COVER
It may of not been as upsetting as the "war of the worlds" broadcast, but the YAP-Team scam did freak people out!The Pulse! No. #14
COVER STORY & LATEST HEADLINES:DRAGON'S FREAKS OUT MILLIONS WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE YAP-T "YOUTH ADVANCED PREMIER TEAMS"!!!ok..maybe not that many LOLDragon announced on the 4th of October in general posting that a new league would be forming next year, called the youth advanced premier teams (YAP-T). Little did he know the little hoax to celebrate his second anniversary on WPS would cause such a ruckus LOL. Several private messages and emails were sent to Dragon concerning the "new league"...
112 to be exact!!! Along with the new league being announced, he also said that scouts would be in the area the next couple of weeks looking for potienial super stars to fill the rosters of these newly formed teams...
26 parents sent in location/time/names of their possible YAP-Team members. The next morning on the 2nd anniversary of the coming of Dragon it was announced it was all a hoax (like the war of the worlds radio broadcast). Here are a few of the PMs/email Dragon received both
Before &
After it was announced as a hoax:
Nice! You know the funny thing is I should have gone with my instincts. I was calling BS on this last night. I'm pretty involved in soccer and have never heard of YAPT or Trevor Shaw. I Googled both last night before I sent you the PM. Even after not finding a darn thing about either one. See how much faith I have in the "Dragon knows all". Not no more buddy.....you suck!
I will also mention this on open forum. What you did to my little girls dreams was cruel and unforgivable! Damn you to HELL!
Is there a way that you could mention to the coachs (trevor and chris) that my daughter would very much like to be on their new teams, but ask they can be descrete about the people they pick? I know several other parents on our team that think their child is worthy, but as the coachs will see most are average when compared to xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please send the scouts to check out #xxxx, she plays for xxxxxxxxxxxxxx. She is a regional level player and will prove this next year once she makes ODP. She singlehandedly wins most of the games for her team. Please have them contact me directly if they would like to know more about her. My cell phone is (xxx) xxx-xxxx
You got me you SOB. I have never laughed so hard in my entire life when I read the news that it was all made up! Good one, keep up the good work. I love WPS.
As a coach of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I was a little shocked that I was not made aware of this new league. I have a call going out to xxxxxxxxxx and I am sure this will be cleared up in a timely manner. If they think they can start up this new YAPT program without my clubs involvement, they have another think coming!
I must admit this was too funny. I knew it was a joke from the beginning. I feel sorry for the saps who fell for it.
**just as a side note, the person who was quoted last sent in a "nomination" as another persona** :lol: :lol: :lol: Well, never thought a joke would cause so much traffic on the internet. Dragon is gonna have to think of something even better for next year :twisted:
Truthfully though, I am very sorry if this caused anyone any undo stress or hardship. You all know that Dragon thinks ALL of your players are YAP-T qualified :mrgreen:
HEADLINES!"WHAT IS LOVE?? A 17 YEAR OLD SUPERSTAR'S DEFINITION OF LOVE AND SOCCERDragon is very very pleased to bring you this article from a home grown super star. This young star has done things and been places that most U11-U14 players only dream about! A fantasitc article, by a fantastic National Level Player!!!People always say they love playing a certain sport, playing videogames, hanging with friends, watching movies, etc. What exactly is this passion? I always say I "love" playing soccer. What exactly does that mean?
What is love?
My soccer career has been like a rollercoaster… I have had my highs and I have had serious lows. A few years ago I experienced something no player should have to go through and it was probably one of the hardest times I have ever gone through in my life. I was struggling in soccer and having issues on my club team. With all the issues, stress, pressure, being mistreated, etc… the "fun" in soccer slowly began to drain. Before I knew it, going to practice was a chore and no longer fun for me. It felt like work. It got so bad that my confidence in myself as a player was extremely low and I was about ready to quite playing soccer because I hated it so much.
