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 Emerald City FC E-News 5/13/2008
1) Tyouts
Our 3rd (!) set of tryouts for f90-92 teams completed this past weekend. Congratulations to all of our new players, and many thanks to all the the volunteers who helped things run smoothly this past weekend.
2) U15-U18 Awards
Congratulations to the winners of our top club awards for the 2007-08 year, announced last night by our Coaching Director, Bobby Howe, at our annual general meeting.
Golden Boot: Dylan Gagnes and Lauren McAndrews/Kelli Stewart
Golden Ball: Hailey Bobin and Kohl Shoenig
Manager of the Year (older teams): Ron Nation
Coach of the Year (older teams): Jan Smisek
In addition the following players recived the pivotal player award on their respective teams: Jordan Travis, Liz Blondin, Sara Ives, Anastaja Endres, Jessica Louw, Kate Peters, Tiana Brockway/Megan Fieser, Lucas McCormick, Erik Thornquist, Kenny Buyco, Matt Durland, Gabe Gonzales, and Naketa McDonald.
Each player recognized will also be receving a nice gift certificate for Adidas products redeemable at Sporthaus Schmetzer.
The next time you see these players please join us in congratulating them.
3) F95G State Champs Fundraiser at Sounders Game
Salute ECFC's state champions as the f95 Green team hosts a fundraiser at the 7pm May 18 Sounders Game at Starfire Stadium. The defending USL champion Seattle Sounders will be the main attraction, of course, as they expect a very competitive fame from their opponent in last year's USL title game, the Atlanta Silverbacks.
Before the game, the ECFC girls champs will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets to help them fund their trip to represent Washington State at regional championships in Hawaii. The Sounders will be kicking in some extra prizes, too.
There are still opportunities for your team to take part in the fun:
The Sounders need ball managers (teams U12 and older) to work the sidelines during the USL match. Up to 4 teams can take part in mini-games during the halftime of the USL match.
Please contact Mark Manum (markmanum@hotmail.com) or Dereck Soo (dsoo@copacino.com) to confirm your interest in either opportunity.
Group tickets ($13) may be purchased by contacting the Sounders' Gary Boyle at 206-381-7908. Individual tickets ($15) may be purchased through ticketmaster or at the gate.
Finally, be sure to wear your ECFC gear and prepare for a fun night.
4) Emerald City FC Annual General Meeting and Election results.
The election committee is pleased to report that the votes have been counted and certified by a parent member outside of the committee.
We wish to extend congratulations to the new board members and our sincere thanks to all candidates who ran for a position. As with many elections spirits and emotions often run high, and this election certainly did not prove to be different. There were some very positive aspects to this process but it was clear the opposite also occurred. The committee strongly urges all those involved, and all club members, to move forward from this election in a constructive and positive manner, to put behind us any ill feelings that may have been caused, and to concentrate and focus our energies and efforts on our mission:
Emerald City FC exists to develop each of our players to their fullest potential, competing at the highest possible level while demonstrating exemplary teamwork, sportsmanship, and a passion for the game.
Lastly we welcome feedback on the election process, including ideas and opportunities for improvement.
The following candidates received the most votes for the general board positions:
Bryan Coluccio, Tor Jernudd, Monique Keranen
For the vp of membership position the following candidate was voted in:
Karen Launceford
The following player rep candidates were voted in:
Rachel Keyser for the girls’ rep and Chris Perkins for the boys.
Coach Rep U11-U14: Jon Bakken
Coach Rep U15–U18: John Hamel
Respectfully submitted,
Meg Grimaldi, Peter Bladin, Dan Barsher (election committee)
The new board of directors will elect its own officers sometime in the next month, in the interim Tor Jernudd was (re)elected to continue to serve as acting Treasurer.
Please join us in thanking the following retiring board members for their service to the club: John Ryan and Jamie Rees (3 years!!!), Randall Johnson, Stefan Cobb, and Laura Caldwell.
thanks
tor
acting treasurer
Quality vs Quantity
Gazelles Never Could Play Soccer by Bobby Howe
At first glance, John Smith could be the model of a promising young striker playing for any elite club in the area. He is tall, fast, aggressive and athletic. He is dedicated to the sport. He trains all the time, running ten kilometers daily, doing 50 push-ups and 100 sit-ups. He hits the weight room three times a week. He can run like a gazelle.
That is all fine and good. But John made a serious training mistake. Gazelles cannot play soccer. They never could.
During the tryouts, John realizes he is not prepared to play the game of soccer. He begins to lose confidence. His touch is off and he gives away the ball too often. The coach cut John. The story of John Smith is all too common across the country, here in Washington State, among elite clubs.
Sure, John was motivated. But he wasted his training time. He trained too much. He bet that the quantity of his effort would see him through. However, his lack of quality training, with either the ball, or creating balance between bursts of intense physical activity combined with vital rest and recovery, eventually undermined his simple determination.
Soccer experts, here and abroad, stress the importance of balanced activity: rest and recovery are as vital to optimum performance. Equally crucial is the quality of the training itself. ``Even though rest and recovery is not a glamour topic like speed and agility, it lays the foundation for planning all your training,’’ said Taylor Tollison, former trainer for the National Schools Fitness Foundation. ``One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a coach or parent is to think that the harder and more frequent my athlete exercises the better athlete he will be.’’
Here in the United States, however, endorsing “more is better” training approach – one where players improve through more training, more games, more tournaments, etc. – continues to be the Holy Grail for many elite coaches. Some clubs fear that they need to do more to keep pace or stay ahead of rival clubs. This fear, or insecurity, has prompted some clubs to identify and train players at seven, eight and nine years of age. Certainly, kids of this age need to play. But over-coaching and overly structured practices kill the passion for the game. Young players need to experience soccer’s joys and discover their own passion without adults hovering over them. Seven, eight and nine year olds must be allowed to be kids.
