HAWAII’S NEWEST COACH

I am excited to be one of Hawaii’s newest soccer coaches. It has been a dream of mine to make it here and experience all that I have heard and read about this island paradise. Since the first time I visited in 2005, I knew I needed to find a way to live here. The road leading me to Oahu has been quite eventful and I would like to share some of these experiences.

I remember a calm winter day in California. I was twenty-one and driving from work to my parent’s house in Pasadena when I received a phone call from a teammate of mine at the university. He congratulated me because, apparently, the L.A. Galaxy in the 2002 MLS Super Draft had just chosen me. I was amazed. The next phone call was from my coach and now current Director of Coaching for Hawaii, George Kuntz. He expressed the same news and suddenly, my vision of the next phase in life started looking clearer.

I had never been tested mentally or physically as much as I was when I attended my first professional preseason camp with the Galaxy. There are a lot of soccer players out there and trying to earn a position in a league that had only 200 spots available would put some pressure on a young player.  I vividly remember my first match against the Korean National Team, in town for World Cup preparation. 1 – 0 victory to us, and I never felt so exhausted after a game. The speed of play at the professional level was so much faster than what I was used to at the collegiate level.

While pursuing professional aspirations, many MLS players have to hold other jobs to sustain themselves. With the league struggling for money at the time, there was a great disparity between the highest and lowest paid players. I ended up working for Nike Soccer representing the “Swoosh” as a brand-ambassador. It was an interesting job performing a unique set of skills, demonstrations and instruction to enthusiasts all across the U.S. I also returned to my alma mater at UC Irvine to assist with the men’s soccer program. All of this helped to support me financially while I committed myself to the MLS.

It was difficult to earn a spot or consistent playing time while balancing other aspects of life. To perform at the professional level, it takes complete concentration. But the league wasn’t allowing for that with its younger players, as rosters and money were limited. Their approach to solving those problems came by way of the MLS Reserve League, which debuted in 2005.

The league took strides in developing a solid platform for more players to become professionals. It also allowed for more consistency in games. You can imagine my schedule while training to play for the Galaxy and Chivas USA, traveling with Nike, and coaching at UC Irvine. The combined experiences were invaluable, though. I was able to learn from coaches like Bob Bradley (US Men’s National Team), Sigi Schmidt (Columbus Crew), and George Kuntz (UC Irvine and now Hawaii’s Director of Coaching). Together, they helped pave the way for that one way-ticket to Hawaii.

I finally made it out here in January 2008, and it has been a blast! It was a tough decision to leave a pro soccer career. But I knew other endeavors awaited. A few friends and I started a business called F11 Productions, which is a content production and delivery system created by soccer players for soccer players and fans. F11.com is a major avenue for reaching out to those supporters here and around the world.

Soccer has been a vehicle for me to get to Hawaii and I couldn’t be happier. Le Jardin Soccer Academy invited me on board with their highly experienced staff. Coach Paco Saavedra has done a tremendous job developing a two-year program that has already seen a State Cup championship and the hiring of Chelsea FC youth coaches from England for a camp this coming summer. Kailua is where I start the newest chapter of my soccer life and I look forward to the experiences and challenges ahead.  Just since January I have seen many exciting developments in the Hawaii soccer community, most recently with the Pan Pacific Championship. I see the strides Hawaii is taking as a state to develop enthusiasm and interest in a sport few understand in this country. I am privileged and fortunate to be a new member of this community. I look forward to meeting many of you and sharing in our mutual love for soccer.

 

There is something about that first glimpse of a stadium at any sporting event. In movies, they always get this scene right: panning towards the green grass or turf, the same way your eyes take it all in upon arrival. Emerging from a tunnel, familiar smells overwhelm the senses: salty hot dog water, sun-caked seats and stale beer. Then, the sounds of the stadium fill in the rest of the sensory space: kids pleading for candy, cheers and applause reverberating through the structure and vendors hawking team paraphernalia. Entering Aloha Stadium for the Pan Pac Championships was no different.

