New Rochelle Soccer News - cloudfront.net
April 4, 2008
Volume 1, Number 1
New Rochelle Soccer News New Rochelle Football Club (NRFC)
This news letter is published by New Rochelle Football Club (NRFC) City of New Rochelle
In This Issue
New York Noam Bramson Mayor
• Letter from Mayor Bramson • News from the President • “Adopt A Team” - A Call to Arms! NRFC Needs Your Support • Editor’s Note • Youth Soccer of New Rochelle (Rec) • Rec + Plus • An Ode to Coaching • Team Profile – New Rochelle Power • Where are they now? A conversation with Brendan Dunn • Team News • Sponsor Page
Dear Friends, It gives me great pleasure to extend greetings to the players, coaches, friends, and family of New Rochelle Youth Soccer. Your dedicated play on the field, great athletic skill, and exceptional spirit of teamwork have inspired our entire community. Sports have played a central role in defining our city for generations. By challenging themselves to be their best in athletic competition, youngsters often acquire skills of great value in every aspect of life. And, of course, soccer is among the most popular and accessible sports, bringing together players of every circumstance, heritage, and background, united in the common purpose of excelling and supporting each other. We can be especially grateful for the generosity of volunteers and donors whose contributions enable all children to participate fully in Youth Soccer. And we can be proud, too, that so many New Rochelle Youth Soccer members have reached the elite level of play represented by the Premier League. The City is committed to providing our athletic leagues with the quality playing fields and programming they deserve. I am especially excited about our ambitious plans to enhance City Park and ensure that it meets the recreational needs of our community well into the twenty-first century. Once again, my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all those who sustain New Rochelle Youth Soccer. Have a great season! Sincerely,
Noam Bramson Mayor
NRFC - Board of Directors:
News from the President
Michael Gallin – President
Welcome all to the very first New Rochelle Travel Soccer Newsletter! As President of NRFC, I am very excited about commenting on the current situation of our club and look forward to further columns where thoughts on so many items important to NRFC can be discussed.
Michael Manley Damon Maher David Diamond - Treasurer Nancy Dunn Gallin Registrar Dominic DeRocco Ilan Moallem Cengiz Selman Jim Roth Katia de Souza Malcolm Brown Martin Sanchez
Today, as the spring season begins, we must take note that the club is doing better than ever! Several years ago, when I came on as President, the Board took the direction to not only make this club very viable for the very serious soccer athlete, but also to have equal access to those who play the game for the love of it, and the social nature. I am very pleased to report that NRFC will be fielding 25 teams this season. Of those, 13 teams will be participating in Division 1 (or higher, i.e. Premier leagues), whereas the remaining 12 teams will be Division 2 (or lower, but with visible improvement across all age groups). So - together with you and with the support of our partners at the City Hall, Board of Education and Public Schools - we seem to have been able to achieve our goals! And, I do know that there is a lot of fun going on out there, not just soccer. Let’s keep it going! I would like to address a special group in our very first newsletter – the volunteers who give their time and effort to coach and manage all the teams. If the players are the bodies of the club, then these volunteers are the soul of the organization. In addition to the players themselves, these volunteers are the most critical to the club, WYSL and beyond for soccer to be played. They organize the teams, get rosters set, set up practices, chase field times, get equipment, worry about money - sometimes even throwing in their own money (unfortunately, the tooth fairy does not show up to give cash to soccer teams), coordinate the games, work with the parents of the players, worry about birthday parties, proms, religious ceremonies, the flu, vacations rain, parents late for practice or pick up, and the list could go on and on. And, they do it for the good of the children and the community. I am constantly thanking them for their invaluable help and support – if you want to thank a coach after a game or a practice for just showing up, that would put a smile on their faces. They are truly a gift to our community of New Rochelle! Have fun and score goals, Michael Gallin President – New Rochelle Football Club
Editor’s Note:
“Adopt A Team” - A Call to Arms! NRFC Needs Your Support
Welcome to the inaugural edition of NRFC Soccer News, a newsletter brought to you by the volunteers of NRFC Travel Soccer!
As many of you know, soccer is the #1 sport globally since it is rather simple, fun and allows so many to participate at a relatively low cost. At youth (and local) level, it does help form bonds among diverse groups while still allowing kids to play the game they love. It develops confidence and spirit for teamwork. Fortunately, we see the positive results and impact on our kids’ everyday!
As many of you know, NRFC promotes soccer as a fun athletic activity for our participants while encouraging academic excellence, fair competition and wide participation among our diverse community.
However, as many other things in life, playing soccer still costs money. While NRFC has mostly relied on the efforts of its large volunteer force, we still have to pay for fields, insurance, training, tournaments, equipment, etc. Our players contribute a lot but it is not nearly enough to reach our goals to make soccer much more affordable to all.
