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South Carolina: soccer, soccer, soccer!

Text: Fysa.com

FRISCO, Texas (June 14, 2016)

US Youth Soccer is excited to announce the schedule for the 2016 US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Championships, to be played June 24-30 at the meSA Soccer Complex in Greenville, S.C.

The US Youth Soccer Region III Championships, which will feature top teams in the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups, begin Thursday, June 23, with opening ceremonies at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, S.C. Group play games are Friday, June 24, through Sunday, June 26. Under-19 group play games take place at the Carolina FC Complex in Welford, S.C., while all remaining games take place at the meSA Soccer Complex.

Dates

The dates for the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in each gender age division are listed below.

Quarterfinals

Monday, June 27 — Under-13 Boys, Under-14, Under-15 and Under-16
Tuesday, June 28 — Under-13 Girls, Under-17 and Under-18

Semifinals

Tuesday, June 28 — Under-19
Wednesday, June 29 — Under-13 through Under-18

Finals

Wednesday, June 29 — Under-19
Thursday, June 30 — Under-13 through Under-18
US Youth Soccer State Cup Champions and select runners-up from 12 US Youth Soccer State Associations in Region III, including host South Carolina Youth Soccer Association, will participate. The other State Associations represented are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Texas, Oklahoma, South Texas and Tennessee.

First step

Teams competing in the Regional Championships advanced through the first step of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, where more than 10,000 teams began their journey at the US Youth Soccer State Championships. State champions advance to the one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships, where nearly a thousand teams compete.

Regional winners of the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups earn a berth to the 2016 US Youth Soccer National Championships, July 25-31, at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas. One of the 14 national crowns awarded is the James P. McGuire Cup, the oldest trophy in youth sports, dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships.

Ultimate destination

The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament. The event provides more than 185,000 players from US Youth Soccer’s 55 state associations, the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. The Series is known as the ultimate destination for the country’s collegiate soccer coaches and the future of soccer.

1. 185,000 Players
from US Youth Soccer’s state association

2. 55 State Associations

3. 10,000 Teams
US Youth Soccer National Championship Series

Changes of soccer rules for the U6 to U12 are almost here, be prepared!

Almost a year ago, in August 2015, new standards for age groups and soccer field sizes were defined. This new step is oriented to strengthen soccer development over the long term in the United States.

Text: Carlos Echeverry

U.S. Soccer will standardize small-sided game participation and field size based on player age groups, while also aligning birth-year registration calendars with the start of the calendar year and run from January to December. The coaching initiatives, which will be mandated by August of 2017, are focused on advancing youth players’ individual skill and intelligence, and providing players with the best opportunity to improve.

SMALL-SIDED STANDARDS

The small-sided standards are focused at players from the U-6 to U-12 age groups. The field size is based on age groups, providing a more age appropriate environment that will allow players with a better opportunity to develop heightened soccer intelligence and on-the-ball skills. The field dimensions and number of players on the pitch will increase in size from 4v4 to 7v7 to 9v9 as players’ age, up until they reach the U-13 age group and begin to play full 11v11 matches.

“When you have young players in an 11v11 game there are only so many involved in any one play at a time. By taking numbers away and playing 4v4, 7v7, and 9v9, you are multiplying their chances on the ball, increasing their touches and making it overall more for them by making them an active participant at all times.” Ramos said

BIRTH-YEAR REGISTRATION

Birth-year registration calendars will now align with the start of the calendar year and run from January to December, rather than August to July as it had previously. For example, a U-15 player (players 15 years old or younger) would have a birth year of 2000 (Jan. 1 through Dec. 31) for the 2015 registration year. In 2016, U-15 players would be born in 2001 or earlier. Birth-year registration applies to all player age groups and not just players age 12 and younger. The initiative will align registration with the international standard, while simultaneously providing clearer information on player birth dates to combat ‘relative age effect’.

“It makes the process easier,” Ramos said of the birth-year registration initiative. This new calendar year system makes soccer easier. If you’re born in a certain year you belong in that certain age group. Simple. It also puts our players on the same age-playing calendar as the rest of the world so they will be used to competing in the right age group. That makes it much easier for us to scout for the National Teams and find players ready to compete internationally.”

