Kim Poplawski Reps EFC in state tournaments

Ok, yes, it's the Poplawski Christmas Card.

But I didn't have anything else.

That would be Kim on the left....

We wanted to extend a big thank you to Kim Poplawski for being our Challenge/Championship State Cup representative. She is the sole communication conduit to the state for state cup. The draw, scheduling conflicts, protests, reporting results, and so forth.

For the 2009 spring state cup, Kim volunteered to represent our teams and did such a superb job, that we asked her to do it again this year. She agreed to be our rep for both the winter and spring state cups. Once again, she is getting rave reviews from our team managers.
Kim, thank you!

Ever Hear of the Golden Quill?

The Golden Quill.  It's not an award for soccer luminaires.  It's an opportunity.

Have you always harbored secret aspirations of literary fame, fortune, and accolades?  Does a well-turned phrase cause your heart to race?  Are there simple things about soccer you think we'd all like to know or should know?  No matter how minute?  Do you have a video or picture you'd like to share?

Is that you?  Great!  Eastside FC's blog can use a few good writers.  You've read some of the posts we've delivered to-date.  They are short.  Informative.  They cover topics that range far and wide, but are generally useful to players and parents.  They are non-political - from a soccer perspective.  They always have a picture or a graphic attached to them.  Now it's your turn.  We want to hear from our parents, our coaches, our athletes.

We'd love to have your input, your ideas, your content here in the blog.  Send it along to the editor.  You can reach us here.

Video from Region IV Championships - WA Boys 96

Check out this clip from the WA Boys 96 victory over Cal South in the Region IV championships.  Definitely worth watching....

Video:  Michael.  User ID mjc3389yt on YouTube

For those receiving our blog via email, you can view the clip at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBJhIXSW8Do

Adidas Kit - Accessories

I forgot to run a few pics of the additional uniform kit coming next spring.  Here are the training jacket, training pants, and backpack.  I think the only thing I haven't shown you yet is the soccer ball.

Good stuff....  Remember the logo's are provisional for the time being.  Any questions, contact Suzi Kuenster.

Condivo training jacket

Condivo training pant

Backpack

Eastside Athletes Compete in 2010 US Youth Soccer Region IV ODP Championships

The US Youth Soccer Region IV ODP Championships were held for Boys and Girls 93, 94, 95, and 96 last weekend in Phoenix, AZ.  Region IV consists of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.  In total, Eastside FC has 14 players on the Washington 2010 ODP teams.

We have 4 boys from our B94R team (Coach Dan Strom) playing on the Washington B95 ODP team.  This team won their regional championship in a 1-0 victory over California South, a perennial powerhouse.  It was a great win for the players and the state of Washington.

 Washington's 2010 Region IV B95 ODP Team

EFC players are:

Joe Mancini, back row, 3rd from right

James Molineux-Elliott, front row, holding trophy

Ryan Harber, front row, 2nd from left

James McGlothern, middle row, 2nd from right

Other Eastside FC boys on Washington 2010 Region IV ODP teams are as follows:

B94:  Jordan Morris and Jordan Thompson from our B94R team (Coach Dan Strom).  This team made it to their championship game, falling 0-1 against California South. 

B93:  Connor Dugan from our B92R team (Coach Mark Kovats).

On the girls' side, the Washington 2010 Region IV 93, 94, and 95 teams all made it to their semi-finals.  Eastside FC girls on Washington 2010 Region IV ODP teams are as follows:

G93:  Brit Randle and Rachel Herron from our G93R team (Coach Dan Strom).

G94:  Cassidy Nangle, Kirsten Olson, Dominique Randle from our G93R team (Coach Dan Strom)

G95:  Kristin Hayman from our G94R team (Coach Michelle French)

G96:  Rachel Wheeler from our G95R team (Coach Tom Bialek)

Congratulations to all the players who earned a slot on the Washington state ODP teams. 

Also, it has to be noted that Dan Strom coaches 11 of the 14 EFC players on Washington ODP teams who competed in the Region IV championship.  Great job, Dan, and thank you for your commitment to excellence.  And thanks to all the coaches who had these young athletes under their tutelage over the years.

