touchline | fall 2015

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PENNSYLVANIA’S LEADING YOUTH SOCCER PUBLICATION | FALL 2015Non-Profit

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AT WEST CHESTER

Finish Second

SPOTLIGHT

Kempf Townsley in charge

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Touchline is published quarterly.

Published by:Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

4070 Butler Pike, Suite 100Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Phone: 610-238-9966Fax: 610-238-9933

E-mail: [email protected]: EPYSA.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPresident: Jim Kuntz

Vice President, Travel: Michael FinneganVice President, Recreation: Dwight Wilkinson

Treasurer: Nicole Posillico EppsSecretary: Melissa WeberRegistrar: Jim Christian

STATE OFFICE STAFFChief Executive Officer: Chris Branscome

Technical Director: Mike BarrAssistant Technical Director: Gary StephensonDirector of Soccer Operations: Frank Olszewski

Communications Manager: Dillon Friday Marketing & Events Coordinator: Christina HendersonMembership Services Specialist: Sheila Molyneaux

Business Administration Manager: Kelly ConnorAccountant: Judy Curran

TOUCHLINEEditor-in-Chief: Chris Branscome

Editor: Dillon FridayPrinted by: The Pearl Group at CRW Graphics,

9100 Pennsauken Highway, Pennsauken, NJ 08110

Touchline is © Copyright 2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted; all rights reserved. Articles may not bereproduced or reprinted without written permission of Eastern Pennsylvania YouthSoccer. Advertising space in Touchline is purchased and paid for by the advertisers.None of the products or services is necessarily endorsed by Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or its affiliates. The views and opinions expressed in this publicationare not necessarily those of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or its advertisers.Printed in the United States of America

Volume XLX | Fall 2015

eastern pennsylvania youth soccer

CONT

ENTS

3 2015 Scholarship Winners

6-7 Profile: Betty Ann Kempf Townsley has West Chester in National Spotlight again

9 Rec Soccer Spotlight: Central Bucks Athletic Association

10-11 National Cups Recap

13 Resident Camp

14 ODP: What We’re Looking for at Tryouts

17 Quarterly Calendar

19 Futbol Friday

20 2015 Development Grants Recipients

23 Youth Soccer Profiles

26-27 AAA Start Your Journey

30 Mike Barr: I Fear For Youth and High School Soccer

32 Exercise from U.S. Soccer’s Digital Coaching Center

13 19

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*

Thanks to all Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer players,parents and coaches for your support in 2015!

Best wishes for a successful fall season. Play hard, play fair, and have fun!

FROM OUR PRESIDENTJim Kuntz, President, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

As we go forward into the fall season let’s not forget what this past summer brought us in our game. The United States Women’s National Team showed everyone why we are the gold standard in women’s soccer. Meanwhile, our US Men’s National Team reached the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Gold Cup also played its final and third-place games at Lincoln Financial Field and PPL Park respectively. With the Union, there was a lot of great soccer within driving distance.

We should also mention the exploits of some of our club and ODP teams. The YMS Premier Xplosion U16 girls reached the US Youth Soccer National Championship game for the third consecutive season. The U14 girls Souderton Stingers finished second in the National Presidents Cup, while our U17 Boys won the Region I ODP Title. Congratulations.

Entering the fall season we have league games,

recreation games, college games, high school games and plenty of international games on television. I hope that we all make it a point to attend or watch some soccer games.

For those of you entering a new season as players, remember to play hard and have fun. This is a time to get out, no matter what the level of play is, and have fun. It all doesn’t have to be so serious that you lose sight of the meaning of sport.

Follow our website regularly for news, updates and upcoming events. It is updated daily. The Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Office Staff is available to answer any question you may have.

Good luck this season and have fun. We are here to serve you.

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Meet the 2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Scholarship Recipients

Thomas Lippiard, a 2015 graduate of Kennard Dale High School, began his club career in 2005 with the Barrens Travel Soccer Club. He has also played for FC York beginning in 2007. A four-year varsity player, Lippiard impressed during his

junior and senior seasons. He served as team captain and won the team’s Most Valuable Player award both years. Thomas was named a York-Adams All-County Honorable Mention as a junior and a First Team All-County selection his senior year. The accomplishments and accolades were not only on the field though. Lippiard excelled in the classroom where he made the honor roll throughout his high school career. A member of the German National Honor Society and National Honor Society for two years, he served as the NHS President during his senior year. Thomas graduated as an AP Scholar with Honors, was a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship, and earned a place as his class’ Salutatorian. Outside of the classroom and off the field, Lippiard is a Grade 8 certified referee and served as a volunteer referee for his local recreational league. He was also a member of the Brainbusters Quiz Bowl team and served as team captain his senior year. He received the prestigious Union League of Philadelphia Good Citizen Award, which is annually awarded to 20 high school juniors within Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer who have consistently shown exemplary qualities in soccer as well as in school and the community. Thomas plans on attending the University of Pennsylvania where he will be earning a dual degree in Engineering and Business, and intends to play club soccer.

Lea Dungan, a 2015 graduate of Cocalico Senior High School, first started her playing career at the age of four. She started competing at the club level with her local club, Cocalico Youth Soccer Club, and then made the switch to PA Classics.

Lea continued to play into high school, earning four varsity letters, as well as being named team captain her junior and senior year. Her achievements didn’t stop there, though. Lea was named a Lancaster-Lebanon League First Team All-Star for both her junior and senior years and an Academic All-Star her senior year. Off the field, Dungan was very involved as a member of her school’s Leo Club for four years, where she was elected as president her senior year. She was also a part of her local Lions club, on top of being an integral member of the National Honor Society where she served as treasurer. Academically, Lea took a variety of AP courses such as AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP Language, and managed to finish high school with a very impressive 4.0. In the fall, Lea will be attending Lebanon Valley College pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy, and plans to continue her playing career with the women’s team.

