EFC Sends 10 Teams to Semifinals and 5 to Quarterfinal Round!

Eastside is proud to advance 15 teams in the State Cup Tournaments.  With 4 teams playing in the semifinals on Saturday, let's head to Starfire to cheer them on to victory!

Championship Cup U12 - U14 Teams:
U12 EFC Boys 98 Red, Coach An Nuon, Semifinals
U12 EFC Girls 98 Red, Coach Michelle French, Semifinals
U13 EFC Girls 97 Red, Coach Kelli Smith, Semifinals
U14 EFC Girls 96 Red, Coach Chance Fry, Semifinals

Challenge Cup U12 - U14 Division One:
U12 EFC Boys 98 White, Coach Kei Kinoshita, Semifinals
U14 EFC Boys 96 White, Coach Stuart Lee, Semifinals
U12 EFC Girls 98 White, Coach Kelli Smith, Semifinals
U13 EFC Girls 97 White, Coach Tom Turner, Semifinals
U14 EFC Girls 96 White, Coach Emily Cole, Semifinals
U12 EFC Boys 98 Blue, Coach Fernando Barros/Xinho, Semifinals

Teams Advancing to the Quarterfinal Round:
Championship Cup:  Girls 93 Red, 94 Red, and 95 Red
Challenge Cup:  Girls 93 White and 96 White

Semifinal games played at the Starfire Sports Complex. For a full game schedule, including game times and field locations, see WSYSA.

Good luck to all!  GO EFC!

Headers for Haiti

Megan Wade With a SUV full of gear for Haiti

Sister Ann delivers the goods

Megan Wade, goalkeeper for Porter Lombard’s Girls 93 team had a life changing experience when she was 10. She was able to spend 3 weeks in Tanzania Africa where she met her pen pal at a school and was able to play soccer with the kids. Already a soccer player, she realized while playing with these kids how soccer is a universal language and the beauty of the game is that all you need is a ball. She played on a dirt field with no nets and a ball that had seen better days yet she played and communicated with kids on a level that may not have happened had it not been for soccer.

Last summer a family friend returned from a trip to Haiti where he spent 2 weeks providing medical care. As he told Megan about his trip he mentioned there was a pretty shabby soccer field across the street from the medical center he worked at. When he announced that he was returning to Haiti to provide more medical help, Megan asked if she could send soccer gear for the kids around the hospital. This started her project “Headers for Haiti”.

Megan organized her high school team (Wenatchee High School – Megan and Sara Silva commute from Wenatchee to play for EFC) to begin collecting gear during the 2010 high school season. In addition she asked businesses for support and 3 businesses said they would donate $50 for every header scored during the season. Megan’s end result was 100lbs of gear including 91 new balls with pumps and $150. Sara Silva, also an EFC teammate scored the only header for the year.

“The cool thing about this project is that our friend is sending me pictures from Haiti showing the kids with the gear we collected” says Megan. She is thinking about continuing the Headers charity this fall and asking businesses for donations for any header scored to continue helping the kids in Haiti.

Well done Megan and Sara!

Engage In Parks!

With the promise of better weather just around the corner and a wealth of fun events, activities and amenities awaiting, King County Parks encourages everyone to “Engage in Parks”. There are several ways to get active while supporting King County Parks – Your Big Backyard.

You could:

• participate in the Big Backyard 5k on May 22nd at Marymoor Park
• enjoy great deals with Chinook Book with all proceeds benefiting parks
• volunteer at a park

For more information and links, visit the “Engage in Parks” website:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/engage.aspx

Details:

King County Parks Big Backyard 5K, May 22

The second-annual King County Parks Big Backyard 5K fun run sponsored by Group Health is set for Sunday, May 22 at Marymoor Park It’s a great chance to get outside and enjoy the fresh air while supporting King County Parks – Your Big Backyard.

Enjoy great deals with Chinook Book and support King County Parks.

Sign up for free mobile coupons through Chinook Book and enjoy saving on fantastic offers while supporting King County Parks. Chinook Book will donate 25 cents to King County Parks for each person who signs up for a free trial pack with the promotional code, 12002-0012-0120-0207. Chinook Book will donate $5 to King County Parks for everyone who buys all 275-plus coupons using that same promotional code.

Volunteer with King County Parks

Spring is a busy time of year, and we’re looking for volunteers to help us spiffy up in King County’s 26,000 acres of parks and 175 miles of trails. Weeding, watering and preparing native vegetation for the fall planting season are among some of the activities that we couldn’t do without hundreds of dedicated volunteers each year.

You can volunteer as an individual or as a group, be it your co-workers, a scout troop, community group or religious group. Experience isn’t necessary – just a desire to help make King County a better place to live and play.

