THE PULSE - #18

[Dragon]

COVER



WPFC's Scott Halasz......, the "Man in Black" down by the River. Their Junior Director gives the Pulse an exclusive interview!




The Pulse!  No. #18






COVER STORY & LATEST HEADLINES:


Dragon's interview with WPFC's Junior Director, and Coach of the Girls '93 & '92 teams!...SCOTT HALASZ!


DRAGON:  How long have you been coaching? How did you get into coaching?

SCOTT:  I have been coaching on and off for 12 years, but only started coaching youth teams about 6 years ago.  After high school I took a “walk-about” until I was 21.  During those 3 years I was fortunate to be able to travel to different states, and countries.  Over those 3 years I would work with teams and kids in Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Belgium and England.  Soccer was my entry and way of acceptance into their communities.  When I got back to the states from England I met my wife entered college and started playing again.  The winter before transferring into a 4 year college I tore my ACL.  I got a call from my old High School coach asking me to coach and since I could not play that year I agreed to help.  The fun that I had from that year of coaching high school helped me make the decision to stop playing and get into coaching.


DRAGON:  Did you ever play soccer yourself? What are some of your greatest memories?

SCOTT:  Yes, I played premier, participated in ODP, and played college soccer.  There are so many great memories but a few that I will always remember is winning the Surf Cup, being cut from my club team for speaking my mind, and the “locker room” friendships and banter that went along with playing at any and all levels.  I was 16 when we won the Surf Cup.  I was playing for Emerald City and we entered the tournament not knowing what to expect.  As the tournament progressed our confidence continued to grow from game to game.  In the finals we played Surf and tore them apart.  It was fantastic, better than winning state.  

I was cut from my team because I spoke out to some changes that were taking place with the team.  I was captain of the team, had been for some time, and a new coach came in and started making changes that were not right.  As captain I thought it was my duty to stand up for the players and be the voice for them.  Well coach did not like that too much and I found myself let go by the coach.  It was a blessing, I joined the Emerald City team won Surf and enjoyed the game again.


DRAGON:  Tell us about your Experience as Tacoma Community College Mens asst coach.

SCOTT:  TCC was a great opportunity for me to learn how to bring players with different motives together.  At that level there are players there who are good enough to play at a 4 year institute but for different reasons they were not able to attend.  So they are using the CC as a stepping stone.  You then have players that the CC level is the highest level they could play.  Finally you have the players where it is a stretch for them to play at that level because of talent or they never played at a high level club and only played high school soccer.   You need to integrate these different skill levels, commitment level, and discipline into your trainings and expectations of the team.


DRAGON:  What was the draw for you to be a coach at WPFC?

SCOTT:  A few girls on the high school soccer team I coached played for the Royals.  Their dad was the coach of a team in the program and asked if I wanted to help him out.  Knowing the rich history of the club, the facilities, the dedication of the people involved in the program, and the dedication that the players showed, made it an easy yes.  That was my first club position and I have been with the club since then.  I continue to drive 45+ minutes to training because those things are still present.  


DRAGON:  Have any of the other coachs at WPFC been a positive influence for you or had a positive influence on your coaching style?

SCOTT:  I can not point to one coach in particular but I can say I have been influenced by every coach in the club in some way.  My basic belief is you can learn something from everybody and from every situation if you are willing and looking to learn. The minute I stop evolving, learning, or believe I know it all; I will be useless to my players and club.  There are some great coaches at WPFC that are always available to other coaches to bounce ideas off of, offer advice, step in if you need, or just come and support you and the kids.      


DRAGON:  Tell us about a few coachs that have shaped who you are as a coach right now.

SCOTT:  This goes back to the answer I gave above.  I can say there are qualities from everybody I have been coached by or coached with that I draw from.  But one individual that I always look back upon, never coached me, and I never saw them coach.  Never-the-less they influenced me tremendously as a coach.  Pepe Fernandez is the individual that showed me how to enjoy the game, enjoy kids, and enjoy life.   Along the way my father met Pepe and they became friends.  Our families would not get together that much but when we did Pepe always found time to get away from the adults and come and play with the me and the kids.  Pepe always made the game fun, always smiled and laughed, and made us kids feel like he would rather be with us then the adults.  He passed along his joy for the game to me.  My ultimate goal as a coach is that my players enjoy soccer long after they stop playing.  I hope that I show my players the enjoyment that can come from the game.
Greg Ion, how to look at the bigger picture.  Reece Onley, always be prepared and not leave anything to chance.  Scott Newman, how to balance a coach / player relationship while maintaining discipline.  Brian VanB, how to motivate and care for players.  


DRAGON:  You are an ODP asst coach and have been for the last 4 yrs. How did you get started with that program? How has the experience been for you? Would you like to become Head of an age group?

