I’ve been in Kansas City for a week now doing some work with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (www.NSCAA.com). During my time here, the folks here have been talking non-stop about the incredible family environment. I wanted to share this with the world, so I walked around with my iPhone (catching the crew totally off guard) and captured their first reactions when I asked, “What do you love about the NSCAA?” Pretty cool.

Later today we’re going to Cindi’s amazing renovated house on Strawberry Hill for some homemade white sangria and a beautiful view of Kansas City, MO. I <3 the fam.

Join today, or if you're already a member, share the membership with somebody you care about: http://www.nscaa.com/join.php.

I wrote this post for the NSCAA blog in an effort to help coaches better navigate the social media world with their players, from youth coaches to college coaches. Click here to view the full post.

Our players are on Facebook. And whether we like it or not, they’re probably using Twitter, MySpace and YouTube as well. They’re friending and liking people and products all over the Internet that we have no knowledge of. We certainly don’t need to know all the details, but as their soccer coach, it’s in our players’ best collective interest to understand how these social communities affect recruiting so we can guide them to make smart decisions.

This blog post will help you with two specific areas of social media:

1. Learning NCAA recruiting rules.
2. Setting expectations with your players.

NCAA recruiting rules

The NCAA has developed rules regarding social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and as coaches it’s smart for us to understand these rules. Keep in mind social media is constantly evolving, so for updated information please visit the NCAA website.

According to NCAA.org, “Divisions I and II look at social networking less in terms of the technology being used and more in terms of its recruiting impact.”

As a Division I or II coaches and institutions can:

1. Set up social networking pages like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube to promote their school and program.
2. Send messages to recruits through a social networking program’s email function.

They cannot use the school’s social networking pages (or any page belonging to someone affiliated with the institution) to:

1. Feature photos of prospective student-athletes
2. Contact individual prospects publically (like Tweeting an @reply or writing on their Facebook wall).
3. Discuss specific recruits on any wall or public forum.
4. Contact prospects when it is impermissible as per NCAA recruiting laws.

There’s more to this section! Click here to view the full post at NSCAA.com/blog.

Set expectations with your players

How our players use social media can affect their lives, including college recruiting efforts, so it’s a good idea to help your players think through various scenarios before posting, tweeting, tagging, friending and liking. Here are a few suggestions to kick-start an open dialogue, and help you set expectations as their coach. Check out the full blog post at NSCAA.com/blog to talk with other coaches their strategies for talking to players about social media.

1. Learn the privacy settings – With most social sites, it’s easy to create groups that offer various permissions to certain groups. For example, a player might want her school friends to see her photo albums, but she doesn’t want those photos out there in the public space. That’s not difficult to sort out if you take a few minutes to learn how to do it.
2. There is no undo – As soon your player hits send or presses enter, that information is now in “cyberspace.” Even if the player tries to delete those messages, there is always someone out there who can retrieve them.
3. There are consequences to every action – Before they type any message, remind your players to think about the consequences that this information may have on them, their teammates, their friends, their coaches, their teachers, their club, their family and more. Personally I treat every tweet, post or comment as a public statement, and I set the expectation at the beginning of each season that if I see an inappropriate post, there will be consequences.
4. Think about your career – People often search social sites like Facebook to learn more about future employees or players. No coach wants a troublemaker on his/her team no matter how good they are at soccer, and employers want to hire people they can trust. If players’ social media sites have inappropriate comments or photos, that employer will probably think twice about bringing them in to represent the organization.

There’s more to this section! Click here to view the full post at NSCAA.com/blog.

What’s your experience?

Hopefully this information and tips help you engage in a meaningful dialogue with your players about how social media can affect college recruiting, but I’d like to learn more about how you’re navigating this new space.

Check out the NSCAA blog to view the full post and talk with other coaches about your experiences with social media.

On Wednesday, April 28th, I held a conference call with all 6 female coaches in Women’s Professional Soccer to talk about the development of women’s soccer coaches – in America and around the world. On the call, we had:

* Emma Hayes, Chicago Red Stars Head Coach
* Pauliina Miettinen, Sky Blue FC Head Coach
* Lisa Cole, Boston Breakers Assistant Coach
* Denise Reddy, Chicago Red Stars Assistant Coach
* Nicci Wright, Washington Freedom Goalkeeper Coach
* Anne Parnila, Sky Blue FC Assistant Coach

Below, I’ve included the text from my intro, and then a very brief summary of each Q&A, with time markers for your listening convenience. Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

* Please note that the summaries are not exact words (you’ll need to listed to the podcast for that!), and I recorded the call on Skype so once in a while there’s a break in the audio (sorry).

(If you can’t see the player above, you can also download the .mp3)

Intro: Welcome everybody to today’s call, “Women Coaching Top-Level Football, A Discussion”.

My name’s Amanda Vandervort, and I’m the owner of Soccer Science – a blog about the technology that is revolutionizing the way we see the beautiful game. I also work in New Media at the WPS League Office, and I’m the Chair of the Women’s Committee for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

I’ve organized this call, here at the beginning of the 2010 WPS season, because I often find myself talking about Women Coaching Soccer – why we’re not seeing many women at the highest levels, what barriers women are facing to becoming top-level coaches, and how we as a coaching community can help develop women to stay in the game and take on coaching as a career. I thought – who best to chat about these things than with the select few who have actually made it?

With that I’d like to welcome 4 of the female coaches in WPS to the call. We’re expecting two more throughout the call, so hopefully they do join us. Let’s go around the room and if you could each introduce yourself, the team you coach, and your position that would be great. And, to give this intro a little flavor, let’s dig right in and can you give us a n idea about how your background (hometown, country, culture) has impacted your career choice to be a soccer coach.

Emma Hayes (right) discusses strategies at the 2010 WPS Draft with Red Stars general manager Marcia McDermott. (image: isiphotos.net)

1:30 – Emma Hayes, Head Coach for the Chicago Red Stars. From London, England. Was injured and took coaching courses as a teenager. Then came to the states to pursue her dreams of coaching professionally.

Lisa Cole walks onto the pitch to congratulate her players after a win in 2009. (image: isiphotos.net)

2:00 - Lisa Cole, Assistant Coach for the Boston Breakers. Soccer has been a huge part of her life and felt coaching was a natural progression. Started coaching in the 9th grade. Tactics have always appealed to her.

Nicci Wright (left) works with Freedom goalkeeper, Erin McLeod. (image: isiphotos.net)

2:30 – Nicci Wright, Goalkeeper Coach for the Washington Freedom. From British Columbia, Canada. Was a teacher, and started coaching during her time with the Canadian National Team. Progressed into club, ODP college, the W-League and then WPS.

Denise Reddy shares a few words with the Red Stars defenders. (image: isiphotos.net)

3:30 – Denise Reddy, Assistant Coach for the Chicago Red Stars. Coached ODP in NJ at age 16 and continued throughout college. Played oversees as a pro for 11 years and learned a lot from many different coaches.

Pauliina Miettinen has a word with Sky Blue FC player, Laura Kalmari. (image: isiphotos.net)

4:00 – Pauliina Miettinen, Head Coach for Sky Blue FC. It’s been natural, she always wanted to be a teacher and loves soccer. Appreciates all the support she’s received, and she wants to give back.

Anne Parnila organizes the Sky Blue FC midfield. (image: isiphotos.net)

5:24 – Anne Parnila, Assistant Coach for Sky Blue FC. Welcomed to the call, but just plans to listen in.

5:45 – Why do you think you “made it” to pro coaching? What was it that influenced you – a person, an event? Were there any particular challenges that you faced?

