Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Get Passionately Pink at Wick’s

Most people’s thoughts this Sunday will turn to the 10th anniversary of 09/11, but the players, coaches and parents of New Albany and Floyd Central soccer teams are hoping you can spare a few moments of your time to support their Passionately Pink fundraising drive at Wick’s Pizza from 5-8.30 p.m.
The Bulldog and Highlander girls will be “Kicking it for the Cure” for the third time at Floyd Central on September 15 in an effort to raise cash for breast cancer awareness and research.
Last year, $2,100 was raised and in a bid to outdo themselves, all those involved are continuing to keep the ball rolling in the right direction at the State Street, New Albany venue.
Three local live bands -- Under Construction, Not So Far and Good Evening Miss -- will provide the entertainment ($5 cover charge), while you can chomp through as much pizza as you can handle for another $5. A silent auction will also be held.

Grant on the double!


Borden’s Grant Hollkamp has been named on the Olympic Development Program’s Midwest Region 2 team for the second time.
The diminutive 14-year-old southern Indiana attacking midfielder was among 18 players selected for the ’97 team following his performance at the ODP camp in DeKalb, Illinois recently.
Hollkamp’s age group comprised 400 players from 14 states and those who impressed were invited to participate in the ‘holdover’ pool for an additional period of training.
This was the first year the U14s played together as one, as opposed to being split into older and younger pools. That made the task of selection even harder, but Hollkamp said making the region team was a goal he set himself after last year’s experience.
“I knew the competition was going to be very tough and I put a lot of work in to getting selected,” said the Mockingbird player.
Hollkamp will fly out for training and games at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. from November 24-28. The team will also travel to an international event next year, possibly in Costa Rica or Spain.
Before that, you should be able to catch the 8th grader in action locally when he togs out for Louisville Collegiate’s junior varsity team at Jeffersonville, ahead of the varsity game, on September 29.
Hollkamp’s coach at Collegiate, Brad Davies, said he feels his small size has actually been a benefit to his player development.
“Most players at his age who are named to the regional and national teams are physically dominant -- they have matured faster physically than their peers,’ said Davies. “As a result, they rely on their size and speed instead of developing the more difficult elements of the game -- the technical and tactical elements.”
Davies added that as a result of his size, Hollkamp has had to dedicate his energies to developing the technical and tactical elements of his game.
“The result is a technically strong and tactically savvy player who is a few steps ahead of the game mentally,” he said. “Grant is always looking for feedback and for opportunities to improve. His growth mindset will be what enables him to realize his dreams of playing soccer in college and as a pro.
“Grant isn't even close to becoming the player he wants to be and can be, but he has the mindset and dedication to get there, which is why he is such a joy to coach and guide as a player and a person.”

Red Devils' co-captains are best mates

It wasn’t a difficult decision for the players of Jeffersonville’s boys’ varsity soccer team when it came to voting for a captain this year.
In fact, they knew without hesitation that they were going to choose not one, but two.
Who better, they thought, to spearhead the regional champion’s quest for more honors this fall than two near lifelong friends in the shape of seniors Cauldon Feldhaus and Acy Huffman?
Red Devils’ coach Carson Webb said that the co-captains, who were both named in The Evening News and Tribune’s 2010 Kick It Team of the Season, are “great players and great leaders” on and off the field.
“Their friendship absolutely affects this team in a positive manner,” he said. “They exemplify a great work ethic and really help groom the newcomers to life and soccer at Jeff High.”
The boys first met in kindergarten at Thomas Jefferson Elementary and quickly became best buddies, attending each other’s birthdays and partaking in regular sleepovers at weekends before moving on to River Valley Middle School.
Outside of school, they played with Clark County Soccer Association and later joined Southern Indiana United. If one went to a soccer camp, the other one followed.
Huffman said that he and Feldhaus had an “immediate bond” the moment they met each other.
“We share the same passion for soccer and have the same competitive edge,” he said. “I would even compare it to a brotherly bond, and it definitely shows on the field.”
Feldhaus played basketball for while, while Huffman swam, but soccer continued to be their number one sporting interest.
“Acy and Cauldon always knew they would play soccer at Jeff High,” said Huffman’s mom Sherry. “They talked about it for years.”
They tried playing in various positions, but as nature took its course and their talent developed, Huffman went on the back line and began directing the defense as sweeper, while Feldhaus manned the goal.
“I think because they are so like brothers, it fosters the great communication on and off of the field,” said Sherry, who can be found regularly on the sidelines cheering with Cauldon’s mother, Paula. (The parents, incidentally, have also become great friends.)
“They are both very good at leading their team which I'm sure is the reason they were unanimously voted captains by their teammates.”
Feldhaus said their friendship makes it really easy to talk to each other on the field.
“We played on SIU for a number of years, so by the time we went to Jeff High's team, we already knew how each other played, and what each other could and could not do on the field."
The boys are now members of different travel clubs, with Huffman at Columbus Express and Feldhaus at United 1996’s Midwest Regional League team, so the next couple of months could be the last they’ll play together on the pitch, for club or school.
Not that you would immediately be aware that the duo are so close off the field when you see them on it.
“I don't know if people can tell that Cauldon is my best friend from the sidelines while we are on the pitch,” joked Huffman. “We are comfortable enough to be critical of each other and use the other's comments as motivation.
“But I do know one thing: It's really hard to score on us when we are out there together."
Feldhaus agreed.
“We can be forceful with each other giving directions, shouting orders and such, but we realize that we're not angry with each other -- it's for the team," he said.
“It's the kind of friendship like, 'We're in this together -- I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine'.”

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Swift resurrection expected for CAI’s girls’ program

As one of Christian Academy of Indiana’s soccer programs goes from strength to strength, another disbands.
The boys’ varsity team at the New Albany based school is looking forward to an exciting season, one which will culminate in participation in the first ever IHSAA Class A tournament.
However, the three year old girls’ program has been postponed due to lack of participation until next year, athletic director Chris Harper told Kick It.
“This was an unfortunate event as CAI soccer has become a staple in the southern Indiana community,” he said.
Last fall, under the stewardship of JD Dai, the team won its first ever postseason games when beating North Harrison and Charlestown to make it to the semifinals of a competitive nine-team sectional.
The numbers, at a school with an enrollment last year of 169 from 9th to 12th grades, just weren’t there to put a team on the field this fall.
However, the Warriors hope that increasing participation in soccer at middle school level, where its program has 20 plus players, will help to resurrect the girls’ team in the not too distant future.
“Though this year we will not be fielding a team, our girls have begun preparing for the next year,” said Harper.
In fact, soccer is poised for future growth, said the school’s new AD, thanks to the addition this year of a program at elementary level, where there is an enrollment of 300 plus.
“This will help feed up through the varsity levels,” said Harper. “These types of preventive measures help ensure the future success of boys’ and girls’ soccer at CAI.”


Christian Academy of Indiana is eyeing an IHSAA Class A sectional title.

Boys’ head coach Will Lorigan said one of the hard parts about coaching at a private school is the uncertainty of knowing whether or not you can field a team.
“You never know who you'll have from year to year because of transfers, people leaving, and people coming in, he said. “Even now (with the boys), we still don't have a settled number of players because there may be one or two more.”
Meanwhile, Lorigan said the boys’ goal this year is to adjust and develop throughout the following weeks in order to field its strongest team at sectional time.
Standing in the way at the Class A event will be host Providence, Rock Creek, Silver Creek and North Harrison.

“Our number one hurdle, which it has been for the last few years, is getting past Providence,” said Lorigan.
Last year, they came mighty close. After losing 6-0 to the Pioneers in the regular season, they pushed them all the way in the postseason, falling in a penalty shootout in a sectional semifinal encounter.

“While we didn’t win, we took another huge step in the right direction,” said the New Zealander.