I purchased tickets for both the semi-final and final matches immediately. There was no way I’d miss the rare occasion of world-class soccer right here at home. My father was the first to join. He had taken my brother to see Pele play at Aloha Stadium the year before I was born, and, a true fan, still remembers a bicycle kick from that game. The group later filled out with my fiancé, a good friend and my mother.

Friendly tournaments like the Pan Pac can very easily turn into “training opportunities.” The Pro Bowl is a good example of this: some years, players simply suit up, while other years they exchange tough hits with some of the legends of the regular season. An exhibition game can either lock you to a stadium seat or remind you how uncomfortable those same seats can be. This year’s Pro Bowl was highly entertaining, and the Pan Pac followed suit.

Japan’s Gamba Osaka definitely showed up to play, taking home the first-ever Pan Pac trophy. They displayed a powerful offense, relentless and quick. Fans were treated to thrilling scoring opportunities and seven goals over the two games. Gamba’s Brazilian teammates ruled the field, with speedy Mineiro dangerous on the wing and Bare scoring four goals in a one-sided final against the Houston Dynamo.

You have to be proud of local stand-out Brian Ching for all his amazing accomplishments. The planets finally aligning, he played at home for the first time in over a decade. Ching obviously enjoyed the experience, as did his fans. His Houston team played with an exciting tempo in their semi-final match against Sydney FC, but seemed out of synch during their 6-1 loss to the Japanese side.

The LA Galaxy looked sharp. Every ball was played with super-star David Beckham in mind, and the strategy paid off. He delivered one perfect pass after another to teammates patiently positioned in front of the net. It was disappointing that Landon Donovan did not play, as the Beckham-Donovan connection would have been amazing to see in person.

Sydney FC seemed a bit flat, perhaps worn-out coming off a rigorous season. Rarely in possession of the ball for long stretches, they remained a frustrating step behind each opponent. The second half of their semi-final match versus the Dynamo was as entertaining as waiting in line at the DMV, although Sydney performed better in their third-place loss to the Galaxy.

The Aloha Stadium crowd seemed interested but unsure of how to act at a professional soccer game. In 2002, I traveled to see the African Cup of Nations in Mali. There, the fans knew how to do it right. Amid drums and face paint, Cameroon supporters hoisted human-sized caskets clearly labeled with the other team’s logo. Somehow, the “I LOVE BECKHAM” signs scribbled on notebook paper at the Pan Pac didn’t quite cut it. Luckily, the animated Japan fans were willing to share their “Gamba, Gamba, Gamba, O-SA-KA!” cheer with the rest of us.

Beckham admirers were out in full force. Whenever I left my seat, they kindly kept me up to date on his every touch. Following each game, Beckham gave away a sopping, sweaty jersey to one lucky fan. I would have elbowed total strangers or gently nudged a kid out of the way for that dripping souvenir. After each jersey pass-off, the tattooed star would adjust his shorts around rock-hard abs, which had my father wondering whether or not the shorts would be the next to go.

There were lots of familiar faces in the stands: I ran into teammates from my over-30 WISA crew and recognized others from my AYSO days. We also saw such stars as Natasha Kai, a clean-shaven Alexi Lalas and actor Anthony LaPaglia, the cop in So I Married an Axe Murderer.

Aside from the red-carpet attractions, the field buzzed with activities to either admire or learn from. My mother loves a good corner kick, appreciating the artistry of set plays. My fiancé counted along as the ball boys and girls juggled in groups between games. I saw parents pointing out techniques to their kids and began to take note: the pros played wide, switched fields often and constantly battled to control the tempo of the game.

My only qualm of the whole event: the obnoxious BamBam sticks, touted on the package as “The Hottest Item in the Sports Promotional Market.” When hit just right, they make an almost metallic bwaanggg sound. During the semi-finals, we sat near a corner of the field where the Beckham groupies far outnumbered the BamBam fanatics, especially during corner kicks. For the finals though, our 50-yard-line beauties were located in the middle of BamBam nation and my friend actually ended up stuffing Kleenex in her ears.