There are a lot of good things going on at our Club. So, we are very excited to be able to bring you up-todate information on our teams, players and the growing soccer community in New Rochelle. We hope that you will enjoy it. The newsletter is in addition to the communication efforts currently in place, which includes our much improved website (www.ysnr.org) and direct communications from the coaches and general managers of our teams. We look forward to your feedback, contributions and most importantly, your direct support of our teams and players. They work hard, have fun and deserve your support! Sincerely, Cengiz Selman NRFC Board Member Publicity Committee
As a result, every single one of our 25 teams needs additional financial support from our community and network of supporters. Today, we would like to launch a new campaign calling for direct support of our teams. All members of our community, whether they are families, businesses or organizations are encouraged to participate. Please consider contributing and passing this message on to those who may wish to contribute. In order for you to see the impact of your contributions, we also decided to make it simple. If you “adopt a team”, we will allocate the dedicated funds to the respective team and their specific needs. This may include selected assistance with team fees, tournament, etc. for that particular team. All donors will be informed how the funds were allocated at the end of the season providing full transparency. For this season, we set the minimum adoption fee at $1000 for our NRFC teams (and $2000 for Premier teams which have elevated needs). You can choose to contribute more, of course. In return, we will arrange a few special benefits for our supporters. In addition to recognition of your generous contributions, the benefits will include a session with the coaches (e.g. to hear about their plans, views, goals and concerns) and a few other surprises. For businesses supporting our club, we will also include your logo on our website as a supporter of our club. All you have to do is to select the team you wish to adopt (visit www.ysnr.org or see the list at the back of this newsletter) and subsequently contact David Diamond, our Treasurer ([email protected]). He will arrange for your contribution. If you do not wish to adopt a team but still would like to make a donation to support the teams or the NRFC, please follow the same instructions. We hope that you will support this worthy cause. We look forward to hearing from you soon! NRFC Board of Directors
A new program by YSNR Rec: Rec + Plus! Rec + Plus is a new instructional program being offered for 2nd grade Rec players interested in further improvement of their skills. The sessions will be conducted by the trainers of the STORM Academy. Open to all Rec players at this age group, Rec + Plus will mainly assist with player development but may help those considering playing more competitively in the Fall 08 Season. Rec Plus will take place Monday evenings, 6pm for girls and 7pm for boys, at Fosina Field. The program will commence April 7. For inquiries, please contact Akhil Bisaria @ 914563-1277 ([email protected]) for the girls program or Cengiz Selman @ (917) 3739204 ([email protected]) for the boys program.
Youth Soccer of New Rochelle Youth Soccer of New Rochelle, Inc. (YSNR) is a nonprofit corporation organized in New York. YSNR began as the Youth Soccer Association of New Rochelle in 1972. The current organization was formed in 1979. An excerpt from the founders follows:
“Our desire is to help the children of New Rochelle grow as individuals and as contributing members of a large community. Our success is measured by our children’s joy and enthusiasm as they participate in a healthy sport which brings out the best of their individual character and team work.” We endorse this spirit and desire to continuously improve the quality of this organization, the quality of the programs offered by YSNR and the quality of the instruction and play of our children in these endeavors. The Federation Internacionale de Football Association (FIFA) is the governing body for professional soccer around the world. They publish “The Laws of the Game”, a 43 page document that is available at the web site located at www.fifa.com under Regulations and Directories. FIFA’s rules are the basis for the rules applied by the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL). YSNR strives to provide a healthy, safe and fun environment for our children to learn the game of soccer. YSNR consists of two divisions: the Travel division and the Intramural division. We have adopted a holistic approach to our soccer program, consistently applying its philosophy in both the Intramural and Travel divisions. Intramural players in the younger age groups frequently develop into Travel players. Travel teams are registered in the WYSL, a regional component of the ENYYSA and the USYSA. The USYSA is a youth affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation, an organization designated by an Act of Congress as the governing body for soccer in the United States. The Travel division, which operates as New Rochelle Football Club (or NRFC), conducts a program for children selected to play on Travel teams for ages under 9 (U9) through under 19 (U19). The Intramural division conducts a developmental program for children from prekindergarten to high school age. The Intramural or “Recreation” division focuses on developing an interest in and learning the game of soccer. The Intramural Division loosely follows the FIFA rules. For example, depending on the age group, we may not play on a regulation size field; therefore, the number of players on the field will vary. For each age group, we have developed an informal curriculum with the assistance of the Storm Soccer Academy. The Intramural division has two seasons, Fall and Spring, each of which lasts 9 or 10 weeks. Our program runs on Saturdays and generally consists of two 30 minutes sessions: the first 30 minutes involve “skills” training provided by professional trainers from the Storm Soccer Academy; the second 30 minutes involve “games” or “gamelike” conditions in which two teams play against each other. Older age groups play full 60 minutes games. We focus on fun, skills, development, and sportsmanship and promote games in which the children have as many touches on the ball as possible. Each season, anywhere from 600 to 800 children play soccer in our Intramural program. NRFC currently has 25 travel teams registered with the WYSL. We estimate that over 1000 New Rochelle families participate in programs offered by YSNR. Run entirely by volunteers, we are a vital and growing organization that provides a productive environment for the children of New Rochelle to engage in healthy, social, athletic activities. We are proud of our program and the role that YSNR plays in this community. We invite each and every one of you to get involved and contribute to our continuous improvement.