“That being said, we can't under-estimate teams like North Harrison, who have a lot of upset potential, and Rock Creek, who can field a very athletic team. Ultimately winning a sectional is still a very difficult task, which is the way it should be.”
This fall, CAI’s strengths will be in defense where brothers Caleb and Josh Moore will pose a problem for the opposition, along with goalkeeper Tyler Stumler.
“Tyler should have a big year for us in goal, while Caleb is a solid presence in our backfield and has been for the last couple of seasons,” said Lorigan.
Midfielder Chris Smith will also be an important cog in the Warrior wheel.
Smith, who scored in a 1-1 tie with Scottsburg in CAI’s season opener on Saturday, was injured for most of last season, but Lorigan said he “will be dominant” in the middle this time round.
CAI’s next game is at home to Austin on Friday (6 p.m.), followed by a trip to Silver Creek next Monday.

Highlanders meet Pioneers in first of rivalry games

Tonight sees the first of this fall’s varsity local rivalry games when Floyd Central boys’ entertain Providence (7 p.m.).
The Highlanders had a mixed bag of results in the first week of the season, losing heavily to Kentucky No. 1 Ballard (9-1) and East Central (5-0), while beating Forest Park 6-1.


Matt Kelecy leads the Floyd Central attack against Providence this evening (Tuesday)

Providence, meanwhile, has won its first two games over Corydon (3-0) and Seymour (4-3), with Daniel Wilburn pitching in with four goals, including a hat-trick against Corydon.
This will be the only meeting of the sides this year, as they will be in separate classes in the postseason.
Last year’s corresponding fixture saw a 3-0 victory for Floyd Central, with goals coming from Matt Kelecy (2) and Cray Trimble, both now seniors and expected to feature prominently this evening.
Another game of interest tonight is Jeffersonville’s home matchup with Kentucky preseason No. 8 Trinity (7 p.m.). The Red Devils lost its opener 3-1 to North Oldham last Tuesday and will face tougher opposition in the shape of the Shamrocks, who won all three of their games last week.

Pre-season silliness


Promising UofL sophomore Christine Exeter

Maybe it’s a cultural difference -- me being from planet Europe -- but I can’t seem to get my head around these preseason ‘awards’ they dish out to college players.
Congratulations to University of Louisville’s preseason Big East winners, including preseason co-offensive player of the year, Colin Rolfe; preseason defensive player of the year, Austin Berry; and preseason goalkeeper of the year, Andre Boudreaux.
On the ladies’ side, you have preseason All Big East team selection Christine Exeter, a promising sophomore striker who bagged eight goals last year as a rookie.
Great things are expected of the four above named Cards this fall, and I personally expect them – among others -- to deliver with some top performances, health permitting.
Then again, Germany was expected to win this year’s Women’s World Cup; Mike Tyson was expected to pummel Buster Douglas in 1990; and our cat Bailey expected to get her usual dish of half and half this morning, except I rushed out the door for work in a hurry and it totally slipped my mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no to someone giving me a topper media award today for a cracking hot exclusive that I might happen to write in October based on previous scribbles if it helps boost my profile. There’s that.
However, I just wonder what else can come of doling out such absurd in-advance plaudits, other than to possibly instill complacency or alter the work ethic among the chosen ones. On the flip side, the ignored might just feel they’ve a point to prove.
Can’t we just wait and see how the season transpires. You know, like reward the athletes for what they actually do on the field as opposed to what they might end up doing judged on past performances?
Speaking of which, one game you’d probably be mad to miss this weekend is the nationally No. 1 ranked Louisville men’s season opener against No. 2 rated UCLA at Cardinal Park on Saturday (7 p.m.).
The pair last met in the quarterfinals of last year’s NCAA Division 1 championship, when Ken Lolla’s charges won a thrilling 5-4 encounter in the snow to progress to the College Cup.
There might be some postseason Players of 2011 on show!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

A four-midable sister combo!

It’s not unusual for a high school soccer team to have one, two, or even three sets of siblings, but this fall Floyd Central’s girls’ squad checks in with four couplings -- not to mention a pair of coaches’ daughters.
The sisters include junior Kady O’Farrell and freshman Maggie; junior Cylie Miller and freshman Christin; senior Kaitlin Hein and freshman Olivia; and senior Lauren Haley, along with her younger sibling, freshman Taylor.
And then there’s head coach Lewie Stevens’ daughter, Carly, a freshman, while senior Cassie Holland is the daughter of assistant coach, Tony.


Soccer Sisters: Pictured (from left): Olivia and Kaitlin Hein; Kady and Maggie O'Farrell; Christin and Cylie Miller; Lauren and Taylor Haley; Carly Stevens and Cassie Holland.Photo by Kevin McGloshen/Evening News & Tribune.


“I suppose that it could be a bit unusual having that many sister combos,” Lewie Stevens told Kick It.
“It has not changed the team dynamics so far. I have seen more encouragement than quarreling, although sometimes the older sister is disparaging toward the younger one.”
The only real arguments so far seem to have centered on a particular pair of sweaty socks. Bill Haley, father of Lauren and Taylor, explained.
“Most girls will argue about cute shirts, nice shorts, hair products or make up, but the girls seem to fight over a favorite pair of sweaty socks to wear to practice,” he said.
“Even when they had their two-a-day practices and the socks were drenched, they would argue over whose turn it was to wear them.”
However, Haley added the experience has been great for the two girls and really brought them closer together.
“They never really fought over much growing up, but this summer with them going to practices together they have really bonded,” he said.
Cylie and Christin Miller said that playing together at Floyd Central has definitely been a different experience for both of them – not to mention a load lifted off their folks’ plates.
“We have never played on the same team before, so a positive for our parents is that I can now drive and take Christin along with me - it saves them a few trips,” joked Cylie. “We get along really well most of the time; there are always those occasions of course where we don't. But so far it's been fun trying to compete with each other.”
They also hope to puzzle spectators along the way.
“We both wear the number ‘7’ shirt and plan for most people to get confused at which Miller girl they are cheering for,” said Christin.
Kady and Maggie O’Farrell, meanwhile, played together with Net-Surfers U11s, so they are old hands when it comes to sharing the same field.
“Kady had asked me at that time if she had to treat Maggie like her little sister while playing and I said no, you just need to treat her like a teammate,” said mother Deede. “It worked out really well.”
Although all the freshman sisters will start out on the junior varsity team, Kady is hopeful that she and Maggie will kit out together on varsity before season’s end.
“I think Maggie is a really good defender and hopefully, with a lot of hard work, will move up,” she said. Maggie added that she is “really looking forward” to getting to play with Kady this year.
Amy Hein, mother of Kaitlin and Olivia, said the duo have always been really close growing up.
“Don't get me wrong, they argue just like most siblings, but they are always there for each other and I think they will always have each other’s back - especially in soccer.”
Newcomer Olivia said that Kaitlin really pushes her to do her best.
“I think it puts good pressure on me to live up to her abilities,” she said.
Kaitlin agreed that she is a tough taskmaster.
"Even though I know I can be hard on my sister, it's because I want her to be the best she can be,” she said. “I am really proud of her."
Coach Stevens said that he and his wife had discussed with their daughter Carly for the past few years the subject of playing with Floyd Central.
“She'll have to figure out her role and how it relates to her teammates but she is a smart kid and I think she'll be fine,” he said. “She played for me at Highland Hills but the intensity of high school soccer is quite a bit more ramped up than middle school. We have a great relationship but I do have to try and not to go harder on her than the rest. I'm sure Tony (Holland) and Lynn Kaiser, our other coach, will help me in that regard.”
In fact, Holland can certainly offer some advice, as his daughter Cassie now enters her senior year.
“Tony and Cassie are both very laid back and their relationship as father/daughter and coach/player has been pretty smooth,” said Stevens.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Scrap high school soccer, says club coach

This week, the founder of powerhouse Louisville youth soccer club United 1996, Muhamed Fazlagic, said that if he had any political power, he would shut down every high school soccer operation there is.
“Clubs are developing players for nine months and then high school soccer destroys everything during the remaining three,” he says. “It can take months for these players to get back to the level they were originally at.”
There is, he believes, a “huge disparity” in the quality of teams. And the coaches of these teams are, in the main, teachers with no real soccer experience.
“They concentrate more on conditioning than on technical development,” says Fazlagic. “And there are too many on rosters, meaning junior varsity and freshman players don’t get sufficient game time experience.”
The physiology is also “all wrong,” he believes, as players sometimes only have as little as 24 to 48 hours to recover between games.
In essence, he says it’s “parents’ fun time,” although he conceded the spirit in high school soccer is an undeniable positive.
So with the high school season kicking off in the next week across southern Indiana, we asked coaches, players and parents what they thought of it all.

