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AC Milan Camp Coming to Atlanta, Partnering with Soccer in the Streets June 13-17 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park Atlanta, GA- June 1, 2011 AC Milan is one of the world's most recognized and decorated clubs. During the week of June 13-17, the Italian club will be holding a camp in Atlanta at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. The camp is open to the public and registration is currently open for the event. Scholarships will be provided by AC Milan for a few selected players from Soccer in the Streets. Those chosen will have a once in a lifetime opportunity. In addition to a week of training from some of the best coaches in Europe, there will be a few players selected to take their talents to Milan, Italyand train at the world famous Milanello Facility. It is revered as one of the finest training facilities in the world. The players will also attend a game while in Milan and get exclusive behind the scenes opportunities. "I am so excited to provide the city of Atlanta with this opportunity and especially for some the tremendous young talent at Soccer in the Streets here in Metro Atlanta. They have an amazing program here and we really hope to take this relationship even further in the upcoming years," said Chip Russell, Business Development of AC Milan USA. "The opportunity to expose our kids to one of the biggest clubs in the world is incredible. We're excited to be a part of the camp in Atlanta and look forward to continuing to work with AC Milan in the future," said Jason Longshore, Deputy Director of Soccer in the Streets. The camp will feature two Technical Directors from AC Milan's Academy in Italy and each camper will have a chance to see what it is really like to train at one the biggest clubs in the world. The campers will also receive a full AC Milan Academy kit (1 jersey, 1 pair of shorts, and socks). The cost of the week long camp is $310.00. Please visit www.milanjuniorcamp.com, email Chip Russell atmilanplayerdev@aol.com, or call 678.613.3098 to register. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- About: Soccer in the Streets Soccer in the Streets, a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, GA, empowers kids who lack opportunity by using soccer as a medium to make them employable adults. Founded in 1989, the organization links life skills with soccer skills and helps at-risk kids thrive at school and at home through out-of-school programs, mentoring relationships, academic support and hands on experience. Our programs develop the next generation of leaders who will eventually cultivate change and progress in their communities. For more information, please visit www.soccerstreets.org. AC Milan Summer Camps Camp duration is Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. The camp will be hosted by at least two AC Milan certified coaches coming directly from Milan, Italy. The camp curriculum has been specially designed for each age group by AC Milan's expert coaches and doctors.
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Atlanta Silverbacks 0-2 NSC Minnesota Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars love seeing the Silverbacks. Saturday night’s shutout win was their third victory of the 2011 season over Atlanta, and boosted the Stars back into the second place spot in the NASL standings with17 points, 8 behind first-place Carolina.
Devin Del Do was the goal-scoring hero for the Stars, providing both goals after scoring during the week against the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Cal State-Northridge alumnus broke the game open early, hustling to a Andrei Gotsmanov cross to chip past an onrushing Felipe Quintero in the game’s third minute. The 2,400 fans in attendance already sensed the hand of fate pushing back the Silverbacks. The club hasn’t scored a goal since the end of April, and were unable to get the ball past Stars’ keeper Joe Warren. Silverbacks’ Tyler Ruthven had a shot go high past the half hour mark and Warren made a nice reactive kick save of a ball rolling towards the Stars’ net. Right now the Silverbacks couldn’t buy a goal even with a check endorsed by Warren Buffett.
And so, the song remains the same for Atlanta fans. Despite periods of quality possession, the young team surrendered Del Do’s fourth goal of the season just past the hour mark. This time Brian Kallman played provider, as his cross found Del Do’s head for a 2-0 lead. Atlanta outshot NSC Minnesota 12-10 and edged the Northerners in corner kicks 5-3, but to no avail.
The victory wasn’t the Stars’ most impressive of the season, but a win is a win is a win, and Manny Lagos’ club snatched a needed three points in their final 2011 visit to the Peachtree state. The Stars have a deep and talented squad, and Joe Warren is providing the type of top-notch goalkeeping that make the Stars a tough club to beat.
