Touchline | Summer 2015

PENNSYLVANIA’S LEADING YOUTH SOCCER PUBLICATION | SUMMER 2015

eastern pennsylvania youth soccer

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CONTENTS

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Touchline

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eastern pennsylvania youth soccer

Volume XLIX | Summer 2015 Touchline is published quarterly.

Published by: Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer 4070 Butler Pike, Suite 100 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Phone: 610-238-9966 Fax: 610-238-9933 E-mail: info@EPYSA.org Website: EPYSA.org EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Jim Kuntz Vice President, Travel: Michael Finnegan Vice President, Recreation: Dwight Wilkinson Treasurer: Nicole Posillico Epps Secretary: Melissa Weber Registrar: Jim Christian

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STATE OFFICE STAFF Chief Executive Officer: Chris Branscome Technical Director: Mike Barr Assistant Technical Director: Gary Stephenson Director of Soccer Operations: Frank Olszewski Marketing & Communications Manager: Dillon Friday Assistant Director of Coaching: Gary Stephenson Membership Services Specialist: Beck Kleinert Business Administration Manager: Kelly Connor Administrative Services Specialist: Sheila Molyneaux Accountant: Judy Curran

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2 From Our President

3 PA Child Protection Laws

18 From our Medical Advisory: Rest is Best in the Summer

6-7 Profile: Terry Underkoffler, Eastern Pennsylvania’s Goalkeeping Guru

20 Women’s Soccer Has Come a Long Way

26 The Women’s Game Needs More Female Coaches

23 Youth Soccer Profiles

9 Rec Soccer Spotlight: Southampton Soccer Association

10-12 Eastern Pennsylvania State Champions 15 ODP: An Interview with Julia Burnell

27 Chalk Talks with Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and the Philadelphia Union

TOUCHLINE Editor-in-Chief: Chris Branscome Editor: Dillon Friday Printed by: The Pearl Group at CRW Graphics, 9100 Pennsauken Highway, Pennsauken, NJ 08110 Touchline is © Copyright 2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted; all rights reserved. Articles may not be reproduced or reprinted without written permission of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer. Advertising space in Touchline is purchased and paid for by the advertisers.

None of the products or services is necessarily endorsed by Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or its affiliates. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer or its advertisers.

Printed in the United States of America

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

17 Quarterly Calendar

U.S. Women’s Soccer Program Has Eastern Pennsylvania Roots Chris Branscome, Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

By the time this Touchline hits your home, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be well underway. The United States women enter this World Cup with a number 2 ranking by FIFA and as the odds on favorite to claim their third title. By the time you read this, the team should be advancing to the second round.

Hopefully, you’ve gathered around the TV with family, friends and teammates or attended viewing parties in support of this year’s team. As you’ll see in other articles presented in this issue, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer played a very large part in the history of our women’s national teams.

Our own Betty D’Anjolell was essentially the founder of the women’s program in the early 1980’s. Philadelphia area coaches Hank Leung and Ed Townsley were among the first to work with the U.S. national programs.

Charlotte Moran took the mantle from Betty in the 90’s and worked with the Olympic Development Program

locally, regionally and nationally to stock our youth national teams with talent. Many young women who played with our national teams throughout the 90’s and 2000’s began their careers in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Additionally, thanks to Richard Groff and others, several women’s international games were played in this area.

Throughout the 90’s, the U.S. women with Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly played games in Oakford, Ambler, Horsham and Bethlehem in front of crowds of about 4,000, which at the time were recordsetting numbers.

Many great players, coaches and administrators grew out of the efforts surrounding the women’s game here in Eastern Pennsylvania. They still are. Many of those players are now coaches and giving back to the game. Kim Maslin, Erica Walsh, Kristin Luckenbill, Emily Oleksiuk, Darci Borski, Kelly Rowland and Nicole Barnhart are just some of the elite level players that

came from this area and represented the United States on youth or senior national teams who are now working with younger players to keep our women’s program on top.

The 80’s and 90’s were special times in the development of the women’s game. This generation has had, and will develop, more of its own special times. We were privileged to see this current U.S. team qualify for the World Cup in our very own soccer stadium in PPL Park in front of 15,000 fans. I witnessed so much of this firsthand having worked alongside Richard, Charlotte and many others in the 90’s and was even fortunate to have coached a few other players I just mentioned.

These too are special times and we still have many exciting teams and player in our area. I’m equally, if not more, proud to be witnessing the continued success and the positive direction of women’s soccer in Eastern Pennsylvania.

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EPYSA.org

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FROM OUR PRESIDENT Jim Kuntz, President, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer

The 2015 Women’s World Cup kicks off this summer with Canada playing host for the first time.

With the games in close proximity to the US, the Cup offers us a chance to attend matches at a savings compared to what it might cost if it were played overseas.

to the rise in popularity of women’s soccer throughout the world, there is now much more parity than ever before.

Our women need your support now more than ever.

We are the premier power of women’s soccer in the world, and I think we’d like to retain that perch.

Tickets and packages are still available on US Soccer’s website.

I, for one, am looking forward to attending a game or two, while watching others on TV.

When the men played last year, it spurred a new group of fans to our wonderful sport. I’m sure this will do the same.

Please join me in cheering on our women to, hopefully, another World Cup Championship.

T w o a g th K b

Have a wonderful summer!

Over the years the United States Women’s National Team has always been a formidable opponent. But due

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EPYSA.org

Profile: Terry Underkoffler

Eastern Pennsylvania’s Goalkeeping Guru

By Dillon Friday, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, Marketing & Communications Manager

I

t’s important to bear with the goalkeeping guru, because he thinks outside the box—the figurative one that represents convention as well as the 18-yard area that houses keepers. Take for example a Region I Girls ODP Camp 20 or so years back.

