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For these burgeoning entrepreneurs, it worked.
In a recession, who would leave a comfortable job to risk starting a business?
Half of the Fortune 500 companies were launched during a recession, but that was little comfort to the following women who launched their ventures during one of the longest economic downturns in modern times. These entrepreneurs, in business from two to six years, are not only doing quite well, but also feel that life is better since striking out on their own.
Entrepreneur Kimberly Eberl doesn't mince words. "I was fired," she says about the job she lost six years ago at a large PR firm. While seeking full-time employment, she accepted freelance work, which quickly grew into multiple projects and ultimately her own company, Motion PR.
"When I started, I never thought that it would be long-term," she says. "I never had the entrepreneur vibe until I got fired."
To keep overhead low, she worked from home, then moved into an office down the street. Now, with 10 full- and part-time employees, the business has relocated to the North Michigan Avenue area.
"I've always taken very small risks," she explains. "I've never bitten off more than I could chew. I couldn't be happier."
Of course, risks and entrepreneurship are a package deal, and part of the learning process while becoming a first-time business owner. "To be frank, I didn't know what the hell I was doing when I started," confesses Mallory Ulaszek, who left a position in technology sales and opened the boutique Cityblue Apparel & Denim in September 2009.
"So of course my business plan changed a lot, and it still does. In the fashion industry, things are always changing, and it's my job to stay on top of it, ahead of the crowd."
This month, Ms. Ulaszek is opening a second boutique called CB in Lake Forest, as well as an e-commerce business; it's an impressive expansion given the economic climate. "I'm going to put all my heart and time into making sure those ventures are a success," she says. "Surviving in a recession is about focusing on the 'right now' and knowing every minor detail you possibly can about your business. It's about being proactive, admitting when something isn't working and fixing it."
Stacy Levy left a successful, high-profile job as general manager and chief PR and marketing officer at Exhale Spa to follow her "true calling" – teaching yoga and consulting about health and wellness. A certified holistic health counselor and yoga instructor who teaches private as well as group classes at well-known studios and health clubs, she established Aura Yoga & Wellness in 2010. Her first client? Exhale.
"A select few people did question my judgment," she states about leaving the job, "but I listened to my intuition and knew myself well enough to trust that I was moving in the right direction." She admits that the early days were challenging. "There were days that left me depleted and running on empty, but I needed those days to ground me, to give me a reference point and a sense of balance. That experience motivated me even more so and made me better equipped to support the healing of others, which is ultimately what I'm most passionate about."
Amy Leffel, founder/owner of TEAMiFIT, left teaching to pursue her entrepreneurial career. "I was an unsatisfied elementary school teacher," she states simply.
With an undergraduate degree in exercise physiology, and a background as a fitness consultant, she decided to return to her fitness roots. She launched an outdoor exercise boot camp, which became an overnight sensation when she began offering coupons on Groupon.
"I was in a classroom teaching when my cell phone started vibrating with calls responding to Groupon," Ms. Leffel recalls. Almost overnight, her client base grew to 600. Because of the immense demand, she quit teaching two months before the end of the school year to launch TEAMiFIT. Today, she has 25 full- and part-time staff members and a 5,000-square-foot gym in River North, offering over 140 fitness classes a week.
Her biggest challenge has been her lack of a business background, but family members with business expertise have offered advice. Still, she learned most of her business practices from scratch. Success has come by making mistakes and finding growth from each one.
"When genuine passion is the driving fuel, anything is possible," Ms. Leffel says. Her mantra: "It's all about finding the serenity in the daily storm."
Yasmina Marie Slimani would agree that passion plays an important part in business success. While serving as an officer at a large downtown bank, she had an opportunity to take another job for the same salary or accept a buyout offer. She accepted the buyout and launched Belle d'Argane, a natural skincare line with a philanthropic goal: build a brighter future for Moroccan communities.
Ms. Slimani works exclusively with women's cooperatives in Morocco, where she grew up. The women make a living by harvesting fruit and extracting the oil. Labs will then ensure the quality and package the products, which are imported to the U.S. by Belle d'Argane, and sold online and at salons and spas.
For Ms. Slimani, the creative side of the business was her greatest challenge. "I have an MBA and a math background, and English is my second language," she explains. "It was harder for me to describe to designers what I wanted in a logo, a package and a website. It's harder than having to describe numbers and the timeline is different. It's an ongoing process."
Since founding the company, she's hired three part-time sales people and is looking to add full-time employees. "Helping people and making a difference with my own company was my long-time dream," she concludes. "Knowing that I'm really helping women here and abroad is a dream finally becoming reality."


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thanks a lot (:
i shall have a go the next time i create a fake and let you know the outcome (:
thanks a lot (:
i shall have a go the next time i create a fake and let you know the outcome (:
I'm glad that I could assist you in any way.
Assuming photoshop.
What I would do is first (all under image -> adjustments) is Increase contrast in "Brightness/con on the body significantly about 70 or so. In same open options window increase brightness by 10. Then on the face it has some very white areas so go into "selective color", click the drop down box (default should be red) and select "white" and in the bottom slider bar that is labeled blacks change it to +40% (make sure the relative option is selected at the bottom. Using the same tool on the BODY now select reds from the drop down box and using the blacks slider go -10%.
Thats what I got from fiddling around.
This is what I ended up with.
Hey Wafflecakes...these are the types of fakes I was speaking about in my post from #36. I would like to know the best tools, tricks, etc. to make the fake "see through" clothes deal work best.
I'm not sure if these are the *best* examples...but it'll give you an idea of what I'm going for.
thanks! Attachment 877323Attachment 877324
I decided to do sort of a slightly different thing, Huntneo(PT), with the see-thru clothes. I decided to make a Zac Efron that was sort of get hand x-rayed. I think the concept of how I did it close to the same. Using Photoshop, I first made a copy of the celebrity that I was using (keeping the original intact). I then dragged and dropped the underwear picture on top of the Zac Efron picture. I scaled, rotated, whatever I needed to do to the underwear picture to line it up with the Zac Efron picture. I clicked the mask button in the layers panel and making sure I was on the mask layer, I brushed away the excess that I didn't want. I suggest a soft-tipped brush with a lower opacity so you can like work out from the most "see-thru" to the untouched clothes. It makes it more realistic in my opinion. You can then also reduce the opacity of the layer as well to make it a little more realistic as well. I hope this makes sense.
Here is the Zac Efron one that I created....
I also did a quick see-thru ass picture of Carlos Pena Jr from Big Time Rush. If this is sort of the effect that you wanted, I did the same thing as above but I also made sure to make the area a little jagged so it doesn't look too fake and I lowered the opacity of the ass to 90% to give it a thread-bare material feel inside of completed exposed.
thanks for the suggestions, Karshner. I actually like both methods, but the second is closest to what I'm going for. I will play around with both ideas and see what develops! I appreciate your input on this.
No problem. I'm glad that I could assist you. I loved doing both of them. It was a blast. To actually get the jagged look on the Carlos one, I actually created a new layer over everything, chose an irregular brush, made one impression on the new layer to get the shape of the brush, rotated, scaled to "fit" over the exposed ass, selected the brush layer by CTRL + clicking on the thumbnail of the layer, switching to the ass layer mask with the selection still active, SHIFT + CTRL + I to inverse the selection and then painted everything that was in the selection. It sounds like a lot of work, but it can be accomplished really fast and does easily give the jagged edge.
thank you
i have a guide on peenwolf.plogspot.com
Not sure how helpful it is.
http://screencapped.net/ now has an option to download entire episode/movie screenap-galleries as .zip files.
Last edited by leofraud; July 17th, 2013 at 09:22 PM.
Omg u gaiz what's this? Why it's a new photoshop tutorial.
I use picsart, and it works well.
Who can help me fake this photos of Lucas Gil - Mister Brazil 2007?
- - - Updated - - -
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10250338_10204918039655938_4334402797003075567_n.j pg?oh=bc451a1bf9892e8a1be46bff903df7e3&oe=5480F4A2 &__gda__=1417780660_221005ecd833a48b016f7557014c39 6a
Help me plzzz

subset: commoncrawl


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Coated Basic KitchenKnife Set (3 PC):
Material: Stainless steel, rubber and plastic
Care: Hand wash recommended
Brand: Art and Cook
Origin: Imported
The innovative kitchen tools, knife sets, storage containers, salad spinners, herb keepers and other products by Art and Cook marry the disciplines of cooking and design in innovative and colorful ways. The label's ergonomically designed, patent-pending kitchen tools are inspired by Nike Air technology, with pockets of air strategically positioned beneath silicon skins. The hefty, well-made tools themselves are cast in zinc or titanium — strong enough to ream a lemon or mash a potato, far more efficient than anything available at your local houseware store, and imbued with a sensual grace. Heavy hitters include the Pizza Wheelie, with its innovative open-wheel design; the nubbed and gleaming citrus reamer, and the zippy, brightly coated santoku kitchen knives.


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There's a video review of the C31 over at SolidSignal.com. Take a look (post 7 of the linked thread).
Good video with good information but dbstalk and Stuart's first looks have them beat when it comes to details. Just look at the pics in the video and you'll see finger prints on the top of the C31. With Stuart's first look the C31 looks nice and clean.


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The southbound I-35 on-ramp from SH-142/Veterans Blvd in Ardmore will be narrowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Friday for concrete surface repair.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation said drivers will still be able to use the ramp but are urged to use caution in the area.
Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy.


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95th Central Kentucky Dinner, Friday, 3/1/13, 6:30pm
At Hamburg Bonefish Grill, Friday, 3/1/13, 6:30pm.
Attending ... 3 M & 0 W...
Bernard, Pete, and Bob
We had 10 M & 5 W at Carino's tonite ... Wow 2:1 M:W ratio.
We are also planning a pot-luck Dinner on Friday, 3/8/13, at St. Leo's in Versailles, KY. It will be ecumenical w/ other Christian Singles Groups. A Topic on this will be posted soon. May include dancing.


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Janaury 2013
The legislature, listening tours and a Presidential Center
LegislatureThe state Legislature opened its 2013 session this month to significant changes in leadership in both the house and senate.
