Tuesday, April 26, 2011

How did the Juggle-a-thon Go Yesterday?

On Monday April 25th, the CASL Under 11 and Under 12 classic players participated in the OSA Juggle-a-thon. The Juggle-a-thon supports the "Nothing but Nets" initiative that provides mosquito nets for beds for African families to help stem the onslaught of Malaria in African countries.
Around 300 CASL players participated. We don't know funds raised totals, as of yet, but, I will report back on a later blog when that information becomes available.
Some highlights-Twins Claire and Lauren Griffiths each juggled over 4,500 times consecutively (almost 30 minutes of continuous juggling)! Owen Perez also juggled 3,500 times. We want to thank all the players and families that participated in this event for a worthwhile cause!
                                                                            Charlie Slagle



Here you go:

All U11 and U12 boys and girls classic teams participated along with some of our YTS players.

2 players juggled over 4,500 times each -  Claire and Lauren Griffiths,  1 player Owen Perez juggled over 3,500 times.

Let me know if you need more.



Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Who is on Back of the Net on Saturday?

Saturday will be locals playing in the MLS day on Back of the Net (Saturday from 7-8 am on 99.9 the Fan) presented by Dunn Physical Therapy. On the Show will be: Zack Shilawski-CASL, Cary HS, Wake Forest Univ. and New England Revolution; Darius Barenes-TFC, Durham, Duke Univ. and the New England Revolution; Michael Harrington-CASL, Greenville, UNC, Sporting Kansas City; Tyler Lassister-CASL, Wake Forest Rolesville HS, NC State, NY Red Bulls; an William Hesmer-various clubs, Wilson, Wake Forest Univ., Columbus Crew.
It will be great to hear what these fine players and people have to say about soccer, the MLS and what it takes to get to the top!
                                                                                      Charlie Slagle

What time do the Railhawks play tonight?

For many, this is spring break. A good way to spend a Wednesday night is to go see some soccer. The Carolina Railhawks are 1-1-0 for 3 points, thus far, in the early part of the season. They are hosting FC Edmonton, an expansion franchise. However, this expansion franchise is on top of the table with 2 wins in two tries. They are tied for first in the NASL with last year's champs, the Puerto Rico Islanders, who beat the Railhawks 2-1 in the Railhawks opener with a goal in stoppage time in the 2nd half.
The game is at 7 pm tonight and there are tickets available. Go to http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/ for more information. When at the game, yell up to Dean Linke and myself as we provide the web cast of the game! Let's cheer on the Hawks as they knock off an undefeated team! Have fun, it should be a great game!
                                                                                     Charlie Slagle

Monday, April 18, 2011

What is the OSA World Juggle-a-thon?

 Below, please see information on our local event as part of the OSA World Juggle-a-thon. For more local information, contact Paul Forster at paulf@caslemail.com.

CASL will be participating in the OSA World Juggle-a-thon to benefit Nothing But Nets on April 25, 2011 at 6pm!  The OSA World Juggle-a-thon is a big deal!  28 professional players from MLS, WPS, Europe and New Zealand are participating including the likes of Jay Demerit and Carli Lloyd from the US National Team, professional freestyle jugglers are taking part and Eurosport is going to be sponsoring the CASL OSA World Juggle-a-thon party!  They will giving away free prizes and gear!

The OSA World Juggle-a-thon is put on by OnlineSoccerAcademy.com and it is a great way for soccer players, fans and coaches to juggle to get better, juggle to saves lives and fight malaria through soccer!

By participating our players will become better jugglers, making them better players and now they can use their soccer skills to save lives.  

For more information including juggling tips, FAQ’s, prizes, how it works and a pledge sheet please visit http://www.OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.  Be sure and check out their newly released professional players video promotion for the OSA World Juggle-a-thon!  Pro players in MLS, WPS, US National Team, Europe and New Zealand are participating! 