Underkoffler’s protégés to wear the American colors. “He’s really a legend.”

Perhaps Underkoffler took a liking to Wambach because he had made the switch from goal-scorer to shot-stopper decades earlier. He graduated from Souderton High School in 1972 and headed to Montgomery County Community College to play for the great Sheldon Chamberlain, a 2015 recipient of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer’s Excellence in Coaching Award. Underkoffler, though, found a glut of competition at his preferred position once he reached campus.

Terry Underkoffler, the guru, caught a glimpse of a young striker from Rochester, New York dominating on the pitch. She was strong, fast, skilled, and equally as determined as she was athletic. Underkoffler saw the makings of a great goalkeeper even as the striker filled the back of the net.

“Oh please let me have her,” Underkoffler begged his fellow coaches. For a moment, they did. The striker went in goal for a few drills and showed promise. But, as Underkoffler recalls, she could score. In the end Abby Wambach, the most prolific forward in international soccer history, remained an attacking player.

“I’m glad I was shot down,” Underkoffler laughs.

“But she could’ve been good. That’s the kind of thinking it takes.”

Underkoffler’s results speak for themselves. Under his tutelage—from the early 1980’s to the present—eight Eastern Pennsylvania keepers have played for the United States Women’s National Team at the youth or senior level. Two more goalies,

“(Chamberlain) had eight forwards already. He only had one goalkeeper,” Underkoffler remembers.

“I had played baseball all my life so I was very confident in my ability to catch.”

During Underkoffler’s tenure, eight Eastern Pennsylvania keepers have played for the U.S. National Team at the youth or senior levels.

Susie Gretch for Spain and Emily Cota for the U.S. Virgin Islands, gained citizenship and earned caps elsewhere. So, when Underkoffler spots a potential keeper, even if the player is as great as Wambach, everyone else entertains the idea.

“For all that he’s contributed…it’s unreal,” says Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner, the first of

The coaching staff helped ease the transition for Underkoffler. Chamberlain was a well-established teacher, and Bob Rigby, goalkeeper of the North American Soccer League’s Philadelphia Atoms, frequented practice as well.

With a few seasons of experience under his belt, Underkoffler headed to Kutztown University to complete his college career. His stint for the Golden Bears was highlighted by a school record-setting 18-save performance against East Stroudsburg his senior year. Upon graduation, Underkoffler didn’t stray too far from the field.

“I wanted to keep hanging around the game,” he says. “I wanted to keep playing. But I also started being a volunteer assistant. Then when I got a teaching job in 1978 at Methacton, I approached the high school and asked to work with the goalkeepers.”

Thus began a lengthy, somewhat whimsical coaching career. Underkoffler started working in the Inter-County Soccer League and various camps in the state. He hooked up with Eastern Pennsylvania luminaries Charlotte Moran and Betty D’Anjolell as well as future U.S. Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena. Arena, then the head coach at the University of Virginia, invited Underkoffler down to Charlottesville to help with a camp. If Arena had his way, Underkoffler would have joined the Cavaliers’ staff. But Moran and D’Anjolell came calling.

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Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner, back row, second from right, with the 1991 Women’s World Cup Champions

“In one ear Bruce Arena is talking to me about

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says. “Then here’s a guy and his staff pulling us aside, working us hard.”

The sessions were very demanding. Underkoffler, at Region I Camp and with Eastern Pennsylvania ODP, emphasized techniques beyond saving shots. He taught keepers how to parry balls, how to properly dive, and, more important, how to land and return to one’s feet. Underkoffler developed goalies who would become complete players, not just the last line of defense.

Nicole Barnhart, a converted field player, has won two Olympic Gold Medals as a keeper. recruiting a baseball player out of New Jersey (former U.S. World Cup Keeper Tony Meola),” Underkoffler recalls. “In the other, I have Betty and Charlotte saying we need you in the women’s game. “(Arena and his staff) were Virginia. Betty and Charlotte were from Pennsylvania. I had to get back to teaching. Being in Pennsylvania, having coached Charlotte’s son and daughter, I had a stronger influence to coach with them.”

He joined the Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program staff and headed to Region I camp as the goalkeeping coach.

“I remember the horror stories from players,” Underkoffler says of the early days of keeper training. “They would line up a group of balls 12 yards out and just pelt them; no instruction, just smashed shots.”

His entrance into the camp also coincided with the growth of the program.

“We went from a two-and-a-half day event, invitational only to a full-fledged camp,” says Underkoffler. “We could do a lot of teaching.”

Underkoffler used the time to establish a pool system. He and his staff ranked the keepers after each training session and reviewed their status as the week went on. Pretty soon, the best players emerged.

Maslin-Kammerdeiner, then Kim Maslin, was one of the early beneficiaries of Underkoffler’s coaching.

“Well I had nothing in terms of formal training.

We were on our own. We didn’t have full-on goalkeeper coaches,” Maslin-Kammerdeiner

“If anything, he was one of the first coaches to teach us how to slide out for a ball,” says MaslinKammerdeiner. “He also was real big on communication. He taught that before a lot of coaches. He wanted us to take charge. He really was cutting edge.”

Maslin-Kammerdeiner enjoyed a standout collegiate career at George Mason, where she won a National Championship in 1985, before joining the U.S. Women’s National Team in 1988.

She was part of the 1991 squad that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in China. The Rutledge native later returned to Pennsylvania to coach with Underkoffler. Together, they helped build the state’s goalkeeping legacy.

“We’d bring similar things to the table,” recalls Maslin-Kammerdeiner. “I knew what he expected.

At the same time, it was always a struggle, because goalkeeper training was still a new concept. We didn’t have much information. But we traded ideas and grew together.”

