The Free Kick. Message from the Director of Coaching

Transcription

1 The Free Kick Volume, Issue eden Prairie Soccer Club March 0 In This Issue Message from the Director of Coaching Spirit Store Message from the President Eden Prairie Soccer Scholarships Your Soccer Investment 3-4 Director of Referees 5 EPSC Summer Camp Dates 6 EPSC Open Tryouts 7 EPSC Tournament Dates 8 Coerver Coaching 8 EPSC Banquet 8 Replacement Uniforms 8 Visit the EPSC website epsoccerclub.com Visit the MYSA website mnyouthsoccer.org Message from the Director of Coaching Dear EPSC Members, spring is just about here and we are all getting excited about the thought of outdoor soccer! Winter programs have gone very well! I feel our winter training program has hit new heights in both content and organization. As you may have observed, we have continued to mix Club Staff Trainers and Directors with team coaches, but on a more consistent basis. Team coaches are doing a great job of implementing Club training sessions and giving feedback on how things are going for their teams. I feel that players across the Club are having a productive winter and really improving their game. We have a number of very good coaches joining us this year and I welcome them to EPSC and I know our recent additions will help your sons and daughters further develop their skill set and enjoyment of soccer. In order to best prepare for Spring/Summer season we have booked more time than ever on the turf fields for our teams. The Pre-Season Training (PST) will continue on the good work done this Winter so that our teams are ready to compete to the best of our ability. Thank you for your support of EPSC! See you on the pitch very soon! Peter Reid Director of Coaching & Player Development Get Some EPSC Spirit! The Spirit Store is now open through March 5th. Production on all orders will begin once the store has closed on March 5 and will be delivered by April 5 (regardless of when the item was ordered). This style of batch production keeps costs down for the Club and you. Thank you to our sponsor! The Store will be open again starting at the end of July through the end of August for early delivery in September. Please plan accordingly for items you may want for the fall season. Please direct any questions to Chris Madison, our Director of Uniforms & Apparel, at uniforms@epsoccerclub.com epsoccerclub.com

2 Message from the President This past October, through the normal course of elections and as a part of the restructuring of the Club s board of directors, we bade farewell to six board members and welcomed three new ones. Our departing board members were Anwar Benamara (Premier/ C Commissioner), Tom Mellem (Director of Development), Mark Moore (U9-U0 Girls Commissioner), Mike Petersen (Referee Director), Mike Speak (Tournament Director) and Diana Warner (Uniform and Equipment Director). We are grateful for the time and effort that each has given the Club, with special thanks to Tom, Mike Petersen and Mike Speak for their involvement with the Club in a variety of roles stretching back over the past decade. Our new board members are Sam Bell (Academy Director), Dave Magnani (Tournament Director), and Jim Printup (Referee Director). We also added Christy Schively as the club s Sponsorship and Fundraising Coordinator. We appreciate their willingness to volunteer in these important roles to help continue the good work of the Club. As many of you know, our FunSkills Academy (FA) program is off to a great start. Funded in part through a grant from the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, our FA program is open to first and second grade children, and seeks to instill a love for the game of soccer and develop the core skills necessary for success as a player. of our FA program sessions have filled straight away, and we look to admit 50 players for the summer program (75 boys and 75 girls). I encourage you to read Your Soccer Investment about the value of the Club for cost of registration. Mindful of our member family budgets, we ve worked hard the past few years to provide more and higher quality program content for the same basic registration fee. The piece that follows helps to detail what is involved in running our soccer programs and how your registration fees support the Club. I think you ll agree that it would be difficult to find a greater value in youth soccer for the money than that provided by the Club. Spring is just around the corner, and that means that the outdoor soccer season is not long off. I look forward to a great season and I hope to see you on the pitch! Joe Young Eden Prairie Soccer Scholarships High school seniors are invited to submit their application for college scholarships to the Eden Prairie Soccer Scholarship Committee. The Eden Prairie Scholarship Program was established in 989 and has awarded more than $85,000 in scholarships to soccer players who demonstrate high standards of personal conduct, leadership and academic achievement. The Eden Prairie Soccer Club and the Eden Prairie Soccer Association will jointly award five scholarships totaling $4,000 to past and present players in either of the Eden Prairie organizations who plan on attending a - or 4-year college program. Details of the award criteria are on the application forms which are available at the CRC room at the EPHS or on the EPSC website Application deadline is April 3, 0 epsoccerclub.com

