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Weston FC U13 – Soccer, Italian-style

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The Weston’s kids are ready to begin a new adventure in Rome, Italy. The purpose of the trip is to promote the kids at international competitions. “As a club, we know this is the moment when the players are developing” says Alessandro Sbrizzo, coach of the team. “That’s why we’re going with our minds set on doing better”. He commented.
During this trip, the U13 Weston FC’s kids may compare the structure and level of Italian clubs which are more developed in soccer terms.

Expectation

According to the coach, the U13 West FC team expects to compete at the highest level, and try to do a good job in every aspect: in terms of game, responsibility, behavior, and getting the players to use this experience to feel they’re at an important environment. “We have a balanced team, with speed, technique and physical skills. Even though we have all those aspects, the emotional side always plays a part in the matches” says coach Alessandro Sbrizzo.

Time for everything

The Weston FC’s kids will also have some days off so they can visit the city of Rome, which is very important historically. Some parents will join them, but they will not travel with the team.
“We want the parents to join us, so they can observe the differences between American and European soccer, and that we need to be walking on solid ground. Sometimes what is done locally is a different reality, and when you go out there to see the actual truth, you can tell we are still lacking something” comments coach Sbrizzo.
The U13 Weston FC team is ready to represent South Florida soccer in Italy. The trip will take place from September 2 to September 11. They will face the following teams: Lazio, Perugia, Ternana, Roma, Frosinone, Racing Club and Urbetevere.
Players

Brian López

Age: 13
Position: Midfielder
Favorite player: Messi
Favorite food: Lasagna
Favorite book: Flipped
Trip expectations: Go far in the competition, make it to finals, and win.
Andrés Cardenas
Age: 13
Position: Left winger
Favorite player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite book: Percy Jackson
Trip expectations: Go far in the competition, score a lot of goals and play well as a team.
Jack Riescher

Age: 13
Position: Central defender
Favorite player: Laurent Koscielny
Favorite food: Shrimps
Favorit book: Maze Runner
Trip expectations: I am excited to play against the Italian boys and about the experience in Europe.
PARENTS

Amílcar Pérez

Origin: Cuba
What do you think the trip to Italy will teach your son?
He’ll be in a place where soccer is very different and will find high level opposition. It will also be the first time he will travel abroad without his parents, so it would be a good experience for him.
How does your kid feel before the trip?
Very happy and very excited.
Mark Humbles

Origin: Ireland
What do you think the trip to Italy will teach your son?
It will be helpful culturally but will also show the boy’s level as players.
How does your kid feel before the trip?
He’s very excited.
Rafael Peluffo

Origin: Uruguay
What do you think the trip to Italy will teach your son?
Commitment, the experience of traveling abroad with the team, and sense of belonging.
How does your kid feel before the trip?
He is very excited and happy to travel.

West Pines ¡We are the Champions!

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West Pines US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Champions & USYS National Championships

Text: Emmanuel Calderón

The U-14 West Pines team under the coaching of Javier Carrillo have made South Florida proud by becoming the 2016 US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships. The road to the final was not easy as they had to face the best teams of the southern region. The competition consisted of 3 group matches, a quarter final, a semifinal, and a final.
Matches

The first match finished in a 1-0 win against South Carolina, the second match finished with a victory against the Alabama state champions, followed by a 2-0 win against Oklahoma state champions. Finishing top of their group with 9 points they advanced to the Quarter finals where they faced the Mississippi state champs and beat them 5-2. In the semifinal they were put to the test against Atlanta, the southern regional premier league champions, where they won 5-2.

Finally, the finals came against Castle Academy who were the champions of North Carolina. The final score was 2-1 as West Pines became the Region III champions. After becoming the southern regional championships West Pines then qualified for the USYS National championships of 2016 where they made a very respectable appearance.