What is the OSA World Juggle-a-thon?
Every 45 seconds a child in Africa dies from malaria—a preventable disease carried by mosquitoes.  We can help. This is why we created the OSA World Juggle-a-thon, a worldwide fundraiser put on by OnlineSoccerAcademy.com to support the Nothing But Nets campaign.  Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Through this campaign, anyone can donate just $10 to purchase a bed net, deliver it to a family, and educate them on its proper use.

On World Malaria Day—April 25—at 6pm At WRAL Soccer Center, soccer players, coaches, and fans are invited to participate by juggling to raise money for life-saving nets. Anyone can juggle anywhere; by themselves, with friends, teams, or soccer clubs. Participants will collect donations and pledges leading up to the OSA World Juggle-a-thon, and then juggle as much as they can on April 25.  After the event, jugglers will mail in the money they raised, and receive an official OSA World Juggle-a-thon t-shirt and other goodies.  The goal is simple – for each juggler to raise at least $30, to send at least three bed nets to protect families from malaria.  Working together through soccer, we can help protect entire communities from this deadly disease.  Juggle to get better.  Juggle to save lives.

Who is putting on the OSA World Juggle-a-thon?
OnlineSoccerAcademy.com is putting on the OSA World Juggle-a-thon.  Founded by former pro soccer player Jared Montz they make better soccer players through easy to learn from, free online training videos.  Their mission is to teach players that if they Believe in it® and back that up with hard work anything in life is possible.  Players all over the world use it and you can sign up today, for free at http://www.OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.  CASL is supporting the OSA World Juggle-a-thon and encouraging our players to participate.  

OSA World Juggle-a-thon Party!
Get creative and organize an OSA World Juggle-a-thon party with your friends and teammates.  The OSA World Juggle-a-thon is at 6pm and you can do it anywhere; bring pizza, cupcakes or have a BBQ.  You create your own party!  

Be sure and email pictures and video of yourself and friends juggling to Jared Montz at Jared@JMSoccer10.com.  Your picture may be used in the official post OSA World Juggle-a-thon video to announce how much money was raised for Nothing But Nets! 

Do I need to RSVP my attendance?
No, you do not.  But there is a Facebook event page and it would be really cool if you confirm your attendance there via this link http://on.fb.me/gnbryv

How do I tell my friends?Tell your friends by sending them a link to OnlineSoccerAcademy.com, giving them an OSA World Juggle-a-thon pledge sheet or by inviting them using the Facebook event page.  If you use Facebook and/or Twitter you can copy the messages below and post them in your status updates.

Facebook
I’m juggling to save lives in the OSA World Juggle-a-thon to benefit Nothing But Nets on 4/25! http://bit.ly/ghYX3N
Are you? 

Twitter
I’m juggling to save lives in the OSA World Juggle-a-thon to benefit @nothingbutnets on 4/25! http://bit.ly/ghYX3N
Are you? 

If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us or contact Jared Montz or Emily Montz directly at OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.  Thank you for your support and we look forward to a great representation of our club in the OSA World Juggle-a-thon to benefit Nothing But Nets! 

FAQ’s

Can I get a receipt for my donation?
If you require a receipt for your donation, please make your check out to the UN Foundation’s Nothing but Nets campaign.

Is my donation tax deductable?
Your donation is 100% tax deductable if you make your check out to the UN Foundation’s Nothing but Nets campaign.


Who is CASL's Youth Director, Paul Forster?