3 Your Soccer Investment The Eden Prairie Soccer Club (EPSC) is committed to providing a safe and fun environment for competitive soccer to players of all levels. A unified fee covers activities that build skills and provide year-round playing opportunities, quality coaching and officiating, and exceptional playing facilities. Winter Programs Technical Academy Winter Training Program Winter League Futsal League FunSkills Academy Team Training Individual Skills Training held in the Eden Prairie Dome and local schools Summer/fall Programs Positional Clinics Summer Camp High School Summer Camp Tryouts EPSC Spring Kickoff EPSC Prairie Cup FunSkills Academy MYSA League Play Midwest Regional League State and Regional Tournaments EPSC College Showcase additional Programs MYSA State Coaching Courses PACT College Recruitment Programs EPSC Coaches Seminar Referee Mentor Program Match Analysis Licensed Coaches Year-round playing opportunities EPSC teams compete in MYSA summer and fall leagues, tournaments within Minnesota and around the nation. The extensive Winter Training Program focuses on individual player development and team building. The unified fee covers MYSA league fees, insurance, field rental and officials. The chart below outlines the sessions available to players throughout the year that are included in the unified fee. EPSC members pay less than $3 a session for an average of 6 sessions per year. Any additional costs are kept to a minimum with additional fees often covering the costs of coaching and supplemental facility rental. Season Weeks Sessions per Week Sessions per Season Fall Winter 4 Spring / Summer Summer Camp 4 4 Total: 6 continued on page 4 epsoccerclub.com 3

4 Your Soccer Investment continued from page 3 Quality coaching and officiating Development of players depends on quality coaching and officiating. EPSC is dedicated to coach training and education, and referee development and mentoring. We have a reputation for some of the best referees in the state, and have an ongoing commitment to ensure coaches and referees are experienced, knowledgeable, and are good models for sportsman-like behavior on and off the field. Highly regarded playing facilities EPSC facilities are highly regarded in the Minnesota soccer community. With over 30 grass fields (three with lights), three turf fields (two with lights), the high school dome and 0 school/city gyms, there is a well-maintained facility conveniently located for all EPSC activities. Building athletic skill, character and friendships EPSC is committed to providing Eden Prairie youth with a first-class athletic experience, and the opportunity to participate in competition that builds athletic skill, character and friendships. With your support, we can continue to offer exceptional soccer programs, experienced coaching and knowledgeable officiating. epsoccerclub.com 4

5 Introducing Jim Printup, Director of Referees I feel fortunate stepping into the role of Referee Director on the Eden Prairie Soccer Club Board. I do want to thank my predecessor Mike Petersen for his great work as our soccer club has a very good reputation for high quality referees from around the state. I have witnessed this as a coach in our club for the past 3 years. I myself first blew a whistle as a soccer referee in 97. We have very good leadership here at EPSC. Matt Tiano is entering his second year as the referee assignor for our club. His first year was a great success! He has a great system for matching the referees experience and quality to the level of the game being played. This way more intense, higher level games will get more experienced referees and our newer referees will get games that will allow them to learn the art of refereeing. We encourage new referees to get involved and add to our program. John Hagenstein, as Director of Referee Mentoring, is heading the mentorship program, helping new and young referees learn some of the finer points of being a good referee while also maintaining the support of their efforts to keep them from falling prey to the occasional harsh coach or parent. Matt and John are aware that too many referees have quit mostly due to that lack of support or direction during difficult games. As part of our ongoing educational program, the Club will be sponsoring a mentoring clinic on April 4 where referees have the opportunity to be observed while refereeing a game. This helps new and younger referees better understand the techniques and skills of quality refereeing. They also will meet many of the 30 or so mentors that will be working with them throughout the season on the field. The Club will also be hosting eight referee certification clinics at the high school. I encourage all referees to register early as many clinics are quickly filled. The clinics are listed below: Sat /8 grade 8 entry level Sat /8 grade 8 re-certification Thurs 3/8 grade 8 re-certification Sat 3/4 grade 9 entry level Thurs 4/9 grade 8 re-certification Sat 4/ grade 8 entry level Sat 4/ grade 9 entry level Sat 4/ grade 8 re-certification The registration process is open and be accessed by visiting the Minnesota State Referee Committee website at: minnesotasrc.com. Younger referees just starting may want to start at grade 9 and upgrade to grade 8 next year. Referees with any experience might want to start at grade 8. If you have any questions, please contact me at referees@epsoccerclub.com. epsoccerclub.com 5

