Monthly Archives: March 2009

Springfield Soccer Club and Lake Country Soccer Set to Host Champions Challenge

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2009 Champions Challenge

2009 Champions Challenge

For the third consecutive March, Springfield will be host to over 105 youth soccer teams from 7 states as the Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission Champions Challenge will be held March 7-9, 2009. The event is co-hosted by Lake Country Soccer and the Springfield Soccer Club. Action will fill the Lake Country Soccer Complex from early in the morning until late in the evening as teams look to begin their spring outdoor seasons with top-level competition.

Since its’ beginnings in 2007 the Champions Challenge has been a destination for top teams and clubs from throughout the greater Midwest as they seek an early opportunity to get outdoors as the spring outdoor season is right around the corner. “Back in the beginning when we started this venture our goal was simply to attract the top clubs who were looking for some great early season competition. Obviously, the facilities at Lake Country Soccer are some of the top in the Midwest so that was a big attraction for the clubs to come and play on quality fields.” said Jeremy
Alumbaugh Director of Soccer Operations for the Springfield Soccer Club.

Clubs that will participate this year of note are the Kansas City Wizards Juniors, St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Missouri, St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Illinois, Tulsa SC, Little Rock FC, Edmond SC, Blue Valley Stars SC, Milwaukee Sport Club, Hurricane FC, FC Evansville, Woodchips Arsenal and many others.

One of the highlights of the weekend will be the U17 and 18 Showcase Division which features numerous State Cup Champions and Midwest Regional League teams. Teams in this division will each play four games with a heavy emphasis on providing quality games as these teams begin final preparations for their spring seasons which include State Cup Competition and Midwest Regional League matches. The Kansas City Wizards Juniors are the official youth club of the MLS KC Wizards and they are bringing all of their teams this weekend.

“This weekend will provide a big boost to the income of the City of Springfield as hotel rooms are booked and restaurants will be full. A big part of the success of this event goes directly to the Sports Commission for their sponsorship. Also, the staff at Lake Country Soccer with Kelly Ross, Sandi Hendricks, and Katie Ellsworth does an outstanding job with all of the details for the weekend. Eric Sorlie is our liaison from the Springfield Soccer Club and he has put in countless hours the last three years to help make this a can’t miss tournament. Lastly, no tournament can be successful without the volunteers from Lake Country Soccer and the Springfield Soccer Club.

This is truly a joint effort that helps the Springfield Soccer community in many ways.” said Alumbaugh.

For more information and to find schedules and field maps visit www.lakecountrysoccer.org and
www.springfieldsportsclub.com

Missouri House Considering Penalties For Attacking Sports Officials

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From the Blue Springs Examiner

But the Missouri House is currently considering legislation that would make penalties stiffer for attacking a sports official in the state. And that is a very good idea.

It’s OK to disagree with a call now and then. I have to say I even have from time to time when watching my daughter’s games.

But officials in any sport have a tough enough time without having to worry about someone attacking them after – or during – the event.

And this proposed legislation would make people who have an inclination to do such things think twice before they act. Such attacks, under this bill, would mean the person instigating it would face up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine. As of now, most of these attacks would fall under third-degree assault, which is punishable by only a $300 fine.

Missouri Girls High School Soccer: Class 3 Southwest Region

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The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) has expanded Girls Soccer to 3 Classes this year. This is the final of three stories offering a quick look at the new line ups and potential impacts.

With 16 Districts in Class 3, there are 3 Regional districts that include representatives from my coverage area. The top team in the Region last year was the Glendale Falcon’s who defeated the Ozark Tigers in the Sectional before losing to Incarnate Word in the Quarterfinal. It was Lebanon that advanced to the District Final last year against Glendale but big changes have occurred here as it did in the Boy’s line up last year.

District 10
* Camdenton High School
* Jefferson City High School
* Lebanon High School
* Rolla High School
* Waynesville High School

This district adds the always difficult Jeff City Jays program coached by Matt Stacey. The Jays are a familiar foe, regularly visiting to play in the Kickapoo Shootout and recently in a regular series with Parkview. Home to Drury Panther’s goalkeeper Jessie Sanderson, they’ll add to the mix for what was District 11 last year. While Waynesville will need to replace 7 starters, the rest of the teams will bring back a solid core. Lebanon, Waynesville and Camdenton have all gotten a taste of what it’s like near the top and this group will look to be ready to take on the District 11 champ.

