Soccer Articles - In the News

This is my attempt to provide links to current on-line articles of interest about soccer in general and specifically about Alabama Soccer and players with connections to Alabama. E-mail me at dsports@hiwaay.net with any articles you think should be listed here. Thanks. Ken

	Defending state soccer champions are all back in the 2003 Final Four to defend their titles Huntsville Times 5-5-2003
	The turf's up at Point Mallard - Laser-guided system is overhauling soccer fields By Paul Huggins DAILY Staff Writer phuggins@decaturdaily.com Yes. The grass is greener on the other side, but that's only because the other side doesn't have any grass -- yet. Barring excessive days of rain, however, the new $195,000 turf at Point Mallard's soccer complex will be complete and capable of sustaining a heaving pounding during the upcoming Spirit of America Festival. [ more ]
	No pain, no gain - Coaches, players battle adversity to take top soccer honors 5-29-2002 By JOHN FERRY Times Sports Staff jferry@htimes.com It would be fair to say that Grissom's Ryan Wall played in pain this past soccer season. A shoulder injury made it necessary for Wall to go through the season wearing a brace. He still had to deal with the shoulder popping out of place, and getting it back into place was highly uncomfortable. "He was maybe 80 percent all year," Grissom assistant coach Greg Arndt said. "He was a warrior." Wall still made his mark with a team that finished as runner-up in Class 6A. Playing attacking midfielder and, due to other team injuries, sweeper, Wall scored 13 goals and contributed 10 assists. For his efforts, Wall was named boys Most Valuable Player on The Huntsville Times' Super All-Metro soccer team. Receiving the award for the girls was another Grissom athlete, Jenny Zarzour. Coaches of the Year are Gene Preston of the Grissom girls and Mo Khodabandeh of the Bob Jones Boys. [ more ]
	Denise Peters Earns C-USA Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year CHICAGO, Ill. - UAB's Denise Peters has been named the Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Women's Soccer, as announced by the league office Tuesday.
	Little things mean a lot on championship Saturday
	Randolph claims third straight 1A-4A title by beating Altamont
	Grissom stunned in 2 OTs
	Huntsville lives up to billing
	Six-man rule bitter medicine for Huntsville High's Sikes - The six-man rule that allows just six players from a single club team to play at the same time for a high school team was a hot topic at John Hunt Park.
	Randolph claims third straight 1A-4A title by beating Altamont - The Randolph boys soccer team swarmed onto the field at John Hunt Park Saturday morning with the final horn still echoing in the distance.
	Grissom stunned in 2 OTs - The Grissom Tigers received a nice trophy, but it'll probably be months before anybody bothers to put it on a shelf somewhere at the school for public viewing.
	Huntsville lives up to billing - The Huntsville girls wanted to win the state title in regulation, but they were ready when Saturday's final against Central-Tuscaloosa came down to a shootout.
	Close really does count - Old archrivals Huntsville and Grissom, nothing settled after two overtimes, went to a shootout Friday to decide which team would advance to the girls soccer Class 6A state championship game.
	Fort Payne girls get best of Gadsden - It took Fort Payne's girls a while before they took care of business Friday against Gadsden.
	Grissom slips past Bob Jones - When it really mattered, when so much was on the line, the Grissom boys soccer team had just too much for Bob Jones on Friday night.
	McGill-Toolen makes most of semis - McGill-Toolen's first game of the season was against Daphne, and it came away with a 5-4 win.
	Randolph is no stick in the mud - Randolph's march toward its third straight Class 1A-4A state title turned pretty soggy Friday afternoon, but the Raiders had little trouble with Mars Hill Bible in a semifinal game at John Hunt Park.
	Cullman gives Bradshaw boys the slip - Sophomore Joseph Fisher's unassisted goal from about 25 yards with 34:37 remaining gave Cullman a 2-1 win over Bradshaw in one of the Class 5A boys semifinals Friday at John Hunt Park.
	State soccer
	Come join the club - Ashley Welch couldn't stand it. Nor could she take it sitting down.
	Randolph boys keep rebuilding, returning to state - Randolph boys soccer coach Richard Todd was determined his team wouldn't succumb to its toughest foe this year - complacency.
	Soccer playoff previews
	Men's Teams Benched as Colleges Level the Field - New York Times article on the history and impact of Title IX. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/09/sports/othersports/09COLL.html
	German legend Jurgen Klinsmann believes the U.S. will make the second round of the World Cup finals, and claims the sport is booming in America.
