By Mike Woitalla In the wake of Atlanta United, set to begin MLS play in 2017, signing 15-year-old Andrew Carleton, comes news that D.C. United has signed 16-year-old Chris Durkin. Both players are currently part of the U.S. U-17 national team residency program in Bradenton, Fla., and Durkin is U.S. U-17 captain. Durkin, who hails […]
Youth Soccer Insider
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
How refs deal with trash-talking
By Randy Vogt “Look at the scoreboard” and “You got nothing” are two common things that trash-talking players say. Yet when I started refereeing in 1978, I did nothear any trash-talking. The first time that I witnessed players talking smack was watching a NBA game on TV around 1990. I am not stating that taunting […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Does American soccer really only work for white kids?
By Mike Woitalla Les Carpenter’s article for the London-based Guardian on American youth soccer is headlined: ‘It’s only working for the white kids’: American soccer’s diversityproblem — and it has gotten enough attention that it’s worth scrutinizing. A decade ago when I researched the high cost of American youth soccer I aimed to explain one […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Changing the Canvas: Finding Inspiration Outside of our Beautiful Game
By Chris Apple My wife is a developmental psychologist. For two decades she has been studying children and the factors that impact their development and well-being. It’s arelatively narrow focal point and if she’s not careful it can become repetitious. Whenever she needs to break out of an intellectual rut, she turns to other fields […]
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'Toughest World Cup yet' awaits U.S. U-17 girls
By Mike Woitalla The USA will face Paraguay, Ghana and defending champion Japan in the first round of 2016 U-17 Women’s World Cup (Sept. 30-Oct. 21) in Jordan, the firstMiddle East nation to host a FIFA women’s championship. “The international women’s game has evolved at a frenetic pace over the course of the last few […]
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John Hackworth: India experience provides valuable lessons for U.S. U-17 boys
By Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla In its third international tournament of the year, the U.S. U-17 boysnational team finished runner-up at the AIFF Youth Cup in India, which will host the 2017 U-17 World Cup for which Coach John Hackworth team’s aims to qualify. A free-kickgoal with six minutes left in overtime gave South Korea a 2-1 […]
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Adding to the alphabet soup of American youth soccer
By Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla If your children play soccer in the USA, they may be playing under theumbrella of AYSO, U.S. Youth Soccer, U.S. Club Soccer, SAY Soccer, or the Super Y-League. There’s the ECNL and the NPL, sanctioned by U.S. Club Soccer, and the Development Academy (USSDA),launched in 2007 by U.S. Soccer, the nation’s […]
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Insights on European scouting of U.S. youngsters by 'Arsenal Yankee' Danny Karbassiyoon
By Mike Woitalla Daniel Karbassiyoon jokes that Arsenal kept him from going to college twice. The first time, at age 18, he signed with the English Premier Leagueclub, in 2003, despite being courted by top programs in the ACC and Ivy League. The second time came after injuries ended his pro career at 22 and […]
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Police side with kids in pickup game dispute
By Mike Woitalla My favorite youth soccer story of the spring comes from Birmingham, Alabama, where police officers responded to complaints about kids playing pickup soccer — byjoining the game. “We get calls repeatedly on these guys playing and there’s one person who continually calls and kind of wants us to tell them to come […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
U.S. girls to prep for U-17 World Cup against Swiss U-19s
By Mike Woitalla The U.S. U-17 girls national team, which is preparing for the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan (Sept. 30-Oct. 21), will play two games against theSwitzerland team that is prepping for July’s U-19 European Championship. U.S. coach B.J. Snow has called up 22 players, including 18 who were on the squad that in […]