Monthly Archives: August 2010

Missouri Youth Soccer Association F Level Coaching Clinic – Tuesday August 17th

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F License Coaching Class at Lake Country Soccer, 2005

F License Coaching Class at Lake Country Soccer, 2005

Lake Country soccer will host its fall Missouri Youth Soccer “F” level coaching certification clinic on Tuesday, August 17th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. This clinic covers the most basic fundamentals of coaching soccer for our youngest participants. It is an entertaining and interactive clinic instructed by Denny Vaninger, who serves as the Director of Coaching for Missouri Youth Soccer.

The clinic registration fee is paid for by Lake Country Soccer for any coach working with a team that plays in a Lake Country Soccer youth league. Non-Lake Country Soccer coaches are invited to attend also, but must pay the $35 clinic registration fee. Every coach working with a team playing in a Lake Country Soccer league is required to have, at minimum, an “F” level coaching certificate.

All attendees should register for the clinic at www.mysa.org . Registering for the course also requires the submission of information for conducting a background check. For more information, please contact Lake Country Soccer or the Missouri Youth Soccer Association.

USA vs Brazil, Live on ESPN2 Tuesday Night

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Jozy Altidore vs Mexico

Jozy Altidore vs Mexico

CHICAGO — More than 63,000 tickets have been sold for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s match against five-time world champions Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Kickoff for the USA’s first match following the 2010 FIFA World Cup is slated for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision.

As Soccer America notes,

Friendly or not, any game against Brazil is a great chance to test mettle, acumen, and intuition; it is also an excellent opportunity to be thoroughly and utterly drilled, no matter who pulls on the hallowed shirts. Friendlies are not scrimmages, especially when played on national television (ESPN2 and Univision, 8 pm ET) and a few minutes from downtown Manhattan in a new stadium teeming with fans.

Those players left off the Brazilian World Cup team by former Coach Dunga won’t lack for motivation when they get their first chance at the next go-round. As New Jersey native and former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola once uttered, “If you can find 11 bad Brazilian players, I’d like to see them.”

It’s safe to say that while he’s named only four of the 23 players taken by Dunga, successor Mano Menezes hasn’t stocked his squad with stiffs. By coincidence, Menezes named 11 who have yet to be capped. He has that luxury, Bradley doesn’t.

Three years ago, Brazil overpowered a good U.S. team, 4-2, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Though most of the 23 World Cup players to represent Brazil at the 2010 World Cup haven’t been selected, those that are on the list include Neymar and Alexandre Pato, who many thought should have been in South Africa.

If you’d like to know more about the new Brazilian Coach, Mano Menezes, check out Tim Vickery’s story in Sports Illustrated : Brazil looking to rediscover itself by embracing tactics from abroad

Greenwood Soccer Complex Nears Completion

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Greenwood Blue Jays, Aug 9th, 2010

Greenwood Blue Jays, Aug 9th, 2010

With the start of the High School soccer season this morning, I made a trek to Lake Country Soccer. More specifically, I stopped by Field #1 which will be newly christened the Greenwood Soccer Complex on August 28th (more info soon!). The Greenwood Blue Jays will hold their first ever Alumni game that afternoon on the Astroturf surface, made possible by a contribution by the McQueary family. The boys team, which with 22-23 players out this season, representing half of the boys who attend the High School, was just completing their first practice of the season. A few of them remained, along with Coaches Shull and McQueary, as they anticipated the fun they will have on the new surface and having a place they can truly call their Home Pitch.

Pictured here are, from left to right, Head Coach Chris Shull, Stuart Beezley, Ben Whitlock, Devon Whitlock, Cory McCoy, Assistant Coach John McQueary.

The gallery below reflects pictures from this morning as well as Thursday evening a few days ago, before the began the Astro Turf installation last Friday. The video shows them putting one roll into place, after having stitched them together as shown in the photos. Note the new lighting that will be put into place as well. It should provide lighting that will enhance TV and photography, with higher posts and higher lumens.



Glendale Falcons Hold First Ever Alumni Game

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A large group gathered Sunday evening on the freshly mowed and lined Glendale pitch for the 1st Annual Alumni game, organized by 2004 graduate Maddy Senkowski. With representation from the class of 1992 to 2010, the game pulled a group that put a smile on Coach Jeff Rogers face as he prepares to begin his 21st year at Glendale.

I’ll try and name as many as I can. Feel free to leave a comment or send me a note using the Contact form with more details.

