Young Players Choose Off-Season Activities Wisely...

As we move into the off-season portion of the year I thought it was time to address what activities players should be participating in to help their individual development. There are a variety of choices both soccer related and otherwise. I was reading a health magazine recently that featured an article, "Eat this, not that". With that inspiration in mind I will share my thoughts on the off-season in a "Do this, not that" format for ages U8-U12.

Do this...

Play a number of different sports and get a number of different experiences. It is true that sports and other athletic activities add to the overall motor development of young players. These functions include running, hand/eye coordination, balance, etc... It is very important at the formative ages that players develop these skills through a broad range of athletic activities. Whether it be basketball, volleyball, dance or whatever, getting away from soccer to get a different motor demand is important to individual development.

Not that...

Specialize in soccer from an early age. For all of the reasons I mentioned above it is important to experience different things. All soccer all the time can lead to deficiency in some motor skills and can also lead to unnecessary burnout. Have fun with whatever you do as it will develop a love for sports and athletics. You can decide which sport is your passion later.

Do this...

If you are going to play soccer in the off-season I highly recommend that it is done without a focus on results. I think your time can be best spent at a individual skills camp or clinic so that the player can further deepen their technical ability. Indoor or 3v3 teams should be relatively unorganized where there is no coaching and where players play in all positions on the field. There should be no strict guidelines or tactics employed. One of our parents had it exactly right. The team played 7v7, so he made colored chips to match positions. For example, yellow were forwards, green were midfielders and red were defenders. Before each game the players drew a chip to find their position for that half of the game. It was repeated at halftime. There was no coaching during the game. The players were left to sort it out for themselves. Brilliant!

Not that...

You guessed it. No organized teams. No specific positions. No focus on winning. Let the players own the game. I have seen the opposite approach destroy team chemistry both among players and parents. I have also seen this create rivalries among teammates. It happens when parent's put together indoor and 3v3 teams using the players from our existing teams. When certain players are excluded or dropped in order to stack teams for results resentment is the by product. Parents will always claim the best intention. This type of thing is born by a parent's ego getting in the way of kids having fun and developing as players. When the players return to their normal team in the fall or spring it has undermined the coaches ability to develop a team. Worse yet, it has created a less the harmonious atmosphere among the players and parents. Bad news. Beware.

Do this...

Rest. Players need time away from soccer. They need to rest their bodies. We have seen an increase in injuries in young players over the years. Some of these injuries are related to growing, but some are related to overuse. This doesn't even consider the long term damage it could be doing. We set our schedule in a very calculated way. Our younger players do less and we slowly raise the demand over years. We try to limit the number of games these players play in a year. My recommendation is as follows:

U8 - 25-30 games per year

U9/U10 - 30-40 games per year

U11/U12 - 35-45 games per year

Not that...

Play year round. As I mentioned above, the players need not only a physical break from the game, but also a mental break. We want the players to come back fresh physically with an excitement to be back with their team. Playing for their team, an indoor team, 3v3 and adding something like ODP leaves the players exhausted. In this state they are unable to develop or play to the level they are capable. Let them be kids.

I bring you this information from experience of watching players along the developmental process. The reality is that kids who are U8-U12 have almost the sole goal of pleasing their parents, teachers and coaches. They are not mature enough to say "no I don't want to do that." For that reason it is critical that you put your trust in a coach that understands the process and has experience dealing with young players. Soon enough these young players will mature and start to resist. The notion that the more you play the better you will be is absolutely untrue. During the formative years it is more important to seek a non-intrusive environment that gives the kids freedom to experiment. Let the player lead the way in developing a passion for a sport. Let them own the game.

Update from Los Angeles - Saturday, December 6

2-0! A great start to the Showcase with both teams winning their opening game. While most coaches and scouts (and obviously us) expect it of our U-18's, the quality of the U-16's was a pleasant surprise to those outside our organization. It wasn't just that we won, which we did only once in thirty games last year, we are talented and will only continue to improve.

Going into the weekend our first goal was to not have to take anyone to the hospital. Sounds obvious enough, but after the disaster that was the Houston trip it isn't. I never got around to blogging about Houston, but the cliff notes version - 12 kids missed school, 2 ended up in the hospital, 2 spent the entire flight in the lavatory all with a stomach bug. In fact, if we don't get sick, we probably hold our 1-0 lead and get our first win or at least a point while there. We just found out that 8ish Columbus Crew kids (same flight to and from Houston) were sick the next week as well. But I digress...

The trip started well. We treat the boys as adults and they behave like it. They were great on the plane and in the airports. I gave the boys meal money in Dallas and they scattered. We arrived at LAX just after 11PM local time and were to the hotel by about 1:30AM or 4:30 in the east.

It amazes me how we have to convince kids to eat meals. They simply don't understand how much fuel they burn, not just in the games, but with the travel. Of course, when you control playing time, it becomes a little easier to convince kids to do the right thing.

U-16 Game v. Southern Central Premier (CT) - Win 2-1
The win was important on a couple levels.

• The elephant in the room is our record from last year and the perception of our program. We went a long way in changing that yesterday. You hear all the time about how "it's not about the result", who are we kidding? Results are a bi-product or development and ability.
• Confidence. The last thing I told our boys before the game is to be confident in their abilities. We know we have some talent. Out of the group we took to Houston not a single player was on the full Development Academy roster last year. The inexperience is both good and bad. Good because they don't have last year's history, bad because they don't have the experience of the speed of the game at this level and how to manage themselves.
• Game Management. Learning how to play 80 minutes without a sub isn't easy. The fitness level, or lack thereof, of kids coming out of high school is always shocking, but more importantly, kids at all levels are used to running themselves out and then getting a short break with a sub. (In the DA if you come out you are done for the day.) We turned a game that was well in-hand with a half hour left into a bit of a mess in the last 10 minutes trying to kill off the game. The U-18's dealt with this a lot last year, turning wins into ties with regularity. So, for the U-16's to hold on for the win was really good for them moving forward.
• We made early goals from Tommy Rogers and A.J. Combs hold up for victory number one on the short season.

U-18 Game v. Southern Central Premier (CT) - Win 2-0
With the exception of a few mistakes early, the game was really never in question. This is a talented group, but more importantly one that holds itself accountable. Tim is with the girls in Raleigh for the Red Bull so Marc, Jared Micklos and I have the group. Because of their experience last year and the way Tim has been able to sort them out based upon the opponent they are very flexible in the adjustments we are able to make.

• I thought the goal from Tyler Huerkamp was the best of the season until Dylan Hoop's ridiculous goal. It has to be a nominated for the Best of the Year. We were unfortunate not to get a few more, but at the end of the day 2-0 was a fair result.
• The U-18's are now 2-0-1 on the season. We don't shy away from the fact that a birth in the playoffs is the goal for the season. Seven points in 3 games is what we expected and quite frankly, short of a couple shocking decisions by the referee in Houston we should have all 9.
• Defensively, we are starting find our way. As the USMNT scout and us discussed after the game, these boys are the best on their high school teams so putting it back together where they are surrounded by equally talented players takes some time.
• We still need to evolve in the attack. The boys are used to doing everything on their own. When we get them back it takes some time to integrate back into team play. Our possession on the day really did leave some to be desired.

We are off to Santa Monica!!