Joshua Alcock, a graduate from Middletown Area High School, began playing soccer at the age of five. He started his club career with the Olmstead Beasts who competed in the CPYSL division, and also became a certified grade 8 referee when

he was 12. Alcock was a very versatile athlete in high school where he played football, baseball and bowling in addition to soccer. Off the field,

Joshua participated in a wide variety of activities. He was a leader of the concert, marching and jazz bands along with a couple of other smaller ensembles. He was a member of the National Honor Society and the Future Business Leaders of America Club and was actively involved with his youth group at Camp Hill United Methodist Church. Academics were very important to Joshua as well, which led him to graduate second in his class with a 99.58 GPA. He competed for the schools Brainbuster team as well. Joshua will attend Penn State University Park and will study finance. He hopes to continue refereeing and playing at the intramural level at school.

Gabrielle Evans, a 2015 graduate of Pottsville Area High School, started playing club soccer at the age of 10 with FC Revolution. She played with Revolution until last year when she joined BSA Rage Soccer Club. In high school, Evans played

varsity soccer all four years, captaining her team for her senior year and setting the school records for goals and assists. She accrued an array of awards and achievements such as First Team All-Area selection all four years and All-State distinction her senior year. Academics were also very important to Gabrielle, which she exemplified by finishing fifth in her class, becoming a member of the National Honor Society, and being named the scholar soccer athlete for her school. In the fall, Evans will attend Kutztown University where she plans on studying biology and pre-med with hopes of becoming a physician assistant. Gabrielle will continue her soccer career with Kutztown’s women’s team.

Each year, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer receives nominations and seeks leaders from those about to graduate high school. Four $1000 scholarships are awarded annually to individuals who exemplify strong leadership abilities, maintain high academic

performance, and seek financial support. Since 1990, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer has awarded more than 100 students four-year scholarships. Meet the 2015 class!

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Turkey Hill Dairy and Philadelphia Union have teamed up again to shine a spotlight on the region’s most remarkable youth soccer players. That spotlight is the Turkey Hill Dairy All-Star Contest. Nominations will be accepted during the 2015 Major League Soccer season (March 7-October 25), and 17 All-Stars will be chosen.

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Profile: Betty Ann Kempf Townsley A Luminary in West ChesterBy Dillon Friday, Communications Manager, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

one-time rival of West Chester University Women’s Soccer coach Betty Ann Kempf

Townsley sits quietly at his desk across the room from the Golden Rams’ leader. He occasionally pokes his head up and offers a comment here and there to supplement the words Kempf Townsley shares with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer.

Mostly, he lets her speak. After nearly 50 years of coaching, West Chester is likely the last stop in Sheldon Chamberlain’s prolific career. Kempf Townsley, whom Chamberlain coached against when he led Villanova and she was at Seton Hall, approached him in the summer of 2014 about joining her Golden Rams staff as an assistant.

“Forget about (retirement),” Kempf Townsley told Chamberlain as he pondered her offer. “I know you as a person. I wouldn’t be asking you otherwise. Don’t even go that direction. I’m looking at the person, not your age.”

Just three days prior to the interview Chamberlain was upgraded to a full-time position with the University. When the stories—nearly inexhaustible from the garrulous Kempf Townsley—stopped and her players had their say, Chamberlain slipped out of the cramped office and into the parking lot of John A. Farrell Stadium.

“She’s a beautiful person,” he says. “Who wouldn’t want to work with her? So positive, so full of energy.”

The Golden Rams play with a camaraderie forged in Chester County but originating in Philadelphia’s famed United German-Hungarian Club. Led by the great Werner Fricker, UGH established itself as a national power of early American soccer. The club appeared in the US Amateur Championships seemingly every year as thousands of fans packed the Feasterville stadium for all the big matches.

Florian Kempf, who immigrated to Philadelphia from Germany following the Second World War, was one of the many standout players on UGH. He spent his evenings at the club with his entire family, including daughter, Elizabeth.

“I was around soccer from the day I was born,” Kempf Townsley says. “My father taught me how to kick the ball, how to know what to do.”

She became enamored with the sport and the culture where it thrived. Soccer was more than a game at UGH. It was an integral part of the German-Hungarian community. Kempf Townsley played with the boys at the club. She also danced in a folk group and socialized after every game or performance. The togetherness of the club made an impression on the young Betty Ann.

“The number one thing that I’ve taken from (The German-Hungarian Club) is family, camaraderie, community,” Kempf Townsley recalls. “After the games there, and after whatever dance we performed, it was everybody together sharing food, sharing drink, just sharing life. Soccer was a culture there. It wasn’t just a sport where you came to training and you left.”

The atmosphere helped her develop a personality she retains as a coach, egoless and principled.

“We share everything. She says to the girls, and she lives it too, when you come across the gate down on the field, you leave your ego in the parking lot,” says Chamberlain, who worked previously with Kempf Townsley on the Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program Staff. “She’s that way too. We’re all in the same boat. We’re all doing the same thing.”

Those traits made her an attractive coaching

candidate when women’s soccer burst onto the scene. Kempf Townsley started not one but three programs in the span of eleven years. The first was at her alma mater, Cardinal Dougherty High School. In 1986, Bill Wilkinson, a member of UGH’s 1965 US Amateur Championship team, pegged Kempf Townsley as the perfect architect for La Salle’s Women’s team. She was handed a bag of balls and assigned a practice field. Away she went.

Just a few seasons later, Kempf Townsley was in the Big East.

“All of a sudden, women’s soccer started to explode in the early 90’s. All these jobs started to open up—full-time positions,” Kempf Townsley remembers. “And Seton Hall called and said we’d like you to come up for an interview. I went up for the interview and felt very comfortable on the campus. It was only an hour and a half from the Philadelphia Area. The men’s soccer coach there at the time was Manfred Schellscheidt, someone I watched play for the Philadelphia Atoms as a young child and also a German. So, you know, we connected very well because of our backgrounds.”

