NASL  NEWSLETTER

August 5th, 2003
 
       This is the 54th issue distributed to the new NASL list. The previous newsletters are now on-line at http://www.nasl.com/current_news.htm 

 
Articles in this week's newsletter:
  1. Upcoming Soccer Calendar - lots of new dates added.
  2. Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)
  3. Fall 2003 Referee Pay Rates
  4. Free Help for Coaches at NASL
  5. USSF Grade 8 Referee's Course for Beginning Refs
  6. Alabama Shoot-Out Women's Soccer Showcase - August 22-23, 2003 in Huntsville - http://alabamasoccer.info/ 
  7. Huntsville Summer Classic - August 22-23, 2003 in Huntsville
  8. How to Remove Your Name From this E-mail List.
 
Soccer Calendar - Dates to Remember
 
  • Early Check-In for the Division I Qualifying Tournament will be held at Sports Blast. http://www.alabamayouthsoccer.org/ 
    Wednesday, August 6th from 6pm - 9pm and
    Thursday, August 7th from 11:30am to 2pm
     
  • Division I Qualifying Tournament - Montgomery - August 8th - 10th, 2003 August 8/9 Qualifier for U13, 14, 15 and August 9/10 for U16, 17, 18, 19th. All teams wishing to play Division I must participate in the Qualifying Tournament except for Region III teams. All teams will play 2 days in a row with U13-U15 playing on Friday night and Saturday morning and U16 and up on Saturday night and Sunday morning. U13-U15 will play 1 game on Friday evening and 3 games on Saturday U16 and up will play 2 games Saturday afternoon and 2 games on Sunday All teams will play 4 games. All games will 40 minutes - Scoring - 6 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 1 point per goal - max 3, 1 point for a shot out. Any team reaching 24 points will automatically qualify for Division I. Any team not reaching 24 points will be considered for DI based on evaluations and LOC review.
    League Placement will be based on:
    · Points earned through qualifying tournament performance
    · Written evaluation/justification from LOC and staff
    Teams must enter within their age bracket. Except for U12 teams trying to qualify DI. Adjustments will be made by LOC following the qualifier if warranted. Game assignments will be adjusted throughout the tournament to optimize evaluations.
     
  • UAB To Host Soccer Festival - One day event is free for ages 6-18
    The University of Alabama at Birmingham's soccer teams will be hosting the UAB Soccer Festival on Saturday, August 9, from 2-4 p.m. The event will take place on UAB's West Campus Field on the corner of 9th Ave. South and 11th St. South and is free for all kids ages 6-18. There is no registration for any of the participants. The Festival will include an instructional clinic with UAB players and coaches as well as each participant receiving a free UAB soccer ball.  If more information is needed, please call the UAB soccer office at 205-975-7552.
     http://uabsports.ocsn.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/072403aaa.html
     
  • NSCAA National Youth Coaching Course - Knoxville, Tennessee, August 8th - 10th - more information http://www.nscaa.com/scripts/runisa.dll?m2:gp::14028+article+53472
     
  • AYSA will post brackets for Division I teams - August 11, 2003.
     http://www.alabamayouthsoccer.org/  Bracket Acceptance for Division I teams - Response required by August 13, 2003.
  • Referee Course for Beginning Referees - August 15-17, 2003, NASOA will sponsor a USSF Grade 8 course in Huntsville at the Police Academy on Airport Road. (information)  http://www.nasl.com/refereeinfo.htm
    USSF referee grade 8 course participants are reminded that, due to space limitations, priority will be given to those that have either, in order, 1) electronically signed up for the course or 2) signed up at Pete's Soccer shop. To keep from being turned away at the door, please send name, age, local address and any phone number(s) or e-mail address(es) that you use to the e-mail address listed below.
    Mike Costello - President, NASOA
     Mike.Costello@Knology.net
     
  • AYSA - Registration material and fees are due in the AYSA office by August 15th, 2003 and must include the following:
    · Organization Affiliation Form and fee along with current copy of by-laws, constitution, rules and list of officers.
    · Submission of Registration form and fees
    · Player Scholarship Form
    Player/Coach cards for Division III will be issued to the club once forms and fees are received. 
     
  • ASA State League Fall Scheduling Meeting - August 16th, 2003
     http://www.alabamayouthsoccer.org/
     
  • NASL U9 & U10 Scheduling Meeting - August 18th - It is very important that teams be fully aware of their no-play dates prior to attending their scheduling meeting. This meeting time and place will be announced – It probably will be 6pm at Brahan Springs Rec Center. 
     
  • NASL U11 & Older Scheduling Meeting - August 19th - It is very important that teams be fully aware of their no-play dates prior to attending their scheduling meeting. This meeting time and place will be announced – It probably will be 6pm at Brahan Springs Rec Center.  
     
