Braving Adversity

Photos courtesy of Bradley University


(Published in The Evening News and The Tribune, September 25, 2007)

If Bradley University's Division I men's soccer team had come out this fall and performed consistently below par, everyone connected would have understood why.


But the manner in which the Braves from Peoria, Ill., have lived up to their name on the field following a summer of tragedy is one that demands respect.

Looking forward to the new campaign and buoyed by genuine optimism following its third regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title, Bradley was rocked to its core when 19-year-old midfield sophomore Sheridan "Danny" Dahlquist passed away on Aug. 12 following a prank that went horribly wrong.



Prosecutors say he died in a fire that started when four friends set off Roman candles under his bedroom door. After they realized the room had caught fire, they tried frantically to save him but were driven away by intense heat.

David Crady, Ryan Johnson, Nick Mentgen and Daniel Cox were charged with two counts of aggravated arson, residential arson and possession of an explosive or incendiary device.

Three of them — Crady, Johnson and Mentgen — were not only housemates of Danny’s, but Bradley soccer teammates, too. None of the players has participated in practices since the fire: Johnson has resigned from the team, while Crady and Mentgen have been dismissed for the season.

If convicted of all charges, the defendants face up to 30 years in prison.

Meanwhile, reminders of Danny are everywhere at Shea Stadium, home of the Braves.

On the field, two large Celtic crosses are etched into each half. Added are the words, "Life a Brave; Death a Brave," with his nickname "DQ" and his number, 29, on the arms of the cross. A flag also flies in his memory, while memorial wristbands are sold inside the ground. A minute's silence is held before games.

A tragedy that could have ripped through the heart of teams with lesser camaraderie and spirit, Bradley has come out and posted a fine start to the season. Watching the Braves record a 1-0 victory against Cincinnati last week, you would never have known this was a group of players still trying to come to terms with the loss of a friend and a teammate.



Among them is Floyds Knobs native Brad Snook, now a redshirt junior and enjoying regular playing time in defense.

Snook, a Floyd Central sectional champion in 2003 and a winner of six Kentucky State Cup titles with Javanon (five) and Louisville Soccer Club (one), told The Tribune and The Evening News he believes the way Danny's family handled the situation — with class and dignity — lent strength to everyone else who didn't know how to react.

"We see them on a regular basis (Danny's dad Craig is the senior associate athletic director for compliance and finance at Bradley) and they are such great people," he said. "They definitely raised Danny in their likeness, and the number of people this family has had an impact on is amazing.

"He was truly a top-class individual. Everything about him showed that he was a quality guy. He would help anyone no matter what they needed. No one wanted to be a Bradley Brave more than Danny. He truly felt it was an honor every time he pulled on the jersey. It was easy to see how Danny's family raised him to be a selfless, valued person."

Snook admits the season — Bradley’s 21st in Division I — took a drastic turn with what happened with Danny, but he said heart and battling qualities have seen them chalk up some notable results despite a tough schedule.

The Braves, now 4-2-1, have already recorded wins against conference champions Western Illinois (Summit League) and Cincinnati (Big East Conference Red), as well as a 1-1 tie against powerhouse North Carolina.


Their two losses were no disgrace either. They held what is considered the best team in the country — Wake Forest — scoreless for 65 minutes before succumbing 3-0, while they kept it tied with No. 9 ranked Saint Louis on Saturday for 75 minutes before going down 2-0.

"Honestly, no one really expected us to start out the way we did, mainly because of the trip to UNC and Wake Forest," Snook said. "We were supposed to lose those games, but our team just battled and showed a great deal of heart to get a result against UNC.

"I came into this season very optimistic about our team, and my individual performance as well. And for the first actual time in my Bradley career, I have been given the opportunity to play significant minutes in big games for our team."

And the Braves will continue to play big in those games, encouraged by an immense outpouring from the community.

"It's good to know that they are supporting us," said Snook. "It means a lot personally, and I know the team appreciates it too. This ordeal has really shown me the true meaning of 'Once a Brave, Always a Brave.'"

You can catch Brad and the Braves live on Fox Soccer Channel when they travel to take on Missouri Valley Conference rival and nationally No. 7 ranked Creighton on Wednesday, Oct. 10 (7 p.m.).

Meanwhile, Bradley hosts an invitational tournament which will see it play IUPUI this Friday (7.30 p.m.). The game will also see Snook face former Floyd Central teammate Andy Orwick, a native of Georgetown, getting regular playing time this season in defense with the Jaguars (2-5-1).

Sectional draw sets up possible FC-NA final

Published in The Evening News and The Tribune, September 25, 2007)

The draws for the boys’ and girls’ 14th annual IHSAA Soccer State Tournament series were made Monday — throwing up the prospect of some mouth-watering ties.