Crew Bring MLS Cup to Ohio

Congratulations to the Columbus Crew for their first ever MLS Cup Championship. The Title is a testament to patience and perseverance by the staff and front office. The Crew, who was the best team during the 2008 regular season, reversed a three-year run of finishing out of the play-offs (finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2005 and 2006 and only ahead of expansion Toronto in 2007).

Marc Sabin and I had a chance to work with Sigi Schmid and Brian Bliss last spring as they trained our Ohio-South ODP team. They were gracious hosts who interacted with us and the boys throughout. I appreciated the time they spent talking with the boys and especially the time Coach Bliss spent talking with Marc and I.

While we compete on the field, I truly want the MLS franchises and especially the Columbus Crew to be successful. The future of our USMNT and the game as a whole depends on it.

The MLS franchises within the USSDA has been a source of great discussion. Many, including the Crew, are fully funded programs that provide a great benefit to their players and advantage to them on the field. Some in the league find it unfair. I say more power to them. Besides, we are only talking about 40-50 players. Its the dozen or so top level players in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton that are not part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy that are missing the opportunity. If those players wanted to travel to Columbus three days/week for the training and are good enough to make the full roster, they should. The direct impact on our program is relatively minimal. Indirectly, the competition will only make us better. Those that don't or can't join the Crew should be part of our program here at Ohio Elite Soccer Academy.

While we work to eliminate the pay for play model in this country its about time the professional franchises take the lead on player development and many have. While the impact of the USSDA has yet to really impact the MLS, its good for the game that one which has committed to youth development is successful with their full team.

CONGRATULATIONS CREW!!

Congratulations Omid & Erin

November 22, 2008

Cincinnati Enquirer Has it Mostly Right...

A few weeks ago I spent some time talking to Dustin Dow of the Cincinnati Enquirer for an article he was doing about recruiting. Later he and a photographer came out to a training session to talk to some players and take some photos. Sunday the stories were published and Ohio Elite played a prominent role as several of our players and I were quoted. I have to say I was a little disappointed that they chose the day after St. Ursula and Fenwick won their respective OHSAA State Championships. For St Ursula it was their second consecutive title. It seemed like the subject of recruiting stole the headlines from what should have been the story. I am proud to say that Ohio Elite players played a major role on both high school teams. Congrats to both teams.

Several issues came up in the stories that I think need to be addressed and clarified.

1. Fees
This was the biggest inaccuracy in the article. Our fees vary according to age and level of each team. What I told the author was that our academy older age teams pay fees in the neighborhood of $1,500.00 per year. Those fees go to Ohio Elite to pay expenses incurred by that players participation in our club. These include coaching, registration/administration, tournament entry fees, etc. I told him all in I thought a player would pay $5,000.00 including fees, uniforms and travel to events in a given year. If you look around the region this number will be consistent with the other top clubs like Carmel, St. Louis Scott Gallagher, Michigan Hawks, Ohio Premier and Eclipse Select. Our fee structure is also competitive with local soccer clubs.

2. Income vs. Expenses
First it is important to note that the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy Board of Directors is made up volunteers who are in no way shape or form compensated for their work. Although they work behind the scenes, they have and always will act as the fiduciaries of the financial side of the organization and have full authority over financial matters. Funds must be collected and spent on behalf of Ohio Elite. The Board of Directors and Tim Lesiak go through a detailed budget development and approval process. This often requires that an initial budget is established that would then be adjusted to reflect current market conditions.

The financial numbers are a matter of public record as Ohio Elite is a 501 (c) 3 (non-profit) organization. I did not discuss these figures nor the salary figures with the author. Tax returns for most non-profits, which include soccer clubs, are available on the Internet. One of the articles was quoted as saying that in 2006 Ohio Elite had an income of $801,978.00 and expenses of $675,889.00. That disclosure suggested that Ohio Elite generated significant profitability in 2006. I will deal with the income side first. The article stated that this income was generated by player fees. This is not completely true. In fact, the income stated includes player fees, fundraising income, tournament income, camp income, spirit wear income and sponsorship income. Fundraising was significant in 2006 Ohio Elite to generate funding for the OE Training Center. The OE Training Center has been developed at a cost of over $600,000.00. The funding for the facility has come from a combination of contributions, fundraising, sponsorships, surplus in operating dollars and some bank debt. Obviously, Ohio Elite is very proud of this facility. It will be used by Ohio Elite and it's members for many years to come.

As for expenses and salary information, Ohio Elite is a business. Ohio Elite is not in the business of making money and building significant cash reserves. However, it does operate in a manner to build financial flexibility to ensure the long term success and viability.

The Mission Statement of the organization clearly outlines the goal.

Ohio Elite Soccer Academy Mission Statement
"To create an elite training and competition environment for boys and girls that strives to reach the highest level of success through first achieving excellence: providing a life enriching experience in an academy atmosphere that seeks to develop the complete player on and off the field of competition."

To achieve this goal, Ohio Elite must invest in and develop first class facilities and a professional staff that can provide the necessary direction and leadership to the club and it's players. Our number one draw is our professional set up. Tim, Mike and myself are all involved in every aspect of the day-to-day operation of Ohio Elite. That includes budgeting, registration/administration, facility development, program development, fundraising, team administration, advertising/marketing, website development, etc. I compare it to being the Executive Director of a non-profit organization with the type of budget described above. It is a multi-faceted full-time job that often requires us to be accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

3. High School vs. Club
Although I have addressed this in a past blog I feel I must again touch on our position on playing club soccer vs. playing high school soccer in the fall season. In my mind there are a lot of reasons for a player to play for their club in the fall season. There are also a lot of reasons to play for your school. We have four players playing in our fall team this fall that will go on to play NCAA DI soccer on significant scholarship money that have been cut by their high school team. Although I find it hard to believe that they were not good enough to play for their school that is the coach's decision. We have players playing in the fall that have had very bad high school soccer experiences for whatever reason. We have players playing in the fall who are returning from serious injuries. We have players that made the individual decision that playing club was what was best for them. If we did not have a fall program those players would not be playing soccer for that period of time. We have the program because the players asked for it. I challenge anyone to find one of our players that was coerced or threatened in order to get them to play for the club in the fall. They don't exist. If they do exist, I encourage you to contact our Board of Directors directly to discuss this. As confirmation, feel free to ask our players that chose the fall team alternative about their experience. Reality is that less than 5% of our players chose to play on the Fall Team.

There have been those who have come out in support of one or the other. All I have to say is I don't support club soccer over high school or vice versa. I support our players and their needs. Most of all I support our players right to make a choice that they think is in their best interest.

In closing, I thought and we thought as an organization it was important to clarify a few things that were either misquoted or left room for misconception. When we started Ohio Elite seven years ago we set out for the financial/business side to run parallel with the soccer side. The Board of Directors was charged with guiding the financial/business side while the Directors of Coaching were charged with leading the soccer side. Along the way we have found that the two often curve and intersect; however, we have experienced success in both areas. A balanced budget and watching our player develop and move on to the next level is our measuring stick. There are many challenges ahead, but rest assured Ohio Elite will continue to "always be on the offensive" when it comes to tackling those challenges. As always we remain grateful to the outstanding families that make up Ohio Elite and have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us throughout the years. Your investment in your sons and daughters will always be held with great regard by every member of the Ohio Elite staff and Board of Directors.