For the winless Atlanta side, it’s time to take a tip from Dr. Gerry. Party. A team party, complete with tasty Georgia barbeque, cold beer, Mexican food, loud music and no soccer talk. Horseshoes, wiffleball and cannonballs into a pool are called for instead. Laughter and camaraderie may be the recipe that gets the Silverbacks onto the good foot. The good doctor can’t guarantee a string of victories afterward, but will promise some smiles from the coaches and players who need a break. Atlanta is a quality soccer town and the doctor knows everyone is pressing to get a win. Relax and party.
On October 2, 2011, the most amazing soccer game you've ever witnessed will take place in Piedmont Park, right in the heart of Atlanta, GA. As a tongue-in-cheek protest to the typical formal banquet fundraiser, we host our banquet in the park and attire the soccer players in black tie and ball gowns. And people fork over their hard earned cash as incentive for them to don their fancy duds (ladies and gentlemen, dresses and tuxes - not necessarily in that order!) and kick about for fun and charity. Complete with a professional British announcer, thrills and spills, hard-nosed tackles (in sequins), jamming music, delicious food and coveted awards for the best dressed player, this is an event not to be missed! And most important, it's all for a great cause - the kids of metro Atlanta who need a helping hand. All kids deserve a chance for success. Soccer In The Streets empowers kids who lack opportunity by using soccer as a medium to make them employable adults. Sign up to play! Or if you don't want to outshine the others with your super fancy attire or stellar soccer skills, pledge a player or come along for lunch, as well as an incredible array of silent auction items. |
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drutz@neighbornewspapers.com Chandler Gay, assisted Jack Kidd on the game-winning goal Saturday in a 2-1 win over Greater Atlanta Christian for the Class AA state championship.When Westminster escaped a possible 1-0 deficit less than a minute into Saturday’s Class AA soccer state championship game, the team felt it could survive anything.Turns out the Wildcats were right.Some gutsy saves by goalkeeper Andrew Freschi and two second-half goals rallied the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over Greater Atlanta Christian, giving Westminster its first state championship in boys’ soccer since 2007 after falling in its last two title game appearances, most recently in 2009 to GAC.“It was nice to get back to being a champion again,” said Westminster coach Scott Snyder.Freschi saved a penalty kick after GAC was fouled just 25 seconds into the game, and even after the Spartans took a 1-0 lead later in the action, Westminster knew it could hang in.“That was probably almost as critical as anything else,” Snyder said. “They had a point-blank shot, and our keeper made a great save on it. From there, we built on that.”Josh Bennett drew a foul in the second half, and Tyler Hilliard converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 1. Then, with less than six minutes remaining, Jack Kidd scored the go-ahead goal on an assist from Chandler Gay.The Wildcats were excited but Kidd’s goal wasn’t a game-winner until they outlasted the Spartans to the last whistle at GAC’s home field.“You had to temper it because you’ve got five more minutes,” Snyder said.Freschi and the rest of the defense had to counter three corner kicks and two direct kicks in the furious final minutes to preserve the victory and the championship.“You’d have to give them the edge in terms of holding onto the ball, but we were able to take advantage of our chances better than they were,” Snyder said. “It was really a team win, though.”In the Class A playoffs, Pace Academy fell in the Final Four to Providence Christian, 4-1 on May 11.In girls’ soccer, Lovett fell 2-1 in a hard-fought game with top-ranked Blessed Trinity May 10. After conceding a goal in the opening minute, the Lions (15-4-1) tied it in the 52nd minute when M.C. Battle headed in a corner kick by Allison Bond into the far post. However, BT scored again with 20 minutes left on a deflection and held on to advance to the state championship game, which they won 1-0 Saturday over Greater Atlanta Christian.Westminster fell to Greater Atlanta Christian, 3-1, May 10 in the other semifinal.
Blessed Trinity freshman Delaney Fechalos converted a penalty kick with 2:37 left in the second overtime to give the Titans a 1-0 win over Greater Atlanta Christian and the Class AA State Championship.