“Overall it was a great experience and really shows the kind of work we are doing here at West Pines.”
Coach Javier Carrillo

USYS National Championships

In this tournament West Pines was put to the test against the highest level opposition of the nation. In this tournament they beat the National state champs of Southern California with a final score of 1-0, lost 1-0 to the Las Vegas champions, and lost to the Maryland champions after a free kick was scored by the opposing team in the last 5 minutes. Upon losing that match they were eliminated from the competition, but that doesn’t mean their achievements were any less great. Coach Javier Carrillo says, “This experience exceeded all expectations as we faced the highest level opposition all around the country. I know that this will allow the organization and players to advance in development and we hope to continue these trends in the following season, and hopefully with more of our other teams as well. This experience has allowed the boys to not only grow as players, but as human beings as well.”

STATE CUP – The girls at Sunrise

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Gustavo Camacho coach of Sunrise said:

“We are a small club but we still compete with clubs that have thousands of players and we have only 200. In the past 10 years we have been the best club in the girl’s side in the state. We have won more state championships than anybody, and we have the program with the most girls committed to play division 1 college soccer in the past 5 years. Our coaching staff is very dedicated and the girls are always working hard at all times, which is what has allowed our program to be successful.”

How many matches did you have to play in the state cup tournament?
“We had to play a total of 7 games. “
What was the final match like?
The final was against FKK who is a very good team. We played them 4 times previously in the past year where we beat them twice, they beat us, and then we drew a match. In addition, the players had to work extra hard because we lost some of our important players due to injury.

What are your goals for next season?
Next season our goal is to get every single player committed to play division 1. Most players are becoming committed to a college in their junior year, but we already have 8 players who are entering their junior year and are already committed.
WHO IS HE

Gustavo Camacho
From Barranquilla Colombia
Coaching for 33 years
14 years working with Sunrise girls’ soccer
Played in the minor leagues for Atletico Junior of Colombia
Favorite place in the world? Colombia
Favorite Food: Bandeja Paisa

GIUSEPPE DePALO “Transition is the key to the modern game”

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Interview with the Director of Coaching and Player Development in Pinecrest Premier.

The Italian coach, a lover of soccer, started his career from a very early age and his great experience is strengthening the Pinecrest Premier team. His aim is to develop all the divisions instead of focusing on a determined age.
When did you realize that you loved soccer?
I’ve always loved the game. As I grew up in Italy I would play on the streets and when I came to America I began to play in a more organized setting but I’ve always loved the game.

Did you always imagine that you’d become a coach?
Initially, I never thought of being a coach and I always wanted to just be a player. To an extent, I accomplished that by playing professionally in the USL, but then coaching came along which wasn’t expected and I realized that maybe I could make a career out of it and make it something I could do for the rest of my life.

How did you first get involved with Pinecrest Premier?
They reached out to me as I had already been providing some consulting to the club this year. The club was going through some coaching changes and they asked me if I was interested, and now here I am.

How does it feel to be the Director of coaching?
This is a very different challenge since I am tackling more of the youth side of the game, but I’m sure it’s going to be a fantastic experience. I oversee all 41 teams that we have, as well as all of the coaches and kids. Now I’ve been with the club officially for a few months and I’m really enjoying it.

What was the transition like from being a player to being a coach?
It was a long, long evolution. I started coaching when I was still in college where I was in charge of a U8 and U9 team. I didn’t really know what I was doing! But I was still learning and then eventually I realized that I had still much more to learn. But coaching is completely different from playing where you aren’t just looking at what’s in front of you but you have to take into consideration different players, their emotions, feelings, if they are enjoying themselves, how the practice is going, etc.

How would you describe your style of coaching?
To me, transition is the key to the modern game. I’ve always been a defensive type of coach where my emphasis has been defense. Over time, it has changed and I enjoy watching the game differently. For example, I am the head coach of Miami Fusion in the NPSL and this past year we played a very high pressing game which was still defensive but high up in the field with intensity and lots of transitions.

What does the club offer for the players?
We offer a chance to play in some of the top leagues in Florida and at a very high level irrespective of age or ability. In addition, we have an affiliation with Kendall which has an academy and any boy of ours who may “outgrow” our program can be pushed there and given the ability to develop even further.