She stayed in North Jersey until 2006, winning Big East Coach of the Year in 1997 and guiding the Pirates to four consecutive conference

Atournaments. As so often happens, though, life got in the way. Betty Ann married Ed Townsley, who coincidentally coached both the men and women at West Chester at different points of his own decorated career, towards the close of her tenure at Seton Hall. She wanted to spend time with her husband outside of soccer. He was still teaching in the Philadelphia Area and many of their early dates doubled as recruiting trips.

So Kempf Townsley resigned. She was content with her career as a college soccer coach.

Of course, her retirement quickly turned into nothing more than a sabbatical. The Rams called and Kempf Townsley listened. She took the women’s job with the hopes of staying two years. This season will be her ninth.

“You know, it changes all the time because you get different players, different personalities so the job continuously changes,” she says of her chosen occupation. “I think that’s what I like most about it. Because you watch these players evolve and that’s the joy from a coaching standpoint.”

While her players change, Kempf Townsley’s philosophy stays true to her roots. The German-Hungarian Club is firmly represented in West Chester.

“She knows everything beyond (the field) and the way she has everyone come in and the team camaraderie, I think she stresses on that, and that’s I think why we’re where we are today and where we’re going,” says Rams forward Kara Parvel, a Whitehall native and the team’s leading scorer a year ago. “Our team camaraderie on the field, off the field is how we perform and I think that’s what’s going to get us to the next level.”

The players and Kempf Townsley are on a first name basis. They engage in team-building activities that start in the preseason and continue into the playoffs. All the while, the coach breeds a competitive group by challenging her players each practice. Every minute on the field is earned.

“We play 6v6, which allows Betty Ann to see everybody,” says Parvel. “You have to be on every single day. It’s just really, really competitive. We get into that.”

This isn’t to say Kempf Townsley makes everything fun. She patrols the sidelines authoritatively with a stern voice that rarely spews profanities. Sure she yells, but every criticism has purpose. She hones in on her player’s mistakes and makes it known that she expects more.

The players know this too. They’ve adopted Kempf Townsley’s high standards as their own. So when they are summoned by the coach, they immediately know the reason they’ve vacated the pitch. Hearing from Kempf Townsley once they cross over the chalk exacerbates a punishment they’ve already put on themselves.

“It’s like a punch to the face,” says junior midfielder Scarlett Walsh. “It’s like, ‘I know, I’m already (mad).’”

“But it’s done in a constructive way,” interjects Parvel.

“Each time you go in, you get better and better,” affirms Walsh, whose grandmother Kay started the first women’s soccer league in Philadelphia in 1973.

Kempf Townsley simply knows what buttons to push. Last season, West Chester rolled off a 16-1-1 regular season only to lose 4-2 to an inferior Kutztown team in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Playoffs.

“When we lost in the semifinals to Kutztown, we were expecting to get to the championship. We wanted to get to the championship,” Parvel recalls. “We were mad. We were angry.”

Their coach could have taken on the same disposition. Instead, she remained poised.

“Betty Ann didn’t ream us out. We all were shocked, and we all knew that shouldn’t have been that way,” remembers Penn Manor product Sara Bennis, now a senior outside back. “We just said, ‘It happened and we move forward from here.

“I think that was so influential too with how far we made it.”

After earning an at-large bid to the NCAA’s, the Rams escaped California University of Pennsylvania in penalties in their first game then beat West Virginia Wesleyan to clinch the region. A 2-0 loss to perennial power St. Rose ended West Chester’s campaign in the national quarterfinals.

It was another successful season for Kempf Townsley’s Rams. Now, she hopes to take her program to new heights.

“We finished seventh in the country (last year). We want to win a National Championship,” Kempf Townsley says. “There’s nothing else. We’ve won a Regional Championship four times. We’ve won a couple PSAC championships. It’s time to go a little further.”

Her players and staff have already bought in.

“It takes a special coach to take players and recognize each player’s potential so that when they get here she can make them better,” says Walsh. “She’s always teaching.”

“She’s such a spiritual, high quality (person) with principles that she instills in her players,” gushes Chamberlain. “She expects the same. I love just being around that.”

If the Rams do win the elusive national title, you can bet where the first stop in the victory parade will be: the UGH Club where it all started.

Whitehall native Kara Parvel led West Chester with 8 goals in 2014. She hopes to better that total as a junior.

Kempf Townsley directs the girls at halftime. Her Rams are No. 7 in the NCAA Division II Preseason Rankings.

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Central Bucks Athletic AssociationBy Rick Woelfel

REC SOCCER SPOTLIGHT: Brought to you by

entral Bucks County has an abiding passion for the game of soccer. For some

four decades the Central Bucks Athletic Association has fueled and nurtured that passion.

Each year some 1,300 youngsters ages 4 to 18 take the field all across the Central Bucks School District.

The youngsters in the rec program are not excluded from tournament competition. Each season the club forms anywhere from six to perhaps a dozen teams from among its upper age group players to compete in events against other clubs in what CBAA President Becky Barlow calls rec select tournaments. These events are in a sense the best of all worlds. The youngsters have the opportunity to compete against other clubs while avoiding some of the demands that go with travel soccer.

“We don’t name league champions,” Barlow says. “We don’t (select) all-stars. But this is something for those that want a little bit more. And they can play with their friends.”

For those interested in competing at a higher level, however, the club fields 43 travel teams from ages under-9 through U18 (26 boys teams, 17 girls) under the banner of Buckingham United.

There are no travel teams per se for players aged U8 and younger, but the club will often take part in one-day events with neighboring clubs.

Barlow says the club has steadfastly resisted efforts to provide travel opportunities for its youngest participants. “We have people say to us ‘If you had U8 (travel) you’d get more people here,’” she says. “We’re going to stick with (the

current system). Because we truly believe that U8 is way too early.”

Barlow notes that as the club has grown through the years the issue of finding qualified coaches has become more acute, particularly at the intramural level. “But somehow we always seem to get enough,” she says. “Eventually we get them because they know the kids won’t be able to play if we don’t find enough coaches.”

