ENOUGH SCORING ALREADY!!!!
COVER STORY
Soccer Blow Outs.
We've all came across it at one time or another in our kids games and maybe even our own. They aren't fun no matter which side of the ball you are on as a player or coach. 
Leave One on the LineA Finnish team's gesture in 1968 may give direction in 21st Century blowouts
By Keith Conners, Victoria Brooks and Amanda Brooks
Flashback: It is August of 1968. Middlebury College’s soccer team, one of the first American teams to play in Europe — and the first ever to play behind the Iron Curtain — has a match in Helsinki, Finland, against a first or second division (semi-pro) club team. On the first play of the game, Middlebury’s keeper dives for a save and breaks his collarbone. Since the reserve keeper is playing in another match on the other side of Helsinki, a field player is drafted to play in the goal.
Despite heroic efforts by this converted forward, the score is 10-0 early in the second half. Coach Joe Morrone, who would go on to become one of college soccer’s winningest coaches at the University of Connecticut, abandons the idea of breaking his clipboard and turns his attention to supporting the battered psyches of his players. The Middlebury team rallies, thanks to a Finnish mistake, and scores a late goal, but winds up losing 12-1.
What a young fullback on the overmatched Middlebury team remembers most about the match is a sequence of short passes late in the game in which the Finns worked the ball right into the American team’s goal mouth. Instead of tapping in a 12-inch shot, the Finnish striker simply left the ball on the goal line. He trapped the ball with the sole of his shoe and then nonchalantly jogged back toward midfield.
There was no taunting, no appeal to the spectators for special recognition. He just left it there.
After the match, the Middlebury squad joined the Finnish team at its training facility for a genuine sauna, a sumptuous meal and some international socializing. For the American players, Helsinki was one of the highlights of the trip, despite losing by a very lopsided score. The act of leaving the ball on the line seems, in retrospect, an extraordinarily powerful yet subtle statement about the team’s mastery of the sport and about the players’ humanity.
The match described above was, by any definition, a blowout. The magnitude of the score differential is ample evidence that one team demonstrated its superiority over the other. Similarly one-sided scorelines are found in the results of youth league, high school and college games every week. Unfortunately for many teams, the soccer runaway experience is frequently more stressful than it was for the Middlebury team 28 years ago.
Anyone who has played soccer for any length of time has undoubtedly been on both sides of this scoreline. It’s not much fun to lose under any circumstances, but it’s especially difficult when an opponent runs up the score. Players are brought face-to-face with their shortcomings, and their confidence erodes.
Even the winning team tends to suffer a bit in a lopsided game. Some players feel badly for friends on the losing team. Others may feel shortchanged because they received less playing time when the coach cleared the bench, or because they didn’t get a chance to play as competitively as they would have liked.
Attending to players’ bruised feelings and self-esteem is a difficult but important job for losing coaches in blowout games. They have to put aside their own feelings of frustration and find positive outcomes from an unpleasant experience. In soccer, as in any learning situation, success is a vital element in improvement. Yet it’s a real struggle to find ways to have players perceive anything about a one-sided loss in positive terms.
What can players, coaches and organizers do to avoid blowouts? And if one-sided contests can’t be completely eliminated, how can we minimize their negative effects? Our purpose in writing this piece is not to deliver the definitive answer for handling blowout situations, but to sample opinion, invite reflection, stimulate discussion and perhaps generate some constructive strategies for handling games involving mismatched teams.
To that end, some thoughts from a coach and two players:
• Most winning coaches dislike blowouts, too, although there are some who seem to revel in running up the score on an overmatched team. Many strong teams get into bad playing habits when they face an inferior opponent, and sometimes these patterns may come back to haunt the team when it faces a more evenly matched side. Coaches on the winning side have to confront attitudinal issues as well. Just as losing teams suffer from eroded confidence and low self esteem, a winning team may find arrogance, laziness or poor sportsmanship among its players.• Frequently coaches of stronger teams will impose restrictions on their own players in an effort to hold down the score. Although this strategy may succeed in restricting scoring, the psychological effect may be every bit as insulting to the weaker team if the coach and players flout their restrictions in a condescending way.
