THE NSCAA CONVENTION: THE GREATEST
GATHERING OF SOCCER COACHES IN THE WORLD
Once a year, somewhere in North America, soccer coaches
swarm to a city and proceed to take over. This year, the NSCAA
Annual Coaches' Convention returns to Philadelphia, a popular
destination amongst the coaches, January 13-18.
The convention is packed with soccer events from morning until
night:
-The MLS and WPS College Drafts
-4 v 4 tournament
-World Record Juggling Attempt
-The largest Soccer Trade Show in the World (SoccerPlus will be
in booth 911 with our partners WeGotSoccer and SoccerInteractive
giving away all kinds of prizes.)
-Instructional sessions featuring some of the top clinicians in
USA and the World, including SoccerPlus Directors Tony DiCicco,
Ben Pinkerton, Lisa Cole, Jason Grubb, Bill Steffen and more.
For more information and to see Tony's Top 10 Reasons to attend,
visit:
nscaa.com/annual.php
Goalkeeper
Clinics Announced
SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School to
Run 3 Clinics in Tolland, CT
Starting to suffer from cabin fever? We are too, so we're
calling all goalkeepers. Three clinics have been scheduled for
the brand new
Star Hill Family Complex.
When:
January 9, February 13, March 13
Time:
All clinics will be 10am-12noon
Please arrive at 9:45am.
Location:
Star Hill Family Complex
100 Gerber Drive
Tolland, CT 06084
By Jason Grubb, Director, SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School; NSCAA
Goalkeeper Institute, Staff Coach
This week, we sent SoccerPlus Directors Jason Grubb and Tim Larocca to
the gym with a mission, come back with some videos of some
exercises that a fieldplayer and a goalkeeper can do with
limited space and limited resources to stay sharp. Here's five
exercises they put together for you.
[Editor's Note: Videos are available in HD if you don't feel
you're getting the full effect of Jason and Tim's work in
Regular D.]
Roll Ball and Handle The keeper starts with the ball in their hands. The keeper
rolls a ball out to the server who plays a first time shot back
into the Keeper's controlled zone. Repeat 6-8 times before rest,
recovery then repeat.
Roll Ball, Footwork and Handling The Keeper starts with the ball in their hands. The keeper rolls the
ball out to the server. As the ball is in motion the keeper must
shuffle to the cone touch and return to the middle. The Server
is to play a first time ball back into the keeper's controlled
zone. The keeper then repeats the opposite side. 6-8 reps before
rest, recovery the repeat.
Figure 8
The keeper starts between two small
cones that are placed 3 yards apart. The keeper must move in a
figure 8 around the cones. Every time the keeper returns to
the middle the server who has the ball in hands plays a volley
into the keeper's control zone. 6-8 reps before rest, recovery
and then repeat.
90 Degree Turn & Handle
The keeper starts to the side of the small three-yard goal. The
server starts 8 yards away with the ball in their hands. On the
server's call of "GO" the keeper must take a sharp 90 degree turn
into the goal to receive the volley from server. 6-8 reps before
rest, recovery and repeat.
Quick Hands
The exercise starts with the server calling out a body part. The
keeper must touch that body part before dealing with the volley.
The key to the exercise testing the keeper lies with the server.
As the server calls a body part they must strike the volley. 6-8
reps before rest, recovery and repeat.
These exercises have been designed to improve and
maintain the techniques of the keeper's footwork and handling.
These exercise are by all means not set in stone, take it upon
yourself to be creative with these exercises.
Then share your favorites with us.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 15, 2009) –
The 2010 WPS Draft is exactly one month away and WPS teams have
their eye on the best college seniors, as they prepare for the
2010 WPS Season.
With the college season finished, some of the top experts in the
women’s game weighed in on their “Top 5 WPS Prospects” by
position for the 2010 WPS Draft. Each week, a new position will
be presented, starting this week with goalkeepers: Ashlyn Harris
of North Carolina received three of five votes as the top
goalkeeper prospect for the draft, while Kristin Olsen (USC) and
Alyssa Naeher (Penn State) each received one first-place vote.
