Zackery Lystedt Law

We've all seen some pretty dramatic collisions on the pitch.  Occasionally, it results in a player being down on the field for a while.  I'm sure most of you have heard of the Zackery Lystedt Law, passed in the last legislative session.  It concerns youth sports head injuries.  Here's a quick synopsis of the law and it's implications for coaches and Eastside FC.

The legislation was an amendment of Washington state law pertaining to liability of school districts with respect to injuries on school premises involving district employees or entities under contract with the district, RCW 4.24.660.  The amendments may be viewed, for the time being, at this location.

Does this affect us?  Yes, because we use school facilities when we rent school fields.  That constitutes a contractual relationship under the terms outlined in the bill and thus requires compliance.

Additionally, Washington Youth Soccer has mandated compliance with the new law.

The primary elements of compliance include:

1. Proof of insurance related to soccer injuries in the minimum amount of $50K for bodily injury or death for one person, $100K for two or more persons.
2. Proof of such insurance before first use of the school district’s facilities.
3. A statement of compliance with the policies for management of concussion and head injury in youth sports.
4. Adoption of guidelines and other pertinent information and forms to inform and educate coaches, youth athletes, and their parents and/or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury including continuing to play after concussion or head injury.
5. On a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet must be signed and returned by the youth athlete and the athlete's parent and/or guardian prior to the youth athlete's initiating practice or competition.
6. A youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall be removed from competition at that time.
7. A youth athlete who has been removed from play may not return to play until the athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion and receives written clearance to return to play from that health care provider.
8. The health care provider may be a volunteer. A volunteer who authorizes a youth athlete to return to play is not liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission in the rendering of such care, other than acts or omissions constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

A good source of information with regard to youth sport concussion has been developed by the CDC and can be view here:   CDC training materials.

Washington Youth Soccer's page on concussion, including parent/player release forms and other materials can be found here.

EFC has been working on compliance by downloading all the materials from the CDC and Washington Youth Soccer's website and will begin rolling out this material in our communications with coaches, parents, and athletes.

More on Health-Fitness
Nutrition for the Soccer Athlete
Preventing ACL Injury
The Importance of Hydration
Sniffle sniffle cough cough

Introduction to Practice at the Wall

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Better Foot Skills

If you spend much time talking with any of our coaches about how to improve as a soccer player , one thing you're likely to hear is something like "Spend alot of time at the wall."

The wall is just that - any wall that's handy.   They're everywhere.  Practicing at the wall is perfect for getting alot of touches on the ball and improving your comfort with all aspects of ball handling.  Confident execution of ball handling skills is fundamental to the game.  It is largely a function of muscle memory developed through repetition.  The wall is a high repetition environment.  It is your friend.  Get to know it and it'll pay big dividends.

How do you get started with wall drills?  I'm no expert, so Maddie and I started out pretty simple.  One and two-touch passes against the wall.   A one-touch pass means you kick, it rebounds, and you kick it again - 'one touch'.  A two-touch pass allows you to kick the ball, take a touch to control it on the rebound, then kick it again.  'Two touches.'  Even a soccer newbie like me can understand that.

To help Maddie's accuracy and give her a target, I added a couple of crab pot buoys and set them about 4' apart, which on our cinderblock wall is 4 bricks.  It goes something like this:   "Ok Maddie, how about 4-brick two-touches.  20 on each foot."  Sounds impressive, no?   I could coach this game.  Really.  :)

Players can make alot of improvement at the wall.  They develop better feel, control, and overall comfort on the ball.  Ask Maddie.  And it's a great time for us to hang out together doing something she loves.

Here's a little video we watched today before heading up to our local elementary school for an hour of wall ball.

If you have a wall drill you like, send it along for posting here.

More On Playing the Game

Shoelace Magic
Soccer Formations
Practice Makes Progress

Pics of the Week

BAM!   That's Mollie Cook driving home a header from 5' out. G94W team last season.

Photo: Doug Phillips

EFC 96 Blue (GU13) - Brooke D. gets in there for the header “...if I open my eyes I’ll see it coming my way!”

Photo submitted by: Michelle Riley

EFC 96 Blue (GU13) - Gabby V. gets the bend it shot off vs. FC Alliance White.