	Mathis Scores Again as U.S. Takes Down Mexico, 1-0
	Woodard honored as national youth soccer coach Dan Mikos has been president of Alabama Youth Soccer Association for eight years. During his tenure, certainly little could have topped the experience a few weeks ago of giving the acceptance speech when Ray Woodard was named U.S. Youth Soccer's national boys coach of the year. "He had an aneurysm four years ago and is still recovering," Mikos said. "He's got his speech back to some degree but it's not back all the way."
	U.S. Soccer and AEG break ground on national training center and soccer specific stadium in Los Angeles
	Grissom's Zarzour makes papa proud - Charlie Zarzour was smiling recently in the senior lunchroom at Grissom High School. He had a good reason. Zarzour's daughter Jenny, appearing before her fellow students, signed a soccer scholarship with Auburn University. It was just a few years ago that her sister Kim did the same with the University of Alabama.
	College Soccer Women's All-American Team - Cat Reddick makes first team.
	COACHING & SPORTS - In recognition of "National Girls' and Women in Sports Day," Section Editor Bob McGowan examines changes in female sport participation. * The report "Physical Activity & Sport in the Lives of Girls: Physical & Mental Health Dimensions from an Interdisciplinary Approach" * "Empowering Women in Sports" article by the Feminist Majority Foundation. * "Throw Like a Girl" is a story about what it has been like for girls and women to play sports as told through the eyes of different generations. * Menstrual cycles appear to have little or no negative impact on women's athletic performance. * "You observe a lot just by watching" Yogi Berra (and more quotes!) http://www.pelinks4u.org/sections/coaching/coaching.htm
	Catherine Reddick's Charleston diary
	Referee Resigns After Deliberately Scoring A Goal - An FA approved referee who deliberately scored a goal for a team who were being thrashed has resigned from the officials list after being suspended by the FA.
	Soccer Dictionary Added - Soccer Terms
	Lawmakers crack down on violent fans MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Legislature is ready to toughen the punishment on angry sports fans who attack game officials and coaches at any level of competition.
	Heels rise above IU (Bloomington Herald-Times, Dec. 17)
	Reddick in the right place at the right time By Jennifer Pfluke
	ROBOTS LEARN SOCCER (AND THE GAME OF LIFE)
	Concerns About Heading Sets Off Spirited Debate
	A Simplified Laws of the Game for Spectators: I have posted a simplified version of the Laws of the Game provided by Bob Christensen of the Mandan Soccer Club which are a good prep course for newcomers, players and spectators.
	HARD-DRIVING AKERS GIVES IN TO RETIREMENT
	Glick lost his life, but won his final bout
	PROTECTING THE KNEES OF ATHLETIC GIRLS LONG BEFORE THE WHISTLE BLOWS By Linda Villarosa (NY Times)
	Article on the Atlanta Cup Soccer Tournament - Families from across the country converge on metro Atlanta as 634 youth soccer teams compete in the rain for the . . . LOVE OF THE GAME
	Heading Techniques
	Coaches face stiff rules for bad conduct
	Soccer players score most ejections -
	Home Sweet Home - Memphis area soccer teams have new home
	No room at AUM this year, so soccer stars get the boot -
	New recreation center plans: Decatur 7/16/2001 - The layout for the new recreation center includes more soccer fields and one less baseball field than originally planned. This is in response to the growing interest in soccer in Decatur. It also includes walking tracks, two more tennis courts than originally planned, picnic areas and mountain bike trails.
	Speak Up - A soccer story...
	Training Tips - Exercises to improve heading ability
	Coach's Corner - Meeting with the Parents
	Parent's Focus - Why sport exercise can improve your child's health
	Health Tips - For the players - How to have fun playing sports
	Administrators - The Bi-Weekly Bounce
	Collect bonus points when you stay at Holiday Inn!
	Wasted talent: Youth star burn-out reaches dizzying heights. By Paul Gardner - Paul looks at exploited youth and how it's effecting the game.
	Forum unveils plans for rec center layout - Decatur Daily 6/15/2001
	City Council kicks in $180,000 for 15 Mallard soccer fields - Decatur Daily 6/5/2001
	City to turn Merrimack Park into a 10-field soccer complex - Huntsville Times 7/6/2000