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Dynamo
Duo Brought Joy To Brave Youngster
By Richard Justice
Houston Chronicle
“You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.
But we both know Stuart Holden and Craig Waibel.”
That’s how Bob Piniewski’s e-mail to the
Dynamo began last month. What followed were parallel stories of unspeakable
sadness and boundless appreciation, of loss and life weaved together.
If you were ever inclined to put professional athletes on a pedestal,
you can begin here.
On Father’s Day 2007, Piniewski’s 14-year-old son, A.J.,
was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare
and aggressive form of cancer.
He lived only six months. During that time, A.J. displayed courage and
grace beyond words. He lifted spirits and touched lives.
He’d been a terrific athlete, a soccer and football player, a
track star. He once scored the winning goal in a championship hockey game.
“He was so happy he was shaking,” Bob Piniewski remembered.
He’d once amazed doctors by coming back so quickly from knee surgery,
and maybe some of the toughness and resilience he showed in sports was
on display when he fought a fight he couldn’t win.
He got lucky a few times, too. Like when he met a couple of soccer players.
Holden and Waibel dropped by A.J.’s room during one of those first
stays at Texas Children’s Hospital, and a friendship was born. It
would be neither the first nor last for A.J. in those final months.
Another was Dr. Pat Thompson.
“He wasn’t our doctor,” Bob Piniewski said the other
day. “He just started hanging out and became our buddy. He gave
A.J. heck for switching from soccer to football and said he was going
to get him to switch back. He was so sincere and kind.”
Start Of A Friendship
It was Thompson who asked Holden and Waibel to visit A.J.
Maybe you think this is one of those stories where the athletes pay a
perfunctory visit to a sick kid and move on down the road.
That’s not what happened. They visited again and again, exchanged
e-mails and telephone calls, learned about A.J.’s life while telling
him something of theirs.
They could not save A.J.’s life, but they could make what life
he had left better. They talked about everything from soccer to food to
fear. A.J.’s pain was relentless, but those visits brought some
light into cancer’s terrifying darkness.
“I think it’s having someone be sociable, be their friend,
not just sign an autograph and leave,” Holden said. “It’s
having someone to talk to.”
Bob Piniewski thinks it was all that and then some.
“They see what these kids are going through, the pain and fear,
and they ultimately take some of that on themselves,” he said. “Both
those guys will be in my thoughts forever. I just can’t tell you
what it means to have a little joy brought into a kid’s life at
that point. It was kind and thoughtful and loving.”
Last fall after the Dynamo won a second straight championship, Holden
brought the MLS Cup to A.J.’s room during his final stay at TCH.
A.J. kissed the cup, and he and Holden caught up on things. When it
was time to go, Holden started to leave and stopped. What he did then
is something A.J.’s dad still has trouble describing.
Holden took the MLS gold medal from around his neck — his Super
Bowl ring, his World Series ring — and placed it on A.J.’s.
“I want to give you this,” he said.
A.J. shook his head.
“I can’t accept this,” he said.
Holden told him the medal was his and that was that.
“Thank you so much,” A.J. told him.
Holden told A.J. a story behind the medal, about how he’d broken
the ribbon during the championship celebration and had to go into the
stands to get a safety pin from his mom to repair it.
Now the medal that represented so much hard work and sacrifice and accomplishment
was A.J.’s. Somehow, it seemed fitting.
“We laughed and cried,” Bob Piniewski said.
So four months after A.J.’s death, Piniewski sat down and wrote
the Dynamo to tell them two of their guys had made a difference in a young
man’s life.
They had given of their time and their heart, and he wanted Oliver
Luck and Dominic Kinnear to know the kind of
people that represent the franchise.
When I telephoned Holden, he’d just arrived at TCH for a round
of visits.
Showing That You Care
“I’ve met a lot of families and a lot of great people,”
he said. “A.J. and his family just touched me in a different way.
They’re a great family, and A.J. was trying his hardest to beat
the disease. I think he knew what was happening, but he was trying. It
reminded me of something every athlete would hope he’d do in that
situation. I’ve visited kids that had never heard of the Dynamo,
and they still react. They want to know you care.”
Bob Piniewski is dealing with a grief that’s fresh and raw and
smothering. He deals with it every hour of every day and always will.
“They’re amazing guys, both of them,” he said of Holden
and Waibel. “Not only do they take the time out of there of their
really busy schedule to come see these kids. Most importantly, they really
care. It’s not an easy thing.”
In recent weeks, Bob Piniewski has told hundreds of people about A.J.
and Stuart Holden and Craig Waibel. He has reminded people that small
gestures can have a huge impact.
“They helped him forget for a while,” Bob Piniewski said.
“They helped him imagine. He always told me he’d hold a championship
cup someday, and Stuart made it possible. He helped him realize a dream.
Those things are so important.”
During a recent charity event at TCH, Bob Piniewski presented Holden
with a gold medal A.J. had won in a championship soccer game when he was
8.
“I hope it means as much to him as the one he gave A.J.,”
he wrote the Dynamo. “Knowing him, I bet it means more.”
Since A.J.’s death, Bob Piniewski has worked to bring attention
to childhood cancer and to a book in which parents tell their kids’
stories. His Web site can be found at:
www.thepetitionsite.com/1/CureChildhoodCancer
Gordon
Bradley (1933-2008)
by Ray Alley
Gordon Bradley passed away in Northern
Virginia on April 29 at the age of 74 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
That he had been ill surprised a lot of people who never knew that he
had the disease.
That was Gordon, a man who in his lifetime had a huge impact on the development
of soccer in the United States, but one who drew less attention to himself
than to the game he loved.
In his lifetime, Gordon touched the lives of tens of thousands of people
through his love of the game. He took the time with everyone!
He was more than a coach. He was a teacher, an advocate, a soccer pioneer
and a teller of stories. In time, he became a familiar color analyst on
D.C. United’s MLS games on Home Team Sports.
Gordon was an immigrant who grew up in England, becoming a player at a
very young age. He played with older players, often accepted because he
was a good player and also because he was willing to “chase the
ball” when it went past or over the goal and down the road.
He was proud of becoming an American citizen, but never lost his love
for England. He first migrated to Canada, but soon signed on as the first
player for the New York based Cosmos. He was also hired as the coach.
He coached the team through tough times and also the glory years. He was
there when the Cosmos brought Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos
Alberto and a host of other international superstars to the team.
In the good years the team drew crowds of 60,000-70,000 and won championships,
and in the bad he was replaced.
He and his family moved to Northern Virginia and he became the coach of
the NASL Washington Diplomats, who had a few stars of their own, including
Dutchman Johan Cruyff.
When the league folded, he remained in the Washington, D.C., area trying
time after time to bring professional soccer back to the nation’s
capital.
When the position of men’s soccer coach at George Mason University
came open, he was approached by the GMU director of athletics. It wasn’t
the Cosmos calling, or pro soccer at all, but it was soccer and Gordon
answered the call. He would coach GMU for 16 years.