The boys’ sectionals 55 and 56 kick off at Jeffersonville and Floyd Central, respectively, on Thursday, Oct. 4, with the finals on Saturday, Oct. 6. The competitive girls’ sectional will be hosted by Jeffersonville and will commence Monday, Oct. 8, with the final taking place on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Either Christian Academy of Indiana or Rock Creek Christian will get a chance to play in the boys’ championship decider at Jeffersonville, as they both square off in the first semifinal.

That means that Charlestown, Providence and Jeffersonville will have to battle it out for the other final spot.

Charlestown get a chance to cause a major upset when it takes on reigning sectional and regional champion Providence in Round 1. Pirates coach Rick Stephens said it’s a game they are very much looking forward to.

“We played Jeff well in regular season, but did not face Providence varsity in the regular season,” he said. “I think the gap (between us) is closing but still exists. Jeffersonville has 1,900 students to access, while Providence is a private school and that always matters.”

The winner will play Jeffersonville in the semifinal and Red Devils coach Ryan Bixler said the great thing about this year’s tournament is that it’s anyone’s game.

“That rings true in our sectional this year especially,” he said. “I don’t think that any one team stands out as a clear favorite or underdog. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Providence following their accomplishments last year. We have seen both Charlestown and Providence this year already, so we know we will have our hands full in our first game no matter who comes out of Game 1.”

Is he disappointed there will be no Jeff/Providence final?

“No. If that scenario would have played out, it would probably have been a disappointing final as both teams would be tired from the morning game,” Bixler said.

The Floyd Central Sectional looks like it will have another championship game between the hosts and New Albany. The Highlanders, however, will first have to negotiate their way past Salem and then possibly Corydon, while New Albany will have just one opponent in North Harrison in the semifinal.

Bulldogs coach Dutch Vigar said: “I am looking forward to playing North Harrison and plan on being in the championship game on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, the girls’ sectional at Jeffersonville will once again be very competitive as it features all the area’s heavyweights. Holders Floyd Central will play North Harrison in Round 1, and the winner will face either New Albany or Jeffersonville in the semifinal. The second semi will see Providence, beaten on penalty kicks by Floyd Central last year, play Corydon Central.

Pioneers coach Dave Smith said his team is “very pleased” with the draw, although Providence greatly respects Corydon’s program and remember what a battle it was against the Panthers last year when progressing with a narrow 1-0 victory in Round 1.

“The overall level of play in our area has been elevated so much in the past five to seven years that every team has skilled players and athleticism,” said Smith. “It should be an entertaining sectional for the community, so please come out and cheer on your teams.”



IHSAA State Tournament Series 2007:

Boys - Sectional 55 at Jeffersonville (Oct. 4 & 6). Match 1 – Charlestown vs. Providence. Match 2 – Rock Creek Academy vs. Christian Academy of Indiana. Match 3 – Jeffersonville vs. Winner of Match 1. Championship – Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner of Match 3. Sectional 56 at Floyd Central (Oct. 4 & 6) Match 1 – Floyd Central vs. Salem. Match 2 – North Harrison vs. New Albany. Match 3 – Corydon Central vs. Winner of Match 1. Championship – Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner of Match 3. Regional (At Floyd Central, Oct. 10 & 13) Match 1 – Winner at Floyd Central vs. Winner at Seymour. Match 2 – Winner at Jeffersonville vs. Winner at Madison. Championship – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2.

Girls - Sectional 28 at Jeffersonville (Oct. 8, 9, 11 & 13). Match 1 – Jeffersonville vs. New Albany. Match 2 – Floyd Central vs. North Harrison. Match 3 – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2. Match 4 – Corydon Central vs. Providence. Championship – Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4. Regional championship (At Columbus North, October 17) Jeffersonville winner vs. Columbus North Winner.

Academy is the way forward

(Published in the Evening News & The Tribune, September 18, 2007)

Travel soccer by its nature is results driven. As a result, player improvement can - and does - suffer.

When you see youngsters who can't string a couple of simple passes together, don't look comfortable on the ball, or are blasting said ball into the bushes and hitting the wings of birds when it should be nestling nicely in the back of the net, you wonder why this has come to be.

A document called "Best Practices for Coaching Soccer" claims to know exactly why. Released by the United States Soccer Federation, it says that to create not only a better environment for our players but also our coaches, parents and referees, the transition from having U9 travel teams to what it calls U9 "academies" must be achieved.

Travel teams may feature the cream of the crop in a particular area, but that cream is not as creamy as it should be. Why? Because skills are sacrificed as mistakes and experimentation on the field are not tolerated.

And it's all thanks to pressure: Pressure on coaches to get results. Playing in the top tournaments demands it and not playing in them means your "cream" disappears as parents look elsewhere in their quest to see their budding Ronaldhinos and Gerrards play with a "successful" team.

