By Vince Ganzberg, NSCAA Staff Coach

Download the Petition Here

Dear Soccer Enthusiasts:

We are starting an indoor/outdoor soccer facility by McInnis Park in San Rafael and are asking for your support to make sure it will be built. The facility will consist of two full size indoor soccer fields with an all-weather outdoor field and bleachers. It
will include a concession stand that overlooks the indoor fields and an outdoor deck overlooking the outdoor field. The facility will have an arcade room for kids, a business with training programs for individuals and teams, and a soccer shop. There will
be lockers, showers, offices, banquet/party rooms and meeting rooms. This first class soccer facility will host indoor and outdoor leagues, soccer camps, coaching clinics, referee clinics and tournaments. This facility will provide much needed fields for the continued growth of soccer in Marin. With this new soccer complex and the proximity of existing McInnis
outdoor fields, Marin may finally be able to host State Olympic Development Program tryouts and State Cups. The facility will be for all ages and will be the first of its kind in Northern California. There will also be a baseball training center and possibly
basketball and tennis courts on site.

The soccer complex is being developed and will be managed by Andrew Rowley and myself. Andrew, a former “Marinite,” started “Sports City,” a successful indoor soccer business in Santa Rosa in 1996 and expanded it to Cotati in 2002. Sports City is currently one of two successful indoor soccer complexes in Northern California, this bodes well for the success of the Marin complex. As many of you already know, I grew up in Marin and have coached, played soccer and managed teams for years here. I have also run my own successful business building/remodeling homes and investing in real estate for over 10 years.

Drawings for the new complex have been submitted to The City of San Rafael and are in the design review process. As with any project of this magnitude there will be opposition and this is why we need your help. Our first meeting with The City of San Rafael Design Review Board went well but people opposing the project came in full force. Aside from our presenters, there
was only one person there to support the project and about 40 neighbors who were against it. The next meeting is mid-August so this will be your opportunity to make your voice in support of soccer heard. If we do not get approval at this next meeting the project will not pass and the dreams of having this soccer (sports) facility will end. We need to show The City of San Rafael that an indoor/outdoor soccer facility is truly needed and wanted in Marin. Your voice must be heard! We need our soccer fans, kids, moms, dads, coaches, referees, and players to come to the next meeting, sign and pass around petitions (see attached) and send emails or write letters in support of this project. Please act now to make sure this dream will come true!

We really need the support of everyone in the soccer community, so please print out the petition and get as many people as possible to sign it and write a letter or an email saying you support “The Marin Indoor Soccer Complex.” If you are writing an email or letter, please include your name, where you live and your club or team affiliation, if any. Signed petitions and letters can be mailed to 280 Cardinal Road, Mill Valley, CA 94941. If you prefer email, please send your letters of support to imanchip@yahoo.com. If you have any questions or would like more information on the project, you can reach me via the above email address or call me at (415) 383-6430.

Note: these letters can be short and to the point. The main thing is to show support for the project. Below are some suggestions on what you might refer to in your letter:

*facility will support continued growth of soccer in Marin
*will provide more fields, which are lacking in Marin, especially in Winter
*will give kids a safe place to play year round
*will enable more people to enjoy the general health benefits of soccer
*will enhance the existing soccer community by providing a central place for meetings and all soccer related activities
*will promote further cooperation between clubs and give all clubs access to state of the art facilities
*will provide sport specific speed and agility training for soccer players
*will give soccer players access to physical trainers, therapists and other related practitioners
*will provide educational opportunities for coaches & players by providing access to games on tape, coaching videos, books...

Please get your support document(s) in as soon as possible so we have them in hand for the design review meeting that is slated for mid-August. If you are interested in attending this meeting, please let me know, so I can send you the details as soon as they
are set. We appreciate your work on behalf of soccer in Marin and thank you in advance for your help and support in making the Marin Indoor Soccer Complex a reality. I look forward to hearing from all of you and will keep you updated on how things are going.

Sincerely,

Ivan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ivan Manchip
Tel/Fax:(415)383-6430
email: imanchip@yahoo.com

Download the Petition Here

By Jeff Tipping, NSCAA Director of Coaching Education

The four qualities of passing are accuracy, pace, timing and deception. Of these four qualities, one of the most neglected is the art of deception. The art of deception in passing is important for a number of different reasons but is particularly critical for our American players who have a tendency to telegraph their next movement.

Deception in passing is basically achieved in two different ways. The first is by moving the ball in one direction and passing it in another direction, for example as in a back heel. The second way that players can mask their intention is by looking in a direction and passing in a different direction.

A good exercise to reinforce deception is a sequential passing exercise where players are given numbers, for example from 1 - 8 and are asked to pass the ball sequentially to the corresponding number. By imposing a two-touch condition on the exercise, the coach can instruct the players to touch the ball away from their passing direction on the first touch and then on the second touch pass the ball in the direction they wish to go in.

