I'm looking forward to seeing my first pro game of the season on Sunday when I'll be at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL to watch Chicago Red Stars take on the L.A. Sol. More important, I'm looking forward to seeing Carli Lloyd play. I have not seen Carli play in well over a year and after watching her in four games with the National Team, this will be a chance to see her in the pro league
The Red Stars will have their hands full against the first place Sol, which comes into town with an 11-2-5 record compared to the Stars' 4-9-5 slate.
The game will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
College Showcase Tournaments Rise to a New Level – of Expense
Parents of many U16 and older soccer players are familiar with the college showcase tournaments: WAGS, JAGS, MSSL, PDA, Score at the Shore and many more around the country. It’s where players go to be seen by college coaches in the hopes of landing a scholarship, or at least gaining admission to a school which might reject them if they were not on a coach’s list.
Today the New York Times reports that many basketball showcase tournaments are not only charging college coaches an admission fee to get into the gym, but also soaking them as much as $295 for the tournament’s “packet” which lists the contact information on the players. Without the packet the college coach would not be able to contact players of interest unless he already knew them. (The article reported only on men’s tournaments. It is not known if the same practice exists for the women’s game.)
Although the Times raised questions about whether the practice of charging exorbitant amounts for rosters and contact information is ethical or legal under NCAA rules, it said, “Many college coaches pay the fees because they do not want to alienate the teams’ coaches, who often control the recruiting of their players.” And for the same reason, many college coaches would not speak for attribution.
In case you are wondering, I have never experienced or heard of a soccer showcase tournament charging a college coach. In fact, it’s just the opposite: tournaments will usually provide a profile book with contact information on all showcase age players (usually U16 and up) and often give the college coaches breakfast or lunch (or both) or at least have coffee for the early morning games and water on a hot day. At the JAGS (Jersey Area Girls Soccer) Tournament of which I have been the college coordinator for longer than I can remember, we give the coaches a profile book and a meal voucher for lunch both days.
Check out the Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/sports/ncaabasketball/27hoops.html?_r=1&hpw Granted the cultures of the two sports are very different, and of course college basketball is a big-time money sport while college soccer is not. But at many schools, especially in Division 1, there is a pressure to win on all coaches, not just those in the high profile sports.
Today the New York Times reports that many basketball showcase tournaments are not only charging college coaches an admission fee to get into the gym, but also soaking them as much as $295 for the tournament’s “packet” which lists the contact information on the players. Without the packet the college coach would not be able to contact players of interest unless he already knew them. (The article reported only on men’s tournaments. It is not known if the same practice exists for the women’s game.)
Although the Times raised questions about whether the practice of charging exorbitant amounts for rosters and contact information is ethical or legal under NCAA rules, it said, “Many college coaches pay the fees because they do not want to alienate the teams’ coaches, who often control the recruiting of their players.” And for the same reason, many college coaches would not speak for attribution.
In case you are wondering, I have never experienced or heard of a soccer showcase tournament charging a college coach. In fact, it’s just the opposite: tournaments will usually provide a profile book with contact information on all showcase age players (usually U16 and up) and often give the college coaches breakfast or lunch (or both) or at least have coffee for the early morning games and water on a hot day. At the JAGS (Jersey Area Girls Soccer) Tournament of which I have been the college coordinator for longer than I can remember, we give the coaches a profile book and a meal voucher for lunch both days.
Check out the Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/sports/ncaabasketball/27hoops.html?_r=1&hpw Granted the cultures of the two sports are very different, and of course college basketball is a big-time money sport while college soccer is not. But at many schools, especially in Division 1, there is a pressure to win on all coaches, not just those in the high profile sports.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Looking ahead to '11
Mark this name on your calendar for Fall, 2011: Courtney Proctor. Sports Illustrated named the rising high school junior from Santa Clarita, California, as one of its teen sensations. The magazine compares her to Landon Donovan and says she can be a playmaker or a finisher. As the youngest player on her club team, the Santa Clarita United Blazers, she scored a team-high 28 goals. She has already played for the U-17 national team.