Who is right? Is it quantity or is it quality? The answer is not easy. But more recent research into the training of elite athletes, as well as my own observations over years of elite coaching, argues for ``less is more.’’ Quality should always trump quantity. Stressing quality training, or finding balance between physical activity and rest and recovery, is more effective in helping young elite players reach their full potential. The results of this approach may not win championships in the short term. However, it will develop better soccer players over the long haul, and players who will more likely keep a passion for the game for their entire lives.
Soccer is a game of skill, imagination, creativity and quick decisions. Coaching at youth level is all about enhancing those elements of the game. Practices must be stimulating, challenging and economical. They must also be well planned , realistic and age and ability appropriate. A dynamic one-hour practice is much better than a static ninety- minute snooze.
Games must motivate players to want to improve performance. Consideration must given to the size of the fields, the size of the goals, the length of game, time and the length of the season. The same holds true for the age/ability levels of the players and substitutions must allow for quality playing time.
Elite youth soccer players should play for no more than forty weeks a year, even for the most serious players. It should be less for players’ U-11 to U-13. The seasons must have rhythm and balance, where coaches consider rest equally to work. Players must prepare for a purpose -- such as for league play or cup play, and young elite players should strive to reach their athletic peek during those competitions. Too much unnecessary training, or sessions focused on hardcore fitness over skills, burn players out. ``Coaches must take into consideration the positive effects of adequate rest periods during training, alternating hard and light practices through the season and allowing days off and time away from soccer to recuperate and rekindle passion for the game,’’ according to the U.S. Soccer National Coaching Manual.
Another area where quality should trump quantity has to do with the amount of tournaments during a season. Teams are always tempted to attend too many tournaments. Coaches should research the tournaments to find the appropriate preparation for players. Coaches should place their teams in tournaments that challenge players at their levels of ability and where the outcomes remain uncertain.
Tournaments must also be tests of skill and not tests of endurance. Tournaments that schedule two games per day should reduce the total time of the match so that players put less strain on their bodies. Tournament games should also start at a reasonable hour to enable players to eat at an appropriate time before the game to create the energy for optimum performance.
Most coaches plan technical, tactical and physical training sessions with great precision and many also recognize the importance of the psychological component in all their work. The latter is the most challenging aspect to integrate into training, and yet it promotes a higher-level of quality and one that often separates the truly great from the great. Developing quality players in every facet of the game is what we should be doing and what we are trying to accomplish at Emerald City. Remember young John’s mistakes. We want thinking, quick-witted, high-speed players -- not gazelles.
Speed of Play
by Bobby Howe
Over the last twenty years, the game of soccer has become quicker and more technical. Top professional, college and youth teams, including Emerald City FC, covet the player who has pure speed and quick feet. But, if a player lacks a sprinter’s pace, they need not worry. Other elements and abilities come into play, too. I believe it is instructive to understand how professional coaches, including our own Emerald City coaches, evaluate players during tryouts and throughout the season. Coaches are looking for players who can perform simply, efficiently and quickly. Raw pace and quick feet are definitely an advantage. But there are other factors that determine the overall speed of play of an individual player. Quick thinking and the ability to execute with skill under pressure are also vital to success. Let me offer some tangible examples of American and English Premiership stars that represent some of these skills that are essential to an elite player. Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas and John Terry share little in common when they play. Ronaldo excels as an attacking wide midfielder who can mesmerize and trick defenders with his quick and fancy footwork. The more cerebral Fabregas, a central midfielder, out-wits his opponents with crafty passes slotted between defenders well before they know they’ve been beaten. Terry, a defender, is always in the right place at the right time. The one common trait these players share: they have mastered different elements of the speed of play. Obviously, it helps to be fast and quick. We call this the speed of movement. It is pure running speed, quickness, overall fitness, strength, balance and agility. Coaches will define the speed of movement as how fast a player can move over a distance of 15 yards. Pure speed is clearly a cherished commodity. Natural speed means a player can out run his opponent and create many dangerous scoring opportunities. If a defender is fast, it means he can make a mistake and still recover. U.S. National Team forward Landon Donovan is probably the best example of an American soccer player blessed with sprinter’s speed. A quick and agile mind can be just as vital as pure speed. We call that the speed of thought. We define it as the time it takes to recognize a situation in the game. It is the combination of perception speed and reaction time. Perception speed is the time that elapses between an occurrence of a situation in the game and its recognition by the player. If a player sees something developing, how long does it take to react and make something happen? Arsenal’s Fabregas is the epitome of a player who benefits from quick thinking. He makes up for his lack of pure speed with an agile mind. He almost always knows where to play the ball before his defender can grasp where it’s going. He knows how to find open space to elude his marker. His outstanding skills are also pivotal. But young players can compensate for a lack of pure speed or pace with a lightening-quick mind and a strong understanding of how the game is played. Probably more than any top professional soccer player, England captain Terry’s quick mind and deep knowledge of the game more than compensate for his obvious lack of pace. Terry is an intelligent player who understands his own limitations. As a defender, positional play is critical. And no one does it better than Terry. He is always in the right place at the right time. He always knows when to step in for a tackle, or a header, and when to delay his opponent. His play does not depend on pure speed. The third element is what we call speed of execution. We define that as the execution of techniques of the game under pressure. How does a player finish, dribble, pass, receive and head the ball. How does he do it facing one or two defenders? Manchester United’s Ronaldo has natural quickness to manipulate the ball out of tight situations. What’s more, he has the awareness and vision to be able to play the ball to a teammate while he’s running. He’s essentially multitasking on the pitch, and it explains why he is one of the best soccer players in the world. There is no doubt that innate talent and natural speed and quickness will enable a player to have a good start in the game. But it is the quality of training and the challenge of games that will develop overall speed of play, whether you are a professional, college or youth player. Speed of movement, quickness of feet, execution of technique under pressure and correct decisions are equal components to this improvement and ultimately, to the beauty and enjoyment of the game.