Next posting:  a recap of the Greater Renton FC 2010 Winter Classic Tournament, also held last weekend.  EFC had a number of teams do well.

Volunteers Needed for State Cup

It’s State Cup Season and Washington Youth Soccer needs volunteers!  Here is a list of jobs that you can help out with at State Cups.   If you want to be a part of the action contact Elizabeth Flannery at Elizabeth@wsysa.com.

Field Marshal: Manages the crowd during matches – monitors the sidelines to ensure all spectators are remaining appropriate for the match and are staying within the designated areas. May be asked to assist with escorting both teams to awards ceremony and speak with the referees after the match to determine the winning team, fair play award winner and retrieve the game balls (during final matches only). Volunteers in this position should be comfortable talking to the public, being assertive and be able to stand for an extended amount of time.

Set-up Crew: Arrives prior to the event to help set up tents, banners, tables, and awards area and other equipment as needed. Volunteers in this position should be comfortable with miscellaneous tasks and carrying various items. Set-up volunteers should be able to lift 15-20 pounds.

Break-down Crew: Stays after the event to help break-down and pack away tents, banners, tables and other equipment. Volunteers in this position should be comfortable with miscellaneous tasks and carrying various items. Break-down volunteers should be able to lift 15-20 pounds.
Team Host: This volunteer is assigned to a team for the entire time they are at the tournament to help them with whatever they may need. A team host escorts teams from the practice fields to their playing fields prior to the start of a game, runs errands, answers questions and performs other miscellaneous tasks to help the team during their time at the tournament. Team hosts should be able to stand for extended amounts of time.

Admissions: Stationed at the front gate, serves as the first point of contact for all teams, players and fans, collects admissions and answers general questions about the tournament. This person must be 18 years of age or older due to handling money, should be comfortable handling money, interacting with the public and answering general questions about the tournament.

Program & Merchandise Sales: Sells programs and any merchandise being sold by Washington Youth Soccer for a tournament (will vary based on event). This person must be 18 years of age or older due to handling money, should be comfortable handling money, interacting with the public and answering general questions about the tournament.

Announcers: Were you born to be on the airwaves? Do you love calling the play-by-play? We need you to announce for our tournaments!! Announcers work either on the sidelines or in the press box (depending on the venue) and announce each team, call the game and read information about our sponsors. If you think you are the next Kevin Calabro apply to be an announcer here.

Katherine Reynolds Drafted by Boston Breakers

At Santa Clara University

U17

U13.  Her team won the State Championship that year.

The Boston Breakers picked up defender Katherine Reynolds Thursday in the 2010 Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) draft at the NSCAA convention in Philadelphia.  This is a proud moment for Katherine and her parents George and Sara.  Her sister, Hannah, is a current EFC player on Chance Fry's GU13R team.

Katherine played 9 years at Eastside FC.  She played up a year U11-18 and then played U18 again at her age. Her coaches were Kevin Reagan (U11-U14), Randy Hanson (U15-16), Frank Gallo/Tammy Bennett (U17-U18), and Tom Bialek (U18+).

 When I chatted with her, she said "I loved my team.  I still talk to my friends from that team.  We're going to Vegas in a few weeks.  Those girls are some of my best friends.  We always had fun.  We worked hard.  We had great coaches.  There was always an opportunity to grow."

Katherine leaves Santa Clara with a degree in Political Science.  We wish her the very best with her new team at the Breakers and look forward to her coming back and chatting with our young players....

Soccer Hall of Fame

Did you know there even was one?  I didn't, but there is.  Recognized by the US Soccer Federation.  You can find it at http://www.soccerhall.org/ 

It's mission reads as follows:

The mission of the National Soccer Hall of Fame's website - www.soccerhall.org - is to celebrate the history, honor the heroes, inspire the youth and preserve the legacy of the sport of soccer in the United States. Consequently, our goal is to take today's news and combine it with the relatively unknown long and glorious history of the sport to provide truly unique content that is not available in any other place.