(For some creative approaches to player restrictions, see below in green.)
• League or tournament rules sometimes have the effect of compounding the blowout situation. If teams are rewarded with higher seedings or tie-breaker advantages for goals scored or goal differential, there is a disincentive to keep the score from becoming one-sided. As a result, some organizers have opted for “fewest goals allowed” as the primary criterion for seeding, rather than “most goals scored.”
• Ironically, many players and coaches who would describe themselves as “competitive” would really rather win than compete. Coaches need to remind themselves and their players that true competition necessarily involves evenly matched opponents in contests where real uncertainty exists about who will prevail. If we find ourselves enjoying the easy wins more than the hotly contested, hard-fought losses then we may be fairly typical, but we’re probably not
“competitive.” Too many blowout wins — especially if they are excessively glorified by coaches, parents and fans — may dilute an athlete’s taste for the legitimate struggle of real competition.
A junior soccer team in Bucharest, Romania, abandoned the field with two minutes remaining in a game because fans threatened to strip the players naked if they gave up two more goals. With the score already 16-0, the team apparently took the fans at their word and fled to the locker room.
More than a quarter century has elapsed between the Middlebury College loss in Helsinki and the recent incident in Bucharest. Blowouts continue to occur. We are not likely to eradicate them entirely from soccer
or any other sport. But there is at least one former player who finds considerably more dignity in the Finnish strategy of “leaving one on the line” than the Romanian “solution.”
“Shoot with the weaker foot” and other low-scoring ideas
What can the winning team do to keep the score down while still playing good soccer and benefiting from the experience?
Here’s a list of possible conditions and restrictions that coaches and players can accept to help balance the competitive situation on the field and still play hard.
The list is arranged in approximate
order of difficulty:
• Change positions, including keeper.
• Shoot only with weaker foot.
• Score only after successfully executing give-and-go in the offensive third of the field.
• Make 10 consecutive passes before attacking the goal.
• No one may score until a designated player scores.
• Enforce two-touch passing limitation.
• Allow two-touch passing in defensive end, one-touch in offensive end.
• Score by heading only.
• Following restarts (including throw-ins), all 11 players must touch the ball before attacking the goal.
• And leave one on the line! The Pulse! No. #61
Here and Now
Recap thread
http://washingtonpremiersoccer.com/forum/index.php?topic=10336.0
...and never forget; if there is not enough blah blah blah on the games, you only have "you know who" to blame 
Brat Jr's YouTube Videos!!
You wanna see me crying after my bee sting? Yeah, didn't think so.
So no vids of mine this week. Instead I bring you these fine folks from You Tube!WACKY soccer Goals!
Holy Smokes Spidey!
OOPS!
"Shout out to da newbies"
We see a few brand new posters since the last Pulse Lets give out a Shout and as always, lets give a warm welcome to all new posters!
This week we would like to applaude and give Karma Kisses 
to:
pavement pitch
FF97
trinityking
Anygivenday
c2j2m2 Welcome aboard! 
SUSPENDED! :'( :'( :'(
SHOUT OUT Allie #77 for Columbia Timbers GU14
Although Timbers didn't come away with the W.. she tried to create as many opportunities for her team as possible. She was quick to the ball, had a calm demeanor on the field and was a total team player. Don't think I noticed her as much the last time the two teams met because she is not a showboat player... but she really played well and did her job on the field."...Out on the Pitch"
At Eastside FC's first annual Kick-A-Thon an area was set up by Jacqueline Nauriyal, mother of Sajan (BU13W), for families to donate their old EFC uniforms. The uniforms were sent over to Kenya with a missionary team from Pine Lake Covenant Church who go to Kenya each summer. Reverend Hudson Nyando of Nakuru, Kenya, met up with the group to receive the donation, and then went to Uganda in September and distributed the uniforms to the b oys and men in the villages who came out to learn how to play soccer. Rev. Hudson takes the sport of soccer into suffering rural communities in the countries of Kenya, Uganda and Sudan to develop a relationship with them so that they can work together to bring other resources such as clean water, education and health care into their communities. These pictures were taken in the village of Masumbe in Uganda.