There are occasions when coaches have trouble making a training session because of a work commitment. In those situations several small-sided squads might be scheduled on the same field simultaneously so enough coaches are on hand to supervise practice.

In any case, Barlow says the era of the club relying solely on volunteer coaches is essentially in the past. Neil Smart serves as the club’s director of coaching on the intramural side, while Kevin Blokker handles that responsibility for the travel teams. Both are compensated for their services as are the club’s technical directors and in-house trainers.

Of course a program the size CBAA requires a considerable amount of field space. In recent years the club has expanded its holdings by obtaining property in Pipersville, which is now the site of its primary field complex. The facility features four full-sized pitches plus four small-sized fields and a micro training area.

The club also utilizes facilities at many of the schools in the Central Bucks School District, including many of its 15 elementary schools, three middle schools, and a number of parks in Buckingham and Plumstead Townships as well

as Central Bucks East High School. As this story was being prepared, the club was also hoping to be able to utilize War Memorial Field in Doylestown.

The club has also entered into a partnership with Delaware Valley University, which will give it access to the state-of-the-art turf facility at James Work Memorial Stadium for special events. The club has also conducted camps at the university, and members of the Del Val men’s soccer team have given a portion of their time to work with the youngsters in CBAA.

One of the CBAA’s most unique attributes is a mentoring program that provides the participants with opportunities to expand their involvement in soccer beyond playing. Roughly 20 youngsters are involved in the program, which is open to players at the U15 level and above. The youngsters get exposed to coaching by working alongside the adult coaches in the program. They also go through a refereeing course.

Some also get involved with the organization’s TOPSoccer program, which is part of a national program for children with physical and emotional disabilities. The student-mentors serve as buddies to the participants, who are ages 5-14 (with some exceptions). Over the course of the season, which lasts six to eight weeks, the

participants develop not only soccer skills but also self-confidence. The costs of the program are borne by an anonymous donor who is committed to the idea that everyone should be able to enjoy the game of soccer.

It’s a program that Barlow is justifiably proud of. “It’s a fun program,” she says. “The kids that are helping out as the mentors or the buddies get a lot out of it.”

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he difference between a national championship and heartbreak can be

awfully thin. Take for example the Souderton Stingers, an under-14 girls outfit that reached the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup Final in July. The Stingers took their Texas opponent, a team that beat Souderton 2-1 in pool play, to extra time thanks to an equalizing goal six minutes from time.

It was 1-1 at the final whistle. The result, though, could have been very different. The Stingers hit the crossbar twice in regulation then found the post in extra time. Several crosses rolled dangerously through Texas’s six-yard-box untouched.

“We should’ve won,” recalls Souderton head coach Charlie McGarrigle.

Alas, the game went to a penalty shootout. Lonestar Red North converted four spot kicks, the Stingers two. Souderton players accepted second place medals with tears in their eyes.

“It was an incredible run,” says McGarrigle. It was an unlikely run as well, if only in the context of club soccer. Souderton is a small, local club that relies on community. Nine of the players attend the same school. McGarrigle and assistant John O’Keefe have been coaching most of the girls since they were four and five years old.

“A lot of girls have been friends since elementary school,” says McGarrigle. “It’s a real tight team.”

The chemistry the Stingers share aids their defining trait.

“They play hard,” McGarrigle says. “One thing we’re know for around (Eastern Pennsylvania) is we don’t give up.”

Souderton displayed that determination in the

National Presidents Cup. After cruising undefeated through the Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup and at regionals, the Stingers faced a more difficult path in Overland Park, Kansas where nationals took place.

Souderton only led once in five games. The Stingers came back from 1-0 to tie NWC Alliance Black (OH) in their opening match. They defeated Leahi Premier (HI), considered the favorite to win the title, 2-1 in the second game before falling twice to Texas.

Still, the experience will far outlast the losses.

“It was a really well-run tournament. They took care of the girls tremendously,” gushes McGarrigle. “The girls will remember the event more than the loss.”

And Souderton will continue as they have since they were kindergartners. While other clubs adopt United, FC, Sporting and the like in an attempt to sound more authentic, the Stingers will retain the name they’ve always had.

“The kids don’t want to change it,” McGarrigle says. “This is who they are.”

f you separate the final results from the overall campaigns, YMS Premier Xplosion’s last three seasons have been nothing short

of extraordinary. Three times YMS qualified for the US Youth Soccer National Championships. Three times the club reached the title game. And, well, after a 3-0 defeat to Jacksonville FC (FL) in Tulsa this July, three times the Xplosion came up just short of their ultimate goal.

“The first defeat, you can find excuses. The second (also to JFC) we were unlucky,” explains longtime YMS coach John Greaves. “This time we said before the game, ‘There will be no emotional breakdown after the game.’ We were philosophical about it and realistic.”

YMS played Jacksonville FC to a 1-1 draw during group play of the U16 Girls Division but couldn’t keep up with the Floridians in the

rematch. The Oklahoma heat wore down the Xplosion as did a slew of injuries. By the time they took the field for the final, YMS was down to two outfield substitutes. Still, for 40 minutes the Xplosion held JFC off the score board. The second half was a different story. By that point, YMS was spent and JFC scored three goals. Top scorer Murphy Agnew’s Golden Ball award was little consolation.

Despite his pregame pact, Greaves couldn’t hold back his emotions as his club stood on the podium with their second place medals.

“I’m in no mental state to talk,” Greaves thought to himself at the time.

It never gets easy, going so far only to lose at the final stage. But this year’s performance might have been YMS’s finest if only because it showed the Xplosion’s resilience. YMS earned a spot at nationals thanks to a second place

finish in its National League group.

From there, the Xplosion struggled. An early defeat knocked the club out of the Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup, which in turn meant there would be no Region I tournament for YMS either. Missing out on the extra competition gave them the motivation they needed to make noise in Tulsa.

“The captains called a meeting and said we let ourselves down. What are we doing?” Greaves recalls. “They refocused, regrouped and got to it.”

The team’s competitive spirit drove YMS to silver.

