Friday, November 28th 2003 (the day after Thanksgiving)
Sponsored by the GGWSL & Sunset Soccer

"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."--Sir Isaac Newton.

Newton's famous sentiment pays homage to the people thathave gone before him and made his own experiences possible.

It is in this spirit that I am proud to announce a tournament to honor a "giant" in the world of women's soccer, Barbara Elliott.

Barbara has been a part of the Golden Gate Women's Soccer League since 1977. She is currently a member-at-large, in charge of the over-40's program. Prior to this, she was the League Secretary for over 10 years. She played in the League from 1977-2000, when she "retired" from league competition, and focused on her tournament play with an over-50's team.

Over the years, Barb has worked tirelessly to help make the Golden Gate Women's Soccer League what it is today- growing from the original 6 teams to the current 46 teams. She was the contact for new players to find a team.

She has made women's soccer in San Francisco grow from a struggling sport to the vigorous and viable sport it is today.

Barbara is one of the pioneers, and every woman soccer player in San Francisco is indebted to her. She laid the foundation that has borne opportunities in women's soccer that are available today.

For many years Barbara has battled Lupus. About two and a half years ago, Barbara lost one of those fights and her kidneys failed. Now, for 8 hours a day, she undergoes dialysis, and is currently on a waiting list for a kidney donation. This has left her unable to work, and needless to say times are difficult. Although for anyone that knows Barbara, they won't be surprised to hear that she is still as cheery as ever.

Here's how you can help:

• Play in the Barbara Elliott mixer tournament.
• On Friday November 28rd at 11:00 am
• Marina Green  (East End)
• Play small-sided (3v3/4v4) pick-up games from 11am to 1pm. We will have a series of 20 min matches. There are 6 fields already lined. This tournament is coed, but if demand is such, some women’s or men's only games will be setup.
• Have fun for a great cause.

Cost: $20 or whatever you can afford (pay to GGWSL/Barbara Elliott). Playing equipment (balls & vests) provided by Sunset Soccer

All participants will be entered in a drawing for a FREE pair of soccer shoes of your choice from Sunset Soccer. Call Toby at 415-753-2666 for more information.

If you plan on attending, RSVP to Libby Rappolt. This will give us an idea how many fields to set up. It may also reserve you a spot as space may be limited.

If you can't make it to the mixer, but still wish to donate, please make a check out to Barbara Elliott and mail it to:

Colleen Adams
GGWSL Treasurer
1215 Bay St.  #8

San Francisco, CA  94123

For Parents, Coaches, and Youth Sports Leaders

The key to preventing adult misbehavior in youth sports is a youth sports culture in which all involved "Honor the Game." Honoring the Game gets to the ROOTS of the matter and involves respect for the Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and one's Self. You don't bend the rules to win. You understand that a worthy opponent is a gift that forces you to play to your highest potential. You show respect for officials even when you disagree. You refuse to do anything that embarrasses your team. You live up to your own standards even if others don't. Here are ways that parents, coaches and league leaders can create a positive youth sports culture so that children will have fun and learn positive character traits to last a lifetime.

Sports Leaders

The key to preventing adult misbehavior in youth sports is a youth sports culture in which all involved "Honor the Game." Honoring the Game gets to the ROOTS of the matter and involves respect for the Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and one's Self. You don't bend the rules to win. You understand that a worthy opponent is a gift that forces you to play to your highest potential. You show respect for officials even when you disagree. You refuse to do anything that embarrasses your team. You live up to your own standards even if others don't. Here are ways that parents, coaches and league leaders can create a positive youth sports culture so that children will have fun and learn positive character traits to last a lifetime.

Parents

Before the Game:

1.       Make a commitment to Honor the Game in action and language no matter what others may do.

2.       Tell your child before each game that you are proud of him or her regardless of how well he or she plays.

During the Game:

1.       Fill your children's "Emotional Tank" through praise and positive recognition so they can play their very best.

2.       Don't give instructions to your child during the game. Let the coach correct player mistakes.

3.       Cheer good plays by both teams (this is advanced behavior!)

4.       Mention good calls by the official to other parents.

5.       If an official makes a "bad" call against your team? Honor the Game--BE SILENT!

6.       If another parent on your team yells at an official? Gently remind him or her to Honor the Game.

7.       Don't do anything in the heat of the moment that you will regret after the game. Ask yourself, "Will this embarrass my child or the team?"

