NASL  NEWSLETTER

May 17th, 2004
"The rules of soccer are simple. If it moves kick it. If it doesn't move kick it until it does." Peter Woosnam
 

1. Upcoming Soccer Calendar - new dates added.
2. US Club Soccer Revolutionizes Player Identification
3. Soccer Festivals To Feature WUSA Teams
4. Coaches Playbook Against Drugs - Ten Great Tips for coaches to help your players avoid the pitfalls of drugs
5. Tips for Teens: The Truth About Steroids
6. Exposure Limited for Women
7. FIFA President doesn't like Ties.
8. Beckham's World
9. Football team wins match by scoring against itself.
10. Top Twelve Best Things at the Final Four.
11. U.S. Soccer Announces Goalkeeping License for Coaches
12. Silverbacks in the US Open Cup
13. Forbes Magazine chooses NASL.com as one of world's best soccer websites!
14. NSCAA, NCSS Offer Online Sports Safety Course
15. Southern Soccer Scene
16. Free Help for Coaches at NASL
17. How to Remove Your Name From this E-mail List.

The Madison Soccer Club Shockers will be hosting two FREE soccer clinics for boys and girls, ages 7-13 years old. The clinics will be held on May 2 and 16 from 2-4PM at Dublin Park in Madison, Alabama. Skills covered will include shutting down the attacker, beating your opponent, scoring goals, and building soccer skills. Come to either or both! To register, call 864-7026, or online at http://www.madisonsc.org

Beginning this summer, id2 will revolutionize the way the country’s best U13 (1991’s) boys’ players are identified. US Club Soccer’s id2 program takes a fresh approach to player identification and development.

Gone is the cost and hectic schedule associated with the multiple tryout formats other identification programs’ utilize. id2 identifies players in their own environment as they compete with their club teams. With nearly 200 scouts nationwide, the selection process is apolitical as our 2004 Selection Team will be watching players from across the country compete with their club teams throughout the spring and summer.

After the US Club Soccer National Cup III Regional Tournaments conclude on July 6, up to 120 of the top U13 boys in the country will receive invitations to a five-day id2 national training camp July 25-29 in Cary, N.C. Invitations will be extended regardless of a player’s affiliation (i.e. US Club Soccer, USYSA, AYSO, non-affiliated, etc.). After players arrive at the id2 national training camp, US Club Soccer covers all player expenses.

National Team coaches and players, who have experience training and competing with the best players in the world, will be present and participate in the id2 national training camp. Elite college and club coaches will also lead sessions. The goal of the five-day id2 national training camp is to identify the qualified invited players for inclusion in US Soccer’s U14 National Team Program.

Soccer Festivals To Feature WUSA Teams

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-SOC-WUSA-Festival.html

     WASHINGTON (AP) -- All eight WUSA teams will participate in two mini-tournaments this summer, but the league dropped plans for a third event.
     The Atlanta Beat will play the New York Power, and the Boston Breakers  will face the Washington Freedom in Blaine, Minn., the weekend of June 17-20.
      In the other WUSA Soccer Festival, the San Diego Spirit vs. Carolina Courage, and Philadelphia Charge vs. San Jose CyberRays are slated for Carson, Calif., June 24-27.
     Among U.S national team players expected to take part are goalie Briana Scurry of Atlanta, Shannon Boxx and Tiffeny Milbrett of New York, Mia Hamm of Washington, and Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett of San Jose.
     The WUSA organized the games with an eye to relaunching the league, which folded in September after three seasons.
The WUSA said Thursday that a third festival being considered for June 10-13 would not be held.

Coaches Playbook Against Drugs

From the website at
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/coachesplaybook/key_plays.html

Key Plays How To Get Your Message Across

     The best defense is a good offense. If you want to follow through and keep drugs and alcohol off the playing field and out of your players' lives, here are 10 key plays to help you get your message across.

