By Claudio Reyna
A player can always improve his fitness by working out hard. He can comprehend certain tactics by studying the game. But how far he goes will be determined mainly by how well he has mastered ball skills. Those are acquired by playing, day after day, year after year.
A player who really wants to excel will spend as much time as possible playing small-sided games when he has playmates, and juggling and kicking against the wall when he's on his own.
I spent a lot of time hitting the ball against the side of the house when I was a growing up. If my mother complained about the noise, I'd hop down the retaining wall at the end of our property to the office-building parking lot.
I'd use that wall -- hitting the ball with both feet, seeing how long I could return the wall's passes without losing control. I found out later that so many pros spent lots of their childhood doing that.
Dennis Bergkamp, the great Dutch striker who scored and set up hundreds of goals for Ajax Amsterdam, Arsenal, and the Dutch national team, said that when he was a youth player at Ajax, they had little three-foot-high walls. He would knock the ball against the walls for hours. Every time he hit the ball, he'd know whether it was a good touch or a bad touch. He'd do it over and over, trying to establish a rhythm.
Whenever I saw Bergkamp slotting a perfectly placed ball past a goalkeeper or making a precise pass, I thought of him practicing against the wall.
Kicking against the wall is an excellent way to work on improving your weaker foot. You can back up and practice shots on goal, or move close to the wall and work on passing, because where there's a wall, there's a teammate.
You can practice trapping and work on your first touch by controlling the ball before you kick it, or hit it back first time.
Passing the ball against a wall from close distance takes timing and coordination. Hit the ball faster, and you've got to react faster and get a rhythm going. It almost feels like you're dancing.
Practicing the correct striking of the ball over and over helps it become second nature. It has to be, because in a game a player doesn't have time to think about his form or approach. Under pressure, everything is more difficult. Mastering technique while playing on your own is the first step to being able to do it right in a game.
(Excerpted from "More Than Goals: The Journey from Backyard Games to World Cup Competition" by Claudio Reyna, courtesy of Human Kinetics.)
(Claudio Reyna was named the U.S. Soccer Federations's Youth Technical Director in April 2010. Reyna played nearly 13 years in the top-tier leagues of Germany (Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg), Scotland (Glasgow Rangers) and England (Sunderland, Manchester City). He represented the USA in four World Cups, and captained the Americans to a quarterfinal run at the 2002 World Cup, where he became the first American selected to the FIFA World Cup all-star team.)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Mission Statement Revised
Mission Statement: To facilitate individual player development through high quality training, coaching, teamwork and competition.
2010/2011 Infinity Coaching Staff Announced
Infinity SC is proud to announce our coaching staff fo the 2010/2011 season. Please click here to view the Infinity Coaching Staff.
Infinity Hires Marla Nelson as the Director of Goal Keeping
Infinity Hires Marla Nelson as the Director of Goal Keeping
Infinity is excited to announces that we have hired a professional and experienced Director for our Goal Keepers. Marla nelson is the Graduate Assistant at Utah State University and specializes in training the Aggie Goal Keepers. Marla will be responsible for developing and implementing the Goal Keeper Training Program. Specifically creating a curriculum for each age group as well as hiring/assigning goal keeper trainers that will help implement the program. To view Marlas profile, click here.
Goal Keeper training at Elk Ridge Park with Marla Nelson is now available - see the schedule
Infinity is excited to announces that we have hired a professional and experienced Director for our Goal Keepers. Marla nelson is the Graduate Assistant at Utah State University and specializes in training the Aggie Goal Keepers. Marla will be responsible for developing and implementing the Goal Keeper Training Program. Specifically creating a curriculum for each age group as well as hiring/assigning goal keeper trainers that will help implement the program. To view Marlas profile, click here.
Goal Keeper training at Elk Ridge Park with Marla Nelson is now available - see the schedule
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Infinity Soccer in The Herald Journal
Infinity has taken Cache Valley by storm
By Jason Turner
It's only been two years, but the Infinity Soccer Club has taken Cache Valley by storm.
The non-profit organization is already one of the largest soccer clubs in the Beehive State as 29 teams, consisting of athletes from approximately 300 families, compete under the Infinity name. Those 29 teams consist of boys and girls ranging from the ages of 4-19.
There are currently 20 coaches - all are licensed or are working on their licensing through the United States Soccer Federations (USSF) - associated with Infinity, four paid professional coaching directors and a seven-person board, which meets once a month and deals with the financial and business side of the club.
Because it was still green compared to other clubs around the state, Infinity is still evolving, but its primary objective will never change.
"Our real goal is to instill a passion for the game and a love for the game that (the youth will) want to continue to play and compete and represent their high schools and represent this community through their high schools, as well as reach the potential of possibly getting college scholarships if that's something they aspire to," said Jeff Ginn, the club's technical director.
Because Infinity - which basically originated when Soccer Academy and Valencia combined resources - has become the valley's biggest club so quickly, there have been concerns expressed by others in the community. Ginn is quick to stress he understands why people would be skeptical, but wants to dispel those misconceptions.