The birth-year registration initiative will not cause the dissolution of age-group based teams that already play together, but will rather give players the opportunity to ‘play up’ with older age-groups.

“Our number one goal is to improve our players down the road and these initiatives will help us do that”

“With small-sided standards what we’re trying to do is to help players develop by putting them in an environment where they are constantly involved in the play and our changes in birth-year registration will make age groups easier to understand, while aligning our calendar with the international calendar.”

Tab Ramos
U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach and Youth Technical Director.

RELATIVE AGE

Relative age effect refers to the selection bias related to players that are more physically mature than their peers due to being born earlier in the year. U.S. Soccer seeks a balance of players that are born throughout the year so that all players, those born in the earlier months, and those born later have equal opportunity to grow and develop as soccer players.

The art of stopping attackers, avoiding goals, and good clearance is as much science as art. For this, the defender must have speed, temperament and lots of anticipation skills.

It has become something regular: the best teams are assembled from the back to the front. And in a way, the new century soccer demands an approach in this regard. In the last years, the most successful teams or national teams have been worried about keeping an important and efficient attack, but obviously also a solid defense, that generates tranquility to the rest of the team.

Experience speaks

A couple of good central defenders are essential for the best teams in the world, and this time, we will talk about it. For better details, we spoke with Luis La Fuente, former soccer player of the national team of Peru, and central defender who shone at Boca Juniors in the seventies. About the position, Luis comments, “Now, children don’t have to be afraid because it’s a very beautiful job, hard but beautiful. Today’s soccer, and actually all the time, has been good for the attackers. Lionel Messi or Ronaldo can’t stop scoring, but if it wasn’t for people like Piqué or Ramos, they and the other ones would be more nervous and wouldn’t play calmly”, adds La Fuente.

The perfect defender

Lucho La Fuente gives some tips to become the perfect central defender.
“To be a good central defender, first you have to be mentally quick, you have to be smart and know how to read the game, and not get carried away by the forward’s moves, you have to be clever. And fast, of course, in order to cover holes left by the team, because there are always going to be holes. A strong personality is important. Do not let yourself down, perhaps you could be wrong, but to the opponent attacker, you must appear totally sure about what you’re doing”, he appointed.

Finally, La Fuente explains the importance for a central fullback to make a differentiated job. Training sessions on anticipation, set pieces, loose balls, and above all, training to complement the rest of the defense. A solid defense will always require defenders to know and complement each other.

Tips to be a great central defender
1. Be quick physically and mentally.
2. Do not fall before difficulties.
3. Be neat and a leader.
4. Diferenciated workouts and training sessions with the rest of the defense.
5. A strong personality.

“Be a central defender is a hard job, not anyone can do it. The most complicated positions and the ones that generate more risk are goalkeeper and defender. Why? Because you can’t fail”

THE BEST CENTARL DEFENDERS

1. Gerard Piqué (Barcelona)
2. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
3. Diego Godín (Atlético de Madrid)

A top-level player Kaká, a player with a great story, recognized by Pelé and that is still shining.

TEXT: LINDA GUTIÉRREZ

His real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, but everyone knows him by his nickname Kaká. He is one of the best players of recent times and now plays for Orlando City.

The start of a story
Kaká was born in Brasilia, when he was a child, he travelled with his family to San Pablo and there he took his first steps in soccer. He started in soccer at age 19 in the San Pablo club, and soon proved that he was clever and had a great talent. He scored 30 goals in the first two seasons and earned the recognition of his peers and people. Many big clubs in Europe noticed him immediately, but Milan had the pleasure of hiring him by paying 8 million dollars.

Sought-after player
In Italy, he made a great career and won a lot of accolades. But he wasn’t quite yet at the peak of his career. In 2009 the Real Madrid sought him out to join his team of Galactics, and signed Kaká for a great amount of money: 65 million euros, which was recorded as the third most expensive transfer fee in history, only exceeded by Cristiano Ronaldo and Zidane’s transfer fees.