Both teams played an extremely hard-fought match throughout regulation and both teams had chances to score. However, neither team was able to break the scoreless tie in regulation, or in the first five minute overtime period.
The Lady Spartans asserted their aggressiveness on offense in the later stages of regulation and very nearly got a goal. With a little over 17 minutes left in regulation, sophomore forward Rachel Garcia drilled a shot that hit the crossbar and almost went into the net. Earlier in the second half, senior defender Anna Douglas took a long free kick that sailed over the crossbar. In spite of their efforts, the Lady Spartans were unable to break through and the game went into overtime.
The first five minute overtime produced no goals, so the game went onto a second five minute overtime. With 2:37 left in the second OT period, a Blessed Trinity player was fouled in the box and the Lady Titans were awarded a penalty kick. Freshman Delaney Fechalos stepped up and took a low shot underneath the GAC keeper to give Blessed Trinity the 1-0 lead and eventually the State Title.
"It never gets old. This year, it was even more fun because we had such a young team. We started 4 to 5 freshman", Blessed Trinity head coach Jean Batiste said.
"GAC's offense was awesome, but we weathered the storm. We made some mistakes. We were young on the field, but we got it done", Batiste said.
Blessed Trinity has now won their fifth state championship in girls soccer. The last win came in 2008. They finish the 2011 season as Class AA State Champions with a record of 19-2-1. GAC, the Class AA State Runner Up, finishes the season at 16-3-2.
The Gainesville boys soccer team battled for 80 minutes but couldn't break down an organized St. Pius defense en route to a 2-0 loss on Wednesday in Atlanta.
The defeat knocked the Red Elephants (15-4) out of the playoffs and ensured there will be a new Class AAA champ in 2011.
"I'm proud of the way we fought, and I hurt for the boys," Gainesville coach Rick Howard said. "Give credit to St. Pius. They were very well-organized and well-coached."
The Golden Lions (17-0-1) scored on a free kick midway through the first half and led 1-0 at halftime. The Red Elephants pushed forward in search of an equalizer in the second half and were caught on defense late in the contest, giving up a second goal with 1:30 left to play.
"We fell short of what we wanted to do this season," Howard said. "But our seniors have had a great four years here, and in January we'll start it back up again and see where we are."
Gainesville graduates five seniors but returns the bulk of a team that finished second in Region 8-AAA this season.
KENNESAW - Atlanta Beat coach James Galanis knows he has a young team but still needed to send them a halftime message Sunday against Western New York.
"I told them to pick it up or they were going to have training (today) at 8 a.m.," he said.
The Beat came out aggressive in the second half after a timid first half and played their way to a 2-all tie against what appears to be the Women's Professional Soccer's most experienced team at KSU Soccer Stadium.
Atlanta (1-1-1) came out nervous and it showed early in the first half when the Flash's Christine Sinclair scored on a Brit Brock feed in the third minute. Bock picked up the ball after a turnover from Beat midfielder Carli Lloyd.
The Beat spent the rest of the first half battling just to keep the ball out of their side of the field. Goalkeeper Allison Lipsher, who finished the game with 13 saves, made several key stops in the first half and got help from defenders Cat Whitehill and Keeley Dowling and from using a 4-1-4-1 formation that kept a large number of players in the back to defend.
"Most of the team is young and haven't gone through the cycle of playing every team," Galanis said. "Playing experienced teams does funny things to the mid if you are a young star. We defended well in the first half but we weren't moving it like we should have been on offense."
The Beat's lone scoring chance in the first half came in the 29th minute. Cat Whitehill placed a cross into the box that found forward Meghan Lenczyk's head despite a diving attempt by Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris to punch the ball out. The ball bounced over Harris, but trailed off to the left and wide of the net.
The Beat came out a different team in the second half, despite the Flash starting WPS superstar Marta in the second half. They only managed four second half shots, though of two of them were goals.