A chance to have fans

Ronda Trimble, the mother of Floyd Central boys’ varsity senior Cray (above, No.7), says she agrees with most of what Fazlagic says, save for his view of the coaches and actually scrapping high school soccer.
“I think it is a well deserved break from their norm,” she says. “It is fun time for parents and players, and attaches kids to their school while promoting school spirit. It also gives them a chance to have fans -- only the parents cheer them on during the competitive season.
“I disagree about the coaches in this area. Most are not teachers and do have soccer experience. I think Cray has learned something from every coach he has had, from Dutch Vigar (with SIU, but also a New Albany boys’ coach) to Zach Watson (Floyd Central coach).”
However, a criticism is that they practice every day and can play several games per week.
“I attribute the three losses (in recent sectionals) to New Albany to fatigue,” she says. “We have one of the toughest schedules of any local team. We are still playing games the week before, and of, the sectional. Floyd Central is too worn out and beat up to perform to their ability and fall short.”
Trimble says she also understands Fazlagic’s point about kids going backwards due to the talent and skill level they compete against in high school.
“He is thinking of his team’s competitive advantage, but there is more to life than soccer -- like finding a place you belong in high school, bonding friendships and winning one for school pride.”

The coach and his keeper
This past spring, Charlestown goalkeeper Cody Brinck made it onto Southern Indiana United’s U16 team and really saw the difference in competition that his varsity coach Andrew Smith had been telling him about.
However, Brinck says he would not be playing with the club if it wasn’t for high school soccer, and his coach agrees.
“Cody was a sophomore the first season he played with the high school team,” says Smith. “He was under prepared, lacked confidence, didn't understand the game very well and had a limited skill set. I forced him to play the position as our starting varsity goalkeeper that season and by the end of that year he was doing very well.”
Brinck has been mowing lawns all summer so that he can rack up the cash required to cover the registration fees to play with SIU. But not everyone can cough up the loot for club, and that’s why high school is important, he believes.
“It may not be as rigorous as club soccer, but that is because it introduces the sport to kids who would never have the money to play club,” says the senior. “If we truly want the sport of soccer to be recognized in the US then we need to start treating it like a game anyone can play, not one where you must have the money or the dedication to play on a select club team. It needs to be accessible to America.”
His coach echoes the view.
“By focusing on club soccer only we aren't accessing the best athletes possible,” says Smith. “Instead, we are only accessing the best athletes who can afford to play club soccer, which as anyone in athletics can tell you, is a preposterous notion.
“The reason basketball and football draw the best athletes in this country is precisely because those two sports are accessible to the athletes through playgrounds and public schools. The same thing that makes soccer great in Brazil, is what makes basketball great here -- it's a playground game. The structure of club soccer has destroyed that accessibility.”
Brinck says he believes high school soccer is also very important because of the relationships that are created.
“When you play on a team with a bunch of kids, you develop friendships that easily carry into the classroom and life in general,” he says. “Even if that were the only reason to keep soccer in schools, I would think that it would be enough.”

The “sports junkie” and his daughter

New Albany senior Taylor Briscoe (far right in photo) says her best soccer memories, not to mention the most important lessons learned, have all come from her experiences playing high school soccer.
“I have played club soccer many seasons and have enjoyed it,” she says. “However, I believe high school soccer has offered me more. (It) keeps a player very active while strengthening the player's endurance, as sometimes there are multiple games in the same week, along with daily practices. The teams you play as a high school soccer player are very diverse and all have different skill levels.”
She thinks that high school soccer benefits a player equally, if not more, than competitive club.
“I know that my high school soccer coaches are all very experienced and knowledgeable on the sport,” she says. “And not only do you learn the skills of soccer and work your way to mastering them in the high school setting, but you also make connections with girls at your school and in your local area.”
Her father Doug is a self proclaimed high school sports junkie, attending basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, baseball and “a little tennis and cross country”.
When he attends a club soccer game, of which he has attended many, he can feel the difference straight away.
“The energy is very low to the point I personally didn't like it,” he says. “You rarely see anyone at a club game other than families of the players. High school soccer and high school sports are much different. They play a very important part in the high school experience. It gets the parents, students and faculty involved and gives the players a sense of team work and school spirit.”
He added that since Julie Deuser and Jason Crane came on board as coaches at New Albany High School four years ago, the soccer program has gone to another level.
“The players, parents, students and faculty have really gotten behind the girls’ and boys’ teams, and without their support the program would be not survive.”
Briscoe says that he, along with other parents, give countless hours to promoting high school soccer and raise a lot of money to help support the teams.
“We also got the girls involved in giving back with our charity fundraiser, Passionately Pink,” he says. “Show me one club team that does as much for kids as high school sports does.”

Monday, August 1, 2011

U.S. coach change ushers in new era

To say that it’s been an interesting in the world of soccer would be somewhat of an understatement, don’t you think?

Firstly, the MLS All-Stars, comprising the best the American league has to offer, was thumped by Manchester United 4-0 last Wednesday.

The following day, before anyone really had enough time to dissect the performance and question its relevance, came the news that Bob Bradley had been relieved of his duties as the U.S. men’s coach by the United States Soccer Federation.


U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati introduces his man Jurgen at today's press conference

Before the rumor mill regarding his replacement could build any sort of momentum, California based German Jürgen Klinsmann was announced as the new boss on Friday (a day before his 47th birthday), ushering in a new era in U.S. soccer and finally ending a five year chase for his services.

His first game in charge will be in a friendly against Mexico in Philadelphia on August 10.

It is widely believed that his skill set is more suited to working on the international scene, having turned around an ailing German team to lead it to third in the 2006 World Cup, while only lasting a year – a total 43 games -- at club level with Bayern Munich.

And he has ideas not just on coaching a national team and giving it an identity, but on overhauling the U.S. youth system too. He has made it clear in the past, when he was courted for the post in 2006, that he wants control at all levels.

To give you an inkling of what might lie ahead for the game here, pressure was applied to all first and second division teams in the Bundesliga to build academy programs when Klinsmann and his assistant Joachim Löw (now the current coach) took over. This was to ensure talented young players were coming through.

To come up with a playing style, they held workshops with coaches and players. They asked them how they wanted to play, how they wanted to be seen to be playing by the rest of the world, and how they thought the German public wanted to see them playing.

They then announced they wanted to implement a fast-paced, direct style of attacking and proactive soccer, i.e. playing the way they wanted to without being swayed by what opponents might do. A curriculum for German football was also presented to the Bundesliga.

Qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil don’t start for the U.S. until next June, so Klinsmann has some time to reshape the national team and come up with a useful blueprint for youth coaches across the nation.

It will have to address, you’d imagine, how players are discovered and the way they are trained. In fact, it will have to look at whether the right players are being picked in the first place.

The best soccer talent, regardless of class, or race, needs to be developed, rather than the best physical talent. (We’re looking for “futbol” players, not football players.)

And they better sure have work ethic by the bucketload, because Klinsmann’s on record as saying American players don’t push themselves hard enough.

Still, it will be a job and a half when the culture is years behind others in the first place. There might be good athletes, but absent are those who can add magical moments like a mesmerizing Messi, a tricky Ronaldo, or an intelligent Iniesta because it’s simply in their blood.

