Simsbury September 2012 Volume 1 Issue 12 Simsbury Soccer Club www.simsburysoccer.org Welcome to Fall Soccer!

By Tom Hayden, President, Simsbury Soccer Club The Simsbury Soccer Club Board of Directors welcomes players, coaches, assistant coaches, managers, parents and volunteers to the fall 2012 soccer season. We are very excited about the season and can’t wait for the all the programs to get underway this week.

We continue to listen to your feedback and have made a number of enhancements to our programs. The 3rd/4th grade program has been moved to Orkil. Teams will be playing on slightly larger fields with bigger goals than they played on in the spring. We have worked with the CT State Referee Program to have Referee Evaluators monitor some of our games in order to help our referees’ strength their skills. I NSIDE T HIS I SSUE The season wouldn’t happen without the many hours of behind the scenes work 1 Welcome to Fall Soccer by the Board and division directors. I’d particularly like to thank a number of

1 September is Youth Please see Welcome on page 5 Soccer Month 2 The Role Model Coach: September is Youth Soccer Month Pia Sundhage 3 Treasurer Wanted Youth Soccer Month is dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of playing Youth Soccer in America. The Simsbury Soccer Club is proud to support 4 Fall Soccer Clinics this effort and further the goals of Youth Soccer Month:

5 Referee Class Emphasize soccer as the number one youth participation sport in America and a leading contributor to the healthy lifestyle of millions of American families.

Bringing kids and families of all ages and all abilities together for fun, friendship and fitness.

Highlighting the various programs available to children interested in participating in soccer, including inner city, special needs, recreational, classic travel, and elite soccer programs.

A series of fun filled messages will be communicated throughout Youth Soccer Month to illustrate the essence of youth soccer. Each week during Youth Soccer Month a different message will be the focus of "Celebrating Soccer in America."

Please see Youth Soccer Month on page 2

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Youth Soccer Month from page 1

The four messages of Youth Soccer month are: Did You Know?

The Simsbury Soccer Fitness: The health and fitness (physical, psychological and social) Club has developed benefits of playing soccer. an age appropriate developmental Fun: Whether recreational or competitive in nature, involvement in soccer is easy, affordable and rewarding. curriculum and sends out lesson plans based on the Family: Playing soccer ties families together as schedules, vacations and curriculum each family time are coordinated. week to coaches to Friendship: The relationships generated through playing soccer extend use in their practices. beyond the field.

The Simsbury Soccer Club has joined forces with US Youth Soccer and the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association in supporting Youth Soccer Month.

Spreading the benefits and impact soccer has had on millions of Americans is very important to our organizations. Please take a minute to spend time with your family and friends this September to experience and support this great sport that has impacted so many lives.

The Role Model Coach: Pia Sundhage

By Mike Woitalla, reprinted with permission of the author.

The sideline shots of coaches during TV broadcasts tend not show them in the best light.

Pia Sundhage The ranting and raving at the refs. The futile screaming when unsatisfied with their teams. The sad, stressed-out grimaces that surely can’t instill confidence in their players should they glance toward the bench.

Then there’s Pia Sundhage. When the camera points to her, we see someone who looks like she’s enjoying watching her team. Her body language conveys confidence – something that very likely contributes to her team’s knack for incredible comeback wins, such as over Canada and France during its 2012 Olympic gold-medal run. Did You Know? The Simsbury Soccer “What she exudes is a wonderful kind of optimism and positivity and I think she has a tremendous calm manner that I think is conveyed very effectively to her Club requires players,” says , who coached the U.S. women to their first world coaches, assistant championship at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991 and is the USA’s most coaches and successful women’s college coach with 21 national titles. managers to have a background check “It’s absolutely vital that even if you’re feeling stressed, your players should absolutely never see it. In fact, as often as possible they should see the done every 3 years. opposite.”

Please see Model Coach on page 3

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Model Coach from page 2

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati hired Sundhage after the U.S. women were routed by Brazil in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup. Nine months later, Sundhage's Americans won the gold medal despite losing key players and Cat Whitehill to pre-tournament injuries.

In Sundhage’s next championship, the USA lost the final to Japan on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie in which the Americans played some brilliant attacking soccer.

At the 2012 Olympics, Sundhage’s team scored 16 goals in six games. At all three Pia Sundhage celebrates world championships with Sundhage at the helm, the USA was highest-scoring with after team. And her teams have played some entertaining soccer, which is what happens when players are enjoying themselves. the winning goal against Canada at the Olympics has said Sundhage’s coaching style “brings the joy back to us, back to the time when we were kids.” Heather O’Reilly described Sundhage’s approach to life as “glass half-full to the max.”

“Even at the highest level, it should be fun,” Sundhage says. “Soccer is the best sport in the world and if it’s not fun it’s not worthwhile to coach. ... It comes back to where I come from. My mother and father said, "You know, you have to behave. But it's important to have fun.”

