Referee’s……

Being involved in soccer for so many years, I have had my fair share of conflicts with referees as a player and as a coach. But what I do sincerely appreciate is their continued dedication to our sport.

As a player, I had a different viewpoint. I was angry when referees made poor decisions, because ultimately, those decisions cost us games. If referees at the professional level have trouble calling a game and have trouble controlling the game, then they should not be on the field. Referees should be judged like players – if you are good enough then you play, if not, you are benched.

What I do feel strongly about, is the way some coaches and parents treat our youth referees. They commit their time and energy to help. It amazes me when a parent or coach feels so strongly about a u’12 game, that they feel compelled to scream and shout at a boy or girl who is barely older than the kids playing the game. Is it not intimidating enough to referee a game against kids your own age? But then they must deal with the verbal abuse that can be thrown at them. They try their best, they try and make the right call, but sometimes they are wrong. They are not trying to make an incorrect call.

I am not here to dismiss the right to voice an opinion, we all do. But we must keep it in context, and we must be aware of who we are shouting at. We want the youth referees to continue to call our games, so that we have 3 officials at every game at every level. They are a crucial part of the game, and we must create an environment where they can enjoy the game, just like everybody else does.

Sunblock for soccer players….

Coaching and playing in the sun can expose us all to sunburn. We have canopies to protect us when we are off the field, and icy towels to cool us down. But as a player, I never figured what type of sunscreen was the best to use when I played. I often found that the sunscreen would run into my eyes, and would burn. I know there are sports versions, that are designed to absorb into the skin and prevent the excess from streaming down our faces.

To be comfortable when playing is important, but we must also be protected from sun rays. Even though in Seattle we are exempt most of the year from the baking sun, our skin is not prepared for it when it does come. Try some different sorts and see what works best for you. My fiancee recommends Aveeno face sunscreen because it is oil free and light on your face. For the body try a spray rather than a rub on. It has a better coverage, especially if the child is the one applying it. Don’t forget the top of your ears and the parting in your hair.

When all this is applied, we still have to deal with the dreaded soccer tan, or farmers tan. Our lower arms, face, neck, and portions of our leg can have great color, it’s just a shame the rest of us looks like it has never been outside. Enjoy the great weather as a player, fan, or coach. Whichever way we look at it, soccer is July is far more enjoyable than December or January.

Tournament time….

The summer is not only a time for sun, sea, and sand – it is time for soccer. If you play soccer, coach soccer, or you are a soccer parent, you understand what lies ahead. Summer tournaments are the highlight of the year for many kids. You are surrounded by hundreds of players and supporters. Everybody is there to compete, to get a little better, and to win a medal. The organization that goes on for these tournaments is incredible. It starts with selling the tournament to teams and coaches. You want to fill the brackets with competitive teams, and you want to market the weekend as something not to be missed. Once you have teams, then everything else on the list begins to take shape. You need to confirm venues and fields, vendors and sponsors, medals, t-shirts, scheduling of games, volunteers, parking…. This is to name just a few things that make up the ever increasing list of things to do.

But for the rest of us who just turn up and watch or play soccer, we just hope for nice weather, good performances, and smiles on the kids faces. My first tournament of the summer starts today, at Starfire in Tukwila. It’s the first time I am coaching my new teams, so fingers crossed it all goes well.

Black rubber pellets….

Having coached and played on turf for many years now, I can’t seem to eliminate the constant mess of the black rubber. It’s everywhere. It’s in the car, in the house, in my bags, and even in my fresh clothes drawers. It is an ongoing battle to keep things clean, and keep the carpet and floor clear of it. There is no escape from it though I guess. If you take out the rubber, the fields quickly turn rock hard, and it becomes miserable to play on. After years of playing at PGE Park in Portland, I can tell you how uncomfortable and difficult it was to play on field turf minus black rubber.

Another negative against the black rubber is the heat it generates during the summer. If you have played on turf fields in the middle of the day, you know what I am talking about. The discomfort is even greater if you play with tight fitting cleats or with shoes that are covered with the plastic coating like those Nike shoes. It can be unbearable at times. I would see players tiptoeing around sometimes, barely able to run because their feet were so hot. During water breaks, the feet would get more fluids poured over them than would be consumed. But then the cycle would start again. Instant relief would then turn into sustained misery as the heat would return, and the water which had soothed your feet, suddenly becomes the catalyst for increasingly stifling heat due to the moisture.

I did see white rubber pellets used to ward off the issue of heat, but it never really passed the test. Even if white rubber was used to reduce the heat on the field and feet, they would still litter our houses and cars…..

Busy summer ahead….

It’s been a busy last few months, and there are many more ahead of me. Business is pushing forward in the right direction, building my networks, meeting some great people, and learning all the time. At 1to1 Soccer, we are searching for new opportunities to grow our business. Building our knowledge of our market, expanding the scope of our business offerings, and redefining what we need to do is at the forefront of our minds. Seeking out some angel funding is also important right now. We have a core team of dedicated individuals, but man hours cost money. We want to accelerate our progress and implement our ideas quickly. Speed to market is key, but we don’t want to drop something that will crash as soon as it hits the ground.

Youth soccer is gaining momentum also. We have passed through tryout season, and I am now getting to know the players. We have our first tournaments coming up, and it will be a good indicator to see where we are. I am running several summer camps this year, and hope to grow these over the next few months. We are focused on teams, and how we can best serve each team and develop some improvement over the course of the 4 or 5 day camp.

The Sounders are moving forward. The game last night was unfortunate and frustrating. To give up a 2 goal lead at home was greatly disappointing to the players I am sure, and the many fans that continue to pack Qwest field. What a place to watch a game of soccer. Hats off to Adrian Hanauer and his team – they have made a great impact in this area in such as short period of time.