The high point of the partnership came in the mid 1990’s, albeit uneasily for Maslin-Kammerdeiner and Underkoffler. One season, all four Region I U17 goalkeepers came from Eastern Pennsylvania.

“I thought I was going to get fired,” Underkoffler reveals. “But the head coach came up to me and said they really are the best.”

The success continued throughout the decade and into the 2000’s. Having whiffed on Wambach, Underkoffler found a gem in Nicole Barnhart, a Boyertown High School grad who initially made her mark as an outfield player. She later won two Gold Medals with the U.S. at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics as a backup keeper.

“I think the biggest thing with Terry was that he was one of the first people to pull me aside and say ‘You can get to the next level.’ I thought then

that maybe I should focus on goalkeeping,” says Barnhart, who plays for FC Kansas City of the National Women’s Soccer League. Underkoffler’s presence led Barnhart to embrace the position.

“It was just really exciting. It was the first real formal goalkeeping training I’d received. I loved the sessions. It was a very fun environment and a very challenging one. To come out of it still smiling says a lot about the coach.”

Only when she had time to look back on her experience with Underkoffler, did Barnhart realize she was part of a special group.

“After I got out of the system, I think that’s when it started to hit me,” she says. “There’s been a lot of great keepers out of (Eastern Pennsylvania) and through Terry.”

Keepers like Maslin-Kammerdeiner, Barnhart, Jaime Pagliarulo, Kristin Luckinbill and Emily Oleksiuk-Shaw, all of whom played for the U.S. Women’s National Team; or Melissa Price, Jodi Clugston, Megan Jesse who played for the United States at the youth national level.

“I’m looking for an athlete I can teach. The (aforementioned) girls all had similar qualities,” explains Underkoffler. “They love to play in the field. They’re multisport athletes. We just made them better.”

Barnhart and Maslin-Kammerdeiner are the pride of Underkoffler’s crop. They rank third and eighth respectively in all-time shutouts for the USWNT. “That puts a big smile on my face,” Underkoffler gushes, “because I know everything we did. Those kids went through the steps. They worked their tails off to be the best.”

A legend in Maslin-Kammerdeiner’s eyes, Underkoffler’s exploits are known across the soccer nation.

“One of the best compliments I’ve ever received was in an elevator at the NSCAA conference,” remembers Underkoffler, who is in year 36 as the Region I Goalkeeping Coach. “In walks Anson Dorrance, the head coach for the University of North Carolina’s Women’s Program. I had met him briefly before but I wouldn’t say we knew each other. He turns and looks at me and says, ‘You know, between the two of us, we’ve placed more National Team Players than anybody.’”

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Touchline

REC SOCCER SPOTLIGHT:

Southampton Soccer Association

Brought to you by

By Rick Woelfel

F

or more than three decades now, the Southampton Soccer Association has had a no-frills, straightforward mission: to create an environment that is supportive of the participants and encourages their growth, both as soccer players and as children.

“We hope to enhance the level of talent in each and every player,” says club president Ed Sloan, “but more importantly we strive to instill in all of our kids a sense of good sportsmanship, fellowship and commitment to the enjoyment and fun of the game.”

Southampton got its start in 1981. Today it is home to some 600 youth soccer players between the ages of four and 18. Most of the youngsters who participate in the program live in the immediate area, which gives the organization an intimate feel.

“We’re not a club like a FC Delco and some of the other clubs that are premier travel-type groups,” Sloan says. “We’ve always been a little smaller, a little less expensive.”

This is not to say that Southampton does not have a solid track record of developing players.

Quite the contrary. In May of this year, a boys’ U16 side playing out of Southampton won the

community. “We’re looking to give [the children in the program] an outlet to develop some of the fundamentals and learn the game,” Sloan says, “but I think more of it is about sportsmanship, their ability to have some fun … and have somewhere to connect with kids.

Most of them are local kids [but] because there are so many different schools within our area, it promotes some of that unity and networking too for the kids. They meet a lot of kids from different areas.

“And as much as we know it’s promoting a lot of personal growth for the kids, you wind up seeing the parents and families really connecting.”

The intramural/rec program is open to participants age four and up. Some 325-350 youngsters take part, divided into 35-40 smallsided teams, starting with 4-v-4 for the four- and five-year olds. The neophytes eventually move on to 5-v-5, then 6-v-6 and 7-v-7 until they reach the U12 level, when they experience the 11-v-11 version of the game for the first time.

To enhance the experience of the participants, the club will occasionally schedule ‘interclub’ games with other area organizations including

says. “This year it’s grown significantly. We had just under 200 kids that played in the spring league that’s just wrapped up.”

The club offers travel soccer starting at the U9 level and going up to U18. It customarily fields between 15 and 17 teams, which are evenly divided between boys and girls and include some 225-250 players each season.

The club has enhanced its coaching education program in recent years to allow its coaches to expand their knowledge base. It’s not uncommon to see Southampton teams ranked among the top sides in Pennsylvania.

But Sloan is quick to note that the club is committed to finding the proper balance between skill development and enjoyment. “The importance is you’re providing really good growth opportunities for kids that really want to play at a good, competitive level,” Sloan says.

There have been occasions where players or their family have sought out a higher level of competition than the club is able to provide and has chosen to play elsewhere, such as an academy program. That scenario is not unique to Southampton of course.

“There’s a certain level that we can provide,” Sloan says, “and what we believe is what we want to continue to grow within the club, and we’ll do it at the level to which all the kids are able to move and participate in.”

And for those who may want to be involved in the sport in a different role there is always refereeing. The club encourages its older youth players to give back to the game by refereeing games involving younger age groups.

Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup and players with Southampton ties regularly go on to play for area high schools, including William Tennent, Archbishop Wood, Council Rock North, and Council Rock South.