6 0 Summer Camp EPSC Summer Camp is a tradition of excellence in youth soccer development, a high-level, local camp for EPSC Members only. The camp is one of the featured highlights on the EPSC soccer calendar and affords players the opportunity to accelerate their development in season. The EPSC Summer Camp is included in the unified fee. We staff the camp with the EPSC Director of Coaching, Assistant Director of Coaching as well as staff coaches and trainers as well as featured guest clinicians. Our 0 EPSC camp featured Luis Rincon of Texas A&M and Lissette Brando, Portugese national squad member. Look for upcoming announcements of this year s special guest coaches. The camp is focused on individual development in the first few days and builds towards small group development culminating in the final days intra-club scrimmages. Registration is now open at EPSOCCERCLUB.COM Location: Fields U U7 BOYS WEEK Monday, June Thursday, June 4 Time Current Playing Level Summer 0 8:30 AM - 0:30 AM U, U, U3 Boys :00 AM :00 PM U4, U5, U6, U7 Boys U U7 GIRLS WEEK Monday, June 8 Thursday, June Time Current Playing Level Summer 0 8:30 AM - 0:30 AM U, U, U3 Girls :00 AM :00 PM U4, U5, U6, U7 Girls U8, U9, U0 BOYS & GIRLS WEEK UPDATE 4th DAY ADDED Monday, June 5 Thursday, June 8 Time Current Playing Level Summer 0 8:30 AM - 0:00 AM U8, U9, U0 Boys 0:30 AM - :00 PM U8, U9, U0 Girls GOALKEEPER CAMP Monday, June 5 Wednesday, June 7 0:00 AM :00 PM U U7 Boys & Girls epsoccerclub.com 6

7 Age Group for Fall 0 - Summer 03 0 Open Tryouts These tryouts are for all players wanting to play for EPSC teams forming for the Fall 0 & Summer 03 seasons. Tryout Schedule Playing Level Session Date Time Location U8/U9 Boys Gold, Maroon July 6 5:30 pm 6:45 pm U8 /U9 Girls Gold, Maroon July 7 5:30 pm 6:45 pm U0 Boys Gold, Maroon July 6 7:5 pm 8:30 pm U0 Girls Gold, Maroon July 7 7:5 pm 8:30 pm U Boys U Girls U Boys U Girls U3 Boys U3 Girls U4 Boys U4 Girls U5 Boys U5 Girls U6 Boys U6 Girls July 6 July 8 July 7 July 8 August July 8 July 9 August 4 July 8 July 30 August 4 July 9 August August 4 July 8 August August 4 July 9 July 3 7:5 pm 8:30 pm 7:5 pm 8:30 pm 7:5 pm 8:30 pm 5:30 pm 6:45 pm 6:30 pm 8:00 pm :00 pm :30 pm 9:00 am 0:30 am 3:00 pm 4:30 pm 9:00 am 0:30 am 5:30 pm 7:00 pm :30 am :00 pm 6:00 pm 7:30 pm :00 am :00 pm :30 pm 4:30 pm 5:00 pm 6:30 pm 6:00 pm 7:30 pm :00 pm 4:00 pm :30 pm 4:30 pm :00 pm 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:30 pm :00 pm 4:00 pm :00 pm :00 pm :00 pm :00 pm 6:00 pm 7:30 pm U7 Boys July 3 6:30 pm 8:00 pm U7 Girls July 8 July 9 9:00 am :00 am :30 pm - 4:30 pm To find players age group for Fall 0 Summer 03, click here to view the MYSA birth year guidelines. epsoccerclub.com 7

8 Mark your calendar for the Eden Prairie Tournaments! Spring KICKOFF: May 0 Prairie Cup: July 6-8 Coerver Coaching Summer Day Camp Featuring the Minnesota Stars FC in Eden Prairie July 9 3 The Eden Prairie Soccer Club is pleased to announce that it is co-hosting the Coerver Coaching Summer Day Camp scheduled for July 9 3, 8:00am noon, at Franlo Park in Eden Prairie. The camp offers a half-day Pro Camp for players ages 8 8, a half-day Keeper Connection Camp for goalkeepers ages 8, and a half-day Mighty Mites Camp for players ages 5 7. EPSC players who participate in these camps will receive a 5% discount (enter code club at registration) if they register by May (those who register after May will receive a 0% discount). Coerver Coaching has provided high quality soccer training in Minnesota for over twenty years. In addition to Coerver Coaching s certified camp coaches, Minnesota Stars FC players and coaching staff will attend the camp (as trainers and to make guest appearances). This is an excellent opportunity for Club players to receive top-level training outside of the Club and to meet Minnesota Stars FC players and coaching staff. Register Here Please join us for the Inaugural EPSC Banquet Thursday, April 6, 0 5:30 p.m. Social hour 6:30 p.m. Dinner Gather your EPSC soccer friends and teammates and enjoy a delicious dinner at Olympic Hills Golf Club, along with a silent auction and team fundraising opportunities. Need to Order a Replacement Uniform? If you are a current EPSC player that needs to replace a piece of the uniform kit, all orders should be placed through Eurosport. Order Here Adults $0.95, Kids ( & under) $.95 Detailed information will be ed to your team manager and posted on the club website, epsoccerclub.com. Click here to register. epsoccerclub.com 8