6:00 – Emma Hayes. Intrinsic motivation and enjoyment of being a leader. Didn’t have the opportunities in her own country, even if she had the qualifications, because there were no opportunities. The 1999 World Cup made her realize there were opportunities in the States. Sue Ryan and Kim Wyant influenced her. Became a W-League coach at 25. Need a slice of luck and opportunity.

7:40 – Lisa Cole. The people she’s been around – Dr. Colleen Hacker and Tony DiCicco, Sue Ryan, Nancy Feldman. Can name a ton of good, quality coaches. Spent time around them by volunteering or creating opportunities to be in those spots. Good mentors are important. Taking coaching courses, speaking up, having confidence.

9:00 – Nicci Wright. Was lucky to play up until 3 years ago. Transition from player to player-coach, and then coaching. In a situation where she’s been given a great opportunity and may have followed different lines, so every day is a learning process with Jim Gabarra and Clyde Watson. Big difference between where Canada was when she played, and where they are now. Didn’t grow up with a lot of women to look up to in the Canadian system.

12:00 – How do we retain pro players in the game? As we’re developing WPS and pro leagues around the world, how do we encourage, retain and mentor top-level athletes and female players to stay in the game and take on coaching as a career?

12:15 - Nicci Wright. In the Canadian system, it’s a lot about the coaches you’re brought up with. Had a chance to be a player-coach, and there’s a couple players that she’s played with that are now coaching in the youth system, but more than anything it’s about having an open door. Has only had one female coach, so once women begin to see coaching as a possible career path, and the door is open to women, we’ll have more players becoming coaches. Currently, it’s still a struggle.

14:00 – Emma Hayes. In England, the support given to female coaches and their development has improved dramatically under Hope Powell. She has put opportunities in place for women to coach at the top levels. There is more support, and mentorship through their “A” license. With the creation of the 2010 Super League, we’ll hopefully see more opportunities for female coaches at the higher levels.

15:15 – Lisa Cole. The Germans have done a good job in this area because they have their players taking coaching licenses during their playing careers – not to make them all coaches, but to introduce them to tactics and help make them better players. Yet as a result we see players advancing into the coaching ranks.

16:15 – Denise Reddy. She went through the same thing in Sweden. They provided, free of charge, the opportunity to take coaching licenses. Take it with the top pro players in the region, men and women. In Sweden, they also have conferences where they invite coaches to watch games, interact, and talk about where the game is going.

17:30 – Pauliina Miettinen. Hasn’t lived in Finland for many years so can’t relate to the system there so much. Did all her schooling here in the states. Meeting Mark Krikorian was “the best thing that ever happened to me, coaching-wise”. In America, people push you to go higher, where this may not be the case elsewhere. Opportunities are greater here to support yourself as a coach. Going from player to coach, she just tries to do her best, be honest, be funny, and work hard every day.

19:40 – Pauliina and Lisa, can you talk more about how Mark Krikorian has influenced you?

20:00 – Pauliina Miettinen. Mark does things thoroughly, properly, and with integrity. He is willing to help you any time, regardless of when and where you are. Follows through and makes you feel special. He says thank you every single day. Gives credit where credit is due, and values your work and your efforts. Honest, straightforward, and doesn’t play games.

21:40 – Lisa Cole. Mark is one of of a number of male coaches who have really invested in the women’s game – also Tony Dicicco and Jerry Smith – and works to help females become successful in the game, both as players and coaches. Mark in particular, recognizes his staff’s strengths and weaknesses. He puts his staff in situations where they can excel at what they’re good at. He empowers people around him.

24:00 – Emma, can you talk more about how Sue Ryan influenced your coaching career

24:20 – Emma Hayes. Sue Ryan mentored Emma to not miss steps in the coaching development process. Coach the youth players, become a clinician. Be patient and be attentive to the details that come along with coaching at different levels. While Emma always knew she wanted to be a Head Coach, Sue advised her to take an assistant job, and it’s allowed her to have a different perspective and relationship with the players. It’s critical that we give back to communities.

26:43 – Where do you see the women’s game in 20 years?

27:00 – Lisa Cole. Gaps will close between countries, in terms of competitiveness. WPS will be celebrating it’s 22nd year of play. Sponsorship and the value that sponsors are seeing in females participating in sports is increased. There’s a lot of work to be done – In 20 years, we could be restarting again if we don’t stay on top of the work we’re doing now.

28:00 – Pauliina Miettinen. In Europe, a lot of counties have emerged, and as a result we’ll see a more balanced level of play. We have so much more to learn as players. Tactically and technically we will become more proficient, but we are still young as a sport. Even in 5 years the game will look different.

29:10 – Nicci Wright. When we started WPS last year, we were using footage of the 2003 Founder’s Cup, and the ability of players has completely changed. So looking forward, it will continue to change. 20 year is far off, but the game will continue to grow.

30:30 - Denise Reddy. With WPS, the leagues around Europe may not be as strong here at the beginning. But because of this, they will be able to develop their younger players – 16/17 year-old players are currently in the top divisions abroad. In America, we’ll need to develop younger players, especialy in technical and tactical advancement, so when they come out of college at 21, they’re at a higher level and can take the steps to becoming a pro.

32:00 - Emma Hayes. We will see the introduction of better long-term player development strategies and a more academy-like structure in the women’s game, similar to the men’s game in this country. Continued lobbying at FIFA will allow for the development of grassroots soccer in emerging nations (Africa and Latin America) will bring more teams participating in larger, worldwide tournaments. One thing that WPS has benchmarked has been the development of social media in reaching out to its followers – sharing game highlights, interacting with fans and followers, these are creating an impact that will truly be realized in the years to come. “While it may seem as a threat to the rest of the world in terms of taking players, we’re actually setting standards for the women’s game.”

35:35 – Thank you for taking the time to be on today’s call. This is just the tip of the iceberg on all the things we could talk about. Looking forward to seeing you all on the pitch soon!

Interested in seeing a WPS game? View the full 2010 schedule, the TV listings, and webcast/iPhone streaming schedule.

On the last day of the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium, I asked some of the participants what they thought about their experience. Thanks to everybody for sharing your thoughts so openly!

Transcript:

Erin Aubry, Head Coach at the University of Arkansas
“We talk about the four pillars of soccer, but they really embraced every single aspect of it. And so it wasn’t just a trip about the soccer, and of course being in this amazing environment, but you know, just everything. And you realize how much bigger your role can be.”

Sam Laity, Coach at Dos FC in Seattle, WA – NSCAA Master Coach Candidate
“The access that we had to the players and to the coaching staff, and just the relaxed nature of the whole thing was fantastic. There’s no other experience really like it – available in the U.S. or probably in the anywhere in the world. So thanks to the NSCAA for putting it together.”

Gabe Massine – Coach at Broomfield United in Denver, CO
“Yeah definitely. It’s the best soccer coaching thing the NSCAA does, in my opinion. Favorite part? I don’t know – there’s too many. Access to watching national team trainings, speaking to coaches from other national teams. Colleen Hacker and April Heinrichs obviously are two of the best in the world and having them in small groups and being able to talk with them for a week and learn from them is pretty amazing.”

Erin DeMarco, Head Coach at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia, PA
“This is a great place to be. You get to do a lot while you’re here, it’s not in the classroom all the time. There really hasn’t been a wasted moment. Everything has been quality and planned very well.”

Erica Destache, Assistant Coach at University of Wisconsin, Osh Kosh
“Going to the training sessions and seeing the level of soccer we’re seeing. You usually don’t have that anywhere in the world, and it’s wonderful. And also meeting all these great people, and seeing the sites of Portugal has been fun.”