After months of struggle, I had to step back and ask myself why I was still playing. Deep down in my soul I knew I still loved the game and wanted to play until I died. I had to make an unbearably tough decision that most don’t understand and never will. I switched teams and took myself out of a serious situation. At last, the "fun" that I once had every time I laced my cleats up slowly began to come back and I was smiling. Soccer finally began to feel alive to me again!
Today I’m playing the best soccer I’ve ever played in my life! Each game I look forward to a new experience and more competition. I’m playing the best soccer of my life and I know there is only better play to come. My teammates and coaches, we are strong and supportive of each other. But the most important thing was that I realized who my real family was. Not just my team but the people who surround, love, inspire, cheer, and support me in everything I do…. they were my sounding board and they never judged me for whatever I did.
So, define love? What exactly does it mean?
Since my experience, I have traveled an unbelievable amount. The flight attendants almost know my name…. just kidding! My summers are packed with tournaments and camps to attend. This year I was home a total of a week and a half during the month of July. However, I’ve never had so much fun in the years I’ve played. As I look back on the past four years I am just amazed by the opportunities and experiences God has given me.
Coming off an amazing summer and hitting the ground hard with high school ball, it has been a total high point for me from a soccer perspective and having coaches and players saying I played great and all this positive stuff… I absolutely love playing soccer. As much as people joke around and say that I'm always training and always playing soccer and never have time to do anything or hang out with anybody… I honestly don't care! I'm living my dream and I just pray that I'm living God's dream for my life. I chose long ago that my soccer career would be my mission field. I have never gone on a "mission trip" before and may never, but in my eyes I've gone on over 75 mission trips. God has truly blessed me in my abilities to play soccer and I only hope that I'm making Him proud in the things I'm doing.
Love?
Love is the passion I have to play soccer. Love is the gleam in my eyes when I think or talk about soccer. I love working my hardest and being exhausted afterwards from working so hard. I love the feeling after a hard practice when you're out of breath and the sweat is just running down your face. The taste of cold water after you’ve just run yourself into the ground. The countless songs you sing over and over in your head as you run around that track or through the neighborhood. The dreadful feeling when your coach says, “on the line” after a brutal practice. The hundreds of different types of shoes you go through. The time you beat your rival by one goal and you know those two extra sprints were worth it. The blood, sweat, and tears you experience as a team. The way you lift one another up after a tough loss or a bad game. The coaches you hate but appreciate. The smell of crisp air and freshly cut grass before a game. Every time you hit that snooze button in the hotel room. The countless burgers you’ve passed up for a bowl of pasta and chicken. The laughs, jokes, and memories each team shares. The feeling after a game when you know you've played with all your heart and left it all on the field no matter what the outcome was. That one tackle that sends your adrenaline through the roof. The feeling when your coach says a simple "good job". The feeling when you know you’ve just played the best game of your life. The feeling when you finally crawl into bed that night after a tough battle. The feelings I get are numerous and indescribable.
So, what exactly is love?
Love is a feeling that only you yourself can ever experience.
I'll never be able to explain it to anybody and I don't think anybody will ever understand the feelings I get. All I know is that I am seventeen years old and I love playing soccer with all my heart, mind, and soul. It is part of me—my DNA. The passion and love I have for the game lives within me and burns stronger every time I cross that white line onto the pitch. LEAGUE LOONEYNESS!"League News!"First we will look at the "highlighted" games that happened this past weekend:
PASTLets see how Dragon did with his GOTW picks in week #5!
U11Looking at the Boys PDL A...
Sno-Ho United vs
NWN Red -
Dragon say - Sno-Ho 3-1DNP mark that as a win LOL :mrgreen:
U12Looking at the boys PDL C...
Crossfire H. vs
Sun City Stikers -
Dragon says - Crossfire 1-0Final was 3-1 SS Strikers :oops: U13On girls U13 Gold Oregon...
Timbers Red vs
Bend Storm -
Dragon say - Timbers 1-0Final was Timbers 3-1 :mrgreen: U14Looking at PDL B...