U.S. Soccer Development Academy Conference Call

As we enter year number two of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy the Federation continues to adapt to "our world" as youth soccer professionals. One of the positive additions to the League is the monthly conference calls with clubs and the DA leadership. All areas are covered: administrative, technical, and referees.

Here are some highlights from the October 22, 2009 call:

• A U14 schedule has been developed in the Northeast by the clubs. U.S. Soccer supports this practice, but does not have an official position yet. Clubs are encouraged to put together a U14 spring season as part of their current Development Academy schedule. U.S. Soccer will help support player registration in the near future and is strongly considering bringing the U14's into either the Spring or Summer Showcase. This serves two purposes: (1) a precursor to formalizing a regional league (limited travel) for the U14 age group in 2009-2010. (2) provide a forum for scouting of the U14 age group for the National team program


• Demosphere is hosting all the league schedules and player profiles. Each player will be able to login and update their profile in real time for college coaches


• Teams should have received their shipment of Gatorade and Nike balls


• The Development Academy has become the number one focus for finding National pool players. The other ODP programs will continue to operate and be scouted by USMNT staff, but most players are expected to be identified through the DA


• U.S. Soccer strongly supports positive sideline behavior by players and coaches and expects clubs to respond accordingly


• Referee evaluations is an important step in the League for this year and has gone well through the first few weeks of the season

High School vs. Fall Club Soccer Debate

Much has been discussed as it relates to our decision to once again sponsor fall high school age teams. I have heard and read a lot on the topic and thought it was time to respond.

Our decision to sponsor fall teams in the last two years (our first was actually in 2003) was based solely on the demand. Ohio Elite players and players from outside of our club were asking for us to do it. I think there are several reasons for the demand for such a program.

1. High level players that want a year round program to help them continue to develop as players.


2. Players who find their individual high school situation does not meet their needs as a player for whatever reason.


3. Good players who for whatever reason did not make their high school teams.


4. Players that are or have recently come back from injury and have specific rehabilitation needs.

The program is put together to help each participating player improve individually. We are not trying to build a great fall team and win tournaments. We are simply trying to help the players involved in the program achieve their individual goals. We show no favoritism to Ohio Elite players. In fact in this years U16 team a player from the OP Green U16 team is our captain. Many would be surprised to see where the players come from. The majority of players on each roster are made up of Ohio Elite players from varying teams within the club. We also have players from Ohio Premier, Ohio Galaxies, Classics Hammer, CUP, CFA and Eagles SC. I think this shows that there is a demand for this program. In addition, the teams train together which allows for our older players to mentor younger players who will later be asked to do the same. It also provides the atmosphere of younger players playing with and against older players which will help their individual development.

What is offered:

• 3 Training Sessions per Week


• 3 Showcase Tournaments + 4 Friendly Games - 12-15 Games Total


• 1 to 3 Game to Training Ratio


• College Guidance/Exposure


• Multi-Age Teams and Training Environment


• Individual Development Based Training Environment

There have been those that have said that we are pressuring players to play by threatening their status in their spring teams, etc... Such suggestions are flat wrong. If this were the case we would be losing the battle. We have 143 girls players in our Ohio Elite U15-U18 age groups. Of those 143, 26 players have chosen the fall team route. At the end of the fall team season all players return to their normal teams on equal footing with those returning from high school.

I simply tell players what we are going to offer in the fall team program and let them make a choice for themselves. It is an individual choice for each player. I see the benefit for players to participate in our program. I also see the benefit of a player playing for their high school team. The soccer coach in me wants to oversee every aspect of a players development. Another side of me realizes the value in playing for your school and community. Most of all, I realize that each player has a choice and if the players are asking for something positive that we can provide, we will make every effort to provide it for them. Of course I think what we are doing is of a very high quality, but no more than the high school coach thinks of the quality of their program.

Make judgements based on fact, not heresay or misconception. There is no High School vs. Fall Club Soccer debate here, just a players right to chose. Join me in respecting each player/persons choice to do what they think is in their best interest.

Early Season Thoughts

The U11-U14 Academy teams went to the Gallagher Friendlies over Labor Day weekend. It's was an important weekend for us as we want our players to know and understand what we identify as our competition. Certainly there are some very good teams in the local area, many that are better than some of our teams at the moment, but I've always looked at our competition on a Regional and National level. We now realize the work that needs to be done to reach our goals.

U.S. Men's National Staff Coach Roberto Lopez visited us recently. It was great for our kids and coaches to have the opportunity to work with and learn from him. Mike Dickey, who is Roberto's counterpart on the girl's side is visiting us today so to have both National Staff Coaches from U.S. Soccer in the Midwest already visit us is tremendous. A couple of things I wanted to pass along to the coaches in the area that read this blog regarding player development that Coach Lopez passed on to us.

• The kids need to play. Small-sided games and competition must be part of every session.
• Technical work in isolation creates a system of players that only see the ball and never play with their head's up. Good training habits are established when players enjoy training and hold their teammates accountable for behavior and execution.

U.S. Soccer National Staff Coach to Visit Ohio Elite

I am excited to announce that Roberto Lopez, National Staff Coach for U.S. Soccer will be visiting Ohio Elite Soccer Academy on Wednesday & Thursday, August 27 & 28.

Coach Lopez will spending two days with our players and staff to provide training for our players and coaching education for our coaches.

I am extending an offer to any coach in the city that wants to come and watch one of Roberto's sessions to contact me directly at mcullina@ohioelite.com for the specific schedule and topics.

Thank You CSA

With all of the angry people and bitterness in the game, every now and again we get a reminder about all that is good in the game. Today was such a day. Working with Alex Rawlings and the coaches at CSA was great.

The day started at the OESA Olberding complex with friendlies between our U11-U14 Academy teams and the CSA Elite teams. First of all, it was our first opportunity to show off the new complex. There is still a lot to be done, but as one coach said to me today for them it was like coming from the desert. It doesn't really matter how much money you put into fields if you can't water them. We can and it showed. More on the fields in another blog.

The CSA coaches and parents were great to work with. The spirit of the games were great and having quality competition here in Cincinnati was tremendous as our boys prepare for the Gallagher Friendlies next weekend.

In developing the U9 Academy League we had several clubs that committed to the project that didn't follow through. While it has created more work for us, we are not deterred. The project is exactly what our players need. We have the opportunity to develop the entire age group while still pushing our top players through training and games. (Some of our U9 players will be asked to train up starting this week.) The Academy format is great because it allows Scott to move players around between the two teams at his discretion. We can ability group the boys or create more balanced teams.

The second part of the day were the U9 friendlies out at the Cincinnati Nature Center. Once we found the fields - can you say "deliverance"? - the games went off without a hitch. It was great to work with CSA, Fairfield and Warren County on our first Academy play date.

Thanks Alex! Thank you CSA.

Pre-Season 2008

The season is finally upon us! There are several very exciting things going on here at Ohio Elite that Doug and I will share over the next week or so. On the field, many of the boys' teams played in the Dog Days Tournament to open the season. The results went about as expected considering the changes and training schedule. For me and my staff the tournament was about preparing our curriculum for the season, learning the good, the bad and the ugly about where our players are relative to where we believe they should be.