UH administration and staff attended budget briefings in both houses. On the senate side, all 10 UH chancellors testified before the Ways and Means Committee. Committee members had some thoughtful questions, as did the house Budget and Finance committee, and administrators are following up.
Listening toursListening tours of all 10 campuses and the Palamanui West Hawaii site wrapped up this month. I attended the forums with members of the Board of Regents. The listening tours produced great interaction and ideas from students, faculty, staff and the general public. The feedback focused on local or campus issues, including class availability and classes that students would like to see offered at the university.
Hawaii Presidential Center inaugural galaI just returned from Washington, D.C. where I saw President Barack Obama's second inauguration. I also assisted with the highly successful public launch of the effort to bring an Obama Presidential Center or Library to Hawaii.
Hawaiian Electric Industries sponsored the gala, which was attended by more than 300 people, including Hawaii's congressional delegation, neighbor island mayors, AOL founder Steve Case and UH faculty member, author and First Sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, who spoke impressively about the project. A group has been working since the 2009 inauguration on the concept of bringing a presidential center or library in some form to the islands and the university is very involved with the project.
Top News
Construction at UH
The University of Hawaii is looking forward to an exciting spring semester. The long awaited UH Cancer Center opens in February. The center was completed four months ahead of schedule and nearly $16 million under budget. There are now more than 100 cancer research projects actively being conducted at the center, bringing in an annual $25 to $30 million dollars in grant-funded research into the state.
The new Information Technology building is also set to come on line, which will mean great improvements in high-speed broadband communications.
We also hope to start construction on our West Hawaii campus at Palamanui on the Big Island. The first phase will cover about 24,000 square feet and include classrooms, learning kitchens and science labs. When complete, Palamanui will be the 11th permanent campus of the University of Hawaii System.


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No traceability measures
As for traceability, Chamberlain could not provide Indiana or FDA officials with much information. Chamberlain told The Packer in August that he did not use lot numbers. A list of distributors and retailers who received Chamberlain cantaloupe has not been released.
"Once the melons leave on shipping trucks, Mr. Chamberlain is unaware where they are heading," according to the Indiana report.
Chamberlain, who began recalling his cantaloupe Aug. 17 continues to maintain there is no link between his fruit and the salmonella outbreak.
"While we acknowledge that the FDA report notes certain conditions allegedly observed at Chamberlain Farms, there is nothing in the report to indicate the conditions are a source of or contributed to any reported illnesses," Chamberlain said in a written statement issued through his attorney.
The Indiana report states Chamberlain said he "will not be doing cantaloupes in the future and was planning on selling his cantaloupe equipment."
The CDC also issued a final statement about watermelon from the farm, which tested positive for a strain of salmonella that was "indistinguishable" from salmonella that sickened another 25 people in eight states, The CDC, however, could not verify a link between Chamberlain's watermelons and the illnesses.
"Interviews did not identify a clear link between these illnesses and consumption of melons," the CDC reported.


text:
Dark Dimensions: City of Fog
Silvertown was swallowed by fog and disappeared from the face of the earth 100 years ago. Search for a town consumed by fog! Unlock forbidden doors and uncover mysterious items in this thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!
- Incredible gameplay
- Check out our Blog Walkthrough
- Get the Strategy Guide!
- For a more in depth experience, check out the Collector's Edition
- Play Dark Dimensions: Wax Beauty Collector's Edition
Game System Requirements:
- OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/8
- CPU: 1.6 GHz
- DirectX: 9.0
- Hard Drive: 357 MB
Game Manager System Requirements:
- Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or later
- Blood
- Violent References
The Big Fish Guarantee:
- Quality tested and virus free.
- No ads, no adware, no spyware.


text:
Dinner Tonight Menus
Kowalski's takes the guess work out of the pesky "what's for dinner?" question with seasonal menu suggestions that are easy to pull together. New and exciting meal ideas featuring flavorful Kowalski's Signature Items are posted by our Culinary Director, Rachael Perron. With Kowalski's Meal Suggestions, fast and fabulous feasts are just a few clicks away!
Availability varies by location.


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Play dough play date
Submitted by oplin on Wed, 11/20/2013 - 2:35pm
Have fun with play dough and clay tools. Sharing is a must. Parents/caregivers need to supervise their children. Clay and tools need to stay in the room and don't forget to clean up.
Wed, 02/26/2014 - 10:30am - 12:00pm
More information:


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Featuring performances by multi-platinum artist Colbie Caillat, rock icons The Bangles, Grammy nominated saxophonist Mindi Abair, guitarists Orianthi and Richie Sambora, the event celebrated women in music.
Steve Vai announces Vai Academy 2015: 'All About the Guitar,' featuring Eric Johnson.
See NAMM Show pics and more: GuitarWorld.com | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Motley Crüe have released a new single and video—"All Bad Things"—which you can check out below. The song is from the band's upcoming ultimate collector's album package for fans. "All Bad Things" is available at iTunes now.
The Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor is a studio-grade soft-knee compressor designed for guitarists who want to take control of the dynamics of their sound, from a subtle smoothing-out of peaks and valleys to the most squished and pinched extremes and everywhere in between.
Today, Sweet & Lynch, a new band featuring Stryper's Michael Sweet and George Lynch of Lynch Mob and Dokken, are premiering their latest music video on GuitarWorld.com.
Learn to play every song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' latest studio album, the Grammy-nominated I'm with You. Josh Klinghoffer's distinctive guitar sound has taken the Peppers in an exciting new direction. Here is every delightfully textured, nuanced note from their triumphant 2011 CD transcribed with tab!
Reverend Guitars is introducing five new models to the line for NAMM 2015. All of the models push the boundaries of the line while maintaining the Reverend grit and innovation: the Descent, the Sensei Jr, the Tricky Gomez 290, the Bayonet RA 90 and the Double Agent OG.
Orange Amplification has solved the perennial problem of instrument cables tangling and kinking, with the launch of the new Orange Twister Cable.
Orange has announced its latest combos, the new 2015 Crush series. Redefining the benchmark for practice amplifiers, the Crush 12, Crush 20, Crush 20RT and Crush 35RT are primed to introduce guitarists of all levels to the signature Orange sound, while offering a genuine alternative to digital modelling.
In this new Guitar World video, GW Tech Editor Paul Riario shows you how to install a Super-Vee BladeRunner tremolo system.
Three energetic—not to mention inquisitive—musicians have re-recorded Metallica's much-debated, often-criticized 2003 album, St. Anger.
Around the release of his eponymous debut solo album, Slash took the time out to show us how to play some of his favorite riffs, both new and old. In the Guitar World video below, Slash talks about writing the classic Guns N' Roses tune "Paradise City." He also shows you how to play the key parts of the Appetite for Destruction track.
Buy it now! Now on the iPad


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Monday, September 30, 2013
234 comments:
1 – 200 of 234 Newer› Newest»-
Sting will dominate the Wildcats, the Crew and PDA Magic and remanin the # 1 team in the shore area
- October 9, 2014 at 1:12 PM
Sting? Do they have enough players? I do know their coach is still making the phone calls and looking for players. Why so confident? Your coach isn't. PDA Magic? Never even played a game. What makes you think they are any good?
- October 9, 2014 at 1:45 PM
A coach with a team of 15 would naturally look to bring on a few players for the following reasons
.. Money in his pocket
.. Injuries
.. Competition writin team
.. Overall squad depth
None of these things mean he is not confident with the 15 he does have.
Not sure what the case is with njsa.
What do we know about their coach ? - October 9, 2014 at 6:15 PM
Many of the girls from mf ecnl are from the shore area. I would think they would have Something to say to the 112 blogger. Is njsa really in mfs league.
I do agree they Should remain better than wildcats for sure. - October 9, 2014 at 6:18 PM
if you are not sure about NJSA then how do you know they have 15 players? Looks like the coach is on this site.
- October 10, 2014 at 8:44 AM
NJSA is notorious for reaching out to players (with this coach). He is very honest in his approach and what he would expect out of a player. He will let you know what he can do for you in getting you into college. Will spend an hour on the phone with you if you like, and will walk you through the strengths and weaknesses of the team to make sure it would be a fit. Not bad.
- October 10, 2014 at 9:53 AM
You can go to Disney and not play soccer you know.
- October 13, 2014 at 8:21 AM
so true but this child thought they were playing soccer at Disney.
- October 13, 2014 at 12:16 PM
Nice fields at disney. But does a coach, any coach, need to spend that much parent money for no better competition than u can get more regionally? Maybe coach attendance is so much better there.
- October 13, 2014 at 3:45 PM
Are there college coaches there? Yes. Will they be at your site, or at your field? It is VERY expensive to go, flights are a joke and hotels are the least expensive item. Food, entertainment, VERY crowed this time of year. Most students go to college within 2 hours of where they live. Disney is a waste of money. For that matter, so is this ridiculous PDA tournament in Florida. WASTE of money. PDA is doing this to market their brand, simple as that! Newsflash to PDA, you go get the coaches to show up to your event and dont ask your players to do so.
- October 13, 2014 at 4:11 PM
Disney has VERY good competition. There are MANY college coaches in attendance every year, from all over the country. If your child is in a lower bracket, possibly not as many coaches at the games as at the higher bracket games, but still a great showing by the colleges.
Yes it is expensive, but it is one of the best showcases around if your child wants to play in college. Granted, NOT the only place to be seen, but a great place to be seen if you want to pay. - October 14, 2014 at 7:42 AM
To 742 ... What u wrote is correct. But the point I'm making is that the level of competition and the college coaches present is not far enough superior to what one can find within 6-8 hour drive of our area to warrant a coaches decision to drag 18 girls and a parent to an experience, that while an adventure and hopefully a good one, will improve the chances of being noticed that dramatically. If all parents were as we'll off as the top 20 pct. on each team, then no problem. But I think the reason coaches and clubs drag their teams there is more for the ego of the coach, the promotion of the club or team and to be used as leverage in recruiting. This is like a fisherman looking for worms turning over a whole acre of soil when a square foot would have done the trick. All this travel benefit the very few and not the many, while at the same time feeding a system that thrives on our aspirations for our girls. So we are dropping thousands of tourist dollars to airlines, hotels, restaurants and providing a living and free trips for mostly jackass coaches that we put our faith in .. That's right ... They expense all this to you.