“There’s no magic wand,” Greaves says. “It’s hard work and dedication.”

Now, the Xplosion are looking to finally get over the championship hump.

“They’re already reaching out to me,” Greaves says. “They’ve been together a long time. The attitude to want to compete comes from something that was instilled in them when they were very young.”

In ten months’ time, YMS hopes to find itself back at nationals. No matter how they fare, though, their legacy will be intact according to Greaves.

“Winning a National Championship won’t define how good this team is.”

TI

Other Eastern Pennsylvania Teams at the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup

U13G: North Union United Lady Cannons, 3rd Place

U15G: Towamencin Bolts, 3rd Place

U16G: Deep Run Valley Strikers, 4th Place

U17G: Huntingdon Valley Pride, 4th Place

Other Eastern Pennsylvania Teams at the US Youth Soccer National Championships

U15G: FC Pennsylvania Strikers, Semifinalists

U16B: Penn Fusion Elite, Semifinalists

U17B: Lehigh Valley United, Third Place in Group A

Souderton Stingers Claim Second in US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup

Silver again for YMS Premier Xplosion

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Resident Camps 2015 at Immaculata University

or the first time ever, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer staged three Resident Camps

at Immaculata University in 2015. From late June to mid-July, the Malvern campus was swarming with coaches, parents, chaperones, counselors, and, most importantly, players, all in the name of soccer and the different ways to enjoy the world’s most popular game.

Campers scrimmaged and trained together with

some of the region’s finest coaches. They also did yoga, played street soccer with music blaring, listened to psychiatrists and motivational speakers, and had their questions answered by members of the Philadelphia Union.

It was a thrilling three weeks. Thank you to all who participated. We’re already planning for next summer.

F

TouchlineEPYSA.org

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Olympic Development Program: What The Evaluators Are Looking For At TryoutsBy Mike Barr, Technical Director, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

arents should be aware of the different pathways to pro and national team recognition, including high school soccer in addition to club play. Within Eastern Pennsylvania, the Olympic Development Program provides quality training, top-level play against other states and a chance to be recognized for not only pro academy teams but the national teams. The commitment is not as strenuous on time or cost and many players choose this route. We encourage all of our players to explore all options when it comes to playing the sport we all love, including high school and ODP.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you head to tryouts:

Players attending tryouts for ODP should recognize what the coaches will be looking for when they observe play. Often, there may be information provided to players that may not benefit their identification. Hopefully, the below information assists parents and players alike.

1) Speed – Pure speed is a huge benefit in any sport but often times in soccer, mental speed (decision-making with and without the ball under pressure) can allow players to compensate for lack of pure speed.

2) Touch – First touch may be the most critical technique for a soccer player. Receiving balls on the ground or air swiftly and in preparation for the next decision, with a sense of comfort, makes the game easier to play. Balls bouncing in the air from an inside of the foot collection and balls received in the air with the wrong surface and not moved to space or to feet are areas we examine consistently.

3) The Use of Both Feet – A player who takes extra touches to get the ball to his or her strong foot may result in that player losing possession or making a poor decision. Using the proper foot surface, inside or instep for passing or shooting also comes into play.

4) Transition – Moving from attack to defense and defense to attack quickly, from any position, is a strong indicator of a high-level player. If a coach notices a player who does not seem involved, he or she will obviously be

overlooked. A player’s movement off the ball in the role of a third attacker or providing balance as a defender shows a player who knows the game.

5) Competitiveness – Determined play on fifty-fifty balls (tackles and especially on head balls) adds to a player’s worth in the eyes of evaluators. In tackles, we are looking for the player to go in hard and regain possession.

6) Comfort on the Field – Overall comfort with the ball, with no sense of panic when in possession, is critical to the ODP player. Confidence and enthusiasm are recognized quickly.

7) Decision-Making – When to possess the ball or take a player on without panicking, especially in the attacking third, is an attribute that will assist a player in making the ODP team.

8) Communication – Talk from an individual, especially on the defensive side of the ball, makes the game easier for the entire team.

9) Enthusiasm – Passionate play within the eighteen, whether on attack or defense, brings out notice from the coaches in attendance.

10) Conditioning – Pace and endurance during the tryout and recognizing when there is a time to recover in play are also areas that we look for during evaluations.

Evaluations during our tryouts cannot replace watching a player participate in a significant match. Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer coaches are always looking for players we have missed in tryouts when they are attending or coaching in club or high school games. Should a player not be chosen for ODP, it is not the end of the world. Physical changes, maturation and confidence change within months and may result in your identification next year.

P

ODP Tryout Dates: September 13th & 27th. Check EPYSA.org/ODP for more details.

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October 2015 1 Annual Concussion Education and Training

Certification Due

12 Columbus Day, State Office Closed

November 2015 26-27 Thanksgiving, State Office Closed

Quarterly CalendarSeptember 2015 Youth Soccer Month 1 Seasonal Year Begins

7 Labor Day, State Office Closed

8 Street Soccer in Philadelphia

13 ODP Tryouts |Check website for locations

15 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer at Drexel v. Penn, Men’s Soccer | Vidas Field, 7 PM

22 Indoor Cup Registration Opens

26 Vive tu Vida | Kennett Square, 10 AM – 12 PM

27 ODP Tryouts | Check website for locations

Welcome Christina Henderson!

Christina is our new Marketing and Events Coordinator. She comes to Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer with a wealth of varied experience. A graduate of Cabrini College, Christina earned her Master’s Degree in Organization Leadership and Development from Saint Joseph’s University. She worked in the Hawks’ athletic department for

the last five years where she helped manage the sports facilities. Christina also handled the scheduling for outside parties and aided in the setup and management of events as well.

Her first big project for Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer will be Youth Soccer Month throughout September, planning clinics, attendance at Union and college games, and executing our various giveaways. Please welcome Christina if you see her at one of these events! We’re thrilled to have her on board.