Hatboro-Horsham, Northampton, Warrington, and Warminster among others.

Perhaps most of all, the club offers a sense of

“We actually started it a year or so ago,” Sloan

The club offers both fall and spring seasons.

The spring league is still in its infancy but Sloan says there has been a lot of interest shown.

The club is fortunate in that the facilities it utilizes for its games are in close proximity to one another. Its newest game site in Upper Southampton Township has been available for play not quite three years now and is dedicated to military veterans and features two full-sized fields.

“We get a lot of compliments about that field,” Sloan says. “People say it’s one of the nicest fields in the area. We’re certainly proud to have people play over there.”

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EPYSA.org

2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Outdoor Cup Champions More than 1000 teams entered our 2015 Cups. Only 51 were crowned State Champions. All three cup competitions—the Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup (NCS), the Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup, and the Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup—produced thrilling games and worthy winners. Congratulations to all teams on a wonderful cup season.

2015 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup (NCS) Champions U12 Girls

U14 Boys

U17 Boys

U12 Boys

U15 Girls

U18 Girls

U15 Boys

U18 Boys

U16 Girls

U19 Girls

U16 Boys

U19 Boys

HMMS Eagles FC Impact West Chester United SC Predators U13 Girls

Penn Legacy Black U13 Boys

Ukrainian Nationals Rangers U14 Girls

PA Classics

FC Montco Galaxy FC Pennsylvania Strikers LDC United Crushers FC Bucks Storm Penn Fusion Elite U17 Girls

FC Bucks

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Philadelphia SC Coppa United Harleysville Ready Montgomery United Celtic Continental FC Premier Lehigh Valley United

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2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup Champions U12 Girls

FC York Elite

U13 Boys

U12 Boys

Mechanicsburg Keystone FC

U13 Girls

Souderton Stingers

CASA CAPA Vipers North Union United Lady Cannons

U14 Girls

U14 Boys

FC Europa

U15 Girls

U16 Boys

U15 Boys

U17 Girls

U16 Girls

U17 Boys

Towamencin Bolts

West-Mont United

FC York Elite

Huntingdon Valley Pride

Deep Run Valley Strikers

Montgomery United

A

s we celebrate the women’s game in conjunction with the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer is proud of the efforts of its own girls’ teams this spring. At the 2015 US Youth Soccer Region I Presidents Cup in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Eastern Pennsylvania teams won five of the six girls titles with only the U12’s missing out. Between the boys and the girls, eight of the 14 teams Eastern Pennsylvania sent to the Region I tournament played in a final.

The five champions (the U12 Boys’ journey ends at regions) advance to play at the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup in Overland Park, Kansas July 9-12.

Below is the list of winners and finalists. Congratulations and good luck!

U12 Boys Champions

U15 Girls Champions

U13 Girls Champions

U16 Boys Finalists

U14 Girls Champions

U16 Girls Champions

U15 Boys Finalists

U17 Girls Champions

Penn Legacy Black North Union United Lady Cannons Souderton Stingers FC York Elite

Towamencin FC Bolts West-Mont United Deep Run Strikers Huntingdon Valley Pride

T

eams that advanced to Region I Presidents Cup as wild cards: U12 Boys

Penn Legacy Black U15 Boys

West-Mont United

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EPYSA.org

2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup Champions U9 Girls ‘A’ Division

U11 Girls ‘A’ Division

U14 Girls

U9 Girls ‘B’ Division

U11 Girls ‘B’ Division

U14 Boys

U9 Boys ‘A’ Division

U11 Boys ‘A’ Division

U15 Girls

U9 Boys ‘B’ Division

U11 Boys ‘B’ Division

U15 Boys

U10 Girls ‘A’ Division

U12 Girls

U16 Girls

U10 Girls ‘B’ Division

U12 Boys

U16 Boys

U10 Boys ‘A’ Division

U13 Girls

U17 Girls

U10 Boys ‘B’ Division

U13 Boys

Philadelphia SC Coppa United CASA Fire

FC Lehigh Valley United Governor Mifflin Miller Philadelphia SC Coppa Swarm North Union United Strikers Continental FC Dortmund Danubia Eagles

Lower Merion SC Fenix PA Classics Academy Philadelphia SC Hotspurs FC Lehigh Valley United Super Nova FC Hulmeville SC Vipers Parkwood Independence

Fusion Illusion Hershey Orange Demolition Warrington Warriors Abington Rowdies Warminster Warriors Southampton Bulldogs Langhorne Chaos

Lighthouse SC Attack

Photo by Tatiana Madise

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2015 Outdoor Cups T

hree competitions, 1000-plus teams, 51 champions. Here are some of the best shots from our outdoor cups. Thanks to all teams that participated.

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EPYSA.org

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ODP: Burnell Heads West with U15 National Team

T

he goal of the Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program is to not only offer our players a competitive atmosphere to improve, but also to give them opportunities to compete at the Region I and National levels.

Julia Burnell, a midfielder on the U14 Girls ODP team, recently completed a one-week camp with the United States U15 Girls’ National Team in Portland, Oregon. We caught up with her before she left for the Pacific Northwest to discuss her experience in ODP. Touchline: When did you start playing soccer and what teams did you play for?

Julia Burnell: I started out at the age of four.

I lived in Aston so I played for the Aston Youth Soccer Program.

TL: When did you start getting pretty serious into traveling soccer?

JB: I started to play travel at U8, and then I switched to West Chester United at U11 or 12.

That’s when my soccer career really started.

TL: When did you first get involved in ODP? JB: U12.

TL: What were your initial impressions of ODP? JB: I just went to tryouts, because I heard about it and heard it was a nice program. So I went.

It was a good opportunity to play with other girls from around the state.