For example, a coach might throw in the bigger, more physical players to execute his gameplan if said gameplan depends on the long ball or a more direct route. You might see an improvement in results, but you'll also begin to see less building out of the back, less ball possession and less skill and flair. And some of those with the ability to inject said skill and flair will be on the sidelines, craning their little necks as they follow the ball which travels from cloud to cloud gathering raindrops.

Concern has prompted Indiana and a number of states to introduce the academy approach to children's soccer coaching. It's probably not the be all and end all, but hopefully its very introduction will lead to the alleviation of such pressure and see a rise in skill levels amongst young players.

Indiana Youth Soccer's U9 academy claims to be different from the regular travel format that has been offered in the past for this age group. The impetus for this change, say coaches, is mainly to provide a fun and more positive playing environment as the children make the transition to their first years of the travel soccer experience. Development over results, in other words.

There are no A, B, and C teams as players stay in pools and can be moved back and forth, according to their progress development throughout the seasonal year - a "no-cut" policy is also recommended.

Each club's academy plays four non-results-oriented "play dates" - with two games each date - against other club academies over the fall, organized by the various Indiana Youth Soccer travel leagues. Club academy directors split up their players into groups, playing 6v6 in games of two 25 minute halves. Academies can share players - who must play at least half of every match - if necessary. No scores are kept and there are no official league standings.

Both of the area's clubs - Southern Indiana United and Net-Surfers - are taking on the idea.
At Southern Indiana United, the U9 academy is overseen by the club's director of development and New Albany High School coach, Dutch Vigar, who received his National Youth Licence in the summer. There may only be seven players at the academy - five girls and two boys - at the moment, but there is excitement about its potential.
Vigar, who has 18 years' coaching experience, says he was "sold on the idea" at an early stage.

"This is all about giving the game back to the kids," he says. "There is too much emphasis on winning and there should be more of a focus on child development and an emphasis on small sided play. There are too many games in a season, too much training and a number of injuries as a result."

He says it all comes down to the question: When does winning become an issue?
“Theoretically, the emphasis should be on player development,” Vigar believes. “Winning should take a back seat to player development. ‘Did you play better, perform better?’ Winning should be out of the vocabulary. There are too many egos in the clubs and parents need to be responsible too with the comments they make. A lot of it has to do with education and there needs to be continuing education for parents."

And although the theory will invariably work better in areas like Indianapolis, where there is a greater pool of players, he believes it will be more workable in southern Indiana at a recreational level - and in age groups higher than U9s.
"If we were a very large club, then I think the academy concept at travel level is a good idea but we don't have the player pool," he says. "There are kids on the recreational program that would benefit from the academy. It should be seen as a step to playing select or travel soccer as it makes them better players and they get to raise their level."

He hopes to develop a curriculum for the future and build up a team of around 10 qualified coaches, while also introducing the ethos to U6 teams and up.
Net-Surfers, meanwhile, has a U6 to U8 academy, as well as having 11 girls on its U9 academy team, which trains two days a week for an hour. Coach Julie Deuser said that during the sessions, the girls work on fitness with the ball and footskills, playing a variety of dribbling, passing, and juggling games during practice.

"The idea of the academy is to provide each girl with the foundation for a successful soccer future," she says. "My goal is to help each girl master footskills, juggling, dribbling and passing. A lot of rec teams skim over these topics and it results in players who are far behind in the basics."

As a result, she says her girls have fun on the field and they are learning valuable soccer skills at the same time. She also believes a big plus to the academy program is that the players are being coached by former college players who are also licensed.

"I am a former high school and college player," she reveals. " I played four years of college soccer at Marian College in Indianapolis and I believe that my experience as a player helps me coach these young girls. In a lot of recreational programs the players are being coached by parents, who may have never played the game before.

"The academy is a great program and it is wonderful that Net-Surfers has implemented it. Girls in Louisville and southern Indiana will benefit from the program in many ways."

If you are interested in getting your child involved in a U9 Academy, you still have time. For SIU, you can contact Dutch Vigar at: dvigar@insightbb.com (ph: 812-945-6743) or Julie Deuser (jgullette20@hotmail.com) at Net-Surfers, where there is one place left this season with the U9 academy (anyone can join the younger academy, the U6-U8).

Brothers down Pioneers

You may remember our feature a couple of weeks ago on the band of brothers playing at New Albany this fall.

One of the six sets of brothers comprises Brandon and Adam McLaughlin, who missed out on the interview and photo shoot for that story.

However, they made sure to get their names in lights against Providence in last week's junior varsity game as they combined to score the only goal of the game.

Adam crossed the corner to find his younger brother Brandon in the penalty box, who made no mistake firing it to the back of the net.