Same Face, New Place

Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer is happy to announce our Administrative Services Specialist, Sheila Molyneaux, has taken over Membership Services Manager duties. If you called the office any time in the last year, you were likely greeted by Sheila’s voice. She will now aid you with team and player registration, insurance, and any

other questions you may have as we move swiftly into the 2015-16 season. Sheila has also been a tremendous help at our various events, especially the Indoor Cups, which kick off in January.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Sheila with any registration questions. She can be reached at [email protected].

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19

EPYSA.org

18

n Friday, July 24th, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer in partnership with Red

Card Cancer and the Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University Hospital celebrated Futbol Friday, an event that inspired the soccer community to join the fight against cancer.

We encouraged all of our members and friends to wear their favorite soccer jerseys that Friday to raise awareness for cancer research. We also accepted donations on our website throughout the month.

In addition, our partners at Modell’s Sporting Goods hosted us at five store locations in the Philadelphia area where we received cash donations as well as five percent of all purchases made with a special Futbol Friday coupon that day.

We then enjoyed a Futbol Friday happy hour at Fado Irish Pub and Restaurant that featured food and drink specials as well as a raffle. All proceeds from the day and weeks leading into it went directly to Red Card Cancer and the Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University.

We’d like to thank Fado, Modell’s, Hershey Park, Angelo’s Soccer Corner, and of course all those who donated money to this terrific cause. Through your efforts and generosity we were able to raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.

“Cancer has affected all of us in some way and too many from our soccer community,” said Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Chief Executive Officer Chris Branscome. “This was a way for the soccer community to give back.

We hope to host more Futbol Friday’s in the near future.” O

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astern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer introduced its Development Grants Program in 2014 to

help clubs and organizations improve their infrastructure. In 2015, the state association handed out $75,000 worth of grants to ten clubs throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. The money will go to field and facility upgrades all with the hope of upholding Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer’s mission “to promote and facilitate the game of soccer for all youth at all levels of play in Eastern Pennsylvania.”

H North Union United Soccer Club

H Whitpain Recreation Association

H Halifax Youth Soccer Club

H Parkland Area Soccer Club

H Capital Area Soccer Association

H Continental FC

H Ebenezer-Union Canal Soccer Club

H Valley Soccer Club

H Penn Legacy

H Rose Tree Soccer Club

E Congratulations to the ten clubs who were awarded development grants:

DEVELOPMENT GRANTSDEVELOPMENT GRANTSDEVELOPMENT GRANTSPROGRAM

2015

EPYSA.org

EPYSA.org

22

What position do you play or what do you do on your team?

Forward and keeper

What is your nickname? CP7

Who is your role model? Why?Cristiano Ronaldo because he is a great

player and his nickname is like mine

What is your favorite soccer team?Real Madrid, Chelsea and the Union

What is your favorite movie? Space Jam

What is your favorite song? Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and Mark

Ronson

What is your favorite book? Geronimo Stilton books

What is your favorite food? Any pizza

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Baseball

What is your pet peeve (what thing makes you mad or drives you crazy)?

Losing in the finals

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

England or Spain to see my other favorite teams play

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Professional soccer player or soccer coach

Team NameFury

Organization/ClubLNUSC


Central defense

What is your nickname? Grace

Who is your role model? Why? Mia Hamm. She is an outstanding

soccer player and cares more about the team’s success than her own

What is your favorite soccer team? FC Barcelona

What is your favorite movie?Unbroken

What is your favorite song? Hall of Fame by The Script

What is your favorite book?

–What is your favorite food? Crab legs

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer? Volleyball


When one of my contacts falls out


A USA World Cup game because I would love to see some of my favorite soccer

players plat at once


A professional soccer player or a pharmacist

Team NameFalcons and VikingsOrganization/Club

FFC and Northern Lebanon


Outside midfield or forward

What is your nickname? Em

Who is your role model? Why? Hope Solo because she has had to deal with so many struggles but she still made

it to the top

What is your favorite soccer team?United States Women’s National Team

What is your favorite movie? Too many to name!

What is your favorite song? Centuries by Fall Out Boy

What is your favorite book? Harry Potter series

What is your favorite food? Chinese food but especially dumplings

and eggrolls

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer?

Swimming


Being bored


Bora Bora because it is beautiful and I love the beach


Some type of doctor

Team NameBarca

Organization/ClubContinental FC

LNUS

C

CONT

INEN

TAL F

C

FFC

AND

NORT

HERN

LEB

ANON

YOUTH SOCCER PLAYER PROFILES

Chris Pirolli Age: 8

Emma Jeffery Age: 13

Sara Artley Age: 13

Want to appear in an upcoming issue of Touchline?This is an exciting feature in the magazine where Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer players, coaches, and parents get an opportunity to be seen and heard by the rest of our readers.

Well, now is your chance! If you would like to be considered to appear in an upcoming issue, simply answer the 11 Questions that appear on our website (and on page 23 ), fill in the bio information and email it to [email protected]. Most importantly, you need to send a photo of yourself with the email… the higher quality, the better! If there is not a photo, then we can’t use your entry in the magazine. Entering is not a guarantee of getting published.

We wish you luck, and who knows? When you open the next issue of Touchline magazine, you could find yourself staring back at you!

To register go to:http://www.epysa.org/communications/player_profiles/

Hey, Kids! { And adults, too! }Perhaps you’ve said to yourself:

Magazine!”eastern pennsylvania youth soccer

“I want to be in

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27

EPYSA.org

26

AAA Start Your Journey

atty Gallagher was never a huge soccer fan. For most of her life, she was a field

hockey player. She left the soccer to her husband, Pat, who was a goalkeeper all the way through college.

Everything changed for Gallagher, a Sicklerville, New Jersey native, when her son Joe, age 13, and daughter Libby, age 9, started to play soccer.

“Both of my kids have been playing soccer since they were four years old,” says Gallagher. “My oldest, Joe, is obsessed with the Union. He has enough jerseys that he could wear a different one every day for two weeks.”

Joe, who only recently turned 13, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. His mother said that soccer was the first team sport he was able to play, and it made him feel included and a fully functional member of the team.