Photo submitted by:  Michele Riley

More Pics of the Week

Charlie McNerney

David Pang

09-04-09

Field Turf Maintenance

Greg Weisbrich from Field Turf sets up the groomer.

Photo: Mike Racine

Cary Kassian from King County Parks sweetening up the playing surface.

Photo: Mike Racine

The King County Field Maintenance team.  From left:
Alan Sinsel, Terrie Foote, Greg Weisbrich (Field Turf), Josh Torgerson, Cary Kassian, Jackie Mullen
not pictured:  Rama Tall

Photo: Mike Racine

We spent a little quality time with the good folks from Field Turf, Inc. and King County Parks this week.  There were several tears and worn spots in the turf that were repaired.   We learned the system components and how they fit together to create a playing surface.  We also learned how to groom the surface using the Field Turf grooming machine, (handled by King County) and routine hand maintenance of high traffic spots like the corners and penalty marks (handled by Eastside FC).

Cary Kassian and Rama Tall are assigned to maintenance duties at Preston Park under the supervision of Alan Sinsel.  If you see them, say hello.

Here's what was done:

• Repaired the white line that was coming up on the goalie box on the south end of Field 1.
• Removed and patched the bald spot on the penalty mark on the south end of Field 1.
• Removed and patched the bald spot on the penalty mark on the south end of Field 2.
• Removed and patched the torn spot on the penalty arc on the south end of Field 2

The turf system is a series of layers as follows:

• A base of crushed rock, compacted and leveled.
• A carpet of green fibers, 2" long.
• A thin layer of sand.
• A layer of rubber in-fill 1 1/4" deep such that 3/4" of grass protrudes from the surface of the in-fill.

We've now got a garbage can full of spare in-fill material so we can maintain the appropriate depth.  This is critical to maintaining a good playing surface and maximizing the life of the installation.

Keeping trash, especially sports drinks, gum, and sunflower seeds is very important to the maintenance life of the system.  Please help us extend the life of the turf by refraining from bringing these items onto the field.

We should get a minimum of 8 years on the turf.  Hopefully, with vigilant maintenance, we can extend the life of the system well beyond that.

Nutrition for the Soccer Athlete

Our players engage in significant amounts of intense physical training and competition.  Nutrition is critically important to fueling all that activity and optimizing performance on the field during practice and games, and off the field during school and other activities.   FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, has developed an excellent nutrition guide for soccer athletes.  In particular it gives guidance regarding nutrition in preparation for competition.  Check it out here.

Here's their summary on important points to keep in mind:

Carbohydrate supplies the muscles and brain with the fuels they need to meet the stress of training and competition. Learn what foods you should choose to meet your carbohydrate needs as well as how much carbohydrate to eat and when you should eat carbohydrates.

Foods rich in protein are important for building and repairing muscles, but a varied diet containing everyday foods will generally supply more than enough protein. A well-chosen vegetarian diet can easily meet protein needs.

A varied diet that meets energy needs and is based largely on nutrient-rich choices such as vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, cereals, lean meats, fish and dairy foods should ensure an adequate intake of all necessary vitamins and minerals. Excluding any of these food groups means that more careful food choices must be made.

Maintaining hydration is important for performance: Fluid intake before, during where appropriate and after exercise is important, especially in hot climates. When sweat losses are high, food and drink consumed will need to contain sufficient water and salt to replace what is lost in the sweat.

Players are cautioned against the indiscriminate use of dietary supplements since they may contain undeclared forbidden substances that could trigger a positive doping test.

More on Health-Fitness

Preventing ACL Injury
The Importance of Hydration
Sniffle sniffle cough cough

Interested in Playing College Ball?

Former EFC player and board member, Joe Gradilla.

Please join us as Eastside FC hosts both the Men's and Women's coaches of Whitman College on Friday, September 25th at 7pm as well as the Men's and Women's coaches from the University of Portland on Saturday, September 26th at 5pm.

The location for both events are in the Eagle Room at Issaquah City Hall.

In addition to the coaches, current players from both men's and women's teams will be in attendance.  They'll be talking about what it takes to be a student-athlete at their respective colleges.  University of Portland is a Division 1 school and their women's team is currently 3rd in the nation.  Whitman College is a Division 3 school.