Paul Forster is CASL's Youth Director. The Youth Director oversees the YTS (Youth Training System) and the Under 11 and Under 12 boys' and girls' classic programs. Paul, also, coaches the 1997 Spartan Elite Black girls' team.
Paul is from England near New Castle on Tyne and came to the United States to play soccer at UNC Wilmington. He has worked in college coaching at the University of Buffalo and Wake Forest. He came to CASL this summer after directing the Twin Cities program in Winston-Salem.
Paul got into the soccer business as "on graduation from college, I decided I wanted to stay in the game of soccer. The game has been a huge part of my life and hopefully, always will be."
What keeps him in soccer...."a true passion for the sport and being around kids that play the game. I know what role playing soccer can play in the overall development of kids. I also love the competitive part of the game and seeing players I coach, grow and develop."
Paul's most enjoyable part of his work...."Being around kids and sharing my passion for the game. I am in a profession that is also my hobby!"
The most challenging part...."trying to help parents see the big picture."
Paul's major influence from the game is Wake Forest men's coach Jay Vidovich. Jay is still Paul's mentor. What he has taken from Jay....."Jay is methodical in everything he does, his training sessions are meticulously planned and his attention to detail fantastic." Paul still calls and receives advice from Jay. Paul admits that he has taken something from every coach that he either played for or worked with and has used those things to shape the kind of coach he is now.
Paul's most memorable moment was attending "my first live Newcastle United game as a lad. As a youngster, we were fortunate to have season tickets and we'd watch every home game we could."
Paul and his family of four live near WRAL Soccer Center. He has two daughters that are six and two years old.
It is great to have someone of Paul's experience, knowledge and passion working for CASL. He combines all those assets with a great personality. Paul is a people person and it exudes from him at all times!
                                                                                  Charlie Slagle

Friday, April 15, 2011

What is on Back of the Net Tomorrow (4/16/11)?

Tomorrow's show, 7-8 am 0n 99.9 the Fan, will have four guests. Paul Forster will talk about the English Premier League and the FA Cup semi-finals. Jared Montz will talk about his organization which sponsors juggle-a-thons around the country to raise money for "Nothing but Nets." This organization provides mosquito nets for African children to try to stem the plaque that is malaria. Then we will have Curt Johnson and Martin Rennie talking about tomorrow night's home Railhawk game vs. Montreal. Tune in!
                                                          Charlie Slagle

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Who is Director of Recreation, Jim Wright?

Jim Wright is the Director of Recreation which is a new position this year, 2010-11. The Director of Recreation focuses on matters related to the development of the recreation division coaches and coaching education. Jim, also, coaches three classic teams. The Girls' 1993 Spartan United Black, The 1994 Boys Premier White and the 1997 Boys Premier are under his tutelage.
Jim grew up in Miami, Florida and went to high school in CT at Choate Rosemary Hall and then went to Davidson College where he was a player for yours truly! After graduation in 1985, Jim worked in the banking industry and then went back to school at Vanderbilt for a graduate degree. After completing his MBA, Jim began coaching, as he puts it, "on a whim" at his alma mater, Davidson. He became my assistant coach at Davidson. Jim caoched at Davidson for a decade and then had a stint at UNCC and then came to CASL. He has also worked at Virginia CASL, the Richmond Strikers and just before returning to CASL at OCSA (Onslow County, NC).
What keeps him in the business? " A passion for the sport; the opportunity to teach, nurture and impact the lives of young men and ladies."
His most enjoyable part of the job, "training the players."
Jim's most challenging part of his job, "is creating a challenging and demanding training environment to help the kids become better players."
Jim lists as his influences on his game as Bruce Talbot, Monica Brown(both former coaches at CASL and elsewhere) , TJ Kostecky (LIU coach) and he was nice and listed me (it may have something to do with my being his boss........).
Jim Wright is a dedicated individual to his sport and the players that play the sport. He is in a constant learning mode through reading and watching the sport. It would behoove the CASL recreation coaches to utilize Jim's expertise....it will make them better coaches! CASL is lucky to have someone with Jim's passion and expertise leading the recreation division!
                                                                                 Charlie Slagle

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

How can you get reduced price tickets to the Railhawks?

The Railhawks are playing again and after a dismal weather night last Saturday will be playing again this weekend. I will have a couple of Railhawk guests on my show, The Back of the Net, this Saturday morning between 7-8 am on 99.9 the Fan. I will be out there at the game, as well, helping Dean Linke, the voice of the Railhawks on the Railhawks webcast, go to www.Carolina Railhawks.com for more details. Below, please see the procedure to get discounted tickets to the games. Enjoy, it is a fun time!
                                                                                      Charlie Slagle

CALLING ALL RAILHAWKS FANS!