Both kids now play soccer year-round for their local youth team, Highland Youth Soccer Club.

“We’re the biggest soccer fans now,” Gallagher says. “We are on the soccer fields every night of the week, either for practice or a game. We do homework on the fields and sometimes we even eat dinner on the fields as well.”

Now the “ultimate soccer mom” as she calls herself, Gallagher and her kids have been to multiple Union games and have loved every one.

“We love going to the games. We have such a great time,” says Gallagher. “The team does so much for the community. Soccer has been a big part in inspiring my kids, and it’s great to know that there is a future for them if they want to play soccer professionally.”

While they have been to Union games and other Union related events, Gallagher says one of their greatest memories came a few months

ago when they got to meet Maurice Edu at a Philadelphia 76ers game.

“Joe follows Edu on Instagram and saw that he was at the Sixers game and was only siting a few rows in front of us,” Gallagher said. “Joe went up to him and got to talk to him a little bit and got his Union jacket that he wears everywhere signed.”

Their relationship with the Union doesn’t end there. For his 13th birthday, Joe requested that his bedroom, currently decked out in Philadelphia Phillies colors, be re-decorated with a Philadelphia Union style theme.

As for their favorite players, Libby enjoys watching Sebastien Le Toux score goals and run all over the field, and Joe likes Edu and his standout defense.

Gallagher and her family were selected to win two tickets to the October 25th game against Orlando City and a VIP experience including watching warm-ups from field level and participating in post-game autographs on behalf of AAA.

Coaching wasn’t always the path for Jim Curtin. In fact, even playing professional soccer was never a sure thing for Curtin.

Originally from Oreland, Pennsylvania, Curtin is another member of the Philadelphia Union who has local ties.

“My journey started like so many young soccer players, around the age of four or five years old, playing locally in Philadelphia and in the suburbs,” Curtin says. “I worked my way through a lot of hours on the training field, battled in the backyard with my brother. My parents drove me all over the country, sacrificing a lot. I played through high school and worked my way to a college scholarship.”

When Curtin decided to go to Villanova University as a center back, he had no idea what the future was going to hold. He just wanted to play soccer in college, graduate with a degree, and make enough money to support a family.

It turns out that at 6-feet-4 and with a great defensive feel for the game, Curtin would go on to star for the Wild Cats in the coming years. During his four collegiate seasons, Curtin was a recipient of multiple awards, both from the school and from the Big East Conference.

In 1997, Curtin was named the Big East Rookie of the Year, followed by a selection to the first team All-Big East squad in 1999 and 2000. Additionally in 2000, Curtin was named the Philadelphia Soccer Seven Player of the Year. Villanova also voted him the team’s most valuable player three years in a row.

Despite all of the accolades, however, Curtin’s future as an MLS player was still in doubt. Because of Villanova’s relative obscurity as a soccer team and Curtin not being viewed as athletic enough to play the pro game, his draft stock fell heavily.

The MLS was still more of a dream than a reality, a notion reinforced by Curtin’s draft story. He wasn’t able to watch the draft since it wasn’t being broadcast on television so he did something that your average college senior doesn’t really do.

He went to class.

“At that stage of the journey, I was literally sitting in a finance class in Villanova when I found out I was selected (by the Chicago Fire) so there wasn’t a lot of big to-do like there is now on ESPN,” says Curtin. “I was at the point in my journey when I had to make a big decision. I chose to take the risk and go down to preseason with (the Fire) in Florida, and I ended up making the team.”

Curtin was selected in the third round, so making the team as a late draft pick was a very good sign for him and the team. He ended up staying with Chicago for seven years, making over 200 starts for the team while helping the club win the U.S. Open Cup in 2003 and 2006. He was also selected as an MLS All-Star in 2004 and won the March of Dimes/Comcast Athlete of the Year in 2005.

After seven years with the Fire, Curtin was traded to Chivas USA in 2008, where he played for three seasons before retiring.

By this point, the coaching bug had bit him. Hard.

“It wasn’t even at the end of my career that I decided I wanted to be a coach,” Curtin says. “I knew probably as my second year as a player in Chicago. Bob Bradley was our coach there at the time, and he created an environment where we all challenged each other day in and day out. If you look at that old roster, there are like 15 or 16 guys now that are coaching in the league.”

Curtin started back at his alma mater in February of 2010, eventually working his way over to be the director of curriculum development at YSC Sports in Wayne, the Union’s youth academy. Finally, in November 2012, Curtin was named an assistant coach for the Union. He stayed in that capacity for two years before being named the interim head coach in the middle of 2014 after

the club decided to part ways with then head coach John Hackworth.

Curtin finished the season with a 7-5-6 record after the club had a poor start to the year. Due to the team’s turnaround under his coaching, the Union decided to remove his interim title and name Curtin head coach in late 2014.

It’s what Curtin wanted as soon as he took over for Hackworth.

“I got an opportunity as the interim. I took a hold of it and I didn’t want to give it away,” says Curtin.

“It was an honor to be the head coach in my hometown. This is where I’m from. It means a lot to me. It’s special. Giving back and mentoring young players was something that was always close to me and giving them some knowledge, some tutelage, to take from the game and grow, and then start their journey as players as well.”

This story is part of AAA’s “Start Your Journey” campaign, an effort – in partnership with the Union – to help celebrate families’ journeys in support of their young athletes…the long road trips, all-weekend tournaments, and the special bonds that are formed from the extensive time on the road. Each month, the Philadelphia Union and AAA will select an individual within its soccer network to develop a feature story on their path to success in association with the game of soccer. Additionally, fans are encouraged to share their own stories via social media using #ShareYourJourney.

P

Family turned Patty Gallagher into the ultimate ‘Soccer Mom’

Hard work, dedication paid off for local star Jim Curtin

By Kyle Basedow, PhiladelphiaUnion.com By Kyle Basedow, PhiladelphiaUnion.com

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2928

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I Fear for Youth and High School SoccerBy Mike Barr, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Technical Director

he fall soccer season is upon us. High school soccer and fall tournaments are

on every player’s calendar but a dark shadow is coming to club and school soccer as most of us know it, and it appears to be a condition that will change most youth team sports and high school sports in the future.