SCOTT:  Greg Ion asked me if I was interested and I said sure.  I started as a second or third assistant my first year and I have been Scott Newman’s assistant coach for the last three years.  The experience has been fantastic.  Being able to work with some of the best players this state has to offer is special.  The best experience is Regional Camp.  Taking a group of kids to a try-out where they are dependent on players they may not play club soccer with, and coaches that they do not work with year round, and see how it all comes together is special.  
At this time being an assistant is fine with me.  The time that goes into being the number one is too much for me at this point in my life.  


DRAGON:  You are the "Girls junior Director: at WPFC. Can you tell us more about this position and what it encompasses? How did you wind up getting hired for that position?

SCOTT:  Well, in short, I help out the teams if there needs to be a fill-in coach for trainings and / or games.  I hold extra training sessions from time to time for the younger ages.  Answer parent concerns from time to time.  I attend as many games as possible during the summer and state cup to help our teams in anyway I can.  From tactical suggestions, tending to hurt players, chasing down balls, ect.  Whatever I can do to help the team be more successful I will do it.
Greg asked me at one point if that is something I would like to do and I said sure.


DRAGON:  What kind of things does your club do to "Give back to the Community"?

SCOTT:  It is two-fold.  The club provides over $30,000.00 annually in scholarships to players.  WPFC participate in toy, blanket, food, and book drives.  With our partnership with Premier Soccer Academy we provide coaches for local camps and clinics.

The other part to this is teams are encouraged to do some sort of community service.  For instance some do relays for many different charities.  Recently the U11 girls helped out at the Tacoma Marathon and the 15 boys helped unloaded food collected by the Puyallup South Hill Post Office during the National Association of Letter Carriers food drive.  

Last year a friend of mine was traveling to Africa on a mission trip.  I was allowed to solicit the families of WPFC to donate soccer clothing for him to take with him.  In a two week time frame we the members were donated about 4 totes full of soccer articles.  


DRAGON:  How do you feel about the new turf fields?

SCOTT:  I think it is a fantastic step for the continued success of WPFC.  It allows us to have year round trainings at one facility.  The winter months were hard; there was never enough field space to accommodate what we needed.  On top of that the cost of renting fields is crazy.  We have turned an annually increasing variable expense into a steady fixed cost.  I know it took a year longer than first designed but it is amazing the amount of hoops you need to jump through to get it done.  The Board of Directors and Leadership group did a great job at making sure we got the best deal possible.  I would like to personally thank Jeff Woodworth, WPFC President, for everything he did to make sure the players have a great facility to play at.  
   
Over the last two-three years the Board of Directors (all volunteers) has been giving endless hours of their time to help in the transition of WPFC.  There are many things that these individuals give up to help make sure the club runs today and is making the necessary changes to ensure the future of youth soccer in the Tacoma area is alive and well.  They are making the hard decisions, those that will benefit future kids as much, if not more, than the current kids.  Today many people will choose what benefits them the most, but I feel our Board have the best interests of not only current players but players to come.      

The kids seem to be excited about it.  But more importantly I think the parents are excited.  They do not need to drive all over the Tacoma area for training anymore.  


DRAGON:  Have you ever had the chance to read the Pulse newsletter on WPS? Or read WPS in general? What are some positive things you think our site offers our "Washington Soccer Family"?

SCOTT:  Yes I have read the Pulse and visited WPS.  One of the things that I feel is great is that this site is for the most part positive, it is the most efficient way to provide information to the Washington Soccer Family, and brings to light many of the positive things people do for kids.  


DRAGON:  What is something you would like to tell the world about yourself, that they probably don't know?

SCOTT:  One, I have a fantastic wife.  I work as a tax account and financial investment advisor, coach two teams, and go support as many teams as I can.  This takes me away from my wife and daughter until 9pm on many nights and takes up huge chunks of weekend time.  Yet, she supports me because of the joy that I get from being around kids and the game.  Or it may be due to the fact that when I am home I cause more trouble by starting projects and not finishing, making a mess playing with my 2 year old daughter and not cleaning up, or watching Fox Sports World.


"Man in Black" to his players, but still "My Daddy" to his two year old :mrgreen:


DRAGON:  What are your views about playing multiple sports?  

SCOTT:  With coaching the younger age groups it is something that comes up all the time.   I will not provide players or parents with a decision.  I think they are looking for an easy answer, coach told me I had to quit.  So if the decision is the wrong they have someone to blame.  All I tell them is if it does not interfere with this team I have no say.
In short, I personally feel that at some point a player needs to make a decision on what they want to focus on.  A body and mind can only handle so many activities before a persons performance becomes affected in negative ways.  School, a ridicules amount of homework, friends, being a kid, and playing two sports at a high level is nuts.  Some kids hit a saturation point at 12, 13, 14, etc.  At that time I feel it is the parents’ job to step in and help the child understand they are doing too much and some things need to change.  It may be giving up a sport, time with friends, or maybe playing the other sports in a less competitive manner.  Whatever the decision we owe it to the kid.  I think there quality of life will be much better.  I made this decision as a 6th grader.  I was good at many sports, but soccer is what I loved.  So I quit other sports, focused on school, and having some sort of personal life outside of sports.  