As I explained in the parent meetings earlier this week, it is important to understand that we are a club of players, not a collection of teams. This is important in the pre-season evaluation process because it creates focus for the individual player within the context of the entire age group. The top players will be asked to train up to continue to push them to the next level. Especially at the U12 and younger age groups where we are playing 8v8 or 6v6 it is critical that we develop the entire age group as many/most of the players that would be on our Gold team will in fact be on an Academy team when the rosters are expanded. That said, the aim is not to simply bring the less-skilled players up. We are about the very best players and therefore must continue to develop those players by training them with older teams and guest playing them when appropriate.

Some general feedback on our training goals...

(1) Change the culture. Players that feel entitled probably won't last long at Ohio Elite. It is our responsibility to teach them how to work hard both physically and mentally. We will ask more from them then perhaps they are used to. Having parental support in this basic goal is critical to our success. So far the feedback from our parents has been extremely positive.
(2) We embrace the word "development". It is what we are all about. However, "development" is not an excuse for losing. To say the results don't matter is unacceptable. We will not win at the expense of development, but my staff and I will not use our decisions on game day to develop players as an excuse for why we lost a game. Most importantly, our aim is to prepare players for their high school programs, college opportunities and the Development Academy or National team exposure. That is a fundamental value of our program. That said, so long as they keep score, we want to win!
(3) Technique! Technique! Technique! A player's decision doesn't matter is he doesn't have the skill to execute.

Lastly, I can't tell you how excited I am about the season. I had a great week of training with the U12 Academy team and by the end of the day I will have worked with both U14 teams. Its amazing how much I enjoy training when I have the time during the day to prepare for it. It is the best part of what I do. Watching the light bulb go on for kids is incredibly rewarding.

"They don't boo nobodies!"

Summer Wrap-up

With the Fall 2008 Season around the corner, a quick update on the summer...

Fall 2008
We are still working on some of the technical glitches on our website. Our hosts seems to be making progress on them. For the time being almost all communications will be disseminated via email. OESA parents and players should have received their fall schedule and teams going to the Gallagher Friendlies should have received the hotel information to begin making reservations. If you have not, please contact me immediately.

U.S. Soccer Development Academy
The Development Academy finals were a pleasure. Four contrasting teams from four different parts of the country. I felt Carmel U15/16 was the best team we saw all year and they proved it in the final. On the heels of the U17/18 final, it was a bit of a boring match dominated by Carmel, who won 1-0. The U17/18 final had everything - 6 goals, overtime, a penalty in the final minute of regulation, 3 red cards, a coach sent-off (the referee was in over his head), and a team from the Northeast versus a Hispanic style from SoCal. Baltimore Bays were outplayed by LAFC (Los Angeles) for the first half hour, but their experience and substituting the best player in the league into the game turned the match in their favor for the 4-2 win.

When I was with Blue Chip, the Baltimore Bays came to Cincinnati the Spring after they won the National Championship so getting to see them in the Academy Finals was pretty cool. The other top teams in the country that year that came to Cincinnati were FC Milwaukee, Andromeda, Concorde Fire, Vardar, Chicago Magic, and Dallas Texans. Since they are all in the Development Academy we probably won't see a field like that again in a USYS event.

Some new rules and program enhancements were announced at the DA meetings in Los Angeles. Each has an impact on our program and others...

Affiliations are no longer valid for the purpose of a Developmental Player. A player must be registered within the DA club by January 1 to be eligible to play with that DA. They may not be dually rostered. (Essentially, the club they represent in state cup is the club a player plays for. If that is not us or Crew Jr. or Carmel for instance a player may not be added to the respective Development roster.) The purpose of the rule is to ensure players are training with the DA club/staff on a regular basis.

It was reiterated that each Academy must train together 3 sessions/week throughout the season. So, we cannot have part of our team train in Columbus and the rest here in Cincinnati.

25% start rule. A player must start 25% of the games - down from 30% last year. It's a good rule that protects the player as well as gives the club some flexibility if a kid isn't coming to practice or other disciplinary issues

The minimum roster size was changed back to 18 players. Originally, it was to be 20 this year. For the purpose of roster sizes the U15/16 and U17/18 are considered one Academy. So, we can have 16 on one and 20 on the other. We still believe we need 42+ players for the season to spread the travel, make a quality training environment, and to cover for injury.

Playoff system. The top three teams in each division will advance to a playoff during the Summer Showcase (Greensboro, NC). The points are tallied on divisional games only. With 9 divisions, 5 wild cards will round out the 32 teams on points for all games played. Teams will be placed into 8 groups of the 4 with the group winner advancing to the National Finals in July. (Note: Our U17/18 team would have been in the playoffs this year.)

The Summer Showcase is now optional for teams not in the playoffs.

Over 1,000 games and training sessions were scouted last year. They expect to increase the number this year, especially in training.

The Federation announced 2 ID Camps that are invitation only for Development Academy players to go into a National Camp.

ODP
The U16 age group of ODP was completely wiped out at the Regional level because of the Academy. I expect it will be pretty much eliminated at the Regional level next year. This would be the 1993 age group. The staff believes the U15 age group was significantly hindered as well (missing the top 15-20 players) and will have to make some changes for the 1994 age group next year. USYS ODP needs to embrace the Academy system, not fight it. If the Academy adds the U14 age group is some capacity for 2009-2010, USYS ODP will have no choice.

Super Y League
This summer was my first experience with Super Y League. From my time as a State Director of Coaching, I never fully understood the benefit. I did enjoy coaching the players over the summer, but considering the increasingly-full year-round schedule the players are experiencing and quality camp opportunities, I expect our time in Super Y League ends with the final game this summer. In talking with several of our opponents, it appears we are not alone.

Enjoy the final few days of summer!

The Impact of the USSDA on MRL

In the spirit of full disclosure I was in Des Moines when the MRL was formed several years ago. The State Presidents challenged the State DOC's to find a league to compete with Super Y and US Club Soccer and we delivered. I also served on the League's Commission so my fondness for the MRL is personal. I am proud of the league and believe it to be the best run in the country. Our USYS teams will continue to participate in the league.

For those players that want to play at the highest level, it is important to understand the impact of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy on the Midwest Regional League. The following Region II clubs will be placing their top 40+ players in the USSDA and out of the MRL:

Chicago Magic
Sockers FC
Vardar
Michigan Wolves
Carmel United
Scott Gallagher
Internationals
CASA (Cleveland)
Crew Jr.
Metro United
FC Milwaukee
Ohio Elite

With many clubs carrying 20-25 players, a total 480-600 of the best players in the Region will not be playing in the MRL next year. The impact that will have on the competition for the top players not in the MRL cannot be overlooked.

Our final night of tryouts for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy are set for Friday night (U17/18- 5:30-7:00 & U15/16- 7:30-9:00). I am very excited about the number of players and talent level that has attended the first two nights. That said, the goal of the USSDA is to have the best 40+ players from Cincinnati in the Academy. If you are one of those players, I hope to see you on Friday! If you want to play against the top competition in the Region and in the Country, I hope to see you Friday!

USSDA Spring Showcase Wrap-up

What a weekend! The competition and environment that U.S. Soccer has created is the incredible.

First, the results... we really deserved better on the weekend. The U17/18 team won on Friday, but should have walked away with at least 7 points and possibly all 9. Against Schultz on Monday we played great and dominated the game. The Schultz staff and National scouts each wondered out loud how we lost that game. We gave up a goal in the 4th minute and equalize early in the second half, but a late goal completely against the run of play sealed our fate. It was heart-breaking, because we had played so well. The Sunday game was another that we simply gave away. The wind played a pretty big factor in the game, but we gave away two first half goals we couldn't get back. The equalizer was cleared off the line on the last kick of the game.