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Newsletter Archive |
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 Speed of Play, by Bobby Howe Sep 2007 Posted on 04-22-08Over the last twenty years, the game of soccer has become quicker and more technical. Top professional, college and youth teams, including Emerald City FC, covet the player who has pure speed and quick feet. But, if a player lacks a sprinter’s pace, they need not worry. Other elements and abilities come into play, too. I believe it is instructive to understand how professional coaches, including our own Emerald City coaches, evaluate players during tryouts and throughout the season. Coaches are looking for players who can perform simply, efficiently and quickly. Raw pace and quick feet are definitely an advantage. But there are other factors that determine the overall speed of play of an individual player. Quick thinking and the ability to execute with skill under pressure are also vital to success. Let me offer some tangible examples of American and English Premiership stars that represent some of these skills that are essential to an elite player. Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas and John Terry share little in common when they play. Ronaldo excels as an attacking wide midfielder who can mesmerize and trick defenders with his quick and fancy footwork. The more cerebral Fabregas, a central midfielder, out-wits his opponents with crafty passes slotted between defenders well before they know they’ve been beaten. Terry, a defender, is always in the right place at the right time. The one common trait these players share: they have mastered different elements of the speed of play. Obviously, it helps to be fast and quick. We call this the speed of movement. It is pure running speed, quickness, overall fitness, strength, balance and agility. Coaches will define the speed of movement as how fast a player can move over a distance of 15 yards. Pure speed is clearly a cherished commodity. Natural speed means a player can out run his opponent and create many dangerous scoring opportunities. If a defender is fast, it means he can make a mistake and still recover. U.S. National Team forward Landon Donovan is probably the best example of an American soccer player blessed with sprinter’s speed. A quick and agile mind can be just as vital as pure speed. We call that the speed of thought. We define it as the time it takes to recognize a situation in the game. It is the combination of perception speed and reaction time. Perception speed is the time that elapses between an occurrence of a situation in the game and its recognition by the player. If a player sees something developing, how long does it take to react and make something happen? Arsenal’s Fabregas is the epitome of a player who benefits from quick thinking. He makes up for his lack of pure speed with an agile mind. He almost always knows where to play the ball before his defender can grasp where it’s going. He knows how to find open space to elude his marker. His outstanding skills are also pivotal. But young players can compensate for a lack of pure speed or pace with a lightening-quick mind and a strong understanding of how the game is played. Probably more than any top professional soccer player, England captain Terry’s quick mind and deep knowledge of the game more than compensate for his obvious lack of pace. Terry is an intelligent player who understands his own limitations. As a defender, positional play is critical. And no one does it better than Terry. He is always in the right place at the right time. He always knows when to step in for a tackle, or a header, and when to delay his opponent. His play does not depend on pure speed. The third element is what we call speed of execution. We define that as the execution of techniques of the game under pressure. How does a player finish, dribble, pass, receive and head the ball. How does he do it facing one or two defenders? Manchester United’s Ronaldo has natural quickness to manipulate the ball out of tight situations. What’s more, he has the awareness and vision to be able to play the ball to a teammate while he’s running. He’s essentially multitasking on the pitch, and it explains why he is one of the best soccer players in the world. There is no doubt that innate talent and natural speed and quickness will enable a player to have a good start in the game. But it is the quality of training and the challenge of games that will develop overall speed of play, whether you are a professional, college or youth player. Speed of movement, quickness of feet, execution of technique under pressure and correct decisions are equal components to this improvement and ultimately, to the beauty and enjoyment of the game. Emerald City E-News Apr 21, 2008 Posted on 04-22-08A big welcome to all of our new and returning players! It is especially good to be able to welcome so many more players with SYSA roots, including the former Badgers / Metropolitan players, the former Mt Baker 95 Blue Cats, and many others. Congratulations to our girls teams currently competing in state cup, who advanced this weekend to the elimination rounds: f89g and f92g. Tryout for next year’s girls U-16 to U-18 teams will take place on Sat May 10 thru Mon May 12, 2008. The exact time and location will be posted on our club website in the next couple of days: www.emeraldcityfc.org . Online tryout registration will open shortly. Our Coaching Director, Bobby Howe, has penned another captivating article, entitled “Quality, not Quantity” which you can read by clicking HERE. In addition you might want to review some of his earlier works HERE which highlight some of his and ECFC’s coaching philosophies. ECFC’s annual general meeting will be held on Monday May 12th at the Sand Point Education Center at 7pm. Results from the 2008 Emerald City FC election for board of director positions will be announced, reports will be presented by the 2007/08 board, and we will recognize some special contributors amongst our older team players, coaches, and managers. For more information on the 2008 ECFC board election please click HERE and/or feel free to contact any existing board member. ECFC is a volunteer run organization and relies upon you, our membership to take an active role in our governance and leadership. Please forward your nominations for U-15 to U-18 One of our managers, Alessandra Panieri, has kindly offered to collect all “old” Emerald City FC (and Metropolitan FC) gear for distribution to soccer players in Africa and South America. Participation will, of course, be voluntary. Details of this project will be forthcoming from your team managers. So please don’t give away your “old” kit elsewhere – it will be great to be able to outfit entire teams in places where there is real need. Details to follow, and no need to do anything until our new Adidas uniforms have arrived. There is mixed news on the practice fields front. The good news is that a lot of new turf is going in this summer, either new projects or replacing existing turf, at Hale, Summit, Eckstein, Ballard, RBS, Sealth. The bad news is that those fields will be unavailable until they are completed, hence drastically reducing the available pool of fields this summer.
