-09-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Dave McIver, Assistant DOC for Kentucky Youth Soccer, breaks down the England/United States match slated for tommorrow morning (8AM on EPSN2)

This game will be in interesting matchup for the US Women. England is a team that is very committed to being organized and getting numbers in behind the ball defensively. They are very dangerous on the counter attack with star Kelly Smith going forward. The US has to be patient and keep possession of the ball rather than looking to play forward every time to Wambach. If the US doesn't play better then they did in their first three group matches they will have an early exit from the WWC at the hands of England.

Beckham vs Bush

2007-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this video, it's a must watch. Both are sponsored by adidas, so I guess that's why they got together.

Football vs. Futbol

US Women Advance to Play England

2007-09-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

A first minute goal by Lori Chalupny was all the United States needed to secure a 1-0 victory over Nigeria. With Sweden's 2-1 victory over North Korea, the U.S. wins Group B and advances to the Quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup to play England on Saturday, September 22 at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

Wall Street Journal Article

2007-09-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

Pretty Good article from the WSJ.

All soccer, all the time? How not to kill kids’ love of sports

As millions of kids take to fields, courts and rinks this fall, as many as half to two-thirds are destined to quit sports by their teens, largely because they’re not having fun, studies show. A trend toward specialization - pressure for kids to play just one competitive sport year-round - is one reason, researchers say. Many kids thrive in competitive year-round programs, learning advanced skills and enjoying expanded opportunities. But the programs can be a bad fit for others, fostering stress and an overemphasis on winning, says a recent focus-group study of 67 school officials, coaches, parents and teens led by Daniel Gould, director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University. Such strains are linked to higher injury risk, reduced motivation and burnout. For parents who want their kids to embrace sports as a path to lifelong fitness and fun, the trend calls for new vigilance. Here are some early-warning signs that your child may be burning-out:

1. It’s no fun

A child who grows bored, resists practices and games, feigns illness or injury, or retreats to the back of the line in drills, is at a high risk of dropping out.

2. Teammates aren’t compatible

Camaraderie is a big source of the fun in sports and its absence can signal trouble.

3. Cheating rears its head

If your child complains about cheating or starts cheating him/herself, burnout may loom.

4. Your involvement eclipses your child’s

A 2006 Norwegian study of 677 soccer players ages 10 to 14 found children who felt heavy performance pressure from parents and coaches were overconcerned about making mistakes and harsher in their self-criticism.

US Women Play Tomorrow

2007-09-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

U.S. Women’s Team heads into its final match in Group B at the Women’s World Cup against Nigeria on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. local (7:55 a.m. ET on ESPN) needing a win or a tie to advance to the quarterfinals.

Check it out.