Paula White – Professional Hair Stylist in Dallas, TX Note of interest: Paula’s sister, Kat Connor, is the Head Coach at Texas State University and was on the trip for her second year in a row
“It’s a lot of psychology and team-building and ways to encourage any team, or any staff… I work for a salon so the staff I educate, and the information I’ve learned from Colleen can really help me with my education, too.”

Ted Anderson, Assistant Coach at University of Nebraska, Omaha
“Being able to see the best teams in the world train, and having the opportunity to watch them play against each other is going to be exciting.”

Laura Flynn, Front Office Staff at the WPS Philadelphia Independence
“I was concerned that, because I don’t have any coaching experience, I wasn’t sure if this was the trip for me. If someone needed to have lots of experience coaching. I would say this trip is good for anybody. I have learned so much that I can take away just when I’m starting at the youth level. And I’ve made a lot of great connections.”

Kristina Kiss, Retired Canadian Women’s National Team Player and youth coach in Ontario, Canada
“I love the lectures and seminars we’ve been having with Dr. Colleen Hacker. Watching international soccer is always amazing, especially at this level. I think anyone who wants to be a coach, anyone involved in coaching, even players, it would be an excellent opportunity to see things from the other side…. the dark side.”

Erin Aubry, Head Coach at the University of Arkansas
“Obviously the group that we have here is a wide, wide diversity of people and their soccer backgrounds. Everybody fit in and everybody had something to contribute. Nobody was out of place or didn’t have anything to say, and I think everybody brought something to the table to make the trip great. So I think the more diverse the group can be, the better it is.”

To those who’s Q&A didn’t make the cut, I’m sorry – I must confess that there were some technical difficulties with the recording on my computer so I didn’t get it all.

Last week, I was in Portugal for the NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium. We were able to watch some amazing national team matches and training sessions, but we definitely took the time to explore Portugal as well.

One day, we took a 30-minute drive from base camp to Lagos. After viewing the beautiful rock formations jutting out from the turquoise-colored water, we returned to town to grab some lunch. But one wrong turn sent this group of NSCAA Algrave Cup Symposium candidates – Kwame Lloyd, Erin Aubry, Laura Flynn, Steve McGuirk, Gabe Messine, Natalie Smith, Erica Destache, Paula White, Erin DeMarco, Kat Connor and myself – on a roller coaster ride through the streets of Old Town.

Beware, the video that follows includes some steep stick shift hill climbs, including reverse. And yes, I’m driving. Music is complements of Angela D’Amato & Friends, aka the J-Lo rip-off I purchased for 3,80 euros that we listened to over and over and over again.

I hope you’ve been able to follow along on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nscaawomen over the last couple days. Although I took today off from Tweeting, I will certainly be back at it tomorrow for the Algarve Cup finale.



Here’s the Algarve Cup schedule for the final day of competition:


11am local time: Austria vs. Faroe Islands – Estadio Dr. Francisco Vieira – Silves
11am local time: Romania vs. Finland – Parque Desportivo da Nora – Ferreiras
11am local time: Denmark vs. Norway – Complexo Desportivo Belavista – Parchal
11am local time: China vs. Sweden – Estadio Municipal de Albufeira
1pm local time: Portugal vs. Iceland – Estadio Algarve (on TV)
4pm local time: Germany vs. USA – Estadio Algarve



As you can see, USA will be taking on Germany. I’ve now seen Germany play twice here at Algarve. They destroyed Finland 7-0, then walked all over China 4-0. It will be great to see the team against some deeper competition. 

We also saw the USA yesterday against Sweden. They won 2-0 on two Lauren Cheney goals. It’s been great to see Pia use the depth from her bench, but it will definitely take a strong 11 to take down the Germans tomorrow. I’ll be tweeting live from the game, so tune in 11am ET (if my time zone calculation is correct) for the inside scoop from the stadium!

Finally, here’s my quick “1-2 punch” photo slide show for the last two days of the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium.



March 1

10am – Team Building on the Beach with the one and only Dr. Colleen Hacker

3pm – USA vs. Sweden match at Parque Desportivo da Nora 
4pm – Germany vs China match at Algarve Stadium

7pm – Dinner with the group up the hill from our hotel on “the strip”. (I tried Sea Bream for the first time, a local fish – white, flaky & yummy!)


March 2

10am – Depart hotel for Sagres, a fort on the Southwestern-most tip of Portugal that looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean. When you’re standing on the edge, it really feels like you’re on the edge of the world.


1pm – Stop at an amazing local pottery shop

2pm – Have a nice, relaxing lunch In Silves. Then visit Silves Castle. 


4pm – Have a quick drive-by the “Church of Bones”. Quick, but totally worth the visit!

6pm – Dr. Colleen Hacker and Dr. Karen McConnell’s presentation about Body Image

8pm – I presented to the group about Women’s Professional Soccer

I’m here at the Algarve Cup tournament in Portugal, and we have a couple NSCAA Master Coach candidates in attendance. Sam Laity offered up a match analysis of the Germany v Finland game for Soccer Science. Enjoy!

Germany vs. Finland – Feb 27th, 2010
Algarve Cup, Portugal
By Sam Laity, NSCAA 2010 Master Coach candidate

German engineering at it’s best. Well organized, efficient, effective committed team that played with a presence from start to finish in this game. The Germans played with great confidence and belief that allowed them to build rhythm and momentum early in the game. They dominated the Finish early on with direct running and distribution that, we’re it not for the abilities of the Finish goalkeeper, who was arguably man of the match, this game would have been out of reach in the first 10 minutes.

What was special about this German team? Well, almost everything! The two outside midfielders played high and wide in possession, moving the formation from a 4-4-2 to a 2-4-4 and as a result causing the Finish back four constant problems dealing with diagonal balls driven in behind their shape. The Germans, far from being one dimensional, offered creative and instinctive flank play that left the Finish players look at their bench for support! Sadly for them, that didn’t materialize and the Germans simply took a grip of the game in a big way. The Finish teams lack of pressure on the ball turned this into a crossing and finishing activity early in the second half. Three goals in four ruthless minutes by the Germans turned this a no-contest in the 65th minute. Final score, Germany 7 – Finland 0

The picture below shows the Finish defense confronted with four runners in the German attack. This was a constant threat through-out the game for the Finish who never adapted to the Germans direct but purposeful approach.

I’m currently in the Portugal for the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium, and I’m posting insights and info as we get to matches and training sessions- I hope you enjoy the updates!

Today was one of the most amazing days I could have asked for in the Algarve. Photo Above – I can’t believe I was on the pitch with Tina Theune-Meyer, April Heinrichs and Pia Sundhage at the same time. Seriously, I get goose bumps now even thinking about it!

I woke up a bit early this morning to get some things organized and call Sweden’s coaching staff about their training schedule. Turns out they had a session at the exact same time as the U.S. WNT, and the vote was unanimous in favor of the Americans. The Swedes do train on Monday though, so we may actually get to see them then.

First up, Montechoro. We had a great Q&A session with April Heinrichs and Dr. Colleen Hacker, who told us about their strengths and weaknesses as coaches – it was insightful! The Norwegian WNT team arrived at 10:30am, so we only caught the opening minutes of their practice before we had to leave for the USA session, which was set to begin at 11am. I did, however, give an FC Gold Pride scarf to Solveig Gulbrandsen, and a Washington Freedom scarf to Lene Mykjaland. :-)

Afterward, we headed over to Guia, where the U.S. WNT team was training. The players had yesterday off, so today’s session was pretty high-energy. April Heinrichs described it as “Medium to Medium-High” level of effort at any practice for the U.S. team. We thought this was interesting considering it’s the day before a game.

