By Mike Woitalla Here are a few more glimpses into the childhoods of players starring at the 2012 European Championship: ‘TheLittle Bee’Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). The Real Madrid star was born on the island of Madeira, which lies 600 miles southwest of mainland Portugal. His real surname isDos Santos Aveiro, but his father, Jose Dinis, called […]
Youth Soccer Insider
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Euro 2012 Stars: When they were children (Bastian, Iniesta & Sheva)
By Mike Woitalla Here’s a few glimpses into the childhoods of players starring at the European Championship: BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER(Germany). The midfielder, who set up both goals in Germany’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands, hails from the Bavarian town of Kolbermoor — also the birthplace of former Bayern Munichstar and 1974 world champion Paul Breitner. Schweinsteiger […]
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When the game begins
By Don Norton Jr. Always remember soccer is a player’s game and not a coach’s game. Youth soccer must always be about player development and enjoyment. It must neverbe (just) about winning and losing. Our youth players should never play a game afraid of making mistakes. Unlike other sports, soccer coaches cannot script out the […]
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Clive Toye does Roald Dahl for soccer
By Mike Woitalla Of individuals who have had an extraordinary impact on youth soccer in the USA, Clive Toye ranks very, very high on the list. Toye brought Pele to the New York Cosmos in 1975. That propelled the North American Soccer League, which the Englishman helped launch in 1967, into U.S. mainstreamconsciousness and enabled […]
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More Observations From 35 Years of Reffing (Part 2)
By Randy Vogt Here are some more of the things I have learned in 35 years of refereeing (Read Part 1 HERE)Preventive Officiating, he shareshis wisdom gleaned from thousands of games and hundreds of clinics to help referees not only survive but thrive on the soccer field. You can visit the book’s website at http://www.preventiveofficiating.com/)
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Observations from 35 Years of Reffing (Part 1)
By Randy Vogt Here are some of the things I have learned in 35 years of refereeing: * I have officiated many good players as well as afew good players who thought they were great and let everybody on the field know it. Such as the high school senior playing forward in a New Jersey […]
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Ease tryout stress with cooperation
By Tyler Isaacson Coaches, parents, administrators and players often dread this time of the year. Rumors are flying of who is leaving, where they are going and whythey are leaving. Parents are dragging their child from tryout to tryout to make sure they have a team to play on. It is utter chaos for administrators […]
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Mooch Soccer: An inner-city success story
By Mike Woitalla Last year when I went to watch the U.S. national team train at the Home Depot Center, I asked for directions and was told by a security guy in a golfcart that it was taking place at the “Mooch Myernick Field.” The Glenn “Mooch” Myernick Field to be exact. And it made […]
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Drogba's Dad: 'It wasn't easy for Didier'
Interview by Bruno Pisano Didier Drogba, the hero of Chelsea’s Champions League final win over Bayern Munich, is one of 55 soccer superstars featuredin Bruno Pisano‘s book, “My Son The Soccer Player: The Secrets of the World’s Greatest Players as Told by TheirParents.” Didier, the oldest of seven children, was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s […]
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Bayern beats Chelsea in youth matters
By Mike Woitalla On Saturday, two clubs that have often boasted about their youth programs, meet in the decider of Europe’s most prestigious club competition,the UEFA Champions League. A look at the players who helped Chelsea and Bayern Munich reach the final reveals just how successful they are in developing players. Chelsea can point to […]