Please RSVP Joe Gradilla at jgradilla@windermere.com.  Joe is a former EFC player, played college ball at the University of Washington, and served as an EFC board member for four years.  He continues to serve EFC by managing our education program for college-bound athletes.  Thanks, Joe.

We are working on future events with other regional colleges and universities.  Stay tuned.....

More on Player-Parent-Coach

Lost and Found
Safety First
Keep It Clean
Player Progress Reviews Coming in September

Lost and Found

Did you know?  We have a lost and found coordinator at EFC.  Her name is Demaree Kieburtz.  Demaree does a wonderful job of reuniting lost articles with their little (and not so little) owners. 

Demaree keeps the list of items on the Lost and Found page of our website.  Here's how it works:

1. If you lose or find an item, send an email to efclostandfound@comcast.net
2. Include as much info as you can:  item description, player number, team level, contact information and where and when it was lost or found.

Demaree will post it on the website.

More on Player-Parent-Coach

Safety First
Keep It Clean
Player Progress Reviews Coming in September

That's Soccer Talk

Asst. Director of Coaching, Tom Bialek.

Photo: Mike Racine

Sometimes you'll hear players and coaches using terminology that you may not exactly understand. Personally, about half the time I have no earthly clue what they’re talking about.  Thankfully, though, I think my daughter understands this ‘soccer talk.’

Here are a few definitions for terms you may have heard on the field or from your player, courtesy of EFC's Asst. Director of Coaching, Tom Bialek.

"Man On".  A warning that players on a team yell to each other to let a teammate know that pressure (an opposing defender) is closing in on the ball.

"Turn".  Lets a teammate know that they have time to turn with the ball and face their opponents’ goal.

"Advantage". Advantage is a decision a referee can make to NOT stop play even though a foul has been committed. The ref may allow play to continue, despite the foul, because the team with the ball has a better opportunity to advance the ball for a shot or a cross than if they are awarded a free kick.

"Ball Side". When you're on defense, if you position yourself closer to the ball than the offensive opponent in the lateral (cross) dimension of the field, you are 'ball side'.  You mark 'ball side' to defend against easy passes.

"Goal Side". When you're on defense, being 'goal side' means being closer to your own goal than the opponent you are marking.  You mark 'goal side' to defend against shots on goal.

“Ball side” and “goal side” positioning go hand in hand on defense. Generally speaking, a defender wants to be both 'goal side' and 'ball side' when playing defense. Imagine a 90 degree angle. If you are correctly positioned "goal side" and "ball side," you can see both your opponent and the ball without moving your head and your goal is behind you.

Here's where Tommy dives into real soccer talk....

Proper positioning allows the defending player to be first to any ball played in the space behind them.

Proper positioning allows for intercepting of poor horizontal passes which can lead to good opportunities in transition to offense.  Even in the case of good horizontal passes by the opponent that arrive at the marked player proper positioning still allows the defender to stop the forward progress of that player.

Proper positioning allows the defending player to help "cover" for a teammate who may have been beaten by their opponent with the ball in a 1-on-1 situation.   Furthermore, good team defense, predicated on all defending players transitioning to goal side and ball side quickly, requires the other team to execute good passes several times before they can generate a goal scoring opportunity.

"Transition".  Quick transition to offense from defense, particularly in the opponents' end of the field, leads to a majority of goal scoring opportunities in the run of play.  Quick transition to defense from offense is vital to preventing goal scoring opportunities - particularly in the defensive third of the field

"Tactics".  A fancy way of saying decision making.  Decisions about how much risk to take or how conservatively to play are always governed by which third of the field players are in.

"Defensive Third".  The third of the field closest to your own goal.  High risk with little reward for ball possession.  Mistakes when you have the ball in this area can lead to quick scoring opportunities for your opponent.  Therefore, in the defensive third of the field, close to your own goal, you play more conservatively and clear the ball out.

"Middle Third".  The midfield is where the game is generally contested. The ball should be moving with a minimum of touches to try to find gaps in the opposing team's defense to advance the ball towards the goal, or to the flanks for crosses.  Moderate risk can be taken in the midfield, because there is reward for success, and there is time to transition to defense before the opposing team can generate a goal scoring opportunity.