Don't get me wrong ... The kids love it. I enjoy and will probably do it again. You don't hold your daughter back from something the entire team is doing. Find a different team instead. But let's at least be honest about what actual benefit is being derived and by whom. - October 14, 2014 at 8:30 AM
8:30 I couldn't agree with you more. I have done the Disney thing.....just not worth it. 700 per plane ticket, if you are lucky. Did I see college coaches, sure but they were few and far between. (I was there for the top bracket also). Teams, save your money you will need it for college. Some clubs mandate tournaments you have to go to and at first it sounds great but then you realize that they are making you go to promote themselves. Cost them ZERO.
- October 14, 2014 at 9:43 AM
dude if you're paying 700.00 per ticket to get there then you need to either get out of first class or drive. our tickets were 350.00 (still 100.00+ more than I have ever paid before).
agree it is not worth it unless you can make a vacation out of it. the extra surcharge for hotel and having to PAY to watch your kid play is expensive. luckily we have family in the area and the rest of the family will just hang by the pool during the tournament. no cost there! - October 14, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Dude, if you are paying 35o then you booked it a LOOOOONG time ago, or you are flying from NJ to Chicago to Atlanta to Orlando. Either way, at 350 plus luggage it just isnt worth it. Bringing your family? Costs just went through the roof. Exposure? Only to the sun.
- October 14, 2014 at 11:33 AM
Use it as vacation......
- October 14, 2014 at 12:19 PM
Vacation? Not if you are on a truly competitive team. No time to walk the parks, need to save energy. Should be in team meetings. Why are you going to this Disney Tournament, to be seen by college coaches right. Treat it like a business trip. Sorry..............NOT worth the money.
- October 14, 2014 at 12:33 PM
there is time for both. business and pleasure, but the soccer comes first. you're not gonna be in team meetings every hour you are not playing.
use the pools.
parks - that's another story - if you have the time and the $$, but up goes your cost dramatically.
We didn't go to the parks and 90% of the team's time was spent with each other, even if not in a team meeting, but it was enjoying and relaxing.
While you are there, make the best of it. And the last thing you want to do is take the enjoyment out of the trip - soccer or otherwise not forgetting you are there for one reason. You want a family vacation, plan a family vacation.
Nonetheless, it is all too much, too expensive and imo, unnecessary as compared to the potential benefit derived.
- October 14, 2014 at 1:16 PM
1:16 BINGO just NOT worth it
- October 14, 2014 at 2:43 PM
Easy to get sucked in. And you find yourself traveling the country at the whims of a less than stellar coach who lines his pockets regardless of what is done for your daughter.
Good for the wealthy and the top couple players. All else .. We are just along for the ride, but we do help make other people good money - October 14, 2014 at 6:21 PM
dude, booked it last week.
direct flight. - October 15, 2014 at 3:22 PM
Dude = Liar
- October 16, 2014 at 8:10 AM
Very wrong to throw out the liar accusation. You don't know what he paid. Could be that he couldn't leave on the dates or times or airports where the 350 flights were available. Maybe there were cheaper flights but this person chose to pay more for convenience factors.
Why are some people so quick to assume the worst and throw out insults. Your not face to face, let alone know where thiserson looked.
Maybe the person is not savvy or made a costly mistake. That doesn't make the dude a liar. - October 16, 2014 at 8:30 AM
Newark to Orlando non stop is going for 675-770 per ticket, now.
It is worth it though, you MIGHT be at a field where there is a coach and he MIGHT happen to be watching while you are playing and he MIGHT be interested or he MIGHT just be an assistant who really doesnt know what he wants. MAYBE. - October 16, 2014 at 4:03 PM
Funny how when people "can't" find things they assume others are lying. You couldn't have looked very well.
Found this JUST NOW. Spirit. Leaving 12/30. returning 1/2. Total Due $336 without seat assignment and bags. direct flight both ways.
I also paid $350.00 for my daughter but that included bag and seat assignment. I booked (3 weeks ago?) as soon as the roster was released.
If you regularly search for the best cost per flight, you will find that search/purchase earlier in the week (best day is tuesday) is ALWAYS cheaper than later in the week. booking/purchase on fri-sat-sun is ALWAYS more expensive. - October 17, 2014 at 6:58 AM
and yes, out of AC but isn't a 1-2 hour ride (cheaper parking as well) worth saving $350? it is for me.
- October 17, 2014 at 7:01 AM
I've heard that Copa lost a lot of players?
- October 26, 2014 at 2:32 PM
2:32 You heard wrong.
- October 26, 2014 at 4:45 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- October 26, 2014 at 9:13 PM
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- October 27, 2014 at 7:51 AM
No one is sure if the "beans" are true or not. Could just be an angry ex-coach spewing trash about former employer.
- October 27, 2014 at 1:55 PM
I pulled my kid from Copa,not happy with what happen there!!!
- October 27, 2014 at 10:46 PM
What "happen" there?
- October 28, 2014 at 7:32 AM
- October 28, 2014 at 8:42 AM
8:42 "beans" was in reference to a deleted post about someone "spilling the beans" about something.
- October 29, 2014 at 7:49 AM
NJ Rush Team Tops in the Nation!
On the heels of an outstanding performance in the NJ State Cup Championships, New Jersey Rush teams climb the charts in National Rankings.
New Jersey Rush had an outstanding showing at the NJ State Cup Championships last weekend. The U12 '02 Girls and U12 '02 Boys won their respective US Youth Soccer National Championship Series State Cups. In all, 6 New Jersey Rush teams entered the weekend as Semi-Finalists, 5 teams advanced to the Finals and 2 were crowned Champions.
After winning the U12G USYS NCS NJ State Cup Championship, the New Jersey Rush '02 Girls received the additional honor of being ranked as the #1 U12 Team in the country by GotSoccer, the number one ranking organization for youth soccer in the USA.
New Jersey Rush has found tremendous success in other age groups too with 9 teams U11-U18 currently ranked in the top 100 in the USA.
Team Coach GotSoccer
National Ranking Championships
'03 Girls Lisa Pittaro 42
'02 Girls Christopher Pettit 1 NCS NJ State Champion
'02 Boys David Barbour 42 NCS NJ State Champion
'00 Girls NPL Darron Brown 29
'99 Girls Blue Ronald Celestin 95
'98 Girls NPL Greg Ruttler 61 NCS NJ State Champion
'97 Girls NPL David Barbour 5 NCS NJ State Champion
USCS NJ State Champion
'96 Girls NPL Jeff Zoyac 38 USCS NJ State Champion
'96 Girls Blue Martin Wood 19
New Jersey Rush is a US Club Soccer National Premier League club and is becoming one of the top ranked clubs in the Region.
For more information about NJ Rush, please visit our website at http://www.njrush.com or email our Director of Coaching, David Barbour at email@example.com. - November 2, 2014 at 1:13 PM
Since when is this a site for free advertising!
- November 2, 2014 at 8:38 PM
NJ rush needs all the help they can get it looks like. It's scary they promote gotsoccer like its actually true rankings. Most academies and club would banish gotsoccer if they could. I know my daughters coach hates it. Another money grab in south!!
- November 3, 2014 at 2:35 PM
not all soccer talent comes from academies, whatever they are.
Most talent (not all) will come from the clubs that are not town based. The ones that have names that are not a town and draw from a regional part of the state.
PDA is one club I would put above this, only in terms of O'Reilly and their other better teams at the various ages.
We need a gotsoccer (or something like it) for the following:
- colleges to use as a guideline for non ECNL type teams (yes my friends, not all talent is found in ECNL either).
- to establish some sense of relative strength of teams for flighting for tournaments
I can see why a team like O'Reilly doesn't like it - it gives the impression to some that they might not be the best team in NJ. I think they are the best team. But let's not dare think they are not.
Before you pick on GS to banish, there are just so many more other things to target. Gotsoccer is not even in the top 10 of the list of problems with youth soccer, although I do think that GS goes exist as a result of some of the other evils surrounding the game. - November 3, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Your coach hates it because it doesnt help his cause. Is it perfect? No, but it acts as a fairly decent guide.
- November 4, 2014 at 10:11 AM
3:39 here saying to 10:11 .... Bingo.
- November 4, 2014 at 2:51 PM
I think PDA parents get a little ruffled when someone says their team is not in the top spot in NJ.
They feel the need to write about the PDA superiority. If its true and your confident of it, sit back and enjoy your success. - November 4, 2014 at 4:32 PM
LOL, OR could be listed as #20 on GS and they are the top team in NJ.
tell me another team from NJ that has beaten them? come on', just one team. - November 6, 2014 at 12:42 PM
12:32 sounds just like someone that 4:32 was referring to.
Can't the OR gang just leave it alone and bask quitely with pride that their daughter is in the right place ?
Why the need to make sure no one can say anything that might give question to OR being tops in NJ ? - November 6, 2014 at 2:28 PM
So now the HS Season is almost over who are we predicting to be the top 5 in NJ?
- November 11, 2014 at 8:52 AM
2 Matchfit
3 Wildcats
4 PDA Blues
5 ? - November 11, 2014 at 10:45 AM
10:45am Must be joking. Blue and Wildcats aren't even top 10
1. PDA O'Reilly
3. NJ Crush
5. PDA Impact - November 11, 2014 at 11:32 AM
PDA Impact - now you are joking.
- November 11, 2014 at 12:18 PM
So 12:18, you know who these teams have added? You know.
- November 11, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Looking at the last games that the Impact has played, they don't belong in the top 5. But they are still adding players - so who knows. Up to 23 or 24? as of now.
- November 11, 2014 at 1:17 PM
The coach will go up to 30 if he could. The stampede of players will start right after their first tournament when 5 or 6 don't make the game day roster and another 7 don't see any playing time.
- November 11, 2014 at 1:20 PM
Stampede of players to where ?
Is there any place left to go that has a quality program that PDA refugees would be looking for?
And btw - I agree about the top two teams being O'Reilly and MF ECNL.
But there is talent on lots of other teams, and in the end, its not how good the team is. Its how good the player is that matters, assuming it is college we are talking about.