The only game we were really outmatched was the U15/16 game versus Schultz Academy on Monday, who had previously beaten the U15/16 National Team. But, even in that game we played some pretty good soccer and had chances. It's not often we've been able to say we were the better side, but in both the Friday and Saturday game we were. It was encouraging to say the least to know that even with our record on the year, our boys have improved so much.

Both teams had SPARQ testing on their off day. Those results will become part of the recruiting profiles across the nation, because college coaches know there is a standard and integrity in the results.

On Saturday we went downtown Chicago. Traffic was an issue so I decided to get off I-90 and hop the train, which of course raised our anxiety level, especially on the transfer. "Treat them like adults and they'll behave like it" and they did. The top destination was NikeTown. I love Chicago - hate the traffic, love the town!

The college coaches arrived in droves on Saturday. More than 160 actually signed in, but the Federation estimated more than 200 were in attendance. And they were the big boys. Two things that we weren't sure about...

(1) Will the U15/16 age group be scouted? The answer is a resounding yes! Because the DA is on birth year, many players that would be on traditional U17 USYS teams, including high school juniors play U15/16 USSDA. The affect will be that the recruiting cycle will begin earlier. It won't be to the insane level of the girl's side, but the male player will be scouted and identified earlier. Players will be identified in the U15/16 teams and tracked through the U17/18 teams. Players will be committed earlier and college coaches are starting to encourage their commitments to get in an Academy as the best preparation for college soccer.

(2) How will the traditional Showcases be affected by the USSDA? After talking with coaches, I think they'll take a significant hit. All the coaches I spoke with shared the opinion that the three DA Showcases will be the most attended events of the year and that most of the traditional events will take a significant hit in both attendance by coaches and players.

An overlooked part and in my opinion a very important part of the USSDA was a large topic of discussion amongst the clubs this weekend - OFFICIATING. The referees in this league are the best in the business. Sure, you get a few that are in over their heads, but game in and game out we have had very little complaints about the officiating, quite the opposite. The Federation assigns them and tracks performance. Much like we have National Scouts to watch the players and coaches, we've had several games assessed by the top assessors. Paul Tamberino, Director of Referee Development for U.S. Soccer was extremely visible this weekend. And, Brian Hall, who refereed in the World Cup was on hand and provided a clinic and feedback for the referees. We hear about referee development- the USSDA delivers. Out six games on the weekend, we had six quality referees. It is a pleasure to be sure.

Tryouts begin tonight! U17/18 (players born in 1990 or later) is from 5:30-7:00 and the U15/16 (players born in 1992 or later) is from 7:30-9:00. We officially open our new complex this evening and are really excited!

USSDA Spring Showcase - Day 1

Day One - After getting turned around on I-90 last night we finally arrived at our hotel shortly after midnight locally, about 2 hours later than expected.

The environment at the Showcases is really impressive. The player's lounge has about a dozen flat screen TVs with EA Sports Soccer on each and a massive big screen with soccer highlights and interviews. Gatorade is everywhere and its FREE, which of course makes for long lines at the Johnny on the Spot. I have never seen a greater collection of U.S. Soccer National Staff coaches in one location and the college coach count is well past the 100 mark on the first day. Both teams had more than 20 college coaches at their game and 3-4 National Staff coaches.

U15/16 game v. Oakwood
We probably played our best game of the year, but couldn't score. Oakwood scored a goal in the 79th minute as we where chasing the game to win 2-0, but we spent more time in the attacking half of the field and in their penalty area than in any other game all year. The lack of opportunities in previous matches unfortunately had a quite a bit to do with our inability to get a result today.

I was very pleased with our organization with the back four and defensive midfielders. Our ability to get the ball to our lone striker and hold it allowed us some very good attack and possession. We played from touch line to touch line extremely well, but couldn't find that elusive goal. Our combination play was decent in the middle third of the field, but the final pass was never connected.

U17/18 game v. Oakwood
The 1-0 result was very important to us for one simple reason. This is the first time all year we made an early goal hold up. This team has a tendency to steal a tie from the grips of a win and on more than one occasion turn 3 points into 0. Today, however, we took another step in our kids' development in understanding how to play relative to the situation. While the second goal could have come by chasing it, so too could the equalizer on our end. While Oakwood showed great spirit and determination late, our resolve was equal to the task. We were much smarter in how and when to get forward and yet still maintain our defensive integrity to keep a clean sheet.

In the first 15 minutes of the game we were extremely good. Unfortunately, we scored and with that goal we played a dreadful 1/2 hour to finish the first period. We regrouped at half-time and were quite good in the second half. They tried and nearly succeeded a couple of times to use our own possession against us by pressing late to win the ball on our first touch. We adjusted, but still lack vision to get behind their line. When we combined the possession with a quality final ball, it was a pleasure to watch!

Tomorrow the U15/16 group plays Potomac SC while the U17/18 team will complete the SPARQ testing and enjoy a day off. (The roles will be reversed on Sunday.) In the afternoon we plan on taking over NikeTown in downtown Chicago!

Club affiliation and the US Soccer Development Academy

As we approach tryouts, I've received many inquiries regarding the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. There have been some claims made regarding a player's involvement and it appears as though there is some misconception about what the USSDA is and how one participates.

There are two teams in each USSDA club - a U17/18 team and a U15/16 team. This means that a team necessarily changes each season and doesn't move up like a typical USYS team where there are only a few changes.

Because this is the first year of the USSDA, some clubs/teams consist of primarily younger players meaning many of those players are eligible to return. Our entire U18 team for instance is eligible for next year, although some players are off to college and we will increase the number of players on the roster to 20 per the rules so we do expect to add quite a few players. It is also an open tryout so each player must tryout for next year. The Crew U15/16 team is very similar in that most of those players are eligible to return next year.

Birth year v. USYS year. The USSDA is based upon birth year, meaning that many of the current U16 players in USYS are eligible to play U16 in the USSDA next year. In almost every case (except National pool/team players), the Federation expects players to play in their respective age group. This year for instance we have 6 players in the U17/18 team that are eligible for the U15/16 year. In the future, those players will be rostered accordingly. Such players may play up during the season, but will be rostered in their age group.

There are two types of players in the USSDA:

USSDA Roster Player - a player who is on the USSDA roster. Each Academy must have a minimum of 20 players on the official roster for 2008-2009, each of which must start at least 30% of the games. A player on the roster may not participate with any team outside of the USSDA for which he is rostered. For instance, he may not guest play in a tournament with another team regardless of whether that team is in the same club or another. These players are not eligible for ODP, State Cup, MRL, BPL, etc...

USSDA Developmental Player - a player who is on a USYS roster, but may participate in the USSDA in up to 6 games with the USSDA team. Each USSDA squad is limited to only 10 Developmental Players. These players are not subject to a minimum start requirement and may come from an affiliate club.

Q: May a player play in one club and participate in the USSDA as a Developmental player within another.

A: Yes. However! It is important to note that because of the minimum roster numbers and starting requirements, the practicality of a Developmental player participating in more than a few game is unlikely. In addition, traveling to the Showcase events would mean leaving a rostered player at home, which would be unlikely except for more than a couple injuries/conflicts.