Gordon’s contributions in New York, out in Massapequa on Long Island,
and in D.C. and Northern Virginia are well documented. Less is known about
his contributions in North Carolina.
And forgive me, but it is here that the story becomes personal.
Gordon and I met on a soccer field more than 20 years ago in Reston, VA.
He was watching his son Douglas play. I was waiting for the game to end
so my team could take the field. I knew who he was. He had no reason to
know who I was.
Phone numbers were exchanged, and months later I mustered the courage
to inquire as to whether he might be interested in coming to North Carolina
to spend a week at my soccer camp.
He did, and that began a series of summer visits to piedmont North Carolina
that extended over two decades. There were also trips in January to work
a winter weekend coaching workshop.
On these trips he worked with young players and coaches who had never
seen the Cosmos or Dips play. He brought the game to them.
It has been said about Gordon that he was a patient man. No question sincerely
asked was too absurd, and deserved an answer. The man also had a kind
word for a young player, encouragement, and was often the one who put
a band-aide on the scraped knee of a six-year old.
Those who knew Gordon, regardless of how well they knew him, lost a friend.
Soccer lost a friend when he passed.
But the game lives on through those who learned a bit about the game from
Gordon Bradley.
He often said when coaching a group of young players, “when not
in possession (of the ball) get in position.” No doubt that advice
has been passed on to other young players over the years.
You have to have the ball in order to have possession, so always be willing
to be the one who goes to get the ball when it misses the goal.
Thanks, Gordon.
Charlie
Corbitt is An Information Pioneer
by Ray Alley
Imagine a time when there were no personal computers. A
time when there was no internet, and website was a term yet to be coined.
In those days you got sports scores, a day after the event, in the daily
newspaper. Soccer scores were seldom listed.
Today you can click on your computer and within hours of the completion
of most college soccer games, you can find the scores.
You can find collegiate scores by accessing Scoreboard.NSCAA.com and search
for your favorite team. You can find prep rankings and scores on EurosportScoreboard.com.
Give no credit to Microsoft’s Bill Gates. All the credit goes to
Alpharetta’s Charlie Corbitt, who, about 15 years
ago, saw a need and began to solve the problem with soccerinfo.com.
Corbitt grew up in Cartersville, GA, with a passion for basketball. Upon
graduating from the University of Georgia, he would have been happy to
become a high school math teacher and basketball coach. However, the thought
of going back to college to take education courses was too much.
He had taken a computer course in college, and have become intrigued with
its possibilities. He took a job at the National Bank of Georgia in Atlanta
as a computer programmer in 1968. He would remain in the industry until
he retired in 2002.
“I had acquired an interest in personal computers and taught myself
how to write programs on that platform,” said Corbitt. “At
my age it was more fun to learn a new technology rather than continue
developing on main frame computers.”
When his children were young, he inquired about coaching in a local youth
basketball league. He was told that they had enough basketball coaches,
but could needed youth soccer coaches.
Once again, Corbitt saw the need and stepped up to coach an Under-10 recreation
team. The game he coached was the first he had ever seen.
In time his youngest son, Chip, excelled in soccer and Charlie and wife
Laney spent their weekends on the road watching soccer games.
Eventually, Chip would play one season at the University of Alabama Birmingham
for Mike Getman.
“In the fall of 1992, Chip played his last college game,”
said his dad. “When the next fall college season rolled around there
was a void in our lives that needed to be filled.
“I wanted to keep up with college soccer, but living in Georgia
made that difficult. The local paper carried no stories and only an occasional
score on the local colleges teams.
“I did subscribe to a national soccer publication that carried all
the college scores, but by the time I received it, many of the scores
were weeks old. I thought there had to be a better way.”
With the help of a friend who had a computer business that he ran out
of his home, they began the process of solving the problem.
“That relationship was the beginning of my growth in personal computer
technologies.” he said.
By the spring of 1993 he had a database to maintain college and high school
game results. But it was a hands on process from start to finish.
First he had to get schedules from all the high schools in Georgia. He
and his wife spent hours loading all the schedules into the database,
and the next challenge was to get coaches across the state to participate
and send their scores to him.
“I promised that if they would call the scores in, I would post
them to each game schedule, consolidate them into a weekly report of all
games and send them by fax each Monday morning to the school’s fax
machine,” he recalled.
“After two or three weeks of sending the consolidated reports by
fax, the administrative offices of a number of schools returned the faxes
and asked him to stop sending the reports.” Yet another challenge!
Early in the summer of 1993, Corbitt convinced his wife to let him spend
the money to send letters to all the colleges, introducing them to the
concept and requesting that they participate by returning their games
schedules by mail or fax. He also provided a phone number for schools
to call and leave the game score on a recording.
“During the summer, my wife and I spent hundreds and hundreds of
hours loading the college schedules into the database,” said Corbitt.
“During the season, I would spend hours each night listening to
the recording, posting the game scores and faxing consolidated reports
to hundreds of college teams.
“At this time, all college expenses were coming out of my pocket.
I did, however, believe that one day perhaps someone would see the value
of this timely information and offer to invest in this service.”
By 1995, a number of colleges were starting to use the internet as a tool
to distribute sports information.
“I knew nothing about the internet, but had a friend who encouraged
me to look into using it as a tool to distribute soccer reports. He gave
me some advice on how to get started and SoccerInfo.com was born. By the
fall of 1995, I had learned how to upload the game schedules and reports
to the internet, which was a giant leap forward that opened up a new world
of report distribution.”
Yet to come was a way to allow coaches to update their schedules and results.
But technology was changing quickly and another solution was close at
hand.
The first person to step up to help Corbitt fund SoccerInfo.com was Pat
Millen, the marketing guru at Davidson College who was instrumental in
that school’s three-year run of hosting the NCAA Division I men’s
soccer championship, the early predecessor to the NCAA College Cup.
By then Millen had launched collegesoccer.com. With his help, Corbitt
was able to provide a way for volunteers to maintain a team’s schedule
interactively and control the update by IDs and Passwords.
“With this change, it was not necessary to spend the time listening
to recordings each evening and posting game scores manually,” he
said. “My life had just made a dramatic change.”
In the summer of 2002, with the help of Penn State men’s coach Barry
Gorman, then President of the NSCAA, a deal was struck between the NSCAA
and SIS, and the adidas College Soccer Scoreboard (Scoreboard .NSCAA.com)
was launched.
On the high school side, the late Barry Redmond of Tennessee and Kyle
Heise from South Carolina, helped Corbitt expand from just Georgia to
include their states as well.
“This became feasible when I met Brendan Moyland and Durward Williams
of Eurosport at the 2004 NSCAA convention,” he said. “They
wanted to take the high school scoreboard national, thus the EurosportScoreboard.com
was born.
There are currently about 25 states that are participating, and the plan
it to eventually include all states on the high school site.
Charlie Corbitt’s story of seeing a soccer need and solving it is
compelling, but it is even more so considering that in 1990 he was diagnosed
with cancer. Since then he has had 6-8 surgical procedures, and a number
of different chemo treatments.
In 1999, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a surgical
procedure as well.