"Final Third".  The third of the field closest to the opponents' goal. This is where players attack and 1-on-1 ability comes into play.  More risk can be taken in this part of the field because success means a shot on goal or a cross while failure does not usually lead to a goal scoring opportunity for the other team.

More On Playing the Game

Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Pics of the Week

This week's photos are from Charlie McNerney's archive.  Charlie as you know is the President of the Board at Eastside FC.  In addition to his day job at Microsoft, he works with the NFL through the Seahawks video department on game days.  He also shoots most of the Eastside Catholic Crusader football games.  Enjoy!

Goalie Brooke Miller sets up a goal kick for the GU16R's.

Photo: Charlie McNerney

GU16R huddles in the snow in a game vs Spokane Shadow at Preston.

Photo: Charlie McNerney

GU16R's Kaylie Sowler (in white) vs Alliance FC in the semi-final.

Photo: Charlie McNerney

Forward Dayna Talley on the GU17R's motors through traffic vs NWN this past spring.

Photo: Charlie McNerney

More Pics of the Week

David Pang.  9/15/09

Shoelace Magic

Coach Dan Strom's stylish turf shoes

Photo: Mike Racine

Note the careful attention to detail. The symmetry of the knot. The wrap over the flap. The safety knots at the end of the lace. This is shoelace wizardry.

Photo: Mike Racine

Shoelaces are something every player has in common.  Having them come untied, or be uncomfortable, or affect the delivery of the ball off your foot can be a problem... 

Thankfully, we have the internet.  Where else would you find someone like Ian Fieggen who has pondered this topic in depth?  Who knew there were so many lacing patterns and finishing knots to accomplish everything from fashion to function?  Check out Ian Fieggen's Shoelace Site.

Some shoelace musings....

Alot of us tie the Double Shoelace Knot. It's crude, but effective. Works great for keeping laces tied and using up excess shoelace. Unfortunately, it's also bulky - not recommended for soccer as Emily Cole notes below.

After carefully reviewing Ian's research, I'm recommending Ian's Secure Knot for premium soccer functionality.  It's a secure, symmetrical knot that is reasonably low profile.

More shoelace thoughts from our coaches...

Chance Fry says  "Actually untie your laces when taking off your shoes.  You won’t break down the heel when trying to slip them on and off."

Stuart Lee indicates that when he was a young guy starting out as a pro player, they taught him to tie the knot to the outside of the shoe so that it didn't affect the ball strike.

Emily Cole is a believer in the edge shoelace tying gives you.  She indicates "I believe it! I have tied my shoes a particular way for years and swear by it.

1. Start tying shoelaces as normal except go through/around twice instead of once for the first loop

2. Make your loop and then go around the loop twice instead of once

Voila! This knot is magic because it has the same friction as a double knot so does not come untied but lays flat on your shoe so the ball does not hit it and bounce off funny." 

I call her description the Emily Cole variant of the Surgeon Knot.

More on Playing the Game

Soccer Formations
Practice Makes Progress

Safety First

The crosswalk between the park and the gas station. Taken at 5:00PM recently.

Photo: Mike Racine

Traffic flies down Preston-Fall City Road.

Photo: Mike Racine

Folks, as we head into the shorter days of fall and miserably short days of winter, it's starting to get dark earlier and earlier.... 

In the interest of being proactive with regard to safety, it's worth noting that Preston Park is on a busy road with not much lighting.  There's alot of traffic.  There are many secluded, wooded areas and there is easy highway access.

It's not a good idea to allow children to walk from the field to the Preston store unsupervised, even if you as a parent are present at the park.

It goes without saying that the coaching staff will not give permission for any player to leave the park to go to the store.

Tick Tock - Game Length by Age

A classic Heuer model H102 mechanical stopwatch.

"How long are the halves again?"  Seems like I ask that question every game.  Here's the rundown on game times by age group.

From the Policy on Players and Playing Rules of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association.
U19:  Two 45 minute halves
U18:  Two 45 minute halves
U17:  Two 45 minute halves
U16:  Two 40 minute halves
U15:  Two 40 minute halves
U14:  Two 35 minute halves
U13:  Two 35 minute halves
U12:  Two 30 minute halves
U11:  Two 30 minute halves
U10:  Two 25 minute halves

Practice Makes Progress

"Frenchie"

Photo: Mike Racine

 

Michelle French is one of our Eastside FC coaches.  Her soccer resume is miles long, but I like Michelle mostly because she's a sweet spirit with an easy smile and a very tough core.  It was easy to select her as our first guest blogger.  Enjoy.....