Kaká is still relevant
At age 34, Kaka continues playing soccer, now with the Orlando City team. Brazil’s head coach, Dunga, said that Kaká is not in the national team for the Copa America because of the lack of rigorous training in the Orlando City team.

……………………………………….

TEAMS HE PLAYED FOR

São Paulo (2001 – 2014)

A.C. Milan (2003 – 2014)

Real Madrid C.F. (2009 – 2013)

Orlando City (2015 – to present)

WHAT YOU DIDN´T KNOW

1. Nickname

Kaká is a nickname used in Brazil by men who are called Ricardo. Kaká earned that nickname when his younger brother Rodrigo was little and could not pronounce the word “Ricardo” and called him Kaká.

2. Awards

– Ballon d’Or (1): 2007
– Better World Player of Clubs (1): 2007
– FIFA World Player of the year (1): 2007
– Onze d’Or (1): 2007

3. Christ’s athlete
Kaka is also a man of great faith. At the age of 15, he made a faulty jump of a diving-board, suffered a vertebra fracture and it was not possible for him to continue playing soccer. But he made a full recovery. He attributed his recovery to the help of God, and from that moment became an Athlete of Christ.

WHO IS HE?

Nombre: Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Date of birth: April/22/1982
Age: 34 years old
Placer of birth: Brasilia, Brazil
Number: 10
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6 feet 1 in
Weight: 172 pounds
Children: Luca Celico Leite, Isabella Celico Leite

INSERTPICTUREOFPELE

For mi Kaká is the best player in the world, because he is the most complete. I rank him above Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pelé.

Little Haiti in Miami, is not a place for tourists, nor a place with shopping malls or meeting places for celebrities or artists but is home of a group of children who are passionate about soccer who are determined to make their dreams come true : go to college or become professional players.

TEXT: LINDA GUTIÉRREZ / PHOTO: EMMANUEL CALDERÓN

Every afternoon, under the watchful eye of Armand, Gomez, and Samuel, the group of three friends is what makes the club go round, more than 100 children of all ages train at the Little Haiti Soccer Park. With economic difficulties, but with a lot of heart and discipline, teams are divided into the field to work and develop a better technique, a greater ability to handle the ball.

“One of the team’s goals is to make kids go to college, they have great talent” says Gomez Laleau, current president of the Little Haiti FC club. Gomez was a tennis coach, and today already has 10 years coaching soccer in Little Haiti.

Visibility

With the rigor of the big clubs in Florida, but without the basic necessary equipment, the team is working to be located under the “umbrella” of the Weston club. For Gomez, one of the major limitations is the lack of visibility of his team and players, because, in his words, “they haven’t had enough exposure to be seen by the Scouts, or Colleges”. It is also important to recognize the job of the District 5 Commissioner, Keon Hadesmon, who has provided all facilities to make Little Haiti Soccer Park home of the club.

Discipline and joy

The training session continues across the field. Boys and girls are challenging tightly for the ball at one end, while at the other side the youngest kids follow carefully – and without losing the smile- all instructions given by their coaches, meanwhile from the stands of the park parents follow closely the players’ movements.

Here in Little Haiti, uniforms are not a problem: everyone wears the shirt that likes, from a Disney Princess to SpongeBob, through the Minions and colorful prints and designs. Little Haiti is color, is life, is passion. What matters here is to play good soccer, grow, have values, make friends, study, be better people. And that is worth more than any championship.

“My goal is to send every boy and girl of the team to College”

Gomez Laleau
President Little Haiti FC

Featured: Jean Armand, Gomez Laleau y Samuel Prunier.

Who is he?
Name: Gomez Laleau
Origin: St. Louis du Nord (Haiti)
Age: 41 years old
Favorite team: Brazil
Player he admires: Dunga
Music: Gospel
Food: Rice and beans
A word that defines him: Integrity
He dislikes: when someone’s value is diminished

Divisions in Little Haiti FC

U7
U10 (2)
U14 (2)
U16
U18