“She has not had a reoccurrence since her surgery and I haven’t
had a reoccurrence for about two years,” he said. “The prognoses
for both of us is good.”
But there is no time to rest. He still sees needs and seeks to find solutions.
Corbitt says “I believe I’ve been blessed with a need to help
others.”
For the past several years he’s been involved in a street ministry
that targets the homeless in Atlanta. He did the three-day 60-mile walk
to raise money for breast cancer, and has participated in a number of
cancer fundraisers.
He has been a weekly volunteer at a local neuro behavior organization
for severely brain injured adults, and enjoys taking those clients to
local college football and baseball games. He’s a member of the
Seminole Spirit Brain Injury Awareness group.
When doing the three-day 60-mile walk, he was disappointed that there
were so few men participating. He was also able to see the financial stress
some families were under because a family member was in a battle with
cancer. Thus another need, and a solution to be found.
Corbitt launched SoccerFor ACure.org at the NSCAA convention in Baltimore.
The plan is to reach out to all the people in soccer in some way to become
a member of the Soccer For A Cure team by making a modest annual contribution
of at least $5.00.
“This doesn’t sound like much, but if we can build a team
of 100,000 or 200,000 members or more, a $5.00 donation each year from
each member can go a long way to helping families in need in every state.”
The funds will not be used for cancer research, but rather to go directly
to families through local agencies to provide help for their basic needs.
Those who know Corbitt have heard the message and have responded. High
school coaches have agreed to designate home games with his foundation
being a charity partner and recipient of funds raised at the game.
Those who don’t know him personally, now know the man and his family,
behind the websites. The websites began with a need and a desire to get
results, and once again Charlie Corbitt has seen a need, and is seeking
the solution to finding a way to get the results.
It’s all about helping people, but that’s Charlie!
Want to Donate?
Send contributions (payable to Soccer For a Cure) %
12095 N. Hickory Trace, Alpharetta, GA 30004
Website www.SoccerForACure.org
Sarachan
Hired As Academy Scout
United States Soccer has hired former Chicago Fire coach
and U.S. MNT Assistant Dave Sarachan as Scouting Manager
of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Also joining the Development Academy
brass are Tony Lepore and former Revolution striker Raul
Diaz Arce.
Sarachan will manage current U.S. Soccer scouts and oversee the expansion
of the scouting network, while Lepore and Diaz Arce have been hired as
full-time Development Academy Scouts.
Sarachan served as an assistant for the 2002 World Cup team when it was
coached by Bruce Arena. He went on to coach the Fire
in the MLS for five years.
Diaz Arce, a seven-year MLS veteran who scored 18 goals for the Revolution
in 1998, was an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-17 National Team. The
former El Salvador international will join Lepore as a full-time scout.
Lepore, the former Cape Cod Crusader and Director of Coaching for New
Hampshire’s Seacoast United, was an assistant coach with the U.S.
U-15 National Team.
Powerchair
World Cup
The World Cup final between the United States and France
was tied 1-1 through overtime and came down to penalty kicks.
After five shots from each team, Michael Archer nailed
his kick for the U.S. France’s Nicolas Guillemot
lined up to equalize, but his kick was near enough for the U.S. goalkeeper,
JC Russo, to make an easy save. World Champions....USA!
Not a FIFA World Cup Championship, but rather a FIPFA World Cup Championship.
The U.S. team captured the inaugural World Cup of Powerchair Soccer in
Japan earlier this fall. Seven countries, the U.S., France, Portugal,
Belgium, Denmark and England joined host Japan in the tournament.
Power soccer is played by two four-player teams on a basketball court
using an oversized soccer ball and footguards attached to the powerchairs
to propel the ball. Participants have some form a physical disability.
The eight-player co-ed U.S. team included brothers Omar
(22) and Jairo (18) Solorio, who play
for the Hollister (California) Free Wheelers, Elio Navarro
(27) of the Tampa Bay (FL) Crossfire, Jerry Book (18)
of the San Jose (CA) Steamrollers, Archer of the Indianapolis (IN) Circle
City Rollers, Jessica Lehman (30) of the Berkeley (CA)
BORP Bay Cruisers, Russo of the Indianapolis Indy Cruisers, and Danny
Gorman, the youngest player on the team at age 16, a Tampa, FL,
kid who plays for the Tampa Bay Thunder.
The coach is Chris Finn, 36, a former college soccer
player from Wisconsin who had dreams about playing for the U.S. Men’s
National Team in the World Cup before he broke his neck in a freak accident
and was forced to use a powered wheelchair for the rest of his life.
The U.S. rolled, literally, through group play, winning five games by
shutouts while scoring 29 goals. The only goal they allowed, was in a
1-1 draw with France in the final group game over the first three days
of the tournament. It was a preview of the final.
In the semifinals the U.S. beat Belgium 3-0, while France knocked out
Japan, setting the stage for another 1-1 draw in the championship match.
France was on the attack throughout the final, while the U.S. relied on
counter attacks. Down 1-0 with five minutes to go in regulation, Archer,
arguably the dominant player in the tournament, fired a corner kick that
came to Gorman at the top of the penalty box. Gorman moved forward and
redirected the ball back across the goal inside the far post for the equalizer.
Before leaving for Japan, Gorman, who has been playing Power Soccer for
three years, got a new foot guard for his wheelchair. The man who designed
it didn’t ask for much in return. Just that he score the winning
goal. His was as good as the game-winner.
“What an amazing feeling to come out on top in the fashion that
we did,” said Finn. “Coming out victorious, with all the players
responding to adversity, it can’t get any better than that.”
Many of the players had never dreamed of being able to play an active
sport, much less win an international championship. While each has physical
limitations, they all have found a fierce competitive drive within themselves.
Perhaps Lehman, the only female on the team, summed it up best.
“It was sort of like I needed to believe that we were going to win
the World Cup, so I did and I said, ‘Yes, we are going to win,’”
she explained. “And once we stared winning, I believed it on another
level entirely.”
Cocoa
Expo Still Going Strong
By Adam Minichino
Giles Malone loves soccer. Ever since
he was five, Malone wanted to be a professional soccer player.
Malone, a native of Bristol, England, was with Bristol City of the English
First (Premier Division) from ages 11-18. He went on to play at NCAA Division
I University of Louisiana (formerly Northeastern) before he moved into
the coaching ranks.
He went on to win two NCAA D-II men’s national soccer championships
as an assistant coach at the Florida Institute of Technology’s.
Malone’s playing and coaching career may be over, but he is just
as passionate and involved in soccer today as president and general manager
of the Cocoa Expo Center.
The Cocoa Expo Sports Center is a 75-acre facility in Cocoa, Florida,
which is less than 35 miles from Orlando. It has an on-site dormitory
that houses 400 and a cafeteria that can seat 500. It is promoted as Florida’s
premier multi-use facility for tournaments, camps, special events, lodging
and meals for all types of groups and events.
It offers sports programs for baseball, soccer, swimming, lacrosse,
softball, basketball, volleyball, football, rugby and golf, as well as
band and officials.