How was the past season like for the club?
We had a few teams who did quite well in the State Cup and National Premier league. Our U18 girls were out in Colorado and qualified for nationals a few weeks back.

What is your goal for the club as Director of coaching?
One of the things I want to do is to make our club one of the better ones in terms of development for the younger teams. I really want to focus on our U8 through U12 teams so that in turn, our older teams will be better. Instead of trying to stack a particular team and pulling players from certain divisions to have one strong team, I want to make sure that the kids are getting the right instruction appropriate to their age in order to properly develop our young players.

Do you have any hobbies?
I love traveling, especially with my kids. I have a 16-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son who both play over in Weston. I also like watching games on the weekends with my kids or going out to support our local teams like Miami FC or the Strikers.

What is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
I loved Puerto Rico for vacation. The beaches are great and it was a very nice combination of American comfort with Latino culture as well. For soccer purposes I’ve travelled to places like England, Italy, France, etc. but my absolute favorite was Argentina. I was fortunate enough to see River Plate vs. Boca in La Bombonera for Martin Palermo’s last game and that was a fantastic experience unlike any stadium I’ve ever been to before.
Who is he

Nombre: Giuseppe DePalo
Age: 44
Origin: Milan, Italy
Teams:
College soccer at Franklin Pierce University
Professionally in the USL
Miami Fusion Head Coach
Favorite food?
Italian food
Favorite movie?
I’m a crazy “Star Wars” fan.
Favorite player?
Messi
Favorite team?
A.C. Milan

MARTA VIEIRA DA SILVA, The golden girl

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The Brazilian is the best soccer player of all time

TEXT: LINDA GUTIÉRREZ

When she was a child, she used to get into trouble because her family believed girls shouldn’t play soccer and instead should play with dolls.” But, despite this, she would always escape from home to play soccer with her friends on the street. She was the only girl among the boys.
Story

Marta is the most successful female soccer player of all time; that’s borne out by the five consecutive ballon d’Or awards she has won. But her life has not been a fairy tale. During her early years, her parents split before she was a year old, after this her mother had to work all day to support her and her four brothers. The family was poor; Martha couldn’t attend school until she was 9 years old. But before that, she taught herself to read and write using newspapers and comic books.
More & more success

At the age of 14, the head of a local soccer tournament saw her talent and proposed she try out for a team in Rio de Janeiro. Following this, Martha’s life turned into a string of success. Her face and talent became international. She moved to the U.S. where she wore the jerseys from Los Angeles Sol, FC Gold Pride and the Western New York Flash, before coming back to Sweeden where she plays for the Rosengård since June 2014. Marta has won many titles with her teams. She and The Brazil National Team have won two Pan American Games golden medals and three silver medals- two in the Olympics and one in the World Cup.
Off the pitch

Marta has many achievements: In 2010, The ONU appointed her as a Goodwill Ambassador, a position that only eight other people hold in the world. And she is the only one with two tasks: to advocate for women’s empowerment as a means to fight poverty.

“Football is everything in my life, and I’ve gotten where many athletes would like to get…. I had the privilege to be named the best player in the world for five consecutive years…. sometimes I don’t believe it.”
Who is she

Full Name: Marta Vieira da Silva
Nickname: Pelé in a skirt
Origin: Dois Riachos, Brazil
Birth date: February 19, 1989
Parents: Aldário da Silva, Tereza da Silva
Age: 30
Height: 5 ft 4 in
Weight: 125 pounds
Position: Forward
Senior Club goals: 80
Senior carreer

2000–2002
Vasco da Gama

2002–2004
Santa Cruz

2004–2008
Umeå IK

2009
Los Angeles Sol

2009–2010
Santos

2010
FC Gold Pride

2011
Santos

2011
Western New York Flash

2012–2014
Tyresö FF

2014
FC Rosengård
MARTA VIEIRA DA SILVA

La chica de oro
La brasilera es la mejor futbolista de la historia
TEXT: LINDA GUTIÉRREZ
Cuando era niña se metía en problemas porque su familia creía que las niñas no debían jugar al soccer sino a las muñecas. A pesar de esto, ella siempre escapaba de casa para jugar al soccer en la calle con sus amigos. Era la única chica entre tantos chicos.
Historia