An Ode to Coaching What is a coach? A teacher, mentor, counselor, psychologist, parent, sibling, friend, all of the above. Children learn from their coaches, whether it be how to kick a ball or play chess. What they learn often depends on the quality and ability of their coaches. What an awesome responsibility! Since children learn in different ways and at different speeds, it is difficult to generalize. However, I believe the following three “golden rules” apply to all team sports: -
Listen to your coach Play as a team Have fun
(Not necessarily in that order, as the more fun-loving players on my teams have reminded me.) If these three rules are followed, all other objectives can be achieved – strategy, tactics, skills, fitness, etc. Ah, but the real challenge awaits. What is the team’s objective – to win, to learn, to improve? At the travel soccer level, these questions are answered on a team-by-team basis, subject to the psychological and financial commitment of the individual players and their families. Thus, no two teams are alike. In some cases, players desire to achieve the highest level in soccer, whereas others simply desire to enjoy the camaraderie and the experience. The coach’s challenge is to engage every player and create an environment in which everyone is learning, improving and having fun. “Wow,” you say, “that’s a lot to consider, particularly since I’m a volunteer, work at a high pressure job, and travel frequently.” Invariably, coaches make sacrifices to meet this challenge. How often are you taking the “red eye” to make that afternoon’s game or leaving at the crack of dawn the morning after in lieu of a more humane flight? For others, leaving the office early to make practice means working into the evening’s late hours to complete the day’s projects or meet deadlines. The reward is a child’s smile, a hug and the words “let’s go dad.” Some of my fondest memories are those of my dad coaching me. Time shared as father and son was special then, and, in some ways, is even more influential now. Those experiences inspired me to coach my own children. Whether busy with business or pressed for time, “coaching” provides a few hours each week in which your child has your undivided attention. “Who are we playing, Dad?” “What time is practice?” “What are we going to work on today?” Familiar questions that demonstrate how meaningful this is to your child. So, the next time you’re rushing to complete fourteen registration forms, scrambling to find practice fields, frustrated by a referee’s calls, incredulous when one of your players asks “did you want me to bring the white jersey, coach?”, or simply tired from spending eight hours in one day on the soccer field, remember the smiles, the laughter, the learning, and most importantly, the time you spent with your child. Why? Because your children will remember and, hopefully, when it is their turn, they will share this gift with your grandchildren. Michael Manley Coach, Dad and Soccer Fan
Team Profile NRFC POWER, GU-11 The Power is an up- and coming girls’ soccer team. The team is mostly made up from fifth graders in various New Rochelle elementary schools, including Ward, Davis, Webster, Trinity and Jefferson. The current roster stands at 16 players. The girls finished the Fall 2007 season on a high note, allowing the least amount of goals in their division and beating the eventual Division winner in a thriller in the last game of the season. After an active winter program, Power is ready to embark on a new season well prepared. With its improving roster which has been strengthened by new additions, the Power is ready for the Spring 08 Season and beyond. In the Fall 2008 season, Power will be playing with 11v11 formation, according to WYSL rules for GU-12. The team expects strong tryout participation indicating increased interest in the team from our community and beyond (please contact our General Manager for inquiries). In the case of extraordinary interest, two teams may be formed at this age group. The roots of the NRFC Power date back to YSNR Rec League. Almost all of its players were active participants of the Rec Program. After tryouts in 2005, the Power was formed as part of NRFC Travel Soccer. The team’s initial coaches (Mike Manley, Cengiz Selman and Akhil Bisaria) have been leading the program since early days of YSNR Rec, assisted by a most capable General Manager, Lisa Sioufas ([email protected]). The team has also elected to pursue professional training and been actively assisted by Storm Academy’s DJ Rozueau since Fall 07 with excellent results. The team has its own weekly newsletter during the season and is active in fundraising to support its own training. The girls would like to thank all of their local sponsors, and BPR (B. Poole Restoration), in particular. One of the traditions of the Power is that you can see its coaches doing push-ups especially after wins or a well-played game. The girls have fun counting off every push-up as a group and never cut any slack for their coaches. The Power’s long-term goal is to improve to get back to Division 1. The girls certainly believe in their goals and work hard towards achieving them while making great friends along the way. The Power always plays as a team, never gives up and has fun! Come and cheer us on.
Where are they now? A conversation with Brendan Dunn We recently caught up with Brendan Dunn--arguably one of New Rochelle's most successful youth soccer players. His team travel team--the New Rochelle Raiders Captured 5 State Cup Championships, were Region 1 finalists 3 times, winning one. They also finished 3rd in the nation as U17s. His Super Y Team, Storm Academy, won the North American Championship and his current college team, Virginia Tech, finished 3rd in the Nation last year making it to the NCAA Final Four We asked Brendan a few questions: What are your earliest memories of New Rochelle Soccer? My first Youth team (U-6) was called the Crushers and we went undefeated and I scored 26 of the team's 30 goals that season. I still have the T-shirt from that team. In travel soccer, I distinctly remember our very first tournament--Yorktown Labor Day. We showed up never having played together and our coach, Howard Simon, brought all our equipment up in a cardboard box. We ended finishing second. We wanted him to keep that box forever. What were your impressions through U-11/12? I started playing Travel Soccer when I was 7 years old. By the time I was U11-12, I realized that soccer was something that I really enjoyed. We had some great players in New Rochelle that were my age and people were starting to notice us. We had lots of fun playing and winning. We won our first State Cup as U12's and that was a pretty exciting day. I had also started playing ODP that year and had made lots of friends from around the state. Which coach influenced you the most? I was blessed with lots of good coaches--starting with Howard Simon, a parent/coach who taught us the joy of soccer. As we got more serious Howard brought in Mike Jacobs who was the Head Coach at Iona College. Mike got us thinking that we could be more than just a local travel team. He made us think big. When Mike took a job in Indiana, Desmond Morris took over the team. Desmond was a great skills coach and he taught ball handling skills. But, by far the most influential coach I ever had was David Price (New Rochelle FC's current Director of Coaching). David really taught us the game of “football”. For the first time in my life, I really understood how the game was supposed to be played. It was also the first time I ever played on a team that was better than the sum of the individual players. He taught us how to raise the level of play of our teammates. When we were U-17's we had our most exciting year. After winning our preliminary State Cup games by a wide margin, we faced our long-time nemesis, BW Gottschee, in the finals. The game was scoreless with less than 10 minutes remaining. We managed two goals in the last ten minutes. We won because we had the better coach even though they had the better players. We moved on to Regional’s in Virginia Beach. After advancing out our group with an undefeated record, we played the host team Virginia in the semi-finals. With the score tied 1-1 and less than a minute left in double overtime, we scored on a corner kick. It was an incredible feeling. In the finals we won 1-0 scoring off a set piece within the last five minutes. We then advanced to the National Championships in Orlando, FL. We had a record of 1-1-1 and finished third. The same team was playing in the Super Y League. After winning the Eastern Division, we advanced to the North American Championship in Tampa, FL. We won our group and in the semi-finals we scored two goals late in the second half to force the game into overtime. In OT, we scored first to secure a place in the finals, which we won 2-0. That was an incredible year and could not have happened without David Price.