“Our focus has been to maintain a core management team and attain
the highest level of soccer we can attain,” Malone said. “The
foundation of our success started at FIT, where we greatly increased the
amount of interest in the area. We had games with crowds of 4,000 to 5,000
people when we won the national championship in 1991.
“I can remember seeing children at the games who were four and
five years old tagging along with their parents to games who I now see
in high school or graduating and going on to play in college.”
Malone, who also runs three companies, has an impressive soccer resume.
He was a member of the United Soccer League’s inaugural 2002 Hall
of Fame class. After his playing days in college, he earned his master’s
degree (MBA) at FIT, where he volunteered with head coach Richard Stottler
Jr.
FIT became a NCAA Division II power en route to winning national titles
in 1988 and ‘91.
Coaching soccer eventually gave way to an administrative role in the
sport. Stottler purchased the Cocoa Expo Center from the city of Cocoa
after the Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros decided to move
their spring training headquarters from Cocoa to Kissimmee.
Like Malone, Stottler has an impressive soccer background. The former
All-American at the University of Maryland coached soccer at Cocoa Beach
High School before moving on to coach the men’s soccer team at Florida
Tech and built a soccer program second to none.
Malone, who has been president of the Cocoa Expo since 1986, said he
is most proud of Cocoa Expo’s role in creating opportunities for
student-athletes, especially soccer players, in the Space Coast region.
He said the Cocoa Expo had its first soccer tournament, the 16-team
Cocoa Expo Cup, in 1990. That event grew to 40 teams the next season,
to 100 and now attracts more than 170 teams annually.
In the past 20 years, close to 20,000 teams have passed through the
facility, Malone said.
He said the facility’s other sport programs, baseball, softball,
lacrosse, football and swimming continue to grow. In terms of sheer numbers,
he said baseball is the largest program.
Malone said approximately 1,000 teams, including numerous professional
franchises, use the facility annually to attend tournaments, camps, clinics
or other programs.
He said the facility also services 700 youth players every year for
soccer camps. He said that number has increased as the Cocoa Expo and
the Brevard Youth Soccer League have built their relationship.
Malone said the BYSL had 400 members back in 1981. Now, he said, the
organization has more than 10,000 players thanks to the dedication of
numerous volunteer boards.
The facility has more than 15 sponsors, including Coca Cola, Ron Jons
Surf Shop, Universal Studios, MajorLeague Soccer, the Brevard Youth Soccer
League and GreenPitch, a Web site that chronicles “the life of Metropolitan
Soccer.”
The Cocoa Expo features a 5,000-seat lighted baseball stadium, a 2,500-seat
lighted soccer stadium, two lighted softball and one additional multi-purpose
lighted field.
Malone said the facility has the capability of staging 15 soccer fields.
Lights have recently been added to four of the fields, and Malone expects
lights to be added to two more in the next month.
Stottler and Malone’s off-the-field partnership started with Cocoa
Expo. The two also created the Cocoa Expos men’s soccer team in
1993 and entered it in the U.S.I.S.L League, losing in the final in just
their second year.
Today, the Cocoa Expo sponsors a men’s team in the Premier Development
League and a women’s team in the W-League.
Malone is president of the PDL’s Cocoa Expos, a member of the
USL, which was founded in 1986 and has two men’s pro leagues, a
women’s open league, a men’s amateur league (the PDL), a youth
league and national summer camps in 40 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
Malone also serves as president of the W-League team, which kicks off
its inaugural season at 7 p.m. May 14 against the Carolina Dynamo at the
Cocoa Expo.
The key to making everything work is people. Malone said sports have
a way of bringing people together, especially those who share of passion
for providing the best service.
Malone said the Cocoa Expo, which is a private company, has eight full-time
employees in its athletic department and more than 120 workers. He said
that number changes each month as the facility needs additional employees.
A study showed the Cocoa Expo has an annual economic impact of $10 million
on the Space Coast area. Malone said the Cocoa Expo works with 32 hotels
to provide housing for its guests.
He said Cocoa Expo’s proximity to the beach, which is 10 miles
away; tourist attractions, like Universal Studios, and the weather in
Florida and the availability of additional facilities through the Brevard
County Parks and Recreation Department give the facility many advantages.
Earlier this month, the Brevard County Commissioners recognized the
Cocoa Expo and the Brevard Youth Soccer League for its involvement in
the community. The BCC proclaimed April 11 to be Brevard County Cocoa
Expo Soccer Day in Brevard County. The resolution recognized the contributions
of the Cocoa Expo’s PDL and W-League teams and the BYSL for its
work in helping more than 10,000 youth players stay involved in the world’s
most popular sport.
Malone, who attended the meeting with BYSL Vice Chairman Jay Moon, said
the proclamation also recognized the behind-the-scenes work of countless
soccer mothers and fathers.
The recognition was just another indication of the growing impact Cocoa
Expo continues to have on the state of Florida. Malone said he sees signs
of Cocoa Expo’s growth every day, and just recently he said he met
a manager of a talent agency in Nashville, Tenn., who participated in
a baseball event at the Cocoa Expo when he was in high school.
“It’s amazing the people I come across who say they played
baseball or soccer (at the Cocoa Expo) when they were kids,” Malone
said. “We have had a lot of people come through the facility in
the past 20 years, and that means a lot. When you see how they have been
successful, it shows that sports is a part of their life and has had a
very positive impact on people.”
Moon is in his fifth year as a member of the BYSL’s board of directors.
He has had a son who has played soccer at the Cocoa Expo and he currently
has twin 15-year-old daughters who are active in the soccer scene.
Moon said existence of fine public facilities in Port St.Joe and Palm
Bay, as well as the expected benefits from facilities in Titusville, Viera
and Merritt Island in the near future has benefited the local soccer leagues.
He said those public facilities also have helped Cocoa Expo remain competitive.
“They keep adding fields and the quality of their fields has improved
over the years,” Moon said. “I think every year they have
gotten a certain percentage better. They didn’t have a very good
reputation for a long time, but I think the last few years we have seen
a marked improvement in the condition of the fields, the grass and the
quality of the facility overall.”
Last May, Moon said the Cocoa Expo served as an “excellent”
host to the BYSL’s Spring Championship. As
chairman of the tournament, Moon said Cocoa Expo’s staff took care
of all of the details, which helped him concentrate on running the event.
Moon said all of the Space Coast area teams don’t play in every
tournament at Cocoa Expo, but he said the facility’s ability to
attract teams from throughout the United States and international squads
gives it a unique advantage. He said his girls team played a team from
England last year, and 15 years ago his son’s team played a team
from Scotland.
“For the BYSL to have Cocoa Expo here is a plus,” Moon said.
We see teams at the Cocoa Expo we wouldn’t see anywhere else.”
Moon said the Cocoa Expo’s drawing power has lifted the quality
of soccer in the Space Coast region the past four to five years. He said
the men’s PDL team and the addition of the W-League franchise will
continue to provide even more opportunities for local soccer players.