After the session, U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach, Pia Sunhage, came over to speak with our group. She was gracious to give us detailed and heartfelt information about their match against Norway earlier in the week. She talked about the training session she conducted today, and what her goals are for the Algarve Cup. In sum, she said this tournament was for developing her team for the Women’s World Cup 2011.

The goalkeepers stayed late to finish their training with coach Paul Rogers. They worked on saving long crosses and short-range finishing. Afterward, two coaches participating in the NSCAA Symposium – Rachel and Jamie Lindvall – stayed late to get their Northwest Nazarine goalkeeper, Tanya Zickefoose’s hand-drawn picture of Hope Solo signed. Hope was gracious, engaged and just all around awesome – she proudly signed the pict.

A group of us then jumped in the van and drove 45 minutes to Lagos, which officially ranks as one of the most beautiful spots on earth!!! You know all those touristy photos you see of the cliffs and bright aqua-colored water. Those are from Lagos. Following the van-driving adventure of a lifetime (video to follow), we also ate lunch at a great little spot downtown.

To wrap up the evening, we came back to the hotel for our evening lecture series. Our group was divided into three “coaching staffs” to present a match analysis. It’s pretty cool to hear many different perspectives on one match. Especially at the end when April offered her perspective. Then, Dr. Hacker gave an awesome presentation called, “Growth through Adversity: Lessons Learned from the Competitive Cauldron.” Finally, UEFA “A” Licensed coach, Jitka Klimkova, shared great information and details about the UEFA licensing program.

For tomorrow, we’ll be watching USA vs. Sweden at 3pm local, then zooming about 20 minutes to a different stadium for Germany vs. China at 5pm. Follow http://www.twitter.com/nscaawomen for all the live and in-game color commentary!

I’m currently in the Portugal for the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium, and I’m posting insights and info as we get to matches and training sessions- I hope you enjoy the updates!

Today began with a little drive to see the German Women’s National Team train. The trip from our hotel was about 15 minutes through some very scenic spots. There were rolling green hills with orange trees dotting the countryside – gorgeous. (We may have pulled over and snuck an orange. Not ripe, but totally worth it).

We arrived at the pitch just as the goalkeepers were beginning their session. Nadine Angerer, one of the very top goalkeepers in the world, really went through the paces. (Her team did defeat Finland 7-0 yesterday, I can imagine she probably needed the workout.) Here’s a little insight from April Heinrichs (P.S. I’m posting this blog before the video has finished processing and heading to bed. If it doesn’t render properly for some reason, I’ll sort it out tomorrow.):

We were extremely lucky to have Doris Fitschen speak with us about the German Women’s National Team program. Doris is considered one of the most successful German women’s soccer players in history, having won seven national titles and six DFB trophies. Fitschen competed for Germany at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. She now works with the National Team program in multiple capacities – from team operations to marketing.

After Doris spoke, we watched the rest of the German practice, and at the end we went down onto the pitch to gather signatures from Birgit Prinz, Nadine Angerer and a few other players. I also met Uli Ballweg, the Assistant German coach. As you might recall, Uli was originally scheduled to present at the 2010 NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, but unfortunately had to reschedule due to a medical emergency. The good news is that Maybe she’ll reschedule for next year? We’ll see ;-)

We were able to watch the Finnish goalkeeper train for about 30 minutes – she worked on crossed balls into the box. And then we headed down to the beach to snap a group photo.

Tomorrow morning, we’re headed over to Montechoro to see the Norwegian National Team train for about 30 minutes. Then, we’ll head over to the U.S. Women’s National Team training session in Guia. I’ll have photos and updates from that afterward.

Here’s a list of WPS players I’ll see tomorrow

USA
Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride)
Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars)
Hope Solo (Saint Louis Athletica)
Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride)
Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers)
Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers)
Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence)
Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC)
Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)
Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC)
Shannon Boxx (Saint Louis Athletica)
Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)
Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence)
Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC)
Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC)
Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers)
Casey Nogueira (Chicago Red Stars)
Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence)
Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

Norway
Solveig Gulbrandsen (FC Gold Pride)
Lene Mykjaland (Washington Freedom)

Oh, and I forgot to mention that when we went to Denmark v. China, I left an Atlanta Beat scarf for Johanna Rasmussen with the Danish FA representatives in the Press Box. I didn’t get a photo of her with it, so let’s hope she brings it to the Final Day of matches. 

It was a great day of Algarve Cup action, and our first opportunity to see the games. First, we traveled to Lagos to see Denmark play China. I interviewed Sam Laity at halftime, who I believe summed up the game better than I could ever write (1:30):

Transcript:

Amanda: I’m here with Sam Leity, for the second time, because for the first time my audio had issues uploading to the internet. So, Sam, would you mind telling us, where do you coach?

Sam: I coach for Doss FC in Seattle, Washington.

Amanda: And Sam’s been gracious enough to give the listeners back home in the states a halftime report on China vs. Denmark. Sam, would you give us a little insight into the shape of the teams in the match so far.

Sam: Absolutely yeah. China currently wining 2-0, playing a 4-4-2 system. The Danish are playing a 4-3-3 system. They started off the game with 2 defensive mids and 1 attacking mid, and 3 flat forwards. And they switched it up in the last 15 minutes to 1 defensive mid and 2 offensive mids.

Amanda: So the score is currently 2-0. Can you tell us a little bit about the goals that were scored.

Sam: Yeah, the first goal was a good piece of individual play by the attacking midfield player for China. She created a bit of space for herself on the edge of the box and cracked one in from about 22 yards. It was a very good goal.

Amanda: And the second goal?

Sam: The second goal was a good team goal. Started off with the left back, into a checking center mid. Center mid released to the outside fullback, fullback did a little combination with the outside midfield player, then played a though ball into the forward, who did a quick combination with the attacking mid, and left the player 1 v 1 with the goalkeeper. So both great goals from the China perspective.

Amanda: Thank you Sam.

Sam: You’re welcome, for the second time ;-)

Following halftime, the score remained knotted at 2-2 for some time. After about 20 minutes, the pace started to slow. With Germany being such a tempting prospect just 30 minutes away from kick-off (with a 20-minute drive to get there), we left and headed to Parchal.

Upon arrival, it was apparent that this match was the one to be at. The stadium was packed with fans, mostly German, and action from Germany front line was exciting from the moment we arrived. Credit to the Finnish goalkeeper for a great opening stanza.

Seven minutes in, NSCAA Master Coach candidate, Ted Anderson, gave us his opening impression (0:40):

Transcript:

Amanda: I’m here with Ted Anderson at the NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium. Ted, how would you say play is so far, Germany vs. Finland.

Ted: It’s taken a couple minutes, I think all of seven and the Germans have dominated. Just put a ball off the post, and had another opportunity with a 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper. And I think, at this point it’s only a matter of time until they get the first one in. The crowd is electric here, as you may be able to hear with the noise-makers and everything else. I think it’s a pro-German group, so they have a little backing even though they’re on the road.

Amanda: Thanks for that Ted.

Germany lead 1-0 at the half. Here’s April Heinrichs, former USWNT coach and current FIFA consultant, with a first-half recap:

Transcript to follow.

The match ended 8-0 in favor of the Germans. As both coaches predicted, it became incredible one-sided and Germany proved their stuff.