DRAGON:  If you were president of WSYSA what is the first thing you would do?

SCOTT:  Find a time where we shut organized soccer down for three weeks.   I think players, coaches, parents, volunteers; etc need time to recharge their batteries.  I feel the only way that this would happen is for it to be mandated by the state.   If professionals deserve it and need it why is it any different for our kids?  I think that it will only happen if it is mandated by the state.  The league season for girls have been changed to provide the girls some type of rest, but you still have coaches that are holding training sessions.  This defeats the entire purpose of moving the season.  

This would call for a complete revamping of the league season, state cups, and tryouts.  Along with holding clubs accountable for their coaching staffs and training schedules during the time off.  


DRAGON:  Thank you coach for taking time from your really busy schedule to do this interview and being the first WPFC coach to step up to the plate!...Simply awesome!! :mrgreen:

For the first time, as a special favor to all the CP's on WPS, Coach Scott is willing to address questions that you might have that are relevent to himself or his club!  Just send them to the Pulse email address and I will forward them to the coach himself! :mrgreen:





HEADLINES!



LIL' RED (NWN RED 95) KNOCK CROSSFIRE THOMAS FROM THE RANKS OF THE UNBEATEN!!


After Saturdays performance, all these little superstars should be wearing a big "S" on their chests!


What can one say about "Lil' Red" that hasn't already been either said on the forum?  They are doing fantastic this year in the U12 PDL A league!  They are currently in 2nd place and are the only team this fall league to knock off the state champs/Crossfire Thomas!  They currently have a record of 6-1-4, and have a Awesome 25 Goals For (1st in League) with only 10 goals against!  After having a player or two come in from NWN Blue last year and having a good run during the summer; They are now posed to be the #1 contender to knock Crossfire off the "throne" as the 95 champions!  Look forward to seeing this team develop more and accomplish more then anyone thought at the beginning of the season. Come state cup time, anyone that takes this team lightly just might find them selfs at home reading the forum about the "New" state champs!  Great job gals, Dragon is very proud of you! :mrgreen:  



POOR SPORTSMANSHIP FROM CRAZY PARENTS!  HOW FAR ARE THEY WILLING TO GO?!


Some states have taken a stand on bad sportsmanship..


OK folks, get real now.  I know we have at least as much Sportsmanship and good will as any state (specially a corn feed Iowa parent) LOL.  Instead of rehashing all of the comments about the recent incident, maybe we need to take this time to look in the mirror and make sure this does not become one of us.  Are we examples to our children? YES...Are we representing our clubs/teams when we are out on the pitch?  YES.  So lets conduct ourselfs in a mature way and not let things like this happen again in the future.  I firmly believe that Poor Sportsmanship is Not confined to one club or team or orginization.  All clubs realize that this type of behavior is not acceptable and I am positive it will not be tolerated....PERIOD. Finally, lets hopefully put poor sportsmanship to rest and Dragon will leave you with this quote:

"You can be assured there will be severe consequences and the person(s) responsible will be dealt with in the most severe matter I assure you."

That could be about any of you! :shock:




Das BOYS Uberteam has a Perfect season!!



WPFC Boys 96 Black - 2007 Boys U11 PDL1-A CHAMPS with a perfect 13-0-0 record !



The WPFC boys 96 black team came into fall PDL league play following a very successful spring PDL league and summer tournament season.  During the spring PDL league the team was just coming together and learning to play together and managed to put together a 5-1 record.  The team then went on to play 4 tournaments over the summer, walking away with 2 Championships (Beaverton Cup and Starfire Labor Day Cup), 1 appearance in the Finals at the Crossfire Challenge (which they lost in PK's), and 1 Semi-Finalist finish (Rainier Challenge).  Over the course of the 4 tournaments the boys compiled a 15-3  record and outscored their opponents 113-19.  



The spring and summer seemed to have helped the team gel and the boys were just hitting their stride to start fall PDL league play.  Starting the fall season with a roster of only 9, the boys had little (or often no) time to rest (only rotations to goalie) and a gruelling schedule that had them playing back to back Saturday and Sunday games for 3 of the first 4 weekends.  Coach Black had the boys well conditioned though and they have been able to play hard to the final whistle in every game all the while avoiding  injury and illness.