These days, the Cocoa Expo has its eyes focused on maintaining that
mission. Malone said the Cocoa Expo is examining the possibility of building
a 150-room hotel on its land. He said the Cocoa Expo has been considering
the idea for a number of years, but he
cautioned that the Cocoa Expo would make sure the timing of its plan contributes
to the local economy and the growth of the area.
Malone said people have been the Cocoa Expo’s greatest resource
the past 20 years. He said staff members have invested countless hours
to create and to develop a facility that prides itself on its versatility
and its ability to provide the best camps, clinics, tournaments and programs.
“Our director of athletics, Jeff Biddle, has been with he Cocoa
Expo Center for 21 years, and Jeff has done tremendous job in operating
and building our athletics program,” Malone said. “Our food
and beverage director, Matt Bleuel, who provides 400,000 meals a year
to our guests, has been with the Cocoa Expo for eight years. They are
the ones who make thefacility what it is.”
But Biddle and Bleuel are only two of the hundreds of people on staff
who are willing to do whatever is needed to ensure that Cocoa Expo remains
the
destination of choice.
“You have to be able to get out there and shag soccer balls if
needed,” Malone said. “A big part of my job now is trying
to let people know about the facility and the programs we offer. But we
have to do what is most important at that particular moment. We enjoy
it, and it is really rewarding to see the growth of the sports in our
area.
“The people who work here are really dedicated. That’s what
it takes, it takes great people to make it work.”
‘This
Will Be A Truly Spectacular World Cup’
By Ray Alley
Hank Steinbrecher knows
a bit about World Cup organization. He was the Secretary General of US
Soccer in 1994 when the US. hosted the world’s greatest soccer tournament.
He has always been passionate about soccer, and soccer in the United
States in particular. In those days, when the most recent US. World Cup
resume was a brief three-and-out performance in 1990, he was the evangelist
for the sport in this country.
He was known as “The Preacher” willing to speak to the
congregation of the U.S. “Soccer Family” and also very willing
to take the message to the unbelievers....those who had no idea what all
this World Cup fuss was all about.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Steinbrecher played collegiate soccer in West
Virginia at Davis & Elkins. He coached in North Carolina at Warren
Wilson College and Appalachian State, before moving back north to coach
Boston University.
Involvement in the 1984 Olympic Games, which played games in Boston,
put him in touch with Corporate America and after a five-year marketing
career with General Foods, he accepted the head job as CEO with the United
States Soccer Federation in Chicago, a position he held for 10 years.
For the past three years Steinbrecher has been working in Europe,
splitting his overseas time between Switzerland and Germany. He has headed
up as Chief Operating Officer a Swiss company, iSe Hospitality AG (International
Sports & Entertainment Hospitality), that won the contract to market
ticket packages for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
It was truly an international business effort: a Swiss company doing
business in Germany, owned by the Japanese and French. The chairman of
the parent company is Dutch, and the company was created by an Israeli.
The company president is French and the company was managed by an American--Steinbrecher.
“We do this while serving the largest monopoly in the world,
FIFA, at the worlds biggest event,” said Steinbrecher during the
2004 NSCAA convention in Baltimore.
After spending three weeks in Europe and returning home to Chicago
for a week every month for three years, Steinbrecher has stepped down
from that position, but still remains as a consultant.
The experience has given him a unique perspective on this summer’s
World Cup in a country where soccer is king.
“There is so much excitement in Germany for this World Cup,”
said Steinbrecher. “It’s in the news every day. This will
be a truly spectacular World Cup.”
While Steinbrecher saw the 1994 up close and personal, his involvement
this time is more from the business side of things.
“Those have been quite different roles,” he said. In ‘94
it was my job to prepare the soccer culture to bring the World Cup here
to the United States. In Germany, it has been to combine my business experience
with contacts made over the years.
International Sports & Entertainment Hospitality controlled 10%
of the available World Cup tickets and repackaged those with tour and
entertainment packages. Those included just about everything except housing.
Revenues are expected to exceed 500 million Euros (over 360 million dollars).
The German population has great expectations for the home national
team in this World Cup. Host teams have traditionally done well.
“The federation officials believe that no less than the quarterfinals
would be acceptable. The German fans won’t be happy with less than
advancement to the final.”
Two of Germany’s key figures in this World Cup have ties with
the US. Franz Beckenbauer, who played in the NASL with the New
York Cosmos, heads up the German federation and this year’s World
Cup, while former German star striker Jurgen Klinsman,
the national team coach, is currently living with his American wife in
California.
Klinsman’s long-distance commute back to coach the German team
has created great controversy and criticism. He is certainly a man under
a lot of media pressure.
“Jurgen has taken quite a bit in the German press,” said
Steinbrecher. “He is under a lot of pressure to produce results
in this World Cup. Germany has a very good team, but it is not as strong
as some of the past teams.”
This past summer Steinbrecher was back home and was inducted into
the National Soccer Hall Of Fame in Oneonta, NY.
Steinbrecher headed up US Soccer when he hired Bruce Arena as
the U.S. coach after the ‘98 World Cup. He feels we have come a
long way since 1994, when we hosted, and credits Arena for developing
the US. National team program.
“I am very happy with this team,” he said. “I am happy
with this organization and the depth we have created.
“Regardless of who makes the final roster, this team will include
Hispanic and African-American players. This team will be a composite of
our society.
“We have a very tough draw, but I think we will advance (out of
group play). We now know that on any given day we can beat any team in
the world. Regardless of how we finish in Germany, there is no holding
us back (as a top international team).”
For the first time the U.S. approached a World Cup draw ranked Top 10
in the world. Gaining one of the eight seeds would have prevented the
U.S. from playing Italy in group play (we also play the Czech Republic
and Ghana).
“If we had gotten the seed rather than Mexico, and had gotten their
draw, it would have been less difficult, but what really matters in every
four-year cycle is those three (group) games.
“We knew that we would play a top European team, regardless, and
with Italy and the Czech Republic we play two.”
Because the U.S. did not get a seed, despite being the dominant soccer
power in CONCACAF over the last 4-6 years, and holding a superior head-to-head
record over Mexico going back before the 2002 World Cup, one might get
the impression that U.S. Soccer does not get a full measure of respect
from FIFA. Not so says Steinbrecher.
“The U.S. is very much respected by FIFA,” he allows. “Two
of FIFA’s highest positions are filled by Americans. Mary
Harvey (former U.S. WNT player) heads up development and
Jim Brown is the Director of Competitions for the World Cup.”
“There are always upsets in the World Cup,” Steinbrecher points
out, “and no one gave us much hope to beat Colombia in ‘94
or Portugal in ‘02, but we did. I think we will advance.”
You
Know You're a Soccer Coach When...
By Ken Gamble
- You tell yourself, when your team is losing 5-0 and hasn't had the
ball over the midfield line, that you are really more concerned with
player development, that the players will learn from this, and that
the other coach is just interested in winning anyway.
- You tell yourself, when your team is winning 5-0 and the other team
hasn't had the ball over the midfield line, that all that player development
is paying off.