Anyone who watched the recent U17 World Cup in Mexico could see that the United States displayed too often an immaturity against their opponents. One of those just happened to be a more professional and mentally prepared outfit in Germany, who took apart the Americans in the round of 16.

Coaches here put it down to players in other countries being more survivors, who suffer more earlier in life and as a result mature earlier (south American countries, for example). Or they may be developed at earlier ages (Germany, Spain, Netherlands). Here, a lot pick it up in their teenage years, and they play it for fun.

Right now, the appointment looks like a wise move for United States soccer. Bradley did a good job and should be complimented, winning the 2007 Gold Cup, losing narrowly to Brazil in the 2009 Confederations Cup final after a famous victory against Spain, and getting to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup (even if it was considered a fantastic opportunity missed to go deeper).

However, his tenure some 12 months into his second four year cycle bared all the hallmarks of a stale stewardship and left many wondering where the game stood stateside following the manner of the Gold Cup defeat to the “Golden Generation” of Mexico (when surrendering a two goal lead), not to mention a sterile group stage defeat to Panama.

Klinsmann has some work to do to get United States soccer moving forward (which starts with selecting the right assistants), but his international pedigree, not to mention his understanding of the American game (having resided here now for 13 years), are positives that should see him go in the right direction.

It is a big gamble by U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati but it signals the intent of the organization to see the men’s team among the world’s elite. An exciting journey begins on all levels.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Venues revealed for two class sectionals

The sectional venues for this year’s inaugural two class soccer tournaments were revealed by the IHSAA last week.

Schools with an enrollment at 755 or higher will participate in Class 2A, and those below this figure will play in Class 1A.

In total there are 32 sectionals in boys’ and girls’ Class 2A, and 32 also in boys’ Class 1A. Class 1A girls will see 16 different sectionals. All games will be played between October 3-8.

The Class 2A Sectional 30 for boys will take place at Floyd Central, while the 2A girls’ sectional will be hosted by Jeffersonville.

Both sectionals will comprise Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, New Albany, Jasper and Corydon.

New Albany boys’ head coach Dutch Vigar said earlier this year he feels the sectional will be “very competitive and tough.”

“Jasper traditionally has a very strong team,” he said. “We have not played them for one or two years but prior to that, they had a better win-lose record against New Albany than we did against them. I feel Jasper will be considered one of the top teams in the sectional.”

The Class 2A boys’ and girls’ sectional winners will compete in a tough Regional 8, along with the winners from sectionals 29, 31 and 32. Victors could include the likes of powerhouse Evansville Memorial, Washington, Castle and Terre Haute North/South.

There will be two Class 1A boys’ soccer sectionals in the area. Charlestown will host Sectional 59, which consists of Charlestown, Henryville, Salem, Austin and Trinity Lutheran.

Providence will host Class 1A Sectional 60, which comprises Christian Academy of Indiana, North Harrison, Providence, Rock Creek Community Academy and Silver Creek.

Both sectional winners will play in Regional 15, which will take in the winners from the Jac-Cel-Del and Switzerland County tournaments.

The seven team Class A Sectional 45 for girls will take place at Rising Sun. It will feature the hosts, Charlestown, CAI, Providence, Silver Creek, Southwestern and Switzerland County.

The champion will play a one-off game in Regional 15 against the Forest Park sectional winner (tentatively scheduled for Providence).

All regional games will take place between October 12-15. The semi-states will be a two-game format in both classes on October 22, with the state final games taking place at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis on October 29.

This is a welcome departure from the much criticized heretofore two-games-in-a-day final four format.

Hopes are high at Providence that its girls will go on a deep run in Class 1A.
Their confidence is well founded. Of the 32 sectional girls’ winners in last season’s IHSAA tournament, only two – Providence and Evansville Mater Dei — will contest in the new Class 1A.

The Pioneers’ boys’ team is also confident of some success, while Christian Academy of Indiana will be hoping to challenge Providence for hardware too, having taken them to a penalty shootout at last year’s Jeffersonville sectional.

Coaches of programs at smaller schools believe the new system will create opportunities for them to advance in postseason, although there will be fewer local rivalry games in the tournament, and more travel because of the distance between schools.

Rovers’ season ends with a tie


Rver City Rovers' Albert Edward

River City Rovers tied the last game of their inaugural Premier Development League campaign 1-1 against Cincinnati Kings in Northern Kentucky on Saturday.
The match, played under sweltering conditions of high heat and humidity, was tightly contested, but it was Cincinnati who ended the first half in front with a 42nd minute goal.

A physical battle saw New Albany’s Nate Driggers cleated in the face, while Khan Suleiman was sent to the sideline medic for head and leg lacerations.

Another foul in the 55th minute resulted in a penalty kick for Rovers, which Sam Brooks put away to level the score.

Last week, in its final home game of the season, Rovers won a 5-4 thriller against the same opposition at Centurion Soccer Field, with Albert Edward netting four of the goals.

“We’ve played the Kings three times now, and even though we’re more familiar with their plays, it still never gets easier,” said Jeff Joliet, one of the Rovers’ owners.

River City, who play in the nine team PDL Great Lakes Division, finished the season with a 2-8-6 record. The section was won by Michigan Bucks.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A right Nelly!


Paul the oracle octopus became headline news around the globe when he predicted correctly the results of all of Germany’s 2010 World Cup games, and threw in the correct outcome of the final to boot.

Alas, the iconic salty soothsayer passed away last October at the age of three, leaving the door wide open for other German creatures to try make a name for themselves during the recent Women’s World Cup.

First up was Paula, another octopus, but she didn’t get very far. She chose Canada to beat Germany on the tournament’s first day by taking a treat from a box marked with the maple leafed flag.

The tentacled tipster, whose gender is actually unknown, claims on her Facebook page to be psychic but her sole day of posts has me fearing for her current health.

Not to worry. Enter Nelly the 18 month old elephant. She predicts games by “trunking” the ball into the loser’s net. She did quite a good job too, getting all the German games right, including their loss against Japan.

In fact, she quite likes Japan, it seems, as the predicting pachyderm correctly went for them over the U.S.A. to win Sunday’s final, which they duly did on penalty kicks following an exciting 2-2 tie.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Sundhage has interesting choices to make


Lauren Cheney: her goal and assist helps U.S.A. reach its third World Cup final

U.S.A. coach Pia Sundhage has a couple of interesting decisions to make ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final clash against Japan in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday (2.45pm ET).

Firstly, she has to choose whether to stick with Becky Sauerbrunn, who was impressive at center back in the 3-1 victory against France today, or bring back Rachel Buehler, who had to sit the game out on account of her quarterfinal dismissal.

And secondly, does she name the same four midfielders (Lauren Cheney, Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Heather O’Reilly) or opt to include both Megan Rapinoe and Cheney in a World Cup starting lineup for the first time against the technically gifted Japanese engine room.

It was obvious to all that France had the upper hand in the second half until Rapinoe ’s introduction on the left flank and Cheney’s switch to the middle swung the pendulum back in favor of the U.S.

Indianapolis born Cheney has been a revelation for the Americans, and all the talk of her surprise inclusion for the first group game against North Korea looks a tad foolish now as she racks up the solid performances like she’s collecting shells on a sandy beach.

Her goal to give the U.S. the lead, and her well placed corner which found Abby Wambach on the far post for the second are two of the main reasons why Pia Sundhage has decisions to make on Sunday, instead of Saturday when the third place play-off takes place.

With Hope -- and spirit -- there's a way


Abby leaves it late, Donovan style.

It's been dubbed a celebration of the American human spirit.

But really, it was more than that.

The U.S.A. and Brazil Women’s World Cup quarterfinal clash, played out in a sweltering Dresden in Eastern Germany on Sunday, has ensconced itself among the greatest international games of soccer ever played – either by men or women.

Spirit had its part, but so too did controversial decisions, great goals, drama and an ending which had justice and karma written all over it.