EFC White vs
Spokane Shadow -
Dragon say - EFC 1-0And the "gut" calls it Dead On! :mrgreen: Dragon 3-1 this past week...I am on a roll!! :lol:
For all other game scores go to our new
STANDINGS AREA. For recaps though, you know what to do....please look to our Recap thread for week #5:
http://www.washingtonpremiersoccer.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6520and as always, If there is not enough blah blah blah there for you, then you only have
yourselfs to blame :lol:
FUTUREU11Boys PDL A
Snohomish United vs
Eastside Red - This will be a battle for sure. Snoho has 28 GF and 12 GA, and EFC has 18 GF and 14 GA. Last time EFC got the "W" when they met...Do you think this time will be any different?
Dragon say - Snoho 4-2U12Girls D3 GP
ISC Arsenal Blue vs
BlackHills FC K. - Here is a battle of the unbeatens! GP is a long way from the PDL, but it is nice to focus on other teams. Arsenal has 8 GF and 2 GA, BlackHills has 11 GF and 1 GA. Arsenal is in first right now, will they stay that way?
Dragon say - Blackhills 2-1U13Girls PDL A
Sno-Ho Chika Lobos vs
Crossfire Batgirl - This is gonna be a battle! The winner has a great chance to move up the ladder and be right in the thick of things, while the loser will not be in a happy place!
Dragon say - Tie 1-1U14Girl PDL B
Sun City Strikers A. vs
HPFC Eagles M. - This is a fantastic match up that many don't even know about. It's number 1 vs number 2. SC Strikers have 19 GF and 8 GA...Eagles have 14 GF and only 5 GA. The winner will be in first place alone! D's gonna go with the scoring machines on this one, my gut tells me to.
Dragon say - Strikers 3-1That's it for now. Will do 4 more
"highlighted gotw" next issue :mrgreen:
WPS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK!!!
**Any age group that has more then 5 nominations will also get some "shout outs" from Dragon!U11#22 ELIZABETH - FC CRUSH SKY!This little superstar was on fire this weekend! She is normally is not a starter, but started this weekend. She not only played great, but got her first Hat-Trick! She also had 2 goals the week prior coming in off the bench. Wow little one, it sounds like you are ready for a starting roll on your team! Dragon is very proud of you :mrgreen:
Shout out to runners up:
#14 Mykayla - Synergy Dunn#13 Holli - FCV Glory U12#4 KENDALL - WPFC WHITE!This young superstar was moved up from her normal defensive position in a game where they were down 0-3 at the half. She did not score but sparked the team to come back and score 2 goals in the 2nd half...a few more minutes and who knows! What a great job of leadership & inspiration young one. Dragon is proud of you! :mrgreen:
Shout out to:
#1 Megan - Reign PurpleU13#14 MORGAN - SNOHOMISH UNITED CHIKA LOBOS!The smallest player on the field stepped up her game this past weekend. She made great passes and had wonderful vision the whole game and set up several scoring chances. Finally she took matters into her own hands and scored the game winning goal to give the crazy girls their first victory! An MVP performance for sure, Dragon very proud of you little one! :mrgreen:
Shouts out to:
#8 Lindsey - SSFC White#00 Ivy - NWN Red U14#22 SAMMI - MUKILTEO LIGHTNING!Talk about playing out of your mind! This young superstar turned it on over-drive this weekend. She came out on fire and proved she is an MVP caliber player but notching 4 goals to help lead her team to victory! Great job superstar, sounds like you were in the "heart & fire zone"! Dragon very proud of you! :mrgreen:
Thats it for this week, keep those nominations coming in next week!! :mrgreen:
CRAZY PARENT WATCH:"Shout out to da newbies"A few new posters this week that Dragon noticed! As always lets give a shout out to all the new ones that have taken the time to post at least one post since joining recently:
This week Dragon would like to point out!
Preventer
Ky1313
Gimmevino
Quickstep
Mark
As always it is great to see so many new members here on the Pulse of Washington soccer! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
"A view from the Mini-Van"
Are you not happy on your own team?