Sure there is the thought that PDA and MF, being who they are will attract more collegiate attention, but there are a lot more spots open in colleges around the country than these two teams can fill, and I am quite certain there are many players on 10-15 other NJ teams that will be seen as more desirable than some on PDA, just based on the subjective eyes of each college coach and specifically what they are looking for in a given recruiting class. In the end, the college coach wants players that will be able to play in his/her system and win games. PDA/MF are not the only tickets there.
My daughter would not make OR or MF ... well - I highly doubt it. But I do expect her to garner college coach attention and play in college.
Wildcats is just another of those 10-15 teams that has some talent that colleges may want. But if you are talking teams - please don't make me laugh putting them in the top 5.
- November 11, 2014 at 1:56 PM
Stampede to where ever team they will get some playing time. Anything is better than sitting. Bottom line is - kids just want to play
- November 11, 2014 at 2:05 PM
You dont think that other teams carry more than 18? Blues do, its not just the Impact. Wildcats do, I am sure the new PDA shore team does. Matchfit does, heck even town teams do it now.
- November 12, 2014 at 8:03 AM
The most important thing is playing time. "Hey coach, come watch me play. I will be the one on the end of bench with the blanket to keep warm." I might play 5-10 if we are winning big, but really, I am gooooooood. Sorry , still cold. But the team is top 10 and I train almost everyday with the really good ones. you know, they need practice players, and MONEY.
- November 12, 2014 at 12:00 PM
still waiting for someone to explain how carrying more than 20 is beneficial to player development.
- November 12, 2014 at 12:24 PM
If you are of the mindset that a bigger roster means more competition for playing time, then to an extent I agree. But it works better at the higher levels like college and pros who are either paid or better equipped to deal with the ego hit. For teens I think the negatives far outweigh any positives and I believe it is just for the money, and also perhaps the sustenance of the team in the event some players leave. All in all it's a lousy thing to do to a kid ... Bull about learning lifes lessons ... They will surely learn them in other places along the way and don't need a soccer club to give them these lessons while paying for something else. Finally the parents of the top players should be happy that the bottom third players exist. Otherwise they would be paying more for their experience. 18 is a good number. Everyone dresses for every game. Everyone gets some chance to shine that game. Next year coach can cut u for a better player. While u are on the team, you play. But not necessarily equal minutes because effort, attitude and game performance must count for something. The better players should play more. If that is not enough incentive for your bottom third to elevate their game, look to replace them in the off season.
- November 12, 2014 at 5:54 PM
I bet MF is happy they have 22 rostered right now. Heard 9 starters can't go to Betheseda because of state tournament finals. Hope they don't get blown out.
- November 12, 2014 at 6:50 PM
I am thinking the question to ask is: Why is a high-level tournament scheduled at a time when many high-level players would naturally be otherwise committed, or forced to make a rough decision that could hurt her standing with either school or club team ?
- November 12, 2014 at 10:51 PM
Why cant they go to Bethesda. Finals are not this weekend.
- November 13, 2014 at 7:52 AM
Finals are on Friday. Bethesda runs Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I wonder if some will make it down for Saturday and Sunday.
- November 13, 2014 at 10:18 AM
Why wouldnt they? These "high level" players wouldnt make the trip to a college showcase? It is 100% inexcusable for a player to NOT go for the Sat/Sun games. NO excuses.
- November 13, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Roster size of 16,18 or 23..the bottom line is...... is my kid enjoying herself ? is she getting better/learning? is she getting prepared to play at the college level and getting exposure? If a team carried 20+ plus players, so be it. OMG. Some parents unfortunately have a since of entitlement for there kid. Unfortunately thats not soccer/sports at the college level( played field hockey) or soccer at a high club level. Knowing that you need to be accountable for everything you do on and off the field helps create a environment to produce and develop players because if they don't maintain a level, try hard, then they have consequences.
You are guaranteed nothing and you have to compete, work hard to play. I like that enviroment for my kid to become the best player she want to become . Some players and parents aren't built for that or understand the bigger picture. Its a shame because you see those under developed players all the time. "Would of, could of should of" players that stayed in a comfortable or guaranteed playing time environment. As a parent and athlete myself, i prefer the more challenging environment for my kid. No.... right or wrong, just what you prefer I suppose - November 13, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Cost of clubs
Club Cost
FC Delco 2,500
FC Buck, 2,300
FC Coppa, 1,800
SJ Barons 2,000
- November 13, 2014 at 12:32 PM
That is base price, dont forget about the 5 dollars here and 10 dollars there for god knows what. It never ends.
- November 13, 2014 at 1:27 PM
NEWSS Brackets are out. Top 2 are below
Showcase Red
Showcase White
YANKEE UNITED F.C. REVOLUTION NPL-98 (CT) - November 14, 2014 at 11:39 AM
State Public Finals are Saturday November 22. Smack in the middle of CASL tournament. Apparently tournament organizers didn't give a hoot that NJ states were still on. They moved their tournament up by 2 weeks from past years. Why?
This puts players in a very difficult position. They HAVE to (WANT to) play for their HS yet they should be showcasing for college. What's a player to do? - November 14, 2014 at 9:02 PM
12:32 & 1:27
Is that $ just training or does it include tournament fees.
How about coach's travel, uniforms, hotels, etc. etc.
Anyone want to provide an "all inclusive" dollar amt to play 1 year in this program? - November 15, 2014 at 7:13 AM
most fees include cards, state cups, league play and coaches training fees.
+ 300.00ish uniforms
+ tournament share (/#players)
+ coaches tournament fee/expenses(depends on travel costs. /#players)
+ winter indoor fees
+ fundraising(club not team)
+ whatever
no matter which club, all travel and hotel fees are on you.
- November 15, 2014 at 11:08 AM
you are basically writing an open check
- November 15, 2014 at 11:09 AM
We are with one of the clubs listed. Uniforms are not an annual purchase. They are worn at least 2 yrs. our fees included winter training indoors (facility fees and training fees). Also we have not been asked to pay extra for coaches travel or hotel. Yes we pay for our own obviously. If the girls want to do any extra tournaments in the winter or do futsal, that would be extra. So it's not an "open check".
- November 15, 2014 at 12:31 PM
Always asked for extra money. Always. It adds up
- November 15, 2014 at 6:00 PM
got an email for Match Fit's online Nike store. does that mean that all Adidas gear is banned?
that means EVERYONE at MF puchases new uniforms this year. almost ALL of the 3 U16 teams bough new Adidas uniforms LAST year.
hhmm, not exactly every two years.
and manufacturers will only keep a line for 2 years so you can puchase up to 2 years IF they have it in stock. - November 15, 2014 at 6:14 PM
My kid played for MF for too many years of wasted time. EVERY YEAR they had to buy a new uniform. I'm sure club makes out on a percentage of the uniform fee.
- November 15, 2014 at 6:27 PM
MF couldn't even keep academy status on the boys side. #MFstinks
- November 15, 2014 at 9:36 PM
MF I leading the way at bethesda.
- November 15, 2014 at 10:45 PM
614 so complain to mf
It's not all clubs that makes u get new uniforms annually
- November 16, 2014 at 12:35 AM
Aside from mf, nj teams did not fare well at Bethesda. I think they've adopted some better development methods elsewhere. Heaven knows they can't get much worse around here.
- November 17, 2014 at 8:24 AM
Keep in mind that most of the NJ teams did not carry their full roster due to high school season. Many other States play HS in the spring and therefore carried their full roster.
- November 17, 2014 at 3:23 PM
Other than Virginia, which states play HS in the Spring? Maryland, PA, Delaware, Ohio...all fall. Nice try, though.
- November 17, 2014 at 3:59 PM
Nice try what...The fact is many of the NJ teams did not have full rosters because the kids were still playing high school.
- November 17, 2014 at 4:37 PM
Nice try using that as an excuse. Many other teams from other states had kids still playing HS. Maryland had their state cup finals on Saturday and my daughter's team played Friday and Saturday missing 4 starters. It's not a good reason for the lack of performance.
- November 17, 2014 at 5:06 PM
No excuse. Our team performed well. The teams from other states carried 17-18. Our team and other NJ teams that I watched had 12-13. One team did not have their goalie. You sound like a loser so I am done.
- November 17, 2014 at 5:10 PM
The real villain here is high school soccer which should be banished.
- November 18, 2014 at 8:24 AM
Mf ecnl solidifies their top nj ranking with a quality performance in Bethesda.
- November 19, 2014 at 8:55 AM
MF, are you suggesting that you are better than OR?
- November 19, 2014 at 9:24 AM
8:55 Please, spare us the bragging. How many quality teams actually showed for Bethesda? How many teams actually had their full strength
rosters because of high school soccer commitments? You won. Big deal. It's all relative. - November 19, 2014 at 9:47 AM
NEWSS, please behave like a top tournament, release the schedules.
- November 19, 2014 at 12:04 PM
Agreed. Ridiculous how NEWSS is in 10 days time and hasn't released a schedule. They accepted teams over a month ago!
- November 19, 2014 at 2:51 PM
very very JV
- November 19, 2014 at 3:26 PM
I'm just saying that mf has Retained top spot in Gs and widened their lead. Not commenting on anything else. Read into what you wish. Wooo hoooo!
- November 19, 2014 at 3:37 PM
9:47 That was nasty. Can't another team be happy that they won?? And there was great competition... Loudin and Betheseda. Keep your negativity to yourself.
They are going to drop down very soon since Bethesda is the only points grabbing tournament they are doing this fall. I would have thought that we wouldn't be discussing Gotsoccer still. - November 19, 2014 at 3:51 PM
Actually you are the one discussing gotsoccer. You brought it up....no one else.
- November 19, 2014 at 4:41 PM
Um....reread 8:55 am. That's what started the conversation. Which rankings did you infer they meant?
- November 19, 2014 at 4:46 PM
U people are comical.
How many of you have actually seen any team other than your daughter's team play more than a few times and once or twice a year. Not many I expect. If you did we might have other things to worry about for you, and at best, I'd say get a life.
We really can't watch PDA or mf or sta or wildcats or whoever play on video like we can watch real Madrid or bayern.
Yet there continues to be commentary on who is good, who is not and who is better than the other.
So when someone points to the ONLY objective and universal measure there is, people get all bent out of shape. It is comical.