After Beat midfielder India Trotter subbed into the match at halftime for Lauren Sesselmann, Atlanta became more offensively minded. Four minutes after halftime, Beat midfielder Lori Chalupny beat Flash defender Kandace Wilson and was taken down outside of the penalty box on the near side. Another four minutes later, Chalupny created a run down the middle with Lenczyk running toward the far post, but cut inside toward center back Candace Chapman cleared away the danger.
In the 56th minute, Chalupny would not be denied. From outside the penalty box, she cut the ball inside onto her right foot and scored an unassisted goal by firing a shot from the near side of the box that bounced off the inside of the right post and into the net.
Even though the Flash retook the lead in the 66th minute on a running header by Marta off a Sinclair feed, the Beat maintained its momentum.
It became more clear three minutes later that the Beat would not be denied at home when Lloyd atoned for her first half mistake by firing a shot outside of the penalty box that beat a diving Harris and tied the score at 2-all.
"We came in at halftime disappointed because we weren't playing our game," Chalupney said. "I think we were giving (Western New York) a little too much respect and my goal helped us to build our confidence and we played much better in the second half."
Atlanta had a couple of chances to take a lead on a couple of open shots by Kristina Larsen. Harris made a finger tip save on her first attempt and Larsen's second shot attempt was blocked by Harris.
Lipsher, who now has 24 saves in two games for the Beat, was at her best during the final 5 minutes of the contest when the Flash threatened. She made two key saves during injury time. No save was more important in the match than the one she made in the 87th minute. She was able to put a fingertip to a ball headed over her head from Caroline Seger, but redirected over the net for a corner kick. Two minutes later, a poor clearance by midfielder Colleen Flanagan allowed Sinclair to have a chance at her second goal of the match, but, once again, Lipsher deflected the ball with a fingertip and it smacked off the crossbar and out of danger.
"If you look at who they have up top, it's going to put a lot of pressure on us," Lipsher said. "All I can do is play, stay focused, do all the basics and keep everything in front of you."
The Beat will play its first road game next Sunday when the team travels to Rochester for a rematch with Western New York (1-1-0).
Jordan Angeli scored the opening goal after 18 minutes to put
Kasey Moore then capped the scoring with a spot kick of her own in stoppage time to complete the resounding
The other game taking place on opening weekend saw the Philadelphia Independence rally from two goals down at halftime to claim a 2-2 draw at Sky Blue FC.
The home side seized the advantage through Laura Kalmari in the 18th minute, with Casey Nogueira adding to the lead nine minutes before halftime.
But Amy Rodriguez found the net for
The Silverbacks returned to the field, with over 3,500 fans in attendance. Ultimately, they lost 2-1 in an exciting game against
The multi-colored seats at the Silverbacks’ stadium near Spaghetti Junction were filled with revelers on Saturday night as the team opened its season against the Minnesota Stars. They made an exciting comeback in the second half, but ultimately fell 2-1 when a goal was scored against them with seconds left to play.
The crowd was an interesting mix of Little League teams and international residents, all of whom dug out their red and black and renewed their passion for the team, which had taken a two-year hiatus from play. The Silverbacks said that 3,543 people were in attendance.
Both teams seemed to be getting their footing in the first minutes of the game. The visiting team took the lead when Kentaro Takada hit a close shot in the 57th minute.
The Silverbacks held the majority of possession in the second half, according to stats released by the team, as the crowd and fan section became increasingly animated.
The Silverbacks gave Stars midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov a free kick with seconds left on the clock. It was just outside the reach of the Silverbacks’ goalkeeper, giving
The Beat roster includes Olympic gold medalists Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts, who have been regulars on the U.S. National Team and are expected to be chosen to the American roster for the World Cup this summer. Mitts has two gold medals to her name in addition to over 100 caps for the U.S., while Lloyd’s game-winner in extra time gave the U.S. a 1-0 win over Brazil in the 2008 Olympic gold medal game in Beijing.