SCOOPED AGAIN!!! 
But here is the info for those that may have missed it in the forum
PSPL and US Club Soccer Offer Early-Bird Spring League, Feb. 21-March 22
The Puget Sound Premier League, US Club Soccer and Starfire Sports are pleased to announce the creation of an early-bird spring soccer league in 2009 for boys and girls to sharpen up after a warm-winter's rest.
The first of six matches commences on Sat., Feb. 21, and the final match concludes on Sun., March 22, 2009. Girls will play on Saturdays and boys will play on Sundays. The league will offer two divisions in each age group (A and B divisions) of up to nine teams per division.
The six-game PSPL Spring League '09 is open to competitive U-11 to U-15 boys' and girls' teams. The matches will be played at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila and at other clubs' home fields. Cost for the six games is $450, which includes all field and referee fees.
Teams can pay and register online at http://www.starfiresports.com beginning Nov. 1. **Please continue to send pix's to the Pulse newsroom! Anything soccer related is welcome!** 
"Help! Is there a Doctor in the house?"
Could you please supply us with the reports and facts that support your statement regarding MRSA lives in turf fields.
This is a great issue to discuss! The controversy that surrounds whether MRSA exists on turf fields have many people in a panic. I just saw this on ESPN.com today....
ESPN.com report: UNC Asheville senior Kenny George had part of his right foot amputated as the result of his battle with MRSA, a difficult-to-treat and sometimes life-threatening antibiotic-resistant staph infection. The Asheville Citizen Times first reported the story.
In August, George returned to his Chicago home from Pete Newell's Big Man Camp in Las Vegas with an infection in his foot. Doctors there suggested that George immediately see a specialist. He's been hospitalized in Iowa since then, the source said, enduring several surgeries and at one time battling for his life. He's expected to remain in the hospital for at least another month.
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact through openings in the skin. Last month UNC Asheville said that George would not play this semester because of a foot infection but did not release further details.
There are many such stories of the transference of MRSA between athletes when they have shared towels in the locker rooms or come in contact (skin to skin) with someone carrying the bacteria in an open "sore". MRSA is a community bacteria and exists in nature EVERYWHERE! Some feel that a "live host" is needed to transfer the bacteria from one person to another.Data supports that MRSA can and does live on "inanimate objects" like turf!! The fact that fewer MRSA infections are reported on grass is an interesting phenomenon and probably has more to do with other organisms in grass that tend to squelch the growth of MRSA (like duck and goose POOP!)
Footballers, soccer players and any other athletes playing on synthetic surfaces therefore DO face the risk of contacting MRSA. Why do you think there are warnings on HS and College fields telling us NOT to drink Gatorade, soda or the like on these surfaces? Sugars enhance bacterial growth and thus provide an increased chance of sustaining MRSA in these turf carpets!!!
Obviously there has been PR to try to quell those fears.Penn State University published a study authored by Andrew McNitt, an associate professor of soil science entitled “A Survey of Microbial Populations in Infilled Synthetic Turf Systems.” According to the press release, the “study debunks the staph scare in synthetic turf” and “infill systems are not a hospitable environment for microbial activity.” In reality, the study data only supports that bacteria are alive and well in synthetic turf systems. OUCH!!!!
Many reputable authorities agree that a real hazard exists.The New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Infectious Disease Center, and a long list of clinical hospital studies have long supported the fact that the MRSA bacteria can survive on and be transferred by inanimate objects in the environment from towels, to garments, athletic equipment and polyethylene (a plastic used in synthetic turf fibers). The Journal of Clinical Microbiology in 2000, studied MRSA’s ability to survive on a variety of substrates ranging from cotton to polyethylene plastic and found that in clinical study, “Staphylococcal viability was longest on… polyethylene plastic (22 to >90 days).”