District 11
* Branson High School
* Glendale High School
* Kickapoo High School
* Nixa High School
* Ozark High School
* Parkview High School


Ozark HS Coach Tom Davidson on the “Group of Death” from oleolson on Vimeo.

How about an interview with Head Coach Tom Davidson of the Ozark Tigers as an indication of what the season could be like :)

District 12
* Carthage High School
* Central (Springfield) High School
* Hillcrest High School
* Joplin High School
* Neosho High School
* Willard High School

Carthage joins this District as a 1st year program while Joplin will enter the season as the early leader with a pair of college bound players leading their squad. Willard, after coming very close against Catholic the last two years, will be out to reach new heights in the girls program. We should see some close games amongst these teams during the season which will keep everybody’s opportunities open for a late season run.

Here is the Regional map with the Orange Pins representing the Class 3 Girls programs in the Southwest Region.

Missouri Girls High School Soccer: Class 2 Southwest

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The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) has expanded Girls Soccer to 3 Classes this year. This is the second of three stories offering a quick look at the new line ups and potential impacts.

With 8 Districts in Class 2, the winner from District 5 in Southwest Missouri will advance to the State Quarterfinal. The likely opponent will come from District 6 which is made up of Kansas City area teams including Class 1 defending state champion Notre Dame de Sion. That will make it more difficult to reach the Final 4 this year for the 5 regional teams. With Carl Junction and Logan-Rogersville as first year programs, I’m picking Bolivar to have the strongest opportunity to advance.

District 5
* Bolivar High School Bolivar High School
* Carl Junction High School Carl Junction High School
* Clinton High School Clinton High School
* Harrisonville High School Harrisonville High School
* Logan-Rogersville High School Logan-Rogersville High School
* Marshfield High School Marshfield High School
* Ruskin High School Ruskin High School
* Warrensburg High School Warrensburg High School
* West Plains High School

The Yellow Pins represent the Class 2 teams in this Regional map

Does Your Field Building Project Need a Jump Start?

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From an email received from the US Soccer Foundation:

Are you, or someone you know, seeking to build a soccer field or complex? Are you having difficulty finding support for the initial planning and design you need in order to attract donors and influence decision-makers?

Apply today for a 2009 U.S. Soccer Foundation Planning Grant and take the first step to building the field of your dreams! This program, offered by Clough Harbour, the Foundation’s Partner for Design and Planning, awards grants to groups who want to develop an initial master plan for their proposed field project.

Why is a master plan important? A properly developed master plan will:
* Guide the design and construction of soccer field projects in a coherent and unified way
* Establish the proper sequencing and phasing for design and construction
* Integrate a project into your overall budget
* Build momentum for future phases
* Serve as a foundation for effective marketing, fundraising, and advocacy with decision-makers

“In only two days, Clough Harbour Sports was able to rework our existing outdoor plans, ensuring a more efficient use of those spaces. They also provided us with a working diagram and a budget, allowing us to move forward in our planning process. Generations have been waiting for Soccer to come to the South Side of Chicago. Thank you for beginning to make such a dream a reality.”
~ Salvation Army Metropolitan Division (Chicago, IL), 2008 Planning Grant Recipient

Planning Grant Applications are due April 1st and recipients are announced May 4th. Grant Recipients can work with Clough Harbour Sports over the summer to develop a master plan in time for the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s field grant opportunities offered in the fall. For more information, visit ussoccerfoundation.org/planning. Contact Malcolm Granado at the Foundation at (202) 872-6656 or mgranado@ussoccerfoundation.org with any questions you have.

U.S. Soccer Foundation – The Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the U.S.

Missouri High School Girls Soccer: Class 1 Southwest Region

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The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) has expanded Girls Soccer to 3 Classes this year. I’ll take a quick look at all three of them over the course of the next 3 days to acquaint us with the new line ups and potential impacts.

With 8 Districts in the State, the winners from District 5 and District 6 will automatically advance to the State Quarterfinal with one team guaranteed a spot in the State Final 4. The odds are that it will be Springfield Catholic, which would be their first trip to the Final 4 since 2004.

District 5 is a geographically large mix of schools from Canton in the far NE corner of the state through Central Missouri to Dixon, which is West of Rolla and just North of I-44.

District 5
* Belle High School Belle High School
* Canton High School Canton High School
* Dixon High School Dixon High School
* Fatima High School Fatima High School
* Montgomery County High School Montgomery County High School
* Southern Boone County High School Southern Boone County High School
* Stover High School Stover High School

District 6 includes McAuley to the far Southwest, 3 Springfield area teams and 3 schools to the East.