We could have moved, of course, what with all the empty seats. In fact, the astounding number of vacant sections made me worry the event might flop. After all, if every kid in AYSO had come with a parent, the stadium would have overflowed. As it was, traffic and a school night contributed to the semi-final and final matches drawing only 15,000 and 23,000 respectively, despite the lure of Beckham and Ching. I noticed women standing in line for empty bathroom stalls, only because we expect there to be a wait.

Someone mentioned to me later that the Galaxy’s home stadium holds just 27,000, roughly half of Aloha Stadium’s capacity. More good news: the 23,000 who showed up for the second night were part of the largest crowd in state history to watch a soccer game. Could it be that we die-hard fans impressed the organizers enough to try again next year? I hope so. I want that Beckham jersey!
 

Get a Head Start!

Tip #1—Location, Location, Location…
Wondering if you have what it takes to play soccer at the next
level but don’t know how the application and recruitment process
works? Inner Collegiate athletics can be a life-altering experience
and it is important to start the athletic application process early.
Think you’re too young to begin your college search? Wrong. It is
never too early to consider your future options.

Are you a high school sophomore or junior? Then now is the perfect
time to spark your interest in college athletics and get collegiate
programs interested in you as well. Tip #1 is for those of you reading
who fi nd yourself at this point in their athletic career as well as for
parents who are wondering how to help fi nd the perfect athletic/
academic fi t for their child.

College Tip #1 is finding the best location and environment in
which the athlete can excel both on and off the fi eld.
It is important to recognize that for most, playing at the collegiate
level is the pinnacle point in an athlete’s career. Therefore, it is
necessary to spend the four-year eligibility in a location where
you are comfortable in your surroundings. How important are
these to you? Can you live with or without separation from friends
and family, expensive plane rides, no Spam musubi, snow and
the change of seasons. Or, on the fl ip side, are you interested in
experiencing new and different cultures, interesting people, snow
and cold weather and new food and clothing?

Research is just a click away. Go online or pick up a resource book
on colleges and look for the unique features of the university
experience that are important to you. You might look at the student
population, the existence of an on-campus life, academic majors
in your area of academic interest and if it’s known as a commuter
school or if activities revolve around the school. Pick states you
would be interested in living and explore what kind of school you
would like to play at; examine the level of play: NCAA division I, II, III
or smaller associations like NAIA or NCIA. The most important part
of the journey is recognizing that if for some reason your college
athletic career ends abruptly, you will still be happy at the college
you have chosen, even without soccer.

Take it from someone who is quite familiar with the process; I know
what it is like to put in the leg work to get noticed, to be recruited,
to smell the pristine aroma of cut grass of an NCAA division 1
playing fi eld, and unfortunately, walk away from it all. Deciding on
preliminary colleges which fi t your needs on more levels than just
athletics is essential to succeeding on and off the fi eld. Soccer is
something a person can do forever. College and inner collegiate
athletics are things that can only be completed once in a lifetime;
so, chose wisely!

Check out Hawaii Soccer Magazine for upcoming tips on the
college athletic experience such as: how to make initial contact
with schools of your choice; how to write a player's profile and
player's resume; what should be included in a highlight tape and
much more. Until next time, I wish you luck and happy hunting.

 

Being a graduate of a single sex prep school, a devout soccer player and youth coach, I find myself contemplating the impact of Title IX on my life. Where would I be without the opportunities granted from this law? I came to the conclusion that thousands of women around the country, including myself, would find ourselves in very different situations. Even without recognition of its existence, women and girls alike are impacted by the legacy of Title IX. In light of its 35th anniversary, it seems fitting to highlight the law’s achievements thus far, as well as to ensure its existence for another 35 years to come.

Specifically, women’s soccer would not be in the fi ne state that it is
today if it were not for the enactment of Title IX. In fact, if not for Title
IX, women’s collegiate soccer might not exist at all. For those unaware
of this civil rights law, “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
is the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.”
Title IX says: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex,
be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be
subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity
receiving Federal financial assistance.” This equal rights, education
based law is the sole reason young girls and women in this country
have the opportunity to participate in organized sports. For a female
athlete like me, it is impossible to imagine a world without sports, and,
more importantly, women’s soccer. Because of Title IX, girls no longer
need to prove themselves on the field alongside boys, and women’s
collegiate athletic programs no longer need to compete for funds with
football and male basketball programs. Instead, women now have the
opportunity to compete on a level playing field of their own.