Back row: Clay Mason, Adam Benton, Jake Meyers, John Reinart, Bryan Horton, Ian Newport, Josh Hunt, Justin Rogers, Brandon Baum, Ryan Frewin, Stephen Conner, Danny Collins, Taylor Hutchens, Todd Buzbee, Jacob Basecke, Ryan Frierson, Andrew Parsons, Josh Keisker, Brian Henderson, Brik Wilson.
Middle: Devon Newport, Chris Pellham, Michael Nesbitt, Ryan Sanders, Ian Shipps.
Front row: Lorin Opfer, Lindsey Sprouse, Maddie Senkosky, Ben Brixey, Ryan Partch, Jamie Keisker, Jamey McLean, Katie Starcke, Kristy Ward, Jeff Rogers

Updated courtesy of Coach Rogers

Missouri Class 1 Girls Soccer Southwest/Central Regional Honors

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Tillie Bill, Southern Boone Co Eagles (2010)

Tillie Bill, Southern Boone Co Eagles (2010)

The Missouri Soccer Coaches Association has released their Class 1 Southwest/Central Regional Honors

Player of the Year – Tillie Bill, Southern Boone
Co-Offensive Players of the Year – Shelby Hatz and Natalie Smid, Springfield Catholic
Co-Defensive Players of the Year – Carsen Baron and Rebecca Mayus, Springfield Catholic
Co-Goalkeepers of the Year – Rachel Scott and Megan Goetzinger, Springfield Catholic

Global Fayre – Downtown Fair Trade & Soccer Supporter

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I’d like to introduce David and Cheri Crump to the SGFsoccer.com community. Their store, Global Fayre, is a Fair Trade retail store located in the heart of Springfield’s historic downtown area. You can find them at 324 S. Campbell, just a few steps North of the intersection with Walnut Street, and just steps from Springfield Hot Glass.

Cheri and David have a wonderful array of traditionally crafted artisan products from all over the world, as well as a wide selection of gourmet foods – all Fair Trade of course! Thy are also members of the First Friday Art Walk and active participants in many of the initiatives that are helping to make downtown Springfield such a vibrant area. Please visit them this evening and let them know you discovered them via SGFsoccer.com!

Tonight, Global Fayre puts its focus on the Missouri Prairie Foundation in August with a display of images of prairie grouse, provided by Foundation board member Glenn Chambers, plus 10 percent of all purchases on Aug. 6 will be donated to the Missouri Prairie Foundation. The mission of the Missouri Prairie Foundation is to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities through acquisition, management, education, and research. At least 15 million acres of Missouri, covering more than a third of the state, were prairie at the time of European settlement. Fewer than 90,000 acres remain. Tallgrass prairie is one of the Earth’s most biologically diverse and now rare ecosystems, and we have it right here in Missouri. It is ours to conserve for the benefit of future generations.

Download the Global Fayre – Missouri Prairie Foundation flyer for this month’s First Friday specials.

www.globalfayre.com
324 S. Campbell Avenue
(417) 873-9792
Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. M-W, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Th-Sat, 1-5 p.m. Sun or by appointment

3rd Annual 3v3 Summer Sizzler Bigger Than Ever

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Blueberry Thunder Muffins U12/U13 Winners79 soccer teams converged onto the Ozark Soccer fields Saturday, July 31, for the 3rd Annual 3v3 Summer Sizzler to make it the events largest tournament to date. Teams came from Kansas City, Joplin, Lebanon, Neosho, Carthage, and the Greater Springfield area with well over a dozen club teams represented. The 3rd Annual Summer Sizzler held up to its name with temperatures in the mid/high 90′s, but that did not stop the constant action. All 10 fields ran off one running clock to keep all the games perfectly on time.

Ozark coaches, players and parents organize and run the event. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Awareness in honor of OHS’s Nurse Debbie Barnes who has been battling the disease since last Fall. Next year the Summer Sizzler will be held on Saturday, July 23. For more information on the event, or to see photo’s taken by the event photographer, e-mail summersizzler 2008@yahoo.com.

Pictured above are the Blueberry Thunder Muffins win the U12/U13 division. Maya Davidson, Mikayla Putt, Emily Jordan & Ally Barb, Coached by Paul Putt. Below is an Aerial View taken from the press box of the turf stadium.
Summer Sizzler 2010 Aerial View

Landon Donovan Points At Springfield Soccer, He Wants Your Response

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Landon Donovan Celebrates Against Algeria

Landon Donovan Celebrates Against Algeria (CBS/AP photo)

Landon Donovan has a short video post up on the US Soccer Youtube page in which he asks for US Fans to offer a video offering their thoughts on the US run in the World Cup this year. The short clip shows three fan celebrations, including Brett Johnston of TAGsgf.com at Farmers Gastropub, shot by your’s truly and seen by over 22K fans now around the world in my video and by 2.8 million as part of this compilation. Here’s the press release:

CHICAGO (Aug. 2, 2010) — Landon Donovan’s goal against Algeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup was one of the greatest moments in U.S. Soccer history and sparked dramatic reactions from fans across the United States that were captured via video in bars and living rooms across the country. More than 2.8 million people have watched “The World’s Reaction to Landon Donovan’s Game Winning Goal,” video on YouTube which compiled those reactions from fans. Watching the video from South Africa, the team was blown away by the reaction and response of the fans.