Pics of the Week

Here are four pics of players on Coach Emily Cole's GU13W team.  They were submitted by Maggie Brower and Mike Monk last November and slipped past me and hid in my Inbox.  Argh.  They're from a game played against the Spokane Shadow on Nov 11, 2009.  Score was a 3-3 tie.

Tracy Monk on the left, Elle Henke on the right.  Putting the ol' tag team on an opponent.

Photo:  Maggie Brower

Kellcy Emory, on the run.

Photo: Maggie Brower

Gabby Brower, airborne.

Photo: Maggie Brower

Tracy Monk attempting the slide tackle.

Photo:  Mike Monk

Help for Our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti

The good folks at Eurosport are donating all proceeds from sales of this t-shirt to disaster relief in Haiti.  Order here...

Eurosport Goal Club Benefits

As you're heard, EFC has chosen Eurosport as its uniform fulfillment vendor. As a club, we will benefit from Eurosport's excellent customer service, timely and accurate fulfillment capabilities, and good pricing on high quality uniforms beginning with the 2010-11 season.

In addition to the club-wide benefit, we wanted to make you aware of the special pricing and offers available to individual families with a Eurosport GOAL CLUB membership:

1. You can join the GOAL CLUB when you place your next order or when you create a SOCCER.COM account. The one-time membership fee is $24.95.

2. You are immediately eligible to save money on every item in the Eurosport catalog and on SOCCER.COM. Each product has REDUCED GOAL CLUB MEMBERS' PRICING HIGHLIGHTED IN RED. These exclusive, substantial savings are good on your first order and every order thereafter, as long as you are a Eurosport customer. The Goal Club Best Price Guarantee helps you make sure you're getting the best price as a Goal Club member.

3. Earn BONUS POINTS every time you purchase from Eurosport. Bonus points can be redeemed for FREE GEAR. Every product has a points redemption price in red as well.

4. Your one-time fee is completely RISK FREE, because if you do not save at least $24.95 in your first two years in the club, you are eligible for a full refund of your membership fee.

5. And as an added benefit, every new Goal Club member receives a complimentary issue of Soccer America magazine, and receives an invitation for a FREE 3-month membership with SOCCER AMERICA, which includes SoccerAmericaDaily e-news and two additional trial issues of monthly Soccer America Magazine.

NCAA Schools That Sponsor Soccer

I was poking around on the US Youth Soccer website this afternoon and came across this.  Thought some of our older players might be interested...

NCAA Schools That Sponsor Soccer

Men's Soccer

Division I

Division II

Division III

Women's Soccer

Division I

Division II

Division III

Kristin Maris Named Washington State 4A MVP

Kristin Maris

Congratulations to Kristin Maris from the G91R (U18) team.  She was recently named Washington State 4A Most Valuable Player for the year.  She played at Issaquah High for Coach Tom Bunnell.  Her older sister Lauren also played for EFC.

Kristin has been with us since U11.  She played her first year under Coach Brian Arnot.  Since then, she's played every year for Coach Tom Bialek.  This is her last year.

She's heading to Bellingham to play for Western Washington University on a soccer scholarship.  Undecided about a major at this point, she's mulling over Sports Medicine as an area of focus.  Kristin's gonna have a little company while playing for the Vikings.  EFC's Anna Geldenhuys, the KingCo 3A Player of the Year, will be her teammate.   Kristin and Anna have been playing together since U11.  I think it's fantastic that they're gonna keep it together on into college.

Here's what Kristin said when I talked with her about today's post.  "Playing at EFC has been so much fun.  A few of us have been playing together since U11.  I love practices.  I'm sad to be leaving, but definitely excited about the future."  When I asked her for a few words of wisdom for younger players coming up behind her, here's what she said.  "Enjoy it while it lasts and keep working hard.  I'm sure they'll have a bright future."

We wish Kristin the very best....

Keeping Fit in the Off-Season -- Part 1

David Tenney provides great advice on fitness in this guest entry...   Enjoy....