In March Courtney verbally committed to UCLA for the Fall of '11. So check back in two years and a few months and see if she lives up to her promise.
In March Courtney verbally committed to UCLA for the Fall of '11. So check back in two years and a few months and see if she lives up to her promise.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
R.I.P. Uncle Walter
This isn’t about soccer, but it is about journalism, which is what this blog is about.
We lost a good one last night with the passing of former CBS News anchorman, Walter Cronkite. It marks another lost symbol of my youth, from the days when I was an idealistic young reporter (before I became an idealistic young lawyer).
When I was in college, and later on in graduate school and was covering the 1972 Florida primary election and later the '72 Democratic National Convention, Mr. Cronkite was held in a reverence among journalists – and for the most part the general public – usually reserved for the Lord. And in many ways he was the Lord when it came to the news business.
He anchored the CBS Evening news from 1962 until March 6, 1981, when he delivered his famous line, “And that’s the way it is” for the last time. During his tenure he, and by association CBS News, was the gold standard of broadcast news. He held such sway with the American public that in 1968 when he delivered a report critical of the war in Vietnam, President Lyndon Johnson said, “If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.” In 1972 a poll named Mr. Cronkite the most trusted person in America.
Today’s Inquirer wrote, “To the end, Uncle Walter lived up to his description by the National Review: "A legend, a national father figure, a symbol of decency and good character."’ President Obama said that in that era, "He was the news." And perhaps Mr. Cronkite's successor in the anchor chair, Dan Rather, put it best: "One does not replace Walter Cronkite. I succeeded him. I did not replace him."
And that's the way it is.
We lost a good one last night with the passing of former CBS News anchorman, Walter Cronkite. It marks another lost symbol of my youth, from the days when I was an idealistic young reporter (before I became an idealistic young lawyer).
When I was in college, and later on in graduate school and was covering the 1972 Florida primary election and later the '72 Democratic National Convention, Mr. Cronkite was held in a reverence among journalists – and for the most part the general public – usually reserved for the Lord. And in many ways he was the Lord when it came to the news business.
He anchored the CBS Evening news from 1962 until March 6, 1981, when he delivered his famous line, “And that’s the way it is” for the last time. During his tenure he, and by association CBS News, was the gold standard of broadcast news. He held such sway with the American public that in 1968 when he delivered a report critical of the war in Vietnam, President Lyndon Johnson said, “If I’ve lost Walter Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.” In 1972 a poll named Mr. Cronkite the most trusted person in America.
Today’s Inquirer wrote, “To the end, Uncle Walter lived up to his description by the National Review: "A legend, a national father figure, a symbol of decency and good character."’ President Obama said that in that era, "He was the news." And perhaps Mr. Cronkite's successor in the anchor chair, Dan Rather, put it best: "One does not replace Walter Cronkite. I succeeded him. I did not replace him."
And that's the way it is.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Former Charge Star Playing in Boston
Good article in today's Boston Globe about former Seton Hall and Philadelphia Charge player, Kelly Smith. Check it out. Speaking of former Charge players, here's a wish list for the Independence, when it starts next year, understanding some of these players are with other teams this year and that others may not be the same player now as they were then: 1) Hope Solo; 2) Marinette Pichon; 3) Jenny Benson, and of course 4) Heather Mitts.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Reliving the '99 World Cup
Nice article about Brandi Chastain in the Sports Illustrated that arrived today. It was part of the annual “Where Are They Now?” edition in which the magazine looks up newsmakers from the world of sports from 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago and reports on what they’re doing today.
Chastain was featured for her penalty kick that won the 1999 Women’s World Cup in front of a sellout crowd at the Rose Bowl. Of course to many Chastain is remembered as much for the aftermath of that shot, when she yanked off her jersey in celebration. But the victory put the U.S. Women on then cover of SI and generated publicity for the sport that led to a professional league. The Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) began play in 2001 and included the Philadelphia Charge playing at Villanova Stadium. But the league went through money faster than a gambler at the slots in Atlantic City and after three years it went the way of the NASL, the WFL, WHA and WLAF to the sports graveyard of failed leagues.