Marta es la futbolista más exitosa de la historia,
Y como prueba tiene cinco Balones de Oro que ha ganado consecutivamente.
Pero no todo ha sido felicidad en la vida de Marta.
Durante su niñez sus padres se separaron cuando ella apenas tenía un año, luego de esto su madre tuvo que trabajar todo el día para mantenerla a ella y sus cuatro hermanos. Eran una familia pobre por lo que Marta no pudo entrar a la escuela hasta que cumplió 9 años. Pero antes de eso intentó aprender a leer y escribir por su cuenta leyendo periódicos y comics.
Éxito y más éxito

A los 14 años, el director de uno de los torneos de soccer se fijó en su talento y le propuso realizar pruebas para un equipo en Río de Janeiro. Después de esto la vida de Marta se convirtió en un cadena de éxitos. Su rostro y su talento se volvieron internacionales. Se trasladó a Estados Unidos para vestir las camisetas de Los Angeles Sol, el F.C. Gold Pride y el Western de Nueva York, antes de regresar a Suecia donde juega con el FC Rosengård desde junio de 2014. Marta ha logrado muchos títulos con sus equipos. Ella y la Selección Nacional de Brasil han conseguido dos oros panamericanos y tres platas –dos olímpicas y una mundial.
Fuera de la cancha

Marta tiene otros logros fuera del campo de juego: en 2010, la ONU la nombró Embajadora de Buena Voluntad, un cargo que sólo tienen otras ocho personas en el mundo. Y ella es la única con dos funciones: trabajar por el empoderamiento de la mujer como un medio para disminuir la pobreza.

“El fútbol es todo en mi vida y yo he llegado a donde muchos deportistas les gustaría llegar… Tuve el privilegio de ser la mejor del mundo durante cinco años seguidos… A veces no me lo creo.”
Marta Vieira da Silva
Apodo: Pelé con faldas
Origen: Dois Riachos, Brasil
Cumpleaños: 19 de febrero
Padres: Aldário da Silva, Tereza da Silva
Edad: 30 años
Altura: 5 ft 4 in
Peso: 125 lb
Posición: Delantera
Goles en clubes:80
Equipos:

2000–2002
Vasco da Gama

2002–2004
Santa Cruz

2004–2008
Umeå IK

2009
Los Angeles Sol

2009–2010
Santos

2010
FC Gold Pride

2011
Santos

2011
Western New York Flash

2012–2014
Tyresö FF

2014
FC Rosengård

With Soccer in their Blood

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Text: Luis Suarez y Glorianna Salcedo

Connner y Calvin Rezende are the first American set of twins who play for a professional club in the U.S. From early childhood, they inherited the passion for soccer from their Brazilian father. At the age of four, they were already dedicating their lives to the soccer field. The twins have played at the University of Virginia and Saint Francis University. They have also lived in Italy, Spain and Brazil. Discover more about them:

What is your favorite food?
Conner: Pasta carbonara.
Calvin: Fish and rice.

What kind of music do you like?
Conner: Hip hop.
Calvin: Classic and Hip hop.

Favorite movie?
Conner: Spiderman.
Calvin: Rocky.

A word that defines you:
Conner: Committed and passionate.
Calvin: Also, committed and passionate.

Something you hate:
Conner: Lies.
Calvin: Selfishness.

Who taught you to love soccer?
Conner: Soccer is in our blood.
Calvin: Soccer is in our blood.

Did you get along as brothers or did you fight a lot?
Conner: Not much.
Calvin: Not much, the usual.

Who is better out of the two of you?
Conner: Some people say my ball handling skills are better; we both have the same style of play.
Calvin: I am physically stronger.

How do you see youth soccer in Florida?
Conner y Calvin: We see the league is growing, there are a lot of professional teams, but it needs to improve.