The exercise can become more game-like by playing possession games of either unequal or equal numbers where the coach can give points to the team that executes deceptive movements before passing the ball.

Are you interested in coaching a 1st division women's team? Kismet is looking for you!

About us: our games will be played on Saturdays, beginning in September and going through December and then again in March through June. We have not yet determined our practice schedule -- that will depend on who the coach is and what their availability is, along with which times work best for the players.

LATEST PODCAST SERIES DEVOTED TO COACHING TACTICS

CoachCasts to Break Down Coaching Decisions and Analyze Matches;
First Installments Analyze the U-17 MNT's Performance in Peru

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 22, 2005) – A new podcast series is now available at ussoccer.com, devoted exclusively to coaching tactics and decisions. “CoachCast,” as it is known, will involve a detailed analysis of national team matches from the coaches' perspective for those who wish to know exactly how coaches at the highest level break down games, analyze opponents and react to game-changing situations.

“This new series is something we are going to do at every level of our national teams, to help give coaches a window into how our National Staff prepare and adjust from half-to-half and from game-to-game," said Bob Jenkins, U.S. Soccer's Director of Coaching Education and Youth Development. "These productions allow coaches the chance to listen to how we deal with things from travel delays, game-to-game tactics, motivation, injuries and team goals.

“The attention to detail and specifics addressed by our coaches is something that has never been available before, and I believe it will be an extremely beneficial tool to all coaches looking to expand their knowledge while at the same time gain a greater insight into how we are preparing our youth players for the international game.”

The first two CoachCasts break down the USA's two opening games in the FIFA U-17 World Championship Peru 2005 with U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team Head Coach John Hackworth and Assistant Coach Keith Fulk. In the case of Hackworth, the two installments are obviously focused on the things that went right (in light of the team's two wins in the tournament thus far), but the U-17 coach also addresses the goalkeeping mistakes and other issues that have led to goals in both games.

CoachCasts will provide listeners with an objective view of the match as seen by our coaches in order to give coaches in the U.S. Soccer community a truly analytical look at the good, the bad and the ugly in preparing a team at the highest levels of international soccer. Coaches will address the keys that allow a team to be successful, as well as the errors that can affect the outcome of a game.

In discussing the choppy win against North Korea, Hackworth and Fulk addressed how they went about preparing the team for their first match of the World Championship with very little knowledge of their opponent. The coaches also addressed their substitution decisions and what key points they chose to communicate to the players at halftime of a 2-1 win.

There were also plenty of discussion points after the U-17's solid win against Italy that qualified the squad for the quarterfinals. Included in the CoachCast are concerns the coaches had in dealing with the big Italian forwards as well as changes to the lineup that faced North Korea. The coaches discussed how they, as a coaching staff, and the team reacted to having a one-man advantage after an Italian striker was sent off with a red card in the 60th minute. They also address the reaction to the Italian goal and how the game changed after that incident, as well as what the team is doing to focus on the match against Ivory Coast without looking ahead to the quarterfinals.

While CoachCasts may not appeal to every fan looking for more basic information about the game, they are an excellent tool for coaches to learn more about the technical aspect of a specific match and the coaches' thought process at the national team level. To listen to the latest CoachCasts, click here or visit the “Coaches” section of ussoccer.com

- ussoccer.com -

AT ussoccer.com's NEW INTERACTIVE VIDEO SITE

Referees, Players, Coaches and Fans Learn About Referee Decisions with “You Make the Call”

CHICAGO, Ill. (Friday, September 9, 2005) – Referees, players, coaches and soccer aficionados alike can test their referee skills on ussoccer.com's new interactive video site, “You Make the Call.” The interactive presentation allows young referees to reinforce their knowledge of “The Laws of the Game,” while allowing players, coaches and fans to put themselves in the referee's place and learn more about the reasoning behind decisions that officials make.

"It's exciting to be able to use interactive technology as a way to help inform and educate those visiting the ‘You Make the Call' section of our website,” said Julie Ilacqua, U.S. Soccer Managing Director of Referee Programs. “We look forward to providing game clips and scenarios that will be of interest to all who visit ussoccer.com."

To access “You Make the Call,” simply click here or visit ussoccer.com and scroll down to the “Referees” headline box. Once there, participants will view a video clip and read a short explanation of what has occurred. Then, they will choose what they believe is the correct decision by the referee from a list of options.

Upon submitting an answer, players will get a summary of the results, the reason for the decision according to “The Laws of the Game,” and a short explanation of the correct answer, as well as explanations of why the other answers are not correct.

“You Make the Call” is an excellent learning tool for young referees who are still becoming familiar with “The Laws of the Game.” It not only allows young referees to see the foul in real time, as well as replays, it explains the correct decision, as well as why the other options are not correct, specifically citing “The Laws of the Game.”

The new game is also a great venue for players, coaches and fans, because it gives insight into the application of “The Laws of the Game.”

Participants also have the option of signing up to receive e-mail alerts when a new video is posted.

- ussoccer.com -