Tor Jernudd ECFC President, gopher Emerald City FC E-News mar 4, 2008 Posted on 03-04-08ECFC Members, This will be the final e-news that goes to the 07/08 email distribution list. Please come join us in watching some great games and cheering on our two teams in the Washington State Championship Cup Finals this weekend. ECFC GU12 F95 Green plays NWN G95 Red 1:00 PM Saturday AND ECFC BU18 M89 Green plays HPFC Heat '89 Blue 9:00 AM Sunday. Both games at Starfire. GO ECFC! 2008 tryout schedules and online registration link have been posted on our website: www.emeraldcityfc.org for boys U-13 to U-18 teams and girls U-13 to U-15 teams. Mar 14-16, 2008. Returning ECFC players will be asked to wear their white training t-shirts. Sorry about the nuisance fee ($1). Please only register one player at a time. Please register by Mar 11. Please encourage your soccer playing friends to sign up and try out! Please save your (old) Diadora Uniforms and gear for future collection for a bulk club donation to soccer club or school in the developing world. Allesandra Panieri has volunteered to coordinate this project. If you would like to help please contact her at: thebarshers@yahoo.com . Emerald City FC depends on it's volunteers. Our annual elections for positions on the Emerald City FC board of directors will be held in April and the annual general meeting will be held Monday May 12th at 700pm. Please give some thought to serving and/or to nominating a promising candidate. You are encouraged to attend our remaining regular monthly meetings this year to learn more about the club's governance and regular business; the next one will be held Monday Mar 10th 7:00pm at the Sandpoint Education Center just south of Magnuson Park (the old Sand Point Elementary school)/ tor E-News Feb 15, 2008 Posted on 02-15-08CFC 2007/08 Members; It's hard to believe that we have already had our first 2008/09 tryouts, just as the older girls teams are starting their league play, in the first ever spring season. This coming year will also be challenging from a calendar perspective with a strong liklihood that all the other teams in the club will be together for 14-15 months, possibly playing a spring PDL league, summer torunaments, fall league, then possibly a spring PDL league, before a cup season next May/June. We will notify you as soon as the WSYSA and PDL confirm more detailed schedules to their membership. For the first time ever Emerald City FC is pleased to welcome 8 new teams, to join our existing 4 teams in the U-11 and U-12 age groups, for a total of 12 teams in the two youngest age groups. Following the welcome SYSA rule change in December of 2007, it's now also possible that if there is sufficient demand from skilled and motivated players that our club may field more teams in the older age groups as well. This uncertainty has made planning coaching assignments very difficult for our Coaching Director, Bobby Howe, and there are still a few "slots" for the coming year where he has deliberately not yet made an assignment from our talented coaching pool. Further announcements will be made in the coming weeks as we approach tryouts for next year's U-13 to U18 boys and next year's U-13 to U-15 girls. Emerald City FC is very pleased to announce the following coaching appointments for the coming year (with more pending): BOYS GIRLS U-11 Jon Matsushita U-11 Dave Russell
E. J. Raftery Erik Oman
Craig Tomlinson Ken Sloan
U-12 John Hamel U-12 Jordan Bieler
Jon Bakken Tai Po
Dusty Longie
Kaitlyn Jackson
U-13 Aron Hyde U-13 Stefan Cobb
Amanda Potts Brooke Reece Jordan Bieler
U-14 Jimmy Gabriel U-14 Shawn Farrell Joanie Snorsky
U-15 Aron Hyde U-15 Kevin McGibbon
Julie Forrest
U-16 Matt Olson U-16 Richard Reece
John Hamel Brooke Reece
U-17 Bobby Howe U-17 Jan Smisek
Jesse Winship-Freyer Mike Margolies
U-18 Jimmy Gabriel U-18 Laura Caldwell
; Kevin McGibbon
Please join us in welcoming our new and returning coaches and supporting them in the year to come. TRYOUTS Will be held Mar 14-16 for next year's Boys U-13 to U-18 and next year's Girls U-13 to U-15 teams. Exact schedules will be posted on the club website in the next couple of days. There has been a rule change this year whereby clubs are not allowed to invite non-club members to pre-tryout workouts or practices. However, please do encourage all others interested in the club to attend our "official" tryouts. We will also open online tryout registration no later than the end of this month, the link will also be posted on our website. STATE CUP COMPETITION You are all encouraged to come out and support our teams now playing in the elimination rounds of the tournament(s). This weekend's home games are as follows: M95G (Boys U-12 Matsushita) plays Noon Saturday at Franklin HS F95G (Girls U-12 Cobb) plays 10am Sunday at Franklin HS M93G (Boys U-14 Hyde) plays 9am Sunday at Upper Genessee M89G (Boys U-18 Schmetzer) plays 12:30 Sunday at Rainier Beach GO ECFC Tor a.k.a. "the gopher" Emerald City E-News Oct 18, 2007 Posted on 10-18-07Dear Emerald City FC members; 1) Emerald City FC and Athletic Engineering have joined forces to offer our players: "functional training to enhance our athletes body awarenees, balance, stability,control and power." Several of our teams have worked with AE's staff before and have been very impressed, hence our joint effort to bring the benefits of their training to all of our players as an optional program at an atractive price, less than $10 per session per player. The program will start next week and initially will be offered on either Tuesday or Friday evenings. More information will be posted tommorow on our web page: www.emeraldcityfc.org. All ECFC scholarship recipients will receive a large discount -- please contact treasurer@emeraldcityfc.org for details. If your player is interested but unable to attend on Tuesdays or Fridays please also go to the sign up link below and "vote" for a different time/day -- AE will add sessions "on demand" if there is sufficient interest. SIGN UP HERE 2) John Ryan has resigned his post as President of Emerald City FC but will remain on the board as acting Treasurer. The board (re-) elected Tor Jernudd to serve as President for the remainder of the term (until May 08) 3) U-12 to U-15 players -- reminder that tommorow Friday Oct 19th will be the last of the Emerald City "pick up soccer nights" at Ingraham High School for the fall season. 5:30-7:00 pm. Thanks Tor Jernudd president@emeraldcityfc.org Emerald City FC President’s Message and E-Newsletter Sept, 2007 Posted on 09-09-07President’s Message
This is an open letter to the ECFC players and parents from your new President. My name is John Ryan and I have a daughter who plays for U-14 Green and a son who recently left the club after five years. I have been on the Board now for three years in various positions. I have been playing soccer since 6th grade and to make a long story short, much has changed besides the size of my waistline. When I started playing, I was on the only team of boys in Olympia. We had to travel to Tacoma, Portland and Seattle for games. Our coaches were a couple of immigrants, one German and one Swede, who had a passion for the game but absolutely no coaching experience. Soccer shoes were hard to come by and we had to go to Tacoma or Seattle for any equipment. Goals with nets were unheard of. This isn’t a story about walking a mile to school in the snow, but rather a description of my starting point in soccer. The quality of coaching, equipment, fields and players has come so far that I am certain that my daughter’s current U-14 team would have beaten my high school team soundly. My children are already more skilled than I ever was. While I’m envious of their skills, I’m