EFC Player, Audrey Thomas, Named Seattle Bank Premiere Player of the Month

Congratulations to Audrey Thomas, the inaugural Seattle  Bank Premiere Player of the Month.  This award recognizes Audrey for her dedication to soccer, academic excellence and her commitment to the community.  Audrey, better known as Audi, has been with the Girls 93 Red Team since her U11 year.  In addition to club soccer, Audi was honored to represent Washington State in the ODP program and was recognized at the High School level as a First Team Awardee at Issaquah High School.  Audrey is a great role model of a scholar athlete.  Eastside is proud to have you represent our Club! 

To read more about Audrey and this award, please see the Seattle Bank website.  Congratulations Audrey - GO EFC!  

Audi, surrounded by her teammates, at training when the award was presented.  The EFC Girls 93 Red Team, coached by Dan Strom and Frank Gallo, has climbed through the soccer rankings and is currently a top 25 nationally ranked team.
Audrey's team received a $500 check which will be used to pay for team travel expenses at an upcoming tournament. Audrey will be recognized during the month of April at the Sounders games.  Thank you Seattle Bank!

What Is "Advantage"?

Source:  Cover of the FIFA Laws of the Game 2010/2011

Ever watch a game and see a foul committed but the referee didn't blow the whistle? You may think in fact the ref "blew" the call by not calling a foul.   But wait...

The ref may have been invoking a rule known as "advantage".   It simply means we don't want a team who commits a foul to benefit from stopping play when the fouled team has the ball and an advantage in allowing play to continue.  You see a similar concept in basketball where the ref can call a foul but allow a basket to count after a foul has been committed.

So next time the ref doesn't blow the whistle on a foul - think twice before screaming FOUL!!!! at the top of your lungs  - the ref might simply be invoking advantage.    It'll be easier on your lungs and your neighbor's ears....   :)

Here's the rule definition from the FIFA Laws of the Game 2010/2011, Law 5:  The Referee.

Advantage

The referee may play advantage whenever an infringement or offence occurs. The referee should consider the following circumstances in deciding whether to apply the advantage or stop play:

• the severity of the offence: if the infringement warrants an expulsion, the referee must stop play and send off the player unless there is a subsequent opportunity to score a goal

• the position where the offence was committed: the closer to the opponent’s goal, the more effective it can be

• the chances of an immediate, promising attack

• the atmosphere of the match
The decision to penalise the original offence must be taken within a few seconds. If the offence warrants a caution, it must be issued at the next stoppage. However, unless there is a clear advantage, it is recommended that the referee stops play and cautions the player immediately. If the caution is NOT issued at the next stoppage, it cannot be shown later.

State Cup Updates!

Eastside is proud to advance 17 teams in the U11-U14 State Cup Tournaments. 

EFC has the following 4 teams advancing in the WA State Tournaments:

Challenge Cup U11 -Dev Division:
U11 EFC Dev Red Boys, Coach Stuart Lee, Semifinals
U11 EFC Dev Red Girls, Coach Tom Bialek, Semifinals

Challenge Cup U11 - Division One:
U11 EFC Red Boys 99, Coach Dan Strom, Semifinals
U11 EFC Red Girls 99, Coach Michelle French, Semifinals

Championship Cup U12 - U14 Teams:
U12 EFC Boys 98 Red, Coach An Nuon, Quarterfinals
U14 EFC Boys 96 Red, Coach Tom Bialek, Quarterfinals
U12 EFC Girls 98 Red, Coach Michelle French, Quarterfinals
U13 EFC Girls 97 Red, Coach Kelli Smith, Quarterfinals
U14 EFC Girls 96 Red, Coach Chance Fry, Quarterfinals

Challenge Cup U12 - U14 Division One:
U12 EFC Boys 98 White, Coach Kei Kinoshita, Quarterfinals
U13 EFC Boys 97 White, Coach Ryan Dortch, Quarterfinals
U14 EFC Boys 96 White, Coach Stuart Lee, Quarterfinals
U12 EFC Girls 98 White, Coach Kelli Smith, Quarterfinals
U13 EFC Girls 97 White, Coach Tom Turner, Quarterfinals
U14 EFC Girls 96 White, Coach Emily Cole, Quarterfinals

Challenge Cup U12-U14 Division Two:
U12 EFC Boys 98 Blue, Coach Fernando Barros/Xinho, Quarterfinals
U13 EFC Girls 97 Blue, Coach Dan Bubar, Quarterfinals

Good luck EFC!

Semifinal games played at the Starfire Sports Complex.  For a full game schedule, including game times and field locations, see WSYSA

EFC Girls 95 Red - Far West Regional League Finalist!

Coach Tom Bialek’s Girls 95 Red team wrapped up the #2 finish in the Far West Regional League in the final two games of the FWRL Spring Season last weekend at Preston. This US Youth Soccer Region IV competitive league provides some of the highest levels of competition in the nation, featuring teams from Sereno from Arizona and the So Cal Blues from southern California. 

Coach Bialek commented “The focus and intensity of our girls this weekend was excellent. We played in this league last year and did well, but this year’s performance was a dramatic improvement. We went into the league this year with high expectations and the girls delivered a great result by virtue of their commitment to each other and to excellence on and off the field. We enjoyed the result from this weekend’s play. Tuesday we shift our focus to preparation for the Washington State Championship tournament and look forward to great competition in the weeks ahead.” 

