When all we seem to see are negative stories about youth sports in the media, it’s wonderful to hear about stories of sportsmanship and selflessness in youth soccer. An AYSO coach, whose team was eliminated from a regional tournament in California, discovered the winners could not go on to the next round for financial reasons and decided to try and do something about it with the help of a local radio personality and the WPS LA SOL.
Entries for the ‘The Pros’ Category
Some History of Soccer Jersey Numbers
Have you ever wondered if there was any significance to soccer jersey numbers? Thanks to this in depth history over at 3rd Degree, now you’ll know!
Collegiate Soccer and Professional Development
SoccerLens has an in depth look at how stringent NCAA rules are holding back the development of top soccer players in the US and what can be done to fix it. The response of the NCAA at the end is not encouraging.
H/T This Is American Soccer
Blue Pitches for City Youth
Chelsea Football Club has launched a program in partnership with Adidas to built blue soccer pitches in urban areas to promote participation in youth sports by area children.
A Rare Thing Indeed
Imagine a soccer academy that offers a full residential development program and doesn’t charge a thing. Sound like fantasy? For most people it is, but Brad Friedel is looking to change that one player at a time.
Would You Sign Your 7 Year Old With A Pro Academy?
Most people think all soccer parents are crazy, living vicariously through their kids. As a league administrator, I’ve seen a few that do this, but overwhelmingly, soccer parents want their kids to have fun and get better at a sport they usually love to play. The idea of signing their child with a professional team’s [...]
Sounds Like A Conspiracy
I don’t write about the MLS much, given how this is a youth soccer blog, but I love a good conspiracy theory. I think Mike at My Soccer Blog is on to something.
You have to admit it makes some sense and it wouldn’t surprise me if it was partially true. Perhaps it wasn’t the plan [...]
Dave O’Brien ‘Outta Here?’
Over at Main St. USA, they note with glee:
Confirmed: Dave O’Brien and Eric Wynalda are out as MLS’ #1 broadcast team and will be replaced by JP Dellacamera and John Harkes.
Please, please, please, let them be out as the USSoccer announcers, too. If I ever have to hear Dave O’Brien reveal his sketchy [...]
Why Does Talent Need To Be Home Grown?
Why does Sepp Blatter think national team talent has to be ‘homegrown’? Jamie Trecker has an excellent commentary on the FIFA president’s latest comments and why restrictions on foreign players will hurt more than they help. He summarizes Blatter’s position like this:
Blatter argues that for national teams to succeed, clubs must be forced to save [...]
Now THIS Is A Stadium!
I’m with Mike H at My Soccer Blog – this is going to be a REALLY nice stadium for the Red Bulls that actually looks like it was meant for soccer. Of course they’ll host concerts and other events – but it’s a soccer stadium first and foremost. But what’s with the black rectangles in [...]
Women’s Pro League Take Two
Old news, but I’m glad to see there will be a women’s professional league again. I can understand why they want to wait until after the World Cup and Olympics, though I think they probably could have managed to start in 2008 along with the Olympics. Clearly they learned the lessons of the WUSA and [...]
Beckham Bends It
I admit that I missed the Superliga semifinal between the L.A. Galaxy and D.C. United last night. I hate that – got busy with other stuff. I’ve also stayed out of the Beckham fray for the most part. I think it’s great he’s playing in the MLS and if you set aside all the hype, [...]
Welcoming The Beckham’s
I know many in the soccer world rolled their eyes when they heard that David Beckham was coming to America. We all knew the media circus that would surround he and his wife Victoria. That simply couldn’t be good for the beautiful game in America. I was sitting in a bar recently (watching the USWNT [...]
Cuban Comedy Gold
Over at Throughball, Josh wonders why Mark Cuban isn’t buying an MLS club when he has the billions to waste on a football team in a new league that hopes to compete with the NFL. Good luck with that!
Anyway, after commenting on how fun it would be watching Mark Cuban react to the wonderful world [...]
Eric Wynalda Tells It Like It Is
Josh over at ThroughBall linked in to a fantastic interview that Christian Franek recently did with Eric Wynalda before the USMNT v. Ecuador match. I know I normally quote a bit here and there, but the entire article is quotable. Go read the entire thing if you haven’t already.
I have to say I really enjoyed [...]