more envious of the passion they’ve learned for the sport I love. They can sit and watch the Soccer Channel for hours. They can find a pick up game on a moment’s notice. They travel the country playing in high quality tournaments with a vast horizon of opportunities to improve their game still before them. What’s not to be passionate about? This is my soccer pedigree. This is the perspective I bring to my role as President. I am of a generation that watched the birth of soccer in the U.S. I am proud to lead Emerald City. I am proud of the quality of our coaches, the skill and dedication of our players and the generosity and spirit of our parents. We owe much to the dedicated volunteers who came before us and we owe them our best efforts in moving the Club forward. This Board is committed to developing a strategic plan for the Club that will guide our decision making now and in the future. The landscape for Select soccer is changing rapidly around us. Whether the issue is acquiring our own fields and clubhouse, or assuming a greater role in shaping Select soccer in Seattle, we need a set of principles that we can agree upon that will guide us through these challenges. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and getting more soccer knowledge from wherever I find it. We have come a long way and those before us have built a solid foundation to grow our club. Now we need to decide what we want it to look like. That effort is underway and we will solicit ideas and suggestions for all constituencies withinour Club so that the completed plan is a collaborative one. Please help us improve ECFC. After all, it is your Club. GO ECFC! Newsletter
Who wants to play some pick up soccer? Well, check this out. Every Friday, beginning Sept. 7, Emerald City U12 to U15 players (boys and girls) can meet at Ingraham to play soccer without coaches, parents, or any other adult. That's right. Come to school your friends and refine your intricate dribbling and juggling moves. In an effort to encourage young Emerald City FC players to play soccer outside of formal training sessions, the club will begin supervising Friday night Play Days at Ingraham High School. Kids will organize the teams and the games. The only adult will be an Emerald City coach, who will be there for supervisory and safety reasons. But it will be up to the players to determine how they want to play. Coaching Director Bobby Howe, who started these ``Play Days'' last season, says these kind of playing opportunities are a great way for young players to enjoy the game of soccer in a pressure-free atmosphere. In this kind of environment, young players are more apt to take risks, try new moves and refine their skills while having heaps of fun with their friends and peers. So, save these dates. Play Days every Friday, 5:30 -- 7 p.m. at Ingraham High School from now through Oct. 19. See you there!
Our club website, www.emeraldcityfc.org, has been updated with the latest in a series of articles by Bobby Howe, our Coaching Director. The latest one is entitled “Speed of Play” and you can read it by clicking on this link: http://emeraldcityfc.org/newsletter.php Washington State Youth Soccer Association, our state wide parent association has implemented some important new disciplinary rule changes for this fall season. Click http://www.wsysa.com/tabid/220/Default.aspx to read more.
The “PDL” is a relatively new league, only in its 2nd year. As we go along, we hope that one of its greatest strengths will be its ability to quickly and continually adapt and improve. However, that also means that there will be the potential for communications issues and misunderstandings. In order to alleviate any potential communications issues we have prepared a ‘frequently asked questions” for PDL parents and players that can be found by clicking here: http://emeraldcityfc.org/files/0709pdlfaq.PDF The Emerald City FC board of directors meets monthly, generally on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7pm at St Catherine’s school. All club members are cordially invited. All member guests will have the opportunity to address the board with any questions or concerns. This month’s meeting will be held Monday Sept. 10 at 7:00 at 4122 E. Madison, in Madison Park at “Bistro and Bites”. This month’s agenda is available here: http://emeraldcityfc.org/files/070910agenda.PDF Finally the board of directors would like to inform the membership that uniform vendor committee has begun the task of reviewing the club’s uniform supplier contract in light of the fact that our current contract with Diadora expires at the end of this season. The committee has invited various suppliers including Nike, Diadora, Adidas and others to submit proposals for a new 3-5 year contract starting 2008. The committee hopes to submit a recommendation to the full board of directors no later than the November 2007 board meeting. The committee will be evaluating many factors, including but not limited to: the product itself, price, vendor support, club support, etc. The Back Four Posted on 06-17-07 by Bobby Howe
For decades, U.S. soccer officials long advocated a defensive system that designated a ``sweeper’’ as one of the four defensive backs. The role of sweeper, made famous by German international Franz Beckenbauer, is also called a ``libero,’’ which means free man. The libero, or sweeper, was a free defender and could attack as well. Beckenbauer was a uniquely gifted athlete and he excelled in this dual role. He could make tackles, cover for his teammates and gallop with the ball deep into the opponent’s territory. But his greatest skill was his ability to read the game. His speed of thought and decision making exceeded his opponents and teammates – qualities that are vital for today’s top youth players. Soon, national and club teams emulated the Kaiser and the German formation. Partly because of the heavy German influence on the U.S. Soccer Association at the time, most soccer in this country played with a sweeper, or a free player behind the defense. But as soccer has evolved into a faster game, the role of sweeper has diminished. Perhaps the most dramatic break came in 1994, when the U.S. hosted the World Cup. Few of the teams in the tournament played with a sweeper. What the professional players and coaches had discovered that without a player of Beckenbauer’s rare talents, the sweeper was counter productive, even an anachronism. That’s especially true today for young players who are developing and learning how to take responsibility for defending. Why? For starters, most coaches in North America played the sweeper solely as a defensive player, discouraging the sweeper to take an attacking role in the game. What’s more, the sweeper was usually played deep and central, often divorcing him from the play. The sweeper system also required the other two or three defenders to man-mark rather than play a zonal team defense, which is marking players in areas of the pitch. What tended to happen was the other defenders would lose their shape and balance as they man-marked their players all over the field, hoping the sweeper would restore balance or bail them out. True, if you had an outstanding player who could play the role of libero, it would add an unpredictable dimension to the team’s attack and create few worries for the coach on defense. But the sweeper invariably takes on a disproportionate share of the work load. For those reasons, I encouraged all our coaches last year to play a system that utilized four players at the back. We call it ``The Back Four.’’ The system with four players at the back encourages all players to take responsibility for defending. It teaches them when and how to pressure the opponent with the ball, how to cover (an appreciation of angles and distances), how to create balance in the back line and how to concentrate as a unit (pinch in) when opponents are attacking through the middle of the field. A team playing with a back four does not have to change its system during a game to accommodate opposing changes of strategy. A back four should be able to cope with one, two, three or four opposing forwards. Playing with a back four not only teaches players the principles of defending, but it also encourages players to understand how and when to stay with opponents and how and when to pass players on to teammates. It promotes visual and verbal communication. Here is another way to think about defending: The key is really about thinking ahead, or pre-planning, and that’s where the speed of thought comes into play. If the defenders are sharing the work, working as a unit, most likely they avoid having shift to crisis management where they would be chasing and reacting to opponents all over the defensive third of the pitch. That requires everyone to share the responsibility of defending, rather than pinning hopes on one player cleaning up everyone else’s deficiencies. The back four creates a reasonable distribution of work and a very even distribution of space across the width of the field. The system not only promotes a better understanding of defending but also, it provides a wonderful springboard from which to attack from the back. Outside full backs are encouraged to support the attack or overlap when play is on their side of the field. The system also promotes a change of play when play is tight on one side of the field. The back four should never become a “flat back four”. There is always shape to the defensive line. This shape is dictated by the position of the ball on the field and the positions of the players the defenders are marking. As the ball moves and as opponents move, the shape changes. Even at U-11, where we play nine v nine, I encourage a system that stresses the importance of wide midfield players dropping back to act as outside full backs when the team is defending. I want our teams to play 2-4-2 system that utilizes two central defenders and the outside midfielders hustling back on defense. Are the kids going to mistakes? Yes, they will. But it’s by allowing them to make those mistakes that ultimately will teach them how to play. The back four is really about a method of play that allows kids to adapt to any system of play or any formation, and it teaches them how to work together as a unit. Substitutions
by Bobby Howe
The World Cup in Germany clearly demonstrated that the United States has a long way to go to be competitive with the powerhouse nations in soccer. While the game has grown steadily in participation and popularity in the last thirty years our current system has not produced the numbers of quality players that have been developed in some other countries. It is time to re-evaluate the game in this country and put into place programs that will enable us to compete.
For many years gimmicks have been used to “Americanize” the game in an endeavor to create more appeal to the U.S. public: points systems have been changed; overtime rules have been altered; different shoot-out systems have been implemented; a thirty-five yard offside rule was introduced and there were experiments with increasing the size of goals. Fortunately, most of those changes have been abolished.
However, the one rule that remains here that is different to most of the world is in the area of substitutions. Outside the United States players may not re-enter the game once they have been substituted. In most soccer competitions in this country players may re-enter the game. It is my opinion that we should consider a policy of no re-entry and return to the game that is being played by the rest of the world. It is time for our youth players to experience the real game.
The policy of no re-entry would encourage our coaches to plan games carefully in advance. They would have to decide who would start and who would substitute and which combination of players would be best suited to play with each other. They would also have to take into consideration quality playing time for all the players. During the game other substitution factors will come into play such as injuries, tactics and sub-par performances.
It is important that all players are allowed enough time to become involved in the game, to solve problems, to cooperate with their team mates, to play while they are tired and to overcome fatigue while they are playing. Players must also have enough time to respond to their mistakes. It is how they respond that will help determine their growth in the game.
There are four components of the game in which players must improve in order to advance; technique, tactics, fitness and psychology (mental toughness). Players’ experience of all the components of the game are greatly enhanced with more quality playing time. - Technique: There is more continued exposure to the execution of skill under the demands of the game.
- Tactics: There are more continuous opportunities to make realistic decisions and to solve problems on the field.
- Fitness: Fitness is enhanced by playing for sustained periods of time.
- Psychology: Overcoming fatigue, overcoming mistakes, playing under the stress of the moment or the stress of the occasion, holding on to a lead or coming from behind are all problems that must be solved on the field.
Young players, U-11 to U- 13, must expect to play at least 50% of the time during league or tournament play; they will learn much more by playing than observing. Gradually, from U-14 to U-18, playing time must be determined by ability, effectiveness and overall application to training and games. However, at all ages, players must be given to opportunity to contribute while they are on the field. Fifteen consecutive minutes should be the very minimum of playing time. The problems on the field must be solved by the players. Good coaches will assist with good instruction and careful, calculated substitutions. It is my concern that many parents believe that substitutions play a much more important role in coaching than reality.
It is my concern that many coaches try to deceive parents by creating “token” minutes for players or by “platooning” three or four players at a time. Parents must understand that tokenism and platooning do very little for the individual players involved and cause the team to lose rhythm; there is more disruption to the team making the substitutions than to the opposition.
Above all, if we continue to allow free re-entry into games, our players, including most of the top 5%, will never experience the real game.
Substitutions may be used as a tactical weapon and this was clearly demonstrated in the World Cup. Substitutions at youth level provide an opportunity for all players to participate in games. However, it is much better for players to play many consecutive minutes once than to play the same number of minutes in two or three increments.
Emerald City Football Club's Position on "Playing Up" Posted on 07-13-06by Bobby Howe
It has been ten years since I left Washington State Youth Soccer Association. The landscape has changed during that time and undoubtedly, the game is improving. Clubs with professional coaches are emerging.
Therefore, as we develop further, clubs must bear more responsibility for the development of play within the state. Not only must we be responsible directly for the improvement of the most talented players but also, we must play a role in the playing environment of all the players and an important role in coach education for our youngest players.