District 6
* Greenwood High School Greenwood High School
* Laquey High School Laquey High School
* Liberty (Mountain View) High School Liberty (Mountain View) High School
* McAuley Catholic High School McAuley Catholic High School
* Pleasant Hope High School Pleasant Hope High School
* Richland High School Richland High School
* Springfield Catholic High School

Here’s the Map if you’d like to see where the schools are located

3000 Stories And Welcome To A New Season

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Lot’s to keep me on my toes these days. With this post, I have now written 3000 stories about the beautiful game in the 47 months this blog has been in existence. That’s an average of more than 2 stories a day although as my regular’s know, that average increases as the season goes on. Worth mentioning that there have also been over 2650 comments left on the site, the one’s I could allow at least! It’s that community I’m most proud of, something the newspaper chains would like to emulate. What’s the secret folks, care to share it with them? Leave a comment!

It’s appropriate that a new season begins on reaching this milepost, with High School girls formally starting practice today for games that will begin the week of March 23rd. The first one I’m aware of (still working on the calendars) is March 24th, it’s Ozark at Harrison (AR). I’ve added it to the countdown timer on the right that returns. I’ve gotten a dozen of schedules, meaning I’m still missing another dozen. I’m working on getting them edited and into my calendar this week. I can’t catch your games unless I have a schedule.

It’s also a bit crazy that with this milestone, we get an article like this one, courtesy of our ever vigilant friends at GlendaleSoccer.com . Have you checked out their new website design?

The Los Angeles Sol's Johanna Frisk models a wrap.

The Los Angeles Sol's Johanna Frisk models a wrap.

As part of the WPS uniform unveiling on Tuesday in Manhattan, PUMA presented several elements aside from just the uniforms in their WPS performance collection including the WPS Official Match Ball, team-colored backpacks and PUMA performance boots with a special white/jasmine green colorway.

One of the more unique elements of the WPS collection put on display are “ wraps” that were made as an additional piece for the Los Angeles Sol, Boston Breakers, FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC. It’s a complement to the shorts and definitely something different.

They are completely optional and will not be worn in games. The wraps are removable and can be detached from the shorts with easy to remove buttons.

It’s Monday so what else should we be watching for? It’s a relatively quiet week, Champions League doesn’t return until next week. The big news is that there are 4 new girls teams beginning practice today for the first time ever – Branson Pirates, Carthage Tigers and Logan-Rogersville Wildcats all have new girls programs beginning this season UPDATE – Add the Carl Junction Bulldogs to this list of new teams in the region. The Tiger’s have a brand new website, I got it up over the weekend so content will come later but be certain to add it to your list of websites in the region.

The 2009 Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission “Champions Challenge” soccer tournament is being held at Lake Country Soccer this weekend, March 6-8, 2009. As I’m discovering from the Poll Results (have you voted yet? only once please) I need to increase my Club coverage so I’ll be out both days to get a sampling of the Boys (U8-U19) and Girls (U8-U14) teams that are playing. Feel free to send me a note with some important games you have scheduled – no guarantee I can make it but I prefer to be at games that mean something to the teams involved.

Here’s to another 3000 posts folks. Thanks for stopping by!

St Louis Athletica Open Preseason Practice

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Today, yep I bet they are out there despite the weather. Here’s the story from the Post Dispatch:

St. Louis Athletica Hope Solo Lori Chalupny soccer uniforms WPS St. Louis Athletica's Hope Solo, left and Lori Chalupny unveil their team's soccer uniforms

St. Louis Athletica's Hope Solo, left and Lori Chalupny unveil their team's soccer uniforms

Ready to do some kicking
By Tom Timmermann
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 03/01/2009

Twenty-six players — but not most of the team’s big names — will be on hand when practice for St. Louis Athletica kicks off Sunday morning at Southern Illinois Edwardsville, the team’s home. The team opens its season April 4 at SIUE.

“It’s very exciting,” said Amanda Cinalli, a former midfielder and forward at Notre Dame who finished her career there in 2007 and stayed on as a volunteer assistant coach for a year so she could work out and stay in shape for the launch of Women’s Professional Soccer. “We’ve been looking forward to it since the draft in October. I couldn’t wait to get here. It’s surreal. The excitement is peaking right now.”

“It’s fun to truly get started,” said Jeff Cooper, the team’s owner.