Sure Gs is not perfect. But tell me some other objective measure. Talking ecnl or npl or whatever league is not gonna do it. Brand name doesn't do it either.
So why not just accept the comments about Gs, let parent be proud of their kids and teams as long as they are not trashing others an be done with it. - November 20, 2014 at 8:26 AM
mf "cheats" too.. they leave the npl team from last year on got soccer just so they can have an encl team compete....look at the npl roster and half the girls are not even with mf anymore...they should be ashamed
- November 20, 2014 at 9:16 AM
916. Are you saying MF hasn't got an NPL team at this age group? How are they going to participate in the NPL league? Just have their ECNL team do both?
- November 20, 2014 at 10:50 AM
No the NPL team disbanded because they were on to the MF crap and didn't want to take it anymore so MF "bestowed" the status of NPL on the North team. Yes, they do cheat. They've also given points from one team and season's end to another startup team which had NOT ONE player on it from the first team. Joke.
- November 20, 2014 at 11:07 AM
Really? Wow. The MF North team is very poor for the age group. Going to be a tough season for them in NPL!
- November 20, 2014 at 11:21 AM
Still do not understand 20+ roster. Hey college coach, I did not dress today, but hope to play tomorrow. Please come back. lol
still lol ! - November 20, 2014 at 11:44 AM
The North team IS the NPL now. The other will drop off when their points die off.
We should just not compare teams at all. There are too many leagues and too many ranking systems. Let's all just worry about our own daughters and helping them to achieve.
11:44 I am not a fan of large rosters either but I am answering your question honestly. On my daughters team, the coaches are in touch with most of the college coaches that attend the showcases. If the coach knows that a college is coming for your daughter, he will be sure to showcase them. Thus the name... showcase. If random colleges show up and do not get to see your daughter and you wanted them too, they attend a camp. I think 18 is a nice number to have on a team so that injuries etc. are covered but even then coaches won't get to see 12-18 as much as 1-11. So, using the above "formula" works all around. - November 20, 2014 at 1:10 PM
NEWSS schedules up
- November 21, 2014 at 4:33 AM
Another loss today for SJA at the EDP Tournament.
- November 22, 2014 at 1:35 PM
Ya know, you are a pathetic individual for posting negative things about the SJA team! Why are you so concerned about this team? Grow up! Like your daughter's team is so perfect and always wins!!?? My daughter's team loses every so often too. It happens.
- November 22, 2014 at 7:12 PM
Since you are keeping track for us.. you forgot to post that they won today also.
- November 22, 2014 at 8:08 PM
- November 23, 2014 at 8:50 AM
Won the constellation game. lol
Good teams are always playing for something Sunday afternoon, called finals. - November 24, 2014 at 4:37 PM
What's a "constellation" game? A constellation is a celestial grouping of stars. I think you meant CONSOLATION game.
- November 25, 2014 at 6:43 AM
the constellation game is won by the person that can pick out the most constellations in the night sky. LOL
- November 25, 2014 at 8:54 AM
Does anyone know anything about the Champions League?
- November 25, 2014 at 2:53 PM
Region one. Must qualify
- November 26, 2014 at 4:53 PM
sja crew on a roll at newss
- November 30, 2014 at 11:37 AM
Nice show for SJA crew, keeping in mind they are in a low bracket, but 3 solid wins. On the other end, PDA Impact doesn't get out of group play, dead last in their bracket and only scores 1 goal in the weekend. Guess the new coach should have poached him some goal scorers.
- November 30, 2014 at 2:27 PM
November 30, 2014 at 2:27 PM-We played PDA Impact at MSSL Showcase and it was a very good game which they had most/all of play. I know my daughters team have trouble scoring sometimes; At least they defend well I would get flighted higher before talking bad against a U16 girls team. You people on this forum kill me
- November 30, 2014 at 6:37 PM
"Poaching!" Let me guess. Your kid was cut? New team & players. Give it time you'll see positive results. He's one of the last real trainers left. Or you could keep feeding your kid & the tarts on this blog negative feedback about the team/club, you're sure to get wins & respect that way.
- November 30, 2014 at 7:32 PM
Nope my daughter was not cut. She is on a high level team and she is doing well. I would not even consider taking her to a team where the roster is 24-25 players.
- November 30, 2014 at 8:54 PM
Then why salt??? Get a life!!!!
- November 30, 2014 at 10:14 PM
Why salt ?
Why not salt ?
The other question ... why pepper ? WTF. - November 30, 2014 at 10:56 PM
If your kid could play you wouldn't be worried about a 24-25 player roster. I think you & everyone else knows she'd most likely be player 24 or 25. Give the guy & the girl's a break! Salt/pepper & any other ingredients you'd like to add. "WTF"
- December 1, 2014 at 11:05 AM
What top level team isnt carrying 22 plus players? Is there really one team out there that doesnt.
- December 1, 2014 at 1:06 PM
Sounds like this salt.and pepper business all boils down to bad blood between impact and tha new sja crew. Parents you've been at this so long. Give it a break already. Grow up and get a life already. Concentrate on the goodness of your own daughter's soccer experience and if u need a soccer scholarship for her, then all the best. Stop knocking others peoples kids or their teams. They should all be successful with or without the game and hopefully the karma many of you have spilled out here over the years will not come back to haunt the innocent girls. who u all gonna rant at once youth soccer is done in the pretty near future?
- December 1, 2014 at 5:52 PM
look at Got Soccer rankings this morning
2. NJ Crush
4. Jeny B
6. FC Copa
7. NJ Stall
Certainly not a perfect system.
As far as got soccer goes at the moment, there are 3-4 teams that do not have 22 or more in the top 10. Easy to look at them.
Do any of the teams have a policy to keep the roster at 18, if you look at other teams in these clubs the do exceed the 18. So while your daughter's team at U16 may be at 18, they might add to the roster next year where the number becomes unbearable. That is what happened at JU from last year to this year.
A governing body (US CLUB) should set a limit, that benefits the kids and not the profits of these organizations.
- December 2, 2014 at 9:44 AM
Then leave your current club and go to one that does not have a roster over 22 and or go somewhere where you think your daughter can play and play a good amount.
Call a coach and see if there is a need or if you can be an upgrade at her position(s). - December 2, 2014 at 9:53 AM
Couple ways to look at this. In theory I agree with 9:44. It would be nice to have some governance over this, but alas, it is more like the wild west here with anything goes. It's up to the parents to choose what they think is right. If you want max of 18, find it. But chances are if the team has any success, people will flock and unless the coach/club has some integrity tied more to quality of product than it is to money, the roster will grow.
Thing is, a limit of 18 could take a considerable amount of profit from the coaches. Again, in theory, this could make the job less attractive to the "top coaches" .. I mean hacks .. having them opt to do something else with their time ... who knows what.
If you are a coach rostering a player, you gotta find ample playing time for her - not necessarily equal, but ample so that the kid can progress. Of course good attitude and attendance is a given here. otherwise, bets are off.
Frankly most of these teams are coached by hacks anyway - but its our beautiful system that permits these hacks into leadership roles. Alas, I guess these are the best of the lot. Many people would not know good soccer training, coaching and mentoring if it jumped up and bit them right in their plump arses. So perhaps we don't deserve better if we can't tell the difference. Caveat Emptor. - December 2, 2014 at 11:47 AM
11:47am. What teams do you believe are incorrectly coached by "hacks"? I'd like to be enlightened.
- December 2, 2014 at 1:59 PM
You would be very surprised. Most American coaches and ever foreign coaches on these shores do not have a clue as to how the game should be played, how get the best out of the players and how to train the minds of the players. And the worst of it - and this is a very well known defect in most American coaches - they overvalue current athleticism as opposed to developing and molding talent. We may have some decent talent evaluators, but not good talent predictors and developers. You have a bunch of fools who can pick a great team for today, but to project and forecast a player for what he or she will become, and help mold that player to reach potential is a FAR DIFFERENT THING and something I believe 80% more of our hacks fail miserably at. But again, this is as much a fault of our effed up system as it is with the coaches themselves.
I will not name names here. But you name one, and great chance he or she is on the hack list. - December 2, 2014 at 3:30 PM
Thanks Glenn, much appreciated.
- December 2, 2014 at 3:40 PM
Here is the list someone posted from got soccer (plus 9 and 10). Who of these are hacks? I know from the below that only 3 of the coaches have had the team since U11 onwards. Others either started later or have had changes of coach through the years.
2. NJ Crush
4. Jeny B
6. FC Copa
7. NJ Stall
10. NJSA - December 2, 2014 at 4:33 PM
I am opinionated about the coaching quality in the youth game. I am making general statements that I believe in. Taken them for what they are - an opinion from someone you don't know, who as far as you are concerned knows less about the game than the hacks I speak about.
I will state that most US soccer coaching is garbage. I am trashing the system, and yes, a lot of the people in it. But I will not name names. There is no need for that here.
If you put each of these clowns in a vacuum with the same players and took away the pressure of having to win games in the short term and placate silly parents looking for scholarships for their kids, and see what each of them comes up with in terms of how they have their teams playing, we could see who knows what the heck they are doing.
But we don't have this vacuum to perform the experiment in. So you need to form an opinion based on what you see and hear in coaches and how they have their teams playing. - December 2, 2014 at 10:32 PM
as a GK parent, i'd like to have a simulator. see how a coach would perform (or another keeper) in the same situation when that coach says "you should have had that" from 3/4 a field away.
- December 3, 2014 at 10:10 AM
10:10, all -
What you wrote could be a very good case in point for me. Does this coach say this out loud for all teammates, opponents, parents and spectators to hear, or does he/she tell her this quitely on the sidelines and discuss how she might have handled the shot better ? There is no real middle ground here. Criticism without constructive correction is the mark of an idiot coach. Doing so in front of others and showing up a player - especially a keeper - who has only to sit around an stew instead of being involved in the action, is a nightmare coach. A coach who does this has no place in the world of developing athletes. NONE AT ALL.
For goodness sake, you don't see a pro coach showing up a player or goalie like this on the field. Why not a) because he knows it is a disgrace and that it would be all over the media and destroy any hope he had for a reputation as a players coach b) he wants to build confidence in his players / not break it
c) he wants the players to play for him and this requires a degree of trust.