  • NASL Annual General Membership Meeting (AGM) will be held in conjunction with the August 19th scheduling meeting.  Election of NASL Board members and Officers will also be conducted
              If you know anyone who is interested in being an NASL Board member or officer please have them contact one of the nominating committee:
    Craig Hardwick     AL1BEST@KNOLOGY.NET
    Irene Wisner     IWISNER@KNOLOGY.NET
    Christy Clark     CLARKHSE@YAHOO.COM
         The NASL Board of Directors is the lifeblood of soccer in North Alabama.  The league and its leadership is one of the reasons that North Alabama leads Alabama in competitive soccer growth.  Please consider volunteering for a position.  There are plenty of available positions (two are currently vacant) for each and every club to be represented.  As the saying goes "If you're not willing to get involved you have no right to complain."  Board positions are listed at     http://www.nasl.com/board.htm  The deadline to apply for a position is August 12th.  Please do not wait too late! 
          A reminder to the U9/U10 coaches, managers and parents – You can only vote at the August 19th meeting so you will need to have a representative(s) show up at both August 18th and 19th meetings.
     
  • NASL E-Mail List
    I had some complaints recently from managers who didn’t find out about the training meeting until too late.  If you feel like you're out of the loop or don't find out about events until too late try subscribing to the NASL e-mail list. It's by far the easiest way to stay on top of soccer in Alabama.  Click here to subscribe.
     http://www.nasl.com/Email.htm
           You may sign up for the NASL e-mail list and also provide changes (including removing your name from the list) to your current e-mail address and phone numbers by using this form at  http://www.nasl.com/Email.htm This is our means of keeping the local soccer community up-to-date on events and items of interest.  If you have something to contribute please e-mail me at dsports@hiwaay.net
    All of the above information and more is on-line at     http://www.nasl.com
    Thanks for being involved in soccer in Alabama.     

    Ken Gamble - NASL Secretary
    "Next Goal Wins!"
     

 

   More information on all events below is available at the NASL website.
 

Everybody's Free
(to wear sunscreen)
by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

 
Fall 2003 Referee Pay Rates


         The new pay rates for referees for the upcoming fall season is now posted on-line at http://www.nasl.com/ref/referee_rates.htm
         To download a copy (Excel spreadsheet) for all age groups and Division I, II, III, NASL and HASL games go to http://www.nasl.com/ref/2003fall_rates.xls

 
Free Help for Coaches

      Since January I have been moving thousands of drills, tips, articles and exercises from my old website at DecaturSports.com to the NASL website in an effort to make the NASL website the largest repository of help for soccer coaches on the internet.  The DecaturSports.com website was one of only two website recommended by NSCAA for youth coaches at their annual convention. Since the DecaturSports.com website covered many sports I felt it was important to place this wealth of soccer material on the NASL website which is soccer only.
      There are articles on virtually every topic that ever interested soccer coaches and for coaches from newly drafted dads and moms to USSF "A" Licensed coaches.  Recently added were on-line videos of all the Coerver moves and the Gary Rue's Exercises of the Day.  This is a year long project for me and I still have many, many  more to post so let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see and I'll get it posted first.
      Stop by http://www.nasl.com/drills.htm and look around and I think you will agree that it is the finest selection of soccer coaching material on the internet.  Ken dsports@hiwaay.net  
USSF Grade 8 Referee's Course for Beginning Refs

    On August 15-17, 2003, NASOA will sponsor a USSF Grade 8 course in Huntsville at the Police Academy on Airport Road.

     Start/end times for the instruction are as follows...
        8/15 (Fri) - 6:00 to 10:00
        8/16 (Sat) - 8:00 to 5:00 (1 hr break for lunch)
        8/17 (Sun) - 1:00 to 5:00

     Successful completion of the course will allow the participant to referee any sanctioned USSF match, subject to ability/experience.
     Cost for the course is $60 to USSF and $30 to NASOA (2 separate payments). NASOA waives the $30 fee for any participant under 18 years of age.
     Questions can be directed to Mike Costello at either 882.0821 (don't leave message with kids!!!) or via e-mail Mike.Costello@Knology.net .
     To enroll in the course, please send an e-mail to the address listed above. Will need at least 12 participants to conduct the course.   There's also a chance that the instructors will have enough time to conduct a USSF re-certification that weekend, too. Will let you know when/if the decision is made to add this instruction.
 