TL: What has your experience been like over the three years?

JB: It’s been nice. I’ve met a lot of new players.

I think there are a lot from Region I going to the national camp with me. I’ve been to a lot of nice camps and met a lot of nice people. I learned a lot from other people.

TL: What highlights do you have from your ODP experience? Any particular events stand out?

JB: Yeah, when I went to Region I Camp in Rhode Island. When I got onto the Region I team, it stood out because I got to sleep in dorms with other people, play with other people, and learn to be independent.

TL: Was reaching the U15 National Camp a

goal of yours? How did you react once you found out you made it?

JB: Yeah, I was really happy because I was working for that.

TL: What has your preparation been like in anticipation of the National Camp?

JB: I’ve been practicing with the boys (Penn Fusion Elite) to get more aggressive. I’m not a very touchy kind of player. I’m more of a technical and finesse player.

I’ve been practicing with them for four or five weeks now.

TL: How much work have you put in outside of the organized practices and the sessions with the boys’ team?

JB: A lot. I go in my basement and dribble around or I’ll go outside and juggle. I’ll shoot from distances. I’ll play keeper for my (12-year-old) sister and then we’ll switch and I’ll practice PK’s.

TL: How does your role change going from your club team to the ODP team?

Julia Burnell as a U12 ODP Player circa 2013.

JB: I like to dribble more and take shots for myself. I also like to set other players up, because I know a lot of players can score from distances.

TL: Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to at the National Camp?

JB: Just like playing with girls from the West Coast. Seeing how they play different from us, like do they dribble more or pass more, or are they stronger. And also meeting the coaches, because they’re probably different than how my coaches coach me.

TL: What’s your game day routine like?

JB: I wake up. I usually eat eggs and I’ll get a bagel. I’ll listen to music. I like to listen to Bruno Mars. And I listen to a lot of techno music, no words, just the beat. And then I put my left

sock on before my right, then my left shoe on before my right, then I tie my right shoe before my left shoe. It’s just lucky for me.

TL: In closing, what are your three favorite things about ODP? JB: The coaches, I like. Everyone has a different style, like one might have a passing style, another a dribbling style. It’s nice. And then you have the girls who are a lot different.

Everyone is so different, it makes it nice.

Probably just going to different events. It’s just nice to be in different areas like going to Rhode Island, then Virginia is different from Rhode Island.

For more information on Eastern Pennsylvania ODP, please visit EPYSA.org/ODP

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Quarterly Calendar June 2015

August 2015

5-7 U13-U17 ODP Region I Tournament | Lawrenceville, NJ

7-9 National D License Course | Jenkintown, PA

5-7 U12 ODP Tournament | Wilson, NC 6/6-7/5 FIFA Women’s World Cup | Canada 25-30 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships | Barboursville, WV

September 2015

1 Seasonal Year Begins

7 Labor Day, State Office Closed

July 2015

1 RG-1 Club Registration Due

4 Independence Day, State Office Closed

5-9 Resident Camp | Immaculata University | Malvern, PA 9-12 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup | Overland Park, KS 12-16 Resident Camp | Immaculata University | Malvern, PA 19-23 Resident Camp | Immaculata University | Malvern, PA 20-26 US Youth Soccer National Championships | Tulsa, OK

26 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, PA

Photo by Tatiana Madise

17

EPYSA.org

The Importance of Rest for Young Athletes

By Glen Feltham, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Geisenger Institute

N

ow that the Memorial Day Weekend tournaments are behind us, many youth players have reached the end of their respective season. That is actually a good thing at the youth level. As most parents have heard, it is unhealthy for children, especially growing children, to train year round. It is particularly unhealthy to do so in a single sport. This leads to an increased risk of overuse injuries and burn out.

So what should we do with our kids over the summer? Rest is the best answer. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean complete rest, but relative rest. Complete rest from an organized program is actually great for a short time (three to four weeks). For those athletes that compete at the highest level, or who cannot go without training for an extended time, cross training is the answer.

Many of our kids are used to training with their team three or more days a week, working with a personal trainer or family member another two to three days per week, and then being expected to work independently on skills and conditioning the other days of the week. This obviously doesn’t lead to much down time. At some point each year, it is important to let the body heal and recover from the accumulated micro-trauma that occurs with every physical activity. The harder the activity and the more impact loading (pounding) involved in the activity, the greater the micro-trauma. For most, summer is the best time to rest and heal from these workouts.

Children with open growth plates have potential injuries specific to the soft cartilage of the plates. Since the growth plate is weaker than the

18

ligaments and tendons that attach around the plate, the stresses are transferred to that weaker plate. Repetitive stresses to the plate can cause overuse injuries that can occur at both the long bone growth plates and the apophyses. The apophysis is an area on the bone where a tendon attaches adjacent to a growth plate not directly involved in longitudinal growth of that bone. The repetitive pull of the tendon (example: quad tendon) on the bone (tibial tubercle) can cause plate widening, bone enlargement, and surrounding soft tissue irritation (Osgood Schlatter’s Disease). These stresses become even more pronounced when bones grow faster than the muscles and tendons, and this causes more inherent tension within the tendons. In extreme cases the long bones can be subject to growth disturbances, or imbalances, and the apophyses can be deformed and chronically painful. Therefore, it’s best to avoid repetitive workouts if possible.

Some excellent cross training activities include low impact exercise like swimming, bike riding,

elliptical training, or roller blading. We can also give the legs and feet a rest by working on core strengthening and upper body conditioning.

Upper extremity weight lifting is also acceptable as long as relatively low weight or resistance is utilized with emphasis on increasing tone and muscle endurance. This is accomplished with a global program of balanced muscle training with lower weight and higher reps. A Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), Personal Trainer, or Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach/ Specialist (CSC) can be a useful resource for those that wish to pursue this.