All this talk about what other team would your kid play on, if not the one they are on now.. Got me thinking about another aspect :shock: :|
What if you asked your kid how bad THEY really wanted to play?? :shock: Parents are the ones doing all the driving and I know at least one, if not 2 on the team, that probably would prefer a few short months of high level rec, and then onto other things... but their parents have different agendas... so they continue to play.
And the tougher question, if your kid said, I don't want to play at this level anymore, it is not fun, how many parents would be willing to allow them to take that step back?
"WPS Paparazzi"Our Paparazzi cont's to bring us continued updates and
free marketing for WPFC's new field (even though Coach Fish don't like Dragon) :lol:
Looking good, and the heavy equipment are ready for the next step...
The New turf is all ready to be rolled out!*BONUS* - A actual Youtube video of the turf being layed, complete with a "country music" backgroud :lol: .
"...Out on the Pitch"Please submit pictures for the newsletter to the Pulse email**Special; "Where are the YAP-Team Scouts edition"?**REMOVED! :x (CAN'T WIN FOR LOSING AWARD- BRAT & D)
...in obvious pain, this CP realizes soon enough that it was just an elaborate hoax! :lol: REMOVED! :x (CAN'T WIN FOR LOSING AWARD- BRAT & D)
...a whole gaggle of people look in every direction for the "Scouts"...or is it maybe just wine that some of them were looking for? :lol:
...the phone call went something like this..."Dragon posted that the YAP-T thing is a hoax!?? Damn that lizard!!, I have been camped out at the fields since last night"! :lol: 
...An obviously aging parent holds the latest printed out copy of the Pulse as he scans the other sideline for YAP-T scouts! :lol: **Disclaimer - none of the people pictured above were one's that sent in info for the YAP-T scouts...so put those torchs down ladies :lol: **Please continue to send pix's to the Pulse newsroom! Anything soccer related is welcome!** :mrgreen: "Help! Is there a Doctor in the house?"
*Send all medical questions for "the doctor" to the Pulse email address*Question for the Doc: "Why is it that kids (girls mostly) seem to start playing worse or have balance troubles in their early teens? Is it due to puberty?"Dear new teenager parent,
Good :?: .
Puberty brings on many changes in our DD/DS. Body hair, B.O.,the ability to mouth off and growth spurts! Growth spurts are just that. Blasts of activity triggered by testosterone...yes in boys and girls!
The arms grow but no one pays attention. But wow some kids grow so fast they look like they are all legs. These are generally the ones who become "clumsy". Their center of gravity changes, girls may become knock kneed as well as some boys and their ability to recognize where their body is in space gets thrown out of whack. so if you run or jump and change direction, your brain cannot react fast enough and you stumble or fall. In most kids as they "grow into their bodies", their coordination comes back (unlike Squash)!
Clumsiness can also be induced by drugs, both prescription and unfortunately recreational. So make sure you know what they are "on"!
Stay healthy,
The Doc
GIRLS U13 NORTH-CALIFORNIA REPORTS!!!
Hi Washington, The Chilipeppers were idle this weekend but next weekend we have 2 league games and we open up Norcal Cup competition against Marin!
Thanks for keeping us up to date Pepper-Reporter! Good luck to your gals next week!!! :mrgreen:
OTHER NEWS AND GOSSIP AND TIDBITS:"SIDELINE SNIPPETS"*Here is a new section dedicated to "things heard while on the sidelines"
Heard from the sidelines...
how many times do you get to be offside before your really offside...? Quit being a chicken and get in their and fight for the ball.. uh.. sir... its a throw in,,, the ball isnt even in play... opps.. coach gems: It cant possibly be a foul the ball is still moving... huh? can you call a foul on the ball? Hey, the ref has a bloody nose, does he have to sub out with the AR?"COACHS CORNER!"This weeks topic for the coach is
"Style of Play"
Welcome back everyone and I’m excited. I got a great question submitted, and I will try to do so without writing a novel. Thank you for whoever submitted this one, its probably one of the best ones I’ve received yet.
