SilosBy Sam Snow
I've been traveling consistently since the first of 2009 to a variety of soccer events. I've been to Orlando, Florida; Antalya, Turkey; St. Louis, Missouri; Greensboro, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Anchorage, Alaska; Pomona, California; Los Angles, California; Warwick, Rhode Island and now I'm on my way to San Jose, California, for the 2009 US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop.
One of the things I have noticed in these travels is the shared passion for soccer of the many people I meet. They all are committed to the game, but not just the game, instead the people in it. While everyone in soccer across the world has their differences with one another the majority truly care about the people in the game.
I have noticed too that many folks are sure that somehow they and their situation are different when in fact they are all the same. Regularly, I hear soccer folks say to me things such as - Well coach, you have to understand that around here our parents are really competitive and they just don't like the idea of not keeping score for their six-year-old. It is an eye-opener for them to hear that everyone in youth soccer in the USA says the same thing. When I tell them that some get it and others are still convinced they are somehow different. The only difference in American youth soccer circumstances is the size of the state and occasionally the accent. Otherwise we are all in the same youth soccer boat with similar successes and challenges.
We must break down the silos that we have built up around us and build one huge team that is soccer in America. It doesn't matter what your role is in the game you are part of the team. Every team member has something to contribute and every team member should be respected for their contribution. All aspects of the game are interlocked like the Olympic rings. You may be in one of the rings furthest from the opposite end, but you are still interlocked. Soccer in our nation still has many hurdles to overcome and we must not be hurdles to one another or create our own hurdles. So let's begin in 2009 to tear down the silos and build our team.
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I want to add, that Infinity Soccer respects what others do in our community at any and every level. We encourage anything that promotes kids playing soccer. We are huge advocates of District 7 and the Utah Youth Soccer Association. There are many great ideas regarding how to go about developing soccer in our country. Infinity Soccer strives to stay informed and up to date with current trends on U.S. Youth Soccer so OUR kids and families have the best opportunity to play and compete at every level. As we look towards the future, we hope that everyone will acknowledge the impressive past of Cache Valley soccer. But the past is the past and the opportunities are there for us to play catch up with the rest of the state and the rest of the nation by creating a more passionate soccer culture in our own backyard.
We are excited about the development of soccer in the U.S., the region, Utah and most importantly Cache Valley and its surrounding communities. The future is bright and the limits are endless. We hope you will attend the Annual Parent meeting on March 31st and or April 1st to hear more about the direction Infinity is going.
Thank you for supporting soccer at whatever level you contribute to this beautiful game...thank you!
2 comments:
Mar 4 2009, 12:00 AM Cy Comment #1
Sam, always enjoy your posts! I just wrote a little piece on the positives and negatives of competition for younger players, which is a topic that seems to be popping up everywhere these days. I know you guys favor non-competitive tournys for the younger kids, but do you think there is a counter argument to be made, or at maybe a redefinition of competition? -Cy
Hi Cy, I think you're going in the right direction with a definition of competitive. US Youth Soccer is not against competitive tournaments or matches. We do believe though that for U10 and younger age groups the kids should be in a non-results enviroment. ALL soccer is competitive, regardless of the age or level of play. Two five-years-olds chasing after the ball and trying to get it from one another is competitive ... for them. It may not look like an adult match in that sense of competiton, but it is a competitive situation for those children. Competiton is not the issue, but instead it is the over-emphasis on the results of the match. We adults focus too much on the outcome of play. Instead with preteen players the focus should be on the PROCESS of play. As Jay Miller, one of our former U20 Men's National Team coaches, says, "We are asking our players to compete before they have learned how to play." Learning how to play to win must be proceeded by learning how to play your best. Keep Kicking, Sam
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