Where are they now? Brendan Dunn cont... How hard was it getting a college scholarship? Getting a scholarship is a lot of hard work and a lot of luck. The most important thing is to be seen by coaches that are looking to fill your position on their team. We were juniors when we had that incredible year and that is when the coaches look seriously at you. By that point, I had played for 10 years on multiple teams--Travel, Youth, ODP and International Select teams. I had pretty much dedicated myself to soccer. The Raiders were invited to a number of prestigious college showcases our junior year because of our past success. At one of those showcases the coach at Virginia Tech was there to watch one of the center backs. But, he also needed a goalkeeper and a left back. As it turned out the center back went to a different school but I and my teammate ended up at VT. It was all that I was looking for. It was in the ACC (the premier conference in men's soccer), it was a program on the rise and I would have a chance to play as a freshman.
If you have any questions for Brendan you can e-mail him at [email protected].
What is it like playing collegiate? Even though I got a scholarship, believe me if you are doing it for the money, it is not worth it. First of all, I will never recover all the money my parents spent sending me to camps, tournaments and paying team dues. Secondly, it is a full time job. I spend at least 40 hours a week playing soccer--so even a minimum wage job would get me the same amount of income. You have to love to game to play in college. I do it because of the thrill it gives me and the satisfaction of realizing your dream. I have traveled with my team to Europe, been on National TV and been in the NCAA tournament. It is a dream come true. As a goalkeeper there is a lot a pressure--particularly on the road. As a freshman I had some real highs and some disappointing lows. I started most of the games as a freshman, but I also spent some significant time on the bench. The same thing happened this year. It is something that I have had to learn to deal with. I know it has made me stronger. But believe me, it’s not all about the glory. What advice/tips do you have for the youngsters? The most important thing I can tell you is to have fun. In the end, it is your love of the game that will keep you at it. Don't let you parents and your coaches put pressure on you to do this or do that. If it is meant to be, it will happen. No one gets a scholarship based on how they play under the age of 16-17. Until then, enjoy the game. I would tell you though that if you are really serious about playing at the college level you have to do two things. First, find a great coach to play for and secondly get on a team that will be invited to showcases. Brendan Dunn: The former NRFC (and current Virginia Tech) player in flight
NRFC Team List: Boys Under 09 - Force Boys Under 09 - Rockets Boys Under 10 - All Stars Boys Under 11 - Barcelona
OTHER/TEAM NEWS: GU-10 Flash is interested in adding players to its roster. Please contact Coach Rob Feuer at - (914) 960-1424
State Cup Update - Clean Sweep by New Rochelle Teams on March 30!
Boys Under 11 - Yellow Eagles
The following teams advanced to Round #2. Congratulations!
Boys Under 12 - Superstars
BU14 New Rochelle Revolution BU13 New Rochelle Wolves BU13 New Rochelle Blast
Boys Under 13 - Arsenal Boys Under 13 - Blast Boys Under 14 - Warriors Boys Under 15 - Rapids Boys Under 19 - Crew Girls Under 09 - Thunder Girls Under 10 - Flash Girls Under 11 - Power Girls Under 13 - Fusion Girls Under 14 - MetroStars Girls Under 14 - Purple Power Girls Under 15 - Purple Tornados Girls Under 18 - Wizards Premier BU 13 - Wolves Premier BU 14 - Revolution Premier BU 15 - Chivas Premier BU 16 - Wildcats Premier BU 18 - Eagle Rays Premier GU 16 - Sonics
More State Cup games are on tap. GU16 New Rochelle Sonics GU13 New Rochelle Fusion BU15 New Rochelle Chivas
Please come and cheer our teams on! NRFC TRYOUTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN EARLY-JUNE. STAY TUNED! Reminder: STORM ACADEMY SPRING CAMP REGISTRATION IS CONTINUING. DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER – ONLY LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS AVAILABLE. The camp will take place at the Skidelsky Field during the school break (April 21-25). For further information, please visit www.ysnr.org/travel
NRFC – Sponsors Recognition Page
NRFC is looking for global sponsors to support the league for the spring season. Sponsor us and have your logo here. Please contact David Diamond ([email protected]) for further information.