The bottom line is to let the kids heal so that they can return, pain free, to the sport they love.

Glen Feltham, MD, is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Geisenger Institute. He works in the Division of Sports Medicine and the Division of Pediatric Sports Medicine. Dr. Feltham is a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Medical Advisory Committee.

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EPYSA.org

T

Women’s Soccer Has Come a Long Way

By Joanne Neal, Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association

E

astern Pennsylvania Soccer Association (EPSA) just surpassed its 100-year anniversary and celebrated in fashion this past March with a gala dinner banquet and Hall of Fame awards ceremony. It was a true time to reflect back on the rich history of soccer, not only in Eastern PA, but throughout the country. While I was digging for information on our history, I came across an article in the 1913 New York Times about one of the first women’s soccer games to be played and documented in Manhattan. It was fascinating and a real treat to read.

red ear showing resentment…a few more rambling kicks and then the contest was over.”

Members of the women’s auxiliary club played an 8v8 game on a small pitch in front of 500 or so spectators. From the article: “While some of the women wore bloomers….others, especially the goal keepers, appeared in skirts.

One goal keeper tried to stave off a goal by catching the sphere in her outstretched skirt…”

Can you imagine!? The author wrote, “…the ball was frequently out of bounds, the players being ambitious to kick, no matter where the sphere went.” In the second half of the game, “the sphere came within an ace of going through the goal posts of the ‘A’ team, but the head of one fair player balked the play. The blow was taken good naturedly, only a very

And out on the pitch we’re sure to see the best female referees in the world also. The hard work and dedication of pioneer referees Kari Seitz and Sandra Sarafini have blazed the trail for the likes of referees Margaret Domka (USA) and Michelle Pye (CAN).

It’s an exciting time for talented women to extend deep into a realm that was once solely occupied by men. Players, referees, coaches and trainers – the ultimate goal for all of them is to participate in a sport that’s taking the country by storm and will only grow stronger.

Sold-out crowds of fans have attended the final three friendly games for the US Women’s

The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup is now underway…no hobble skirts or pointed shoes there; just lean, athletic, determined women with the sole purpose of showcasing their skills to millions of fans and claiming the title of best in the world.

Wow, we’ve come a long way, baby!

Margaret Domka, FIFA Referee National team, more than many of the MLS games have been tallying. Personally, as a woman who’s participated in the sport for almost 40 years, I can’t wait!

It’s a culture, it’s a passion, and it’s a dream.

Women are in the modern game and are here to make their mark.

E

O

T

In S

The USWNT

20

Women’s Soccer Game Circa 1913, Manhattan

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

“I want to be in

Magazine!” eastern pennsylvania youth soccer

Want to appear in an upcoming issue of Touchline?

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

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

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

To register go to:

http://www.epysa.org/communications/player_profiles/

22

PERKIOMEN VALLEY

LIGHTHOUSE

PGAYSA AND WEST SCHUYLKILL

YOUTH SOCCER PLAYER PROFILES

Haydn Williams

Emily Wright

Emma Crossin

Team Name Invasion and Avalanche Organization/Club PGAYSA and West Schuylkill

Team Name Legends Organization/Club Lighthouse

Team Name Blaze Organization/Club Perkiomen Valley

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

Left or right mid

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

Defense

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

Left Fullback

What is your nickname?

Hollywood

What is your nickname?

Em

What is your nickname?

Em

Who is your role model? Why? Lionel Messi because he is a great soccer player

Who is your role model? Why? Alex Morgan. She is a great soccer player and person on and off the field

Who is your role model? Why? My mom because she is a great mom

What is your favorite soccer team?

Los Angeles Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders

What is your favorite soccer team?

Manchester United

Age: 9

What is your favorite movie?

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies What is your favorite song?

Warriors by Imagine Dragons What is your favorite book?

War of the Worlds by HG Wells What is your favorite food?

Tacos What is your favorite sport outside of soccer?

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

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

The Hall of Fame because it would be cool to see stuff about the best sports players and a lot of other cool stuff.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A MLS or MLB player

Age: 11

What is your favorite movie?

The Hunger Games

Age: 10

What is your favorite soccer team?

Philadelphia Union What is your favorite movie?

Million Dollar Arm

What is your favorite song?

Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

What is your favorite song?

Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

What is your favorite book?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

What is your favorite book?

Matilda by Roald Dahl

What is your favorite food?

Cheese quesadilla

What is your favorite food?

Mac and Cheese

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer?

Basketball

What is your favorite sport outside of soccer?

Basketball

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

Poor sportsmanship

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

When I get beat on defense

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

The next World Cup so I can see all the best soccer players play

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

Africa so I can see elephants and other wild animals

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A professional soccer player

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Soccer player or veterinarian

23

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EPYSA.org

The 2015 Women’s World Cup: An Incentive for Change

By Mike Barr, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Technical Director

T

26

he 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins play Saturday, June 6th in Edmonton, but the pre-event conversation is small compared to the Men’s World Cup. I expect the numbers watching to be unprecedented, but can women’s professional sports, especially soccer, maintain the level of enthusiasm and popularity that should follow?

The biggest excuse you may hear is women do not have the flex time to raise a family and coach. Yet in the 1970’s many were mothers who had families. To me, there should be no reason why the number of female coaches should not be at the same level or more than the 70’s.