The Carolina RailHawks Season has ARRIVED!  After a lightning filled home opener the Carolina RailHawks continue their NASL regular season this Saturday, April 16th at 7 PM at WakeMed Soccer Park.   New team President Curt Johnson and Head Coach Martin Rennie lead the 2011 Carolina RailHawks into their next match against heated rivals Montreal Impact this weekend, and then against league newcomer FC Edmonton next Wednesday, April 20th at 7 PM at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Purchase discounted tickets when ordering online using your special promo code: CASLWEB.  We can also offer you great group discounts by bringing your teammates, friends, and family members to a RailHawks match, starting with groups of only 10 or more people.  You can also  participate in one of our on field programs like the Fan Tunnel , Half-Time Games, Player Companions or even Ball Kids. 

The RailHawks are back, so order your tickets now!  Tickets start at just $8.  Call (919) 459-8144 or email tickets@CarolinaRailHawks.com for more information.  GET ON BOARD!

Monday, April 11, 2011

What went on this weekend?

An interesting weekend was had as the weather was unusual at best. I attended the Brittany Tournament in Wilson on Friday night. In the spring, the Brittany is for high school girls team (63 were there-playing 35 games) and in the fall, there is a boys high school tournament. All games are played at the beautiful Gillette complex in Wilson on Friday night and Saturday. The town of Wilson should be lauded for building this great six, soon to be eight, field soccer complex. Lights, seating, room to roam and park....they made a commitment and did it RIGHT. The folks of Wilson put on a great show with the Brittany. After every round of play, which consists of six games, the participants of all twelve teams gather for a ceremony. The referees pick a sportsmanship winner from each team. The teams get their seniors introduced and the team gets pizza to devour. Most schools also make a donation to the Brittany fund which provides scholarships for college to children (not just soccer players) in town. KUDOS to all involved! It should be an event that you should attend even if you don't have a child playing. The weather was starting to get bad....wind and rain during the last set of games on Friday night.
Saturday morning, it was up early for me to host the "Back of the Net" soccer show. Then off to the MADD Walk at NCSU's Centennial campus. I did the "jog" and had a good time but was wearing a hat and gloves on April 9th, due to the coolish temperatures. In attendance were the CASL Wildcats coached by Nicole Hutchinson. They raised over $10,000 for this great cause!
The weather kept things cool for CASL games on Saturday as the bad weather waited until later to rear its ugly head! That ugly head appeared a little after 7 pm at the same time as the Carolina Railhawks game. A little under 10 minutes into the game, the lightning and then the rain came. The field and stands were cleared and a rain delay of almost 2 hours commenced. The game resumed around 9 pm between the Railhawks and the Puerto Rico Islanders. These two teams played in last year's final series with the Islanders prevailing. PR went ahead in the 1st half but in the 86th minute, the Railhawks tied the game. Alas, in stoppage time, the Islanders put another one away and had a 2-1 victory. The second half was played in a driving rain and the players, coaches and the 400 fans that remained are to be commended!
Due to the rain on Saturday, some of Sunday's games were postponed. All games in the southern 1/2 of CASL's footprint had to be postponed due to the risk of injury due to standing water. We were able to open fields in the north which were wet but playable. This is the third full or partial rain out day that has occurred on Sundays this spring. CASL's scheduling staff will be hard at work trying to reschedule those contests.
The strange weather continues today as a high of 85 degrees is forecast but it doesn't feel like that this morning. I hope that all survived the weekend and I am looking for better weather this weekend, not just for CASL folks but fot the Railhawks as they have another home game this weekend!

Friday, April 8, 2011

What is on Back of the Net Tomorrow?