Tomorrow morning we are going to the German WNT training session – it begins at 10:00am local time, and begins with GK training! I’m not sure what the schedule looks like after that, but I’ll fill you in as details become more clear. You can follow along on Twitter as well at http://www.twitter.com/nscaawomen.

http://www.amandavandervort.com/NSCAA/550-german-fans.jpg>

All of Today’s Match Results
Sorry for not doing a full-write up here, but my battery is down to 2% and it’s 1am here right now. Check out Jeff Kassouf’s site, The Equalizer, as he’ll likely have some info/analysis for you :-)

Group A match reports (.pdf):
http://www.fpf.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_FUTEBOL/Comunicados2009/DIVERSOS/Group%20A%20-%20Day%202.pdf

Group B match reports (.pdf):
http://www.fpf.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_FUTEBOL/Comunicados2009/DIVERSOS/Group%20B%20-%20Day%202.pdf

Group C match reports (.pdf):
http://www.fpf.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_FUTEBOL/Comunicados2009/DIVERSOS/Group%20C%20-%20Day%202.pdf

Fairplay standings (.pdf):
http://www.fpf.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_FUTEBOL/Comunicados2009/DIVERSOS/Fair%20Play%20-%20Day%202.pdf

Results and standings (.pdf)
http://www.fpf.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_FUTEBOL/Comunicados2009/DIVERSOS/Results%20and%20standings%20-%20Day%202.pdf

As you may already know, the Algarve Cup is played across a very large area along the southern tip of Portugal. Considering this, when we lay out the upcoming day’s schedule each evening, we have to consider who’s playing when, where, and how long the drive is between towns. We want to catch as much as the action and see as many teams as we possibly can!

Here are our match options for tomorrow:
- 2pm local time, Portugal v Romania (Parchal)
- 3pm local time, Denmark v China (Lagos)
- 3pm local time, Norway v USA (Olhao)
- 3pm local time, Iceland v Sweden (VRS Antonio)
- 5pm local time, Germany v Finland (Parchal)
- 6pm local time, Austria v Faroe Islands (Lagos)

Given these times, games and locations, we decided that the best combination would be:
- 3pm local time (10am ET / 7am PT), Denmark v China (Lagos) – We will stay until the end if it’s a good match, but might leave a little early for 1st half Germany v Finland… we’re planning to play it by ear.
- 5pm local time (12noon ET / 9am PT), Germany v Finland (Parchal) – Will do our best to arrive on time

Our other options included:
- Going to Parchal and staying there all day, but we weren’t so keen on Portugal v Romania at 2pm.
- Going to Norway v USA and then rushing to Germany v Finland. Although the vote was close in favor of this option, in the end we decided that we’d see the USA play 2 more times (v Sweden and potentially Germany), so this offered a unique opportunity to see Denmark, China and Finland.
- Going to Lagos and staying there all day, but we just weren’t sold on Austria v Faroe Islands at 6pm.

WPS Players we’ll see play:
Denmark – Johanna Rasmussen (Atlanta Beat)

I’ll do my best to tweet throughout the day tomorrow and keep you in the loop with these matches. I’ll be sure to post complete match results late tomorrow evening after we return to the hotel which will include all the games.

(Most of) the group has officially arrived in Albufeira, Portugal, for the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium, and just tonight we completed our first couple sessions.

1) Introduction, Goals, Game Updates and Philosophy

2) Presentation #1 – FIFA Development in Women’s Soccer, presented by April Heinrichs

3) Presentation #2 – Integrating Psychological Skills Training into Coaching, presented by Dr. Colleen Hacker

And here are a couple more photos from our arrival today.

First, the sign in the lobby of the Montecero Hotel:

Here are Laura Flynn and Erin DeMarco on a mushroom carousel in front of Lick It, the Ice Cream Shop. Ah, Europe.

The Auramar Hotel. Beach pics tomorrow!

The group of early arrivals. We all took the same flight from Lisbon to Faro and drove to Albufeira together.

More to follow including tomorrow’s schedule.

I’m at home packing my final bits before jumping on my flight to the NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium but wanted to get this post in before I headed out. You can follow my travels – including photos, interviews, notes and reviews from the games and training sessions – at http://www.twitter.com/nscaawomen. I’m figuring you can also check out the #AlgarveCup hashtag on Twitter for results in real-time.

Today is the first round of the Algarve Cup! So here’s today’s match schedule, hopefully you’re up in time to catch some of the action. Also, if you have Twitter #hashtags for any of these matches, please drop them in the comments section below – that would be super helpful.

Group A
Finland vs. China PR, 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. @ Lagos
Germany vs. Denmark, 5 p.m. / 12 p.m. @ Parchal

Group B
United States vs. Iceland, 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. @ Vila Real de San Antonio – Preview | Twitter | Match Tracker – If you can find the link on U.S. Soccer, please leave it in the comments… maybe it’s too early here in San Francisco as I’m typing this but I can’t seem to sort it out :-(
Sweden vs. Norway, 6 p.m. / 1 p.m. @ Vila Real de San Antonio

Group C
Portugal vs. Faroe Islands, 2 p.m. / 9 a.m. @ Parchal – WATCH LIVE!
Romania vs. Austria, 6 p.m. / 1 p.m. @ Lagos

ALGARVE CUP QUICK HITS – USA (ussoccer.com):

* Each team is allowed six substitutions per game, just like in an international friendly. With the USA having 16 field players on its roster, all of them could see action should Sundhage decide to use all her allowed subs.
* In the event that teams are tied at the end of group play, the first tiebreaker is the result of the matches between two teams (head-to-head), the second is goal difference and the third is goals scored.
* The 24 matches of this year’s Algarve Cup will be played in eight different venues ranging from tiny stadiums that seat several thousand to the state-of-the art 30,000-seat Stadium Algarve, which will host the championship game, as well as the Group A marquee match-up between Germany and China, one of Portugal’s group games and Portugal’s placement game.
* Of the three U.S. first-round opponents, Sweden and Norway have played in every Algarve Cup and Iceland will be playing its sixth tournament.
* With a goal or an assist, Abby Wambach will move past Michelle Akers into fourth place on the all-time U.S. points list (two points for a goal, one for an assist). Both have 246 points. Wambach has 101 goals and 44 assists. Akers had 105 goals and 36 assists.
* Cat Whitehill will be playing in her ninth Algarve Cup, the most of anyone on the U.S. team.
* The USA’s Algarve Cup rookies are Lori Lindsey, Yael Averbuch, Casey Nogueira, Megan Schnur and Jill Loyden
* Hard rains have pounded the Algarve almost every night, but the days have been mostly sunny. Still, the fields should be soft for the matches.
* Seven of the eight WPS teams are represented on the U.S. roster (excluding only the Atlanta Beat) with Sky Blue FC leading the way with four players. The Philadelphia Independence has three, as do the Boston Breakers and the Chicago Red Stars. The Washington Freedom, St. Louis Athletica and FC Gold Pride have two each.
* 30 different players have scored goals for the USA at the Algarve Cup.
* The USA is currently on an Algarve record streak of 21 consecutive matches without a defeat in regulation time (the USA has lost two penalty kick shootouts during that stretch).
* In fact, the USA is 0-3 in penalty shootouts in Algarve Cup history.

More to follow (including results) after I land in Newark.

From February 25th through March 4th, I’ll be in Portugal for the NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium. I’ll be Tweeting live throughout the trip to http://www.twitter.com/nscaawomen, and I’ll be blogging here at Soccer Science. Check back often for photos, videos (hopefully), reviews, recaps and information from the tournament.

While soccer will certainly be the highlight of the trip, I’ve taken the past couple weeks to get familiar with the Algarve itself – the local history, culture, cuisine and wine. The Algarve is a region of Portugal located on the Southern coast. We’ll be staying in a town called Albufeira and traveling to soccer venues throughout the countryside.

Language

Estou aprendendo a falar português.