- You lose sleep worrying about whether the line-up for tomorrow's game
is fair to every kid on the team.
- Don't understand why the referee whistled the foul in basketball,
when the opponent had a clear breakaway.
- You organized a call-in campaign to get your cable company to carry
ESPN2 (or Telemundo and Fox Sports World or ESPN Desportes)
- You remind yourself before each game to secure the virtual duct tape
firmly over your mouth.
- You kick yourself when the duct tape slipped off and you said something
you shouldn't have.
- You spend the last hour of work planning today's practice session.
- You read every soccer catalog that comes in the mail cover to cover.
- You wonder why your players can't do most of the things described
by other coaches.
- You look at the snow-covered soccer fields every time you drive past
them in winter, just in case?
- You wonder just what your friend meant when he asked whether you had
considered getting a life.
- Two kids play, and you coach one, but you are tired of doing that,
so you thought you'd coach a third team while both kids play for some
one else.
- You bought a new house that needs some work, so one of the first things
you do is spend too much money turning the RV barn into an indoor soccer
complex.
- Dog named Xara, cat named Mikasa and kittens should be called "Inflate
to 9 pounds" and "Nylon wound".
- Your husband and kids go out of town for a weekend and you spend the
entire "alone weekend" at a soccer tournament.
- The only reason you have cable TV is to watch soccer
- You take the C clinic in Florida instead of your home town because
you think you'll have more time to study if you are away from home.
- You can't trade in the old truck because new trucks big enough to
fit your goal are too costly.
- If You've ever said I really think 5 is a little young for Heather
to be considered a "natural striker", Mrs. Walsh.
- If You've ever said "Because none of the English-language channels
have the %#$@ game on, that's why!"
- If You've ever said No, Mr. MacDonald, putting more air into it will
not make it a #4 ball.
- If You've ever said Yes, Derek, it really went a long way; but remember
how we did the kickoff in practice?
- If You've ever said Those are hockey shin guards, Samatha. I think
your brother is playing a trick on you.
- If You've ever said No, Mr. MacDonald, that's a VOLLEYball. There
most certainly IS a difference.
- If You've ever said I've got nothing against other sports...in their
proper role as cross-training.
- If You've ever said I think I need to explain the word "tackle"
again, Derek.
- If You've ever said Here, Mr. MacDonald, I've got an extra ball Dougie
can use.
- You have more pairs of sparkling clean soccer shoes than "normal"
shoes.
- You purchase soccer gear (for yourself) and end up donating it to
the team.
- You purchase soccer-related Christmas gifts for you non-soccer playing
loved ones.
- Every girl you know under age 18 is a soccer player.
- When a player on one of your teams asks about a pro player or pro
team, you tell them you will pull a tape out of your library (140+).
- You spend hours on the internet trying to figure out how to fly to
Europe or Brazil to watch one of your favorite teams play.
- You donate more money to your HS team than the Soccer Boosters do.
- You choose to stay in town over the Christmas holidays and run a
free soccer clinic rather than go home and see your parents.
- You decide to purchase a new vehicle "BIG ENOUGH FOR YOUR SOCCER
GEAR"!
- All kids within a radius of 4 miles know that you are the only one
who owns a Mikasa air pump.
- A whistle is permanently wrapped around your drivers side sun-shade.
- You store goal net anchors at the bottom of your wheel well.
- You wear a tracksuit to church.
- You address the preacher as "ref".
- You leave church at half-time.
- TV soccer schedules are automatically communicated to you by non-believers
(i.e. followers of other religions - I mean sports).
- Your personal phonebook/e-mail address list is clogged up with soccer
weirdoes.
- At any idle moment you instinctively tune in to soccer-coach-l (a
soccer forum)
- You scream "Penalty ref" at precisely 4:34 am.
- You get withdrawal symptoms when the season ends.
- When you have two desks in your office at work, one for your "real
job", and one for soccer coaching. (The soccer desk is the largest
and most prominent.)
- You have more pictures of your soccer teams on your walls than you
do of your family.
- At least 10% of your family budget goes for soccer.
- You are involved in no less than three soccer teams and have no one
in your family who plays on them.
- You will drive forty miles one way in a car that you are not sure
will last 25 miles to watch two bottom of the league college teams play
and stay until after dark watching youth league teams play. (Engine
blows three days later on the way to work. Who cares? It wasn't a soccer
game I had to miss!)
- You always have to drive alone because all of the car seats are filled
with soccer gear and the hatchback is tied down to keep the soccer balls
from bouncing out.
- When you ride your bicycle across the state the first thing you pack
is a soccer ball and shoes.
- After a hundred mile bike ride you will ride ten more to find a soccer
field or at least a good place to play.
- Your life seems empty when you aren't on the field every night, so
you take up refereeing on the nights left over.
- Your family goes to the soccer fields first when they want to talk
to you and must stand between you and the field to make eye contact.
- All non work clothing has three stripes or an Umbro brand name.
- You think about set pieces during dull meetings.
- Dog's name is Toe-Ball.
- Main factor in buying a car is whether or not the portable goal will
fit.
- You lie about how much time you spend on soccer
- Local soccer retail store gives you a team discount for all personal
purchases.
- You have all 52 games of each of the last two World Cups on tape
- Thinks that ice is the answer to all injuries.
- Recognizes ex-players by the way they run.
- Doesn't even like to watch that other "football" anymore.
- Talk the game with your wife, who is ignoring you like you weren't
there. Good part is you don't even care.
- You become a high school ref, as a means to recruit High School players
for your travel team.
- You watch your best friends soccer team play, and think I could have
done a better job with them.
- When you are on the phone talking to soccer people, and your children
complain they never get the chance to use the phone.
- You call in sick from work, but you could be dying but never miss
a game.
- Love to watch games featuring your former players, and tell complete
strangers you taught him how to make that perfect cross that player
just executed.
- Talk to another coach knocking another coach's best player. Then
say to yourself "I wish I had him."
- After your team played their game at home, you stay to see the next
3 games.
- Your will states your ashes should be spread over your home field.
- Whenever you take the family out for a nice meal you pay for it using
end-of-the season gift certificates from players and parents.
- Out of habit you tie double knots in your dress shoes.
- Some kid calls you "coach" in every store you go in.
- At least one of your toenails is always black.
- You wouldn't think of seeing a foreign movie but watching a two hour
game in a foreign language is a treat.
- When your players see you at work at your real job they are amazed
because they thought the only thing you did was coach.
- When someone asks you who should get the best actor's award this
year you mention the striker on the team that beat your team and that
great performance he gave inside the 18 last week resulting in an undeserved
penalty kick.
- Call ACME the minute you get their catalog because you know the best
bargains only last a day or so. Unfortunately Eurosport closed their
ACME business. ACME was where they sold their close-outs for really
really cheap prices. Of course my wife may be purposely throwing away
the ACME catalogs before I get to the mail.
These were compiled from lists of Top Ten reasons submitted by various
subscribers to the SOCCER-COACH-L mailing list. Thanks to: Tim Kratz,
Patty Wilber, George Stanton, Perrone Ford, Chris Mohr, John Foley, Ken
Gamble, Paul Lenssen, Carl Hoang, Richard Brown, Timothy Garrity, and
others.