8.       Remember to have fun! Enjoy the game.

After the Game:

1.       Thank the officials for doing a difficult job for little or no pay.

2.       Thank the coaches for their commitment and effort.

3.       Don't give advice. Instead ask your child what he or she thought about the game and then LISTEN. Listening fills Emotional Tanks.

4.       Tell your child again that you are proud of him or her, whether the team won or lost.

Coaches

1.       Model Honoring the Game in behavior and language, especially when the official makes a "bad" call against your team.

2.       Tell your players you expect them to Honor the Game regardless of what the other team does. (Check out this sample script)

3.       Recognize that you are the leader of the team, which includes the players AND their parents. Set and reinforce expectations for parent behavior in

• a pre-season letter to parents  (PDF - 85 Kbytes)
• a parent meeting at the beginning of season
• pre-game conversations at every game

4.       Support the officials if your parents yell at them. Tell parents they are to Honor the Game even if the official makes a bad call.

5.       Appoint team parent as Culture Keeper to gently remind other parents on the sideline to Honor the Game. Make sure they have cards, buttons, and stickers to give out.

Organization Leaders

1.       Adopt Honoring the Game as the official culture of the organization (Culture is "the way we do things here.")

2.       Use "message bombardment" to let coaches, athletes and parents know in a variety of ways that they are expected to Honor the Game in behavior and language.

3.       Set a positive tone by showing and discussing the Honoring the Game video with all parents and coaches at a pre-season meeting.

4.       Hold Positive Play Days early in each season in which all adults receive buttons and cards that make it clear that they are expected to Honor the Game in their behavior and language.

5.       Develop and publicize consequences for adult misbehavior similar to yellow/red cards in soccer.

6.       Reward coaches who Honor the Game at the end of each year with a Positive Coaching Award.

Ilona Montoya
Leigh Fisher Associates
160 Bovet Road, Suite 300
San Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 571-2335
(650) 571-5220 Fax

Cristiano Ronaldo: Mesmeric (AlexLivesey/GettyImages)

TEAMS:

DUE DATE:

COST:

¡¡¡Es un clásico!!!

In any language, Quakes-Galaxy playoff epic gives MLS its defining match

Posted: Tuesday November 11, 2003 1:43AM; Updated: Tuesday November 11, 2003 10:17AM

Let's call it what it was: the greatest game in MLS history.

I won't argue about this. And neither will U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, who had the fortune of being on site for Sunday night's unforgettable first-round playoff victory by the San Jose Earthquakes over the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy.

Calling it the Clásico de California won't do it justice. Understand: To continue their season, the Quakes had to score five unanswered goals after going down 4-0 (aggregate) in the 13th minute on Sunday.

Not only that, but they had to do it against the defending MLS champion, a team that hadn't given up more than two goals in a game all season.

And they did it. Five freaking goals -- capped by Chris Roñer's 90th-minute equalizer and the golden goal in overtime by Rodrigo Faria, who broke down crying under a dogpile of teammates on the Spartan Stadium sod.

All the "postseason epic" comparisons are apt. This was the Bills coming from 32 points down to beat the Oilers (with ace passer Richard Mulrooney playing Frank Reich). This was MLS' version of the Chargers over the Dolphins (with the exhausted Brian Mullan playing Kellen Winslow). This was better than Stallone's penalty-kick save in Victory.

This was the kind of game that builds a league.

Best match in MLS history? No doubt. "It was the best game I've ever seen in terms of the excitement and what had to be accomplished," Arena told me on Monday. "It's one thing if they had won the game 3-2 and under the old format sent it into another 30 minutes [of sudden-death OT]. But to win it on aggregate ... I can't say it was impossible, because it's not impossible. They did it."