The reoccurring theme of economics and sports will not go away. Many club sports have effectively eliminated poor families from participating but another factor will soon have an effect on clubs and high schools.

Large soccer clubs consistently recruit players from smaller clubs with promises of better coaches, more tournaments and national rankings. Parents buy into the promises even though their son or daughter may play for a second or third tier team within that large club and really not develop to their potential compared to if they had stayed at their own neighborhood club.

When a player leaves a small club it affects the club they are leaving in numerous ways as well. The most evident is depleting number of players on the neighborhood club team. It also affects the level of play for the team they left. There is also a tendency for the parents of that player to lure another player so their child feels comfortable with the move. This formula is occurring at younger and younger ages and has the full endorsement of coaches and administrators of these large clubs.

Numbers of players on the team diminish, level of play drops and frustrations begins to overcome the smaller club. In an effort to remain relevant they approach other clubs in the same dilemma and form new travel teams made up of three or four clubs. At that point, with more players removed from these smaller clubs, there is a very good chance the travel teams within the clubs, buying into this new cooperative team, will lose their travel teams altogether. With the smaller neighborhood clubs fading, there will be fewer children playing and

fewer players trying out for high school soccer.

Knowingly or unknowingly large clubs and US Soccer are eliminating small neighborhood clubs and eventually the last pay for almost nothing soccer teams, high school soccer. Why else would you see such a huge influx of foreign coaches streaming to this country? They realize the pitch is truly lined with gold.

There was a time that you coached and developed the players in your school district and recognized kids mature and develop at different rates and adult coaches would not give up on them. The modern win at all cost attitude of parents and coaches, or, perhaps

worse, the belief that professional players exist at every club, has created a form of segregation that would have been unheard of in the past. Sports was once the great equalizer and provided opportunities to every child no matter of their socio-economic status. My fear is we will never see those opportunities for children again.

I find it so disheartening to think that youth soccer quite possibly has initiated the destruction of youth sports as we know it. Parents and players are being told “You don’t have enough” and “You aren’t good enough.” The joys of just playing are secondary.

T

Coach Barr at a youth soccer clinic

If you have any questions regarding Tournament Hosting or Tournament Sanctioning, please contact Frank Olszewski at [email protected] or 610-238-9966.

Tournaments Sanctioning Bulletin Board

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• As per US Soccer, Medical Releases are NO LONGER REQUIRED for tournament play. They remain “good practice.”

• As per US Soccer Bylaw 603, Section 3, any organization member sanctioning a tournament shall require the host of the tournament to identify the organization member that sanctioned the tournament on all tournament advertisements and promotional materials, including any emails, online promotions or websites for the tournament. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU PERMITTED TO PROMOTE YOUR TOURNAMENT UNTIL IT IS OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED. “Hold The Date” flyers and e-mails are also not permitted until the tournament is sanctioned by an Organization Member.

• Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer requires all tournament paperwork to be submitted 90 days prior to the tournament event date. ALL PAPERWORK must be submitted before sanctioning begins. Paperwork submitted less than 90 days from the tournament event date could lead to a late fee.

• Tournament Rules are required for sanctioning. All sets of tournament rules must include:

n A Statement in the Tournament Rules that a player/participant may play for only one team for the duration of the tournament.

n A ‘Cancellation Policy’ which includes the amount of an application fee that a team will recoup if the tournament is cancelled in part or in whole. A ‘weather policy’ is not inclusive enough. The Cancellation Policy should cover all contingencies.

VenuesPocono Dome

Wyoming Valley Sports DomeRiverfront Sports

In The NetUnited Sports

Indoor Cups

Registration Opens September 22nd

Passing & Receiving: An Exercise from U.S. Soccer’s Digital Coaching CenterBy Gary Stephenson, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, Assistant Director of Coaching

Description

Groups of four. Four squares of different sizes are laid out on the field. Start passing around the outside. At coaches prompt, reverse direction of passes or move to a different square or last person to touch the ball is a defender (3v1)

Coaching Points

• Weight and accuracy of the pass

• Push pass

• Open body so you face direction you want to go next and receive with inside of the far foot so the ball comes across your body. Pass with opposite foot

WARM UP

SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY (2V1)Description

Eight players. Split a playing field in half. Each half is approximately 15x15. Place two players from one team in one half and two of their teammates in the other. One defender is in each half. The attacking team (4) try to score on the small goal placed in one of the halves. The defending team (2) try to score on two small goals placed in the other half. Attacking players are restricted to their zone. Defending

players are not. Rotate players after each interval.

Coaching Points

• Redirect the ball to keep possession or to pass to a teammate.

• Passing to an open player.

• Accuracy of the pass.

SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY AND GAMEDescription

Create a field and put two small goals on both ends. Field Dimensions: 4v4 approximately 30-35 yards long by 20-25 yards wide. Two teams. Each team attacks two goals and defends two goals.

Coaching Points

• Technical applications of: dribbling, passing, receiving/redirecting

• If the route to one goal is blocked, can you go to the other one quickly?

Progression

Expand to Game – apply Laws of the game

Visit EPYSA.org/coaching_education for more information and to register for courses today.32

AN EVENING WITH

SIR ALEX FERGUSON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Sir Alex Ferguson’s new book LEADING is out this fall.

Receive a signed copy of his book and listen to Sir Alex Ferguson, in person, discussing leadership and the lessons he learned over a 49 year career, including his record-break-ing spell as coach of Manchester United.

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is proud to bring you this EVENING WITH SIR ALEX FERGUSON and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the NSCAA Foundation.

To learn more and to buy your tickets visit NSCAA.com/siralexferguson.

Verizon HallWednesday, October 7

GEAR UP ATNIKE.COM/SOCCER

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touchline | fall 2015

Documents