PRESENTS

ALABAMA SHOOTOUT
WOMEN’S SOCCER SHOWCASE
AUGUST 22-23, 2003
 http://alabamasoccer.info/

John Hunt Soccer Complex, Huntsville, Alabama

 

Ticket Information:

Adults: Weekend pass $TBA, Day pass $TBA

Students: Weekend $TBA, Day $TBA

There are no single match tickets

All tickets are available through ticketmaster 1-800-277-1700

or at the gate

 

College teams participating:

University of Alabama, University of Tennessee, Birmingham-Southern College, University of Southern Mississippi, Samford University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Louisville

 

 August 22, 6:00 pm:  Teams TBA

                  8:00 pm:  Teams TBA

 

 August 23, 4:00 pm:  Teams TBA

                  6:00 pm:  Teams TBA

                  8:00 pm:  Teams TBA

 

For sponsorship information, contact:

Huntsville Soccer Club

Phone: 256-880-0214 or E-Mail: hsc@huntsvillesoccerclub.org

 
 

HUNTSVILLE SOCCER CLUB
PRESENTS
AUGUST 22-23, 2003
 HUNTSVILLE SUMMER CLASSIC
GIRLS TEAMS U9 – U18

The second annual Huntsville Summer Classic will be held August 23-24, 2003, in Huntsville, Alabama. This youth tournament accepts girls youth teams ages U9 through U19. It is held the same weekend as the Alabama Shootout Women's College Soccer Showcase. For more information on the Women's College Showcase, visit AlabamaSoccer.info. Tournament matches end in time on Saturday to see the women's college matches, and team registration includes tickets to all college matches, Friday and Saturday. In addition, the tournament committee has invited all regional college coaches to attend the tournament. To see the list, click here. This weekend will be an excellent opportunity for U16, U17, U18 and U19 players to see some great college soccer, and to be seen by regional college coaches.

If you have questions or need more information, please call us at (256) 880-0214, or e-mail us at: tournament@huntsvillsoccerclub.org

USYSA Sanctioned Tournament
Contact: Bryan Layton
256-730-3069 work or 256-880-0214 home
bryanklayton@aol.com 
11014 Charring Court, Huntsville AL 35803
U9-U18 Boys & Girls *U9 & U10 II will play 8v8

E-mail: tournament@huntsvillesoccerclub.org
Website: www.huntsvillesoccerclub.org

 

NASL NEWSLETTER:

       You may sign up for the NASL e-mail list and also provide changes (including removing your name from the list) to your current e-mail address and phone numbers by using this form at  http://www.nasl.com/Email.htm This is our means of keeping the local soccer community up-to-date on events and items of interest.  If you have something to contribute please e-mail me at dsports@hiwaay.net
All of the above information and more is on-line at http://www.nasl.com

Thanks for being involved in soccer in Alabama. 

Ken Gamble - NASL Secretary
"Next Goal Wins!"

 

REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS


     This low-tech emailing list is maintained for the benefit of coaches, referees, and parents involved in youth soccer in Alabama. List maintenance is semi-automatic. If you are no longer in Alabama or wish to be removed from this list for any reason, simply send an e-mail to dsports@hiwaay.net with "Delete", "Remove", "Exclude", "Unsubscribe", "Stop!", No More!, "Cease and Desist!", or something similar in the subject line. Regional dialects, colloquialisms, and various misspellings (e.g., Cut it out!, Delist, Unlist, Disenfranchise, Quit me, Unsuscribe [sic], Unsuscripe [sic], Describe, and Unscribe) are understood.
     "Drop Dead, Pond Scum" works also, although emails with profanity (e.g, Go to He!!) will be filtered out and automatically discarded so that the youth players who volunteer in the NASL office won't see them. Other requests, particularly those that include the word me (e.g., Drop me, Terminate me, Cut me or worse, Cut me off, Take me off, Purge me, Reject me, Take me down, Expunge me, Take me out, and Kill me) are cause for concern but are generally implemented figuratively rather than literally.
     Tense, gender, and grammar (e.g., Please removed us/we/him/her.) are irrelevant. Some requests (e.g., Enscribe and Obscribe) confuse us and may result in additional contact. Manners (e.g., Please, Sorry, and Thank you, anyway.) are optional.
     Explanations (e.g., I visited Huntsville once on the way to the Calaveras Frog Jumping Contest and loved looking at the space museum, but I have never lived in Northern Alabama.) are always interesting and are appreciated.
     Sporting metaphors (e.g., I don't want to play on your team.) help soften the blow. Denials (e.g., There is no one here who plays soccer. or We hate that game.) mean we entered someone's email address incorrectly. We're used to but politely disagree with gender stereotyping (e.g, Real men play pointy football. and Soccer is a man's game, not a game for skirts). Questions (e.g., How did you get my email address?) generally can't be answered because nobody in the NASL office knows the answers to them.
     Your email address and all other alias email addresses that you include in the body of your request will automatically be added to NASL's Exclude List. This will permanently stop delivery of all types of future NASL announcements, including those for upcoming tryouts, coaching/refereeing courses, refereeing opportunities for league and tournament games, and birthday parties. You can also quit yourself from NASL's e-mail page at http://www.nasl.com/Email.htm

 

NOTE: The wonderful removal instructions listed above were adapted with permission from Michael Lindeburg at San Andreas Youth Soccer Organization, http://www.sayso.org