The "Back of the Net" Soccer radio hour is every Saturday from 7-8 am on 99.9 the Fan. I host the show and we talk about various aspects of the game.
Tomorrow, we will talk about the Carolina Railhawks with the voice of the Railhawks, Dean Linke and head coach Martin Rennie. The Railhawks open their season on Saturday night against the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Railhawks and Islanders played for the championship last year! The game is at 7 pm at WakeMed Stadium in Cary. There are still tickets available. Go to http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/.
We will also talk to Philip Thompson about "The Brittany" High School Girls tournament happening tonight and tomorrow in Wilson, NC at the Gillette Soccer Complex. 65 High School teams will play in the event this year. Philip is on "The Brittany" tournament committee.
Also, we will have our EUFA Champions League expert, Michael Milazzo talk about the games last Tuesday and Wednesday and the upcoming games on Tuesday and Wednesday this week in the quarterfinals. Do any of the teams that lost this week have a chance to win the home and home series. It will be interesting to get Michael's take on Chelsea's chances against Manchester United after losing 0-1 at home!
It will be a great weekend for soccer here in the Triangle!
Have Fun and Remember, it is Just a Game!
                                                                      Charlie Slagle

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Who is CASL's Director of Classic-Girls' Division, Sean Nahas?

Sean Nahas is the Director of the Girls' Classic program for CASL. He is also the coach of the Spartan Elite Black at the under 14 and 15 age brackets and the coach of the Under 18 Spartan Elite. Sean's Under 15 and Under 18 teams won the NCYSA State Cup in Wilson in Novemeber and both will be participating in the Region 3 Regionals this summer in TN.
Sean grew up in East Northport, NY and played soccer for the Northport Cow Harbor Soccer Club and Elwood John Glenn HS. He played soccer at Queens University in Charlotte and then graduated from Hofstra University. Sean's brother, Damon, also works for CASL and will be highlighted in a later blog!
Sean started in the soccer business by doing private instruction in NY. He has been with CASL for six years.
He is driven to stay in the soccer business by the slogan "Family, Pride, Passion and Purpose." Also, "the competition, the effect on young players' lives that we are so fortunate to have an impact on."
His most enjoyable parts about the game are, "the opportunity to work with some of the finest young soccer players and people that I have had the pleasure to be around in this game (family environment), and the ability to learn from young players day in and day out and know that each day as a coach I will get their full effort!"
Sean's most challenging parts of his job are, "meeting the expectations that I set for myself and wanting to meet the standards that the club has created based on years past and wanting to meet those expectations!"
The people and groups that have influenced him in his playing and his career in soccer are, "my brother Damon-having the opportunity to work next to him each day allows for me to keep setting my own bar higher and higher!" Daniel Trant-"a close friend who passed away in 9/11 who helped  give me my first insight into coaching." The 95 Spartan Elite Black-"a girls' team who helped me realize the adjustments one must make as a coach in order to get the right response from them." CASL staff- "providing me the opportunity to work at the club six years ago has helped me realize what it takes to work with the best soccer players in the area."
Sean Nahas has done a great job for CASL in his six years with the club. He has done an excellent job in his position of the Classic Director for the girls division. Sean sets the bar high for himself, for his teams and for the coaches in the girls' division. He does not waver from his ideals and works very hard to achieve his goals. His program's success was evident when CASL swept the four girls NCYSA State Championships in the Fall.
                                                                                         Charlie Slagle

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Who is CASL's Director of Classic-Boys' Division, John Bradford?