Soccer in Hawaii is a growing force, just check out Waipio Soccer Park
on any given weekend. I would argue that soccer is also our largest,
diversified community involved sport. Women’s soccer is made even
more prominent and visible due to the successes of our own University
of Hawaii Wahine soccer program and the Women’s World Cup with
Hawaii native and former Wahine, Natasha Kai. UH and the Women’s
World Cup players set an example for aspiring female athletes and serve
as role models for girls who might not necessarily know about college
athletics. Moreover, the USA Women’s National team, the Wahine, as
well as all other female college programs, are the direct results of the
implementation of Title IX many years ago.

Inner collegiately, the law serves to set the pace for female athletes; “Title
IX requires schools and colleges receiving federal funds to give women
and girls an equal chance to play sports and to treat men and women
equally when it comes to athletic scholarships and other benefits
like equipment, coaching and facilities.” Universities nationwide are
stepping up their game to meet Title IX regulations. Unfortunately, many
throughout the U.S still have a ways to go. Here’s some food for thought
taken from the NCAA Gender Equity Report from 2003-2004…

Female college athletes receive only:

• 38% of sports operating dollars, $1.17 billion less than male college
athletes

• 45% of college athletic scholarship dollars, $148 million less fewer
scholarship dollars than male athletes

• 33% of athletic team recruitment spending, $43 million less recruiting
female athletes than male athletes

• On the contrary, men’s soccer programs are diminishing on a national
level while women’s soccer seems to be fl ourishing. Does this rise in
women’s soccer undermine the men’s side? Absolutely not!

NCAA Sports Sponsorship 2004-2005, data is as follows:

• From 1988-1989 to 2003-2004 NCAA members institutions have
added 2,346 sports for men while dropping 2,276 men’s sports
during that same period for a net gain of 70; while adding for women
3,592 sports and dropping 1,490 sports for a net gain of 2,102

• It appears NCAA Div. 1 institutions are dropping men’s sports teams
in order to put more resources into basketball and football.

Interestingly enough,

• From 1988-1989 to 2004-2005 NCAA Div. 1 schools suffered a net
loss of 239 men’s teams while Div. II added 44, Div. III added 265 net
gains

These statistics clearly demonstrate the power Title IX has had and
the impact it can still make upon future generations. It is important to
squash the myths and recognize that Title IX does not cut into inner
collegiate men’s sports funding; the allocation of which is determined
by what sells publically, football and basketball.

Unfortunately, what we female athletes now take for granted could
also be taken away from us. To avoid this, inform yourself and make a
conscious effort to educate others on the impact of Title IX. Get involved.
Parents with daughters and young women reading this, take note that
there are organizations out there fighting to ensure the continued
success and longevity of Title IX. Check out organizations like Fair Play
Now! www.fairplaynow.org Fair Play Now! is committed to recruiting
people who support Title IX and takes action by sending emails and
educating teams and players to ensure that girls everywhere have
equal access to play and enjoy the benefits of sports.

Happy Anniversary Title IX! May you have many, many more years of
success to come. Thank you for greatly improving my life and to getting
where I am today as well as the lives of countless young girls and women
in all aspects of athletics and equal education opportunity.
 

Thus, on Saturday, July 21st, 2007, I bought my own ticket and found myself at the Home Depot Center stadium in Southern California sitting in the nosebleed grass section, waiting to watch David Beckham play his first game with the L.A. Galaxy against perennial European powerhouse Chelsea. Not only was I way high up, I did not even get a chance to meet Victoria Beckham. Not to worry, though, I can at least watch her on television. Beckham played the final ten minutes of the match to stadium-wide-screams every time the ball came near him.  Unfortunately, not even David’s star power could help the home team as Chelsea snuck by with a 1-0 victory.