Hornets buzzing after first ever win

(Published in The Evening News & The Tribune, September 11, 2007)

It was the second Friday of September 2006 when Henryville played its first ever soccer game against Restoration Christian School.


And it was the first Friday of September 2007 when the Hornets won their first-ever game — a memorable 1-0 victory against Rock Creek. Matt Smith scored the second-half winner, with Jacqueline Guthrie making the assist in what was also Henryville’s first-ever home contest.

“We had a great turnout for the game,” said Henryville’s coed coach, Joey Farmer. “Everything about the night was perfect. Most of our fans were watching their first-ever soccer game, we were playing our very first home game, and we won our first game.”

Coach Farmer, a former Campbellsville University player, started building the Hornets’ soccer nest last year at the junior varsity level and a first season saw them end with an 0-4-3 record, having played all their games on the road. Moving to varsity level this season, the Hornets now have a record of 1-2-1 and Farmer says he can see a definite improvement in the team.

“Without having a little league team in Henryville and all but one player had played before last year, I think that we are coming right along,” he said. “It takes time to build a program from scratch. To continue to grow, I need an assistant coach.”

If you think you can help, you can contact Henryville High School at 812-294-1455 or e-mail coach Farmer at jfarmer@henryville.wclark.k12.in.us.

Meanwhile, Henryville’s next game is at home against Southwestern Thursday.

Do yourself a favor — watch the Women’s World Cup

When out getting my weekly fix of high school soccer games recently, I remarked — not to anyone in particular — that the girls of a certain school may very well do better than its boys this fall, having seen both squads in action.

Someone responded, “I hope not.” Now, I would expect that comment from someone who maybe had a few dollars riding on the outcome of who progressed further with their local bookmaker for the fun of it. Only they don’t have bookmakers in Indiana (legal ones anyway), and I’m sure if they did they wouldn’t have odds on such scenarios.

So I can only put it down to what I call “begrudgeryism.” You probably won’t find that word in the dictionary because I made it up, but basically what it means to me is that the parent of Little Johnny has no interest in seeing the girls’ team at Little Johnny’s school outperform him and his teammates. Self-interest is another phrase that springs to mind.

Personally, this sort of attitude disgusts me and is not confined to this area. If the girls of high school teams go on a longer run than the boys during the state tournament this year — or any year — great. I’ll be waving their colors on the sideline in the regionals and beyond if they do, just like I would the boys.

And I feel that is more of a possibility this year because, despite the increasing popularity of the game in this area, I am disheartened that the standard of boys’ soccer doesn’t seem to have improved from last year (that’s another story for another day), but I am alternatively encouraged by the improvement on the girls’ side.

Just as a matter of interest, the only player in these parts to go professional in any sort of capacity as far as I am aware is a female (Floyd Central graduate Jaime Halas, English Premier League). And it’s the USA’s women’s team which has won two World Cups.
Starting today, USA goes go for a third title — and a first prize of $1 million — as it enters the China-hosted tournament as the No. 1 seed. It plays powerhouse North Korea this morning (re-aired ESPN2, 7 p.m.) before games against Sweden (Friday, 5 a.m.) and Nigeria (Tuesday, Sept. 18, 8 a.m.) in Group B.


You can follow all the action on the ESPN network (live and re-aired) over the next three weeks. You are bound to learn something from the skill, technical acumen and display of heart that will be on show — and that goes for whether you’re a boy or a girl.


Girlpower

Speaking of women’s soccer, Jeffersonville High School graduate Chelsea Grover opened the regular season at Western Kentucky University with 25 minutes as a reserve defender in a 3-0 win over Georgetown last week.

And Halas has helped Keynsham Town (mentioned above) remain unbeaten in four games in the English FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division. Keynsham beat Newquay Ladies 2-0 on Sunday and is now joint third in the table.

Transy's Karaffa hopeful of comeback

Recently, we reported that New Albany High School graduate Matt Karaffa was looking forward to his senior year at Transylvania University, a soccer program fancied to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and put up a bold showing in the NCAA Division III championship.

Unfortunately, disaster struck for Matt before the season even began, as he broke his collarbone in a scrimmage against Campbellsville.

“Our outside midfielder played a through ball for me to run onto and while going after the ball, the defender and I collided in a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, where I then fell onto the ground right on my left shoulder,” he said.

Team doctor Pete Hester inserted a plate and seven screws to stabilize the bone, and last week he had the stitches removed. He is hoping with plenty of physical therapy that he can be fit enough to play a part in Transy’s important end of season campaign.

“If all goes well, I am shooting for a comeback date somewhere around the middle of October or maybe a little later in October,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get some games in before we start our conference tournament. Every day on the sideline gets me more eager to recover faster. Our victory against Muskingum was a great start to what we think can be a phenomenal and very successful year.”