During the next few months my coaching staff and I will create position statements that will provide additional information on player and coach development that hopefully will stimulate interest.
One of my first observations at this and other clubs was the vast number of players playing above their age group obviously with the intention of gaining an advantage in competition and experience. The following are my views on this topic.
Soccer development will occur through the improvement of individual players at their levels of challenge. While chronological age is generally the vehicle to monitor progress academically and on the sports field and while many children fall within that spectrum, there are some that rise above and some that fall below the expectations of the age group. It is the responsibility of every soccer coach to recognize the standard of each individual player within his/her team and play that player where he/she belongs.
I have asked our coaches to observe players carefully and to converse regularly on the topic of player movement within our club; should a player move up from a “B” team to an “A” team or should a player move up from one age to another? The criteria always must be to challenge the player at his/her level. The questions the coaches must ask are: is the player physically able to play up? Is the player psychologically able to play up? If the player moves up the process should be monitored and discussed. If a player is asked to move from an “A” team to a “B” team or back down to his/ her own age group, the player must not feel or be made to feel that the move is a demotion. The decisions always must be in the best interest of the player, not the team.
The greatest enjoyment for any player is to be challenged at his/her level of competency. Anything below may lead to boredom and bad playing habits; any thing above may lead to disenchantment, losing a love for the game and ultimately, leaving the sport.
At the ages of U-11 to U-15 size plays a huge role in player effectiveness and often, size plays an important role in player selection. At the younger ages many bigger players are able to compete because of strength and physical presence; as a result, they do not have to try as hard, work on their skills as much or think about the demands of the game as much as their less physical colleagues. While some of these players progress to a high standard, most do not. Bigger players can compete regardless of their playing habits at a young age. Unfortunately, if those habits are poor, they will not be able to compete at the age of sixteen at which time size is much less relevant and when total soccer ability and awareness is much more important.
Smaller players that can compete at a young age have a much better chance of being successful at the age of sixteen because they have had to use their soccer talent and understanding in order to compete with the bigger players.
Most teams that dominate a league at a younger age rely on the abilities of bigger players. If those players are also very talented, they should play up to test their skills. The remainder of the team should stay at their own level to allow those players to improve.
It is important to note that, in most cases, the success of any young team in competition is due to the performance of some players, not the whole team. Therefore, the better players should move up but the whole team should not. All of our club decisions must be based upon the enhancement of the playing environment and ultimately, what is best for the player.
In conclusion, in the future, at Emerald City Football Club we shall discuss and allow the movement of players to a higher level but we shall not permit the upward movement of teams.
Invest in Kids, Not Pro Athletes, Seattle P-I editiorial by ECFC parent Edward D'Alessandro Posted on 06-29-06Howard Schultz and Sonics supporters make some good points in their appeals to get publicly raised funds to help his NBA team play in a great facility. Sports can pull a community together and have a positive economic impact on the city, and investing in athletic facilities can provide long-term benefits to the community.
But Schultz, and the rest of us, should be talking about where thousands of our own children play, not just the dozen professional athletes on the Sonics.
Part of the millions of dollars we are pondering for a new KeyArena should be used to rebuild the many overused and outdated playfields and youth sports facilities in our city. That investment would be a much bigger win for Seattle than a fancy new arena.
Youth sports have many of the positive impacts Schultz claims for professional sports.
Economics? Thousands of children and parents go out on a Saturday for youth soccer, baseball or football games; they spend money on food, gas, gear and, yes, lattes along the way. Community? Hundreds of neighborhood teams come together to celebrate great kicks and winning scores.
Over time, investing in active recreation for our kids benefits the community in even more important ways.
As parents, we are anxious about the health of our kids. There's a national epidemic of obesity plaguing the population. Childhood diabetes is more and more common. Children spend less and less time outside, and more time in front of video screens. Our kids, the first generation of children who actually have a shorter predicted live expectancy than their parents, need and deserve the best facilities with the most convenient access we can provide.
What's more, participating in youth sports has been shown to improve not only the physical health of young people throughout their lives, but their social, mental and academic well-being, too.
Yet our playfields are old and inadequate. Seattle Parks does its best to keep things in shape but the facilities are falling further and further behind.
During a recent windstorm, light poles at Lower Woodland Park came crashing down. The lighting system there is more than 20 years old and badly needs replacing. The worn-out dirt soccer fields around the city give you the choice of mud puddles or dust bowls. Baseball fields are often lumpy, bumpy, uneven patches on a good day; muddy, swampy ones after a rainy one. During fall and spring, many teams can't even find a field on which to practice. The fields are all packed, often with two or three teams per field.
For a fraction of the $200 million being considered on an upgraded KeyArena, Seattle can make a strong investment in the future health of its children. We can upgrade our worn-out grass playfields; build more all-weather, year-round synthetic fields; renovate lighting systems; upgrade field scheduling software; provide money for maintenance and upkeep; improve access; sponsor children's physical fitness programs and education; and reach out to kids in underserved areas.
Sure, I enjoy watching Ray Allen on TV drop a three from the corner. But I love watching my kids running in the fresh air, dribbling a ball around a defender, having fun with teammates and friends, being healthy children.
And I might just be holding a latte while I cheer them on.
Edward D'Alessandro is a member of the Seattle Youth Soccer Association.
Link to Source (thanks to Seattle P-I) 2006 Election Results Posted on 05-09-06ECFC Members,
The ECFC Board of Directors welcomes some new and returning members for the 2006-07 year. Thanks to all for your participation in the election. Results were announced at our annual general meeting held last night.
New member John Phillips will begin a 2 year term as one of the six general Board Members, along with re-elected (returning) members Tor Jernudd and John Ryan. They will join three members at the mid-tem of their two year commitment: Jon Bakken, Joe Picciano, and Ann Woolfrey.
New member Heidi Nelson begins a 1 year term as VP of Membership.
