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2010 Algarve Cup Symposium a Success!

March 14, 2010

From February 24 - March 5, 2010, nineteen candidates traveled to the Algarve region of Portugal for the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium.  Participants were fortunate gain behind-the-scenes access to national team training sessions and international matches with former U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach April Heinrichs and renowned sports psychologist, Dr. Colleen Hacker.  This, the 4th straight year, was a resounding success on all fronts.  See what the candidates had to say!



Transcript:

Erin Aubry, Head Coach at the University of Arkansas
“We talk about the four pillars of soccer, but they really embraced every single aspect of it. And so it wasn’t just a trip about the soccer, and of course being in this amazing environment, but you know, just everything. And you realize how much bigger your role can be.”

Sam Laity, Coach at Dos FC in Seattle, WA – NSCAA Master Coach Candidate
“The access that we had to the players and to the coaching staff, and just the relaxed nature of the whole thing was fantastic. There’s no other experience really like it – available in the U.S. or probably in the anywhere in the world. So thanks to the NSCAA for putting it together.”

Gabe Massine – Coach at Broomfield United in Denver, CO
“Yeah definitely. It’s the best soccer coaching thing the NSCAA does, in my opinion. Favorite part? I don’t know – there’s too many. Access to watching national team trainings, speaking to coaches from other national teams. Colleen Hacker and April Heinrichs obviously are two of the best in the world and having them in small groups and being able to talk with them for a week and learn from them is pretty amazing.”

Erin DeMarco, Head Coach at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia, PA
“This is a great place to be. You get to do a lot while you’re here, it’s not in the classroom all the time. There really hasn’t been a wasted moment. Everything has been quality and planned very well.”

Erica Destache, Assistant Coach at University of Wisconsin, Osh Kosh
“Going to the training sessions and seeing the level of soccer we’re seeing. You usually don’t have that anywhere in the world, and it’s wonderful. And also meeting all these great people, and seeing the sites of Portugal has been fun.”

Paula White – Professional Hair Stylist in Dallas, TX
Note of interest: Paula’s sister, Kat Connor, is the Head Coach at Texas State University and was on the trip for her second year in a row
“It’s a lot of psychology and team-building and ways to encourage any team, or any staff… I work for a salon so the staff I educate, and the information I’ve learned from Colleen can really help me with my education, too.”

Ted Anderson, Assistant Coach at University of Nebraska, Omaha
“Being able to see the best teams in the world train, and having the opportunity to watch them play against each other is going to be exciting.”

Laura Flynn, Front Office Staff at the WPS Philadelphia Independence
“I was concerned that, because I don’t have any coaching experience, I wasn’t sure if this was the trip for me. If someone needed to have lots of experience coaching. I would say this trip is good for anybody. I have learned so much that I can take away just when I’m starting at the youth level. And I’ve made a lot of great connections.”

Kristina Kiss, Retired Canadian Women’s National Team Player and youth coach in Ontario, Canada
“I love the lectures and seminars we’ve been having with Dr. Colleen Hacker. Watching international soccer is always amazing, especially at this level. I think anyone who wants to be a coach, anyone involved in coaching, even players, it would be an excellent opportunity to see things from the other side…. the dark side.”

Erin Aubry, Head Coach at the University of Arkansas
“Obviously the group that we have here is a wide, wide diversity of people and their soccer backgrounds. Everybody fit in and everybody had something to contribute. Nobody was out of place or didn’t have anything to say, and I think everybody brought something to the table to make the trip great. So I think the more diverse the group can be, the better it is.”

Check out our promotional video at http://www.youtube.com/user/nscaa#p/u/0/MgyHsdgsI5A
Visit http://www.nscaa.com/subpages/20090317111653886.php

* Please note: The Algarve Cup Symposium is not scheduled for 2011. Instead, the NSCAA will lead a trip to the Women's World Cup.  Details will be released soon, so check back often. 


The 2010 Algarve Cup Blog



Amanda Vandervort, NSCAA Women's Committee Chair, was also on the Algarve Cup trip, and blogged while she was abroad.  Follow any of the links below to open the blog post in a new window.