I will be updating more often…..

Trials and tribulations of the housing market…..

The storm of the housing market and the impact it has had on the economy has swirled around for months and months now. Foreclosed homes have been dotting the American landscape, and with each broken loan comes a broken dream and a broken heart. It is unimaginable that families can be thrown onto the street, especially in a country where we spend $140 million dollars on “volcano monitoring”.

I am now in the group of people who are trying to sell their home. In a market where qualifying for loans is difficult, buying a home is a lot more challenging than it used to be. A few years ago, you could basically walk into a bank or brokers office, state which home you wanted to buy, and it seemed the people in charge were more than happy to hand over the money – and a little extra to boot. With the economic downturn and the stigma now attached to mortgages and banks, credit has been at a standstill. But with the impending summer season which is often the busy season in the housing market, and the notion that the housing market is on the upswing, money should begin to change hands. The reality is, without credit and money, the economy will never turn around.

I am hoping that somebody has the access to a loan and falls in love with my home…..

Man Utd wage bill

I was reading the British papers this morning, like I always do, and discovered an incredible statistic. Manchester United’s annual salary bill stands at a little under $200 million. When you compare that to the NFL and NBA which teeters a little above $100 million, it is astounding. How about when you compare it to the MLS salary cap of $2.3 million…

It is staggering, when the world is struggling financially, that professional sports can pay out such exorbitant amounts of money on players. Just look at the Yankee’s. They just signed Alex Rodriguez to a $275 million contract, Jeter is already on a $189 million contract, and CC Sabathia just signed a $161 million dollar contract. The kicker is, they are all guaranteed.

World Cup bid

It is now common knowledge that the US is challenging several other countries for the right to host the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup. Nobody can deny the success of the 1994 tournament, and the impact that it had on soccer in this country. MLS was launched in the aftermath, and continues to flourish and grow. The US has held several other major sporting events, including the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. The Gold Cup and Women’s World Cup showcase that the facilities and the means to execute a plan are all in place.

The World Cup in South Africa next year is a landmark occasion. It is the first time the tournament has been held in Africa, and the excitement is mounting. However, problems are evolving. Stadiums have yet to be completed, and Sepp Blatter has even put England on call in case things fall through. Such a scenario could never happen. It would be devastating for South Africa and the entire continent. Soccer would be on the front pages for all the wrong reasons, and FIFA would be held accountable. As the saying goes, ‘it will be alright on the night’, and I fully expect to see the spectacle of soccer grace the African continent and envelop all the passion and color that South Africa encapsulates.

So the US is putting their bid together, along with England, for the right to host the 2018 or 2022 tournament. Henry Kissinger has been drafted in to add some additional bite to the committee, and hopefully leverage the US bid on the international scene. But why wouldn’t the USA be nominated? It has everything. The stadiums and facilities are spectacular, the support is growing exponentially, the domestic league is established, and there are people in place who have big tournament experience and have a love for the game. The only negative aspect I see is the weather. It can be incredibly hot in the summer.

It would be great to see the World Cup in this country once again. It would be even better to be involved in the planning stages of this bid. I wonder how one can become involved in that ?

Craziness in London

The news has been awash recently with the events in London surrounding the G2O summit. The anarchists, environmentalists, radicals, and those who merely want to voice an opinion, stormed the financial sector in the City of London, wreaking havoc. Windows have been smashed, banks vandalized, police officers assaulted, and a protester has died during this chaotic period. These scenes are reminiscent of other protests gone astray, namely in Seattle during the WTO summit in 1999. A movie was even made of those events.

I completely understand the right to voice an opinion, and a right to free speech, but when does all of this cross the line? We often view environmentalists as trying to do the right thing in order to protect our planet. But there are those radicals who use the platform of democracy as a means to act violently. What good do these people do? I would imagine these scenes that are viewed across the world damage the cause for which they are fighting for. Violence, whether in the form of protests gone wrong or acts of terrorism, do carry a message of some sort. Often this message has legitimacy, but the fabric of violence on which the message is carried tarnishes the very reason why they are doing it. The actions of a few infect the objective of many.

Even with these protests going on, the leaders of the countries in attendance at this summit persevere with their discussions. President Obama is in attendance, and experiences his first appearance on the international scene. By all accounts he is handling himself very well. We all hope that progress can be made on both security matters and the global economy. We plead that we have seen the worst pass us by. More jobs will be lost, but hopefully these losses will be for reasons of restructuring rather than panic. The stock market is bouncing back, and the housing market is strengthening on the back of low interest rates, stabilization in the banking sector, and increased confidence amongst buyers. Long may it continue…..

Premiership race is hotting up….

The race for the premiership title is getting really interesting after this weekends results. Man Utd lost, Chelsea lost, and Liverpool had a resounding win against Aston Villa. Everybody thought that Man Utd had the title won, but it’s fascinating to see how things can turn around so quickly. Fulham not only took three points from Man Utd, but they also made a huge statement to the rest of the league. Manchester United are not invincible.

Liverpool on the other hand are on a surge. They have won their last 3 games by a combined score of 13-1, all against top quality opposition. Steven Gerrard is now considered the very best player in the world, according to Zinedine Zidane. He does have everything a midfield player would wish for. He has a great engine, an ability to play on both the defensive end and offensive end, and he has a knack of carrying the team on his back. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times Gerrard has turned a game or won a game on his own. Think about all those European nights, from the Champions league final to the most recent display at Anfield against Madrid. He’s one of the best to have played in a Liverpool shirt, but we all wish he could perform the same heroics for England.

Easter weekend is always important. I remember when Blackburn beat Man Utd and went on to win the title in 1995. This year will be no different. It’s going to be an exciting time to watch soccer….