I revisited those games people described the “greatest” encounters in recent times. They were all men’s clashes, and they included -- not surprisingly -- Liverpool’s victory over AC Milan in 2005 on penalties after an amazing 3-3 comeback; Manchester United’s unbelievable come from behind 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in 1999 (when one down going into injury time); and Brazil’s sublime performance in the 1970 World Cup final against Italy.

There were others, of course, and you probably have your own favorite too for varying reasons, but I’m struggling to find one that matches what we saw on Sunday for sheer drama and controversy, where the odds were overcome by a group who refused to give in.

It had the earliest ever own goal; it had a team seemingly hard done by courtesy of a debatable penalty retake and a sending off all in one go; it had a once neutral but incensed German crowd take the side of the U.S, and it had a spirited fight back from a team uniting to overcome adversity, manufacturing the latest ever goal in a World Cup.

And to top it all, the game had a thrilling penalty shootout victory with a goalkeeper called Hope pulling off a match wining save and player named Krieger – German for “Warrior” – ending the battle. It was a sports movie in one game.

And it even has a couple of Hoosiers as part of the plot. There’s Lauren Cheney (Ben Davis HS, 118 goals in four years), who has emerged as one of the players of the tournament, and Lori Lindsey (Pike HS), who played well enough against Colombia to hopefully feature in the final stages.

First there was the early goal. There might have been calls for veteran Shannon Boxx to be dropped for this game after the Sweden loss, but it took her all of 74 seconds to make an impact when her pass from the left saw Brazilian defender Daiane slice into her own goal with Abby Wambach breathing down her neck. It was the quickest own goal in the history of the tournament.

Then, in the 65th minute, disaster struck. Marta hooked the ball over Rachel Buehler, whose seemingly fair challenge was deemed to be illegal. Not only was Brazil awarded the penalty, but Buehler was given her marching orders and the U.S found itself down to 10.

Hope Sole saved from Cristiana, only for the referee to order it to be retaken for what seemed to be a harsh call for encroachment into the penalty area by the U.S.
Marta stepped up for the second spot kick and made no mistake converting to tie the game at 1-1.

Pia Sundhage’s troops might have been a woman down, but it didn’t show too much for the remainder of regulation time as they pushed for a winner.

It didn’t arrive, and then, just two minutes into overtime, five time world player of the year Marta seemingly stuck a dagger into the heart of American hopes with a superb strike, hooking it in off the post. Replays suggest Maurine, who provided the assist with a cross from the left, was offside.

With the U.S. just seconds away from elimination (it had reached at least the semifinal stage of all five previous World Cups), Megan Rapinoe crossed from the left, finding Wambach at the back post and she headed home past an oncoming Andreia. At 122 minutes, it was the latest goal ever scored in a World Cup and it sent the team and its fans into raptures.

However, there were still penalties to be taken. Boxx missed, but Andreia was adjudged to have moved off the line and Boxx made no mistake with the retake. Lloyd and Wambach scored, then Solo saved from Daiane (she of the own goal). Next for the U.S was Rapinoe, then Krieger slotted home to send the U.S. into the semifinals.

The amazing victory came 12 years to the day that the U.S. beat China on penalties to win the 1999 World Cup at The Rose Bowl. But this was “just” a quarterfinal. Nothing has been won. Now it’s on to tomorrow and a tough semifinal clash against France in Moenchengladbach (12 noon ET, ESPN).

And hopefully – now -- there’ll be a sizeable audience to see the U.S against one of the most impressive teams of this tournament. One of the main talking points up to Sunday, other than Germany’s shock defeat to Japan, was the gigantic TV audiences being witnessed in the land of the host nation.

For example, average TV audiences for games in Germany when they’ve not been involved has so far been around six million.

That, however, was five times the audience in the U.S.A. for games concerning the Americans in the group stages. The ESPN rating for the Brazil encounter is 2.3, which equates to 3.89 million viewers and is the highest for a women’s world cup game since ’99, so maybe the nation is waking up.

However, if you want to gauge the real appetite for the tournament, maybe you should also be looking at what’s going on online. Various soccer blogs and sites from both fans and journalists are reporting huge increases in visits during the tournament (Our own Kick It blog reached record levels this past week -- streets ahead of visits for last year’s men’s World Cup.)

There’s a notable shift in how people obtain information or watch games. Nowadays, you can just log onto ESPN3, for example, and pull up a match replay when it suits you. Twitter and other sites, meanwhile, can provide up to the minute info while you’re out and about with your trusty phone.

It’s being described as World Cup 2.0. If the U.S. reach the final, it may not get the famed 40 million viewers of the 1999 victory, but it sure to have a feverish following in other ways.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Stadium roof collapses at FC Twente


A section of the roof at Dutch Club FC Twente collapsed today, killing one person and injuring 16. Construction workers involved in the redevelopment of De Grolsch Veste stadium, where a 30,000 capacity is planned, were initially trapped beneath the wreckage. See video.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Hoosiers impressing at World Cup


Hoosiers Lori Lindsey (back row, second left, 16) and Lauren Cheney (back row, far right, 12) are impressing in Germany with the U.S. women's team.

Indianapolis duo Lauren Cheney and Lori Lindsey have certainly played their parts in getting the United States to the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Cheney, now applying her trade with Women’s Professional Soccer outfit Boston Breakers, has been featured in the United States’ first two games in Group C, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 victory over North Korea last Tuesday.

The former Ben Davis High School product (she scored 118 goals in four years) was a surprise inclusion in midfield ahead of Megan Rapinoe. But her 54th-minute headed goal and overall performance ensured the 23-year-old a starting berth and another full 90 minutes against Colombia.

And joining her in that second game Saturday was Lindsey, who replaced Shannon Boxx to make an impressive World Cup debut at the age of 31.

The Philadelphia Independence midfielder, known to her teammates as “L-Squared,” went to Pike High School and was the all-time leading prep scorer in Indiana high school history when she graduated in 1998. She used to referee Cheney’s indoor soccer games when she was younger.

The United States will take on Sweden in Wolfsburg at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday in a game which will decide who progresses as group winners. A draw would be enough to ensure the top spot for the U.S., but the Swedes are one of two teams (the other being England) to beat Pia Sundhage’s ladies this year.

A favorable result would see the U.S. take on Australia or Norway in the quarterfinals on Sunday. They are currently third favorites to win the tournament, behind hosts and holders Germany and Brazil.

Near regional misses -- success on the horizon?


Both Kentucky and Indiana will be without representatives at the U.S. Youth Soccer national championships for the second successive year, but a few came close to making the trip to Phoenix.

Mockingbird U18 girls made it to the final decider at the Midwest Region II championships in Appleton, Wis., but lost out to FC Milwaukee, 3-1.

University of Louisville-bound Casey Whitfield — a product of Manual High School — got the lone Mockingbird goal to make her top scorer at the U18 level with seven goals in five games.
It is the first time Mockingbird has had a representative in the regional final and coach Jonathan Velotta said he was “extremely proud” of the team's performance.
“Over the course of five games, we played with a lot of composure, focus, and commitment,” he said.

“Before the season started, our goal was to reach the regional final and to accomplish that goal is truly remarkable. We were obviously disappointed in the result, but FC Milwaukee was a deserving winner. The success of our team over the last three years has set a higher standard for girls’ club soccer, and for our club."

Velotta added that the success of the ‘93 girls at regionals will undoubtedly raise the profile of MVSC both locally and within the region.

“The players on this team have served as great role models of our younger players and have raised the standard for all of our teams. The team has had consistent success against some of the best clubs in the nation for the past few years and helped our club gain more credibility.”

Javanon, meanwhile, had three teams make the semifinal stages, two of which had local representation.

Two-time national finalist Javanon ‘92 boys, featuring Jeffersonville’s Trevor Bruner, lost their last competitive game on penalty kicks to KCFC Force in the U19 age group.

Javanon ’94, with the Southern Indiana trio of Nick Blackwell, Matt Kelecy and Jordan Vejar amongst its ranks, was edged out, 2-1 by Grand Rapids Crew of Michigan, who went on to retain its crown.