Volume 1, Number 1
New Rochelle Soccer News New Rochelle Football Club (NRFC)
This news letter is published by New Rochelle Football Club (NRFC) City of New Rochelle
In This Issue
New York Noam Bramson Mayor
• Letter from Mayor Bramson • News from the President • “Adopt A Team” - A Call to Arms! NRFC Needs Your Support • Editor’s Note • Youth Soccer of New Rochelle (Rec) • Rec + Plus • An Ode to Coaching • Team Profile – New Rochelle Power • Where are they now? A conversation with Brendan Dunn • Team News • Sponsor Page
Dear Friends, It gives me great pleasure to extend greetings to the players, coaches, friends, and family of New Rochelle Youth Soccer. Your dedicated play on the field, great athletic skill, and exceptional spirit of teamwork have inspired our entire community. Sports have played a central role in defining our city for generations. By challenging themselves to be their best in athletic competition, youngsters often acquire skills of great value in every aspect of life. And, of course, soccer is among the most popular and accessible sports, bringing together players of every circumstance, heritage, and background, united in the common purpose of excelling and supporting each other. We can be especially grateful for the generosity of volunteers and donors whose contributions enable all children to participate fully in Youth Soccer. And we can be proud, too, that so many New Rochelle Youth Soccer members have reached the elite level of play represented by the Premier League. The City is committed to providing our athletic leagues with the quality playing fields and programming they deserve. I am especially excited about our ambitious plans to enhance City Park and ensure that it meets the recreational needs of our community well into the twenty-first century. Once again, my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all those who sustain New Rochelle Youth Soccer. Have a great season! Sincerely,
Noam Bramson Mayor
NRFC - Board of Directors:
News from the President
Michael Gallin – President
Welcome all to the very first New Rochelle Travel Soccer Newsletter! As President of NRFC, I am very excited about commenting on the current situation of our club and look forward to further columns where thoughts on so many items important to NRFC can be discussed.
Michael Manley Damon Maher David Diamond - Treasurer Nancy Dunn Gallin Registrar Dominic DeRocco Ilan Moallem Cengiz Selman Jim Roth Katia de Souza Malcolm Brown Martin Sanchez
Today, as the spring season begins, we must take note that the club is doing better than ever! Several years ago, when I came on as President, the Board took the direction to not only make this club very viable for the very serious soccer athlete, but also to have equal access to those who play the game for the love of it, and the social nature. I am very pleased to report that NRFC will be fielding 25 teams this season. Of those, 13 teams will be participating in Division 1 (or higher, i.e. Premier leagues), whereas the remaining 12 teams will be Division 2 (or lower, but with visible improvement across all age groups). So - together with you and with the support of our partners at the City Hall, Board of Education and Public Schools - we seem to have been able to achieve our goals! And, I do know that there is a lot of fun going on out there, not just soccer. Let’s keep it going! I would like to address a special group in our very first newsletter – the volunteers who give their time and effort to coach and manage all the teams. If the players are the bodies of the club, then these volunteers are the soul of the organization. In addition to the players themselves, these volunteers are the most critical to the club, WYSL and beyond for soccer to be played. They organize the teams, get rosters set, set up practices, chase field times, get equipment, worry about money - sometimes even throwing in their own money (unfortunately, the tooth fairy does not show up to give cash to soccer teams), coordinate the games, work with the parents of the players, worry about birthday parties, proms, religious ceremonies, the flu, vacations rain, parents late for practice or pick up, and the list could go on and on. And, they do it for the good of the children and the community. I am constantly thanking them for their invaluable help and support – if you want to thank a coach after a game or a practice for just showing up, that would put a smile on their faces. They are truly a gift to our community of New Rochelle! Have fun and score goals, Michael Gallin President – New Rochelle Football Club
Editor’s Note:
“Adopt A Team” - A Call to Arms! NRFC Needs Your Support
Welcome to the inaugural edition of NRFC Soccer News, a newsletter brought to you by the volunteers of NRFC Travel Soccer!
As many of you know, soccer is the #1 sport globally since it is rather simple, fun and allows so many to participate at a relatively low cost. At youth (and local) level, it does help form bonds among diverse groups while still allowing kids to play the game they love. It develops confidence and spirit for teamwork. Fortunately, we see the positive results and impact on our kids’ everyday!
As many of you know, NRFC promotes soccer as a fun athletic activity for our participants while encouraging academic excellence, fair competition and wide participation among our diverse community.
However, as many other things in life, playing soccer still costs money. While NRFC has mostly relied on the efforts of its large volunteer force, we still have to pay for fields, insurance, training, tournaments, equipment, etc. Our players contribute a lot but it is not nearly enough to reach our goals to make soccer much more affordable to all.