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One of the best coaches I ever had coined the phrase "Practice Makes Progress".

"Practice makes progress" allows for mistakes, provides an avenue to understand that sometimes skills don't come easily or quickly, and it allows for measurements of improvement.  A player's goal seems much more attainable to him/her when they see progress toward the bigger picture vs feeling like they need to be perfect every time.

For example, every week my GU11 players need to try and juggle 5 more than they did the previous week. In the beginning, some players could literally only get 3 juggles. After a 2 week period, almost every single player can get at least 15 juggles. The practice and time they are putting into learning the skill of juggling has allowed them to see great progress in a short period of time.

Is the goal attainable?  Absolutely!  Will they ever be a perfect "juggler" and never drop it?  Probably not. However, if you could see the excitement on their faces when they reach the goal of 5 more juggles each week, it's priceless!  Practice has definitely made progress not only in their skill, but in their confidence to grow as players!   :)

As a player, be sure you're "practicing" the right technique.  Don't be afraid to ask a coach you trust to break down any skill for you.  Once you learn the proper technique, and you begin practicing that technique with confidence, progress is just around the corner!

Pics of the Week

This week's pics are courtesy of David Pang.  David has two daughters playing at Eastside.  Tracy on the G95R (U14) team and Kaylene on the G98R (U11) team.  Of course, there's no photo of the man behind the camera, but enjoy his work....

Brook Bofto hurtling, or is it hurdling, into action.  "Get outa my way!"

Photo: David Pang

Rachel Wheeler turning on the ball.  "Ok, now light the afterburners..."

Photo: David Pang

Tara Eisenman heading the ball. "If I grit my teeth it won't hurt so much."

Photo: David Pang

More Pics of the Week

2009-09-04

Keep It Clean

Hey, I lost my bandaid. Anyone see it?

Photo: Mike Racine

Took a brief walk across Preston Park this evening.  Collected this in just a few minutes.  Let's try and keep the park clean.  If you see stuff, pick it up and deposit it in a trash can.

'Nuff said.

Preventing ACL Injuries

Immediately After Surgery.  OUCH!!

Several Months After Surgery

Did you know?

Female soccer athletes are 3 times more likely to tear their ACL than male athletes engaged in a similar amount of activity?

There are roughly 100,000 ACL injuries per year in the United States?

The cost of surgical repair and rehabilitation has been estimated at $17,000 per case, not including future complications?

Female athletes incur ACL tears at a rate of 0.06 to 0.24 injuries per 1,000 hours of exposure.  The rate for ACL injuries incurred during games can be as high as 0.90 injuries per 1,000 hours of game time.

There are 4 primary reasons for this:

1.  The way different muscles in women contract and react.
2.  Anatomical - men and women are slightly different structurally.
3.  Hormonal - female endocrinology affects ligaments differently than men.
4.  Biomechanical - the positions our knees get into during athletic activity.

A fair amount of research has been conducted in this area.  Here's a summary of things we can do to prevent ACL tears:

Prevention Program Components

• Stretching, strengthening, pliometric, and agility exercises.  Sport-specific components can be incorporated into the program.

Duration and Frequency

• 10 - 20 minutes, 3 x per week, for 6 weeks in the pre-season
• 10 - 20 minutes, once per week (typically at the beginning of practice), during the season.

Mechanism of Effectiveness

• In addition to stretching, strengthening, pliometric, and agility exercises, using correct technique for running, jumping, and cutting maneuvers is helpful.

US Soccer recommends the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) program developed by the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation in its article on preventing knee injuries.

Graphic: Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation

Let's all be nice to our knees, please...

More on Health-Fitness

The Importance of Hydration
Sniffle sniffle cough cough

Summer Tournament Results

Holy Goalie, Batman!  Another busy summer tournament season has come and gone!!  See Carmen Thomas' comprehensive rundown of summer tournament results here....
Nice work, all... 

