NASL  NEWSLETTER

February 20, 2004

1. Upcoming Soccer Calendar - new dates added.
2. US v Brazil women at Legion Field - April 24th
3. The Flippin' Soccer Guide
4. The Second Annual Sparkman JV Shootout Soccer Tournament
5. Important Dates for 2004 High School Soccer Season
6. WUSA Ramping Up for 2004 and Beyond
7. Repeal the 6 Man Rule (High School Soccer)
8. U.S. Women to Face Brazil in First Domestic Match of 2004 on April 24 in Birmingham
9. Foul play in Goa goal frenzy
10. “KEEP THE WUSA DREAM ALIVE” Multi-Year Ticket Initiative is Unveiled
11. The FA Learning News
12. New Coaching articles
13. Alabama Power Rankings - Top Ten High School Soccer Rankings
14. MLS Chicago Fire Builds New Soccer Stadium
15. Alabama State Coaching Courses - Spring 2004 Schedule
16. Charlie Zarzour NASL Scholarships
17. USA Women in Costa Rica
18. Southern Soccer Scene
19. Free Help for Coaches at NASL
20. How to Remove Your Name From this E-mail List.

     The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will play its first domestic match of 2004 against Brazil on Saturday, April 24, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game kicks off at 12 Noon CT. U.S. fans will get their first look at the core of players who will participate in the 2004 Olympics, should the USA qualify in Costa Rica later this month.
      Advance tickets ranging in price levels from $18 $27 & $50 are on sale NOW thru the Alabama Soccer Association (205) 991-9779. You can purchase tickets by phone and use your credit card or download an order form from www.alabamayouthsoccer.org and mail with check to the Alabama Soccer Association, 19220 Highway 280 W, Birmingham, AL 35242.
     The match at the historic stadium will be the second trip in as many years to Birmingham, home of U.S. defender Cat Reddick. The USA trounced England, 6-0, at a steamy, hot Legion Field in May of 2003 as Memphis, Tennessee, product Cindy Parlow scored four times. Reddick played 90 minutes in that match in her first appearance for the national team in the city where she was a high-school All-American at Briarwood Christian School and two-time Alabama Girl’s Soccer Player of the Year.
     Now, Reddick will play in Birmingham after starring in the 2003 Women’s World Cup and winning the MAC Hermann Award for 2003, the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for college soccer, as a senior last fall at University of North Carolina, where she returned after the Women’s World Cup to lead the Tar Heels to a 27-0-0 record and the NCAA title.
      “Anytime I get to play in Alabama, it’s super special,” said Reddick, who is the only player raised in Alabama to earn a cap for the U.S. Women’s National Team. “Last time we played in Birmingham, my teammates felt the warmth of not only the weather, but also of the great fans, and I know that with the Olympics coming up, the Birmingham community will come out in full force to support the USA.”
     “Brazil always offers an opportunity to play one of the top four or five teams in the world,” said U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach April Heinrichs. “Both teams go after an attacking type of game and that should make for an exciting game. The fans in Alabama were very supportive the last time we played there and although the game is early on our schedule of friendly matches, it could be one the best of 2004.”
     Brazil has participated in all four Women’s World Cup, as well as the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, and had advanced to the semifinals of three consecutive world championships, falling to the USA in the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the 2000 Olympics, before being knocked out in the quarters at the 2003 Women’s World Cup.
     The match at Legion Field will also be a homecoming of sorts for Hamm, who delighted the Alabama fans last year by scoring the first goal of the game against England. Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama, where her father was stationed in the Air Force, before moving on to various stops in her youth career that led to her being the youngest player ever to appear for the U.S. Women’s National Team at the age of 15. She has scored a world record 144 career international goals since debuting for the USA in 1987.
    Legion Field, one of the most famous college football stadiums of the South, actually has a short, but sterling soccer tradition, having hosted soccer games at the 1996 Olympics as well as two U.S. Men’s National Team games that drew over 21,000 fans to each match. The Alabama Sports Foundation, who once again will serve as local organizer for U.S. Soccer, has been responsible for actively pursuing these events and bringing them to Birmingham.
    “I went to a bunch of games at the 1996 Olympics and the atmosphere awesome,” said Reddick. “At that time I dreamed of playing on that field so to get the chance to play my second game at such a famous stadium really is a dream come true. It’ll be so much fun playing in front of my family and friends and I know my teammates are looking forward to some more BBQ and sweat tea.”
    The match in Birmingham will be the first of six likely domestic matches for the U.S. Women’s National Team over April, May, June and July before the 2004 Olympics in Greece, which begin in early August.
 