NSCAA
To Honor Jon Stewart
Jonathan Stuart Liebowitz used to keep
his teammates laughing at the College of William & Mary. Today, he
is one of the nation’s top standup comedian with a hit television
show, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.
That former W&M winger is now Jon Stewart, and he
will be honored during the 2006 NSCAA Convention with a Honorary All-America
Award.
Born Jonathan Stuart Liebowitz, he grew up in Lawrence, NY on Long Island
and played three years for the Tribe. He scored 10 goals and helped the
team reach the NCAA playoffs in 1983, his senior season.
“Jon’s wit was famous within the team,” said Al
Albert, longtime coach at W&M, in an interview for Flat Hat,
the school newspaper. “No one would dare even then engage him in
verbal combat. None of us imagined he would take things to the level that
he has, but he was, even in college, a very funny guy.”
Liebowitz, who later took the name Stewart, graduated with an undergraduate
degree in pyschology. He played soccer at W&M from 1981 through 1983,
and made his debut as a standup comic at New York’s Bitter End in
1987. The Jon Stewart Show first aired in 1993 on MTV, and six years later
he began hosting the Daily Show.
“I came to William and Mary because as a Jewish person I wanted
to explore the rich tapestry of Judaica that is Southern Virginia,”
he quipped during a recent commencement address. “Imagine my surprise
when I realized ‘The Tribe’ was not what I thought it meant.
“Some of the best people I have ever met, I met down here,”
recalling his college days. “It was a different place than it is
now, as I’ve talked to some of the students, a lot of the students
here say it’s fun. When I was here, I don't recall that adjective
being tossed around.”
Stewart said the last time he was in a fight was playing soccer against
Randolph-Macon and having an opponent call him a “kike.”
According to his college coach, Stewart briefly considered continuing
his soccer career after graduation, but he “moved on into the real
world,”Albert said.
Each year, William & Mary soccer gives out the “Leibo Award”
to the team clown.
Stewart will be presented his Honorary All-America award on Jan. 21, at
the NSCAA All-America Luncheon, held in conjunction with the annual NSCAA
Convention in Philadelphia.
A
Call for a National Lobbying Effort
by Rick Crow
BALTIMORE, MD (May 25, 2005) USSoccerPlayers - During the
early nineties, I became convinced that soccer would soon emerge as the
No. 1 sport in the United States. With the United States winning the first
Women's World Cup in 1991, the 1994 Men's World Cup just around the corner,
and no end in sight to the explosive growth of youth soccer, it seemed
inevitable that each success would build on the other and soccer would
rise quickly to the top of the national sports scene.
Like any new venture, however, soccer faced a number of difficult barriers
to entry in a crowded American sports market, especially in the area of
media coverage. Despite impressive successes on the field and at the gate,
soccer was almost invisible in the newspapers and on television at the
time. Many writers and commentators were largely uninformed about the
game; others were downright hostile.
To counter this image problem and help educate influential members of
the media, it seemed logical that the national soccer community would
soon organize players and fans into a powerful lobbying force that could
not be ignored. United by the millions, I imagined, soccer supporters
would flood the newspapers, networks and other media outlets with letters,
petitions and phone calls demanding more coverage of the world's greatest
sport.
In fact, the soccer community did not have to wait long to participate
in an unbelievably successful lobbying campaign. Shortly after the United
States defeated Norway in the 1991 Women's World Cup final, soccer supporters
in the United States and around the world started asking FIFA and the
IOC to include women's soccer in the 1996 Olympics. Citing lack of preparation
time, lack of resources and a number of other concerns, both the United
States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the IOC initially cautioned that it
would not be possible to include women's soccer in the Atlanta Games.
Soccer communities in the United States and around the world responded
with a massive lobbying effort that convinced Olympic organizers to include
women's soccer as a medal sport as soon as possible. By the time the United
States defeated China 2-1 in the 1996 gold medal game, everyone knew that
women's soccer was in the Olympics to stay.
The amazing thing about the campaign for women's Olympic soccer was that
there was almost no coordination between the governing bodies of soccer
and grassroots supporters. A polished and persuasive diplomatic effort
led by FIFA and U.S. Soccer gave women's soccer the credibility it needed
for a fast-track into the Olympics. However, no one can say exactly who
or what was responsible for the avalanche of letters, petitions and emails
from grassroots supporters that overwhelmed the IOC, the USOC, and almost
every other organization that had influence in the inner circles of the
Olympics. Without a national grassroots leader to rally around though,
an apparently united soccer community quickly evaporated, and no lobbying
campaign of this scale has been attempted since.
Soccer at the Crossroads
Almost 10 years after the 1996 Olympics, there is still an urgent need
for soccer leaders and soccer supporters to come together and give their
sport another huge push forward. While soccer has made a few inroads into
the mainstream media, coverage in newspapers, magazines, radio and television
is far too sparse to keep the American public informed about the U.S.
National Teams and Major League Soccer, much less men's and women's collegiate
soccer.
In fact, American soccer coverage in the sixth year of the 21st century
is downright embarrassing for a sport that boasts millions of active participants
and a recent history of impressive successes on the international level.
Fans were unable to watch the June 8 USA-Panama World Cup qualifier live;
none of the 2005 Gold Cup matches are scheduled on English-language television;
only a tiny national audience will be able to watch the Sept. 4 USA-Mexico
World Cup qualifier on ESPN Classic. Sadly, a soccer story in huge media
outlets such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN Sports Center is still a rare
treat.
Of the nearly 20 million people who play soccer in the United States,
I was beginning to think that I was the only one who is fed up enough
to start a national effort to make soccer more visible in mainstream America.
Fortunately the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)
is now forming a national advocacy group for the sport of soccer. Called
the Soccer Ambassadors Program, the group will strive to develop an American
soccer culture and grow the sport in our country. According to an article
found on Pages 45-46 of the May-June issue of Soccer Journal, the Ambassadors
Program will start to take shape in January 2006 when an informational
session is held at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia.
In the meantime, I call on supporters from across the country to help
form an ad-hoc group to lobby the media for more soccer coverage before
the Soccer Ambassadors get rolling. With a full slate of college football
games scheduled, letters and petitions requesting more MLS games on ESPN-2
in the fall might not help this season, but this kind of feedback could
pay huge dividends in the future. Of course, all soccer fans need to express
their displeasure with ESPN for relegating the Sept. 4 USA-Mexico showdown
to ESPN Classic.
While a bias against soccer still exists, soccer supporters can't blame
all of our troubles on the media. If a large and wealthy demographic group
makes no effort to organize itself and use its influence to demand more
coverage for soccer, we'll have to settle for the meager scraps that the
big television networks and print media toss our way. It's always sound
advice to dig your well before you get thirsty. Unfortunately we are dying
of thirst and construction on the well hasn't even begun.
If you are tired of the way that soccer is treated in the media, you
need to contact me at rcrow77534@aol.com to find out what you can do.