There is at least one perk to being a soccer magazine editor. You can walk up to most people and say “Hi, I’m the editor for Hawaii Soccer Magazine,” and, for the most part, those you approach are happy to talk soccer with you. While watching the Galaxy game, I noticed a large enough group of young girls to be a soccer team excitedly watching the match and, just as enthusiastically, eating copious amounts of stadium food. They looked like they were from Hawaii. With the deductive reasoning required for this job, I came to two conclusions. One, they were part of a soccer team, and two, they probably were from Hawaii.

During halftime, despite being on vacation, I put on my editor cap and approached one of the grownups keeping watch over the girls and opened with the introduction line from above. I was immediately brought to Coach Robin Nakagawa, to whom I again gave my same speech. It seems my powers of deduction were correct this time: I was indeed speaking to the coach of Copa 94 girls, one of the six Real Hawaii F.C. teams in Southern California competing in the Pateadores Cup.

Try to imagine, if you will, the coordination necessary for six teams to successfully make it to games, restaurants, amusement parks and hotels on time. It really boggles the mind. Robin’s team alone, the Copa 94 girls, consisted of fi fteen players and twenty-fi ve adults. I asked him how they got from place to place in a state with more than just two freeways. “People get lost,” he answered frankly. Fortunately, though, in the end, with the help of modern technology like walkie-talkies and on-board GPS, those who got lost always wound up found.

The team had arrived in California on Thursday and was staying at the Wyndham Hotel in Costa Mesa. All athletes know that carbo-loading before a match helps endurance and what better place to carboload than at The Old Spaghetti Factory (where, at the Honolulu Ward Warehouse branch of this restaurant, this very editor once worked). One doesn’t just walk up and ask the Spaghetti Factory hostess if he or she can seat one hundred sixty people. Instead, with foresight, Real Hawaii rented out the whole restaurant. Again, using my deductive reasoning, I figured there was more than one scoop of the delicious spumoni ice cream served during the meal.

Earlier that day, Robin’s players had drawn a 0-0 tie with the Riverside
Vipers and, from what I could tell, his players were yet again carboloading
for the game the following morning. Real Hawaii, when traveling to a tournament, is not club completely focused on soccer. Robin mentioned that his players were eagerly looking forward to Disneyland later in the week, before their scheduled return to Hawaii on Wednesday and, of course, after playing their final game.

With the second half of the game about to begin, I thanked Coach Nakagawa for his time and asked if he could assemble his team for a photograph. All players were present except for one who was off buying more food. We waited…and waited some more for her to return but, in the end, I had to take the team photo without her. As a side note, not to worry, she also ended up found.

I later learned that the carbo-loading and watching Beckham play paid off for the Copa 94 girls from Hawaii, doing their team, club and state proud by winning their age group. Congratulation to Robin and his players for their fi ne showing in Southern California! Seems the Galaxy could use a few Hawaii pointers.

 

Part 1:  The Clinic

In my thirty-one year love affair with the beautiful game, I’ve had my share of outstanding referees and assistant referees officiating my games. These officials know the rules, enforce these when necessary, shout “advantage” often, and remain largely behind the scenes for ninety minutes, despite the bright colors they often wear.

Of course, as not all soccer players can play like Pele,not all soccer offi cials are created in the same mold as Pierluigi Collina, the baldheaded Italian known the world over as “top referee.” Maybe we “old guy” soccer players are more critical of offi cials since we’ve played for so long and thus “assume” we understand each and every aspect of the game. In fact, many in my old guy league have such incredible eyesight they can spot the most miniscule foul from far across the pitch and are not afraid to verbally "assist" a referee with seeing it, too. Thankfully, none of us is permitted our own whistles as uniform accessories.

I am willing to bet I am not the only soccer player, while huffi ng and puffi ng up and down the field, to think, “I know I can do a better job than this ref.” So, after decades of being the top ref in my mind, I decided to put my skills to the written and physical test. In late December, I looked on the Hawaii Referee Association website, www.hsra.net, and signed up for the entry-level referee clinic to be held in early February. Could I do a better job than some of the officials I’ve had over the years?

I knew my own personal reason for taking the course, but I wondered who in their right mind would voluntarily subject themselves to seventeen hours of training to become a soccer official? I mentioned to a life-long soccer-playing friend my intention. “Are you kidding me?  Why would you do that? WHY!? Listen, I’ll lend you some money if you’re short, but please, don’t do it. They’ll eat you alive out there. You’re crazy!” were his only words of encouragement.