---

Once again, Birmingham will serve as a jumping off point on the way to the Summer Olympics.

The U. S. women's Olympic soccer team will play April 24 at Legion Field in an exhibition against Brazil, Alabama Sports Foundation Executive Director Gene Hallman said Thursday.

The U. S. roster includes Selma-born Mia Hamm and Cat Reddick, a Briarwood Christian alumna. Other U. S. athletes scheduled for Birmingham include goalie Briana Scurry, defenders Joy Fawcett and Heather Mitts, midfielder Julie Foudy and forward Cindy Parlow.

ESPN2 will televise the game live at 2 p. m.

"This will be their final pre-Olympic match in the United States leading up to the Athens games," said Hallman, whose foundation will host its second Olympic-related event this year.

The U. S. Olympic men's marathon trial was held in downtown Birmingham one week ago. That event produced three qualifiers for the 2004 Summer Games.

The U. S. women's soccer team will try to reclaim Olympic gold in Athens while trying to shrug off a disappointing third-place finish last fall in the World Cup.

Coach April Heinrichs' squad, which was selected earlier this week, will be familiar to the Birmingham market. U. S. national teams composed of many of the same players have played at Legion Field each of the past two years after Birmingham played a role in hosting the soccer competition during the 1996 Olympics.

The Saturday date, which was made final on Thursday, was one of two the Alabama Sports Foundation could choose from but the only one for which the Brazilian national team was available. The other date conflicted with Mother's Day.

"Brazil and soccer are synonymous," Hallman said. "To have Brazil here is spectacular. We had the Brazilian women here in '96 and the support was tremendous.

"We expect this friendly (exhibition) to draw a strong regional crowd, and local support, which has always been great, should be exceptional because of Cat Reddick's return to Birmingham and what could potentially be Mia Hamm's farewell event. This is likely the last opportunity to see her in Birmingham."

Hamm has said she will retire from competitive soccer after the Olympics.

The U. S. women's team plays three Olympic qualifying matches between Feb. 25 and Feb. 29. It is a heavy favorite to advance, unlike the U. S. men's team, which has already failed to qualify for the Olympics.

The U. S. women defeated Brazil 1-0 in the 2000 Olympic semifinals on Hamm's goal in the 60th minute in front of a disappointing crowd of just
11,000 in Australia. In the gold-medal game, Norway stunned the Americans 3-2, handing the United States its first Olympic loss.

The Athens Olympics begin Aug. 13.

Tickets for the event go on sale today and are available at TicketMaster at
715-6000 in Birmingham or 800-277-1700 toll free. Prices range from $50 for midline seats to $27 for sideline and $18 for endline. Day-of-game tickets will cost an additional $5 and will be available at the Legion Field box office.

http://www.brunoeventteam.com/news/pr02162004_soccer.htm

      Flippin' Books has recently released an exciting new book called "The Flippin' Soccer Guide". Take a look at the company's website at www.flippinbooks.com  I think you will agree it's truly something to get excited about, definitely not your run-of-the-mill Soccer rule book!
      The focus of The Flippin' Soccer Guide is new coaches, 6 to 14 year old players, soccer parents, and anyone else interested in getting more out of the game.  It can be purchased in bulk by leagues and clubs and is perfectly suitable as a very applicable fund-raiser (as opposed to the usual fundraisers like candy, advertisements, etc.). 
       "The Flippin' Soccer Guide" is a concise pocket size book (which can be carried to games) that demystifies the laws of soccer by using simple language and detailed color graphics. The pages are tabbed which allows for easy and quick access to any particular soccer rule in the book.
       If you are looking for answers to complicated questions about the "Laws of the Game" or soccer tactics this is not the book for you.  But the target audience of this book is neophyte coaches and parents who didn't grow up playing soccer. They've done an excellent job of simplifying soccer so that even grandparents can understand what's going on.  Take a look at the sample pages from the book and I think you'll like what you see. http://www.flippinbooks.com/sample_pages.htm
        If you want to know more contact Terry H. Williams at Flippin' Books LLC, (636) 456-6224 www.flippinbooks.com