Style of Play?
Is the Style of play dictated by the club, your teams makeup or by the
coach themselves? Each style has it's advantages and disadvantages can
you explain those and the personal required to be successful. What type
of players do you look for from front to back to fulfill your style of
play? Do you like to have a strong defense, midfield or offense that
supports your style?
I’ll just break down each individual question and answer.
Is the Style of play dictated by the club, your teams makeup or by the coach themselves? The style of play is controlled by the coach. Some coaches are willing to be flexible with their style depending on the players they have, but other coaches are very rigid and will always play the same style and expect the kids to adjust to their beliefs. In a way the style of play is slightly dictated by the club. Most people don’t completely agree with me on that, but the coaching director hires the coaches, and trains them. He/She is more likely to hire coaches that have similar philosophies to their own, and through training with younger coaches those coaches will start to pick up similar beliefs to the coaching director. In those ways he/she has a slight control over style of play.
Each style has it's advantages and disadvantages can you explain those and the personal required to be successful? I’ll go over just the basic formations and styles. 4-4-2: advantages: strong overall formation, good attack on the wing. Disadvantages: weaker offense, can be spread out and played through the holes. Players needed: forwards who can check back and control the ball, center mids who can dstribute. 4-3-3 advantages: strong offense. Maintains 4 at the back. Controls the middle. Disadvantages: no outside wingers, can be counter attacked. Players needed: fast forwards, 3 extremely strong mids who can cover the whole midfield, outside backs that like to attack, and can hit a strong diagonal or crossing ball. 3-4-3 advantages, strong strong attacking, still has plenty of players to control the midfield. Disadvantages: weaker defense. Can be attacked on the defensive wings. Players needed: fast forwards, 3 defenders who are very strong defenders. If you have a weak link back there you will lose. 4-5-1 advantages: strong defense, controls the midfield. Disadvantages: offense, hard to find space to pass the ball. Players needed: strong player up front who can go win the ball. Midfielders who can attack with the dribble out of midfield. 5-4-1 advantages : extremely strong on defense, you can afford to send up to two defenders on the attack, so you can overload one side very easily. Disadvantages: very hard to get on the attack. The other team usually controls the midfield. Players you need. Fast outside backs that can attack. Strong forward who can win the ball. Those are just some of the basics, and of course those strengths and weaknesses can be changed and affected by how the coach coaches the system. That’s one of the great things about soccer is the coach can really put his mark on the game by who he puts where and what he teaches them to do.
What type of players do you look for from front to back to fulfill your style of play? My style of play is usually a control style. But if I were to use a 4-4-2 (that seems to be the most popular) starting up front this is what I would look for. forwards: One fast, one that is strong at checking to the ball. This way I have two options while attacking. Also it makes it harder for the defense to mark since they are different style of players. Center mids: quick center mids who will get stuck in and win the ball. Plus right when they win the ball they have to know exactly what they are going to do with it, and make the early play. Outside mids: Fast, plus be able to go 1v1 on the wing. And know how to get their hips around the ball so when they cross it on the baseline it stays inbounds. Center backs: big and strong. Command the middle of the defense. Have confidence to win the ball out of the air, and then make a smart decision. Outside backs: Fast, very good vision. I like both of them to push up and get into the attack. They should have as many crosses as anyone on the field.
Do you like to have a strong defense, midfield or offense that supports your style? I would love to have all 3 of those. However I think at a young age you can win with either a strong defense or a strong offense. As you get older though the stronger defenses seem to be the teams that win. If you don’t give up goals then you are always in the game. It might be frustrating to watch your team not be able to score but at least your not losing 6-4 or in a high scoring game like that. The question is which is more frustrating for a kid to do; lose in a tight 1-0 game or lose in a game 7-6? They might enjoy the scoring, but to me I would probably rather lose 1-0. I’ve also noticed that teams that are known for having that “great” offense often go into state cup, and run into a great defense and all of a sudden are frustrated, and end up losing since they have a weaker defense.