The fourth team to get past the bracket stages was Javanon ’97 girls, which lost to Kings Soccer Academy of Ohio South 3-1.

Of the 14 Region II champions crowned, eight were from Illinois, two each were from Minnesota and Michigan and one each came from Kansas and Wisconsin.

For “Illinois,” read Chicago, with Eclipse Select (three, all girls), Fire and Magic (two each) and Sockers FC (one) dominating.

So should those involved in the game in Kentucky and Indiana be disappointed about not having a representative or two at the past two national championships, or was success in the past just a case of teams punching above their weight?

There were some interesting comments on the HoosierFutbol.com website forums after the event.

“Straight Up” said that the lower populated areas, including Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas, will generally be less successful than some of the more populated states and cities, such as Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri.

“Indiana’s 91s, 92s, 93s and even the 94s all had way above-average success at regionals,” Straight Up said. “And if you look at the results this past time, there were quite a few teams in favored positions on the last day of pool play, only to fall short. Indiana soccer is alive and well. We are not Illinois and we never will be unless our population density changes with respect to our counterparts.”

“Reality” said other states play a more physical, more intense style of soccer at an earlier age, while another said there are too many clubs, diluting the talent.

Kentucky seems to be in the same boat, but has fared better in recent years, especially in the older boys’ realm, where it has a full pool of the area’s best players to choose from in the U16-U18 levels because of the absence of a development academy.

Many see academies like Indiana United as the way forward for elite player progress. But whatever their advantage, they eliminate the cream from playing for a club in the U.S. Youth Soccer championships.

In Louisville, having more teams play in the Midwest Regional League and top tournaments has helped some squads compete with the best on a year-round basis, preparing them for state, regional and possibly beyond.

Other than the achievement of Mockingbird ’93 girls, going out to a defending regional champion while playing with 10 men and being a goal up (a la Javanon ’94), or missing out on a final berth due to penalty kicks (Javanon ’92) suggests the game in these parts isn’t in too bad a shape.

And then there’s United 1996, which has emerged as the main boys’ force in Kentucky after it took four of the seven state titles between U13 and U19 this year.

None of its teams got out of the bracket stages, and while founder Muhamed Fazlagic told “Kick It” they were “very pleased” with their performance as a whole — given the number of injuries to impact players — they were also slightly disappointed with their U16s, a team of which much was expected.

“I don’t think they reached their performance level at all at the tournament,” he said. “All other teams had a much better tournament in every aspect.”

The future is bright, though, said Fazlagic, as recent local success — especially in the past two years — has attracted a great number of athletes to the club.

“We will not change much in our philosophy, where the main objective is individual player development. But with an improved players’ pool, I think we are much closer to the title at the regional level,” he said. “My personal prognosis is that it will happen in a two-year time frame.”

Which seems to give credence to the dilution suggestion, perhaps. That is, that talent is there, albeit on a smaller scale to the Chicagos of this world. And all that needs to happen with that said talent is if you want to beat the best and bring in the hardware — whether you agree with or not — is to have it deeply concentrated at fewer clubs.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

State champs bowl'em over

The Kentucky State Open Cup finals were played through blistering temperatures into the mid 90s at Bowling Green at the weekend.

The boys’ finals were dominated by Louisville’s United 1996 and Lexington FC, who paired up against each other in no less than four final deciders. United came out on tops three times at U15, U16 and U18 level, while Lexington won the fourth at U14 level.

United’s U13s beat KSA Elite to bring their total tally to four, helping them establish themselves as the dominant boys’ club in Kentucky.


Right: Kentucky State Champs (from left): Jordan Vejar, Nick Blackwell and Matt Kelecy.


Javanon ‘94 boys, who play in the U.S. National Youth Soccer League, prevailed at U17level, overcoming Mockingbird in the final with a first half Lindo Mfeke winner.

Elsewhere, Mockingbird girls won the U16 and U17 titles with victories over KSA Elite and Central Kentucky SC Lightning respectively.

Javanon ’95 girls won the U16 championship after an exciting 5-4 penalty kick victory over Kings Soccer Academy, and the club’s U14 girls made it a double with a 2-0 win over Nelson Elite.

Oldham County’s Thoroughbreds won its sole state championship with its U13 girls, who beat Lexington 4-3.

Last week, U19 teams played for state titles in a round-robin format, including Mockingbird ’92 girls, who overcame Louisville SC and Javanon to win their fifth State Cup, and Javanon ’92 boys, winners of their fifth consecutive title – and seventh overall -- with victories over Bluegrass and United 1996.

Of the 14 boys’ and girls’ state titles that were up for grabs from U13 to U19, four were won by Javanon and United 1996; three by Mockingbird; two by Lexington; and one by Thoroughbreds.

All state winners will now move on to the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Region II championships in Appleton, Wisc., which take place from June 25-29.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Presidential date for Strikers


Southern Indiana’s U14 Strikes will play in the inaugural Presidents Cup finals in Indianapolis this weekend.

The boys will take on Westside United in the semi-final at St Francis on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.) after winning a bracket containing Zionsville and Westfield.

The second semi-final features Elkhart Flames and Millennium Revolution, and the final will be played on Sunday.

Strikers coach Paul Duckworth said they are hopeful, but understand they are not the favorites. Westside, from Avon, sit atop the Indiana Soccer League Division 1, having so far gone unbeaten, and are ranked 11th in the state by Gotsoccer.com, while Strikers are 44th.

However, SIU has had a good season also, and still leads the ISL Division 2 with a 5-1-2 record.

“We have been playing very well lately, and upsets do happen in cup games,” said Duckworth.

The Indiana Presidents Cup is a middle tier competition between the State and Challenge Cups, and features boys’ and girls’ teams from U11 to U17, with champions from U14-U17 getting the chance to represent Indiana at regional and possibly national level.

“I am proud that we have stepped up a level from the Challenge Cup, and made it to the semi finals,” said Duckworth. “Anything after this is just icing on the cake.”

With the high expected to be around 96 on Saturday, he believes fitness will definitely tell.

“The team has been doing two miles a day training, with several under the 11 minute mark, so hopefully, our fitness and speed will carry through,” he said.

Kentucky State Cup finals this weekend



The 2011 Kentucky State Open Cup had an inauspicious start when venue changes resulted in the withdrawal of 14 teams.

Originally, the games were to take place in Lexington and Versailles, but the bad weather wreaked havoc with venue plans, resulting in a late change to Owensboro.

Among the clubs to have teams drop out were Kings Soccer Alliance (leading the way with six teams), Bluegrass SC, NKSA, Radcliff, Lexington FC, CSC Chargers, CKSC Lightning and LSA.

However, many Louisville teams advanced to finals weekend, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Lovers Lane Soccer Complex in Bowling Green.

In fact, some have already been crowned champions as the U19 State Cup winners were determined Monday.

Mockingbird ’92 girls overcame Louisville SC (10-1) and Javanon (4-0) to win its fifth State Cup.

On the boys’ side, Javanon ’92 won its fifth consecutive title – and seventh overall -- with victories over Bluegrass (2-0) and United 1996 (4-2).

Both teams have booked their places at the Region II championships in Appleton, Wisc., from June 25-29. Expect more from the area to follow at the weekend.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Jaguars on the Prowl!

The Jaguars are on the prowl this week for some hardware — the Highland Hills Jaguars, that is.

Its boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer programs — comprised of seventh- and eighth-graders — have been in super form during the regular season against Louisville opponents.

This is only their second year playing in the Jefferson County (Ky.) Middle School Soccer League. But it will be the first time the teams take part in the league’s knockout tournament, which runs until next Monday.



And hopes of success are high for Southern Indiana’s only participants, as the talented teams have been blazing a trail these past few weeks.

The Lady Jaguars, coached by Lewie Stevens, have been simply purring, notching up five wins out of five, scoring 36 goals and conceding just one in the process. Leading the way have been the likes of Emma Pappas, Presley Roos, Samantha Garcia and Christin Miller.