The Second Annual Sparkman JV Shootout will be held the weekend of April 2-3, 2004. This JV tournament is open to boys and girls teams. You can use the link to our website for registration info. http://www.senatorsoccer.com
 
Contact Michael Pettey, Varsity Boys Coach
Sparkman High School Senators, 837-3628W or 679-3948C
coachpettey@yahoo.com
http://www.senatorsoccer.com

Varsity Soccer

• First Practice with a ball - January 19th, 2004
• First Contest - February 9th, 2004
• End of Season - May 8th, 2004
• Contests Allowed - 20 - Includes only regular season contests per school.
• Tournaments Allowed - 2

Jr. High/Middle School Soccer

• First Practice with a ball - January 19th, 2004
• First Contest - February 9th, 2004
• End of Season - April 24th, 2004
• Contests Allowed - 14 - Includes only regular season contests per school.
• Tournaments Allowed - 2

Note: A team's season begins the day of its first contest and ends when the team is eliminated in the state championship program. Other than the two allowable tournaments, a third tournament with no loss of school time may be scheduled with each game played counting as a regular season game.

Dates for state playoffs in all divisions are as follows:

• AHSAA High School Soccer Sections must determine which schools are soccer section winners and runners-up prior to April 22nd, 2004.
• AHSAA High School Soccer - First Sub-State Round of Playoffs is April 27th, 2004
• AHSAA High School Soccer - Second Sub-State Round of Playoffs is May 1st, 2004.
• AHSAA Soccer Championship - May 7th and 8th, 2004 - John Hunt Soccer Complex in Huntsville, AL

Copy of the AHSAA Spring 2004 Soccer Book is available here!
 

From www.wusa.com:

(January 22, 2004) -- The world’s best women’s soccer players will return in
2004 with the WUSA Soccer Festivals that will take place this summer. During
meetings held in December, League officials formulated a plan to host a series
of WUSA matches and events to serve as a bridge for the league as it prepares to
return with a full operation in 2005. While the venues and specific dates are
not yet set, the WUSA Soccer Festivals will take place in June of 2004, bringing
fans a weekend of soccer-related events.

"The WUSA Soccer Festivals will allow our players to connect with the great
supporters of the league while providing an opportunity for the fans to once
again show their support of the greatest women's league in the world,” said Joe
Cummings, former Boston Breakers General Manager and chairperson of the WUSA’s
Re-launch Committee. “Having a presence in 2004 is important to our league,
providing the sport with continuity as we plan for our 2005 season,"

Although the locations of the WUSA Soccer Festivals are not yet finalized, more
than a dozen communities have expressed interest, including the eight WUSA
cities and other markets. League officials are currently in discussions with
many entities that are reviewing proposals to host the WUSA Soccer Festivals.
The timing of these Festivals in June also will serve as additional training for
the national team players – Americans and internationals -- that are expected to
compete in the Athens Summer Olympic Games.

To read the rest of this article go to http://www.wusa.com

REPEAL THE 6-MAN RULE
   Concerned Parents and Players:
       Those of you who have been keeping up with the efforts to repeal the AHSAA 50% Participation Rule (aka 6 Man Rule to soccer) know that the repeal will be voted on by the principals now. The efforts to get the proposal on the agenda were successful and the proposals have been sent out to each of the high schools. The items we are interested in are Proposals #8 and #9. Ask your high school principal to vote FOR Proposals #8 and #9. It is very important that the principals hear from as many of you in their local community as possible.
        The local principals are more likely to trust the opinions of local parents and coaches much more than they might AYSA or NASL or any outside organization that they feel has a vested interest in boosting club soccer participation. Get your booster club involved and make those phone calls. Get the Volleyball parents involved as well - this affects them at least as much as it does soccer. This is the best chance we may have of repealing the rule without a lawsuit.