There are a lot of good things going on at our Club. So, we are very excited to be able to bring you up-todate information on our teams, players and the growing soccer community in New Rochelle. We hope that you will enjoy it. The newsletter is in addition to the communication efforts currently in place, which includes our much improved website (www.ysnr.org) and direct communications from the coaches and general managers of our teams. We look forward to your feedback, contributions and most importantly, your direct support of our teams and players. They work hard, have fun and deserve your support! Sincerely, Cengiz Selman NRFC Board Member Publicity Committee
As a result, every single one of our 25 teams needs additional financial support from our community and network of supporters. Today, we would like to launch a new campaign calling for direct support of our teams. All members of our community, whether they are families, businesses or organizations are encouraged to participate. Please consider contributing and passing this message on to those who may wish to contribute. In order for you to see the impact of your contributions, we also decided to make it simple. If you “adopt a team”, we will allocate the dedicated funds to the respective team and their specific needs. This may include selected assistance with team fees, tournament, etc. for that particular team. All donors will be informed how the funds were allocated at the end of the season providing full transparency. For this season, we set the minimum adoption fee at $1000 for our NRFC teams (and $2000 for Premier teams which have elevated needs). You can choose to contribute more, of course. In return, we will arrange a few special benefits for our supporters. In addition to recognition of your generous contributions, the benefits will include a session with the coaches (e.g. to hear about their plans, views, goals and concerns) and a few other surprises. For businesses supporting our club, we will also include your logo on our website as a supporter of our club. All you have to do is to select the team you wish to adopt (visit www.ysnr.org or see the list at the back of this newsletter) and subsequently contact David Diamond, our Treasurer ([email protected]). He will arrange for your contribution. If you do not wish to adopt a team but still would like to make a donation to support the teams or the NRFC, please follow the same instructions. We hope that you will support this worthy cause. We look forward to hearing from you soon! NRFC Board of Directors
A new program by YSNR Rec: Rec + Plus! Rec + Plus is a new instructional program being offered for 2nd grade Rec players interested in further improvement of their skills. The sessions will be conducted by the trainers of the STORM Academy. Open to all Rec players at this age group, Rec + Plus will mainly assist with player development but may help those considering playing more competitively in the Fall 08 Season. Rec Plus will take place Monday evenings, 6pm for girls and 7pm for boys, at Fosina Field. The program will commence April 7. For inquiries, please contact Akhil Bisaria @ 914563-1277 ([email protected]) for the girls program or Cengiz Selman @ (917) 3739204 ([email protected]) for the boys program.
Youth Soccer of New Rochelle Youth Soccer of New Rochelle, Inc. (YSNR) is a nonprofit corporation organized in New York. YSNR began as the Youth Soccer Association of New Rochelle in 1972. The current organization was formed in 1979. An excerpt from the founders follows:
“Our desire is to help the children of New Rochelle grow as individuals and as contributing members of a large community. Our success is measured by our children’s joy and enthusiasm as they participate in a healthy sport which brings out the best of their individual character and team work.” We endorse this spirit and desire to continuously improve the quality of this organization, the quality of the programs offered by YSNR and the quality of the instruction and play of our children in these endeavors. The Federation Internacionale de Football Association (FIFA) is the governing body for professional soccer around the world. They publish “The Laws of the Game”, a 43 page document that is available at the web site located at www.fifa.com under Regulations and Directories. FIFA’s rules are the basis for the rules applied by the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) and the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL). YSNR strives to provide a healthy, safe and fun environment for our children to learn the game of soccer. YSNR consists of two divisions: the Travel division and the Intramural division. We have adopted a holistic approach to our soccer program, consistently applying its philosophy in both the Intramural and Travel divisions. Intramural players in the younger age groups frequently develop into Travel players. Travel teams are registered in the WYSL, a regional component of the ENYYSA and the USYSA. The USYSA is a youth affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation, an organization designated by an Act of Congress as the governing body for soccer in the United States. The Travel division, which operates as New Rochelle Football Club (or NRFC), conducts a program for children selected to play on Travel teams for ages under 9 (U9) through under 19 (U19). The Intramural division conducts a developmental program for children from prekindergarten to high school age. The Intramural or “Recreation” division focuses on developing an interest in and learning the game of soccer. The Intramural Division loosely follows the FIFA rules. For example, depending on the age group, we may not play on a regulation size field; therefore, the number of players on the field will vary. For each age group, we have developed an informal curriculum with the assistance of the Storm Soccer Academy. The Intramural division has two seasons, Fall and Spring, each of which lasts 9 or 10 weeks. Our program runs on Saturdays and generally consists of two 30 minutes sessions: the first 30 minutes involve “skills” training provided by professional trainers from the Storm Soccer Academy; the second 30 minutes involve “games” or “gamelike” conditions in which two teams play against each other. Older age groups play full 60 minutes games. We focus on fun, skills, development, and sportsmanship and promote games in which the children have as many touches on the ball as possible. Each season, anywhere from 600 to 800 children play soccer in our Intramural program. NRFC currently has 25 travel teams registered with the WYSL. We estimate that over 1000 New Rochelle families participate in programs offered by YSNR. Run entirely by volunteers, we are a vital and growing organization that provides a productive environment for the children of New Rochelle to engage in healthy, social, athletic activities. We are proud of our program and the role that YSNR plays in this community. We invite each and every one of you to get involved and contribute to our continuous improvement.