Once again that was a great question, and like I said before every coach has their own style, and it will effect the game differently. Good luck with finding a style that fits your DD/DS way of playing.
"VIEW FROM BEHIND THE WHISTLE"Myths of the Game and other Nonsense
Over the next few weeks in Dragon's newsletter, I’d like to help clear up some common myths in soccer. My intent is to help increase an understanding of the game and the basis of some referee decisions. I am also free to answer any and all questions. Please send your questions to the Pulse Email address.
A question for the REF on:
Handing out Yellow and Red Cards
So I have checked page to page of the LOTG and cannot find any reference
to what age Cards can be issued. So this brings up some questions. I
have seen in the past couple of weeks, actually in summer tourney's as
well Referees having discussions with players multiple times during a
game after they have committed multiple fouls. Now I thought one card
able offense was "persistent infringement" if this is the case why does
the referee need to talk to the player? Issue the card. Why do the
Refs refuse to give the younger ages cards? I also saw a U11 game where
a defensive player caught a ball in front of his goal preventing the
ball from going in. Now if I remember correctly this is a automatic
"RED" card. No card was issued. How will the kids learn the LOTG if
Refs refuse to issue cards. I would bet that U11 - U13 combined less
yellow cards have been issued then at U14 alone and I would bet not 1
red card has been issued. I can understand that sometimes the Ref might
determine that talking to a player is necessary first and that the
issuing a card is secondary at the younger ages. But sometime the
severity of the foul committed should determine whether a talk or card
is warranted.
I agree that referees are often too hesitant to show cards at the younger age groups. And although I think your observations and expectations are reasonable (particularly for highly competitive leagues), it's not always necessary for an official to resort to cards. Officials are encouraged to manage situations without cards where possible, but need to be able to recognize when the player "wants" or "needs" the card.
Cards are shown when misconduct has occurred and are one of the tools used to tell the players when they have crossed the line for the level of play set by the referee. If the referee feels they can accomplish what is needed for that game by just talking with the player, then that is perfectly acceptable.
Some cautions and send-offs have become mandatory because the offenses are considered egregious violations of the spirit of the game, yet referees were not punishing the offense strongly enough (and this is at the Pro level). Among these are Denial of Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO) by foul and handling. These are both mandatory send-offs when the offense meets the required criteria.
Persistent Infringement is also a misconduct not punished frequently enough at all levels of youth play. Part of this is because it requires an experienced referee crew that is capable of recognizing a pattern or able to track the number of fouls by players. You are less likely to find advanced referees at the U11-U13 game level.
When I refer to "experience" and "advanced," I don't mean someone who has done the same things at the same type of game for 10 or 20 years; but rather the person who perhaps has only refereed for 2 years but learned and advanced from each game they completed.
If a referee has stopped to speak to the same player three times in a match, that referee should be strongly considering a caution for PI, even at U10. The player is telling the official they don't understand and need more help. The referee should help the player and the coach by cautioning the player and showing the yellow card.
In defense of officials who appear slow to caution players at younger age groups, we do find these players are better at listening to the officials than the older age groups. A word of caution or warning is typically sufficient for the offending player, as well as for the rest of the players, to take notice and think "oh, I better not do that."
Some officials may have also forgotten what 10 year olds are capable of doing quite deliberately in the heat of the moment. They have fallen into viewing the young players as simply lacking skill or knowledge and thereby not "seeing" their misconduct.
"Dear Eggy"Dear Eggy,
My DD has some friends that play on a PDL team and she plays on a district team. My DD has been asking about trying out for a PDL team next season. Her father and I would like her to stay with a district team to cut down on travel expenses. What do you think we should do.
Signed,
To district or Not Dear District,
This is a problem that many CP's face. Is your DD ready, with the proper skills to tryout for a PDL Team? Can your family handle the cost in dollars and time?
If your DD has the skills, I recommend that you find the highest level team that your family can support. Maybe your DD can mow lawns to help with the dollar side of this equation.