The Beat is undefeated in its current preseason schedule with wins over several college programs including perennial power
Admission to tomorrow’s game is free and both teams will sign autographs afterwards. Athens sports talk radio station 960 The Ref will broadcast live from the stadium’s press box from 4-6 p.m. leading up to kickoff.
Wanted to send a friendly reminder that the final tryout for the Georgia Revolution will be help this Saturday, April 2nd at the RYSA soccerplex from 4:30 - 7pm. We have had nearly 100 players from 15 colleges and 13 countries already attend. Your players don't want to miss this opportunity to play in the Revolution's inaugural season in the NPSL. This year, the NPSL's Southeastern conference will feature the Revolution, the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, Chattanooga FC, Rocket City FC, the Knoxville Force, and the newly-added Jacksonville United. Please be sure to pass this information along to yoru players. Anyone who is interested can email Fields Brown at fields@rysa.net to confirm their attendance at this Saturdays tryout. The cost of the tryout is $20 and includes a Revolution training shirt. We hope to see your players here this weekend! |
Cobb Adult Soccer Is accepting coaching applications for the Beginners Program. Must be certified and hold US Coaching license of D or above. Compensated position Program runs Sunday Afternoons Noonday Park2 hours for 6 weeks 2 hour break down of the program 45 minutes devoted to individual skills 15 minute break 2 - 20 minute scrimmages with a certified referee If you are interested please contact Karon at cobbsoccer@gmail.com |
The Georgia Revolution will be holding their final tryout this Saturday, March 26th from 4:30 - 7pm at the RYSA Soccerplex. Nearly 100 players from 13 different colleges and 12 countries have already participated in the evaulations in hopes of being included on the Revolution's roster. The Revolution will compete in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) against the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, Chattanooga FC, Rocket City FC, the Knoxville Force, and Jacksonville United. |
Mason Boggs starts off strong, sprinting up and down the gym floor like a speed demon, the soccer ball almost up to the knees of his little legs. But after about 20 minutes, a pooped Mason is perched atop his mother's shoulders, riding along while she kicks the ball instead.
Mason, after all, is just 3 years old. For him and the other toddlers gathered at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, soccer time falls somewhere between lunchtime and nap time.
At a growing number of fields and playgrounds across metro
"He loves it," said Mason's mom, Lisa Boggs of the
Boggs recently enrolled Mason in a soccer program to follow his preschool class on Fridays. Neither she nor her husband are particularly athletic, she said, and she wanted to begin introducing her son to sports at a young age to nurture his interest in exercise.
There are music classes and tumbling classes for wee ones, so why not soccer instruction? Some think it could give their children an early edge in the competitive sport. But while soccer programs for little ones are growing in popularity, it's open to debate whether these players are really ready to learn the game or just fulfilling a need to run around.
Cuteness and curiosity
Georgia Soccer, the national state soccer association, began sanctioning soccer programs for children as young as 3 about a year ago to respond to interest from parents of toddlers. Previously, the association only endorsed teams with players as young as 4.
Jacob Daniel, Georgia Soccer's director of coaching, said programs for younger children can help them develop motor skills and get exercise. But, he said, it's not really soccer at this age.
For instance, each child must have his or her own ball. No one keeps score. They can't play competitive games yet, because they can't grasp the team concept. "Practices" are kept short, 30 to 45 minutes.
"They are going to look cute and chase a ball and satisfy a curiosity," said Daniel. "But they are not playing soccer. ... The ball is like a toy, so what parents should expect is using the ball to develop motor skills."
So couldn't parents just go to a park with their child and a ball and get the same benefits? For free?
Absolutely, said Daniel.
In fact, he said, that approach can be preferable.
"I would encourage parents go to the neighborhood park because in that sense, it's not just a sport, but it's family bonding time and quality time and [kids] can get that one-on-one attention," he said.