Did You Know? No doubt Sundhage -- in an era when the USA's competition has vastly improved - The Simsbury Soccer - must be good on player selection, tactics and training methods. But her demeanor is undoubtedly a big contributor to the USA’s success. Club is one of the largest, most “I try to use my body language to emphasize what is good,” Sundhage said in an successful, and most interview late last year. “I’m really happy to hear that when you watch the respected clubs in women’s team play you think I’m calm, because that's what I want my players to the state with over believe – because I have faith in the way we play and in our players. I emphasize the good things. I’m looking for good things, instead of doing the opposite and 1,100 players. try constantly to adjust mistakes.”

Sometimes the grumpy, sideline-stomping, ref-bashing coaches win. But since she proves that a positive, dignified approach works, why wouldn’t coaches strive to do it the Sundhage way?

(Mike Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America (http://www.socceramerica.com), and coaches youth soccer for Bay Oaks/East Bay United SC in Oakland, Calif.)

Treasurer Wanted

The Club continues to look for a new Treasure as our old Treasurer has accepted a new position in Boston.

The Treasurer is a Club Officer and is responsible for all funds and securities of the Club. The Treasurer receives and gives receipts for moneys due and payable to the Club and deposits all moneys in the Club bank account(s). The Treasurer coordinates the preparation of the Club’s tax return with the Club’s outside accountant. The ideal candidate should have a strong accounting and budgeting background and be willing to devote a couple of hours a week during the season.

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Fall Soccer Clinics

The Simsbury Soccer Club is pleased to announce our fall clinics to supplement a player’s ongoing skill development.

Registration is open for all fall clinics. To register for a clinic visit the Club website at: www.simsburysoccer.org.

Clinics include:

• Tuesday - Field Player Clinic for 5th – 8th grade. This is a 5 week series of field player clinics covering various soccer skills. Dates: Tuesdays 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2 and 10/9. Time: 4:00-5:00pm Location: Curtiss D Fee: $25 • Goalkeeper Clinic for 4th – 8th grade. This is a 5 week series of goalkeeper clinics covering all aspects of goalkeeping. Dates: Wednesdays 9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3 and 10/10. Time: 4:00-5:00pm Location: Curtiss D Fee: $25 • Thursday – Field Player Clinic for 5th – 8th grade. This is a 5 week series of field player clinics covering various soccer skills. Dates: Thursdays 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4 and 10/11. Time: 4:00-5:00pm Location: Curtiss D Fee: $25 • Tuesday 1st and 2nd Grade Coed Clinic. Dates: Tuesdays 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2 and 10/9. Time: 5:30 – 6:45pm Location: TBD Fee: $40 • Academy Skills Night for Boys in grades 3 and 4. The Academy Skills Kick up your game by night is in support of the International Development League. This attending a clinic! program provides an added hour of training for players wanting to maximize their potential, improve their skills and increase the number of touches they get on the ball each week. This new program is designed to: o Enhance the soccer skills of each participant o Provide the benefit of professional training to all players in grades 3 and 4 o Offer the opportunity for friends to have fun together through soccer Dates: Fridays 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/12 and 10/26. Time: 5:30 – 6:45pm Location: TBD Fee: $30 • Academy Skills Night for Girls in grades 3 and 4. See Academy Skills Night for Boys above. Dates: Fridays 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/12 and 10/26. Time: 5:30 – 6:45pm Location: TBD Fee: $30

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New Referee Class

The Simsbury Soccer Club will be hosting the “field session” for individuals who want to become a new soccer referee on September 22nd at Simsbury High School from 9am to 2pm.

Becoming a referee is a great opportunity to learn the Laws of the Game and to get some exercise while making money. Referees can earn $15 - $50 per game ($15 for a U10 or U11 assistant referee and $50 for an experienced center referee for U15 - U19 games and CT Cup games).

To register for the class you must be 13 by June 30, 2013.

The new referee program involves completing an online course prior to registering for the September 22nd class.

To register for the class, please register at the Connecticut State Referee Program website: www.ct-referee.net.

If you are interested, please begin the process as soon as possible as the online course must be completed before you register for the class. Space is limited as the class is open to non-Simsbury residents as well as Simsbury residents.

If you have any questions about the Simsbury Referee program, please contact Robyn Addis at: [email protected].

Welcome from page 1

Board members for their dedication and hard work readying the Simsbury Soccer Club for the fall season.

Angie Bautista, Instructional Program Director for the pre-K Dinomites to 3rd/4th grade programs, John Derway, our incoming Farmington Valley Program Director (grades 5 – 8) and Mike Doyle, Travel Program Director for devoting huge amounts of time getting their respective programs together.

Robyn Addis, Referee and Field Coordinator and outgoing uniform coordinator for spending countless hours coordinating the new Travel uniform order, coordinating the practice schedule and arranging a referee class in Simsbury.

Sean Glasgow, VP of Coach and Player Development, for his dedication to enhancing the curriculum with Rob Lamb our Director of Coaching and for helping put the team bags together with John Derway and me.

Molly Rutledge, the Club’s Register. Not only does Molly handle the registration for Simsbury, she also handles it for a number of surrounding towns.

Brad Newell for helping out with the Treasurer duties as we look for a new Treasurer.

Friend us on Facebook I’d also like to thank the rest of the Board and volunteers who contributed their time and talents to make the fall soccer season a success.

Again, welcome to the fall season.