Below is a small selection of summer champs.  Carmen has a bunch more on the website.  Check it out.

Girls 97 Red wins California Nike Barca Tournament!

The EFC 97 Red girls ventured down to San Bernardino, CA the weekend of August 15th and 16th to participate in the Nike Barca Cup. Competing in the U12 Gold flight the girls went undefeated in pool play, including 2 shutouts. In the final, EFC controlled play during the first half but couldn't find the net. In the second half, EFC kept the pressure on and broke through with a goal that propelled them to a 3-0 victory in the final. It was a exceptional all around team effort that lead to the championship and was great way to end the tournament season.

Puma Pacific Coast Challenge Champions!

Eastside BU15 White is a tournament winner at the Puma Pacific Coast Challenge in the Copa Division. The team was in second place in points after pool play and then proceeded to win their first semi in the morning followed by a successful win against Mount Rainer Football Club in the afternoon. The final score was 1 - 2 with the win going to the visiting EFC BU15 White team coached by Danny Jackson.

More On Competitive Results

August Competitive Results

Goalie Gloves

Corey G. doing what goalies do best.

Photo: David Pang

Ever wonder about those big mitts on the hands of our goalies? I do. So I asked Coach Tom Bunnell, Eastside's goalie trainer, his thoughts on goalie gloves.


• Buy one to two pair of training gloves and one nice pair of game gloves. Try on different manufacturers to find a pair that fits your hand. Don't get them too tight.

• For game gloves we like Reusch, Sells, Sondico, Nike and Adidas. Most of these companies have a comprehensive line of gloves spanning the range from training to game gloves at a variety of price points.

• Whichever brand you select, make sure to take care of them. A decent pair of training gloves will set you back $25 - $60. A great set of game gloves will run $120 - $150. When not in use, keep them in the bag provided by the manufacturer so they don't dry out. Follow washing and care instructions. You'll maximize your service life by doing so.

• Adidas pioneered the Fingersave concept in goalie gloves which provides impact protection for the hand but somewhat limits dexterity. We see alot of them in use. Your call...

• Be sure to look into a variety and find gloves that you really love! They may be the difference in the outcome of a game?!?!?

Thanks, Tom!

Here's a great little video clip on selecting gloves.

Sideline Guideline

Does this guy look like he's having fun?

Competitive youth soccer is about many things.  At Eastside FC having fun is one of our most important goals. These are the indelible golden years in our kids' soccer experience.  They'll look back on them for the rest of their lives.  So of course we want them to enjoy this time. They work hard, train with commitment, and overcome challenges.   When game day arrives, and all that work comes together, it should be the most fun they have.  The work's over, now it's time to play!

How we conduct ourselves on the sideline matters.  As a club we believe in support for each other and respect for individuals. We recognize that the words we speak and the way we present ourselves impart values to our kids, for better or worse, and greatly affect the enjoyment of the game for all involved.

The Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association produced a video focusing on the issues of sideline behavior of adults, and specifically on how that behavior can affect the player experience, player retention, and retention of qualified referees. They've created a valuable tool that serves to remind us of the impact of negative sideline behavior.

The video had its national debut at the US Youth Soccer Workshop in Indianapolis in 2004 and it's worth revisiting from time to time.

It has actual footage shot during games and tournaments.  Some of the clips are pretty hilarious.  More sobering are the comments from young players and young refs about how parent behavior affects their enjoyment of the game.

The video may be viewed online at the following locations on the Mass Youth Soccer Website.

http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/video/attitudes.wmv

http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/video/attitudes.mov

Keep it fun out there!

Soccer Formations

The classic Pyramid formation

Ever find yourself on the sideline (or on the field for that matter) and hear something like this?

"Uh, yeah, they're playing a 4-4-2, with attacking center mids in a diamond formation.  But you know, our 4-3-3 is way better given the speed we have up front."

Huh?  What the heck does that mean?  Who knows?  Well, it turns out, our coaches and our players do.

But alot of us parents who didn't grow up with the game might be a little fuzzy on formations.  Here's a great link on Wikipedia that explains the evolution of soccer formations from classic to modern times with accompanying diagrams for each of them.

August Competitive Results

Phil, Kellcy, and Tracy enjoying a little time away from soccer.