Immediately after I booked my flight, I headed over to the iPhone App Store and found a great free download called “One Minute Portuguese”. While it may not be the most robust program for learning a language, I’ve found that it’s great to combine the spoken word I get through this program with written text I’ve find online for the most comprehensive understanding.

Having been raised in Tucson, Arizona, I’ve spoken Spanish since I was a youngster, and I’ve grown quite familiar French through a fascination with Loire, Rhone and Bordeaux viticulture. To me, Portuguese words are quite similar to Spanish or even Italian, but the pronunciation is more like French… such a beautiful combination. I hope I get a chance to use it!

É um pouco difícil, mas eu realmente estou gostando.

Geography

I’ve done about 30 google image searches for various keyterms – Algarve, Albufeira, Faro, Portugal, Algarve Stadium, etc. and I just can’t believe this is where I’m going to be in a couple days! Rumor has it the weather leaves a bit to be desired, but, well… I’ll be in Portugal! Regarding a textual description, I’ll stick with the words from the experts until I have the chance to formulate my own:

Albufeira, found in the heart of Algarve, is a wonderous shore area where the limestone cliffs with their whimsical shapes alternate with splenderous sandy grounds. [...] In the old part of the village, there are still secret corners with their own character, streets made into pedestrian walkways for an easier stroll around. (lisbon-and-portugal.com)

Albufeira boasts beaches where the sand is fine and the sea a turquoise blue sheltered by cliffs which are canvasses painted with a whimsical palette of natural hues. It is for its beaches that Albufeira is internationally renowned, because all of them are different… and they are all equally enchanting. (portugalvirtual.pt)

Those who venture inland will find a tranquil green countryside to explore, redolent with almond, fig, orange and pine trees, where little villages stand timelessly in the sun. (wordtravels.com)

I’m just sayin’, there’s still room to join the trip if you want to come!

Restaurants

Call me Anthony Bourdain – I’ll be seeking out local specialities like sardines, flounder and bass, lobster and prawns. Apparently seafood is the speciality of the house in most of the restaurants in and around Albufeira, and of course the catch of the day is guaranteed to be fresh since Albufeira is a traditional fishing town.

A true local dish is Caldeirada, a stew made up of several types of fish, cooked up with potatoes, peppers and parsley. Steamed clams, cuttlefish cooked in their ink and octopus salad are other indigenous culinary adventures. Yum.

Wines

Yesterday, I made a special stop at K&L Wines, one of the very best wine shops, not only in San Francisco, but in the country. (My other local favorite is Terroir by the way if you’re looking for all-natural wines: organic and dry farming, indigenous yeast fermentation and no use of chemicals.)

At K&L, I met John, who is actually headed to Portugal next week as well! He’s headed to the Northern regions though, and I’m going to the South. That didn’t stop us from rummaging through the (somewhat paltry) collection of Portuguese wines in the shop and getting a sense for the indigenous grape varietals I should expect to taste while there.

Through both my venture to K&L and my extensive web crawling, I learned that the Algarve produces mostly red wine that tends to be full-bodied, have a fruity rich flavor, be low in acidity, and contain a high alcohol level. I absolutely love that in Portugal, there’s been a recent renewal of interest in smaller, private vineyards.

Algarve is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as its namesake region. The region is classified as a Vinho Regional (VR), a designation similar to a French vin de pays region. Located on the southern coast of Portugal, the region’s wine industry is driven by the local tourist economy with very little wines exported. (Wikipedia.com)

Albufeira is in the DOC of Lagoa. The soft sandy soil and warm climate provides a rich distinct flavor. The red wines are ruby-coloured which develop with age and are easy to drink. The white wine is soft and full-bodied. Both have high alcohol content.

While my priority is coverage of the Algarve Cup, I have a sneaking suspicion there may be a dose of foodie/wine notes over the next two weeks… Stay tuned!

Alyse LaHue of the Chicago Red Stars front office (center) and Aaron Burch of the League Office (right) take in a little R&R with a friend, Leisha Alcia – the assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of illinois, at a Greek Restaurant in Philly.

I honestly can’t believe the 2010 WPS Draft is behind us, the NSCAA Convention is over and the season is just around the corner. I’ve finally had a chance to sit down and think back on all the action over the past two weeks and wanted to share with you how invested and involved Women’s Professional Soccer and its teams were in the NSCAA Convention.

Thursday January 14
- Field Session: Creating a Realistic Training Environment for Goalkeepers, by Lisa Cole, Assistant Coach, Boston Breakers [Photo]
- Field Session: Team Offense: Recognizing the Opportunity to Attack, by Tiffeny Milbrett, FC Gold Pride player and NSCAA Women’s Committee Featured Clinician [photo]
- Classroom Session: Preparing and Developing Players for Higher Level Demands and Performance, A Panel Discussion. Presenters: Nancy Feldman, Boston University, Moderator, Tony DiCicco, Boston Breakers, Tony Faulkner, Blackburn Rovers Acadamy, Tiffany Jones, Sport Psychology Consulant
- The Social for Coaches of Female Athletes presented by the NSCAA Women’s Committee and the Philadelphia Independence. Speakers: Louise Waxler & Lori Lindsey of the Independence, Emma Hayes of the Chicago Red Stars

Above, ( L –> R ) Lisa Cole of the Boston Breakers coaching staff, Dawn Scott of the English Women’s National Team Coaching Staff, Louise Waxler of the Philadelphia Independence front office, and Marcia McDermott of the Chicago Red Stars front office.

Friday January 15
- Field Session: Growing the Women’s Pro Game Globally, A WPS Roundtable Discussion [photo]
- 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer Draft [video] [photos]
- PUMA Uniform Unveiling [video] [photos]

Above, ( L –> R ) 2010 NSCAA President & Red Stars GM Marcia McDermott announces the 2010 Bill Jeffrey is awarded to Cliff McGrath; 2009 NSCAA President & Notre Dame Head Coach Randy Waldrum presents the award. Jill Coy, Thom Meredith and Rachel Epstein set up the WPS Draft room just across the Convention Hall floor from Registration.

Saturday January 16
- NSCAA Women’s Soccer Breakfast. Presenters: Yael Averbuch, U.S. Women’s National Team and Sky Blue FC midfielder; Louise Waxler, Philadelphia Independence Associate General Manager [photo and transcript]
- Panel Discussion: Preparing Players for the Next Level, Presented by Women’s Professional Soccer. Panelists: Kelly O’Hara (FC Gold Pride), Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers) and Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC)
- Field Session: The Importance of Ball Work, Ball Mastery, and Ball Creativity From the Youth Player to the Professional Player, by Paul Riley, Head Coach, Philadelphia Independence [photo]

Above, (L –> R ) Tiffeny Milbrett of the FC Gold Pride stops for a photo with NSCAA CEO Joe Cummings. Dean Linke, Jim Houghton, and Josh Roushkolb were busy capturing 2010 footage!

If you’re planning to attend the 2011 NSCAA Convention in Baltimore, check out some of the great deals you can get in on by signing up early! http://www.nscaa.com/annual.php

Last night, the NSCAA held the Annual President’s Reception. Here are a few photos I took at the event:

As you may know, the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) is making a substantial effort to recognize and celebrate its diversity, and to be a truly inclusive organization. Marcia McDermott, the incoming President of the NSCAA (you can follow her on Twitter @RedStarsGM btw), has set diversity & inclusion as her primary agenda for 2010, and the support she’s received from the CEO (Joe Cummings – @nscaaCEO on Twitter), the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors & National Academy Staff… all the way to the membership has been absolutely tremendous. As the Chair of the NSCAA Women’s Committee, I couldn’t be more excited about what’s in store for 2010!!! Look for future Soccer Science posts to highlight the activities and adventures we embark on.