Q: Can a Louisville-based player play in a USSDA in Cincinnati?

A: Yes. There are no geographical limitations for a player to participate in an Academy and a player is not limited to play in the Academy in their home town. A player from Louisville or Columbus may come to Cincinnati. However! Each Academy is required to train 3 days per week as a group. To participate in our USSDA for instance, the player must be willing to travel to Cincinnati three days/week and train with our staff in Cincinnati. A player on the Crew or Carmel USSDA team is similarly expected to train in Columbus or Indianapolis.(This was clarified in a conference call this spring with the USSDA leadership.)

If a Louisville-based player wants to play with us or a Cincinnati-based player wants to play in Columbus or Indianapolis, the Federation expects those players to travel to the city where the Academy is based all 3 days, every week and train with the USSDA staff for those clubs. It is possible, although discourage by the Federation, for us to train outside of Cincinnati, but the entire Academy must train together regardless of the location.

Q: How expensive is the USSDA?

A: The first year of the USSDA was more expensive than we anticipated. However, we have learned a great deal about travel and expenses and are making plans to significantly reduce those expenses to the families. In addition, the re-alignment plan expected to be released by the Federation in the next couple weeks is aimed at reducing travel. These will be direct savings.

The biggest news is that the OESA board has made the commitment to make the team and uniform fees for the USSDA FREE! Players in the OESA USSDA will only need to cover their travel expenses, which will be no more than a typical USYS team.

Q: Can I play high school or participate in ODP?

A: High School - Yes. The USSDA season for us starts in November. ODP - Per USSDA rules, a player on a USSDA roster may not participate in ODP. Besides the financial and time savings, it is simply not necessary. ODP is a very good player identification tool. I am currently on both the OSYSA and Region II staff and support ODP; however, for the USSDA, players are already seen more than a dozen times by National Staff coaches in training and games. Several players around the country are being called directly into the National teams program through the USSDA making ODP for these kids unnecessary.

Q: How can I make sure I play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy?

A: The ONLY way to ensure you play in the USSDA is to try out for one of the 75 clubs in the U.S. and make the roster. The math simply doesn't add up any other way. If you do happen to be one of the lucky ones to be one of 10 players on a development roster, the number of exposures to the USSDA will be very limited.

Welcome to OESA Sergio

Today's official announcement that Sergio Gonzalez is joining Ohio Elite as the Director of Goalkeeping is a tremendous step forward for us as a club. Anyone that worked with me at CHFC knows how important I believe the position is. Currently, we are not providing goalkeeper training to many of the boy's at OESA and it is one of the areas both Doug and I set out to address.

Not only have we addressed the need, we have added a quality person and tremendous coach! Coach Gonzalez is widely regarded as one of the best in the business. He is currently the assistant coach at the University of Dayton and the head goalkeeper coach for Ohio South ODP and has served as a director for Tony DiCicco's Soccer Plus Goalkeeper Camp.

Welcome to Ohio Elite, Sergio!

Cincinnati is failing the male soccer player

Trivia Question: How many boy's soccer teams in Cincinnati are currently playing a Premier Division of the Midwest Regional League (U14-U18)? Answer below.

I'm in the process of putting together our literature for the 2008-2009 US Soccer Development Academy teams and ran across some information that startled me and for which all of us are responsible. As a city we are failing in our responsibility to develop boys who want to play soccer at the highest level!

Why? I don't have the answer, but I'll throw out a couple theories. These are theories, not opinions (ok, some of them are).

• Instability. If you look at the "big three" (yes, I'm a Boston fan - go ahead and hate) in Cincinnati each has made a major change in leadership on the boy's side (at least one multiple times) while none have done so at the high school ages on the girl's side in the past three years.
  
• Social. Girls tend to be more social in their decision to participate in sports. They are much more likely to stay with a team or transfer in numbers because they want to play with their friends. Boys on the otherhand move with greater frequency and therefore receive a lack of consistent coaching.
  
• Too many clubs. We just don't have the level of commitment or skill necessary to have a need for three plus some independent teams. Not sure the girls do either.
  
• "A" team ego. Players would rather play on a bad "A" team than play on a "B" team, thus sustaining more teams that can compete locally, but very few that can compete Regionally or Nationally.
  
• Coaching. List the top coaches in Ohio South and undoubtedly the list will be heavily weighted with girl's coaches. In addition, let's face it, coaching girl's soccer is easier than coaching boy's. The game is faster and the players are tougher to manage. Because the money is the same, the top coaches tend to go to the girls side.
  
• Emphasis. Clubs in Cincinnati, or at least their board of directors, tend to have a greater focus on the girl's side due to more of them having daughters that play in their club.
  
• High School Soccer. Because 12 of the 14 boys teams play high school in the fall, the best play the best. Ohio South plays against Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri in boy's soccer, but generally don't on the girl's side (except a few Eclipse teams). To prove the point, how many teams in Ohio South advance out of their group at Regionals last year? And, how many truly have a chance to do so this year? Plus, their are 20 teams in MRL Premier on the girl's side and only 16 on the boy's. So, while the boys are playing Chicago Magic, Vardar, and Scott Gallagher, on the girl's side there are 4 additional spots and they don't have to play Eclipse, Wolves, or St. Louis Soccer Club once they get to U15.
  
• College Soccer. Twice as many schools with more than twice as much money on the girl's side, leads to greater opportunity.

I am unapologetic in my bias; however, for the good of the game, the Cincinnati-based US Soccer Development Academy must be successful with Cincinnati-based players. I'm happy to work with anyone in the city, regardless of club affiliation, that wants to make it happen.

Btw, the answer is 1! As a city, we have 1 boy's soccer team - a U18 team that will be in college next year - playing in a Premier Division of MRL. (Our U17 boy's team would also be a Premier team if they were not in the USSDA and 3 teams in the city are in a reasonably good position to be promoted for next year.)

On the girl's side there are 12 teams playing in a Premier Division of MRL including 2 age groups with 3 teams. (OESA has a team in every age group except U14, which is positioned for promotion. We could also have 2 teams at U18 next year. In total, citywide there are 3 teams in a reasonably good position to be promoted for next year and 2 that look to be relegated.)

Tryouts - Know the Rules

Did you know that the Buckeye Premier League has specific rules about how/when a club can have tryouts and still be eligible for the league?

At the bottom of this blog entry, I've posted the section of the Buckeye/MOSSL Consititution posted on the front page of their website regarding tryouts. You can view the whole document by clicking on the title of this blog entry.

According to the rules, any team having tryouts before Memorial Day (U11/U12) or June 1 (U13 and older) or making an offer to a player prior to the first Saturday after Memorial Day (U11/U12) may have their application to play in the league rejected. Furthermore, if the club knows about it, the whole club may be suspended for participation.

Personally, I think its an appropriate rule. Clubs that have tryouts before Memorial Day, which most of us view as the final major weekend of the year should consider their motives. Parents have an obligation to look at the options for their child each year, but to ask kids to start trying out for clubs in the middle of the season and miss their teams practices and games to attend has to be questioned.