Ah, but in our wonderful world of youth soccer, where we do let hacks roam the sidelines, short of flat out physical or other abuse or misconduct, there are no repurcussions and there certainly is NO QUALITY CONTROL over how and what the coach delivers. And in some instances, there is emotional abuse, but that is a fine line and the girl can always leave the team. NO QUALITY CONTROL because we don't have the system in place for it. The only system we have - you win, you stay. you lose, you go. And that is pretty much the story. We are failing our kids on so many levels its beyong ridiculous.
Now back to the buffoon/hack we were discussing before, if you consider that a good coach's goal is to improve his players and win some games along the way, then how does showing up a player lead to that improvement. Maybe to some old school idiots it might, but for sports, there are some things that I believe in strongly - 1) Confidence is key. You want a player to play to their best ability and reach their potential, they need to be confident. 2) Trust in the coach and knowing that the coach has your best interests at heart and mind. 3) Credibility of the coach. Does the coach do what he says, does he speak with knowledge, is he able to connect to the players and make sure they walk away with the right understanding of what needs to be corrected and is he treating players equally fairly, not holding dual standards amongst the players.
Anyway, that buffoon coach and those like him lose out at least 2 or the 3 areas. Probably all three.
And at the heart of these things is not even about his soccer knowledge. They mostly have to do with the quality of the person mentoring your daughter and these are things that would apply in any teaching scenario.
Once you get into the actual soccer aspect of things, the flaws and lack of quality in our coaching clowns gets far deeper.
But I don't care how much soccer accumen and technical/tactical advise a coach can offer, if he is not a good human being - a good teacher - then you are lost right from the git go.
Hey GK parent, if don't want to get me going again, I'd refrain from putting out posts like you did .... lol. I'd also say that this coach is an even bigger idiot if he is 3/4 of the field away from a goalie. At best he is out of his technical area. At worst, well ... WTF is he doing down closer to the other goal anyway - praying his team will move the ball upfield ?
- December 3, 2014 at 1:37 PM
1.37 you'll get no complaint from me.
okay, 1/2 the field away is a little fairer than 3/4.
let's say it wasn't a positive experience and leave it at that. - December 3, 2014 at 2:09 PM
So where do you coach?
- December 3, 2014 at 3:25 PM
My daughter was on a team where the coach would walk around drinking a cup of coffee during a training session.
I thought the kids should place a bet - 10 bucks to the kid who could knock it out of his hand.
Needless to say, we moved on. - December 3, 2014 at 5:07 PM
I coach at the field next to the physics lab where Einstein worked, if you get my drift.
You don't need to be a doctor to understand human anatomy.
You need a good understanding of the game and of people. And a degree of decency.
A lot of it is common sense after you have a root knowledge of the spatial aspect of the game and the absoute necessity for intelligent movement off the ball but not only by the player next to the one with the ball but by all players on the field. It's only after ou see this constant movement do you know you have a team that plays soccer.
Now I have seen a couple of the better teams in the area do this. Some of them have an idea but are not there yet. Most teams unfortunately are not. There are an abundance of reasons why not. It takes time, patience and desire, let alone enlightenment, which it is sad to say most coaches do not have. Mostly because all of this work could have and should have been done at u10-u15 ... Priming the soccer brain for future success, but instead we were too busy focusing on wins, and athletes who can get us more of them at that time without thinking about building a strong foundation.
This btw is one of the top failings of soccer in our country. There are others but a major contributor is the primitive and short sighted minds of many of our coaches. Not entirely their fault - its a horrible system.
But no, I am not coaching now. I will go on to say that no self respecting coach comes onto this blog. Note that I use the term self respecting, as their is no shortage of hubris with them. But that doesn't mean you as parents have to respect them for the many areas where they are failing your kids.
Just like in school we come across many teachers who we don't respect - we want to respect them because of their position in the life of our kids - but their attitudes and actions make it impossible. Start thinking a bit more intelligently about your kids' coaches, their ways and means, the way they have the kids playing and what they do in training to improve the skills and tactical senses of the players.
We will have a lot of girls who have success beyond high school and some of the in spite of the coaching they've had. Imagine what could be if we had a working system with coaching standards. Last btw .. This goes way beyond any lisence. Sometimes the higher the lisence, the bigger the idiot.
Just wondering what is the lisence of the DB who yelled at the goalie from the previous post.
A good coach/teacher will not just criticize. After identifying the problem they will constructively guide you, or lead you to a solution and work with you until you get there. Otherwise this coach has failed you, and I regret that there are a lot of failures in our midst. - December 3, 2014 at 5:19 PM
Finally a knowledgeable poster......Amen.. For real.
- December 3, 2014 at 6:49 PM
license? now that is funny! maybe E?
- December 3, 2014 at 9:16 PM
You go on and on calling people names and saying how they are idiots. An idiot still knows how to spell license. Not you though!
- December 4, 2014 at 7:54 AM
I never did win a spelling bee.
I have to admit that is one word I have always had trouble with. No more thanks to you.
You got me. C before the S.
I still stand by the content, but if you look hard enough, you might find some more flaws in my grammar or spelling. Knock yourself out.
To be clear, I am not calling anyone in particular names. I am not naming names or pointing fingers. There are idiots in our population that have nothing to do with soccer. We all know they are out there. There are idiot drivers. Idiot teachers. Idiots we work with. Even idiots in some of our families that we need to put up with. I am just opining here that there are idiot soccer coaches too.
BTW - from your logic, it is possible I am not an idiot, since I can't spell license and all idiots know how to spell license. Check that - I am on this blog debating this nonsense with you ... I must be an idiot. - December 4, 2014 at 10:35 AM
From Dictionary.com:
Informal. an utterly foolish or senseless person:
"If you think you can wear that outfit to a job interview and get hired, you're an idiot!"
2. Informal. an utterly foolish or senseless person:
"If you think you can motivate a teenage soccer player to get the best out of them by berating them in front of their team and parents, you're an idiot (of a coach) !"
Psychology. (no longer in technical use; considered offensive) a person of the lowest order in a former and discarded classification of mental retardation, having a mental age of less than three years old and an intelligence quotient under 25.
I think the poster was using his choice of words in the sentiment of #1 above and not #2.
If you just replace some of the words you'll have this
- December 4, 2014 at 3:19 PM
well that post came out messed up, but I think you get the idea.
- December 4, 2014 at 3:20 PM
No. Go back to knowing it all, you made more sence
- December 4, 2014 at 9:04 PM
Here's the thing ... What I know is that I don't know it all. I'm still learning and willing and open to see things and hear new ideas about the game.
But these less-than-stellar coaches I write about - the ones I have met that do fit the mold - they do know it all, and they never get tired of reminding you.
See the thing is - when you know it all, there is nothing left to learn. To me, this is not the mark of a good coach.
I don't mean to come across as a know it all. After all, these are just my opinions but if there is any intelligent discussion surrounding them, then I think that's a good thing. - December 4, 2014 at 10:45 PM
Do you coach? If not, step back.
- December 5, 2014 at 7:51 AM
Step Back ? Now that is precious, and also once again giving me a case in point to discuss.
You see folks, here it seems we have a coach, or a defender of a coach, applying bully tactics such as step back, as there is no room for any questioning of their methods and/or know-how. Without questions, either self-questioning or from others, there is no growth. And you should ask yourself whether or not you want your child to be coached by someone who won't be questioned or doesn't need or want to grow.
As far as whether or not I coach, I refer you back to my earlier point about Einstein.
The point is, I can see plenty of problems in our coaches today and the system. But seems a little foolish to expect that only other active coaches are permitted to question current coaches - Sounds like a pat-on-the-back, good-old-boys, bull session to me.
People in positions of authority/influence over our kids NEED TO BE QUESTIONED. And they also need to be evaluated often, corrected, guided, mentored and have some measure of quality control imposed on them outside of just the W/Ls they produce. These measurements should be based on their methods, how they perform their training, the way they treat their players, the actaul improvement of the players and how well they adhere to some driving principles of intelligent soccer which would hopefully be set forth by the club, and not just as lip service on the clubs website and club meetings, but actually put into practice. I can't tell you how many times I have heard coaches and clubs say and write they promite the beautiful game and attractive soccer and possession game and playing out of the back, as they are the key buzzwords they need to market themselves. But when push comes to shove, you still find the common practice to be goalies punting, outside backs dumping the ball out of bounds instead of working their way out of trouble with their teammates, players exhibiting control players booting long 50/50 balls upfield whether or not they are under any pressure, instead of controlling and executing a simple lateral or backpass to a teammate you can preserve possession and has more time to move the ball intelligently. W/L IS NOT A GOOD MEASUREMENT FOR YOUTH COACHES - even more so in the younger ages, but still, to a degree at U16, W/L should not be driving factor in coaching. The above are all important considerations in determining how players should be developed.
So coaches and others - Please - if you want to dispute my opinions, by all means go right ahead. But I do question others motives and need to squelch opinions and position themselves in a place where you they better because you they coaching or they have some other reason for defending current coaches.
- December 5, 2014 at 10:57 AM
See folks, what we have here is a know it all that makes decisions on the parents sideline. Does not have to worry about feelings, parents, looking good or god forbid win a game. You are a problem.
- December 5, 2014 at 12:11 PM
It seems I may be corresponding here with a real live coach.
Regarding your last post, coach or non-coach ... and its good to have this discussion to hear an active coach's point of view ... I'll address what you wrote:
Know it all - i thought we already addressed this. I am still very willing to read, watch and learn. Games on TV. Youth games. But the key is the desire to know more and have more insight about the game is there.
Making Decisions - I make NONE today other than what team my children play on and what insight and advice I decide to give them. If time permitted, trust me, I would be coaching today and in a position to make some decisions.
Feelings - Always take them into account when dealing with kids. Always. Out here, since we are all anonymous, we are not showing anyone up in a public forum. I am free to voice my opinions, which I think is what blogs are for and you are free to argue back. When I speak or write about the quality of coaching in the youth game, if I have caused feelings to be hurt by using terms like idiot and hack, its only due to my frustration at seeing what I see, and experiencing at times with my kids and my passion for this topic perhaps has caused me to go overboard. For that, I am sorry if your feelings were hurt. But for the kids, well feelings, inspiration, love for the game, confidence, optimism, freedom to make mistakes ... these are all things that a good coach should aspire to bring to his players. I feel strongly about that. So when I talk about the things that so many teams are doing wrong, there are ways to correct these things, collectively and individually without being harsh about it. A good coach will know how to impart this.