Remember, Arena sees more MLS games than just about anyone ("definitely 80 percent of the games, maybe more," he says), and recall, too, that he was personally involved as D.C. United's coach in the game that is now No. 2 in MLS history: United's 3-2 win over L.A. (those Galaxy again) in MLS Cup I after coming back from a 2-0 deficit.

Not even that one compares to Sunday night. "We didn't have to score five goals in the '96 final," Arena says. "We were down two goals and got the two to go into overtime. They had to get four to go into overtime. And the goals -- all seven of them -- were great goals."

Arena is not a man who normally gushes. He was gushing over the phone on Monday: "It was truly remarkable. The crowd [of 14,145] was into it. And the soccer by San Jose was pretty good, you know. They had to break down an L.A. team that was putting a lot of players behind the ball and had a great goalkeeper [Kevin Hartman] who made two fantastic saves."

Choosing the Quakes' hero was an impossible task. Was it Mulrooney, whose Hail Mary cross to Roñer in Minute 90 saved the day when it looked like the game was over? Was it Landon Donovan, whose perfect through-ball set up Faria for his winning first-time laser? Was it coach Frank Yallop, the anti-Grady Little, who sent on Roñer just two minutes before he headed home the equalizer? Or was it Faria, the late sub who nearly gave up the sport after his father died back home in Brazil last summer?

Or maybe it was Jamil Walker (one goal and one assist in his first pro start). Or the tireless Mullan. Or wily old vet Jeff Agoos, whose 20-yard free kick bomb started the rally in the first place.

Thank god for the MLS Shootout TV package. This game alone was worth the $50 price tag -- and not just for supporters of either team, but for anyone who considers himself an American soccer fan.

Here's an idea: Given the handful of people who actually saw the broadcast, wouldn't you think the good folks at Fox Sports World could run it again as an Instant Classic? That would be the best way to recreate the upside-down-exclamation-mark passion that surrounded this game. (Which reminds me, how much fun is it to watch Spanish-language soccer broadcasts? Think about it. ¡¡¡Cuatro a cuatro, increîble!!!¡¡¡Es un clásico!!! just sounds better than Four-four. Incredible, a classic. Ah, the limitations of the English language.)

And so MLS' much-maligned new playoff format is vindicated. Sort of. Another way to look at it would be to wonder how much better MLS would be if it had games like this one -- games that really meant something -- more often.

As Arena says, "For my job it's one of the few games where I'm really able to evaluate players in high-pressure conditions. And players show in those types of settings. There's not enough games like that in the league.

"You'll see games like that in Europe. They're fast-paced, they're intense, and players are playing like it means something. If MLS went to a [single] table next year and had the top three or four teams get bonuses at the end of the year, every game would mean something. It would raise the level considerably. Right now, being one of eight teams to make the playoffs isn't an accomplishment. And then you get into these short little series that make a farce out of the 30 previous games."

All that said, Arena couldn't help but be impressed by what happened Sunday night. And the fact is, he has been able to identify some new national team prospects: "I would say [New England's] Pat Noonan, from what I've seen the last month or two. Brian Mullan is an interesting player. And the kid Jamil Walker had a fantastic game last night. He's a walking advertisement for the league. We're often critical of the league, but you look at this kid who came in at the beginning of the year and was really raw, inexperienced and not ready to play, and he got a goal last night and was dangerous. It's pretty noticeable that he's made considerable improvements throughout the year."

It was Walker, the rookie from Santa Clara, who fed Donovan on Quakes goal No. 2 -- and then scored on his own header (from who else, Mulrooney) for No. 3. That set the stage for a miracle comeback that nobody, deep down, could have imagined possible.

As Arena put it, "Before the game, I told Frank [Yallop], 'You can't let them get the first goal, and if they get the second goal [to go up 4-0 overall] then head to the bar.'

"I'm happy he didn't listen to my advice."

Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl keeps you up to date with the world of U.S. soccer at SI.com.

Find this article at:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/writers/grant_wahl/11/10/mls.classic/index.html