As part of my function with the Women’s Committee, I’m also a member of the NSCAA Diversity Committee – lead by the one and only Mike Curry. Mike is also the Co-Chair of the NSCAA Local Organizing Committee in Philly, and has been working his tail off on Convention plans. He has put together the following schedule of events representing our different constituent groups. If you’re headed to the Convention this year, I hope you can make it by some of these great sessions!

Diversity Committee Member Open Meetings – Learn how you can get involved in the NSCAA!

- NSCAA Diversity Committee meeting; Thursday, January 14, 11:00 – 12:00, M 403
- Native American Soccer Coaches Committee meeting, Thursday, January 14, 1:00 – 3:00, M 305
- Women’s Committee Social; Thursday, January 14, 9:30 – 11:00 PM, M Independence Ballroom
- NSCAA Foundation Breakfast; Friday, January 15, 9:00 – 11:00, CC Exhibit Hall A, booth 359
- Urban Soccer Collaborative meeting; Friday, January 15, 10:00 – 2:00, M Franklin Hall 7
- Portuguese Soccer Coaches Committee; Friday, January 15, 12:15 – 1:30, CC 104A
- Black Soccer Coaches Committee; Friday, January 15, 1:00 – 3:00, CC 105A/B
- BSCC/LSCC Reception; Friday January 15, 5:30 – 6:30, M Franklin Hall 2
- Women’s Committee Breakfast; Saturday January 16, 8:00 – 9:30, M Liberty Ballroom
- Latin American Soccer Coaches Committee meeting; Saturday, 11:00 – 1:00, CC 105 A/B
- Women’s Committee meeting; Saturday; January 16, 3:00 – 4:00, CC 202A

Diversity Committee Member Featured Clinicians

- “Skill: Is it the poison or the antidote of the game?” Macky Chenia, Assistant Coach, South Africa U-20 Men’s National Team. Black Soccer Coaches Committee featured clinician, Thursday, January 14, 11:30 – 12:45 PM, CC Exhibit Hall B
- “Soccer as a Vehicle for Social Change” USC Panel Discussion. Presented by the Urban Soccer Collaborative, Thursday, January 14, 2:30 – 3:45 PM, CC 108
- “Team Offense: Recognizing the Opportunity to Attack”. Tiffany Milbrett, Professional Player and youth coach, FC Gold Pride, WPS. Women’s Committee featured clinician, Thursday, January 14, 2:30 – 3:45 PM, CC Exhibit Hall C
- “South Africa: The Excitement and Joy of Hosting the World Cup”. Macky Chenia, Assistant Coach, South Africa U-20 Men’s National Team. Black Soccer Coaches Committee featured clinician, Friday, January 15, 11:00 – 12:15 PM, CC 103
- “Can the Latino Players Make the Difference?” Marco Santillan, NSCAA National Staff Coach. Latin American Soccer Coaches Committee featured clinician, Friday, January 15, 12:30 – 1:45 PM, CC 103
- “Finishing Exercises In and Around the 18”. Aaron Lujan, Head Men’s Coach, Carnegie Mellon University and Boyna Bear, Southwest Youth Service, Technical Director, New Mexico. Native American Soccer Coaches Committee featured clinicians, Saturday, January 16, 10:00 – 11:15 AM, CC Exhibit Hall C
- “Defensive Coordination in Numerical Inferiority”. Marco Santillan, NSCAA National Staff Coach. Latin American Soccer Coaches Committee featured clinician, Saturday, January 16, 1:00 – 2:15 PM, CC Exhibit Hall C
- “Making It Work: Soccer and Youth Development in Small Spaces”. Caitlin Barrett, National Soccer Director, America SCORES and Colin Staton Evaluation VISTA, America SCORES, member of the Urban Soccer Collaborative, Saturday, January 16, 4:00 – 5:15 PM, CC 107
- “Tournament Strategies to Improve Player Physical Performance: The England Women’s National Team”. Dawn Scott, Head of Exercise Science, England Women’s National Team. Women’s Committee Featured Clinician. Saturday, January 16, 4:00pm-5:15pm, CC 103

NSCAA Diversity Village

The NSCAA Diversity Village is a 30 ft x 20 ft booth in the Convention Center Exhibit Hall A, Booth #359, which will be configured as a large open area with an island booth instead of individual 10×10 booths. Each member group will have an area with their own table, two chairs and waste basket. Additional furniture will be provided in the center of the area to create a lounge/social setting. There will be a large sign hanging over the center of the booth that identifies the NSCAA Diversity Village and lists each member group. NSCAA and affiliate groups that will be represented in the Diversity Village are:

- NSCAA Women’s Committee
- Black Soccer Coaches Committee
- Latin American Soccer Coaches Committee
- Native American Soccer Coaches Committee
- Urban Soccer Collaborative
- NSCAA Foundation

NSCAA Diversity Statement

The NSCAA Diversity Statement was developed by the Diversity Committee and approved by the NSCAA Executive Committee in June 2007.

”The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is committed to fostering diversity by offering a welcoming and supportive environment for its members, leadership and other constituents, and to nurturing a learning and working environment that respects differences in culture, age, gender, race, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and socio-economic status.

Recognizing that diversity enriches the educational experience, improves the practice and profession of coaching and enhances creativity and professional growth in the soccer community, the NSCAA emphasizes both demographic and intellectual diversity. This requires continued effort to attract and develop qualified persons of diverse backgrounds to participate in its educational, coaching and outreach mission and programs; a coaching curriculum and other learning experiences that provide exposure to diverse cultures, human characteristics and ways of thinking; and an organizational climate that stimulates innovation, values diverse contributions and encourages performance that leads to the advancement of its constituents.

The NSCAA particularly acknowledges the acute need to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of talented members, leadership and other constituents from historically excluded populations who are currently underrepresented.”

Check out this video by U.S. Soccer in advance of the USWNT vs. Germany match tomorrow!!! They do such good work with their video diaries, props guys. My favorite part of this video, though, is at the end when Pia Sundhage talks about playing against German National Team Coach, Silvia Neid, in 1995, and what that means for players’ potential career ambitions of coaching – at the highest levels – today.

Book your trip today! Want more information or to get some first-hand feedback? Read letters sent to the NSCAA by previous participants.

Today I had the great pleasure of speaking with April Heinrichs, who you’ll of course know as one of the first players on the United States women’s national soccer team and later became the Head Coach. We chatted for about an hour planning the 2010 Algarve Cup Symposium, presented by the NSCAA Women’s Committee.

This Annual Symposium (this will be our 4th year in a row!) materialized from the brain, heart and diligence of Lisa Cole (Assistant Coach at Boston Breakers) and under the astute leadership of the one and only Sue Ryan (Head Coach at Stonybrook University and the Region 1 Olympic Development Program). The NSCAA, the Women’s Committee, along with trip leaders April Heinrichs and Dr. Colleen Hacker, have developed this trip over the past three years and developed a curriculum and experience that are simply one-of-a-kind. Here’s why:

1. You’ll have Behind-the-Scenes Access to the Top Players and Coaches Around the World

April Heinrichs and Dr. Colleen Hacker take participants down onto the pitch to interact, ask questions and mingle with international teams and coaches. They know everybody!

Angie Hind, 2009 participant said, “April Heinrichs and Colleen Hacker were simply superb in their ability to impart knowledge, share their depth of experience in the game, and stimulate discussion within the group. Their influence on this course cannot be overstated as their enthusiasm and accessibility created a learning environment which was open, engaging, and stimulating.”