• Complete information on the rule and the effort to have it repealed is available here.
• A Complete explanation of the 6 Man Rule and the effect it has on soccer in Alabama.
• 6 Player Rule Repeal (Word Version)
• 6 Player Rule Repeal (rtf version)

2/13/04 10:00 AM


CHICAGO (Friday, February 13, 2004) — The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will play its first domestic match of 2004 against Brazil on Saturday, April 24, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game kicks off at 12 Noon CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 as U.S. fans will get their first look at the core of players who will participate in the 2004 Olympics, should the USA qualify in Costa Rica later this month. The U.S. team leaves today to participate in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament from February 25-March 5 in San Jose and Heredia, Costa Rica.

Advance tickets ranging in price levels from $18 to $50 go on sale starting today at 10 a.m. CT all Ticketmaster outlets throughout Alabama (including Publix, Coconuts and Wherehouse Music), by phone at 1-800-277-1700, and on-line at ussoccer.com. Groups of 20 or more can order through the Alabama Sports Foundation at 205-967-4745 [Please click here for complete ticket information].

The match at the historic stadium will be the second trip in as many years to Birmingham, home of U.S. defender Cat Reddick. The USA trounced England, 6-0, at a steamy, hot Legion Field in May of 2003 as Memphis, Tennessee, product Cindy Parlow scored four times. Reddick played 90 minutes in that match in her first appearance for the national team in the city where she was a high-school All-American at Briarwood Christian School and two-time Alabama Girl’s Soccer Player of the Year.

Now, Reddick will play in Birmingham after starring in the 2003 Women’s World Cup and winning the MAC Hermann Award for 2003, the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for college soccer, as a senior last fall at University of North Carolina, where she returned after the Women’s World Cup to lead the Tar Heels to a 27-0-0 record and the NCAA title.

“Anytime I get to play in Alabama, it’s super special,” said Reddick, who is the only player raised in Alabama to earn a cap for the U.S. Women’s National Team. “Last time we played in Birmingham, my teammates felt the warmth of not only the weather, but also of the great fans, and I know that with the Olympics coming up, the Birmingham community will come out in full force to support the USA.”

The match against Brazil will be the first against the perennial South American champions since a narrow 1-0 victory on July 13, 2003, in New Orleans, Louisiana. While Brazil has been one of the success stories of women’s international soccer over the past decade, the USA has found great success against the “Samba Queens.” The Americans are 15-1-2 against Brazil all-time, including two victories in Women’s World Cup matches and one in the semifinal of the Olympics.

Brazil had the youngest team at the 2003 Women’s World Cup with an average age of 22. The team was made up primarily of the core of players who advanced to the semifinals of the 2002 FIFA Under-19 Women’s World Championship, where they fell to host Canada, but easily could have made the championship game. Brazil put together an entertaining run at the 2003 Women’s World Cup, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Sweden, 2-1, but only due to a brilliant Swedish free kick and after failing to get what looked like a sure penalty kick called in the final minute of the game. Brazil has some of the best young players in the world, including 18-year-old forward Marta, who recently signed with Sweden’s top club team, Umea, and 20-year-old Daniela, who played in the WUSA for the San Diego Spirit. Brazil’s top player is former San Jose CyberRays star striker Katia, one of the most dangerous forwards in the world.

“Brazil always offers an opportunity to play one of the top four or five teams in the world,” said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach April Heinrichs. “Both teams go after an attacking type of game and that should make for an exciting game. The fans in Alabama were very supportive the last time we played there and although the game is early on our schedule of friendly matches, it could be one the best of 2004.”

Brazil has participated in all four Women’s World Cup, as well as the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, and had advanced to the semifinals of three consecutive world championships, falling to the USA in the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the 2000 Olympics, before being knocked out in the quarters at the 2003 Women’s World Cup.

The USA and Brazil played a historic encounter on July 4, 1999, at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto in front of 73,123 fans with the Americans prevailing, 2-0. The two teams met again in the semifinals in Canberra, Australia, at the 2000 Olympics as the U.S. won, 1-0, on a goal from Mia Hamm.