You don't have to be a soccer leader with some fancy title, just a devoted
fan who will work relentlessly to help build the network we need to promote
our sport. Together we'll form a media committee that will mobilize supporters
from all over the country to lobby for better coverage of soccer.
Rick Crow is former editor of Maryland Soccer News and former director
of ticket sales for the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association.
Player
Dies In Confederations Cup
Paris, 26 June 2003 -Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé
died after losing consciousness during the semi-final match in the FIFA
Confederations Cup France 2003 between Cameroon and Colombia on Thursday
26 June in Lyon.
The 28-year-old Cameroon and Manchester City midfielder collapsed to the
ground in the second half, around the 72nd minute, for no apparent reason.
The player was still alive when he was taken to the medical centre in
Gerland stadium in Lyon, where he died. Doctors performed cardiac resuscitation
for 45 minutes without success. "It is too early to determine the
exact causes of his death," announced FIFA delegation doctor Alfred
Müller.
"FIFA and the whole football family are shattered by this unbelievable
tragedy," declared President Joseph S. Blatter, who heard the news
at the same time as the France and Turkey teams and fans at the Stade
de France. "On their behalf, I wish to convey our sincerest condolences
to his family and loved ones, to Cameroon football and his club, and express
all our support at this painful time. Football has lost a remarkable player
and a remarkable man."
President of the Organising Committee for the FIFA Confederations Cup
Chuck Blazer declared he is "in a state of shock". "I am
stunned by the news of his death. Marc-Vivien Foé was one of the
leading lights in the Cameroon side which has played brilliantly since
the start of the competition. This evening my thoughts are with his family
and loved ones."
U.S.
Soccer Participation Dips
After reaching a peak in 2001, soccer participation slipped
in the United States last year.
According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers of America International
2003 Superstudy of Sports Participation, 17.641 million Americans played
soccer at least once in 2002, a 7.4 percent decrease from the 19.042 million
in 2001. Still, the number of players in 2002 represented a 14.6 percent
increase from the 1987 benchmark of 15.388 million.
"In the grand scheme of things, it's not significant," SGMA
director of communications Mike May said. "If it was a double-digit
drop, I might be worried. Long-term growth has been strong and steady.
We really don't give too much credence to year-to-year (changes)."
The study showed a steeper decrease among "avid" soccer players,
those who play the sports a minimum of 25 times per year. The report showed
7.783 million avid participants in 2002, down 14.6 percent from the 9,117
million of 2001. Regardless, by that measure, that makes soccer the second
most popular U.S. team sport behind basketball (19.982 million) and ahead
of softball (5.438 million) in 2002.
"Like movie box office numbers, they can't always be going forward,
so any time there's a leveling off or a slight dip, it's not indicative
of the sport's popularity, based on how far we've come the last 15 years"
said U.S. Soccer Federation director of communications Jim Moorhouse.
"At some point, you're going to see a dip along those lines and these
are such large numbers to begin with and pretty broad-based. The important
thing to remember is where the sport is now and where we were, literally
15 years ago, 10 years ago, five years ago, not just in participation,
but success on the field at the international level. Having Division I
leagues for men and women. Having soccer-specific stadiums being built."
Soccer also was tied for 21st with target shooting (with pistols and
rifles) among participation activities done at least once in the U.S.
in 2002, a category led by bowling (53.2 million), treadmill exercise
(43.4), freshwater fishing (42.6), tent camping (40.3) and billiards (39.5),
stretching (38.4), fitness walking (38.0), day hiking (36.8), basketball
(36.6), running\jogging (35.9), stationary cycling (29.1), dumbbells (28.9),
hand weights (28.5), weight reseistance machines (27.8), golf (27.8),
calisthenics (26.9). barbells (24.8), inline skating (21.6), darts (19.7)
and RV camping (18.7).
May said that list might be somewhat misleading regarding soccer's popularity
since those playing it would be more likely to do it more often than some
of the other activities named. "Anyone who plays soccer once, will
play it more than once," he said.
The study also confirmed the obvious -- the large majority of players
in the country are youngsters and an increasing number are women. Three-quarters
of those playing are aged between 6 and 17 while 37 percent are women.
"It's a strong market (and) it's youth dominated," May said.
"Long-term, we're seeing more players in their 20s beginning or staying
with the sport. And we're seeing more female players."
A more comprehensive report is expected in about a month by the Soccer
Industry Council of America (SICA), an arm of the SGMA which is based
in North Palm Beach, Fla.
Tipping
Named NSCAA DOC
Jeff Tipping, the Director of Soccer at Muhlenberg College, has
been named the Director of Coaching Education for the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America. His selection was announced today by NSCAA
President Barry Gorman.
"Jeff Tipping is a natural choice to serve as the NSCAA Director
of Coaching Education," said Gorman. "There are few who are
more qualified than Jeff to lead our Academy staff. As an educator and
coach, he is in a different class. He brings years of experience and teaching
expertise to this position. Having served before in the capacity of part-time
Director of Coaching, Jeff is extremely well qualified to lead the association
as the NSCAA looks to expand and develop Academy course offerings. As
envisioned by the NSCAA strategic plan, his vision and leadership qualities
will ensure that our Academy Staff reaches more diverse audiences."
"I'm honored to be entrusted with the leadership of the NSCAA Coaching
Academy," said Tipping. "It has evolved into a formidable educational
instrument, and coaching education is especially important at this critical
time of development of the sport in the United States."
Tipping takes the reins of one of the leading coaching education programs
in the world, one he helped shape. His involvement with the NSCAA's education
program began in 1983 when he became a member of the National Staff. In
1994, he was named Assistant Director and was elevated to Director of
Coaching in 1996. He held the part-time post until 2000, when it was turned
into a full-time position.
A 1978 graduate of Hartwick College, he played four years of collegiate
soccer, leading the team to the 1977 NCAA Championship while earning Defensive
Most Valuable Player honors. Drafted into the American Soccer League,
he was captain of the Pennsylvania Stoners for five seasons, earning All-Pro
recognition three times (1979-81) and winning the league title in 1980.
A knee injury cut short his playing career in 1982.
He then turned to coaching, returning to Hartwick to serve as assistant
soccer coach and lacrosse coach. In 1986 he earned a master's degree from
Lehigh University and was named Director of Soccer at Muhlenberg. Since
then he has compiled a record of 225 wins, 71 losses and 21 ties, earning
four conference championships, eight NCAA Tournament appearances and a
berth in the 1995 Final Four. In his position as Director of Soccer at
Muhlenberg, Tipping served as an advisor to the women's varsity team and
its coach, Leslie Benitend , who guided the team to Centennial Conference
titles and NCAA Tournament appearances the past two years.
Formerly the men's tennis coach and now the men's golf coach, he is the
only coach in Muhlenberg history to take teams to NCAA championships in
two different sports (soccer and golf). He also served as an assistant
coach for the U.S. Women's National Team in 1998, providing advisory support
to head coach Tony DiCicco.
Tipping assumes his new position August 1.
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