I remember watching the championship match of the 1999 Women’s World Cup as Brandi Chastain celebrated her winning penalty kick against China at the Rose Bowl. I was attending a wedding reception in Annapolis and I believe half the reception left the adjoining ballroom to catch the final minutes at a bar where a single television showed the match. The usual passion to see our country meet the pinnacle of success followed her clinching goal, but my thoughts were focused on something a bit deeper. I thought of all the great female athletes of the 20th century who never had the opportunity to play soccer, or for that matter most team sports that were available to men; girls who had amazing athletic ability but were excluded by the fact there were few teams available to join. Many times the rules were altered for women as well. The lack of teams to play on in the past is reflected in the opinion of most sports historians that the world’s greatest female athletes, like Babe DidricksonZaharias, participated in individual sports.

Female coaches accounted for just 40.2 percent of all Division I coaches in women’s sports during the 201415 season. Surprisingly, the percentage of female coaches for Women’s Division I soccer is at 27.4 percent. Contributing factors may include, but are not limited to, the lack of women applying for the positions, lack of coaching qualifications, or bias on the part of coaching selection committees.

Whatever the reason this issue should be examined and addressed.

The opportunities for female athletes were dismal until the passage of Title IX in 1973.

But the true effect of Title IX did not occur until the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act was proposed in 1994 and the signing into law of the “Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act” by George W Bush in 2002.

I have a suspicion that in many cases prejudice against female coaches stems from the paternal belief that men have stronger backgrounds in the sport, are better motivators, or may be more demanding, which brings about results. The question in my mind is, who is better to be a major influence on a young girl’s life than a woman who played soccer at a high club or collegiate level? Haven’t the opinions that women cannot be strong coaches diminished with the success of so many female players in the last 15 years? Why has US Soccer not examined the issues and come up with solutions or at least proposals to bring females into the coaching ranks on a more consistent basis?

Since that law was passed opportunities for women athletes have grown tremendously, but the number of female coaches in the college ranks have decreased dramatically. Forty-three years ago, 90 percent of all women’s teams were coached by women. At this time that number is 40 percent.

Eastern Pennsylvania was a huge influence in the growth of women’s soccer in the 80’s and 90’s. Pioneers such as Charlotte Moran and Bob Urban pushed for women’s soccer at both the club and high school level. Presently, we have attempted to bring female coaches to work with our girls’ Olympic Development

U

Jill Ellis leads the USWNT, but there continues to be a dearth of female coaches in the women’s game (Photo credit: US Soccer).

Program teams at every age and encourage women to attend our coaching courses. We plan to bring back our “females only” coaching courses and pursue coaching courses with individual women’s teams from colleges within Eastern Pennsylvania.

Much of the work, though, should begin at individual clubs to find professional female coaches by encouraging former players to volunteer or take courses and bringing in elite female players or coaches for clinics.

The women’s game may lack the speed and tenacity of the men’s game, but the technical play is comparable.

Appreciate the performance in June of these amazing athletes as they compete for a World Cup title. At the conclusion, support any efforts to bring a strong women’s professional league to the forefront with female head coaches at the pro and collegiate levels.

CHALK TALK

COACHING INSIGHT

Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer and the Philadelphia Union have continued to join forces in a partnership...

to bring coaching education topics to the fans and coaches who are supporters of the Union. This partnership is unique to most state associations but both parties in Eastern Pennsylvania see numerous benefits to working together. These "Chalk Talks" will bring the latest methodology from US Soccer's Coaching Education Department and provide correlating information from a Union's professional perspective.

Hear the line-up & thoughts from the Union coaching staff

Upcoming Chalk Talks

vs

vs vs

MLS League Game Sunday, July 11 at 7:00PM

MLS League Game Saturday, August 1 at 7:00PM

MLS League Game Saturday, September 12 at 7:00PM

@ EPYSA.org To attend a Chalk Talk, you must have a valid ticket to that day’s Philadelphia Union game.

Register for a Chalk Talk today and receive: • An introduction and explanation of Game Analysis as used by the U.S. Soccer Federation Coaching Education Department • Insight into the current game-day lineup as well as trends and strengths of the opposing team from Philadelphia Union Coaching Staff • Access to pre-game warm-ups • Opportunity to submit analysis to the State Office for feedback from Technical Director, Mike Barr and Assistant Technical Director, Gary Stephenson Be a part of the action and register today to be one of 30 coaches to experience a pregame talk with coaching staff of the Philadelphia Union.

Team talk ahead of kick off...

28

Touchline

AAA’s Start your Journey: Timing is Everything for Jimmy McLaughlin.

By Griffin Owens, PhiladelphiaUnion.com

P

eople say in life that timing is everything.

When the 2002 FIFA World Cup rolled around, a 10-year-old Jimmy McLaughlin in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania proclaimed to his family that his goal in life was to become a professional soccer player. It was at this age when he could really process his personal experience of watching international soccer and translate it into a measurable and achievable goal for his life. But how achievable – or realistic – was becoming a professional soccer player out of Philadelphia?

In the years prior to 2002 Soccer had yet to hit home with the American public. The sport didn’t resonate culturally the same way as it did in Europe and South America. Soccer was barely visible in the media and not nearly as glamorous as basketball, baseball, or football. While soccer can be a way of life in a city like London or Buenos Aires, Major League Soccer had only started in 1996 and had yet to gain much mainstream traction, still being seen as far inferior to the established leagues around the world.

When the 2002 World Cup began, the United States Men’s National Team had only won four World Cup Finals games in 72 years. However, it was this World Cup in which everything would change. The team recorded its best finish since 1930 as the Americans reached the quarterfinals and famously beat archrivals Mexico 2-0 in the first knockout stage.

The USMNT team created a new, unique American soccer culture that persists to this day in the next generation of players such as McLaughlin, who grew up watching and idolizing icons such as Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. With a passion for the sport already in him and the 2002 World Cup glory to look at for inspiration and drive, McLaughlin was at the prime age to develop his skills and thrive with the backdrop of this new soccer popularity in America.