Wednesday night at the Aiea United Methodist Church, for the opening session of the four-day clinic, I got my fi rst glimpse of the “who else” I had wondered about.  Most of my fellow classmates were happily tumbling out of SUVs and Minivans into the parking area, mechanically nodding to verbal instructions from parents on what time and where they should wait for a speedy pick-up.  Apparently, middle school soccer players, and lots of them, want to become referees. That made me and the other four adults in a class of thirty-fi ve students the oldest in the room by at least twenty years. Age not withstanding, we were all there for one common goal: to learn the rules of the game and become certifed. However, it appeared the younger set also had a few ulterior goals as well: to drink as much soda and juice while eating as much of the plate lunches, fast food and candy their parents had laden them with in anticipation of the grueling three-hour class ahead. I was envious. I had not thought that far in advance. My first refereeing mistake.

If soccer referees were movie stars, then elite Academy Award winners taught our class. Between the five instructors throughout the four-night course, they had nearly one hundred years of combined experience blowing whistles, signaling for penalty kicks and carding
players. In fact, most, if not all, had been offi ciating games well before their eager, hungry, apprentices were born, save us fi ve “matured” students.

The course was broken up into the different aspects of the rules of the game each night. In the first lesson, we learned the proper dimensions of the playing fi eld and
th  ball, as well as the acceptable shapes of goal posts. In case you were wondering, goal posts cannot be triangular in shape. We also learned the names of the lines marking the field, as well as the names for each section of the field those lines delineated. Another night, we spent hours on the subtleties and nuances of the offside rule.  I found out, much to my embarrassment, that every time I and the rest of my old guy teammates blurt out,
“But referee! He’s offsides,” we are saying it completely wrong. “But referee! He’s offside,” without the “s,” would be the proper way to draw a referee’s attention to a player committing an infraction punishable by an indirect free kick. Later, we covered the multiple minor and serious infractions that occur during every match and the appropriate punishment for each of these. In one of my favorite lessons, the instructor demonstrated the proper technique and arm positioning for issuing yellow and red cards by demonstrating on all the students who arrived late to class after our allotted fifteen-minute break.

With the last remaining laws of the official USSF Laws of the Game covered, Pro Bowl Saturday afternoon, complete with news helicopters flying low overhead toward Aloha Stadium, became the Day of Judgment for the thirty-five of us. Our instructor, grim-faced and solemn, handed out the hundred-question certification test. He reminded us that we needed to correctly answer at least seventy-five of the questions to become a referee. 

It has been a while since I’ve taken a test. Fortunately for me, though, this exam was multiple choice.  Nervously, I brought my answer sheet to our instructor.  He immediately unsheathed his bright red pen, an appropriate color for a referee instructor. On the first page, I was only shown the red twice. The second and final page proved more difficult for him, and apparently for me, as well. He marked eight more careless errors, bringing my total score to a ninety-percent, enough to pass, according to the USSF. He shook my hand, without any secret referee handshake, I might add, handed me  USSF 2007 Official’s patch, and welcomed me to the profession. To the rest of the class, he encouraged all to actively seek out assignments with the various leagues in the state. His final words of encouragement to all were, “Get out there and start making mistakes.” 

The next day, while playing a game with my old guy team, I paid special attention to the referee crew: the calls they made or didn’t make and the manner in which they conducted themselves. Being an offi cial myself now, I even tried to protect them from some of the more vocal curmudgeonly oldies on my teamwhen they yelled, “But referee!  That wasn’t offsides!” I pointed out the improper use of the “s.” That game, the ref called everything by the book and, in my opinion, the crew was correct on almost every decision. I was impressed. Could I do the same? 

It seems it is expected and understood that no ref will get every call right during any ninety-minute match. I have yet to make my first error as a referee, mostly because I have not refereed a game yet. The time will come, though, because I now have an official patch. In anticipation of my fi rst game, I’ve practiced my “advantage” yell and accompanying hand motion in front of the mirror, attempting to get the right vocal pitch and perfect arm angle. I promise to you all that I will certainly never make the same mistake I made before becoming referee certified. I will never again think that I am the top ref, even to myself while huffing and puffing up and down the field.



