| The Technical Area, July 29, 2009 |
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| The Technical Area |
July 29, 2009, Issue No. 182 |
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| NSCAA News & Information |
Welcome to the 182nd issue of The Technical Area, the NSCAA’s biweekly electronic publication that offers the latest news and information from the NSCAA and its partners.
We welcome your feedback. If you have any ideas or suggestions for The Technical Area or have any coaching tips that you would like to share, please send them to feedback@nscaa.com.
2. Special Topics Course Highlights Big 3 Enshrinement Weekend July 31-Aug 2
6. Deadline Approaching for Team Academic Award Nomination Forms
10. CEUs Now Available Through USSA for NSCAA Residential Courses
11. Take the Fundamentals of Coaching Soccer Course
12. Refresh Your On-Field Thinking with NSCAA’s Quizzies
13. Coaches Corner: Developing Players in the Attacking Phase (Part 4)
15. From the Director’s Desk: Wayne Harrison’s Three Team Awareness Exercise
 Joe Cummings Named NSCAA CEO and Executive Director
Joe Cummings, president and general manager of the Boston Breakers franchise of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), has been named as the new CEO and Executive Director for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). His selection was announced July 22 by NSCAA President Randy Waldrum, the women’s soccer coach at the University of Notre Dame.
Cummings will assume his new duties in early September after the conclusion of the WPS season.
 Special Topics Course Highlights Big 3 Enshrinement Weekend July 31 – Aug. 2
NSCAA President and Academy Staff Coach Randy Waldrum will present a Special Topics Course as a part of Big 3 Weekend festivities at the National Soccer Hall of Fame July 31-Aug. 2 in Oneonta, N.Y.
Gene Chyzowych and Cliff McCrath, the two newest members of the NSCAA Hall of Fame, will be enshrined in the NSCAA display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame during the weekend.
Share The Membership Program Back in 2009
The NSCAA once again offers its Share the Membership program to renewing members. Each renewing member will have the opportunity to provide a coach who never has enjoyed the benefits of the NSCAA a complimentary one-year membership. To participate, download the Share the Membership Form as an editable PDF. (Remember, only one gift membership permitted per NSCAA member coach, and the recipient cannot have previously held an NSCAA membership.)
Nominations for 2009 NSCAA High School Scholar All-America Team Now Open
Nominations for the 2009 NSCAA High School Scholar All-America Team are now being accepted online through NSCAA.com. Current high school member coaches can log into the system using their NSCAA membership number to nominate deserving rising seniors for consideration. For full information on selection criteria and the NSCAA High School Scholar All-America program and to begin the nomination process, visit the program's page.
NSCAA Membership Fees Increase for 2009-10
The fees for NSCAA membership have increased $15 at all levels, effective with the beginning of the 2009-10 membership cycle on Sept. 1.
The standard membership fee, most commonly associated with high school and collegiate coaches, will be $95 for the coming year. Youth coaches will see their fee increase to $75.
The fee increase is only the second by the NSCAA since 2001. The Board of Directors weighed all options before choosing to approve the increase, realizing that it was necessary to keep pace with rising operational costs and maintain the current level of member service.
Current members who have valid email addresses on file with the NSCAA have received an electronic billing for the 2009-10 membership year. A paper billing will be distributed in early August. Renewals are being accepted online at this time. Go to http://www.nscaa.com/join.php and follow the Renew Online link to begin the process.
Deadline Approaching for Team Academic Award Nomination Forms
High School and College coaches—take a moment to fill out a form to nominate deserving high school and college teams for the NSCAA Team Academic Award. The deadline for submission is October 1.
To be eligible for the High School Team Academic Award, the varsity squad must have a minimum 3.25 GPA for the 2008-09 academic year. For the College Team Academic Award, the squad must carry a minimum 3.0 GPA for the year. PLEASE NOTE: You must have grades from the entire academic year (two semesters or three quarters) to complete the nomination.
The forms are set up as editable PDFs, so you will be able to use your computer to type the information into the appropriate blanks; however, you will not be able to save the completed form. Please print the form out, get the necessary signatures and mail the hard copy to the address on the form. We recommend that you retain a copy for your records. College forms are available in both a semester and quarter format.
Download a College Team Academic Award form for schools on the semester system.
Download a College Team Academic Award form for schools on the quarter system.
Download a High School Team Academic Award form.
2009 NSCAA College Services Forms Reminder
As the days before the start of the 2009 college season dwindle, take a second to double check that your teams are enrolled in the NSCAA College Service program. A reminder that beginning with this year, your team must be a member of College Services to be eligible for NSCAA recognition through the national rankings, All-America and Scholar All-America programs, Coach of the Year and Team Academic and Team Ethics awards.