1. Encourage participation in athletics by making your team an integral and exciting part of school or community life. Spending large amounts of time unsupervised after school and on weekends greatly increases the odds that teenagers will experiment with drugs. Therefore, you should make a special effort to involve youth in constructive after school activities, such as athletics. Equally important, however, is for teenagers to find these activities fun and rewarding. Try to provide opportunities for kids of all abilities to participate and have fun.
   
   A soccer team needs players who are responsible and make good decisions. Taking drugs of any kind is not a good decision. As a coach, I have tremendous respect for those people who stand up to the pressure and won't tolerate drug use. We all need these kinds of people.
   Bob Bradley, Head Coach - Chicago Fire
    
2. Clearly express your expectation that players will not use drugs. Some adults, especially those who have used drugs themselves, find it difficult to talk to youth about drugs. Unless adults clearly state an expectation that youth should not use drugs, however, adolescents may not understand what standard, if any, they are being held to.
    
3. Ensure that your players know the risks of drug use, especially those that affect athletic performance and their future. Getting high has both long- and short-term consequences for an athlete -- consequences that young people may not be aware of, but that you, the expert on performance, understand. For example, short-term risks of marijuana use include decreased stamina, weight gain, and reduced muscle strength. Steroids can lead to heart disease, infertility, and skin disease, and cause aggression in a person's daily life. Laziness, lack of motivation, loss of control, and poor decision making are additional risks associated with drug use. Any of these can affect a player's long-term goals, like winning a championship or getting a college scholarship.
    
4. Emphasize the benefits of participating in sports, particularly benefits that young people care about, including:
    
   • Gaining the respect of peers.
   • Sharing new and exciting experiences with close friends.
   • Earning the respect and trust of parents and siblings.
   • Setting a good example for others (especially younger siblings).
   • Having a strong sense of self-worth and self-respect.
   • Increasing control over one's life and its direction.
   • Achieving personal growth and progress toward one's goals.

   The last three benefits are particularly important to high school students.
   
   Psychologists have long made the case that the "carrot-and-stick" approach works far better than the "stick" alone. When you link the attainment of benefits that young people care most about to activities other than using drugs, you help them develop closely held reasons for staying drug free.
    

5. Make sure your players know that drug use among preteens and early teens (ages 11 to 14) is a "fringe" behavior. Eighty percent of eighth-grade students do not use drugs, yet most eighth graders believe drug use among their peers is common. This "myth" exerts a subtle and insidious form of peer pressure. Studies show that when the myth is debunked, preteens and early teens are less likely to try drugs.
    
6. Encourage athletes to set personal goals and assist them in making progress toward those goals. People who know how to regulate their behavior effectively are more likely to set and achieve goals. Studies show that adolescents who learn self-regulation skills are far less likely to use drugs (presumably because they become more involved in setting and pursuing larger goals).
   
   As a former player, I know the value of a good coach. As a coach, I know you can send the right message to kids about drugs. Coach your students away from drugs. Mookie Wilson, First Base Coach New York Mets - Former Outfielder for the 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets
   
   All athletes can set goals for what they want to achieve throughout the season. Help them to do so, and assist them in tracking their progress. Let them know that you have noticed their accomplishments, and praise them to other team members and peers.This gives young people specific, measurable ways to gauge the benefits of spending time on athletics.
   
   Skills shown to be helpful to teens in setting goals and measuring progress toward them include identifying appropriate goals, not only for the short term but also for the long term; recognizing situations and people that are a threat to accomplishing the goals; and thinking through the consequences of one's actions.
    
7. Have older players reinforce the idea that real "cool" kids don't use drugs -- they disapprove of them. The vast majority of preteens and early teens disapprove of drug use, and even a majority of older teens disapprove. Yet, preteens and early teens routinely under estimate this disapproval; most believe that the majority of their peers approve of drug use. Heightening the perception of disapproval by peers and older teens is one of the most powerful ways to prevent drug use.
   