John Bradford is the Director of Classic for the Boys. He also runs CASL's Camps and Academies and coaches the U14 Chelsea Boys team, the U15 Boys Elite and is one of the staff coaches for the CASL Chelsea Development Academy.
John has been working for CASL since the spring of 2005. Before that, he worked for the Dallas Texans beginning in 2002. John played for Furman University after growing up in Winston-Salem and playing for both the W-S Twins and Greensboro. He also played at Mount Tabor High School. He credits his coaches along the way as the biggest influences on him on the field and in life. Those coaches were and are: Paul Dinkenor (yes the Leesville Road High School coach-this was back in their Winston-Salem days), Kareem Daser, John Hackworth (now asst. coach for the MLS Philadelphia Union), Jay Vidovich (Wake Forest Univ. coach), Rusty Scarborough (CASL Director of Coaching), Steve Allison (formerly of GYSA), Keith Donnelly (HS coach), Dewi Hardman (club coach and asst. at WFU), Jay Miller, Tom Durkin, Jay Hoffman (US National team coaches) and Doug Allison (Furman coach).
John loves the job because of being "part of different environments (trenches, success, etc.) with both players and staff!" The most challenging part of his job is "giving every area (each team, each player, each question, etc.) sufficient time." He stays in the soccer business "for the quality relationships with staff, players, other coaches, etc. and to see the development of individuals realized through dedication."
John and his wife, Jill (also a soccer-ite), have a son, Owen! According to John, Owen (who is 7 months and isn't walking as of yet, of course) has NO choice but to play this beautiful game and......according to John, "he better be good!" JOHN........we will see how that goes both for Owen and for you!!!
I have watched John develop as a coach and he has taken his great talent to play the game of soccer and translated it into becoming an excellent coach. I see John continuing to become an even better coach as he plies his trade!
                                                                                 Charlie Slagle

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

What Questions have I received about the Tryout Blog?

First and foremost, I encourage people to send me questions either through the blog or to my e-mail address, charlies@caslemail.com. If they come through the blog, I will identify the questioner (as will happen in this blog) and if they come through e-mail, I will ask if the questioner wants to be identified on my blog response. I will also try to answer the questioner with an e-mail response.
Yesterday, I wrote a blog about tryouts and 5% of my followers asked me some questions (that is 1 out of  my total of 20 followers). Ed Tennant had the following questions which are followed by my answers:
Can you explain a little more for Rec players trying out for challenge? The beauty of CASL is that there is a place for everyone. Not everyone can be a classic player or wants to be a classic player. Not everyone can be a challenge player or wants to be a challenge player. Challenge teams start at the Under 10 level. CASL allows rising under 9's and under 10's to tryout for the Under 10 age bracket. There are single year age brackets through Under 18 in challenge. Under 10 teams are formed from scratch and come from 1 of 4 geographic areas: Cary/Apex/Morrisville, Raleigh, Garner and Wake Forest. All other age brackets will have returning players and coaches will go to the tryouts to fill out their roster. Reurning players, that want to stay on their same team, do not attend tryouts. The tryout process results in a draft, by the age bracket coaches, from each area hoping to promote parity in the league. If there are no spots in your geographic area, then coaches can pick a player from another area if the player has listed that area as a second choice.
Should they first register for Rec? Yes, recreation players registering for challenge tryouts should register for recreation. If the player makes the challenge team, then the fee paid will be transferred over and help pay for the challenge fees. If the player doesn't make the challenge team or decides not to accept a challenge team offer, then the recreation spot has been reserved for them. If the player has listed that he/she wants to return to the same time, that will be assured.
Can registration wait until they know the tryout result? The player should register for recreation before the tryout as there is no negative to doing so (see answer to the previous question). Some challenge tryouts end before the Early Bird (guaranteed placement) deadline but the process would be tight to register after finding out that the player didn't make a challenge team or decided not to accept a challenge team offer. Therefore, I would advise registering for recreation prior to the tryout!
I want to thank Ed Tennant for his questions. Hopefully, I have answered his queries! I, once again, encourage any and all to ask questions of me at any time. An informed membership is CASL's goal!
                                                                 Charlie Slagle

Monday, April 4, 2011

What is the Scoop on CASL Tryouts?