Debbie McLaughlin, Jimmy’s mother, recalls that her family spent at least three-quarters of the year doing “travel soccer weekends,” reflecting that they “went everywhere.” Jimmy competed in tournaments as far west as Oregon, as north as Maine, and as south as North Carolina. The

McLaughlin’s were in their minivan nearly every weekend as they supported Jimmy’s goal of one day playing professionally. Despite the tremendous amount of sacrifices one would expect a family like this to go through, Debbie says she would not have had it any other way.

“It was a unique family experience, believe it or not. It was soccer, but there was so much more to that,” she says.

Debbie notes that things fell into place when there were rumors that Philadelphia might get a soccer team. These rumors became a reality around the time Jimmy was 15 years old. In early 2008, the Union were added as the 16th team in the MLS after the Sons of Ben supporter group and other instrumental figures successfully advocated for Philadelphia to receive a franchise. It was in this same year that McLaughlin began to play for the Union’s Youth Development Affiliate FC DELCO, a stint that would last three seasons. McLaughlin led the club with 16 goals in 24 appearances in 2010-2011, his senior year of high school, playing for FC Delco.

McLaughlin committed to Colgate University to play soccer after this breakout season. The summer before his freshman year, he was invited to play in several reserve games with the Union, which led to him being included in several international friendlies before he left for college. He played against Real Madrid and Everton and fondly remembers his opportunity to play against Cristiano Ronaldo.

At Colgate, McLaughlin was the only freshman to start in all 22 matches in 2011 and was one of six players on the team to start every game.

In his first collegiate start, he scored and led the Raiders to a 1-0 win against Syracuse University. He finished his freshman season as the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

After also winning the Patriot League Title with Colgate that same year, McLaughlin was offered a contract to play for the Union. McLaughlin returned as the Union’s second homegrown player to make the first team, ultimately achieving his dream of playing professionally.

Photo by Greg Carroccio “The Union created a path for young players like me who are aspiring to become professionals and showed them that there’s a way to do it,” McLaughlin says. “You start here, you work your way up, and this is how it happens.”

While timing might have been perfect to induce McLaughlin’s development into the Union’s second-ever homegrown player, Jimmy’s persistence and passion allowed him to progress to the next level and achieve his dreams.

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

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Soccer Tournaments – The Straight Truth H Below are some misunderstood tournament items.

H Please make yourself aware of the current policies regarding tournaments and tournament sanctioning.

H • All outdoor tournaments should be sanctioned.

• You DO NOT NEED Permission To Travel forms if you are a team (from Region I) traveling to another Region I state (EPA to NJ or EPA to Virginia, for example).

• You DO NOT NEED to provide Medical Releases to the tournament for your participants.

• Teams in open competitions from different Youth Organizations (US Youth Soccer / USClubSoccer) MAY COMPETE against each other in open competitions / tournaments.

• Teams from different Youth Organizations (US Youth Soccer / USClubSoccer) MAY NOT play on the same team (on the same roster) in any tournament.

• Your Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Insurance DOES NOT COVER YOU when you participate in an unsanctioned tournament.

• No player may be rostered, or play, on more than one team throughout the duration of the tournament/competition.

• US Soccer Bylaw 603, Section 3 states that any Organization Member sanctioning a tournament shall require the host of the tournament to identify the Organization Member that sanctioned the tournament on all tournament advertisements and promotional materials, including hard copy advertising, promotional emails, online promotions or websites for the tournament.

H If you have any questions regarding Tournament Hosting / Tournament Sanctioning, H please contact Frank Olszewski at FOlszewski@epysa.org or 610-238-9966.

H

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2015

COACHING EDUCATION

upcoming COACHING COURSES

National D License

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Quakertown June 26 – 28, 2015

Manheim July 10 – 12, 2015

National E License

National D License

Horsham July 10 – 12, 2015

Jenkintown Aug 7 – 9, 2015

NATIONAL D & E LICENSES For more information, details and registration, please visit EPYSA.org

Principles of Attack for U13 Age Group: An Exercise from U.S. Soccer’s Digital Coaching Center

By Gary Stephenson, Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, Assistant Director of Coaching WARM UP Description Create a playing area with cones.

Within the playing area, create “gates” with two cones. Put the two cones approximately 3-5 yards apart. Players get in pairs and share one ball. Have each pair go to a “gate”. A player from each pair starts on opposite sides of a gate.

B) Pass the ball through the gate to their partner then go to a new gate, C) The coach and assistant coaches walk from gate to gate. If a coach is in a gate, then the pair have to go to another gate.

Key Points Surface selection for the push pass: Inside or outside. Note: Using the Progression outside of the foot for U6’s is A) Pass the ball back and forth to each challenging. other between the gates. See how Make eye contact with your partner many passes they can make in 20 (teammate) before passing to them. seconds Keep the ball moving. Redirect the ball somewhere new.

SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY Description Key Points Create a field and put two small goals Technical applications of: dribbling, on both ends. passing, receiving/redirecting Field Dimensions: Approximately 30- If the route to one goal is blocked, can 35 yards long by 20-25 yards wide. you go to the other one quickly?

Two teams 4v4, each team attacks two goals and defends two goals.

SMALL-SIDED ACTIVITY AND GAME Description This exercise will develop how the 2 and 3 pass the ball to penetrate in the flank areas. The area of the field is the defensive half with the overall purpose of improving how the 2 and 3 help in the build-up process.

The team in red (defending large goal) attempts to score on three goals located around midfield. Make the outside goals worth more than the central goal. The team in white is attacking the large goal.

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

Key Points Passing-short, intermediate, accuracy, weight.

Receiving-vision to play forward quickly.

Principles of Play: Penetration, width, support, and mobility.

Progression Play a game to two goals maintaining the same principles but without the cones.

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