League play started with a home game against Federal Way .  The boys were a little slow to get into the game but once they got going they didn't hold back, starting the season with a 7-2 victory.  The second weekend would be a challenge with the boys having games against both NWN and Eastside, two teams expected to finish toward the top of the league.  With no subs and two very physical opponents, the boys really stepped up...not only winning both games but shutting both opponents out.  The scores for the weekend were 5-0 and 4-0.  On to the second of three weekends in a row with 2 games....this time two away games at Westsound and HPFC Heat.  Still with no subs, the boys came ready to play and for the second straight weekend got two wins and shut out both opponents.  The final scores:  5-0 over Westsound and 8-0 over Heat.  The third two game weekend had 96 black facing Snohomish United and FC Alliance .  Snohomish came into the game undefeated as well and played a very physical game.  Fortunately, the boys were up to the task and the game concluded with a 5-2 victory.  The following day 96 black continued to take care of business with an 8-0 win over FC Alliance .  This marked the half way point of league play with 96 black accumulating a record of 7-0-0.

At this point with still only 9 players on the team roster Coach Black decided to use the Club Pass and give the keeper from the 96 white team (Jake J.) an opportunity to show his stuff.  He did not disappoint as he secured the shutout against 3-Rivers and 96 black went on to win 7-0.  I think the boys were glad to have a sub and the opportunity to take a quick breather on ocassion!  Jake J. has played with the team since then and has been officiallly added to the 96 black roster.  Week 6 of the season had the boys travelling over to Spokane for a matchup with the Spokane Shadow.  The boys prepared with a nice Italian dinner the night before and after a good nights sleep, brought all they had, earning a 9-1 victory.  



Week #7 (Oct 20th)....a week we had circled on the schedule as soon as it was released....a week we knew at the start of the season was likely to determine (or at least heavily influence) who ended up at the top at the end of league play.  The opponent....Crossfire.  Both teams came into the game undefeated....96 black at 9-0 and Crossfire at 8-0.  Previous meetings had been all out battles and the Crossfire team is very physical and fast, so 96 black knew they had a challenge.  Both teams were nervous and excited. The boys (from both teams) came out playing hard from the opening whistle.  96 black scored first about 5 minutes into the game but allowed Crossfire to equalize just moments later.  That seemed to spark something in the team though as 96 black took their level of play up a notch and really got going in their controlled possession game.  This allowed 96 black to set the pace and tempo of the game and to put 2 more in the back of the net before halftime.  The second half was more of the same and when the final whistle blew, 96 black had a hard earned 4-2 victory!  

On to week #8, another  double header weekend with matches against Harbor and Emerald City.  Wins in both games would secure a league championship.  The boys came out a bit slow against Harbor on Saturday with good possession play but only a few shots on goal, taking a 2-0 lead at halftime.  They really poured it on in the second half though finishing with an impressive 9-0 win.  On Sunday, 96 black faced off with Emerald City, playing their first game of the year on turf.  Emerald City came out charged and ready to play, but once 96 black settled in and started knocking the ball around there was no stopping them.  The game ended with a 4-0 win for 96 black...another shutout weekend and a win that secured WPFC 96 black as the BOYS U11 PDL 1-A CHAMPIONS for 2007!!  This past weekend 96 black had their final game of league play for the year vs Evergreen.  This was also the second weekend in a row without their coach on the sideline to guide them.  96 black finished of the season with a 2-0 win resulting in the completion of a perfect 13-0-0 league record.

What has been especially impressive is the fact that for the first half of the season they played with only 9 players.  The boys worked hard and had to play every minute of every game through that point.  The boys have had to be extremely flexible in their roles on the field due to the limited roster and have truly played as a team.  Every player on the team is a scoring threat (in fact in 2 of the tournaments every player on the roster scored), and every player on the team hustles back to defend.  The addition of a full time keeper has made the team even stronger.   In league play the boys scored 77 goals and only allowed 7, with 9 of the 13 matches resulting in shutouts...and this is playing against the top competition that the state of Washington has to offer at U11.



These little guys may be one of the youngest teams at the competitive level, but they are very impressive and fun to watch.  Well done:  Jake J, Jacob B, Bryce, Daniel, Tanner, Matthew, Lorenzo, Tyler, Hassani and Kasey!

Coach Ralph Black has WPFC 96 black playing very good team soccer. Congratulations to Coach Black for not only the perfect league record at U11 PDL 1-A but also a near perfect league finish with his older team (WPFC 93 black) in the U14 PDL 1-A.  The two teams accumulated a combined record of 22-0-1!!  Way to go Coach Black!



MESSAGE FROM THE WSYSA PRESIDENT!