   A simple way to do this is to select a number of your older players who don't use drugs (including some likely to be considered "cool" by younger players) and have them meet as a group with your younger players. Encourage the older players to speak openly about the negative consequences of using drugs that they have observed -- including effects on physical abilities and school performance. Most importantly, have these players talk about how using drugs lets other people -- parents, teachers, friends, teammates -- down. Remind your older players that they are role models. Encourage them to speak out, and reach out, to younger kids.
    
8. Help young people to develop appropriate decision making skills. Adolescence is a time of life when teens must make an increasing number of decisions. Many adolescents, however, have not been taught how to make good decisions.
   
   To help your players develop decision making skills, let them share in decisions that affect the team as a whole. For example, let players help decide on the structure of a practice or the specific skills to work on during a practice session. Guide athletes through the decision making process by teaching them to (1) identify/clarify the decision to be made;(2) consider all possible options and outcomes; (3)choose the best option; and (4) follow through.
    
9. Let players know that they can talk to you about their fears and concerns regarding drug use. Most adolescents yearn for a close relationship with a caring adult and for the ability to communicate honestly. They may find it easier to talk to a coach than to their parents about sensitive topics such as sex and drugs. By responding openly when such a topic is raised, you will help your players learn new ways to broach sensitive subjects and keep important lines of communication open. Tell players where they can find more information and steer those who need help toward it. One place to start is the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Web site . For additional information, refer to the Resources section at the end of your playbook.
    
10. Develop meaningful relationships with the young people you coach. The most common reason young people give for not wanting to use drugs is a desire to please the caring adults in their lives. Be a caring adult -- someone your athletes can count on for support and guidance.

Tips for Teens: The Truth About Steroids

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

Slang:
Arnolds, Gym Candy, Pumpers, Stackers, Weight Trainers, Juice

Steroids affect your heart.
Steroid abuse has been associated with cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke. These heart problems can even happen to athletes under the age of 30.

Steroids affect your appearance.
In both sexes, steroids can cause male-pattern baldness, cysts, acne, and oily hair and skin.

Steroids affect your mood.
Steroids can make you angry and hostile for no reason. There are recorded cases of murder attributed to intense anger from steroid use.

Steroids increase your risk of infection.
Sharing needles or using dirty needles to inject steroids puts you at risk for diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Other slang terms associated with steroid use include:

• Roid rages--uncontrolled outbursts of anger, frustration, or combativeness that may result from using anabolic steroids.
• Shotgunning--taking steroids on an inconsistent basis.
• Stacking--using a combination of two or more anabolic steroids.

EXPOSURE LIMITED FOR WOMEN
Jack Bell - The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/04/sports/soccer/04soccer.html
 

     For three years, the best female soccer talent on the planet came to play in the United States. Then the quixotic Women's United Soccer Association was gone. Its demise last September has refashioned the game's landscape.
     The top United States players are preparing for the Olympics at Coach April Heinrichs's residency camp in Bradenton, Fla., playing a series of international matches that resumes Sunday with a game against Mexico in Albuquerque.
     Good work for 30 women, but it is another story for many others who can play in either the W-League or Europe, or forget about playing soccer at the elite level.
      "Do I think it will be harder to be considered for the national team without the WUSA?" Nancy Augustyniak wrote in an e-mail message. "Yes I do." She is now with FFC Turbine Potsdam in Germany after having played three seasons with her twin, Julie, on the Atlanta Beat.
      "There is no league in the world as strong as the WUSA," Augustyniak wrote, "so it is impossible to get the training I was getting with the Beat and playing in really competitive games."
      Although the number of American women playing in Europe is nowhere near
the number of men from the United States playing overseas, the Augustyniaks are among the exports. They have been joined by goalkeeper Hope Solo, who is playing in Sweden with Kopparbergs/Goteborg, and defender Jenny Benson, who is playing with FC Energy in Voronezh, Russia. Benson will soon be joined by Danica Carey, a former teammate at
the University of Nebraska.
      Now Heinrichs will have a harder time finding promising players like Heather Mitts, who played for the Philadelphia Charge and is part of the national team pool, because there is no top pro league.
      "Nancy has been part of the national team program for four or five years," Julie Augustyniak wrote in an e-mail message. "But for someone like me, it will be hard. How are they supposed to see me?"