Daniel says his goal is to make all play age-appropriate. For 3-year-olds, that means placing the focus on what he calls "movement education," getting them to practice throwing a ball and twisting their bodies from one side to the next. He said parents shouldn't expect 3-year-olds to dribble the ball with their feet.
About a third of Georgia Soccer's member leagues now have programs for kids as young as 3, a number Daniel expects to rise.
'Pre-T-ball' teams
Soccer is not the only sport pushing back its players' traditional start date, though it may be ahead of the curve. About a year ago, the Little League Baseball and Softball organization gave the green light to kids under 5 to play Tee Ball, and an OK for kids as young as 4 to play "Pre T-ball."
It's one thing to get a bunch of pre-schoolers to run around with balls; it's another to add bats and bases.
"I can't imagine going any younger," said Linda North, a state district administrator for Little League Baseball and Softball. "In baseball, only one kid has a bat in the hand at a time, and 3-year-olds just don't have the patience. It's tough for 4-year-olds, too, but that's part of the beauty, too, of watching them."
The Atlanta Youth Soccer Association recently launched an under-4 program in response to demand from parents, said AYSA president Rob Pollock. Younger siblings of kids already playing were itching to play, too, so parents were enrolling them in other programs.
Soccer, he said, has become not just a popular family pastime but also a community event people want to be part of.
"Quite honestly, it was an epiphany. It was like, what took us so long?" said Pollock.
Still, Pollock said, the league is are careful to make its programs age-appropriate, even if that means the kids aren't really playing soccer.
"It's getting kids out there, and them putting cleats on like their big brothers and sisters," said Pollock. So "there are [some] kids picking daisies, and some kids kicking a ball."
'The most natural sport'
Georges Edeline's Hall of Fame Soccer School in the
Marni Mohr of
Etta had shown interest in playing when she watched from the sidelines. But when it was her turn to get into the action, she spent her first practice crying the whole time.
"Who knows, maybe it was performance anxiety," her mom joked.
They returned for another practice, and this time, Etta wanted to play.
Mohr said she has no doubt her son gained confidence and ball skills when playing as preschooler.
"He's like a mini-coach, telling all of the other kids what to do, because he's been playing for a while now," she said.
Edeline believes it's almost never too young to introduce children to soccer.
"It's the most natural sport. Children are kicking [in the womb] even before they are born," he said. "You just have to introduce a ball to their feet."
Edeline uses games to help kids connect with soccer balls. On a recent afternoon, he had children waddle like penguins to teach them the correct way to kick a ball. They also played a Superman-inspired game in which they balance on top of a ball and pretend to fly.
"My motto is "safe, simple and fun," he said.
He said he loves coaching kids at this age because it's not about keeping score and it's not too serious. It's about the love of the game, he said.
"I say you win or learn, no losing. If they can play, they are winning," he said.
Pope Greyhounds Summer Youth Soccer Camps: June 20-24 2011
Morning (9:00-12:00) session is for students entering grades K-5.
Evening (6:00-8:30) session is for students entering grades 6-9.
Camp Focus: This soccer camp focuses on improving players through fun, dedicated games and activities. Players will be actively engaged the entire time they are attending the camp. All camps are for boys and girls. Players will be grouped by age and ability. *Each child must bring appropriate shoes for the field and for the gym, a water bottle with his/her name on it, and an appropriately sized ball.
The youth camps the past two years have been fantastic and we are looking to build on that success. There will be room for 50 participants in each session so register early to ensure your spot.
At this time we still have openings, please spread the word!
Registration is now open! Download the form and send it in to reserve your spot. Form Download
Email: richard.groeneveld@cobbk12.org
College showcase camp for boys entering grades 10-12 will be at Pope High School June 26th-June30th
This will be an elite camp, all instructors will be college soccer coaches. Players from all area high schools are invited to apply.
Details and registration will be available here soon.
Registration must be done through Coach Groeneveld.
The Atlanta Silverbacks has signed local player EMSAD ZAHIROVIC as a
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