Hi Jason & WPS,
I wanted to let you know that WSYSA is hosting the Eastern Washington Soccer Summit this Saturday the 10th of November in Spokane. The event starts at 11:00 AM and will end at 4:00 PM. We have created a late start time so that our members from the farther areas of Eastern Washington can take the time to travel to Spokane on Saturday AM. The location is Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center, the address: 1100 North Sullivan Road, Spokane Valley, Wa 99037. The members can sign up on the WSYSA website so we can get an accurate count of those planning to attend.

We are bringing over to Spokane WSYSA leadership for the sole purpose of listening to what our Eastern Washington Members have to say about WSYSA. Along with WSYSA Staff we will also be joined by our Coaching Director, Dave Schumacher, along with our moderator, Stu Snow, District 3 Commissioner and Laurie Myers, District 4 Commissioner, as our self appointed scribe, to take copious notes of the topics that are going to be discussed. We have also invited other WSYSA officers to attend and LISTEN to what is being said and asked of us. As with our Western Washington Summit, we will bring the same format for this venue, no agendas from WSYSA, just policy makers willing to listen to what is being asked of us.

WSYSA is committed to learning what the membership wants in its state administration and its state programs. As the soccer landscape continues to change around us, we have committed ourselves to provide what we feel is the best programs in Region 4 and perhaps the rest of the United States. We are working on a number of new programs and topics in the months to come, please stay tuned to our web site as these changes are made available for viewing.

If you would like to post this notice on your Website, please feel free to do so. I will send you more updates as they begin to break in the coming weeks. WSYSA is not sitting still, we continue to reshape, redirect and restructure what we have been doing for over 40 years. I think you will like the changes that we are making.

Thank you for your support.

Doug Andreassen
WSYSA President




LEAGUE LOONEYNESS!


"League News!"

First we will look at the "highlighted" games that happened this past weekend:


PAST

Lets see how Dragon did with his GOTW picks in week #9!

U11
D3 Girls GT
Synergy D  vs  Cascade FC -
Dragon says - Synergy 3-1
Actual score: Tie 1-1 :|


U12
PDL A
WPFC Black  vs  Eastside Red -
Dragon say - Uberteam 2-1
Actual score:  DNP (game rescheduled) :oops: ...that's ok, D will count as a win! :mrgreen:
 

U13
Girls D4
SK United  vs  North Kitsap -
Dragon say - SK 2-1
Actual score SK 3-0 :mrgreen:

 
U14

Girls P4
Legacy 93  vs  Spokane Elite 94 -
Dragon say - Elite 2-0
Actual score Legacy 4-0 :cry:  :cry:  :cry:


Dragon claims a lame 2-2 this past week...Need to get a lot better before state cup time! :lol:


For all other game scores go to our new STANDINGS AREA.  For recaps though, you know what to do....please look to our Recap thread for week #9:
http://washingtonpremiersoccer.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6808
and as always, If there is not enough blah blah blah there for you, then you only have yourselfs to blame :lol:


FUTURE

*US Club Special Predictions!*

This week, Dragon is going to predict the top 4 teams finishing in each Bracket (girls only, sorry) :mrgreen:

U11
TOP 4-
EFC RED - HPFC EAGLES BLUE - FC CRUSH 96 - SAPRISSA

(Note, on the boys side D will be rooting for the play ups)


U12
TOP 4-
ECFC GREEN - SYNERGY MORSE - FC ALLIANCE - GRFC PAT'S



U13
TOP 4-
NWN RED - EFC RED - FC CRUSH - CROSSFIRE P.


U14
TOP 4-
PAT'S BLUE - FCV INDEPENDENCE - TIMBERS RED - MRFC BLUE


Good luck to all teams involved in this upcoming tournament! :mrgreen:

Will go back to doing 4 more "highlighted gotw" next issue :mrgreen:  




WPS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK!!!





**Any age group that has more then 5 nominations will also get some "shout outs" from Dragon!

BOYS U11

#14 KASEY - WPFC BLACK 96! -  This young superstud is a cut above the rest in U11 land for sure!  Noted by several parents out there as probably the "best midfielder" in the state at BU11 at this time!  Not only did he control the midfield this past weekend, he made passes beyond his years and look out!...he knows how to score too!!  His teams 2-0 victory this weekend was just that; A team effort. But!, without this youngstud, the team would not be the same!  Great job little stud, Dragon is very proud of you! :mrgreen:  (look for his photo later in this issue)

Shout outs:

BU11 #17 Conor - Westsound Drew 96
GU11 #11 Katherine - Cascade FC 96


GIRLS U12

#15 SOPHIE - FC KENT FUSION 95! -   This young superstar is a special midfielder who plays with Heart & Fire weekend and weekout. She showed how generous she was this weekend by giving a 110% as usually.  Even the non-partial AR had to comment on her fantastic play this weekend!  She didn't score, even though she had a rocket from the 20yd line.  She did more then that, she was the glue in the middle that makes her team so special!  Great job little one, Dragon is very proud of you! :mrgreen:


GIRLS U13

#5 KRISTEN - EASTSIDE RED 94! -  This young star came out on fire this weekend scoring 2 goals in her teams 3-0 victory!  Her first goal was a fantastic header off a corner kick, but she wasn't done there.  Late in the 1st half EFC mounted a counter attack that started in the defensive end, and when the ball found Kristen she was off to the races beating two defenders.  She did a quick move that left the two defenders flying past her, and even quicker then her move she took the shot!  GOAL! from 16yds out!  What a wonderful game you had little one, Dragon is very proud of you! :mrgreen:



GU14

#5 JESSICA - WESTSOUND RED! -   This young star placed her team on her shoulders this weekend in her teams 4-0 win!  Not only did she score, but she got a much deserved Hat Trick!  Her Heart & Fire for her team helped to motivate them and keep the whole team playing fantastic ball this past weekend!  Jessica is modest as ever and will probably blush at even being nominated by one of her team mates.  Well great job Dragon says, he is very proud of you super star! :mrgreen:

Shout Outs:

GU14 - #12 Jenn - Patriots Blue
GU14 - #10 Bri - Timbers Blue
GU14 - #21 Melanie - Tri-Mtn Avalanche
GU14 - #1 Becca - Patriots Blue

**Great job 93 parents!**
 

Thats it for this week, keep those nominations coming in next week!! :mrgreen:  



CRAZY PARENT WATCH:



"Shout out to da newbies"

A few new posters this week that Dragon noticed!  As always lets give a shout out to all the new ones that have taken the time to post at least one post since joining recently:

This week Dragon would like to point out!

Soccerparent
Mundial42
DOMoftheSOUTH
ThatJustHappened
Indys


Welcome aboard folks! :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:



"A view from the Mini-Van"

Once upon a time at an older kids game...

Had a few interesting articles I was working on, then a situation was brought to my attention this weekend, and would really like to hear responses on this one..  This was for an older team, not U13+

Scenario: FIrst half, game being played pretty close, team is on defense, goalie calls for the ball, defender either doesn't hear or thinks they have a better shot at clearing it out, makes that attempt, misses the ball, and goalie has already adjusted to player not listening/hearing... miscommunication, other team scores.

2nd half- defender doesn't play much of the 2nd half at all.  Apparently coach feels a point needs to be made. (not saying I agree,just an observation)

Game over, player is upset they didn't play alot. Parent, thinking they are doing what is best (or something like that) ..marches up to the coach in the middle of the field after the game... screaming and making a scene..

Coaches and parents alike..  what would you do...  maybe both the coach and the parent could use some guidance imo...

Always been used to the 24 hour rule when it comes to talking to coaches...  Also think at U13+ it should be the player talking to the coach about this... not mommy or daddy...

"WPS Paparazzi"



One of our CP's having fun on Halloween "Ref Magoo" :lol:




"...Out on the Pitch"

Please submit pictures for the newsletter to the Pulse email



At a U11 game this year....Small Goalie pointing at the other captains; "Can you Please check their birthcertificates?"  :lol:



Our very own Boys U11 POTW in Action!! :mrgreen:



**Please continue to send pix's to the Pulse newsroom!  Anything soccer related is welcome!** :mrgreen:  




"Help!  Is there a Doctor in the house?"



Dear Doc,
Someone said my child may have "turf toe"...What is turf toe? Can soccer players get this? What should we do for him if he has it? Thank you for your help.


Good question TT . The name turf toe comes from the fact that this injury is especially common among athletes who play on artificial turf.  Even EW could have figured that out
 
Turf toe is a condition secondary to an injury at the base of the big toe. Most common in footballers tackled from behind, the same can happen to our DKs in soccer (I refuse to go there and point fingers!! :lol: ). Running and landing on the ball of the foot and then being knocked forward causes the great toe to be bent too far forward, ie, onto the top of the foot  When a player sustains a turf toe injury they are actually tearing the capsule (ligaments)  that surrounds the joint at the base of the toe.

The diagnosis of turf toe is not difficult really. An inability to walk without pain accompanied by swelling, bruising and stiffness are the most common initial complaints. (Long term complaints include the inability to kick or cut without pain) Tenderness with stretching the very angry toe generally gives the diagnosis .  It just looks like it hurts!!! Always obtain Xrays to ensure there is no fracture as growth plate injuries may mimic the condition in the young.

Most are diagnosed with a sprain and technically that is what it is. But the grade of the sprain is what dictates the future. Grade 1 sprains are mild and generally heal within 2-14 days. Grade 2 injuries involve minor tearing but may take 2-6 weeks for complete recovery. Grade 3 injuries are complete tears and follow a frustratingly slow course.
 