Far West Regional Spring League Girls U15 Standings

Congratulations, girls!

Eastside FC Girls 93 Red - Capture Repeat Title at Vegas Showcase!

EFC Girls 93 Red is a repeat Champion at the Las Vegas College Showcase – and in the most competitive bracket! We were placed in a highly competitive bracket with 3 teams who were higher ranked than our EFC Girls.

In the first game we struggled to find our rhythm against the Virginia State Champs who defended well. Despite the statistics in our favor, the soccer gods were not with us in this game. We went down in the first minute of the game and as the game progressed we hit the crossbar and posts and missed some chances. We lost 0-1. We had to quickly get over the loss and work harder and smarter for the next game.In our 2nd game against USA's 5th ranked team who had great skill and desire but were playing their 2nd game of the day to our 1st, we found our rhythm as I've not seen before. It was magical -- dominating from start to finish (5-1), with harried moments, to be sure, but a great confidence builder. Wow, what a comeback from our first game! A great win against a top 20 ranked team, State Champion and Regional Semi-Finalist.

Game 3 was another challenge altogether -- overcoming a team playing a physical and very aggressive game. We took a beating with a ref who let far too much go without a whistle. In some ways it was the most delicious win of all, to reinforce the importance of being civilized against those who believe otherwise and who made the beautiful game look ugly. Audrey's  and Liz's goals secured a 2-1 win against a team ranked in the top 20 in the country.The final match was the crowning glory, playing the best opponent yet and we truly dominated the first 60 minutes of the 80. Finishing with a win took our commitment to the final whistle (2-1). To play another sophisticated, skillful team such as Albertson's and to beat them with even more skill and energy was truly a beautiful game! They were a class act, and a team we'd love to play again. What a way to end it all….. Champions clearly proving we deserved our medals.

This win pushes EFC Red to #18 in the Nation, #5 in Region IV and #1 in Washington State. Let’s go win state Cup!  GO EFC Girls 93 Red!

Heads Up! US Youth Soccer and CDC Team Up to Help Keep Young Athletes Safe from Concussion

 

US Youth Soccer Health and Safety Resource Center – Concussion Information

FRISCO, Texas (March 31, 2011) – US Youth Soccer and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are proud to be teaming up to help protect participants of all youth sports who may be at risk of concussion. The campaign, is an expansion of the “Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports,” and will help get concussion information into the hands of coaches, parents, and school and health care professionals who are on the front-line to help identify and respond appropriately to concussions among young athletes. 

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Concussions can have long-term impacts on young athletes, such as on their health, memory, and learning.

“Education is a core element to the goals of US Youth Soccer and furthering the awareness and steps to minimize potential serious injuries to our youth athletes is paramount,” said John Sutter, president of US Youth Soccer. “Concussions are serious and materials that are now available will get the right information about how to identify and manage a concussion directly into the hands of the people that need it the most – our youth sports coaches, parents and the athletes themselves.”

“Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports,” is designed to help coaches, parents, and fellow athletes recognize the symptoms of a concussion and provides actions that need to be taken when an athlete is showing signs of a concussion. Campaign materials are available at no cost and include:

• An online training for coaches;
• A fact sheet for coaches;
• A fact sheet for athletes;
• A fact sheet for parents;
• A magnet with concussion facts for coaches and parents;
• A poster with concussion facts for coaches and sports administrators; and
• A quiz for coaches, athletes, and parents.

Since youth sports administrators play a vital role in sharing educational materials with their coaches, the campaign encourages youth sports program administrators to order and distribute the materials to the coaches in their programs at the beginning of the sports season.

Youth sport administrators and coaches are encouraged to order as many materials as needed and/or download extra copies of the concussion fact sheets. CDC’s aim is to get the information into the hands – and heads – of all coaches, parents and athletes. Take the online training or order or download the “Heads Up” materials free-of-charge at www.cdc.gov/Concussion.

Additional copies of the fact sheets for athletes and parents can be downloaded or ordered, in English or Spanish, at: www.cdc.gov/ConcussionInYouthSports.

For more information about concussions, traumatic brain injury, or injury in general, visit USYouthSoccer.org Health and Safety Resource Center or the CDC Injury Center’s website at www.cdc.gov/Concussion.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) – US Youth Soccer - "The Game for ALL Kids!®" is the largest youth sports organization in the country and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, and over 900,000 administrators, coaches and volunteers in 55 member State Associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game. For more information, visit http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/

Panyee FC: Southern Thailand Youth Champions 2004-2010

How far would you go to play the Beautiful Game?

Chance’s Video Picks – Passion & Dedication

Here is an inspiring story of one girls passion and the dedication it takes to truly become great at whatever you set your sights on.  Enjoy this great article and video clips!


Read the Full Article:  New York Times Magazine