FIFA PRESIDENT DOESN'T LIKE TIES

     You win some, you tie some no longer seems to be enough for Joseph Blatter, president of FIFA, the sport's world governing body. Last week, he said he would like to see ties eliminated. "Every game should have a winner," he told a German sports agency. "When you play cards or boccie, there is always a winner."
     It is often difficult to discern whether Blatter is serious. He recently proposed the following changes: handing out yellow cards when players remove their shirts after scoring a goal; passing the so-called Hugh Hefner rule and altering uniforms for women to make them more feminine; docking Cameroon 6 points in World Cup qualifying because the national team wore a one-piece bodysuit during the African Nations Cup (which was made by Puma, a rival of Adidas, FIFA's preferred supplier); playing the World Cup every two years; playing a match in four quarters to allow for more television commercials; and making the goals bigger.
     Blatter added that he was "open to suggestions" for breaking ties.
     In the past, the North American Soccer League and Major League Soccer used a shootout, in which a player starting from 35 yards out tried to beat a goalkeeper one on one. The tie breakers were met with derision and ridicule around the world. And still are.
     "The Americans have outlawed the draw in their own sports," an article in The Times of London said last week. "It doesn't follow that messing up football will make it sexy in America."

BECKHAM'S WORLD

A Stop in the U.S. on His Way to England?

       No matter where David Beckham plays next season - staying at Real Madrid in Spain or moving home to London - he will be in the United States this summer. The British news media reported last week that Beckham would return to the English Premier League with either Chelsea or perhaps Arsenal. He left Manchester United early last summer for Real on a $40 million transfer.
      Real is expected to announce a two-game tour of the United States, playing an MLS all-star team at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., and the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Perhaps it is only a coincidence that Beckham signed a deal to represent Gillette shaving products worldwide and that his Spanish club will play the all-star team at Gillette Stadium.
     Chelsea will play three matches in the United States during this summer's Champions World Series.

Football team wins match by scoring against itself.

http://www.snopes.com/sports/soccer/barbados.htm


      The incident took place during a final group match between Barbados and Grenada for the Shell Caribbean Cup in February 1994. The Barbados team had to win the match by at least two goals in order to face Trinidad and Tobago in the finals; anything less and Grenada advanced to the next round instead.

      The rules in effect at the time specified that if the score were tied at the end of regulation play, the match would continue into sudden-death overtime (not a penalty kicks round, as stated above), and the first team to score during the overtime period would be considered a two-goal winner.

      As detailed above, Barbados was leading 2-0 well into the second half of play, when Grenada finally managed to score a goal in the 83rd minute to make the score 2-1. Barbados realized with three minutes to play that they were unlikely to score again in the time remaining and deliberately kicked the ball into their own goal to tie the match at 2-2 and force an overtime period. Grenada then attempted to score on their own goal to prevent the match from going into overtime, but Barbados had already started defending Grenada's goal to prevent them from succeeding.

      The two teams then spent the remaining few minutes with Barbados defending both ends of the field as Grenada tried to put the ball into either goal, but time expired with the score still tied. Four minutes into overtime play, Barbados scored and advanced to the finals.