Acute treatment of turf toe consists of resting the sore toe, icing the area, and elevating the foot. (RICE). Advil or Alleve may be helpful as well.
DKs  diagnosed with turf toe should avoid their sport for at least two weeks to allow the joint capsule to heal unless there is RAPID decrease in swelling and dramatic pain improvement  .Immobilization (walking boot) may be needed for those with persistent swelling after 48 hours.

If the toe swelling goes down rapidly , then return to sports may be considered. But you need to WALK without pain before RUNNING!!
If there are  persistent pain complaints after 4-6 weeks, an MRI needs to be obtained. Further prolonged immobilization may be needed. Rehab may continue with Pool Therapy. But impact activities must be avoided until swelling is down OR pain has improved.

 
Unfortunately, turf toe often does NOT heal well.Tearing the joint capsule (Grade 3 tears) can lead to instability and even dislocation of the joint at the base of the toe. This may lead to accelerated cartilage wear and arthritis of the big toe (hallux rigidus). Once returning to activities, special inserts can be used to limit the motion of the big toe and prevent further damage to the joint capsule.
.

Fortunately, surgery is rarely needed for treatment of turf toe, but in certain cases it may be helpful. If a bone spur forms, and severely limits motion of the toe joint, surgery to remove the spur may be helpful. Rarely, based on MRI , repair of the capsule with pins is performed.

Remember rehab/healing is slow with this condition. Do not rush back too soon. Treat it easy early on and you have a chance to heal. And play the beautiful game again! Like the Heat, right Eddy

 And EW , the condition CAN occur on grass fields as well. So don't go looking for a new field unless your Club has an epidemic!

Stay healthy,
The Doc



*Send all medical questions for "the doctor" to the Pulse email address*



 

GIRLS U13 NORTH-CALIFORNIA REPORTS!!!

Hello again Washington!  The Chilipeppers has a very successful weekend, starting out friday night against the Central Valley Revolution our sister team we ran away with an 8-0 victory. I cant remember all the scoring except the newest Pepper Janessa #17 scored her first official goal for us and the first goal of the game.
 
On saturday we played the Santa Cruz Breakers an up and coming team here in district 2 we started offf hot taking a 2-0 lead just 12 mins. in but they fought hard and we ended up winning 3-2.
 
On sunday we played against our  biggest district 2 rival, the OV Storm which Janessa #17 just came over from and Colby #4 and Sam #21 started with at U7. We dominated play from the get go running away 4-0. What once was a very closely battled series 2 Wins  2 Losses and 2 Draws before Colby ans Sam left is now very lopsised towards the Peppers 5 Wins, 0 Losses and 0 Draws  20 goals for and 1 against. I think we are doing something right.
 
Sunday afternoon we opened up our Norcal cup play against a scrappy Mill Vally Rockers we raced away with a 5-1 win putting us in the Premier pool play, up next we don't know but I think we are ready for just about anybody. Until next week take care from Northern California. :mrgreen:

Great job Pepperkids!  We are rooting for you!! :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:



OTHER NEWS AND GOSSIP AND TIDBITS:



"SIDELINE SNIPPETS"


Only 1 this week, and not from our usual reporter.  But it still made me laugh. :lol:

U13 Coach - "there must be a sniper in the woods if thats not a foul!"



"COACHS CORNER!"

This weeks topic for the coach is "Still getting a tan!"

Trip is running longer then I thought folks, Miss all of you, just not the rain!

When look forward to your return coach, have some good questions in your inbox :mrgreen:



"VIEW FROM BEHIND THE WHISTLE"

Myths of the Game and other Nonsense

I heard of a parent who is a referee in his spare time that was at one of his daughters U12 games.  He approached the game referee before the game started and said he was there to "evaluate" the referee during that match! Are people allowed to do this if their own daughters team is involved? I am not pointing fingers because I don't know the whole story, but it sounds a little "unethical" to me, does it to you?


If this was a referee, he is violating our code of ethics.  Unless you are an assessor, assignor or mentor whom the referee has invited, no one has any reason to approach the referee regarding an "evaluation."  This would be considered an intimidation tactic that brings the game into disrepute.  

If this were to happen to me, I would ask the person his name and the name of his referee association.  I would then invite him to leave the area as the game will not begin until I can no longer see him or hear him (and I can typically see all the way to the parking lot).  

If this person was indeed a referee, they would soon be hearing from the State Referee Committee regarding a disciplinary complaint and hearing.

The proper way for anyone to provide an "evaluation" or feedback on a referee is through the referee's assignor, association (website if available), or your club.  Anything else might make you feel better, but it will do nothing to improve the game.