The tryout calendar is tight and their is no question that getting commitments first benefits those clubs that do so. But, this is a practice that OSYSA refuses to address, hiding behind the idea that because OESA has the Super Y League they can't prevent USYS tryouts from taking place. So, let me make the statement that as the Boy's DOC at OESA I am committed to not having any tryout - for US Youth Soccer, US Soccer Development Academy, or Super Y League before Memorial Day because it's the right thing to do for the players!

Buckeye/MOSSL
Consitution
Effective 1-13-2008

IX. Recruiting Players and Holding Tryouts
U-11 thru U-14 teams (includes coaches, players, parents and team supporters) that will be applying to participate in the Buckeye/MOSSL League and current Buckeye/MOSSL teams may NOT contact any player registered to another team participating in Buckeye/MOSSL.

U-15 or older team (includes coaches, players, parents and team supporters) that will be applying to participate in the Buckeye/MOSSL league and current Buckeye/MOSSL teams may NOT contact players from another team or teams, (for the purpose of inviting players to a team’s tryout) until after May 31st.

No team that will be applying to participate in the Buckeye/MOSSL League in the U-11 and U-12 age groups for the coming seasonal year may hold tryouts until after Memorial Day. No team,(including coaches, players, parents and team supporters) may make an offer to be a member of that team until after 8:00 AM on the first Saturday after Memorial Day.

No team that will be applying to participate in the Buckeye/MOSSL League in the U-13 and older age groups for the coming seasonal year may hold tryouts until after May 31st. No team, (including coaches, players, parents and team supporters) may make an offer to be a member of that team until after 8:00 AM on the first Saturday after June 1st.

Failure to comply with this section, IX., before, during or after the formation of a team will result in penalties up to and including suspension of the person or the team involved from BPYSL/MOSSL. In addition, whether or not the team or club involved is a current member of Buckeye/MOSSL, failure to comply with any portion of this Section IX, may result in the rejection of the team or club involved from participation in the Buckeye/MOSSL league during the subsequent seasonal year.

Welcome Home Matt

SYL Applications being accepted

I am now accepting applications for the Super Y League in U12/13 and U14/15 age groups.

I have posted the SYL information on the respective team page at http://www.ohioelite.com/. We are accepting applications until May 19 and then will invite players to tryout on May 29. Players from outside the club may also request a private tryout by contacting me directly.

We expect to train once/week during the summer (twice the first week) and have a match schedule that is heavier in July. We will use a staff of coaches during the season, although I expect to be at most of the training sessions. The schedule is also posted.

The SYL is intended to provide players the opportunity to continue to play during the summer months against quality competition and with quality training. We will maintain a larger player pool to make training more productive and to account for expected conflicts with summer vacations and camps.

Players who participate in SYL are not required to play for OESA during the regular soccer season.

12 clubs added to USSDA

The US Soccer Federation announced that it has added 12 new clubs to the Development Academy for 2008-2009 and a 13th the following year.

You can read the entire press release by clicking on the title above, but the following points stick out to me.

• Cincinnati has not produced enough players on the boys' side at the National level in the past 10 years to warrant a 2nd club. This is a position I've held for a while and one I told my previous board as well as friends in the community BEFORE I came to Ohio Elite. It isn't about offering the program to offer the program. Having a second club in Cincinnati defeats the purpose. It's about finding the best 40-44 players in the U15/U16 and U17/U18 age groups to come together to train with one another and play against the top competition in the country. There are clubs/leagues in Cincinnati founded on this principle and the Federation agrees. If the top 2/3 players from each team around Ohio South went to the two USSDA clubs, the impact to those teams would be minimal and the impact on the game significant. It will be interesting to see how those clubs that applied to join and were not accepted change their tactics from promoting the program to one where they are against it.
  
• The possibility of re-alignment is a good one. While the competition has made the travel worth it, any opportunity to play closer to home in the league games would be positive.
  
• The USSDA clearly isn't going anywhere. In an interview I had last night with Roberto Lopez, who has been with US Soccer for almost 10 years he indicated that he has never seen US Soccer commit the resources to any project that they have to this one. (The full interview will be posted shortly.)


• There continues to be a commitment to the MLS franchises. While we do compete against Crew Jrs I do believe that for the good of the game in this country our MLS franchises must take the lead on player development. No one in Ohio is more deserving of a US Soccer Development Academy program than our friends at Team Ohio, but the commitment to ensuring the MLS franchises are successful is clear. Of course, the MLS franchises should be required to hire proven leaders in youth soccer with a history of developing young players. Unfortunately, there are still some that have not.


• There is a misconception that this is a Nike Premier league. Of the 12 clubs that were added 6 wear adidas, 4 are Nike Premier, 1 in Diadora and 1 in Xara taking the total number of club to: adidas - 38; Nike Premier - 28; Nike - 3; Diadora - 2; Puma/Kelma/Xara - 1 each. This speaks to two issues: (1) the USSDA truly does want those clubs that they believe fit the ideals of the Academy system; (2) being of a select few clubs in the country with the distinction to be a Nike Premier club is an honor!

Super Y League

This is for the boy's side only!

I have recieved several requests for information regarding the Super Y League from players at OESA and around the city. We are awaiting the final schedules from the League and then will make an announcement on our website regarding tryout information.

We will distribute the information to current OESA players first and then announce open tryouts for players not currently within OESA. Because of the nature of the Super Y League, I expect to maintain larger player pools than a traditional USYS team to ensure we have enough players for quality training and game coverage with the anticipated conflicts during the summer months. These will be dual age groups meaning U12 & U14 players who are good enough may participate.

We are fielding teams in the U13 and U15 age groups.

US Soccer National Staff Coach to Visit OESA

One of the benefits of being involved in the US Soccer Development Academy is the contact we receive with the US Soccer National Staff. By the end of the season each team will play between 15-20 games in front of scouts from the Federation. In Frisco our U18 USSDA team played a full match in front of the entire MNT staff, including Bob Bradely and John Hackworth. At the Nike Friendlies they played the U18 National Team and actually led 1-0 at half-time.

I am very excited that Roberto Lopez, Men's National Staff coach for Region II, will be in Cincinnati this weekend. He will be training our USSDA teams on Thursday and then scouting both games on the weekend.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our staff to learn from Roberto and get direct feedback about our teams and players that will undoubtedly help us develop the players. For the players to have this level of access with the National Staff is an awesome opportunity that no other players in the Cincinnati area will get.

Training Initiatives for the OESA Boys

It was great to finally get consecutive weekends of games in. Almost all of our teams enjoyed some level of success during the MASC and/or PRF, but also faced challenges that exposed areas that we now can address as a staff. I believe we should spend time developing our weaknesses and even more time further developing our strengths.

Understanding the situation (e.g. goal up/goal down, playing for a draw to advance, chasing the game, killing the game) is part of player development, one we can not avoid. To that end, tournament play, USSDA and Midwest Regional League games can be an important tool. The other leagues (BPL, TCYSA, etc...) should have the sole focus of player development.

Three of the four teams that controlled their destiny on Sunday morning toward the final failed to come through. (A fifth was automatically in after their two wins on Saturday and a sixth went 2-1 and won 4-0 on Sunday, but was eliminated by their lone loss on Saturday.) As I said in an earlier blog it isn't that we did or didn't make the final or that the two teams that did make the finals won or didn't win, but if we did the things we needed to do- the process of the result that is still my focus. Why were we successful? Or, why weren't we?