 

Many people who go to watch a soccer game, be it youth, adult, or professional level wonder why a lot of physical contact between players is not punished by the referee. If they are new to the game, they may be puzzled by the apparent lack of understanding (or eyesight)
by the official. If they’ve been around the game a bit, or if their little darling is playing and perhaps gets knocked over, they may become irate at the irresponsibility of the referee. And, of course, if this person has the authority that comes with a coach’s jacket or hat, they
not only become irate, but they may even take it upon themselves to let the offi cial know exactly what they think. After all, everyone knows that officials are supposed to call fouls
and other infringements of the laws. That is their job. And if they don’t do that everytime ,
t h e officiating crew must be incompetent, right?

Well, actually, no! By allowing some infractions to go unpunished, the referee may in fact be doing his job just the way that the laws of the game tell him to. I’ll Pause here to wait for all the muttering. Oh, I can hear it now, “What is this idiot talking about? He says that a referee can miss calls and yet is still doing his job well? He lets fouls go unpunished and we’re supposed to compliment him for doing things right?” And those comments are the mild ones, edited for a family magazine . . .

Being involved with soccer offi ciating since 1964, with thousands of games refereed, watched, and assessed, coupled with countless officiating classes instructed, I have to say that the most difficult aspect of refereeing is knowing what infractions to call and what ones to let go. The reason for the difficulty is simple: for more than one hundred years, the laws of the game have instructed referees NOT to call everything and to call only the infractions that
affect the game adversely. Most players and fans do not know this. The art of refereeing is
the art of penalizing only those breaches of the law that affect the game.

The problem with this statement is that at each level of the game, from little wobbly kids to U-8s, U-10s, U-12s, through the early teenagers up to full youth competitions, into the adult games, to the top amateur level into the semiprofessionals and full professionals, then into international club competitions all the way to full “A” class internationals and on to the World Cup, the infractions that affect the game are different.

Say a youth player and her parents go to a professional match or watch one on television
together. Over the course of the game, they see many plays that make them wonder about
the competence of the offi ciating crew. They
see ferocious slide tackles and seemingly endless player comments to the referee without a whistle blown. They see players with their hands all over their opponent, tugging at jerseys and arms. They wince as a player who is challenged hard goes down in a flying heap
with his challenger and the ref only shouts “play on.”. They see a blatant offside, and the
referee allows the play to continue. It seems so obviously unfair, all these fouls left uncalled - unless of course, you are the referee and know what is going on.

Experienced referees are able to change their decision-making to suit the game they are refereeing. For example, a simple push in a U-12 game can throw a player off balance and, at this age, most times should be penalized. That same push in an adult game might be meaningless, while in a professional match might be taken merely as a gesture of affection between two players. A clear offside, when the assistant referee’s flag goes up and even the whole of the audience in the stands can see the attacking player clearly in an offside position, should not be called if it is clear that the goalkeeper or defender is going to safely regain possession or clear the ball. In both cases, the infraction has become meaningless and will not affect the outcome of the game and thus should not be called. Until the recent rewriting of the Laws of the Game, this philosophy of refereeing was written as sixty four words in the International Board Decision number 8 of Law 5:

“The Laws of the Game are intended to provide that games should be played with as little interference as possible, and in this view it is the duty of Referees to penalize only deliberate breaches of the Law. Constant whistling for trifling and doubtful breaches produces bad feeling and loss of temper on the part of the players and spoils the pleasure of spectators.”

That’s the art of refereeing. So, the next time you go to a game and see fouls going unpunished, take a look at the players and listen to what they are saying. If they are not complaining and are just getting on with the game, then they are obviously happy with the way the game is being called. In which case, so should you. But, if you go to a match and hear players saying, “For heaven’s sake, ref! Let us play!” or worse, then you know that the players want more freedom to play. These players don’t want the referee to call every miniscule infraction, thereby choking the game to death.

This is a difficult art to master and a fi ne line to walk for all referees, but one that good officials must do throughout every game at every age level.