=====================

I'm often asked by players and parents about the best way in winter months to make sure that players maintain their fitness. With weather conditions in Seattle making outdoor training difficult, people often become panicked about losing the fitness levels they worked so hard to build up during the summer and fall months. Is this a realistic concern? How worried should someone be about this potential “de-conditioning?"  Here's an approach youth, high school, or college players may want to take to make sure they are maintain (or improve) their fitness during the winter.

First, it remains important for a player to not become unfit by spending hours during the holidays sitting on the coach watching TV, surfing the internet, or playing every imaginable video game.  However, there is something to be said for allowing players to take a break from the mental and physical grind that our youth soccer system has created with high school, ODP, and club tournaments/league play.  I believe our young youth players should not be “12 months a year” soccer players. We've developed a system where kids can play on multiple teams over the course of the year.  At the same time, we're concerned with the increasing level of ACL injuries, sprains, strains, and pulls.

Recently, I recommended to a couple of our younger Sounders players that they take some time off from going out and kicking the ball at the conclusion of our MLS season.  My suggestion for what they should be doing?  Play some basketball. Why? Over time, athletes “groove” the motor patterns they perform most frequently.  The way muscles move and function is strongly influenced by these grooved motor patterns.

Often times, athletes who grow up playing only one sport will have too few motor patterns.  This can eventually lead to overuse injuries or imbalances around certain joints causing traumatic injuries like ACL tears. As a result, it’s important that young kids participating in sports are encouraged to move in new ways and to try new sports.

So, even while a player may want to specialize in soccer, and not play another sport, this time of the year is great for experimenting with different activities.  This experimenting may actually lead to someone learning to move and think in different ways which could actually help them move in better, more efficient ways on the soccer field.

For example, the constant kicking that takes place in soccer can lead to athletes who are termed “quad dominant."  This means that physically, these players have over-developed and prefer to use their quad muscles at times over certain gluteus or groin muscles.  This quadriceps dominance can lead to increased risk of knee injury due to the imbalance, as well as leading to an actual tilting of the pelvis because young soccer players can have such strong quads and hip flexors in comparison to the other muscles of the hips and legs.

For this reason, sports such as basketball or tennis are great to play this time of year.  You'll move in many of the same ways, but stress your muscle systems slightly differently - preventing some of those grooved patterns. This whole idea is one of the arguments against early (younger than U10) specialization that can take place in youth soccer. Clearly, a player needs to spend hours and hours perfecting technique, but they should be balanced out by performing other sports as well.

My next blog will cover what other activities an adolescent or teenage player can do in the “off-season” to try to improve his or her physical abilities (speed, power, aerobic fitness) in order to be better prepared to perform in the spring season.

What Are Those Hash Marks For?

I've always wondered about the hash marks that are on the touch line and goal line.  What the heck are they for?  Finally looked it up today...  They're put down to mark the 10 yd limit for defenders to approach when corner kicks are being taken.

Here's what I found about hash marks from the Laws of the Game, Chapter 1 - The Field of Play
.....
Marks may be made off the field of play, 9.15 m (10 yds) from the corner arc and at right angles to the goal lines and the touch lines, to ensure that defending players retreat this distance when a corner kick is being taken.
.....

New Year's Resolutions

© Franc Podgoršek | Dreamstime.com

Well, the blog is back after a great break in December. Hopefully everyone had a chance to recharge their batteries and enjoy holiday time with friends and family.

Here are 10 ways to be a better soccer player in the upcoming year...

1. I will practice at the wall at least once a week.
2. I will follow through towards the target when striking the ball.
3. I will keep my head in the game after my team scores a goal.
4. I will keep my eye on the ball when striking it.
5. I will appreciate the game for the camaraderie it offers and the challenge it presents.
6. I will keep my soccer gear squared away, tidy at home and on the field.
7. I will not chew gum on the field.
8. I will remember soccer is about having fun, so when I'm at practice and most especially at game time, I will not freak out.
9. I will play with intensity and fairness.
10. I will remember that the first player to the ball enjoys a distinct advantage and work on my fitness.

See you on the fields!