What is missing for soccer in Florida?
Conner: There is a need for improvement.

How do you prepare physically for a match?
Conner: I train five times a week, it’s a lot of hard work.

How do you prepare mentally?
Conner: I like quiet places to focus on the match.
Calvin: I like to be in a calm environment and watch the competitor’s games.

What would you say to the kids who want to play soccer professionally?
Conner: Keep moving forward and be serious about commitment and respect.
Calvin: They should never stop trying.

How do you feel at Miami FC?
Conner: It’s very exciting to be signed by the team.
Calvin: We have good relations. They help us develop the areas that need improving.

What do you do to improve your performance on the field?
Conner: Focus on training and deal with the pressure.
Calvin: I don’t eat any fried food; I just eat protein, fruits, bars and energy boosting food.
“I think we’ve never been apart for more than two days.
“Nesta expects a lot from us. He is teaching us a lot. He played at the highest level and we want to get to the same place.”

Nutrition – Score with our Ultimate Smoothies

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Healthy and tasty drinks to fuel your body

Smoothies are perfect for athletes, especially for soccer players. They are vitamin-packed beverages, easily digested, extremely hydrating sources of energy that contain loads of fiber, need we say more?
Fruits and Veggies

Nutrition plays an important role in the recovery, training and performance of an athlete. Drinking smoothies is an easy way to guarantee you are getting lots of vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables to support immune function and general health. Besides, smoothies will give your brain the vitamins and nutrients it needs to improve mental clarity, concentration, and memory.
Combinations

The number of healthy ingredients available for smoothies is limitless. After the basic fruits and vegetables, you can include a variety of spices, different kinds of herbs and other healthy foods, which will provide your body with the appropriate fuel for more energy and strength. The possibilities and mixtures are endless.
Top 3 most powerful smoothies

Total energy
100g fresh/frozen berries, 100g fresh/frozen mango, 300ml skimmed milk.

Total strength
One banana, 300ml skimmed milk, 200g low-fat yogurt.

Total recovery
One banana, 300ml skimmed milk, 125g low-fat vanilla yogurt, 100g frozen/fresh berries, one teaspoon honey.

Idea
Make your own smoothies so you know exactly what goes into them.

Variety
Adapt your smoothies to meet your desired health goals.

Eye Injuries – Protecting your Eyes While Playing Soccer

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Source: preventblindness.org

Each year, more than 40,000 people are treated for eye injuries related to sports activities. Using the right kind of eye protection while playing sports can help prevent serious eye injuries and even blindness.
The following guidelines can help you find a pair of eyeguards right for you

1. If you wear prescription glasses, ask your eye doctor to fit you for prescription eyeguards. If you’re a monocular athlete (a person with only one eye that sees well), ask your eye doctor what sports you can safely participate in. Monocular athletes should always wear sports eyeguards.

2. In order to be assured that your eyes are protected, it is important that any eye guard or sports protective eyewear be labeled as ASTM F803 approved. This eyewear is performance tested to give you the highest levels of protection.

3. Don’t buy sports eyeguards without lenses. Only “lensed” protectors are recommended for sports use. Make sure the lenses either stay in place or pop outward in the event of an accident. Lenses that pop in against your eyes can be very dangerous.

4. Check the packaging to see if the eye protector you select has been tested for sports use. Also check to see that the eye protector is made of polycarbonate material. Polycarbonate eyeguards are the most impact resistant.

5. Sports eyeguards should be padded or cushioned along the brow and bridge of the nose. Padding will prevent the eyeguards from cutting your skin.

6. Try on the eye protector to determine if it’s the right size. Adjust the strap and make sure it’s not too tight or too loose. If you purchased your eyeguards at an optical store, an optical representative can help you adjust the eye protector for a comfortable fit.