With the exception of our U8's, I've been able to see every team play- almost all multiple games. As I continue to work with our staff, we will begin to define our goals for player development. It is important to define these goals as well as what success in each area looks like for each team.

The following five initiatives address both strengths and weaknesses of our teams. It is a cliff notes version of a technical report I'll be providing our staff.

OESA Boy's Training Initiatives

1. Redefine the club as a collection of players not teams. Place players in appropriate training environments, including training up or down with regularity
2. Do all factory work (skill repetition often done without pressure of an opponent) at speed with a focus on dribbling moves, tricks and turns
3. Players must be placed in competitive environments in training to play at full speed where the activity (size and shape of the grid, types of goals, etc...) aids development; coaches must be able to coach in the flow of the game - cuing players, using natural stoppages to introduce coaching points, coaching the individual player without stopping the game, and utilizing the freeze method
4. Basic 1v1, 2v1, 1v2, and 2v2 principles of play
5. Possession principles

PRF Report

First I want to thank Robert at the PRF for all his help.

For me this was a great weekend. After a month of training I was real anxious to see our teams play and see first hand where we are as a club. One thing I've learned in youth soccer is that when things are going well they are never as great as they seem and when they aren't going well it usually isn't as bad as it seems. I approached the weekend with that in mind and with the understanding that ODP and Spring Break had a negative effect on our rosters.

We had to scramble a bit with a couple roster to make sure we could have enough players due to so many being out of town. I am proud of the club's ability to support itself and make sure each team that applied would be able to play versus forfeit.

Report Card - For the players

(1) effort/competitiveness - I look at this on three different levels - (1) working hard/smart; (2) willing to work hard, but not understanding how; and (3) lazy. I was generally pleased with the player's effort. Our kids did work hard. Because of our roster sizes for the weekend, fatigue definately was a factor, but it was only because they had worked so hard early in the tournament. That said it is our responsibility to continue to push our players in training and teach/show them what maximum effort is and what it feels like.

(2) technical competence - like any club or team, the results here were mixed. The goups I've been able to work with in training the least are the U9 & U10's. I was very pleased with the skill they exhibited. Now they must learn to perform those skills under pressure of time/space/opponent. Player need both quality training and the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a quality game.

The reason the Buckeye Premier League and then the Midwest Regional League and now the US Soccer Development Academy Leagues were formed is to provide that higher level of soccer. I am really excited about the soon-to-be-launch U9-U10 Academy League because it will allow us to more frequently place our players in competitively appropriate matches. As coaches we will be able to manipulate the environment to ensure kids are challenged more consistently. That combined with the skills they have and are learning in training are critical to player development. The current U9 and U10's won't have the benefit of the league so we will continue to be creative in finding competition to challenge them. I really like the decision made at U10 to forgo playing in a league this spring and simply seek out quality competition for friendlies and play in an extra tournament.

The U11-U14 age groups were a bit more mixed. As a club it is important for us to place an even greater emphasis on technigue for these teams. I was pleased with their effort and desire, now it is our responsibility at OESA to give them the tools.

(3) small group principles - There is a direct correlation with what I saw relative to principles of play and what I saw regarding technique by the players. It's easier to be aggressive with the dribble if you have the skills to be successful more often than not. If a player's first touch is quality, it gives him the opportunity to find support and for his teammates to actually get to in a supporting position. The challenge for any coach is to continue to develop all players on the team relative to their abilities. Most teams have a wide range of skill and understanding within their players. We are no different. What is unique about OESA is that I do not view our program as a collection of teams, rather we are a club of players. Therefore, we must create a training and playing environment that works toward the individual player within the framework of the team.

Now if Mother Nature will finally cooperate with us!

Is It Really Possible...

I've been on the job now for nearly a month and mother nature has not been kind to the Cincinnati soccer community. Is it really possible that we'll play some games this weekend? The month has been filled with reschedules and make up training sessions and finally it looks like I'll have a chance to see some of our teams play.

The PRF Cup is the perfect event to watch our Gold and a couple Academy teams play. It's still March so the results are honestly not that important. Sure, I'd love to see our teams win and we'll coach them to do just that, but a critical component of developing the boy's side of OESA to the level and beyond that of our girl's teams and to the level expected in the US Soccer Development Academy is understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our players as well as our coaching staff and then creating the road map that meets the necessary demands.

This weekend is about evaluation pure and simple. The result of each game only tells part of the story. While the US MNT was beating Poland 3-0 the other night it was about preparing for qualifying not the result of a friendly. The result was a bonus, but the biggest thing we learned is that the Poles are dreadful in defending set pieces. Too many coaches and parents use the results of a given game as their report card for success. Of course, there is a time and place where results are the most important, even in youth soccer. (I don't think UCLA much cares that they have benefited at least three times in the last month from curious decisions by the officials. The PAC 10 and NCAA tournaments are about winning regardless of how.)

So, what will I watch for... For the players, (1) effort/competitiveness - do our players give maximum effort when we have the ball, when we don't and in transition regardless of the scoreline for the entire match; (2) technical competence - primarily 1st touch and dribbling; (3) small group principles - 1v1, 2v2 attacking and defending. For the coaches, (1) the ability to impact the game through information given to the players; (2) a quality 1/2 time; (3) the ability to evaluate the players/team, determine appropriate topics for future sessions and create sessions toward that end.

See you on the pitch!

- Mike

Ohio Elite Girls Furthering Education

The 2008 graduating class was a banner year for Ohio Elite Soccer Academy girls players moving on to play at the college level. In all, 19 players in the 2008 graduating class have committed to play college soccer. Of those, 14 will be attending NCAA Division I schools. Even more impressive, according to the final 2007 NSCAA National Ranking, Ohio Elite players have either committed to or are currently playing at 13 of the top 30 NCAA Division I schools in the country. Included on that list of schools are: Florida State, Notre Dame, North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Virginia, Tennessee, Duke, Florida, Purdue, Wake Forest, Santa Clara, Washington State, Memphis and Georgia.

From a coaching perspective my ultimate goal is to help players get to the level they desire that is realistically within their ability. To start in the process you have to develop each players technical base and begin to evaluate their physical gifts and mind for the game. Only then can we see where each player will fit at the next level. It takes time. It may be the state team or the national team. It may be at a Division I or Division III. No one achievement is greater than the other. I applaud our players going to Ohio Dominican University as loudly as those going to UNC. Good for you. You have aspired to reach a higher level and made an important step in reaching that level. I will always judge the player and our program with one question: Did we get that player to reach their potential provided they have the desire to do so? My greatest joy will always come in the many successes of our players.

Our track record in this area gives me a great sense of pride in the development of our girls program over the last six years. Most importantly it says a great deal about the talent of the players involved at Ohio Elite. Without that talent the many milestones would not be possible.

For those who have and will move on Tim and I are very proud of you. Here's to future Ohio Elite players reaching their goals.

USSDA Winter Showcase Video

The US Soccer Federation website has become one of my favorite sites. In addition to getting the latest information on the MNT and WNT as well as USSDA results and report, the all-access/Total 90 video is outstanding.

To get a sense of the environment, they put together a series of videos from the most recent Showcase in Frisco, TX in February.

Watch Studio 90 - Winter Showcase Video

Welcome to the New OESA blog!

The aim of this blog is to the families and friends of the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy as well as those interested from around the soccer community informed.