An Ode to Coaching What is a coach? A teacher, mentor, counselor, psychologist, parent, sibling, friend, all of the above. Children learn from their coaches, whether it be how to kick a ball or play chess. What they learn often depends on the quality and ability of their coaches. What an awesome responsibility! Since children learn in different ways and at different speeds, it is difficult to generalize. However, I believe the following three “golden rules” apply to all team sports: -
Listen to your coach Play as a team Have fun
(Not necessarily in that order, as the more fun-loving players on my teams have reminded me.) If these three rules are followed, all other objectives can be achieved – strategy, tactics, skills, fitness, etc. Ah, but the real challenge awaits. What is the team’s objective – to win, to learn, to improve? At the travel soccer level, these questions are answered on a team-by-team basis, subject to the psychological and financial commitment of the individual players and their families. Thus, no two teams are alike. In some cases, players desire to achieve the highest level in soccer, whereas others simply desire to enjoy the camaraderie and the experience. The coach’s challenge is to engage every player and create an environment in which everyone is learning, improving and having fun. “Wow,” you say, “that’s a lot to consider, particularly since I’m a volunteer, work at a high pressure job, and travel frequently.” Invariably, coaches make sacrifices to meet this challenge. How often are you taking the “red eye” to make that afternoon’s game or leaving at the crack of dawn the morning after in lieu of a more humane flight? For others, leaving the office early to make practice means working into the evening’s late hours to complete the day’s projects or meet deadlines. The reward is a child’s smile, a hug and the words “let’s go dad.” Some of my fondest memories are those of my dad coaching me. Time shared as father and son was special then, and, in some ways, is even more influential now. Those experiences inspired me to coach my own children. Whether busy with business or pressed for time, “coaching” provides a few hours each week in which your child has your undivided attention. “Who are we playing, Dad?” “What time is practice?” “What are we going to work on today?” Familiar questions that demonstrate how meaningful this is to your child. So, the next time you’re rushing to complete fourteen registration forms, scrambling to find practice fields, frustrated by a referee’s calls, incredulous when one of your players asks “did you want me to bring the white jersey, coach?”, or simply tired from spending eight hours in one day on the soccer field, remember the smiles, the laughter, the learning, and most importantly, the time you spent with your child. Why? Because your children will remember and, hopefully, when it is their turn, they will share this gift with your grandchildren. Michael Manley Coach, Dad and Soccer Fan
Team Profile NRFC POWER, GU-11 The Power is an up- and coming girls’ soccer team. The team is mostly made up from fifth graders in various New Rochelle elementary schools, including Ward, Davis, Webster, Trinity and Jefferson. The current roster stands at 16 players. The girls finished the Fall 2007 season on a high note, allowing the least amount of goals in their division and beating the eventual Division winner in a thriller in the last game of the season. After an active winter program, Power is ready to embark on a new season well prepared. With its improving roster which has been strengthened by new additions, the Power is ready for the Spring 08 Season and beyond. In the Fall 2008 season, Power will be playing with 11v11 formation, according to WYSL rules for GU-12. The team expects strong tryout participation indicating increased interest in the team from our community and beyond (please contact our General Manager for inquiries). In the case of extraordinary interest, two teams may be formed at this age group. The roots of the NRFC Power date back to YSNR Rec League. Almost all of its players were active participants of the Rec Program. After tryouts in 2005, the Power was formed as part of NRFC Travel Soccer. The team’s initial coaches (Mike Manley, Cengiz Selman and Akhil Bisaria) have been leading the program since early days of YSNR Rec, assisted by a most capable General Manager, Lisa Sioufas ([email protected]). The team has also elected to pursue professional training and been actively assisted by Storm Academy’s DJ Rozueau since Fall 07 with excellent results. The team has its own weekly newsletter during the season and is active in fundraising to support its own training. The girls would like to thank all of their local sponsors, and BPR (B. Poole Restoration), in particular. One of the traditions of the Power is that you can see its coaches doing push-ups especially after wins or a well-played game. The girls have fun counting off every push-up as a group and never cut any slack for their coaches. The Power’s long-term goal is to improve to get back to Division 1. The girls certainly believe in their goals and work hard towards achieving them while making great friends along the way. The Power always plays as a team, never gives up and has fun! Come and cheer us on.
Where are they now? A conversation with Brendan Dunn We recently caught up with Brendan Dunn--arguably one of New Rochelle's most successful youth soccer players. His team travel team--the New Rochelle Raiders Captured 5 State Cup Championships, were Region 1 finalists 3 times, winning one. They also finished 3rd in the nation as U17s. His Super Y Team, Storm Academy, won the North American Championship and his current college team, Virginia Tech, finished 3rd in the Nation last year making it to the NCAA Final Four We asked Brendan a few questions: What are your earliest memories of New Rochelle Soccer? My first Youth team (U-6) was called the Crushers and we went undefeated and I scored 26 of the team's 30 goals that season. I still have the T-shirt from that team. In travel soccer, I distinctly remember our very first tournament--Yorktown Labor Day. We showed up never having played together and our coach, Howard Simon, brought all our equipment up in a cardboard box. We ended finishing second. We wanted him to keep that box forever. What were your impressions through U-11/12? I started playing Travel Soccer when I was 7 years old. By the time I was U11-12, I realized that soccer was something that I really enjoyed. We had some great players in New Rochelle that were my age and people were starting to notice us. We had lots of fun playing and winning. We won our first State Cup as U12's and that was a pretty exciting day. I had also started playing ODP that year and had made lots of friends from around the state. Which coach influenced you the most? I was blessed with lots of good coaches--starting with Howard Simon, a parent/coach who taught us the joy of soccer. As we got more serious Howard brought in Mike Jacobs who was the Head Coach at Iona College. Mike got us thinking that we could be more than just a local travel team. He made us think big. When Mike took a job in Indiana, Desmond Morris took over the team. Desmond was a great skills coach and he taught ball handling skills. But, by far the most influential coach I ever had was David Price (New Rochelle FC's current Director of Coaching). David really taught us the game of “football”. For the first time in my life, I really understood how the game was supposed to be played. It was also the first time I ever played on a team that was better than the sum of the individual players. He taught us how to raise the level of play of our teammates. When we were U-17's we had our most exciting year. After winning our preliminary State Cup games by a wide margin, we faced our long-time nemesis, BW Gottschee, in the finals. The game was scoreless with less than 10 minutes remaining. We managed two goals in the last ten minutes. We won because we had the better coach even though they had the better players. We moved on to Regional’s in Virginia Beach. After advancing out our group with an undefeated record, we played the host team Virginia in the semi-finals. With the score tied 1-1 and less than a minute left in double overtime, we scored on a corner kick. It was an incredible feeling. In the finals we won 1-0 scoring off a set piece within the last five minutes. We then advanced to the National Championships in Orlando, FL. We had a record of 1-1-1 and finished third. The same team was playing in the Super Y League. After winning the Eastern Division, we advanced to the North American Championship in Tampa, FL. We won our group and in the semi-finals we scored two goals late in the second half to force the game into overtime. In OT, we scored first to secure a place in the finals, which we won 2-0. That was an incredible year and could not have happened without David Price.