Read the article below to get a good sense of the problem! The key issue is when someone gets a huge abrasion or cut on their skin on these surfaces, immediate washout with saline, peroxide, alcohol or other cleansing agent is needed. All "wounds" look red after a few days but should not show signs of increased swelling or "pus"! If this is seen, SEE YOUR DOCTOR ASAP!! When in doubt, check it out!!!!
http://sportsinjuries.suite101.com/article.cfm/artificial_field_turf_vs_natural_grass_safety *Send all medical questions for "the doctor" to the Pulse email address* WPS FAMILY CIRCLE FOUNDATION!!! 
Continued good thoughts and prayers to those that need them"COACHS CORNER!"What do you as a coach do when your team is ahead by a wide margin?
If you use bench players and you still score, what is the next thing you would do?
What do you tell the other Coach?
Players? The media?
Depends on the situation. Assuming we aren't in a tournament with out a cap (meaning I would have to run up the score) my first thing to do is switch around players in different positions. This includes using the subs also. If that doesn't work and the score keeps getting worse then I put restrictions on my teams depending on what we need to work on. If we don't utilize crosses well then I might make any further goals come off of crosses. Of course the hard part is doing this without disrespecting the other coach or team. I personally think its very disrespectful to pull players off throughout the game. There are plenty of chances to hold back without visably showing them a handicap. Here's an example of how I handled a game earlier this year in which my team was expected to win very big:
First half my team dominated and was up 6-0 at halftime. I pulled the girls over at halftime and first switched one of my best passers into goal (this was done so I could use her for a drop and maintain possession). Then I started instructing them on their new positions and what I wanted to see. I informed them at halftime not to just start messing around as that is disrespectful and I also let them know If we score two more goals and the game is 8-0 at that time the only way to score will be with headers. They were not to shout this on the field, it was just something they knew would happen at this time. The reason I addressed this at halftime was so we could change our style and what we were trying to do without the other team knowing we were playing with restrictions. Because of this the last 15 minutes my team only scored 1 goal with their head. So not only did my team work on something they needed to, but the other team didn't feel like we were handicaping them either. They felt they finally played better and ended the game on a high note. This in my opinion was best for all involved and taught my team theres no reason to rub it in or make what your doing vocal."VIEW FROM BEHIND THE WHISTLE""Questions for the Ref" Dear Reff,
I'm not sure if this has been asked before or not, butt how do you become a referree?
Contact your local soccer club for information on how to get started locally. Depending on your level of interest, you could participate as a "club" referee after as little as a 3 to 4 hour training session. Club referees work the younger small sided games, often up to rec U10. This is the most fun way for youngest referees to get their start.
Completing the Grade 9 clinic (8 hrs training) allows you to work as the center referee for up to U14 rec games and AR competitive games to U14. Completing theGrade 8 clinic (16 hrs training) allows you to work all levels of youth competitions.
Regardless of where you want to begin, your local soccer club will be the best place to explore options and get help getting started.OTHER NEWS AND GOSSIP AND TIDBITS:
Crush 95 and 96
took Silent Sunday to a whole new level by having a game with
No parents, No coaches, NO fans.... Just Refs and kids, a soccer ball and and field.
Coach Brandon had this to say:
Since we played our own 96 team, we decided to do an experiment to see
1.) How girls on both teams would perform without parents there, and
2.) How self sufficient our teams were.
So, we did not allow any parents to go at all.
It was only the kids, the refs, and the coaches.
However, the only thing the 96 coach and I did was set up a video camera
on a hillside and tape the game.
The girls were responsible for their own warm-up, setting their lineup, making their own substitutions, and making their own tactical adjustments during the game and at halftime.
The only involvement we coaches had was texting down the word "Go" to
our benches to tell them when to sub, but not for whom to sub, just so the girls didn't have to keep track of a watch.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience as a coach.
With no parents, we were able to hear all of the field chatter.
With no coaches, we were able to see which players really stepped up in to
leadership roles and how well the girls themselves knew the team, personnel, and how things were supposed to work in the flow of a game.
Did the leadership roles you thought of while you were ON the field still show when you were OFF?