Top Twelve Best Things at the AHSAA Soccer Final Four

U.S. Soccer Announces Goalkeeping License for Coaches

     While the U.S. has successful goalkeepers at international and top club levels around the world, there is still more work to be done developing the talent at this position at the lower levels. With this in mind, the U.S. Soccer Coaching Education Department has worked with goalkeeping coaches from around the nation to create the federations first-ever U.S. Soccer National Goalkeeper License for coaches.
     National Goalkeeping Coach & Staff Coach Peter Mellor and U.S. Womens National Team Goalkeeper Coach Phil Wheddon led the way in the development of the course for this license. The course will debut with a one-week session this August.
     We are excited that we can continue to increase the educational opportunities for our coaches, said U.S. Director of Youth Development and Under-17 Men's National Team head coach John Ellinger. We have put countless hours into developing this license, and this will benefit players and coaches as we continue to improve player development."
     The U.S. Soccer National Goalkeeper License is designed for the more experienced team coach who has never played the goalkeeper position. The license will develop their goalkeeping knowledge useful at the youth, collegiate, senior and professional levels. It will cover the principles and the components that go into developing goalkeepers, and it will encourage the team coach to prepare and plan for the goalkeepers development needs - not just daily - but over an entire season.
     Designed as a compliment to the U.S. Soccer A, B & C License courses, the seven-day school includes field and classroom sessions and concludes with intensive testing on theoretical and practical applications of the game. The course also includes valuable instruction in coaching methodology, team management and fitness.
     The course will instruct coaches how to plan and manage their goalkeepers development over the course of an entire season at a high level. It features in-depth coverage of the technical, tactical, psychological and fitness components of the goalkeeper position. Similar to other U.S. Soccer Coaching Courses, this course promises to be an interactive learning experience featuring field sessions, audio and video as well as traditional lectures.
     The inaugural school for the license will be held at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. from July 31 Aug. 6, 2004. Registration for this course will open May 17 at ussoccer.com, and course registration will be limited.
     Applicants must hold the following pre-requisites:
USSF A License or,
NSCAA Premier Diploma and a Goalkeeper level one diploma or,
USSF B License or a NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and a Goalkeeper level one diploma or,
USSF C License or a NSCAA National Diploma and a Goalkeeper level two diploma.
      Upon successful completion of the U.S. Soccer Goalkeeping License, attendees to this school with an A License will receive eight Continuing Education credits - the entire compliment needed to keep their license fresh.
      For more information, please contact the U.S. Soccer Coaching Department at (312) 528-1219 or coaches@ussoccer.org 

Atlanta draws 2-2 at Charleston for 4-2 aggregate win and qualification into the US Open Cup

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Saturday.15.May.2004) – The Atlanta Silverbacks gained a hard-fought 2–2 away tie against the Charleston Battery this weekend and when that result is added to the red-and-black’s 2–0 victory in the prior weeks first-leg match in Atlanta, the 4–2 aggregate-goals score qualifies the Silverbacks for the third-straight season into the prestigious Lamar Hunt U.S. National Cup tournament, and gave Atlanta four out of the six available points in A-League competition.

Both squads started the game aggressively, with several forays into each others’ territory, but Atlanta opened the scoring late in the half.  In the 43rd minute forward Mac Cozier latched onto a poor clearance by the Battery defense and slotted it calmly past Dusty Hudock from 6 yards out.!

Charleston came out hard in the second half and put immediate pressure on Atlanta keeper Anthony Tokpah.  This pressure was rewarded in the 51st minute when Kevin Jackson crossed to the far post  where Ted Chronopoulos headed firmly into the top-right hand corner of the goal.  The Battery continued to move forward seeking the lead and found it in the 69th minute when Jackson again sent a cross, this time to forward Greg Simmonds, who struck a thunderous volley past Tokpah.

The Silverbacks regained their composure and began to mount several quality attacks on the Charleston goal as the red and the black went in search of an equalizer. It was Cozier again that proved to be his former team’s worst enemy at 77’.  Gary Brooks had an initial shot blocked by Hudock, but the Jamaican forward slipped! the rebound to an unmarked Cozier, who knocked in hi s second of the match.

Neither team was able to find the net in the two overtime periods, so Atlanta takes home a point in the A-League contest and qualification into the US Open Cup.  Charleston will also gain passage into the single-elimination stage of the tournament,  as last year’s A-League Champion.

The US Open Cup pits clubs from all divisions of soccer in the US, from Major League Soccer, the A-League, 3rd division PSL, 4th division PDL and qualifying amateur clubs.  Atlanta reached the 3rd round of the Cup in 2002 where, after defeating Memphis 2-0 in the second round, the apes fell in overtime to MLS’ Dallas Burn.