The match at Legion Field will also be a homecoming of sorts for Hamm, who delighted the Alabama fans last year by scoring the first goal of the game against England. Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama, where her father was stationed in the Air Force, before moving on to various stops in her youth career that led to her being the youngest player ever to appear for the U.S. Women’s National Team at the age of 15. She has scored a world record 144 career international goals since debuting for the USA in 1987.

Brazil has actually made eight trips to the United States over the years, including the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Brazil has participated in two Nike U.S. Women’s Cups, finishing second in 1998 and 1999, and played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000, where the USA and Brazil played to a 0-0 tie in group play, then met again in the championship game, a 1-0 U.S. victory.

Legion Field, one of the most famous college football stadiums of the South, actually has a short, but sterling soccer tradition, having hosted soccer games at the 1996 Olympics as well as two U.S. Men’s National Team games that drew over 21,000 fans to each match. The Alabama Sports Foundation, who once again will serve as local organizer for U.S. Soccer, has been responsible for actively pursuing these events and bringing them to Birmingham.

“I went to a bunch of games at the 1996 Olympics and the atmosphere was awesome,” said Reddick. “At that time I dreamed of playing on that field so to get the chance to play my second game at such a famous stadium really is a dream come true. It’ll be so much fun playing in front of my family and friends and I know my teammates are looking forward to some more BBQ and sweat tea.”

The match in Birmingham will be the first of six likely domestic matches for the U.S. Women’s National Team over April, May, June and July before the 2004 Olympics in Greece, which begin in early August.


 

Foul play in Goa goal frenzy
By Soutik Biswas
BBC correspondent in Delhi

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3500353.stm


    When a football team is leading its rival 1-0 at half time, betting on a final score of 61-1 might not be the wisest investment.
    But in the soccer-crazy Indian beachfront state of Goa, teams will clearly go to any lengths to win - and lose.
    Second division rivals Curtorim Gymkhana and Wilfred Leisure were locked in a bitter struggle for promotion as the deciding games approached.
    Tied on points, Wilfred had to win by seven goals more than Curtorim.
    By half-time things were going well for Wilfred, who led Dona Paula Sports Club 7-0.
    Curtorim had only the slenderest of margins over Sangolda Lightning.
    Then, with officials from both sides frantically phoning in the score of their rival's game and Goa Football Association observers in the crowd after being tipped off for match fixing, the fun began.

Goalie's flight

    More than a goal a minute was banged in as Dona Paula and Sangolda contrived to give the ball away at almost every touch.
    I have never seen such an unsporting match in my life
Benjamin Silva, referee
    Dona Paula's goalkeeper got sick of the booing from the 2,000-strong crowd and wandered off up field, leaving a defender to man the goalposts.
    But the goalie didn't go too far - Dona Paula's players soon refused to go into their opponent's half.
    Strangely enough, Wilfred left the pitch unsatisfied with a 55-1 victory.
    "I have never seen anything like it in my life," said Anthony Marcus, a sports journalist with The Herald newspaper, who was covering the game.
    "The Dona Paula players were passing the ball to their rivals blatantly whenever they got possession and on four occasions they scored own goals," said Mr Marcus.
    "The team changed goalkeepers three times but nothing improved. When Dona Paula got a chance to score, their player shot over an open goal."

Teams suspended

    Clearly, some of the players were aware there might be ramifications for the future - many sought an early exit by feigning injury or attempting to get sent off.
    This is a case of an intense village rivalry which has spilled on to the football field and has been taken to absurd levels
    Some were looking at a bright future, including Marcelin Dias, a Sangolda Lightning member who joined India's Under-19 football squad a week ago.
    The referee at the Curtorim-Sangolda match, Benjamin Silva, told BBC News Online he thought "something was fishy" in the second half.
    "In the first half both teams were good enough. The second half became totally one-sided. I have never seen such an unsporting match in my life," Mr Silva said.
    His reaction was nothing compared to the football association.
    All four teams were suspended for a year, said the secretary of the 153-team association, Savio Messias.
    "It's unbelievable, it's disgraceful. It is difficult to believe that the losing teams allowed over 50 goals to be scored against them without any monetary benefit," Mr Messias said.
    Curtorim and Wilfred have long been rivals and are backed by local politicians.
    "This is a case of an intense village rivalry which has spilled on to the football field and has been taken to absurd levels," Mr Messias said.
    "This year they were going all out to prevent each other from qualifying for the first division."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/3500353.stm