Did new girls step up?
Will this be something you do again?
Who won?
The three or four players I expected to step up and lead definitely did
not disappoint. I did have one pleasant surprise, though, from a player
that is usually my most quiet on the field.
I had two things that really struck me out of this.
I always accuse my team of not talking enough, if at all.
Once the ambient noise was eliminated, I was very surprised to hear how much they actually DO talk. I guess I just don't hear it in the flow of the game. (However, they STILL don't talk enough. No such thing on a soccer field.)
The other surprise was how the girls subbed.
We both thought once we gave the team full control that we would see players playing where THEY wanted to (you know, the token defender who is always asking to play forward, etc.).
However, this didn't happen.
The girls resisted the urge to be selfish and put themselves in the correct usual positions to be competitive.
In the end, the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
We had a goal nullified by a ridiculous offside call and they scored one by kicking it out of our keeper's hands. Oh well.
Classic soccer sob story that has been the theme of the Crush 95 league season.
Dominate and tie.
We're going to hold off for a while doing that again.
So, in the end, nothing too exciting, but different. THANKS BRANDON for sharing that with us! "WPS Paparazzi"I may have to start using old pics of you guys unless I can catch you "RUMOR MILL"Dos got permission from the KYSA Board to start their own boys PDL teams next year at tryouts. PDL has told Dos that all PDL clubs have to be dual-gender by next year. The Dos president said at the meeting that the last six months spent talking to SCFC about a merger wasn't really a merger deal, it was only an offer for SCFC to join Dos, with no commitments on any of the boys' negotiation points. This gonna shake up some peeps!
Washington gonna be changing age groups(Jan to Jan) to be inline with other states-possibly 2009. That could shake up alot of teams rosters! 
"Dear Canuk"Wolfy is off this week.
Do you think his being 116 has anything to do with it? "SIDELINE SNIPPETS"Come on Ref! Thats 6-1 on fouls called. Lets make it more even shall we?
That was the worst call I have ever seen! How can he make that a dropped ball? We totally had advantage! "THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO MMMMMMMMMMMMMM"?Might want to rename this one this week to Brats' Bitch and Bites!
* How many of you see a DK working their tail off in a game?
* How many saw that DK take on 3 defenders, dribble around them, go one on one with the goalie and score in last weekends game?
* How many of you saw a DK that got hurt going to the ball only to come back onto the pitch 5 minutes later, still hurting, but play with Heart and Fire?
* How many of you saw the middie go in for the goalie and stop some awesome shots?
You have all seen these I bet!
Why didn't you nominate them for POTW?
As you can see from the above, POTW has been SUSPENDED. :'( :'(
HMMMM #2While I'm on a roll.....
this isn't MY Pulse, it's YOURS.
You contribute to it, you send stuff in and I put it all together. At least until Dragon comes back.
But without you, its nothing. Just wasted space on the 'net.
I can't be at all the games ( I wish tho), I can't think of all the questions to ask and I'm not privy to inside stuff like Dragon is.
If you would like to see this continue, and it can, We need your help!
You can look back over almost any Pulse ( conviently located in their own section) and see what is needed. Pictures, questions, rants and raves whatever!
As long as its soccer related, WE DON'T CARE!
Next weeks Pulse MIGHT be there, It might NOT. The choice is yours.
All I ask is if we forget a picture or something that you sent in DO NOT BITE OUR HEADS OFF! We are human after all "Dragon Coachs Interviews!" Dragon still looking for more interviews (always), send in your information or suggestions to the Pulse! :mrgreen:
If you are a coach, DOC, trainer, or have anything to do with soccer, contact the editor for your chance to do an interview and once again the end of another great effort by all on the Pulse staff! Thank you for all your help in getting the Pulse out! If you would like to donate to WPS click below to go to the front page and click on the Donate button:
http://washingtonpremiersoccer.com/Thats it for this weeks Issue of the Pulse, hope you enjoy it...and as always never forget to...Play with Heart & Fire, Heart & Fire Always!
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Topic: THE PULSE #61 (Read 752 times)