By Mike Woitalla There were some early signs that Mallory Pugh really, really loved soccer. When her sister, Brianna, who’s fiveyears older, played for Real Colorado, 7-year-old Mallory would sit on the team bench. “And she would watch the whole game,” says Real Colorado coach Jared Spires.“At 7 years old, you wouldn’t expect that. And […]
Youth Soccer Insider
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Choosing a club: Key factors to consider
By Lisa Lavelle Over the years parents continue to ask, “How do you choose the right soccer club?” While the answer may seem as simple as picking a club or organization that isclose to home and that’s financially feasible based on your family’s situation, the fact is that the decision-making can be much more complicated. […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Rocco Amoroso: An Appreciation
By Randy Vogt I might have officiated thousands of soccer games but wonder if I would have quit abruptly when I was starting out, like too many other refs, if not forRocco Amoroso and the Sportsmanship Program he created. I took up the whistle on Long Island when I was 16 years old and started […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Is specialization the big culprit? It's not so simple
By Mike Singleton In recent years there has been a growing discussion on youth sport injuries which I applaud wholeheartedly as it is a part of all of our jobs in youth sport tomake sure the safety of children is a primary focus. It is also our job to view the growing number of overuse […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Landon Donovan: 'A 10-year-old doesn't need to be heading a soccer ball'
By Mike Woitalla Landon Donovan, the greatest player the USA has ever produced, recently appeared on “The DanPatrick Show” and was asked about heading in youth soccer. Beginning this year, U.S. Soccer has eliminated heading for children 10 and under, and put limits on the amount of heading inpractice for children ages of 11 to […]
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Florida kid George Acosta leads U.S. U-17 boys to triumph in France
By Mike Woitalla The U.S. U-17 boys national team beat host France, 3-2, to win 44th International Montaigu Tournament. George Acosta, who scored twice in final,also scored twice in the USA’s 4-0 win over Russia and in its 2-2 tie with England. The USA, coached by U-16 coach Shaun Tsakiris because U-17 head coach JohnHackworth […]
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Tony DiCicco on the high school ban, coaching education and the future of girls soccer
Interview by Mike Woitalla Tony DiCicco, who coached the U.S. women to the 1996 Olympic gold medal, the 1999 Women’s World Cup title and the 2008 U-20 Women’sWorld Cup crown, spoke with us about the changing landscape of girls soccer in the USA. The U.S. Soccer Federation is launching a Girls Development Academy in 2017. […]
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For rising sophomores, summer is time to jump start college search
By Lisa Lavelle With summer coming soon — the good news, students and student-athletes will be going on vacation getting a much needed break from school and other activities.Others will spend the summer working, and some will be attending summer school or taking online-college courses to stay on track or get ahead. The great news, […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The World's Worst Referee
By Randy Vogt I was assigned as an assistant referee for a boys U-13, Division 5E game that Sunday morning before the boys U-16, Division 2 game that I would ref on another fieldthat afternoon. I e-mailed the ref to confirm the field and kickoff time and he responded, “That’s what Arbiter (the assigning website) […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
U.S. U-20s, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas still alive in Dallas Cup Super Group
By Mike Woitalla Three American teams, including the U.S. U-20 men’s national team, are competing in the Dallas Cup Super Group, which has been won only once by a U.S. team since itsinception in 1990. The U.S. U-20s beat Monterrey, 1-0, in its opener on Sunday thanks to a strike by Duke’s Jeremy Ebobisse. On […]