- December 5, 2014 at 2:34 PM
Parents-Free to come and go as they choose. In discussions with them, they need to be respected and their opinions taking under consideration. This does not mean that you do what they want. You try to hear the concerns and establish a plan to get beyond them, which could include giving very specific targets to the player on what is expected. You took the kid. Parents are paying for it. Now you go and coach her and make her better. If it doesn't work out at the end of the year, cut the player. At least you have given your best shot to work with and for the player and perhaps they are just not suited to play at that level. At this age, a lot of these discussions can happen with the player themselves without parental involvement. However, I completely disagree with the approach where the parent is not permitted to speak with the coach, because that is the way it is in college and they are being trained for the college experience. Baloney. Kids are going to need to face a lot of difficulties in their lives. You are their soccer coach. You don't have to become one of them and hide behind your statement of giving them a college experience to justifiy your laziness or your lack of empathy and willingness to really help the player.
Looking Good - What exactly does that mean ? Someone who is concerned more about looking good as opposed to developing soccer talent should not be coaching. Besides, a coach who is able to get their players playing the game intelligently and skillfully will start to look plenty good after a while.
Winning - Winning is important. Development is more important. Learning how to win is part of development. If you develop properly, the wins will come as a by-product. We all want to win. Its a measure of success. It is not the success itself.
I am a problem - I can clearly see I am a problem for you. And this is a good thing. I wish I had the time and resources to become a problem for a lot more to have to worry about. In order to improve anything, you must first recognize there is a problem. My hope is that the parents and system will change enough to gain intelligence to migrate to better coaching, and it this has to happen as a result of a more educated consomer about the game demanding more and better (this is the problem you speak of, I think) from the coaches they pay, then so be it. When change happens, for things that matter, it is usually made when someone or a group of people are not happy with the status quo.
Some of the above may seen harsh - not sure - they are just ideas about soccer coaching. Again, the thoughts are there. Let's get them out in the open.
Some coaches out there must think that there are areas where they can and need to improve as a coach ... aren't there ?
Please ... if there are specifics in the areas you touched on that I replied to where you disagree with me, then let me know. I know these things may not be easy, but they must be tried otherwise I think we fall short.
I know ... get lost ... get a life ... and all those things. I'm going. Bring me back at your own risk ... lol. - December 5, 2014 at 2:39 PM
Amen. Blog on amigo. Blog on. I agree with you on most if not all counts. Right now we are very satisfied with our daughters coach. He checks a lot of your boxes.
- December 5, 2014 at 6:08 PM
Coaches, pay attention to what your most recent blogger is saying. Learn from it.
Someone might not like what he is saying, "just a parent making comments" maybe but most of our comments come from conversations with our daughters. Feedback from them which they are afraid to voice to their coaches for fear of being benched.
My daughters HS coach is horrible. girls hate him. He benched our best GK for a big loss. It was all her fault? We won more games with her in goal but he was too blind to see that. He plays (field) a girl who clearly does not belong on Varsity because her parents are the squeaky wheel. If a parent yelled to me(a coach) from the stands, I'd never play the kid. NEVER, even if she was a superstar.
Mine switched teams this year. She likes the HC, LOVES the Asst coach. they LISTEN to and talk to the girls. They don't scream or bark at them. I've talked to other parents and this seems to be how most of the girls feel. - December 6, 2014 at 3:58 AM
new to this got soccer thing. i've never really followed it before. when do got soccer points show up from a tournament? days or weeks after the event?
- December 6, 2014 at 6:06 AM
6:06am-new to got soccer? Really?
- December 6, 2014 at 3:46 PM
Everyone has their first time for everything they do at least once.
- December 6, 2014 at 9:12 PM
i said i didn't follow when gotsoccer was updated. i didn't say i was new to the internet or ignorant people.
- December 6, 2014 at 11:42 PM
was it okay that i was here at 11.42pm since 6am was suspicious? LOL
- December 7, 2014 at 7:29 AM
It's quite understandable that parents with teenagers have insomnia. Late night. Early morning. What does it matter.
I don't think there was any suspicion over the 6am comment. That's just how we bloggers identify a comment to respond to. - December 7, 2014 at 10:14 AM
- December 8, 2014 at 10:23 AM
How would you like to liven it up ? Did you bring a lampshade?
- December 8, 2014 at 7:42 PM
To the hack/idiot coach blogger:
I think we all understand and appreciate the concern you have over your children being short changed by these coaches. I personally feel that your expectations are too high for a soccer coach. These academy guys are all basically running a business and taking advantage of their clients. Call me cynical, but you have to realize that we are constantly being sold their products or their friend products while we are in pursuit of "what?" for our kids. I agree that youth soccer is NOT by any means a perfect system, we are fueling it and making it grow.
While I have a couple of kids who play and have lots of friends whose kids have played with varying degrees of success, for us it is the journey and what you can take away from it. The W/L means nothing. Realize that if you teach your kid anything be it commitment to the team your child is on and her team mates. Teach her to recognize the good from the bad, learn when to stay, and when to walk away. Most important let her learn when an adult really does not have her best interests at heart for that is a lifelong lesson that I think we need to recognize. With my kids who have had dozens of coaches each in various sports, there have only been 3 or 4 coaches who had their best interests at heart. I point this out to them, it is a sad lesson for them to learn, but an incredibly important one and the hacks/idiot out there make it an easy lesson. - December 8, 2014 at 8:36 PM
Best interest = playtime. No one complains when their child is playing.
- December 9, 2014 at 8:07 AM
my kid starts and gets a lot of time. i still believe that 24 on a roster is WRONG.
- December 9, 2014 at 2:34 PM
How does that answer the question. No one complains when their child is playing. Simple.
- December 9, 2014 at 3:16 PM
3:16pm For the most part your comment makes sense, however, my daughter was getting tons of playing time on her former team. But we were both complaining because there was no training, there was no commitment from the club for her particular team, the players on her team itself were not committed to the team and the coach eventually was not committed either, in the long run. We walked away for a better opportunity. Very happy where we are now.
- December 9, 2014 at 5:11 PM
3:16. I disagree. Maybe no one you know complains if their kid plays. My kids play. I do not complain about playing time for my kids. But that is like saying, for instance .... I am going on a cruise that gives me a lot of food. But the food tastes like garbage ....
The point, I think you can get, is that it is not about quantity here. It is about quality. Don't get me wrong. Playing time is important. Very important. But this is about so much more than that - its about the quality of the product. More to come. - December 9, 2014 at 5:17 PM
There are many other things I refer to insofar as the coaching deficiencies. These things can be seen in the way kids play, what the coaches say and don't say during games and practices after witnessing certain things. Most of this is not about the physical or the skills. It's about the mental. And these are things the kids should have be trained in and reinforced since u9. The fact that u16 soccer is so bereft of intelligent play, and coaching teaching and demanding it, is a large problem. Its akin to expecting a student to thrive in algebra or geometry without a mastery of basic math. You see there are not only skills fundamental but there a mental fundamentals. Yes .. We do have a few very intelligent teams in our area. And a few others not so bad. And some smarter players scattered amongst the rest of thhe teams. But speaking generally here, the play at this age could be and should be so much better. Even some top ranked teams still struggle. And some of these teams are in respected programs with respected coaches.
Some examples ...
A. To many defenders booting 50.50 balls upfield, or just simply returning the ball to the opponent at midfield, when the defender has time to settle and work for an option where team can keep possession and mount an attack.
B. far too much thoughtless sideline platform all positions. This includes but is not limited to the dump out of bounds by the defender under some pressure, but when there is cover support. If there is no other defenders back, then it might be understandable but u see this far too often. Also, players who try to make a pressured play on the sideline, instead of shielding and letting the ball roll out, when opponent was last to touch the ball.
C. Uninventive midfield and forward play. Lack of off ball movement. Forwards standing and waiting for their long ball to run onto.
D. First touches into pressure.
E. taken on players drilling 1v1 in midfield and defense when there are clear possession passes to make and the downside outcome of the 1v1 far outweighs the upside of beating oponent.
F. Reluctance in general to make the simple lateral or back pass to retain posession and possibly switch play and point of attack, and instead opting to dribble of play a ball upfield directly into pressure.
G. Forwards receiving ball around the midfield from defense or mids and attempting to turn either into a defender or trying to take on two defenders instead of holding up play and waiting for offensive support. There are times when going 1 v1 is a necessity. There are times when it is desirable, like if by beating a player you are in on goal or can penetrate and make a pass. There are other times it is clearly wrong and many our kids don't have a clue.
H. To many Offensive opportunities being laid to waste due to the (perhaps selfish) player shooting on goal from an angle of less than approx 25 degrees. This could be acceptable if it was a breakaway without offensive support in the middle, but in most cases, when that shot goes right to the goalie or hits the side netting, this is a waste instead of shooting far post or getting the ball across thhe goal mouth to a teammate. This is cringe-able.
When these things do happen, here and there you will hear a coach say something corrective. But not nearly enough, and this stuff happens very often on some of the so-called better teams.
As parents, if we become more cognizant of these things as we watch our daughters and their teams play, we might know when we have a good coach or not. A quality coach will not allow the perpetuation so such habits without a real good fight. A player is a measure of their physical abilities, their skills, their heart and many other things. Most often under coached in youth soccer here is the brain. - December 9, 2014 at 5:39 PM
I agree with you 5:39, but I see no solution to the problem. Do any of these clubs have a quality control process.
Any suggestions? - December 9, 2014 at 7:10 PM
539 here. No. I know of no solution that I could implement.
Give me a bunch of money to quit my job and have the wherewithal to form something meaningful ... ah, a pipe dream.
For now, I can identify the problems. That is the first step. If there are enough like minded people, the could start demanded better informed and more well-meaning coaches.