Top Prospects for the 2010 WPS Draft - Goalkeepers
Scott French, The Soccer Magazine
1. Alyssa Naeher, GK, Penn State
2. Ashlyn Harris, GK, North Carolina
3. Kristin Olsen, GK, USC
4. Kelsey Davis, GK, Portland
5. Mallori Lofton-Malachi, GK, South Florida
Others to Watch: Erin Guthrie, GK, Rutgers
Graham Hays, ESPN.com
1. Kristin Olsen, GK, USC
2. Kelsey Davis, GK, Portland
3. Alyssa Naeher, GK, Penn State
4. Ashlyn Harris, GK, North Carolina
5. Erin Guthrie, GK, Rutgers
Paul Kennedy, Soccer America
1. Ashlyn Harris, GK, North Carolina
2. Alyssa Naeher, GK, Penn State
3. Kristin Olsen, GK, USC
4. Kelsey Davis, GK, Portland
5. Erin Guthrie, GK, Rutgers
Dan Lauletta, Womensprosoccer.com
1. Ashlyn Harris, GK, North Carolina
2. Alyssa Naeher, GK, Penn State
3. Kelsey Davis, GK, Portland
4. Kristin Olsen, GK, USC
5. Erin Guthrie, GK, Rutgers
Others to Watch: Lauren Robertson, GK, Ohio State
Mark Rogondino, Fox Soccer Channel
1. Ashlyn Harris, GK, North Carolina
2. Alyssa Naeher, GK, Penn State
3. Kelsey Davis, GK, Portland
4. Kristin Olsen, GK, USC
5. Erin Guthrie, GK, Rutgers
Alyssa Naeher has played for the SoccerPlus Connecticut Reds,
played for Tony on the US U20 2008 World Championship Team and
is coached at Penn State by SPGS Director Mariel Wilner.
I am probably your oldest student (aged
48). I have participated in the NTC camps on three
occasions over the last 10 years. The last time I was
there (Summer 2007), I brought my son for the first time
to participate at age 13.
I had the unique opportunity to play for
Team USA at the 18th Maccabiah games in Israel last
summer, as one of two goalkeepers in the Grand Masters
Soccer event. For my 49th birthday, I am planning a
possible return trip to SoccerPlus, after the World Cup.
Here is a picture of me training with Red Bulls
Goalkeeper Coach Des MacAllenan. I'll be participating
with Macabbi USA next week at the King Cup in Las Vegas,
Nevada.
Jeffrey Cohn
Brooklyn, New York
Jeffrey:
It's awesome that you have so much passion for the game! We hope
all of our students make soccer a lifelong pursuit. Good luck
next week and we hope to see you this summer!
Coach and Staff,
Thanks so much for sending out the initial
schedule. We are pretty intrigued by the Bloomsburg University
camp. This camp is only a couple hours away from my brother's
house
in PA and also is not far from Hershey Park, so we are thinking
camp and vacation afterwards. She's pretty excited. She had an
absolute blast last summer and has been bugging me for the last
month about the schedule. She's looking forward to it.
One final note - she got to meet Briana Scurry
in DC last summer after doing a report on her at school. So she
was thrilled. I thought you might appreciate a picture.
Thanks again and have a great holiday season.
Michael & Kyra Vreeland
Arlington, Texas
Thanks Michael. You can tell Kyra that she and
Bri have something in common - they've both survived SoccerPlus
Goalkeeper School. Bri was a staff coach at SoccerPlus when she
was still a student at UMass-Amherst and during breaks with the
US National Team! Thanks for sending
the picture and we'll look for you guys in
Pennsylvania this summer.
Mariel,
This is Quinn McAnaney from one of the SoccerPlus camps at
DePauw last summer. I wanted to let you know that I just
received the All-Conference and All-Sectional awards for my high
school varsity soccer team this past season. I wanted to let you
know because I couldn't have done it without your dedication
this summer and for all the skills that I learned at camp.
You truly pushed me to be my best on the field and it definitely
showed throughout the season. I hope to see you next summer as I
will be ready to improve even more.
Thanks again.
Quinn McAnaney
Quinn, Congratulations!
We are so proud of you for taking your game to another level. We
can't wait to see what's in store for you. Keep up the
good work.
Follow Anthony DiCicco on Twitter
Did
you know you can follow SoccerPlus on Twitter, you never know
what might pop up on there first.
Are you a female? Are you IRish? Are you A Goalkeeper? Then Keep
REading...
Dave Clarke, Head Coach at Quinnipiac University
and scout for the Irish National Team program is looking for
you, if:
1) You were born in the Republic of Ireland,
2) You have at least one parent who was born in the Republic of
Ireland, Or
3) You have at least one grandparent who was born in the
Republic of Ireland.
If you or someone you know qualifies, e-mail Dave Clarke at
dave.clarke@quinnipiac.edu for more information.
The Starting Job for Aston Villa remains in the hands of the
"Human Wall."
by Alam Khan, January 4, 2010
It was eight years ago when an American goalkeeper walked away
with the man-of-the-match award as Blackburn Rovers ended a
74-year wait for success in a cup final.