New member Jon Matsushita will serve as the Coach Rep for the U15-U18 teams, joining returning member Dave Russell as the U11-U14 Coach Rep. Both will serve 1 year terms.
Ellie Harrington begins a 1 year term as the new Player's Rep for the Girl's sides and Jamie Rees returns to represent the Boy's teams.
Finally, the Board extends a BIG thank you to its outgoing members: Nancy Gruber, Susan Bjork, Heather Jones, and Marisa Landicho!
The new board has elected Jon Bakken as President, John Ryan as Exec VP, Tor Jernudd as Treasurer, and reelected Joe Picciano as SYSA commissioner and Ann Woolfrey as Secretary.
Contact information for all board members can be found on our club website at: http://emeraldcityfc.org/contacts
On behalf of the ECFC Board of Directors,
Jon P. Bakken
President Premier Development League Press Release, Source : Todd Lincoln Posted on 04-14-06Press Release
The Commissioners of Washington State Youth Soccer Association are proud to announce, in conjunction with the Coaching Directors of the participating clubs, a spring and fall League that focuses primarily on developmental principles of youth soccer. Participation in this league is open to all clubs in WSYSA who qualify.
Participation by all clubs in the U13 State Leagues and U14 LPT’s will be unaffected by the formation of the Development League.
Recognizing a need issued in a statement from Coaching Directors of clubs throughout the State of Washington consistently fielding State Premier League teams, the Commissioners have created a Development League for ages U11 through U13. The league is administered and governed by an 8 member committee, currently seated with representatives from Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4. Clubs from Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 currently participate in the League.
The Development Committee –
- Stu Snow, District 3 Commissioner
- Jan Phillips, District 1 Commissioner
- Shari Tumey, District 2 Commissioner
- Fourth seat (Association representative)
- Bobby Howe, Coaching Director Emerald City FC
- Neil Megson, Coaching Director WestSound FC
- Greg Ion, Coaching Director Washington Premier FC
- Eighth seat (Tier 2 Coaching Director)
Qualification for clubs participating in the inaugural Developmental League requires a Developmental Program planned or initiated with their Association for Coach and Player education; a Coaching Director licensed USSF National B or higher, or UEFA B or higher, with an emphasis on continuing education; a top 18 ranking of teams currently in Washington State Premier Leagues Divisions 1, 2 and 3. This will be reviewed on a semi-annual basis and the qualifying league participants subsequently notified.
Members of this League will also commit to fewer summer tournaments and actively encourage players to maintain healthy balances in sport commitments.
Features of this Developmental League will include: more compact season lengths, creating needed down time and/or allowing for multiple sport participation;
double-header weekends to minimize travel without exceeding the ‘game a day’ rule for maximum player field time; a plan for player passes, enabling lateral transfers between teams within clubs participating to facilitate development of the player through required playing time.
The U11 league will feature a central location initially and eventually move to regional centers to minimize travel. No scores will be kept and referees will be provided by the clubs. These games will be 9 a side.
The U12 league will feature home and away series with no scores recorded for the spring league.
The U13 league will run separately from the State U13 leagues. Seeding placement from the State leagues will be retained and brackets for the U14 League Placement Tournament will be balanced accordingly.
The following is a list detailing scores for qualified clubs that are participating in the Development League:
Club Name | Premier League Points
Lake Wash. Crossfire 72.5
WPFC (FC United/Royals) 54.0
Emerald City FC 53.5
Eastside 47.5
Spokane Shadow 38.0
NorthWest Nationals 37.5
Federal Way United 34.0
WestSound FC 25.0
Snohomish 24.5
Evergreen Soccer Academy 21.5
FC Vancouver 21.5
Three Rivers 20.5
Highline SA 20.0
Marauders 17.5
Dosveedanya 16.0
Columbia Timbers 14.5
All clubs within Washington State are eligible for the Development Program, but must commit to working with their Association to further enhance the playing environment for all coaches and players in their Association.
Todd Lincoln
PCDC Chair
More info, http://www.d4soccer.org/pdl.php Apr 13th, 2006 E-News Elections Posted on 04-13-06Congratulations to all new and returning players.
445 players have now registered online and all teams but one have placed their uniform orders. Practices have started and the first tournament is in 2 weeks. The evenings are getting longer and the new soccer season is upon us.
ECFC Annual General Meeting
The board would like to invite all of you to attend our Annual General Meeting on Monday May 8th, at 7pm in the St Katherines School/Church basement meeting room. A link to map directions can be found on our club web site www.emeraldcityfc.com
Emerald City FC Elections
Nominations and self nominations for candidates interested in running for positions on the ECFC board are now open.
The players need to elect one player rep to the board from each gender. It would be great to get at least 4 candidates in order to generate some interest with a contested election.
The coaches need to elect one rep each from U-11-14 and U15-18 age groups.
The general membership needs to elect 3 "general board members" and one VP of Membership. So far I have heard from 2 interested candidates. We need at least 3 more!
There will be a "meet the candidates" question and answer session at St Katherines on Monday April 24th at 7pm. Final nominations and/or self nominations (in order to get "on the ballot" )are due midnight pacific time that day.
Candidates are welcome to submit a one page 8.5 by 11 pdf file for posting to our club website as part of our "online guide to the candidates". (to tor@ureach.com, I will get it posted promptly)
Voting will take place via a secure web based system in the last week of April and results will be announced at the AGM on May 8th.
For more information on the board positions please visit our club website www.emeraldcityfc.com or contact any current board member.
Tor Jernudd
ECFC President Feb 21st, 2006 E-News State Cup Finals Posted on 02-21-06FOUR EMERALD CITY TEAMS ADVANCE TO STATE CUP FINALS
We want to congratulate the players and coaches of our Girls U-12 White team, Girls U-13 White, Boys U-16 Green and Boys U-17 Green for a weekend of superb soccer! These teams won their semi-final matches and will be representing Emerald City in the state cup finals. Three other teams -- Girls U-11 White, Boys U-15 Green, and Girls U-16 Green--also play | |