 

You may have heard the saying, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” I would
like to add, “By failing to properly prepare, you are preparing to get injured.” I remember trying out for my high school JV soccer team as a slender, but growing 9th grader who played multiple sports year round. Being 14, I thought my youth, athleticism, and determination could carry me through the rigors of tryouts without any additional preseason preparation. After just 2 days of drills, scrimmages and conditioning, I reported to the training room with the typical early symptoms of overuse injuries in my knees and ankles. 

How could this be? One would think an active adolescent athlete could endure the challenge of soccer tryouts. Ironically, the message the athletic trainer gave me was the same one I would be echoing to other young athletes for years to come, “You need to properly prepare for your sport before it starts.”

The highest percentage of soccer injuries occur during the first 2-3 weeks of the season. This is especially true for young athletes ages 13-16 during tryouts for higher level teams such as ODP, club travel teams or teams that practice daily like high school teams.  These tryout periods typically require intense training, possibly with multiple practices per day over a short period of time. Injuries occur as sudden changes in training load or training conditions put stress on the growing body beyond its ability to adapt to that stress. These early season injuries can be avoided or minimized with proper preconditioning, progression of training,
and early recognition and treatment of injuries.

Pre-conditioning

Pre-conditioning refers to the training that occurs during the 6-8 weeks prior to the start of the soccer tryout period. The training focus is to build a fitness base to allow the athlete to sustain effort throughout the training sessions. An assessment of individual fitness level gives the athlete a starting point for training. The training program should focus first on general cardiovascular fitness through aerobic training and muscular endurance through light to moderate intensity training exercises. Once that base is established, training can progress to look more like the training that will be encountered during tryouts.

Some running exercises that would accomplish the goal of base training would be distance runs of 1-3 miles, quarter-mile repeats, and 50 yard bursts followed by 50 yard recovery jogs. The distance and number of repeats will vary depending upon your fitness. This base training phase may last from 3-6 weeks until the athlete is comfortable with aerobic training at a steady pace.

Exercises for muscular endurance should be done concurrently and may include bodyweight lunges and squats, crunches or v-sits, core strengthening, pushups and pull-ups. Again, the initial training focus is general endurance. This focus gradually shifts to speed and power as the season draws near.

Progression

Players often come into a season assuming that the coach will tailor the training progression for their individual fitness. Coaches, however, plan their progression according to the season schedule and players who incur injuries along the way may be left behind or risk not making the squad due to limited activity. Diligent athletes will prepare during the weeks prior to tryouts begin so that by the time tryouts begin, they are accustomed to the training load.

Keys to proper progression of training are:

• start 6-8 weeks prior to the start of your season

• determine current fitness level with simple mile run, sit-up
and push-up tests

• set long-term performance goals for your fitness based on
your pretest results

• set short-term goals, or benchmarks, that lead to the big
goal

• write out a training plan including days per week, intensity
and daily training focus

• as the season approaches, adjust training to resemble the
kind of workouts to be encountered in tryouts

• schedule rest days to allow for adequate recovery

Early recognition of injuries

Players typically try to “tough it out” during tryouts as they feel missing a practice jeopardizes their chances of making the team. In truth, hobbling around the field for a couple practices and then missing more days when the injury worsens hurts the player more than if the problem was treated early. In most cases, early treatment can be done with few limitations on participation, giving the player a chance to stay in practice with the coach’s understanding that the player is working toward recovery. An athletic trainer should be able to evaluate the problem and chart a course of treatment while keeping the athlete active enough to maintain fitness and resume activity quickly.

Symptoms that commonly occur that signal a need for
professional intervention are:

• persistent sharp pain in muscles or joints

• swelling in the muscles or joints

• pain in the heels, ankles, shins or knees during running
activity

• pain that does not subside with cessation of activity

• pain that limits normal range of motion
in the joints

Soccer can provide great enjoyment and fitness for the young athlete but, without a well-planned training program, can lead to pain and frustration. Following these basic principles of training will help athletes endure the challenge of tryouts by maximizing their performance potential during the early season. Don’t fail to prepare. Instead, prepare to succeed!