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The
high-school dilemma; Fair play
or not?
By Mike Woitalla
HIGH SCHOOL VS.
CLUB. One of the most
unfortunate aspects of American
youth soccer is forcing kids to
choose between club soccer and
high school ball. For sure, in
many cases it’s not an
either-or, but the pressure on
the very elite players,
especially those in the U.S.
Soccer Development Academy, to
skip school ball continues to
increase. The
Washington Post’s
Paul Tenorio did an
excellent job reporting on the
dilemma in a recent article
headlined, “Is it best to play
in high school, or on an academy
team?” Tony
Lepore, director of
scouting for U.S. youth national
teams and a technical adviser
for the Development Academy,
says, “In top footballing
nations, school soccer is not
where the top players play and
develop. That’s how this has
evolved and how this shift has
continued. ... We’ve given the
choice to the clubs. It’s not a
mandate yet, but we totally get
why they’re choosing that and
that’s why we’re supporting it.”
Taylor Twellman,
one of the most prolific
goalscorers in MLS history,
played multiple high school
sports and says: “There’s no
denying if you play U.S.
Development Academy, the
coaching, fields, players
surrounding you is going to be
better, but is that ultimately
the goal of life? I don’t know
if that trade-off is worth it,
but I understand U.S. Soccer’s
best opportunity is to get the
area’s best players together to
train together. I understand
that argument, but what is the
sacrifice?”
* * * *
FAIR PLAY OR NOT?
VIDEO of a goal in an
Arkansas high school game has
gotten more than 2 million views
since posted on YouTube earlier
this month. No doubt many found
it amusing – two Bryant High
School players faking a
collision during a free kick to
catch Conway High's defenders
off guard – but I found it
unsportsmanlike at best.
Considering that the defenders
may have stopped out of concern
for what could have been injured
players, should the referee have
disallowed the goal? I asked a
pair of officiating experts.
“It's a valid goal,” says
New York ref Randy Vogt,
the author of " Preventive
Officiating." “While you
could consider a bit of
deception is involved, nothing
circumventing the rules to
warrant a caution.”
Stanley Lover,
a longtime international referee
instructor and author of " Official
Soccer Rules Illustrated,"
says, “In my view, the referee
was right [in allowing the
goal], but I hope he reported
the incident to the appropriate
authority to examine the video
and question the coach.
“If proved as deliberate, I
would expect a severe
disciplinary sanction against
the coach for the relatively
unknown charge of ‘bringing the
game into disrepute.’”
* * * *
WHAT A BICYCLE KICK!
The video I enjoyed more is that
of 13-year-old Kenner
Galeas of Virginia's
U-14 Civitans Bengals. Shot by
team manager Jeanette
Ortiz-Osorio, it got
nearly 2 million views within
week. Also remarkable is Galeas'
low-key celebration while
accepting congrats from his
thrilled teammates. Watch it
HERE.
* * * *
FROM THE FIELD.
I'm used to seeing own goals
celebrated by the benefitting
team. So this was a first for
me: In a U-12 girls game in
Concord, Calif., the goalkeeper
deflects two shots and then a
defender accidentally kicks the
ball into her own goal. There’s
absolutely no reaction from the
attacking team. Not one cheer.
They’re frozen, until the
referee urges them to move back
to their own half for the
kickoff. It’s as if they didn’t
think it should count.
* * * *
...
Georgia United -- a
combination of Atlanta area
clubs North Atlanta SA, Norcross
SA, United Futbol Academy and
AFC Lightning – will enter the
U.S. Soccer Development Academy
in the 2011-12 season. They join
the Vancouver Whitecaps as next
season's newcomers. ...
... The New York Times’
Jere Longman visited
Barcelona’s famed La Masia, the
youth program that spawned many
of its current stars, such as
Xavi,
Andres Iniesta and
Lionel Messi.
“During the week, they rise at
6:45 a.m., eat breakfast and
leave for regular school in the
city at 7:30. They attend
classes from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
return to La Masia to eat, rest
and attend mandatory study
groups. Training is held from 7
to 8:45 p.m., followed by dinner
and some free time. Lights out
for the younger players is 10:30
p.m., 11 for older players."
Read more
HERE. ... Fifteen
years ago then Houston Mayor
Bob Lanier
started an inner-city sports
program out of which grew the
very successful Houstonians FC.
Now budget woes in the country’s
fourth largest city threaten
cuts to the parks and recreation
department's soccer program at
Milby Park in southeast Houston
-- a heavily Latino community --
that caters to 5,000 youngsters
in the fall. "Very sad,” said
Jaime Villegas,
the program’s organizer, told
KHOU 11 News. “Because the
kids are the ones losing."
...
Alex Kos has created an
online soccer rules test for
children, parents, coaches and
would-be refs
HERE. (Mike
Woitalla, the executive
editor of Soccer America,
coaches youth soccer for
East Bay United in Oakland,
Calif. His youth
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