Where are they now? Brendan Dunn cont... How hard was it getting a college scholarship? Getting a scholarship is a lot of hard work and a lot of luck. The most important thing is to be seen by coaches that are looking to fill your position on their team. We were juniors when we had that incredible year and that is when the coaches look seriously at you. By that point, I had played for 10 years on multiple teams--Travel, Youth, ODP and International Select teams. I had pretty much dedicated myself to soccer. The Raiders were invited to a number of prestigious college showcases our junior year because of our past success. At one of those showcases the coach at Virginia Tech was there to watch one of the center backs. But, he also needed a goalkeeper and a left back. As it turned out the center back went to a different school but I and my teammate ended up at VT. It was all that I was looking for. It was in the ACC (the premier conference in men's soccer), it was a program on the rise and I would have a chance to play as a freshman.
If you have any questions for Brendan you can e-mail him at [email protected].
What is it like playing collegiate? Even though I got a scholarship, believe me if you are doing it for the money, it is not worth it. First of all, I will never recover all the money my parents spent sending me to camps, tournaments and paying team dues. Secondly, it is a full time job. I spend at least 40 hours a week playing soccer--so even a minimum wage job would get me the same amount of income. You have to love to game to play in college. I do it because of the thrill it gives me and the satisfaction of realizing your dream. I have traveled with my team to Europe, been on National TV and been in the NCAA tournament. It is a dream come true. As a goalkeeper there is a lot a pressure--particularly on the road. As a freshman I had some real highs and some disappointing lows. I started most of the games as a freshman, but I also spent some significant time on the bench. The same thing happened this year. It is something that I have had to learn to deal with. I know it has made me stronger. But believe me, it’s not all about the glory. What advice/tips do you have for the youngsters? The most important thing I can tell you is to have fun. In the end, it is your love of the game that will keep you at it. Don't let you parents and your coaches put pressure on you to do this or do that. If it is meant to be, it will happen. No one gets a scholarship based on how they play under the age of 16-17. Until then, enjoy the game. I would tell you though that if you are really serious about playing at the college level you have to do two things. First, find a great coach to play for and secondly get on a team that will be invited to showcases. Brendan Dunn: The former NRFC (and current Virginia Tech) player in flight
NRFC Team List: Boys Under 09 - Force Boys Under 09 - Rockets Boys Under 10 - All Stars Boys Under 11 - Barcelona
OTHER/TEAM NEWS: GU-10 Flash is interested in adding players to its roster. Please contact Coach Rob Feuer at - (914) 960-1424
State Cup Update - Clean Sweep by New Rochelle Teams on March 30!
Boys Under 11 - Yellow Eagles
The following teams advanced to Round #2. Congratulations!
Boys Under 12 - Superstars
BU14 New Rochelle Revolution BU13 New Rochelle Wolves BU13 New Rochelle Blast
Boys Under 13 - Arsenal Boys Under 13 - Blast Boys Under 14 - Warriors Boys Under 15 - Rapids Boys Under 19 - Crew Girls Under 09 - Thunder Girls Under 10 - Flash Girls Under 11 - Power Girls Under 13 - Fusion Girls Under 14 - MetroStars Girls Under 14 - Purple Power Girls Under 15 - Purple Tornados Girls Under 18 - Wizards Premier BU 13 - Wolves Premier BU 14 - Revolution Premier BU 15 - Chivas Premier BU 16 - Wildcats Premier BU 18 - Eagle Rays Premier GU 16 - Sonics
More State Cup games are on tap. GU16 New Rochelle Sonics GU13 New Rochelle Fusion BU15 New Rochelle Chivas
Please come and cheer our teams on! NRFC TRYOUTS WILL TAKE PLACE IN EARLY-JUNE. STAY TUNED! Reminder: STORM ACADEMY SPRING CAMP REGISTRATION IS CONTINUING. DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER – ONLY LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS AVAILABLE. The camp will take place at the Skidelsky Field during the school break (April 21-25). For further information, please visit www.ysnr.org/travel
NRFC – Sponsors Recognition Page
NRFC is looking for global sponsors to support the league for the spring season. Sponsor us and have your logo here. Please contact David Diamond ([email protected]) for further information.