Phil Emory is a dad at EFC.  His daughter Kellcy plays for Emily Cole's G96W (U13) team.  Phil has generously offered his support in tracking competitive results on a club-wide basis and has invested considerable time to put together a framework in support of this effort.  Here's his August competition report. 

We're trying to do a much improved job of tracking our team results on the field and updating our stats in soccer ranking sites like GotSoccer.com and NationalSoccerRankings.com

Doing this benefits the club in several important ways:

• More comprehensive, sustained reporting in soccer ranking sites like GotSoccer help us get invited to better, more competitive tournaments on a national level.
• While wins/losses/draws ain’t the only thing we’re concerned with, we’re not cavalier about ‘em either.  :)
• Comprehensive competitive records help us annually in the bracketing process.

Phil could use a designated score reporter from each team.  If you're interested in helping out in this area, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with him.

We're looking forward to seeing the monthly competition report fill out over time – there are a lot of blank spots in it at the moment.

Thanks Phil!  Go EFC! 

The Importance of Hydration

Ahhh... Does a body good...

 
The hottest days of summer are likely behind us. We had some great weather and some days when it was so hot we shut down practices. Many of us don't pay enough attention to hydration - which is too bad, because when we're well hydrated we feel better, our body works better, and we perform better on and off the field.

Even though we're heading into cooler months, a reminder about hydration doesn't hurt. 

The U.S. Youth Soccer Federation provides these guidelines to help parents, players and coaches prevent dehydration and heat illness in young athletes who are active in the heat:

1)  Encourage each player to weigh before and after activity to determine how much fluid was lost during activity. If a player is lighter after activity then encourage a little more fluid consumption during the next practice/game. If the player is heavier after activity then encourage a little less fluid during the next  practice/game. Players should try to limit fluid losses to 1-2% of body weight or less.

2)  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Before prolonged physical activity, the child should be well hydrated.
• During the activity, periodic drinking should be encouraged even if the child does not feel thirsty. Each 15-20 minutes the child or adolescent should consume:

                  − 5 ounces of fluid for a player weighing 90 lbs or less
                  − 9 ounces of fluid for a player weighing more than 90 lbs.

The medical research further suggests:

• To ensure that the child is not dehydrated before the start of the practice session or game, the child should drink 12-16 ounces of fluid approximately 30 minutes before getting to the field.
• Once the activity is over, players should drink water or a sports drink every 15-20 minutes for the first hour after activity. The rate of fluid ingestion is generally 1.5 pints of fluids for each pound of weight lost. Volume overload can make it difficult for some athletes to fully rehydrate between multiple sessions within a single day. The goal is to begin training each day at the same weight.
• Recent research shows that adolescent males typically lose 1-1.5 liters per hour when performing intense soccer practices/games in the heat, while younger males and females will lose from 0.6 to 1 liter per hour.

3)  Teach the youth soccer player to monitor their own hydration status with the following tip:

• If their urine (during flow, not once the urine is diluted in the bowl) is a pale yellow, like lemonade, then they are likely pretty well hydrated. If their urine is dark yellow, like apple juice, then they are likely dehydrated. This is an easy and accurate way to assess hydration status and it gets the kids involved on a personal level.

4)  Kids need to drink enough of the right fluids to minimize fluid losses during activity.

• Flavored beverages that contain sodium (sports drinks) are preferable because the child may drink more.
• Research shows that lightly sweetened and flavored non-carbonated beverages, like sports drinks, are preferred during exercise and are consumed in greater volumes than water,12 diluted fruit juice13 or carbonated beverages14.
• Research shows that fluids containing sodium chloride (sports drinks) increase voluntary drinking by 90%, compared to drinking plain water.

5)  In addition to replacing fluid, children also need to replace the electrolytes, such as sodium, that are lost through sweat. Electrolyte replacement is important to stimulate an adequate thirst mechanism, help the body hold on to fluid, help prevent muscle cramps, and to maintain sodium levels in the blood.

6)  Immediately before and during activity, children should avoid fruit juices, carbonated beverages, caffeinated beverages and energy drinks.