The boys’ team, meanwhile, has gone 5-1, with its only defeat against highly regarded Noe Middle School.

This evening, the Jaguars will take on Western Middle School at Thomas Jefferson at 6:45 p.m. in what will be a tough first-round game, as the Louisville opposition has a 6-2 record this year.

“I’m hopeful we will play well, having only lost one game in regular season,” said Highland Hills coach Tim Rice.

He has reason to be optimistic. Of the 17 strong roster, only two aren’t on club teams, while three of them are Olympic Development Program players — Tyler McGeorge, Parker Bussabarger-Davidenkoff and Zach Yagle.


Highland Hills' Logan Howland clears his line.

Rice, who has been involved in coaching for a number of years with Southern Indiana United and now Javanon 98/99 Red, said he approached principal Steve Griffin about starting a soccer program in 2009. Unbeknownst to him, another parent, Scott Menne, also had the same idea, and from there it took off.

As well as the boys’ and girls’ varsity outfits, there is a junior varsity team consisting of sixth-graders who will be ready to move up a notch next year.

Of course, there has been a budget issue to run the three teams. But the club has been blessed by the fundraising efforts of parents, which helps pay for equipment. They see the benefits of having the club.

“If we didn’t have a soccer program, none of these kids would be involved in a school sport,” said Rice. “None of them play baseball and there are few that crossover.”

Highland Hills’ success augurs well for the future of Floyd Central High School. For example, eight of the boys’ players from last year have gone on to play for the Highlanders, while 11 will be moving on to the school this fall.

Girls’ numbers are somewhat similar, said Rice, and coaches believe their participation at the middle school level has prevented losing talent to the likes of volleyball by the time high school comes along.




Although acknowledging that budget constraints are an issue at the moment, Rice hopes other local schools can introduce soccer programs in the near future.

“I would love to see teams started in schools like Scribner, Hazelwood, River Valley and the surrounding areas,” he said. “I’d like to see it happening on this side of the river.”

Partly to see a potential improvement in the quality of the game locally, and partly because of the transformation he observes when his players put on a school jersey.

“They show more pride when they play for their school,” he believes. “They’re getting to play with their friends and you can just see the difference.”

Rovers kick off PDL campaign



New Premier Development League outfit River City Rovers make their debut against Akron at Centurion Soccer Field, English Station Road at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The PDL, part of the United Soccer Leagues, is seen as a shop window for Major League Soccer clubs looking to discover and identify aspiring professionals.

The Rovers’ squad comprises players from ages 17-30, many of which play with college teams, including New Albany’s Nathan Driggers, now with Bellarmine.

Others include University of Louisville’s Ryan Smith and Buck Tufty, and Jacob Kemper with the University of Kentucky.

Rovers warmed up with a 3-1 friendly victory over Louisville Soccer Alliance’s adult team last week.

The opener with Akron will be followed by another home game against Michigan Bucks at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Game day tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for youths ages 3-14, while children under 2 will be admitted free. Season tickets are also available.

For further information, check out the team’s website at www.roverssoccer.com

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A “cloudy” forecast in Qatar


If you get bored with the game, you can always stare at the clouds.

You could almost mistaken the following for an April Fool’s joke but it is, we are told, not “pie-in-the-sky” by any means.

In fact, it’s a cloud in the sky – an expensive artificial one. It has just been revealed that Qatar is working on “clouds” to block the Middle Eastern sun at the 2022 World Cup.

With June and July temperatures in the Gulf state capable of reaching as much as 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the Qataris have developed a number of innovations to keep players and spectators cool during matches.

One which scientists at Qatar University say they have come up with is a “cloud,” a lightweight carbon structure carrying a giant envelope of material containing helium gas. Four solar powered engines will move the structure via remote control.

Each of the clouds cost $500,000 to produce, although that’s chunk change for a wee nation that owns the third biggest reserves of gas on the planet.

A new idea? Fans of the Simpsons will remember the legendary two-part 1995 episode when nefarious power plant owner C. Montgomery Burns devised a plan to create a giant shield that would block the sun and keep Springfield in perpetual darkness.

With 11 years still to go before they host the big dance, it will be interesting to see what else the innovative and resourceful Qataris can come up with. Would you bet against them, for example, producing 11 artificial “players” good enough to win them the tournament?

Oliver chooses Hoosiers



Indiana University’s soccer program received good news last week when it was announced that Andrew Oliver, the nation’s second-ranked player in the 2012 recruiting class, has verbally committed to play for the Hoosiers.
Oliver, from Indianapolis, has been compared to Landon Donovan and recently led the United States’ U-17 team to the CONCACAF tournament championship in Jamaica, scoring four goals.

Oliver told TopDrawerSoccer.com that playing collegiately close to home was a big attraction.

“I just thought being close to home was a big plus,” Oliver said. “And Indiana definitely has lots of young talent coming up that’s looking really good for the program. It was the right fit for me.”

However, the 5’ 9” striker, who plays his club soccer with Westside FC, may not even make it to IU if he impresses at the upcoming U17 World Cup in Mexico, which starts in June.

A good performance there could see him end up with an MLS Generation Adidas contract, which encourages early entry into Major League Soccer without college graduation. Notable GA graduates include current internationals Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sweet 16 for Net-Surfers!

This year, the 16th for girls’ soccer club Net-Surfers, is expected to be a sweet one.

After years of effort, the southern Indiana outfit hopes to open its soccer park on Highway 111, just past Gap Hollow Road.

Net-Surfers president Kevin Geron revealed they are “very close” to getting the 22 acre complex – formerly a farm site -- open, expecting it to host games in the fall.

The opening is also expected to strengthen the club’s numbers to beyond a level not seen since it was founded in 1995.

“We believe we can have over 200 girls in the program by next spring,” said Geron. “This will be dependent on getting our soccer park open so all age groups can be practicing and playing at the new fields.”


Net-Surfers players celebrate good times ahead

A lot of volunteer hours have been put in by parents, friends and businesses, he said, to get their six small sided fields and one large full sided pitch graded and seeded.

“We have room for three more large fields once we get the funds needed,” said Geron. “We also have installed half of the parking lot, but need to raise more funding to complete the lot before fall.”

The state of the economy has made it very difficult for Net-Surfers to complete what is now a seven year project. However, the club has managed to secure a number of private donations recently which has helped give them a big push forward.

“Sponsorship levels are from $250 on up, but we’ve had a private donor sponsor a small field for $5,000 and five businesses have each donated $1,000, for example,” said Geron. “We offer various donation options to help support the park and will entertain any suggestions or offers to help get it open.”

At the moment, Net-Surfers is about $40,000 shy of having the park up and running this year. To put the finishing touches to it, it requires approximately $100,000. This would allow them to complete the large fields, install the parking lot, purchase goals and equipment, as well as complete a walking path and running trail around the property.

“It will truly be a great asset to the community to have more soccer facilities for all the youth in southern Indiana -- not just our club,” said Geron. “We hope to share this with others for soccer and provide fitness with the walking and running paths.”

He added the opening should help Net-Surfers move the club forward by allowing them host their own home games and possibly an annual tournament.

“Long term we may have leagues for adults, a summer camp, or a 3 versus 3 league,” said Geron. “It really opens up options with the fields dedicated for soccer.”

This spring, Net-Surfers will have 130 girls playing for teams from U7 to U17.
The U7 team is new, and will play friendly matchups with some of the local recreational co-educational teams. All other age groups have just kicked off their Kentucky Select Soccer League campaigns.

“Clark County Soccer Association has been very accommodating to allow us to play our home games at their park,” said Geron. “Both they and Southern Indiana United have been very supportive.”

Another important development for Net-Surfers is this month’s addition of Rahman "Rocky" Batanovic as the club’s goalkeeper coach.

Batanovic, a goalie for the Louisville Lightning’s reserve team this past season, was born in Bosnia in 1987, spent his formative years in Germany and later moved to the Louisville area when he was 12.