Yes, yes, yes, tryouts are just around the corner and registration opens this week. Where do you find the information? How do you register? What are the dates? When is the registration deadline? I'll try to answer these questions on today's blog plus more!
The information on tryouts can be found the CASL home page (http://www.caslnc.com/). On the left tab, click on the tryout section. Then, depending on what level the player is trying out for, continue clicking to get that information.
One registers on-line by following the instructions on-line.
The dates are also on-line. Please note that the older HS girls age brackets (Rising U16-U18) begin their tryouts earlier than everyone else and earlier than usual. Their first tryout is on Sunday May 1st. Further tryout days are also on Sundays.
The registration deadline is May 10th except for the U16-U18 girls. Their deadline is April 26th due to their tryout beginning on May 1st(see above). If you miss the deadline, the only way you can register is at the field on the days of the tryout. Registration tables will open 45 minutes prior to the tryout commencing.
If you miss the deadline, the fee increases by $20 so it behooves you to register by May 10th (April 26th for the U16-18 girls). This may seem like a harsh penalty and that it is a money maker for the organization, HOWEVER, it is just the opposite. Registering on-line takes a great deal of human error out of the process(as long as parents input the correct information). Signing up on a tryout day can lead to things going amiss and making it easier for players to be overlooked or be in the wrong age bracket (usually for a day). CASL would absolutely love it if all signed up by the deadline. Then the registration process is seamless and the tryout sheets with names and numbers are ready to go! THEREFORE, please try to register on-time!
Tryouts are a hectic time for all involved. Parents are on edge as their child is being evaluated and all parents want their child to do well. Many players are on edge as they are trying out (some are more on edge due to the influence of their on edge parent(s)). Administrators are on edge as they want to make sure that all the walk-up registrants are in the proper tryout and that the coaches get the info about these walk up players. Coaches are on edge because in tryouts in a subjective sport such as soccer (in cross country, you ask competitors to run and rank them how they finish--there is no such possibility in soccer), productivity of a player can be hard to judge in a couple day tryout even for the most experienced coach.
MY ADVICE: Have the players ready to go with everything they need at tryouts. Parents should encourage the players to go out and play hard, have fun and to volunteer to perform in as many drills and playing opportunities as possible during the tryout. Try not to set expectations about what team the player should be on....just encourage the player to play as well as possible and let the chips land where they may.
Parents should let the process run its course. Trying to figure out what is in the mind of the coaches at tryouts is an inexact science, at best. Also, there is a thought out there that returning players have an advantage over new players due to the coach knowing the player. That is probably true with the hard working player (practice and games), the very solid citizen and/or a player that is very productive despite not being as talented. HOWEVER, players that do not work hard in practice, are not such a solid citizen and may be very talented (including in the tryout situation) but not as productive as witnessed in past experiences have a disadvantage at tryouts, due to the coaches knowing those things!
Have Fun and Remember it is Just a Tryout!
                                                                                      Charlie Slagle

Friday, April 1, 2011

What is on Back of the Net this Saturday?

Back of the Net is on Saturdays from 7-8 am on 99.9 the Fan! It is sponsored by Dunn Physical Therapy! Tomorrow's guests are: Michael Bradley from the USMNT. The National team had two friendlies last week. They tied Argentina 1-1 and lost to Paraguay 1-0. Next will be Martin Rennie, the coach of the Railhawks. They open their regular season next Saturday at home against the Puerto Rico Islanders.
Then Stephanie Bronson, a senior at Leesville Road HS and a NC State signee, will talk about the Leesville team and season. Then our National team expert, Bruce Murray will talk about the men's national team's most recent two games. Bruce was just informed that he is going into the US Soccer Hall of Fame through the veterans division. Other new Hall of Fame members are Earnie Stewart, NC's own Eddie Pope, Cobi Jones and coach Bob Gansler(Bob is entering the Hall through the Builders division).
If you are up early, tune in to 99.9 the Fan and listen to some "Soccer Talk!"
Supposed to be a gorgeous day tomorrow for soccer. The fields will still be a little moist but the temperature will be great. "Have Fun and Remember, it is Just a Game!"
                                                                                      Charlie Slagle