• Fruit juices have a high sugar content that can slow fluid absorption, cause an upset stomach, and may also lack sodium.
• Carbonated beverages, such as soft drinks, can reduce voluntary drinking due to stomach fullness, throat burn when gulping and lack sodium.
• Energy drinks should be avoided because many contain caffeine and have high carbohydrate concentrations which slows the emptying of fluids from the stomach.

7)  Be sure that each child uses their own beverage container that they can keep cool during the practice. An individual container allows monitoring fluid consumption more accurately, can be filled with beverage of personal preference, will help avoid the spread of germs and viruses, and the cool fluid will be replenished at a better rate than a container that sits out in the sun.  Additionally, dehydration also hinders exercise performance. The dehydrated player will have to work harder to maintain the same level of intensity than their hydrated teammate.

Here's a link to the complete U.S. Soccer Federation's 2006 Youth Soccer Heat & Hydration Guidelines.

Drink up!

Hey! That Player is Offside!!!

How many times have you heard a sideline (yours or the opponent's) erupt about a player being offside?  If you've watched more than one game, probably alot.  The rule exists to prevent a player on offense from camping out near the goal and waiting for a pass and then attempt a shot.  The game would be BORING if that was allowed.

If you want FIFA's official explanation, which isn't bad, watch this.  I'm sure you'll enjoy the music as much as I did.

If you want an even better explanation, watch this one.  Thanks to Kent Baril for sending the link.

If you watch the clips, you'll see it's best to be perpendicular to the point where the infraction occured to call it with the most accuracy.  Most of us standing or sitting on the sideline don't have that particular perspective.  That's one of the reasons the sideline judge runs up and down their half of the field all game long.

If you'd like to download the official 2009/2010 Laws of the Game, including Law 11, the Offside Rule, click here.

Pic of the Week

BOINK!

Can anyone tell me who took this shot?  Recognize this as one of your photos? 

We'd like to get your best images up here, properly attributed of course.  Anyone know the names of the EFC players? 

Send us your best shots and we'll post as many as we can.

Player Progress Reviews Coming in September

As a club, we have three formal communication loops between players, parents, and coaches. They occur in September, October, and November.  Here's an overview of the communication process.  Look for a Player Progress Review from your coach in September and an opportunity to provide feedback about your coach via online survey in October.

PLAYER PROGRESS REVIEWS. Month of September. Conducted in person.

Sept 1. An outline of the Player Progress discussion is distributed by the Director of Coaching to parents regarding the dimensions on which the player's progress will be discussed. This is the format you can expect your coach to follow in individual discussions.

Sep 1 - 31. Coaches complete individual player progress discussions.

PLAYER/PARENT FEEDBACK SURVEY. Month of October. Conducted online.

Oct 1 - 30. Parents/players fill out an online survey regarding their soccer experience to-date. It is important to note that individual survey responses are anonymous and not shared with the coach. Rather, individual responses are aggregrated and used to provide general feedback to the coach regarding their performance. Player/parent feedback is one dimension, albeit an important one, of several on which coaching performance is reviewed.

COACH PERFORMANCE REVIEWS. Month of November. Conducted in person.

Nov 1. Email from DOC to coaches with schedule of reviews.

Nov 1 - 31. Individual performance reviews between DOC and coach.

Sniffle sniffle cough cough!

We've all heard the news about swine flu.  The good folks at the Centers for Disease Control tell us to expect it to come roaring back this fall from a rather tepid start last spring.  Here's our thoughts for the club regarding swine flu....

We care about the well-being of our athletes, coaches, and their families.   We're monitoring the pandemic here in Washington and thinking about the triggers that would cause us to cancel practices, games, and/or tournament participation.

In making decisions cancelling practices/games/tournaments, we'll respond to primary guidance from:

     a. the Washington Dept. of Health
         http://www.doh.wa.gov/panflu/default.htm

     b. the Seattle-King County Dept. of Health
         http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu.aspx

     c. our local school districts

     d. Washington Youth Soccer
          http://www.wsysa.com/

4. Secondary sources of information will be the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

We are monitoring these sources daily and will respond accordingly should community mitigation measures be directed by any of these organizations.  In the meantime, have a look at the CDC's Interim Guidance for Public Gatherings in Response to Human Infections with Novel Influenza A (H1N1)

Hope this helps.....  Stay healthy!