Coaches, parents, administrators and players often dread this time of the year. Rumors are flying of who is leaving, where they are going and why they are leaving. Parents are dragging their child from tryout to tryout to make sure they have a team to play on.

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 golf cart that it was taking place at the "Mooch Myernick Field."

Didier Drogba, the hero of Chelsea's Champions League final win over Bayern Munich, is one of 55 soccer superstars featured in Bruno Pisano's book, "My Son The Soccer Player: The Secrets of the World's Greatest Players as Told by Their Parents." In this excerpt, Pisano spoke with Albert Drogba about his son's early years.

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.

Not every game that a referee is assigned will be for teams whose ability is comparable to Barcelona or Manchester United. Over the course of a referee career, an official will be assigned games where the teams struggle to put three passes together.

In Part 2 of our interview, we asked Bobby Howe, who has been deeply involved in the American youth game for nearly three decades, about the past, present and future of the U.S. game, including his views on the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's ban on high school ball.

Bobby Howe, during his playing career, lined up with England greats Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Jimmy Greaves at West Ham United. Howe came to the USA in 1977 to play for and coach the NASL's Seattle Sounders, and since the 1980s has been deeply involved in American youth soccer.