Soccer Recommended protection: Sports eyeguards

Injuries prevented:
-Inflamed iris
-Blood spilling into the eye’s anterior chamber
-Swollen retina
For sports use, polycarbonate lenses must be used with protectors that meet or exceed the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Each sport has a specific ASTM code, so look for the ASTM label on the product before making a purchase.
OPINIONES DE LA EXPERTA
MAYLIN LEÓN
PLANET OPTICAL

1 La edad que los niños sufren más lesiones en los ojos es de los 9 hasta los 16 años.

2 Al elegir el marco es importante tener en cuenta el tamaño de la pata, el largo del marco,
la comodidad al usarlo atrás de las orejas y que sea acolchonado en la nariz.

3 Es necesario que el marco sea rap o curvo para que le proteja en caso de accidente.
CONCIENCIA EN LOS PADRES
4 Los padres deben hacer que sus hijos usen lentes al jugar soccer.

5 No es recomendable usar los lentes de contacto en soccer.

6 Es importante que los niños usen los lentes para jugar, aunque no tengan graduación, sino por protección de los rayos UV y porque son contra impactos.

GARETH BALE – A Super Soccer Player

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His speed and left foot are his greatest weapons on the pitch

After being named the best player in the Premier League for two seasons, Gareth Bale caught Real Madrid’s attention and achieved becoming the first Welshman to play in Spanish soccer.
More information

Gareth is considered a complete attacker who started succeeding at a very early age. When he was only 16 years old, he made his debut for Southhampton and the Welsh National Team (2005-06). At the age of 17, he became the youngest player, at that point, to score a goal for his National Team. Later on, that same year, in 2007, he was signed by Spurs. In 2013, Gareth Bale was chosen to be on the shortlist of the 23 candidates for the Golden Boot. Additionally, that same year, Fifa published a list of the ten fastest soccer players, with Bale taking second place by attaining a speed of 34.7 km/h.
Who is he:

Name: Gareth Frank Bale
Origin: Cardiff, Wales
Date of birth: July 16, 1989
Age: 27
Country: Wales
Height: 6 ft 0 inches
Weight: 167 pounds
Club: Real Madrid FC
Position: Winger, forward
Club goals: 118

CAREER

Southampton Football Club (2006 – 2007)
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (2007 – 2013)
Real Madrid FC (2013)
What you didn’t know….
FAMILY
He is engaged to Emma Rhys-Jones, his high school sweetheart. He has two daughters: Alba Violet y Nava Valentina.

START
Gareth came to the attention of Southampton Football Club at only nine years of age, when he was playing in a six-a-side tournament against Cardiff Civil Service Football Club.

CONTRACT
Bale has signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid; his salary is around 10 million euros for every season. He is the first Welshman player in the history of the club.

NATIONAL TEAM
Gareth stood out for a short time in Wales National U17 Team, since he only played 3 games. Wales’ manager, Johh Toshack gave him a chance to make his debut with the National Team in a soccer match against Trinidad and Tobago on May 27, 2006.

SFK INVITED BY MIAMI FC – Colombian party!

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The boys and girls from Soccer for Kids were part of the Colombian party organized by the Miami FC at FIU stadium in Miami. The little U3 and U10 players were chosen to accompany to the field the teams that would face each other that night, Miami FC and Indy eleven. It was a night of joy, with a taste of cumbia and vallenatos, where the typical dances and spectacular yellow, red and blue outfits caught the spectators’ eye. A night of triumph, happiness and celebration. Viva Colombia, viva Miami FC!

SFK INVITADO POR MIAMI FC
¡Fiesta colombiana!

Los chicos y chicas de Soccer for Kids fueron parte de la fiesta colombiana que realizó el equipo de Miami FC en el estadio FIU en Miami. Los pequeños de U3 hasta U10 fueron los elegidos para acompañar al campo de juego a los equipos que se enfrentarían esa noche, Miami FC y el Indy Eleven. Fue una noche de alegría con sabor a cumbia y vallenatos, donde los bailes típicos y los espectaculares trajes amarillo, rojo y azul cautivaron a los espectadores. ¡Una noche de triunfo, alegría y celebración. ¡Viva Colombia, viva Miami FC!