There is also the summer guest play route for her to play with a higher level team.
Thanks,
Eggy
"My 2 cents worth...The Posters Voice!" **have a new writer for this section this week, hope you enjoy Soccer is a sport that is supposed to bring us all joy and excitement.
I'm getting really sick of the attitude in youth soccer around here that teams should be more concerned with traveling out of state to tournaments or across the state to play “the best competition” than worrying about silly things like training young players to become better soccer players.
You think Barcelona's youth team travels all over Spain playing only La Liga youth teams? Nope. If it works for Barca and Ajax youth teams, playing games against locals could work here, too.
Play the locals until you're sick of them, and you beat them all the time.
It seems anymore, that the days of coaches working their butts off for the simple joy of seeking improvement in their players is a thing of the past. I believe this was the era of the evil “parent coach”.
Coaching is now viewed as a means to several all-expense-paid trips each year for the coach's (and even the asst coach, “trainers”, etc.) enjoyment. All I want is for my kid to be well trained, and to experience the satisfaction that comes with real achievement from real hard work. Instead, it appears I've paid for him to join a travel and vacation club with a little soccer thrown in.
I’ve also noticed that coaches’ ego’s seem to have grown by the naming of the team after themselves. I thought the team was about, and for the players.
Why I coach? It is sure not about the money. My coaches were paid $0, so I figure I should charge at least 2x that and no more.
When we get coaches who actually care for each player to reach their maximum potential, or level, technical ability/tactics, dribbling/passing, skill/speed, and not just the $$$$ they see - then and only then will we be developing players who can truly compete with the best.
The new Academy/PDL system has mandated games only against Academy clubs, which is of course an exclusivity/power thing. The clubs offering this “development” can require you to drive DD/DS them for over 700 miles to play 1 game against “the best competition”.
The US parent and/or player needs to decide what type of soccer they enjoy. Then find a coach who coaches that style
How to make the game better.
1) Limited substitution. Continual free substitution encourages hustle at the expense of thought. The game today is too often full speed to no purpose (EPL). People praise a player for his hustle, but they are oblivious to his effectiveness.
2) Restrict roster sizes. This encourage player growth and development. This will also reduce injuries and allow all to see who the better coached teams actually are, and not just the most athletic ones.
Too many kids who are late-bloomers physically are sent to the lower team even though they have superior skills, simply because they are smaller and can't possibly run as fast, or kick as far as the bigger kids until they physically mature. This is true because it is easy to see the huge disparity in size between the A and B team. It's no secret, it's been going on for years in this country.
Unfortunately, big, fast players with little skill can win games in youth soccer (particularly at the youngest age groups) and many coaches see wins and trophies as more important for their egos and resumes than the technical and tactical development of their players. When they players start to play U14, this is when the improper training starts to catch up. “Good” teams are no longer “good”.
3) Wider fields. Hey Bigfoot !!!! make the fields wider, and even eliminate a few to let the skilled teams show what they can do instead of being forced to lump-n-run with the “Big-boys”.
4) VOLUNTEERS Appreciate them more and help out more yourself. What have YOU given back to the game? They are the ones that make it happen. Without them you have people making decisions based on their pocket books.
5) Referees Put the basic tests online for anyone to see and learn. In todays busy world, not a lot of people have time to allot to becoming a referee. Let people study at home and when they feel ready to take the test, come test on a Sat. and discuss how to referee.
6) Term limits. All soccer boards should have term limits (and for the same reason diapers are frequently changed).
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO MMMMMMMMMMMMMM?"Black Knights U14 Prediction Challenge!"