Now there is a new try at women’s soccer: Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) and Chastain is still playing – this time for FC Gold Pride in Santa Clara. Almost 41, she’s the second oldest player in the league.
Speaking of the ’99 Women’s World Cup, here’s one of my favorite cartoons from that year is posted at the top of this article.
And a trivia question since we're talking about Sports Illustrated: who was the first soccer player to appear on the magazine's cover?
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Will U.S. Men's Recent Success Promote the Sport?
The U.S. Men’s team’s recent near upset of Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup was the most-viewed non-World Cup game for the American team on ESPN, according to the Associated Press. Last Sunday’s game received a 2.6 cable rating and the audience was the third largest to watch the team on ESPN, trailing the audience for the 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Germany at the 2002 World Cup and the 2-1 victory over Colombia in the first round of the 1994 World Cup.
The success of the men’s team in upsetting Spain in the semi-final and leading Brazil, 2-0, at the half, generated quite a bit of press and has again raised the debate as to how soccer can become more popular in the United States.
New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden addressed this in two columns the past week.
Last year, the Los Angeles Futbol Club formed an alliance with Chelsea, a club in the English Premier League that has an alliance with two other youth clubs in the United States (including Matchfit in New Jersey), Rhoden reported on July 3. Chelsea will provide additional financial support as well as coaching and, for some, an opportunity to train in England once a year, he wrote.
Rhoden continued: “This is all well and good, but the key for soccer to be what it really can be in the United States is local initiative.
“’We’ve got to build those leagues in the communities,” [Los Angeles youth soccer organizer] Sheppard said, “run by people that they trust, coached by people that they trust but supported by people like L.A.F.C., who want to help them get into soccer.”
Read the column here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/sports/soccer/04rhoden.html?ref=soccer
Andy Tansey of Malverne, NY, responded to the column with a letter to the Sports Editor on July 5:
“The Americans may do better on the world stage if the United States Soccer Federation can attract more great athletes. But until our children’s first choice for fun is to play soccer unshod in the streets simultaneously toughening their feet and softening their ball touch, with no structure imposed by grown-ups, we are years behind the competition. How likely is it that the United States will change its sports culture to that extent?
On June 28 Rhoden discussed another facet of the “make soccer more popular” debate:
“The more difficult challenge is to cultivate a broader consumer appetite for soccer in the United States. Debates continue about changing the nature of the sport to fit the American mind-set.
“Please, no.
“Soccer does not need to be dumbed down to accommodate our Twittered attention span. The sport does not need more scoring or more commercial timeouts. ”
The last paragraph is music to the ears of this soccer purist. Soccer is pretty good the way it is. Some rule changes over the years have been good, e.g. prohibiting a goalie from using hands on a pass from a teammate. But we do not need rules that would detract from the athleticism or skills of the game. We do not need to eliminate offsides, make the goals larger, allow more subs (in the professional game) or, God forbid, allow specialists along the lines of the DH, the placekicker or the long snapper. (There are some who submit it would help soccer’s appeal in this country if someone particularly adept at free kicks, such as David Beckham, could be inserted into a match simply to take a shot on goal and then pulled back out to rest up for the next opportunity.)
This column is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/sports/soccer/29rhoden.html?ref=soccer
According to Rhoden: "United States soccer officials say the sport’s time is finally here. The question is, do they know how to seize the moment?" Didn't we hear this after the U.S. Women won the World Cup in 1999?
The success of the men’s team in upsetting Spain in the semi-final and leading Brazil, 2-0, at the half, generated quite a bit of press and has again raised the debate as to how soccer can become more popular in the United States.
New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden addressed this in two columns the past week.