He was a member of the Javanon ’87 team which won a national championship in 2006, and he helped start a co-educational soccer program at Fairdale High School.

“I believe that every kid can learn to love soccer as long as they have someone to build confidence in them while they are showing them how to enjoy the game and play the game the right way,” said Batanovic.

Director of coaching Dave Smith said it is great to see talent of this level working with their players.

“This is one of the dreams I've always had: to offer the same -- or better -- training, with the same -- or better -- facilities so that kids no longer feel the need to play for Louisville clubs to fully develop their game,” he said. “This dream is a long time coming, and very good news for our soccer families.”

If anyone is interested in helping the club, they can contact Kevin Geron at 502-648-3153 (email: kgnetsurfers@gmail.com), or park administrator Tony Holland at 812-267-8478 ( email: tonyholland@insightbb.com).

Saturday, March 19, 2011

In safe hands!

They say you need to possess a unique character to be a soccer goalkeeper.

For starters, you must love pressure, enjoy yelling at your team mates and be the owner of a very short memory.

And that comes from one of their own, Nick Karaffa, who has just been taken on by Southern Indiana United as a specialized coach for those between the posts.

“I do personally feel it takes a special person to want to play goal,” Karaffa told Kick It. “There’s a saying that you can’t do anything about the last goal or save, so just focus on the next one. You also have to be able to ‘see’ the game, understand what is going on, who needs to be where, how things are developing and what’s the best way to prevent a goal scoring opportunity.”

Karaffa, a four year starter with both New Albany High School and Transylvania University, said he began playing in goals as a youngster because no one else wanted to do it.

“It’s funny, you can ask a group of kids if anyone wants to hop in goal and the majority will give you a look of disinterest,” he said. “But there are always a few that want to try it and those are the ones I like working with.”

SIU recognized a need to concentrate more on improving its goalkeepers, so he was approached last summer by director of coaching Dutch Vigar and vice president select soccer, Debbie Webb.

“I had moved home to study for the bar exam and hadn't given coaching much thought at the time,” he said. “After talking with them, I thought it sounded like a good way to help some local kids learn about the most important position on the field. I think through their experience, they knew that unless a goalkeeper is getting special work, a normal practice won’t be as beneficial for them as it is the field players.”

The 1983 Indiana ODP team member said you can equate a goalkeeper to a pitcher in baseball.

“Taking infield practice won’t do them much good, so they have special coaches that can design training for them to work on position specific drills,” he said. “That's what SIU realized and brought me in to help with that specialized training.”

Karaffa starts with the basics, like catching and positioning. When a decent foundation is in place, he tries to build the more challenging aspects like diving, handling crosses and organizing the defense.

“We use a lot of repetition in drills for muscle memory purposes,” he said. “It prevents injury and makes the kids get comfortable with what they’re doing so when they need to react in a game, they won’t have to think and instead react naturally with the proper form.”

So if you see some increasingly good saves on the fields of southern Indiana this spring, mixed with the odd constructive yell or two, don’t be too surprised.

Warm neck snoods get the cold shoulder -- and watch out for vanishing spray

Speaking of referees and the Laws of the Game, players like Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri are going to have to find another way to keep their necks warm following a decision to ban snoods from July 1.

A growing number of players have been sporting the latest fashion accessory but the International Football Association Board believes they pose a safety risk if they are grabbed when are running at speed.


Carlos Tevez wll have to find another way to keep his neck snug


The thick neck-warmers became increasingly popular during Britain’s cold winter but had already been outlawed by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
IFAB has also sanctioned the continuation of an experiment using “vanishing spray” in South America.

The spray is used to mark out the 10 yards the defensive wall should be from the ball at free kicks. The referee paces out the distance and marks a white line with the spray, which the wall can’t step over. The line then disappears within a minute.
It was invented sports journalist Pablo Silva, who felt hard done by when a referee allowed encroachment on a free kick he was taking at the end of an amateur game in Argentina.

FIFA has also decided to introduce five match officials for each game at the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine next year. The two extra officials will be behind the goal-line but on the side of the goal next to the assistant referee.

There will also be another year of testing to find a successful goal-line technology system, despite 10 such systems failing tests recently.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter admitted that England’s disallowed goal, struck by Frank Lampard, in last year's World Cup against Germany was "an immense error" and said he would welcome the use of goal-line technology at the 2014 tournament in Brazil if a suitable system can be found.

Presidential trip for local teams!

With the spring soccer select season about to kick off, we take a look a new state competition which will feature two local teams in its inaugural year.



In recent years, the Indiana State Cup has been the premier tournament for select soccer clubs, while the Challenge Cup has catered for second tier squads.

Now comes the addition of the Indiana Presidents Cup, a middle tier competition between the State and Challenge Cups, which is expected to result in better parity at all three levels of play.

The tournament will feature boys’ and girls’ teams from U11 to U17, with champions from U14-U17 getting the chance to represent Indiana at regional and possibly national level.

Two of the area’s squads – Southern Indiana United’s U14 Strikers and U16 Net-Surfers – will take a trip to the inaugural Indiana Presidents Cup competition, with the preliminary round taking place in Evansville and Fort Wayne from May 13-15. The finals weekend will be held from June 3-5.


Strikers prepared

SIU Strikers have been invited to play in the competition thanks to their success last year when they made it to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.

“We were originally going to do the Challenge Cup again with hopes of winning, but once we got the invite, it was hard to say no,” said Strikers’ coach Paul Duckworth. “IYSA decided to cut the State Cup participants a little, and didn't want to overwhelm the Challenge Cup, so they created a second tier tournament, the Presidents Cup.”

There are 10 teams divided into four brackets, and Strikers find themselves in a grouping with Zionsville and Westfield Select.

“It is more of a sterner test for us than the Challenge Cup for sure, but not the stretch that it would have been participating in the State Cup,” said Duckworth.

He added that the team has been very active over the winter months, training twice a week, with one session working on speed and agility, and the other on technical skills.

“On the weekends, we participated in the Louisville Futsal League, and won both the league and the tournament for our age division,” said Duckworth. “The fast pace and quick feet needed to play futsal should serve us well this spring.”

Strikers are hoping to win their ISL division and gain promotion, while it has just kicked off its campaign in the Kentucky Select Soccer League (Div 1).

“We are looking forward to taking the next step up,” said Duckworth. “The Presidents Cup at the end of the season will be a healthy test of how far we have progressed this last year.”


Net-Surfers U16s

Net-Surfers’ U16 team, meanwhile, achieved some success last year, including the capturing of the Queen City Tournament in Cincinnati.

In the Presidents Cup, it has been drawn in a group with Fort Wayne, Jr. Irish and Indiana Invaders Blue.

The girls will this year be coached by Lindsey Wilkerson and will play in the Kentucky Select Soccer League Gold Division.

“This team has lots of potential with good talent,” says assistant coach Walter Iglesias. “Most of the girls have played together for years and know each other well. This should make for a good opportunity to do well in the Presidents Cup. There will be lots of good competition and I believe in the spirit of these girls determination to win.”

The Presidents Cup winners will represent Indiana at the Region II Midwest championships, and this year it is being held in South Bend, Indiana in June, while the national championships will take place in Des Moines, Iowa in July.

This is the fourth year of the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup competition on a national level, but Indiana Soccer previously selected ISL Premier Division leaders who hadn’t advanced to the Indiana State Cup finals.

Indiana Soccer’s Director of Competition, Angel Hall, said she expects that by adding the Presidents Cup format, the Challenge Cup event –- which will feature some of the area’s teams -- will become more attractive. It is open to travel and recreational plus teams, but Midwest Regional League and ISL Premier teams are not eligible for it.

“The previous State and Challenge Cup results reflect that over 21 per cent of the preliminary round games are played to a goal differential of five or more,” she said.

The introduction of the Presidents Cup will also necessitate changes to the current State Cup format, which will be limited to 12 teams instead of the previous 16 team per age division format. The Challenge Cup will not have a limit to the number of teams accepted.