"Dear Eggy"

Dear Eggy,
Are we trying to “professionalize” youth (KIDS) sports too much? NO acts of sportsmanship like player tunnels after the game, ‘cause that’s for Rec. NO talking during practice. NO parents talking to the coach. Line your bags in a perfect line, etc

Dear Pulse E-mailer,
I can only answer this question from the experience I have seen with my DD's team. I think that the word "professionalize" is a little harsh.
First, lining up the bags, to me, shows organization and team work. I see nothing wrong with it. I would not want to see a player have to sit on the bench because their bag was out of order.
Second, I for one do not see any reason why a parent would need to talk to the coach during the game or practice. For that time period we turn our DD's over to the coach. Now, if the coach will never talk with the parents it's time to find another coach. I'm not sure what coach would think that they could keep 10,11,12, and 13 year old girls from talking in practice. This seems a little unrealistic to me.
Third, players tunnels and hand slapping should be left up to the players and their parents. If parents want to tunnel and the team thinks it cool the go for it.l
Lastly- Life is too short to sweat these small things. Ask your DD after every practice and game- "Are you or did you HAVE FUN?" if the answer is yes smile and know that you are doing a good thing. If the answer is no, brew some hot chocolate, bake some cookies and sit down in front of the fire place and find out why the answer is no.

Eggy  




"My 2 cents worth...The Posters Voice!"

What is a Director of Coaching?

This is a person you, as the parent, are paying ~$5-7 per month (I have been told) out of your monthly fee. Please correct me if I am wrong on the amt. paid.

I was wondering to myself; What is this person responsibilities to my child that I am paying them for?

I expected at least 1 eval on my child by now. It would be nice to know his professional opinion of what improvements my child needs to make to become a better player. I expected 1 eval upon making the team, 1 at the end of summer tournament season and 1 at the end. I have nothing to see how my child has been progressing through the season.

I expect 2 weekly practices. If the regular coach is unavailable, I expect a licenced/qualified replacement. I do not expect to pay for training while trainer is out of state/country if no training is available.

If DD/DS team is struggling, I expect DOC to get that team extra coaching. Not to suddenly "win", but to make improvement toward more success. The DOC needs to show up and help make the team better, or find another coach to help the improvement of the team.

I would expect some extra training/camp by the DOC in the summertime.

I would expect a weekly group e-mail wishing best effort for the teams.

I expect the DOC to have a meeting with just the asst. coaches to discuss his coaching direction.

If asst. coach covers for head coach, win or losr I expect DOC to call asst. coach and thank him.

Am I expecting too much?

What is YOUR DOC doing for you?

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THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO MMMMMMMMMMMMMM?


"Black Knights U14 Prediction Challenge!"

*Sorry.  Due to size contraints Dragon had to edit out a section and poor BK took the brunt :cry:   He prob will post his results under his prediction thread this week! :mrgreen:



"Dragon Coachs Interviews!"

See cover story!

If you are a coach, DOC, trainer, or have anything to do with soccer, contact the editor for your chance to do an interview  



Guest Editor's, EDITORIAL:

A Coach that Yells...means Well
It is afterall a big field, it take a lot to be heard.

They spend 12+ hours a month training our children.  They learn to develop a relationship, a repoire, yet some of us can't even get a word out of them at the dinner table.

Any coach that has a passion for coaching knows its the most exciting profession ever. (I asked my husband).  If you can't get excited for your team, then why bother?

The essence of coaching is communication.  Practice is the time to train, coaching is during the game.  The majority of time, a player reflects their coach.  When th coach's intensity is strong, the players' desire to perform is just as strong, their desire to help their team increases.
A coach must also know when quiet time is the right time, or a player (if they are like my husband) will tune it out.  The key is finding the right mix.
The most important task of the coach is to empower them as players and give them a better understanding of the game.

How influential are we as parents?  Does the team concept get lost on the ride home?  Are we interfering with the coach's concepts?
As a parent of 4 children, I know and understand the internal instinct that brews inside of each of us.  I know as a parent there are things we have a right to say, but the coach should still have the opportunity to find what makes our DKs "tick."
Yelling may motivate a confident player but may have a different effect on a teammate.  Therefore, no two players should be treated the same.  A coach may say what they need to say to motivate your DK and get them to play.
When they are on the field they are soccer players and should be treated as such (I know, I know...I'm my DD's #1 fan too).
Whether my husband is yelling across the football field or the basketball court, his goal is to eliminate the head snap to the sideline after they make a mistake.  If they hear him, don't look and just nod, he knows they are developing an understanding of the game within themselves.  The best learning comes when they get past the fear of making a mistake.

It was a great coach who yelled, "Never lose hope, keep trying, and make a game of it!"

Thank you guest Editor!  That was enjoyable and fun to read! :mrgreen:


**let's hear it folks for all the great articles submitted this week! :mrgreen:


Thats it for this weeks Issue of the Pulse, hope you enjoy it...and as always never forget to...Play with Heart & Fire, Heart & Fire Always!