2010 Master Coach Diploma Applications Available
Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 cohort of the Master Coach Diploma. Part of a growing trend in coaching education of continual self-improvement, the Master Coach diploma extends the 150 hours of field instruction currently offered through NSCAA Academy courses with an 18-month, self-paced curriculum of study that is tailored to the unique issues that soccer coaches in America must address on a daily basis.
 Score Reporting Available with NSCAA College Scoreboard
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America and GoCollegeSoccer.com have entered into a partnership designed to provide the most current and up-to-date scores for intercollegiate soccer in the United States.
It is critical that all college teams load their schedules and results into this system since it will feed data to the NSCAA rankings and awards programs.
CEUs Now Available Through USSA for NSCAA Residential Courses
The NSCAA has developed a partnership with the United States Sports Academy (USSA) to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for candidates who have successfully completed an NSCAA Residential Course.
 Take the Fundamentals of Soccer Coaching Course Online
The NSCAA and the National Federation of High School Associations have teamed up to create an online course titled the Fundamentals of Coaching Soccer. This introductory course is perfect for high school and youth coaches who want to establish a solid foundation for their coaching knowledge.
The interactive course features an engaging multimedia interface that incorporates audio, video and text to teach essential soccer coaching techniques and methods.
To learn more or to enroll in the course, go to NFHSLearn.com.
Refresh Your On-Field Thinking with NSCAA’s Quizzies
The time to be thinking ahead to and making preparations for fall seasons is now in the heat of summer. Although the physical aspects of training are likely not to be overlooked, the mental part of the game may be neglected. Help your players sharpen their minds and their decision-making skills on the pitch by encouraging them to take the NSCAA’s Tactical Situations Tests (“Quizzies”) on NSCAA.com. These interactive web-based tests encourage quick thinking skills that potentially translate into positive game management habits. Why not have your team try all 16 sessions? It could pay off next season!
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| Upcoming NSCAA Courses and Events |
Summer’s lazy days are dwindling down, and fall seasons are nearly upon us. Be ready for the new season by keeping your coaching methodologies updated. Attend an NSCAA Coaching Education course. Keep checking NSCAA.com for the latest list. If you don't see a course near you, contact the State Technical Coordinator or Regional Technical Director for your area to schedule one.
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| Coaches Corner |
 Coaching Corner: Developing Players in the Attacking Phase (Part 4)Today’s exercise is the final in a series of warm-up exercises to develop players in the attacking phase of the game. As in the previous three exercises, players are shooting on a pair of offset goals in one half of the field, but a server is added just off the post of either goal. Player 2 again dribbles after receiving the entry pass, combining with player 3 to execute a wall pass. Player 2 continues on to shoot on goal, while player 3 turns and makes a run toward goal for the rebound. The goal-side server tosses a ball into play for either a header or shot for player 3.
The exercise will help develop players’ non-verbal communication and continue to reinforce the mindset of always being ready to finish a scoring chance.
Find out about TactFOOT discounts for NSCAA members. |
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| Soccer Journal Archives |
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Published eight times during the year (seven printed versions and one online), Soccer Journal is the Official Publication of the NSCAA and is one of the few publications in the world produced exclusively for soccer coaches. Each issue contains technical and tactical articles, news and updates on important events, thoughts from opinion leaders in the sport and features on the interesting people and issues of the game.
In each issue of The Technical Area, an article from the Soccer Journal archives will be featured.
Lacking Subtlety (From the July/August 2003 issue of Soccer Journal)
It was a tournament that featured the best U-17’s from the United States against four teams from Brazil. Each ODP Region sent its best. Yes, there were a few players missing, and the U.S. players had not had much of a chance to play or practice together, but the results still were a problem. The young American players struggled against Brazilians of the same age. Three of the four Brazilian teams were from professional clubs (Guarani, Corinthians, Mogi Mirim and the amateur ALEC, the host team). The host team was beaten by all four American teams and Region IV even won three of four games, but there was a huge difference in the way the Brazilians played and the way the Americans played.
After a great year in 2002 for U.S. soccer, our soccer community felt very good. We felt good about where we were internationally, how far we have come in the last few years and how well we fared in the World Cup. We began to look forward to bigger and better results on the international stage. The Torneio Aguas de Lindoi de Futebol Internacional showed all who attended that in spite of these lofty accomplishments and expectations, we are not there yet.
CONTINUE |
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| From The Director's Desk |
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This week’s memo features NSCAA Premier Diploma holder Wayne Harrison, who provides us with three-team awareness exercises.