Now, the U.S. players want to know exactly what that moment meant to you. How did you react? Where were you? The U.S. players want to know.

In a video posted on ussoccer.com’s YouTube page, Donovan talks about what the goal meant to him and asks fans to reply with their own videos. Record your memories of the moment and share them with the players by replying to Donovan’s video on ussoccer.com’s YouTube page.

“The goal against Algeria for me was the most memorable moment in my career,” said Donovan. “So many people back home cared and were watching with us. I think our team was excited about it but when we woke up the next day and realized all of you were there supporting us too, made it that much more special. So, that’s what it meant for me, that’s what it meant for us, and now we want to know what it meant for you guys.”

The U.S. will be together for the first time since the 2010 FIFA World Cup to take on Brazil on Aug. 10, when they will have the opportunity to see all the videos submitted by fans.

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s match against five-time world champions Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Kickoff for the USA’s first match following the 2010 FIFA World Cup is slated for 8 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Univision.

ESPN Featuring Story On Haiti’s U17 Girls Team Tonight!

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US_HaitiFrom Soccer America: Tonight at 6 pm, ESPN’s newsmagazine E:60 recounts the story of Haiti’s U-17 girls national team in the wake of the nation’s devastating earthquake and how its players made a connection with their U.S. counterparts after their meeting in U-17 World Cup qualifying.

Update on Haitian Women’s So ccer Team

A World Cup Dream. A small country’s worst nightmare. On January 12, at 4:53 pm local time in Haiti, the earth began shaking. The stadium cracked. The Haitian Under-17 women’s national soccer team hit the ground and prayed. Around them, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake leveled Port-au-Prince. Many lost their homes. The starting goalkeeper lost both her parents. The only thing they felt they still had was each other. And that was enough to keep their dream alive.

E:60 followed the Haitian U17 women’s national team to Costa Rica in March as they attempted to qualify for the Under-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In their opening match, the Haitian team lost to the United States 9-0. Goalkeeper Alexandra Coby dropped to her knees in front of the goal and began to cry. US goalkeeper Bryane Heaberlin walked the length of the field to embrace Coby — and the rest of her US teammates followed.

Moved by that moment, the 16-year-old Heaberlin made a commitment to help the Haitian U-17 team. With the support of family and friends, Heaberlin started a foundation, “Many Hearts One Goal”. The goal? Bring the entire Haitian U-17 National team to the United States…to Disney World… in July to participate in a soccer tournament. E:60′s Lisa Salters on an unforgettable story of compassion…and how one touching moment touched a nation.

A Spanish Soccer Adventure For Missouri Girls

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Sarah Ogar

Sarah Ogar

Nice story in the Mexico Missouri Ledger about recent graduate Sarah Ogar and the soccer adventure she participated in during July. Sarah was part of a group of 15 girls that were pulled together by Chris Miller, President of the Missouri Soccer Coaches Association as well as Head Coach of the Southern Boone County Eagles, last seen in the Class 1 Quarterfinals (Catholic won).

The ladies traveled via the International Soccer Travel Program, through Premier International Tours. The 12-day program – held June 29 through July 10 – included playing in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain and Nice, France.

The games were held in Copa Catalunya, Spain, and the temperatures there were as high as those in Missouri, Ogar said. She said in Spain they were saying it was the hottest summer they’ve had in a long time.
Ogar played MHS soccer for four years, and started playing for the YMCA when she was in the first grade. The 18-year-old also plays for the Carrera Soccer Team in Columbia, and plans to attend Westminster College in Fulton, and play there in the fall, as a forward.

“I love soccer. I love fighting for the ball, winning, and being a part of a team,” she said, while casting the prize-winning smile she has. So winning the first-place trophy, she said, was totally exhilarating.
“People from all over the world were cheering for us. Chanting USA with us. It was great, and a real honor to be there,” she said.

You can read the whole story here

Sarah will be playing for former Drury Panther player and coach, Jen Simeck Dyson at Westminster College in the Fall.