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).

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.

U.S. Youth Soccer workshop comes to town

Have you ever wondered what it requires to manage a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo or prepare a goalkeeper such as Eduardo for the World Cup?

You’ll be able to find out when the annual US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop takes place in Louisville this week from February 24-26.

The three day event at the Kentucky International Convention Center is expected to attract over 2,000 soccer coaches, administrators, referees and enthusiasts.

The largest event of its kind for youth sports in the United States, it will feature education sessions for those involved in the game, field demonstrations and an exhibit hall. A highlight of the weekend will be the US Youth Soccer Awards Gala, which will showcase successes of the past year and over a lifetime.



Dan Gaspar (left) will talk about Ronaldo (right) and Portugal's 2010 World Cup journey at the US Youth Soccer Workshop in Louisville this week.

One of the more interesting workshop sessions will feature Portugal’s national team goalkeeper coach Dan Gaspar, who will speak on Friday (3 p.m.) about what impacted the country’s performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He will discuss how they prepared for opponents, including eventual winners Spain, who knocked them out in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, two local players -- Jeffersonville’s Brian Fischer and Skyler Davis -- will be involved in a 9v9 demonstration on the principles of attacking soccer.

Both play for Mockingbird ’95 and were recently invited to the Kentucky State ODP team pool. They have been asked to participate in the demonstration, which takes place at the Fourth Street venue on Saturday (3 p.m.), as part of the pool.

The latest soccer equipment, technology, apparel and fundraising ideas will be on display at the exhibit hall, which will be open on Thursday (6-8 p.m.), Friday (9-5 p.m.) and Saturday (9- 4 p.m.).

The Kick Zone, meanwhile, will provide an area for kids of all ages and will feature interactive soccer activities and games on Saturday. The Kick Zone and exhibit hall are free and open to the public.

Tim Turney, president of Kentucky Youth Soccer, said the state is thrilled to be hosting the entire youth soccer community from all over the country.

"We will showcase Louisville's southern hospitality while providing an excellent venue to network and learn from some of the best presenters this country has to offer,” he said.

In addition to learning from leading clinicians in the areas of coaching and player development, the event will include topics from the challenges and realities of international travel, risk management and organizing and financing field development.

Registrants will also hear the latest in marketing techniques and tactics, sports medicine topics, referee technology and additional areas of interest regarding recreational, elite and disabled players.

Online registration for the workshops is now closed but you can register onsite, while day passes are also available. For further information, check out: usyouthsoccer.org/workshop.

Indiana high school records sought

An official record book for Indiana high school soccer is currently being compiled and your help is sought.

Todd Murphy, the owner of the HoosierFutbol.com website, has been tasked by the Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association to collect the data.

“I am already having some luck in getting quite a few records,” he said. “There will be a top 25 list for each category and in some cases we will have more than a top 25 based on number of submissions.

“The records we collect will be posted on our site, the Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association website and will be sent to the NSCAA to be included in the national database.”

Murphy is looking for team, coaching and individual player records from over the years, including record victories, goals, shutouts, assists and championships won.

If you can help, contact Murphy at webmaster@hoosierfutbol.com. You can also find more information on the categories on which information is sought by checking out the HoosierFutbol.com website.

Almost a fairytale ending at Disney

Disney Showcase runner-up Javanon '94

There wasn’t a whole lot of festive relaxation for a many of the area’s players who traveled to Orlando, Fla. for the prestigious Chelsea FC sponsored Disney Soccer Showcase.

And they put up some fine performances too, with a number just missing out on fairytale endings.

The Showcase for boys’ and girls’ teams ranging from U15 to U19 is now considered one of the biggest stages for youth soccer in the U.S. and attracts numerous college coaches, including representatives from Louisville, Indiana, UK, Notre Dame, Evansville, Butler and NCAA Division II champs, Northern Kentucky.

The four days of boys’ competition from December 27-30 featured games between region ODP teams, top academy clubs (including Chelsea) and the best travel soccer outfits in the nation and Canada – that’s 294 teams in total.

Among those to shine was Javanon ’94, featuring Jordan Vejar (Jeffersonville), Matt Kelecy (Floyd Central) and Nick Blackwell (New Albany). The team earned a runner-up in the top U17 Showcase Division.

In its first game, it defeated New Mexico Rush Nike Argonauts 4-1 (ranked 9th nationally by gotsoccer.com), then tied last year’s national runner-up RSL Florida 0-0, before beating Carolina Elite SA ’93 4-1 to clinch the bracket and earn a spot in the
championship decider against Florida Rush Nike.

Despite the absence of valuable players such as star striker John Manga and Lindo Mfeka, the team put in a creditable performance, only to lose 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in regulation.

The team is next scheduled to attend the FC Alliance Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee later this month.

Meanwhile, in the Predator Division, United 1996 -- featuring Providence’s Brett Bass and Gabe Stewart from the Henryville area -- also made the championship game but lost 3-2 to HYS Verndon of Virginia, ranked 26th in the nation.

In its group games, United beat CAP FC United of Canada 1-0 and lost to Massapequa SC Rough Riders of New York 2-0, before bouncing back to win the bracket with a 1-0 victory over Texans of Houston.

Elsewhere, Javanon U16 Black reached the final of the Copa Division, where it lost 2-1 to Pachuca Dragons of Maryland. On its way there, it beat NE Aztecs (MA) 1-0 and tied with CD Independiente of Texas to make the decider.

This past weekend, the girls took center stage with 268 teams from the United States and Canada competing.

Javanon ’95, featuring Providence’s Leah Mattingly and Floyd Central’s Kady O’Farrell, were in action in the U16 Predator Division. The girls narrowly lost its first game 1-0 against Carmel United of Indiana, but bounced back to beat SJ Elite Barons Force of New Jersey 2-0, before finishing the tournament out with a scoreless tie against bracket winner Eclipse of Texas.

In the girls’ U17 Copa Division, Mockingbird Valley ’94 -- featuring Floyd Central’s Taylor Patty, Lauren Haley and Rebekah Burgan, as well as Providence’s record goalscorer Casey Marlin – tied with Canada’s Newmarket United (2-2) and Patriots of New York (1-1), while losing to Lakeland FC of Florida.

Next up for the four girls are spring tournaments at Ohio Elite (February 25-27) and Richmond, Va. (Jefferson Cup, March 18-20).