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| NSCAA Member Benefit Spotlight |
 The NSCAA is proud to remind you of our partnership with Choice Hotels International, one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world and our Preferred Hotel Partner. Choice provides NSCAA members, coaches, teams, officials, families and friends with discounted room rates at more than 4,300 locations across the country.
To take advantage of the 15% discount and make a reservation, call the Choice Sports Desk at 877-240-AWAY (2929) and provide the NSCAA Discount Code: 00213090 or visit www.choicesportstravel.com, click on "Enter Special Rate ID" and enter the code.* This discount is not available by contacting the hotels directly.
Remember, you can use this discount for your team travel, recruiting visits, business travel and family vacations throughout the year.
See all of the NSCAA Member Benefits and Resources here. *Discount subject to availability at participating hotels and cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
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| NSCAA Partner News |
 MLS All-Stars Take on Everton FCThe MLS All-Stars will face the English Premier League’s Everton FC and goalkeeper Tim Howard, who will be matched up against familiar faces from his MLS and national team days in the MLS All-Star Game Wednesday (July 29) at Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game gets underway at 9:30 p.m. (EDT) and will be televised live on ESPN2 and Galavision.
Houston’s Dominic Kinnear, coach of the MLS’s current points leader, will guide the league’s best talent in hopes of continuing the MLS All-Stars’ unbeaten record against English sides. Watch Donovan, Ljungberg and Blanco face off against Everton’s Yakubu, Cahill and Saha. Go to www.mlsnet.com for more details.
 Performance Conditioning Offers New Newsletter
Read a sample article from Performance Conditioning Soccer. An officially licensed publication of the NSCAA, this newsletter is designed for the soccer coach responsible for conditioning. The latest soccer-specific information is provided in an easy-to-read newsletter published seven times a year. Charts and illustrations cover all 14 critical areas of soccer conditioning. Among the topics are improving the seven speeds of soccer, explosive power and endurance and combining technical and tactical with player development.
A portion of your subscription directly benefits the NSCAA and its educational efforts. All for $26 ($31 in Canada and $36 international).
 Final Days to Vote For Your WPS All-Stars
With just two weeks left in the WPS regular season, the WPS All-Star Games votes are coming in fast. Fan voting closes Fri., July 31 at 8 p.m. (EDT), so there’s still time to vote for your favorite WPS players.
Don’t miss your chance to see the inaugural WPS All-Star Game on Aug. 30 when WPS takes on Swedish champions Umeå IK will face off against the WPS All-Stars at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo., with live coverage on Fox Soccer Channel and selected Fox Sports Nets beginning at 5 p.m. (EDT). Click here to learn more about the WPS All-Star Game and see which players are the top vote-getters.
 ESPN Coaches Fundraising
The ESPN Coaches Fundraising Program is a grassroots magazine fundraising program targeting sports associations and teams across the United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Established in 2000, the program has helped teams raise funds for travel, equipment, uniforms and more. Through the ESPN Coaches Fundraising Program teams and organizations have raised over $15 million by selling magazine subscriptions.
The ESPN Coaches Fundraising Program is as easy as the players selling a few subscriptions to ESPN The Magazine. Every time a 2-year subscription is sold for $40, the team keeps $30 from that order. 75% of the total sale goes directly to the team. Each $30 raised from every order really adds up. If just 20 players sell five subscriptions each, the team will earn $3,000.
It’s a Win-Win situation!
When the team has completed the program, they just return $10 per order with the order forms. It’s that simple.
Coaches can sign up and receive their FREE personalized fundraising kit by going on line HERE or by contacting Pete Bryden (407-938-3423 or Pete.bryden@espn3.com) or Jessica O'Neal (407-938-3879 or Jessica.oneal@espn3.com). |
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| The Technical Area, NSCAA eNewsletter |
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| Soccer Journal - Published seven times a year in print and once annually online, Soccer Journal is the Official Publication of NSCAA and is one of the few publications in the world produced exclusively for soccer coaches. learn more |
| Insurance - Members in the United States automatically receive $1 million in professional liability insurance, providing coverage for most soccer-related activities. learn more |
| Academy Programs - The benchmark of soccer coaching education is the NSCAA Coaching Academy program. learn more |
| Convention - The NSCAA Convention is "The World's Largest Annual Gathering of Soccer Coaches." Held each January learn more |
| Awards and Recognition - The NSCAA administers an outstanding awards and recognition program which includes Coach of the Year, All-America, long-term service and special recognition awards, designed to recognize excellence in soccer, academics and service to the game. learn more |
| Licensed Apparel - A full line of distinctive coaching gear sets you apart as a member of the NSCAA through our licensed apparel program with adidas. learn more |
| For more details, please proceed to the Benefits of NSCAA Membership Page |
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