Last year, the Los Angeles Futbol Club formed an alliance with Chelsea, a club in the English Premier League that has an alliance with two other youth clubs in the United States (including Matchfit in New Jersey), Rhoden reported on July 3. Chelsea will provide additional financial support as well as coaching and, for some, an opportunity to train in England once a year, he wrote.
Rhoden continued: “This is all well and good, but the key for soccer to be what it really can be in the United States is local initiative.
“’We’ve got to build those leagues in the communities,” [Los Angeles youth soccer organizer] Sheppard said, “run by people that they trust, coached by people that they trust but supported by people like L.A.F.C., who want to help them get into soccer.”
Read the column here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/sports/soccer/04rhoden.html?ref=soccer
Andy Tansey of Malverne, NY, responded to the column with a letter to the Sports Editor on July 5:
“The Americans may do better on the world stage if the United States Soccer Federation can attract more great athletes. But until our children’s first choice for fun is to play soccer unshod in the streets simultaneously toughening their feet and softening their ball touch, with no structure imposed by grown-ups, we are years behind the competition. How likely is it that the United States will change its sports culture to that extent?
On June 28 Rhoden discussed another facet of the “make soccer more popular” debate:
“The more difficult challenge is to cultivate a broader consumer appetite for soccer in the United States. Debates continue about changing the nature of the sport to fit the American mind-set.
“Please, no.
“Soccer does not need to be dumbed down to accommodate our Twittered attention span. The sport does not need more scoring or more commercial timeouts. ”
The last paragraph is music to the ears of this soccer purist. Soccer is pretty good the way it is. Some rule changes over the years have been good, e.g. prohibiting a goalie from using hands on a pass from a teammate. But we do not need rules that would detract from the athleticism or skills of the game. We do not need to eliminate offsides, make the goals larger, allow more subs (in the professional game) or, God forbid, allow specialists along the lines of the DH, the placekicker or the long snapper. (There are some who submit it would help soccer’s appeal in this country if someone particularly adept at free kicks, such as David Beckham, could be inserted into a match simply to take a shot on goal and then pulled back out to rest up for the next opportunity.)
This column is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/sports/soccer/29rhoden.html?ref=soccer
According to Rhoden: "United States soccer officials say the sport’s time is finally here. The question is, do they know how to seize the moment?" Didn't we hear this after the U.S. Women won the World Cup in 1999?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Soccer Stuff in SI
Hmmm ... Phillies blew another one and my neighbor just signed with the Caps after four years with the Flyers. So what's good in sports today?
Since this is a soccer blog afterall, what's good is that Sports Illustrated this week has not one, but two good soccer stories, both by Grant Wahl. In my book Wahl is one of the top three soccer writers in the country, the other two being Jere Longman and George Vecsey, both of the New York Times.
In the Inside Soccer column Wahl analyzes the U.S. loss to Brazil and notes that three of four red cards in the Confederation Cup were shown to American players.
On p. 48 is an excerpt from Wahl's book, The Beckham Experiment, about the relationship between the English superstar, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Landon Donovan. The second sentence of the article gives one a hint of the gist of the entire piece: "...he failed as a leader, foundered on the field and alienated his most important teammate." It's an interetsing and well-written article and I'll probably buy the book.
Since this is a soccer blog afterall, what's good is that Sports Illustrated this week has not one, but two good soccer stories, both by Grant Wahl. In my book Wahl is one of the top three soccer writers in the country, the other two being Jere Longman and George Vecsey, both of the New York Times.
In the Inside Soccer column Wahl analyzes the U.S. loss to Brazil and notes that three of four red cards in the Confederation Cup were shown to American players.
On p. 48 is an excerpt from Wahl's book, The Beckham Experiment, about the relationship between the English superstar, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Landon Donovan. The second sentence of the article gives one a hint of the gist of the entire piece: "...he failed as a leader, foundered on the field and alienated his most important teammate." It's an interetsing and well-written article and I'll probably buy the book.
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