All About Albufeira, Portugal - Feb. 22, 2010
While soccer will certainly be the highlight of the trip, I’ve taken the past couple weeks to get familiar with the Algarve itself – the local history, culture, cuisine and wine. The Algarve is a region of Portugal located on the Southern coast. We’ll be staying in a town called Albufeira and traveling to soccer venues throughout the countryside.

Algarve Cup First Round Matches Kick Off Today - Feb. 24, 2010
I’m at home packing my final bits before jumping on my flight to the NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium but wanted to get this post in before I headed out. You can follow my travels – including photos, interviews, notes and reviews from the games and training sessions – at http://www.twitter.com/nscaawomen. I’m figuring you can also check out the #AlgarveCup hashtag on Twitter for results in real-time.

We've Arrived in Albufeira, Portugal - Feb. 25, 2010
(Most of) the group has officially arrived in Albufeira, Portugal, for the 2010 NSCAA Algarve Cup Symposium, and just tonight we completed our first couple sessions.

Algarve Cup Schedule and Planned Twitter Coverage - Feb. 26, 2010
As you may already know, the Algarve Cup is played across a very large area along the southern tip of Portugal. Considering this, when we lay out the upcoming day’s schedule each evening, we have to consider who’s playing when, where, and how long the drive is between towns. We want to catch as much as the action and see as many teams as we possibly can!

China Sinks Denmark, Germany Rocks Finland, Audio - Feb. 27, 2010
It was a great day of Algarve Cup action, and our first opportunity to see the games. First, we traveled to Lagos to see Denmark play China. I interviewed Sam Laity at halftime, who I believe summed up the game better than I could ever write (1:30).

German WNT Training Session and Cliffs in Albufeira - Feb. 28, 2010
Today began with a little drive to see the German Women’s National Team train. The trip from our hotel was about 15 minutes through some very scenic spots. There were rolling green hills with orange trees dotting the countryside – gorgeous.

USWNT Training Session, Lagos - Pics from Portugal - Feb. 28, 2010
I woke up a bit early this morning to get some things organized and call Sweden’s coaching staff about their training schedule. Turns out they had a session at the exact same time as the U.S. WNT, and the vote was unanimous in favor of the Americans. The Swedes do train on Monday though, so we may actually get to see them then.

Germany vs. Finland Match Analysis by Sam Laity  - March 2, 2010
German engineering at it’s best. Well organized, efficient, effective committed team that played with a presence from start to finish in this game. The Germans played with great confidence and belief that allowed them to build rhythm and momentum early in the game.

Algarve Cup Finals Tomorrow, Schedule - March 2, 2010
Here’s the Algarve Cup schedule for the final day of competition:

11am local time: Austria vs. Faroe Islands – Estadio Dr. Francisco Vieira – Silves
11am local time: Romania vs. Finland – Parque Desportivo da Nora – Ferreiras
11am local time: Denmark vs. Norway – Complexo Desportivo Belavista – Parchal
11am local time: China vs. Sweden – Estadio Municipal de Albufeira
1pm local time: Portugal vs. Iceland – Estadio Algarve (on TV)
4pm local time: Germany vs. USA – Estadio Algarve

Big Van Driving Down a Little Street in Lagos, Portugal - March 6, 2010
One day, we took a 30-minute drive from base camp to Lagos. After viewing the beautiful rock formations jutting out from the turquoise-colored water, we returned to town to grab some lunch. But one wrong turn sent this group of NSCAA Algrave Cup Symposium participants – Kwame Lloyd, Erin Aubry, Laura Flynn, Steve McGuirk, Gabe Messine, Natalie Smith, Erica Destache, Paula White, Erin DeMarco, Kat Connor and myself – on a roller coaster ride through the streets of Old Town.

2010 Algarve Cup Photos



Northwest Nazarine Assistant Coach, Rachel Lindvall, stayed late after the USWNT trainito get their Northwest Nazarine goalkeeper, Tanya Zickefoose’s hand-drawn picture of Hope Solo signed.



A group of participants drove 45 minutes to Lagos, which officially ranks as one of the most beautiful spots on earth!