Fans get autographs from SJ players.
Email photo to friend
Thousands of Inquiries on How to Provide Support Now Can Make an Impact

WASHINGTON, D.C. - (Monday, February 16, 2004) – Soccer supporters around the globe now have the opportunity to make a difference, as the Women’s United Soccer Association announced today the “Keep the WUSA Dream Alive” ticket fund initiative. The women’s professional soccer league, which will host the exhibition WUSA Soccer Festivals in June, will use the ticket campaign to gauge support as it prepares to return to full operations for the 2005 season.

“We’ve had an incredible outpouring of support during the last few months,” said Tony DiCicco, co-chairman of the committee to re-launch the WUSA and the league’s former commissioner. “The WUSA has received thousands of inquiries from soccer clubs, individual players, parents and others asking about how they can contribute to the return of the league. The ‘Keep the WUSA Dream Alive’ ticket campaign provides the opportunity for fans to show their support for women’s soccer and receive a valuable benefit.”

WUSA supporters can link to the “Keep the WUSA Dream Alive” ticket campaign from the WUSA.com homepage to learn how they can officially pledge their support. Fans can make their official pledge immediately, and fulfillment of the pledge will take place later this year when plans for the 2005 season are announced.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Check out the this month's free soccer newsletter on-line from The Football Association Premier League (England). It includes coaching tips, drills, exercise articles, learning tips, awards, jobs, etc. Check out this month's articles:

• Attacking in the final third of the field - Clever and Inventive Play
• Conditioning During the Season
• Learning Philosophy - Modeling

PE Links 4U

http://www.pelinks4u.org/sections/coaching/coaching.htm

ALABAMA POWER RANKINGS
The First Top Ten Alabama High School Soccer Rankings of 2004 will be released soon.

Be a Part of the new Soccer Rankings - Sign up to be your team's voter in the 2004 Alabama Power Rankings High School Soccer Poll

     We would like to make everyone aware of a new Alabama High School Soccer Top Ten Poll. Last year, I ran the Alabama Power Rankings and based upon feedback it was considered a great improvement over the newspaper polls that had been used in previous years. However, it was very labor intensive and due to my job I decided that there wasn’t enough time for me to do it again this year.
    Joe Webb stepped forward and has agreed to compile the rankings each Sunday night and provide them to me to post on Monday of each week at: http://www.nasl.com/hs/top10.htm  So I have constructed an on-line voting poll for each of the 6 classifications (6A, 5A, 4A-1A for both boys and girls teams).
    In order to add some legitimacy to this poll and to have it taken seriously we need two things: (1) Voters from every area of the state and every classification and (2) Voters willing to make a serious effort to vote weekly and provide honest, unbiased rankings.
    Each school team will be allowed one vote so please ask your coach, assistant coach, knowledgeable parent or other representative to register at http://www.nasl.com/polls/register.htm  The more voters we have, the more accurate we expect the poll to become and the more publicity the sport will get. There are currently 42 @ 6A schools, 52 @ 5A schools and 45 @ 4A-1A schools playing soccer. Most schools have two teams so we have about 275 slots for voters.
    Joe and I both feel that if we get good response and sign-ups that this Poll will become the soccer poll for years to come. Soccer is still a neophyte sport in Alabama High Schools but with 275+ teams it’s evident that the sport is growing by leaps and bounds. We are expecting the newspapers around the state to pick it up and print it. We also assume it will be used by the Soccer publications (Southern Soccer Scene and NSCAA Soccer Journal) in determining their regional rankings.
    We hope that you will decide to be a part of our effort. Those who vote this year will be given first shot at their same voting slots in the coming years.
Thanks,
Ken Gamble & Joe Webb

http://www.soccer365.com/US_NEWS/Breaking_News/page_131_65944.shtml

After months of reviewing stadium proposals from more than 20 Chicagoland communities, AEG President and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke and Chicago Fire General Manager Peter Wilt today announced that they have signed an agreement with the Village of Bridgeview to build a $70 million, 20,000 to 25,000-seat, world-class soccer stadium in Chicago's Southland region that will house the Major League Soccer team permanently with a targeted move-in
date of Spring 2006.