Alright this was pretty fun to start doing, and it was really interesting to see how everyone did. No one had a great weekend, but Still there were definatly some winners. Instead of listing what EVERYONE got I'll be just listing the winners:
Overall Correct Scores Picked:
1st: BRAT 15/24
2nd: BK :twisted: , ExtremeSoccer 13/24
3rd: Nineteethree, Dragon, Preventer 12/24
Perfect Scores Predicted:
1st: 93soccerdad 4
2nd: Dragon Slayer 3
3rd: BK :twisted: , Extremesoccer, Dragon, Daditude 2
PDL 1A Predictions:
1st: Brat 9/12
2nd: BK :twisted: 8/12
3rd: Yote, DS, Daditude 7/12
PDL 1B Predictions:
1st: Extremesoccer 5/6
2nd: Nineteethree 4/6
3rd: Playon, 93soccerdad, Brat, Dragon, Preventer 3/6
PDL 1C Predictions:
1st: BK :twisted: , Nineteethree,Brat, Dragon, Daditude, preventer 3/6
2nd: Extremesoccer, 93soccerdad, Monday, Yote, DS 2/6
3rd: April 1/6
Alright for the OVERALL WINNER'S this is how i picked them. For getting 1st in any catagory you recieve 3 points, 2nd you recieve 2 points, and 3rd you recieve 1 point.
OVERALL WINNER'S
1st: BRAT Way to make BK :twisted: look like a genius. I picked you at the very beginning and it looks like I know what im doing (except when it comes to my own picks) Brat won with 10 total points.
1st in overall picks 15/24
1st in PDL 1A picks 9/12
3rd in PDL 1B picks 3/6
1st in PDL 1C picks 3/6
GREAT JOB BRAT
2nd TIE: BK :twisted: and Extremesoccer both Tied with 8 points
BK :twisted:
2nd in overall picks 13/24
3rd in Perfect Scores predicted 2
2nd in PDL 1A picks 8/12
1st in PDL 1C picks 3/6
Extremesoccer
2nd in overall picks 13/24
3rd in Perfect scores predicted 2
1st in PDL 1B picks 5/6
2nd in PDL 1C picks 2/6
3rd: A three way tie with 6 points 93soccerdad, Nineteethree, Dragon.
93soccerdad
1st in perfect scores predicted 4
3rd in PDL 1B picks 3/6
2nd in PDL 1C picks 2/6
Nineteethree
3rd in overall picks 12/24
2nd in PDL 1B picks 4/6
1st in PDL 1C picks 3/6
Dragon
3rd in overall picks 12/24
3rd in Perfect scores predicted 2
3rd in PDL 1B picks 3/6
1st in PDL 1C picks 3/6
Great job everybody. it was really fun to do. I'll put together the next one for next week, and Thanks to everyone for playing. The more people the more it means to win :mrgreen:
"Dragon Coachs Interviews!"No interview this week. Sad but True. If you are a coach, and would not mind answering a few questions please let the Pulse know. :mrgreen:
Guest Editor's, EDITORIAL:
Do you do more then Cheer?
Have you ever watched a game as a neutral spectator? Well if you ever get a chance to do so just listen to the sidelines. Walk up and down the sidelines for both teams and you hear all sorts of things (some good, some bad). It's amazing!! I looked at myself, and remembered how involved I use to get. I was always embarrassed after the fact. Did me yelling at the ref make a difference? What was my point? I think it really hit home, one day when I was just watching a game. I saw how one sidelines acted (not everyone) toward the ref, the other team and their own players. I then realized what I looked and sounded like (I really liked to suggest calls to the ref). I didn't like it.
Why do CP's feel that they need to be more involved then just cheering? Cheering for them is one thing, but yelling at them or the ref is another. Do you yell at the coach for that substitution? Yeah Right!! This is their game. Not our game!! THEIRS!! Not one time do I shoot on goal. I don't have to make a save nor do I have to mark a player. All I have to do is support my DD/DS and her team with praise. Great pass!! Good shot!! Etc!! Nothing more. This is a youth soccer game where our kids are having the time of their lives playing. I think that sometimes we forget that. These DD/DS's are just kids. They will make mistakes, no kid is ever perfect. I know that if your DD/DS is playing at this level then they have earned it. Let the kids play their game. Let us watch and cheer.
Thank you guest Editor! That was fun, we hope to do that again in the future!
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 - #14 (Read 369 times)