Atlanta now returns to league-only play with a Saturday, May 22 match-up against the Virginia Beach Mariners followed the next night by a visit to the Richmond Kickers. 

Atlanta returns home on Saturday, June 5, when the Silve! rbacks host the Portland Timbers with the kick-off at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster or at 1-866-GO-BACKS.

 

     Beginning this Spring 2004 the NASL has approved and instituted a "CLUB PASS" system which will allow players to move freely among the teams in their club in their NASL (Division III) games.  A club pass system would allow a player to train with and play local and friendly matches with other teams within her/his own club as long as the player was age appropriate. Any registered player in the state is eligible to use this system if they are a member of a club that has additional teams they could train/play with. The club pass system would NOT apply to tournaments, would NOT apply to State League matches (either Division I or Division II) and would NOT apply to any of the state AYSA sponsored tournaments (Governor's Cup, Division II, Division I).

     To employ the club pass system the coaches within a club would come to agreement on what players were going to temporally shift to another team within the club for a match, and the player’s ASA pass would be transferred to the gaining team for the match. At check in the referees would simply insure that all players are a member of that club and that no child is playing with a team younger than they are allowed to be on.

     At the end of the match the player’s pass would be returned to her/his assigned team.

     The system provides an excellent way to give some players additional training/playing opportunities to further their development without subjecting them to an excessively competitive environment and without creating an administrative burden. It also allows clubs to avoid canceling or rescheduling matches when injuries/conflicts/etc reduce the roster of available players. This would be a club managed system, not requiring the involvement of the state association (AYSA, ASA).
 

P.R.E.P.A.R.E. will benefit coaches at the youth and interscholastic levels

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is joining forces with the National Center for Sports Safety (NCSS) to offer its members a comprehensive online sports safety course, which is known by the acronym of P.R.E.P.A.R.E.  To raise the national standards of coaches responsible for the safety and well-being of millions of young athletes, NCSS, in conjunction with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), developed P.R.E.P.A.R.E., an online sports safety course for coaches, particularly volunteer moms and dads, who need basic sports safety education.

P.R.E.P.A.R.E. covers everything from minor injuries, like blisters, nose bleeds and ankle sprains, to life-threatening situations such as head and neck injuries. The NSCAA, in conjunction with NCSS, is offering the course through its web site at www.NSCAA.com  The three-hour course only costs $28.

Course participants learn to P.R.E.P.A.R.E. an acronym that represents each of the targeted emphasis areas of the course:
 

• P - Pre-plan, in case of emergencies;
• R – Recognize emergencies;
• E – Emergency Plan (pinpoint the steps needed to be taken once an emergency has occurred);
• P – Principles of First Aid (learn the basic first aid techniques every coach should know);
• A – ABCs (become familiar with airway breathing and circulation – the basic steps of CPR);
• R – Return to Play (determine when it is safe for an injured athlete to return to play); and
• E – Enjoy (encourage young athletes to get back into the game).
  After completing the course, each coach will receive a sports safety patch and a certificate.
   

P.R.E.P.A.R.E. focuses on the basics of: emergency planning; heat and cold illnesses; emergency recognition; medical considerations; principles of first aid; head, neck and facial injuries; and warm-up and cool down. The flexibility of online learning allows participants to complete the course at their own pace. The NCSS also is establishing a network of health care professionals, including physicians and certified athletic trainers, who can teach the hands-on course in a group setting classroom.

To view the complete release, CLICK HERE http://www.nscaa.com/home/70958.html

To access the course, CLICK HERE. http://ncss.xtention.net/ecom/productinfo.aspx?productid=5&categoryid=0&startpage=1

       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.
http://www.southernsoccerscene.com/subscribe.htm

      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. No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced! 
     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 or 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
      If you need a reply please e-mail me at dsports@hiwaay.net and request a reply.  I'll get back to you as soon as possible unless you're selling adult toys, growth hormones or offering to share the wealth that you and your family were barely able to smuggle out of Nigeria; those messages will not get replies.

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