Brad Friedel lived up to his nickname of the “Human Wall” when
he left Tottenham tormented in the then-Worthington Cup
showpiece at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Now rebranded as the Carling Cup, the same prize is once more
within reach for Rovers as they take on Aston Villa in the
semi-finals.
Only this time Friedel will be in the opposition dugout and it
could be one of his countrymen who upsets his former club.
Brad Guzan has become an influential figure for Villa in this
season’s competition. Four penalty saves in the shoot-out win at
Sunderland in round four was a particular highlight. He is well
aware that cup-ties are his best chance of appearing in the
Villans’ starting XI until Friedel decides to call it a day.
Many predict that might be next season when Friedel turns 39,
although he continues to defy his age and is one of the Premier
League’s most consistent performers.
Friedel has put that down to competition from Guzan, who covets
his idol’s place. “Brad has an incredible work ethic and I know
he is a very, very good goalkeeper,” said the Fridel.
Few would argue. In his handful of appearances since joining
from US side Chivas in the summer of 2008, Guzan, 25, has
offered Martin O’Neill, the Villa manager, an insight into the
future. It looks to be in safe hands. Barring injury or a
surprise change of mind from the Irishman, Guzan will be in goal
for tonight’s last four, first-leg tie at Ewood Park.
“He’s as big a reason as anybody that we’re there,” said
O’Neill. “His contribution at Sunderland was absolutely
fantastic. I’m delighted with him and Brad Friedel is playing
excellently at this moment as well, so I’m pleased to have both
of them.”
It will be the second time in four days that Guzan faces
Blackburn after Saturday’s 3-1 win in the third round of the FA
Cup. He played his part with a penalty save from David Dunn, the
only Rovers survivor from their cup-winning side in 2002.
“You get to a stage where you almost expect him to save the
penalties, which is rather unfair on him,” O’Neill said of Guzan.
Defensively, with Friedel or Guzan in goal, they have been
resolute.
Sounders GK Keller thinks 2010 won't be the end
By Tim Booth, Associated Press, October 20, 2009
TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) After 28 regular season Major League Soccer
matches, two international exhibitions and a run to the Lamar
Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey
Keller still feels pretty good.
Not bad for a 39-year-old. And it's making Keller more confident
he has enough left to play beyond the initial two-year contract
he signed with the Sounders that brought the Washington native
back after more than a decade playing in the top leagues in
Europe.
Having hinted that he would like to still be playing for the
Sounders when expansion teams in Portland and Vancouver are
expected to join the MLS in 2011, Keller said Tuesday he would
be "surprised" if he still wasn't in goal when a heated Pacific
Northwest rivalry is expected to begin.
"You never know what is around the corner, but I would feel a
little bit surprised if I wasn't still playing that year,"
Keller said.
The most capped goalkeeper in U.S. national team history will
wrap up his first MLS regular season on Saturday when Seattle
hosts FC Dallas. Keller and the Sounders already have their
playoff ticket punched, becoming just the second expansion team
in league history to qualify for the postseason.
Keller has started all 28 MLS games he's played in, missing one
because of a red card. His 0.92 goals against average and 10
shutouts are second in the league behind Zach Thornton from
Chivas USA.
Keller first got a taste of what the rivalry with the other
Northwest teams could be like during the third round of the U.S.
Open Cup in July when Seattle beat Portland of the USL's First
Division 2-1. The game played in Portland was greeted by a
raucous sellout crowd.
"I've hinted at it a lot of times and (general manager) Adrian (Hanauer)
and I have talked about it a little bit, although we haven't sat
down and truly discussed it yet," Keller said about an
extension.
Hanauer said later Tuesday the team will happily keep Keller
around as long as the goalkeeper feels he can contribute.
"As far as I'm concerned this is his home, and it's his goal and
as long as he wants to be here I'm assuming we're going to
figure something out," Hanauer said.
But if Keller returns for 2011 that might be it. He turns 40 in
late November and while he has been one of the top goalkeepers
in the league this season, Keller wants to make sure his skills
remain up to his standards.
"I've said many, many times I don't want to become that guy that
everyone said should have retired last year," Keller said. "I
want to make sure I am able to play at a level I expect of
myself and other people as well."
house
in PA and also is not far from Hershey Park, so we are thinking
camp and vacation afterwards. She's pretty excited. She had an
absolute blast last summer and has been bugging me for the last
month about the schedule. She's looking forward to it.