With last summer's completion of The Home Depot Center, home to MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy and all U.S. National Soccer Teams, the Columbus Crew Stadium (inaugurated in 1999), and a new stadium currently undergoing construction for the Dallas Burn in Frisco, Texas, the Chicago Fire site will become the fourth soccer-specific stadium in MLS's ten-team stable.

The Chicago Fire was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer expansion team.  In 2003, in only its sixth year of existence, the Fire was crowned Eastern Conference Champion and captured its third Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The team also won its first MLS Supporters' Shield after posting the best overall regular season record. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural season in 1998 and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 1998 and 2000. It was crowned Central Division Champion in 2000 and 2001.

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer features many top stars from the United States and around the world and is America's Division I men's outdoor professional soccer league.  MLS consists of teams in 10 markets: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Dallas Burn, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, MetroStars, New England Revolution and the Defending Champion San Jose Earthquakes.  Major League Soccer's ninth season kicks off April 3, 2004. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official Web site at www.MLSnet.com

The rest of this story may be viewed at http://www.soccer365.com/US_NEWS/Breaking_News/page_131_65944.shtml

Alabama State Coaching Courses - Spring 2004 Schedule

      For the third year in a row the NASL is offering a $500 scholarship to a boy and girl high school senior again this season.  The deadline for nomination by their coach AND submitting the required essay for this year is March 31st, 2004.  The board prefers the nominations from the coaches be made as soon as possible.  The actual essays may be turned in anytime up until midnight on March 31st, 2004. 
      Votes will be taken the first week of April and a final decision will be rendered no later than April 15^th with the actual scholarships to be awarded during the AHSAA High School Championship games on May 8th, 2004 at the John Hunt Soccer Complex in Huntsville.
      Information about the scholarships can be found on-line at http://www.nasl.com/articles/scholarship.htm

Cat's corner

Being the first to take a spill cost Cat her bet.

Written on Feb. 17, 2004

Hello from Costa Rica!

It’s exciting to finally get the chance to write to my fellow ponytail posse members since before this year I haven’t been a true member due to my college eligibility.

You are probably expecting a journal about what we have been doing on the soccer field. It has been fun training here because we are getting a lot of sun and we can’t wait to start Olympic qualifying, but I want to tell you what I did today and how exciting it was.

Training for the Olympics takes a lot of hard work, but along with hard work, we also need to have a break and have some fun. We had a day off today and we all had three choices (meaning three fun things!) that we could do with the whole day. Some chose to go see a volcano and hot springs, some chose to take an air tram over the rainforest, but a lot of us chose to go water rafting, me being one of them. more

To read the rest of the story and keep up with the USA women's national team on their quest for Olympic Gold go to http://www.ponytailposse.com and sign up for free access.

       If you want to keep up with soccer in the South, then Southern Soccer Scene is the magazine for you. Check out the on-line edition at  http://www.southernsoccerscene.com.
       Receive Your FREE Issue Today! Fill out the form below and submit it to start your subscription to Southern Soccer Scene. You receive 12 issues (One Year) for only $25.00 or 24 issues (Two Years) for $40.00 and SAVE 18%. Send no money now. We will bill you later.
       Southern Soccer Scene gives you:

• Greater regional soccer coverage throughout the Southeast.
• A greater commitment to college soccer.
• New coaching articles, training methods, features, player and coaching profiles.

      Satisfaction Guaranteed! If you decide Southern Soccer Scene is not for you, simply write "Cancel" on the invoice and return it to us — you keep the FREE issue. For subscription questions call or email us.  Payment by MasterCard or VISA accepted by phone (M-W, 9:30 am/5:00 pm) (336) 292-7015.
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      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  

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