But I do fear that it is our system that sustains itself through the $$ of the parents, as opposed to youth systems around the world where the only way you will get pulled up to a higher level is if someone from an independently funded club thinks you are good enough. Not because you can pay for it. I also believe that within those systems, the dire need to win today does not drive decisions. There is a recognition that their job is to bring along players who will eventually help at a higher level even though they are not able to be of great impact today. I reference my previous remark about the differences between talent identification, talent forecasting and talent development.
Some have said that had Leo Messi come up in the US program, he would have been overlooked. Now I think that is an exaggeration as I can't see anyone missing how special he is or would become. But I think the point is well taken, as in our system, we just care far too much for the present day wins - and we all know why, and we are all part of the problem.
Organized youth soccer in USA is a collection of independently run, for profit organizations who make their profit at the youth levels. Their is no greater vision in the minds of most clubs and coaches. They serve no higher level.
Organized soccer abroad comes from the top down. If your child has talent, the only thing paid is the sacrifice of time and commitment. No money. The money comes from above and the return on that money is only realized by the development of the talent either by way of developing stars that they can sell tickets and merchanidise with, or sell for millions to other clubs. It profit driven, for sure, but it distills and clarifies the decision making processes at the lower levels.
And you can be sure that at these lower levels, they are training the brain as much as the body and skills as that is what they are expected to do and what is demanded of them from the people who pay them.
Sorry - I don't know a better way here, and btw, it will happen for boys before girls, I think. There is more of a push from US Soccer downwards on the men's side. The right ideas are known and implemented at the higher levels in this country. The problem is that we don't have the infrastructure in this game, in this huge, diverse country, to enforce them in the wild-wild west of youth soccer in America. Down here, if you win, all is great, no matter how you win. - December 9, 2014 at 8:14 PM
Thanks Steve.
- December 10, 2014 at 7:56 AM
Who's Steve ?
- December 10, 2014 at 8:22 AM
A good read for parents and coaches alike. This gives some insight into some concepts I've tried to convey here.
At this link: https://coachalec.wordpress.com/
scroll down about half-way down, you will find an article entitled Rhythm.
What puzzles me is the following:
- Are our coaches watching enough soccer on TV and are they learning from it ? How can our youth coaches not watch high-level soccer on TV. Its quite prevalent today. Easy to find. We are always encouraging the kids to watch, which I think is right. But the coaches - are they watching ?
- For those that are, how can we have such shining beacons such as Barca and several other teams out there and not try to at least emulate what they do. Please let's not get into not having the talent - its obvious that 15-16 year old girls are not going to look like this athletes making millions, but what I would be looking for is they should be trying to play with some sophistication. Its about the intent. And remember, their opposition are other 16 year olds - not million dollar players.
Can we at least make an effort instead of giving in to the forces pulling us in the wrong direction ? - December 10, 2014 at 4:48 PM
My kids have had did watch soccer on TV. I have had conversation about games.
You should ask your daughter's coach if they have a favorite team. Watch the team's games and have a conversation with the coach about it. You can then follow up with a discuss about emulating it. - December 12, 2014 at 7:08 AM
That is one approach to take that might work. But isn't that a little like asking the chef in a restaurant what their favorite dish is, and only after that discussion does the dish appear on the menu.
Just be ready for the answer that you can't make a potable bouillabaisse without quality saffron. In other words, don't expect to play like Chelsea with this group of players. Consider that art instructors do have their students try to copy monet.
Anyway we can have fun with these analogies for a while but the point it that this should come from the coach first, shouldn't it? Otherwise what on earth are they getting paid for ? - December 12, 2014 at 8:26 AM
If your daughter does not know who her coaches favorite professional team is, I would move to another team. It shows a lack of passion that he/she is instilling in the kids. This would be a HUGE red flag to me.
there are some basics that need to be in every cook's broth.
- December 12, 2014 at 1:18 PM
Why did Copa play in the lowest bracket of the U17 group at Pa Classics this weekend?
- December 14, 2014 at 7:46 PM
College coaches care about U17 games, and U16 games not so much.
- December 15, 2014 at 7:51 AM
couldn't have been a very good show for COPA players. 5 and 7-0?
- December 15, 2014 at 1:32 PM
I would think there would be more college coaches watching the top bracket u16 than the lowest bracket u17.
- December 15, 2014 at 2:09 PM
You would think so, but you are incorrect.
- December 15, 2014 at 2:23 PM
College coaches of D1 programs are absolutely paying more attention to U15 and U16 than U17! The top players from the 2017 grad year are verbally committing left and right to D1 programs. Maybe D3 coaches are more interested in U17 but not the top programs.
- December 15, 2014 at 2:45 PM
wrong YOU are. I have been through this and D1 programs are finalizing their incoming classes NOW. They are not focusing on U16 at this time.
- December 15, 2014 at 4:28 PM
You are both wrong. And you are both right.
Now be nice !
- December 15, 2014 at 10:54 PM
Coaches are looking at u16 and u17 right now. I just can't imagine going to the lowest bracket in u17 rather than the highsest u16 was a good decision for the Copa girls. They would have played YMS. I'm sure there were coaches there... not sure if DI was at Pa Classics winter tournament but I'm sure there were plenty of coaches there. My daughter is committed but there are coaches at her league games all the times and we are u16.
- December 15, 2014 at 11:41 PM
My daughter's team is U16 and has 5 kids who have verbally committed and two are 2018 playing up. Educate yourself...this article from the NY times is a good start...
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/sports/committing-to-play-for-a-college-then-starting-9th-grade.html?_r=0 - December 16, 2014 at 8:03 AM
coaches at league games, hahahahaha
Oreilly yes. - December 16, 2014 at 8:57 AM
My daughter is not on O'Reilly but she is in the ECNL and there have been coaches at the games for the past two weekends.
- December 16, 2014 at 12:34 PM
It wasn't a matter of choosing to play top U16 or bottom of U17. Copa wasn't planning to be in that tournament to begin with. Last minute they replaced a u17 that dropped out. It was a good practice session for the upcoming Disney tournament. Although they shut out all competitors, the last game was decent competition. And, for the record, YES, there were a nice amount of college coaches present.
So to whomever feels the need to call out Copa every time they play anywhere, please check your facts before you post. - December 16, 2014 at 2:12 PM
I was the original poster and was legitimately just curious. I knew there had to be a reason and thank you for answering my question. Nobody was saying anything negative... just curious.
- December 16, 2014 at 3:33 PM
@ 11:41 - which grade is your daughter in?
- December 16, 2014 at 4:46 PM
When did you move your daughter to an ECNL club? Just curious. - December 16, 2014 at 4:48 PM
Hypothetical situation ... Not saying it is mine. Let's say your daughter is carrying above a 4.0 weighted average, she is a very good player and she does very on says/acts, or at least u can project that she will with a good degree of confidence. Now an offer to commit comes along. But you feel that it might be underselling her academically.
What is the thought process that should go into this decision. - December 17, 2014 at 12:33 AM
School FIRST ALWAYS! Education is forever. Soccer glory is fleeting. I've seen too many parents/players jump at the first offer (any offer) of soccer and the schools are mediocre. If she is truly that bright, shoot higher. If soccer doesn't happen at the better school, then so be it.
- December 17, 2014 at 7:32 AM
Definitely wouldn't have the child settle. Aim for a better school academically. There are many top universities that are both top soccer and top academically. If no offer comes along from any of those, I would look at top D2 soccer schools that have both good soccer and academics. - December 17, 2014 at 10:01 AM
Do NOT choose your school based on sports. Pretend you have a major injury your first day. Do you want to e there now?
- December 17, 2014 at 10:42 AM
then how do you explain 10th graders deciding on schools now ?
- December 17, 2014 at 8:44 PM
See 7:32 a.m.! Some have educated themselves on the process of picking a school but some are jumping at the first offer that comes along.
- December 18, 2014 at 6:24 AM
Can someone help me with the following:
As a general rule, I know that D1 is a much bigger time commitment than D3. I know they both play in the fall seasons. What is the difference of time commitment in the fall between D1 and D3 ? And what is the difference between the D1 and D3 in terms of what soccer related activities they are involved in winter-spring-summer. My daughter thinks she wants D3 but does not want to be completely out of soccer when it is not in fall season.
Thoughts ? - December 20, 2014 at 2:09 PM
- December 22, 2014 at 8:36 AM
I didn't ask about d2 because we've looked at the list of schools and not much there to interest her. Also I think d1 and d2 share some of the same characteristics. I know their scholarship numbers are different but my inquiry was focused on the experience. By all means if my question can be answered while including d2 school that would also be appreciated.
- December 22, 2014 at 12:34 PM
PB still living your soccer life through your daughter?
- December 29, 2014 at 9:27 PM
Anyone know the link to see results at the NPL Florida tourny
- January 1, 2015 at 6:30 PM


text:
For every point scored in the Super Bowl, 500 pounds of potatoes will be donated to a food bank in the winning team's city thanks to a bet between the Washington State Potato Commission and the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee.
The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos meet Feb. 2.
The wager prompted verbal sparring between leaders of the two trade groups.
"We can't wait to have the Seahawks win 47-3 and see 25,000 pounds of Colorado potatoes make their way up to a food bank in Seattle," Washington State Potato Commission executive director Chris Voigt said in a news release. "But if by some miracle, or special treatment by the refs, Denver is able to pull out the victory then we will donate to one of their food banks."
"It is pretty straightforward, the Broncos will win and Washington state will be donating potatoes to a food bank in Denver," Colorado Potato Administrative Committee executive director Jim Ehrlich said in the release. "Although it is not really fair since Colorado potatoes are better tasting."
The loser, though — Voigt or Ehrlich — will have to wear a potato costume with the rival team's jersey in their city, and do a promotion for the other state's potatoes.
"I'm not concerned as much with the possibility of having to wear the costume as I am of Colorado having grown enough potatoes to cover the bet when the Seahawks run up the score on the Broncos," Voigt said. "(L)ast year our growers produced over 9.5 billion pounds of potatoes. So we have nothing to fear since we have the superior team and superior potatoes."
Both organizations have been sharing and posting banter and videos on each organization's Facebook page.
The winning organization will select the food bank to award the potatoes to. "We are just hoping for a high score either way," Ehrlich said.