More about April: April Heinrichs was captain of the United States team which won the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, and finished her international playing career with 47 caps and 38 goals. In 1998 she became the first female player inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. To add prolific on top of amazing, she went on to coach at Princeton, Maryland and Virginia… and in 2000 became the Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team. She stayed with the U.S. WNT until 2005, and has since been working as a consultant for U.S. Soccer and with the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colo.

More about Colleen: Dr. Colleen Hacker has served as the Sport Psychology Consultant to the Women’s U.S. National Soccer Team since 1995. During her tenure, The National Team won a Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, the 1998 Goodwill Games and the 1999 World Cup. Named as an Assistant Coach in 2000, Dr. Hacker helped lead the National Team to a Silver Medal at the Sydney Olympic Games and a third place finish in the 2003 World Championships. Most recently, the team won a Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. The United States is the only country in the world to finish in the top three of every major world championship in soccer history.

2. The Educational Soccer Experience is Second to None

Participants in this symposium will have a unique opportunity to watch the best in the world train and play while learning from the best coaches in the women’s game. In addition to seminars offered as part of the course, candidates may also have the opportunity to take part in question and answer sessions with the national team coaches, including the six-time tournament champion U.S. squad. Topics of discussion may include: the U.S. Team and its future, national teams from around the world, youth development programs, the impact of Women’s Professional Soccer on the international game, mental skills, and more. Also, USSF “A” Licensed Coaches can apply for 4 CEU credits through this course!!!

Lauren Frankford, 2009 participant said, “This is a tremendous opportunity. The access to international soccer was amazing! This is not something that I could have come close to setting up on my own and I am very grateful to the NSCAA for creating this symposium. The ability to watch games, training sessions and have access to international coaches was such an inspiring experience. That alone was more than I could have asked for.”

3. It’s a trip to Portugal

Uhm, hello awesome vacation spot!!! Situated on the extreme South of Portugal, this part of the territory was the last to be conquered from the Moors by the Portuguese king in 1292. Traces of the Moorish presence are still seen in its unique architecture – terraces, chimneys and whitewashed houses. However, the distance that was difficult to cover back in the 13th century is no longer an obstacle thanks to modern roads and airports.

Temperatures which are ideal for playing golf and other sports. In the northern part of the Algarve, the hills of Espinhação de Cão, Monchique and Caldeirão shelter the coast from strong winds. This brightly coloured region, with its fig trees, orange groves and almond trees in blossom, is also the most verdant and fertile. The southern coastline consists of a long stretch of fabulous sandy beaches, broken up by extraordinary rugged cliffs and fantastic grottoes.

Steve Austin, 2009 participant said, “It is hard to convince friends that a week in Portugal watching soccer is a working trip, but we were kept busy for most of the week. The information from both Colleen and April is so well presented and as useful to me as a high school and club coach as it is to the D1 and D3 college coaches. I have already blocked of the approximate time next spring so I can attend again. Thanks to the NSCAA and the organizers on the ground for making this event happen.”

Book your trip today! Want more information or to get some first-hand feedback? Read letters sent to the NSCAA by previous participants.

Are you a member of the NSCAA? Join today!

Charlotte Moran (center) pictured with her good friends Louise Waxler and Sue Ryan.

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share the passing of our friend Charlotte Moran. Charlotte passed away peacefully early this morning at her home after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Charlotte was one of the most active organizers for girls’ and women’s soccer in America. She had over 30 years of experience in soccer management, from her start as a team mom in 1977, through roles at regional and national levels. She has served at various times as a club secretary, league secretary, league vice president, state vice president and state president.

Link: EPYSA – In Memorium
Link: US Soccer mourns the Loss of Charlotte Moran
Link: NSCAA mourns the passing of Charlotte Moran
Link: Women’s Soccer World – 1997 Tribute to Charlotte Moran
Link: 2009 Glenn Myernick Service to Soccer Award
Link: 2007 NSCAA Women’s Committee Award of Excellence

Charlotte was an ODP state administrator for 20 years, Chairperson for the National Girls’ ODP from 1991-1995, and acted as the Chair of the US Soccer Women’s Committee from 1990-1991. She was the long-time Executive Director for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association and the Administrator for the Region 1 Olympic Development Program.

Charlotte was the Director of Team Operations for the Philadelphia Charge of WUSA from 2001-2003, and was in support of bringing an MLS and WPS expansion teams to Philly. Click to download this PDF, it’s a tremendous article from 2001 when Charlotte left EPYSA for the Charge:

I can only imagine how proud she would have been at today’s ceremonial naming of the new Women’s Professional Soccer team in Philly, the Independence.

In 2009, Charlotte was awarded the Soccer Champions Coaches’ Clinic Glenn Myernick Service to Soccer Award. She was awarded the Youth Long-Term Service Award at the 2009 NSCAA Convention in St. Louis. In 2008, Charlotte was honored by the NSCAA Women’s Committee with the 2007 Award of Excellence, an award established in 1999 to recognize those who have brought honor and distinction to women’s soccer. She’s on the short-list with April Heinrichs, Michelle Akers, Lauren Gregg, Michelle Morgan, Adele Dolansky, Colleen Hacker, Lynn Berling-Manuel, Anson Dorrance and Tony DiCicco.

Here’s a congratulatory message from her Region 1 Team, filmed in the winter of 2007:

I can’t express how sad this makes me to lose such a wonderful friend and mentor. I feel lucky to have had Charlotte in my life… she gave me advice on nearly everything – from my career path to my boyfriends. Even my jewelry.

And I’m not alone. Charlotte touched so many lives… The notes of love and gratitude are flooding my inbox today… here’s a note from John Daly this morning: We have lost a jewel this morning. What Charlotte did for soccer in general, and girls’ soccer in particular cannot be measured. So many young girls are now enjoying, and have enjoyed, the fruits of Charlotte’s efforts. Whether playing in the new Women’s Professional Soccer league, or in coaching, young women all over the country have benefited from the remarkable work Charlotte put in over the years.

Below I’ve posted a little behind-the-scenes video I made at Regional Camp in the summer of 2007. It makes me so happy to watch this, and I know that none of this would have been possible without the love, support, hard work, passion, vision and guidance of Charlotte (she gets a cameo at 1:04):

Charlotte’s contributions to this world and to soccer were enormous and there is a huge void in our game, world and lives that will be difficult to fill. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlotte’s family at this difficult time.

April 23, 2009: A Special Note from Amber Brooks for Pancreatic Cancer Research

Editor’s note: Amber Brooks is a Region 1 ODP player, where Charlotte has been the Regional Administrator for years.

Dear friends,

As you all know by now, our very own Charlotte Moran has been battling pancreatic cancer since her diagnosis in November 2007. Most of you are familiar with Charlotte’s numerous contributions to girls’ soccer, and recognize that she is in fact the embodiment of Region 1. She is the one responsible for providing us vast opportunities and we owe much of our personal development and success to her efforts. Many of you have reached out and provided support during her struggle, but now I am calling upon everyone to wear their support by purchasing a “Score for the Cure-Charlotte Moran” purple bracelet. These bracelets are offered for purchase in conjunction with the Inaugural Score for the Cure 3 vs. 3 Soccer Tournament in Honor of Charlotte Moran taking place on May 22, 2009. One-hundred percent of the proceeds benefit the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which was created to find better treatments and a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Purchasing and wearing the bracelets is a simple, yet meaningful statement of your support. It would certainly bring a smile to Charlotte’s face if she saw coaches and players alike sporting the purple bracelets in her name at the 2009 Region 1 ODP Tournament in June and at Regional Camp in July. Together we can show our appreciation and inspire Charlotte to keep fighting!

Sincerely,
Amber Brooks

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