"There are people out there who look at us as a bad thing, and I can understand because there are a lot of clubs throughout this country that give club soccer a real bad name," he said. "We are not heavily into recruiting players and going and picking up players and doing those things that usually give clubs a bad name.
"... We want our product to speak for itself. We want people to understand who we are and what we're about."
The other big notion Ginn hopes to dispel is Infinity is an "exclusive club," and one that just cares about winning.
All youth from the valley are welcome to try out for one of the teams, and those tryouts, which happen every spring and fall, are currently taking place and will continue through June 4. As far as being obsessed with winning, Ginn said this is simply not true, particularly at the younger ages, where player development is by far the most important thing.
In fact, Infinity's Mission Statement reads: (Infinity's goal is) to facilitate individual player development through high quality training, coaching, teammate and competition.
"The beauty of the club is that we no longer care so much or focus so much on winning at all costs, which is quite frequently a big concern at the youth levels," Ginn said. "And our goal from the ages 8 to about 13 years old is to develop elite players that love the game, so when they get to 14, 15, 16, 17 and older, they're elite players that can play and dominate in the high school level, and if they so desire, earn a college scholarship."
Infinity is essentially broken down into three age groups/tiers, starting at the Academy Soccer level (ages 4-9). The primary focus with this age group is to teach the kids the fundamentals and skills of the sport and develop a love for the game.
The other two age groups, the Infinity Elite (ages 10-12) and Infinity Soccer Club (ages 12-19), are more geared for those who have the aspirations and skills needed to compete at district and state levels. Those in the oldest groups are involved in Utah State Cup competition, where they play in a league featuring the top club teams in the state - premier being the highest division.
Teams that are successful at that level earn the right to compete in regional and, in some cases, national tournaments.
As is the case with other clubs, Infinity players pay monthly dues, the cost of which is determined by age and the level of play. Club fees are always a dicey subject, and Ginn insists Infinity does its best to cut costs "without damaging the product."
In years past, many of the top players from the valley traveled to the Ogden, Salt Lake and Provo metropolitan areas to play on long-established club teams like La Roca, Sparta, Rangers and Storm. With the formation of Infinity, Ginn is confident similarly-skilled players can now stay in the valley and receive the same training and opportunities.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide the service so (the elite players) don't have to travel down there," Ginn said.
Over the past two years, Infinity has proven it can compete with those bigger metro clubs. In the spring of 2009, Infinity had a pair of teams (a U11 and U12 girls squad) advance to the finals of State Cup competition.
Three Infinity teams - a U11, U12 and U13 girls squad - are currently alive in spring State Cup competition and have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Some other Infinity teams have recently enjoyed a great deal of success outside the valley, including a Travis Baxter-coached U15-16 girls squad (champions of the Las Vegas Mayors Cup), the Caleb Cowley-coached U13 girls squad (runners-up at Presidents Cup in St. George) and a Jeff Woods-coached U13 team that ended up winning the Presidents Cup.
Infinity also helps give elite local players the opportunity to be a part of the prestigious Olympic Development Program (ODP). The ODP program is the starting point for the U.S. Soccer Federation in determining the national team pool, and who represents the country in the Olympics and World Cup, should they qualify.
There are currently 14 Infinity players who represent the Utah ODP team at their respective age group, and they are Stacy Bair, Jordan Houston, Jessica Brooksby, Kaitlyn McKuskey, Rebecca Jenson, Madilyn Klein, Taylee Halverson, Kylie Griffin, Kyler Erickson, Anna Davidson, Breanna Sims, Lexi Sims, Demi Lopez and Brynnlee Welch.
Bair and Brooksby are currently in the Region III - the country is divided into four regions, and each region has about 60 kids in its pool - pool, and Bair recently became the first valley player to receive an invitation to the National Development Camp. Bair, a sophomore at Sky View, was one of 80 kids in her age group selected for the national pool. Approximately 18-22 players are selected to the ODP state team at each age group.
Simply put, Infinity has helped local players earn respect and recognition from the rest of the state. Ginn recalled talking to an aunt who recently moved from New Jersey to Draper. That aunt has a son who expressed interest in playing club soccer, and when she told the coaches in the Draper area who her nephew was, she received some positive feedback.
"And he pretty much just (told her), ‘Infinity has given Logan an identity at the state level,'" Ginn said. "... We've been watching the athletes of Logan come in and do really well, but it seems like they finally have a focus and a large-term aspect to their community.' But it was a big compliment when ... the state soccer teams and clubs acknowledge Logan and Cache Valley and that the first thing they think of is Infinity soccer."
Another one of Infinity's primary focuses is teaching parents proper soccer etiquette and helping them become better "adult learners," which is a phrase coined by the USSF. Ginn described "adult learners" as parents who have a desire to learn the game and adapt to USSF guidelines and suggestions.
"At all sports, you see coaches and parents telling the kids what to do all the time, where to go, how to get there," Ginn said. "You here the words, ‘send it, shoot it,' so many times that the kids stop thinking on their own and they don't know how to make decisions for themselves.
"... (Our goal) is to teach them that the kids are smart, they'll figure it out."
Something else Ginn and Infinity hopes to accomplish is to unify the soccer community. When Ginn, a native of Orange County, Calif., moved to the valley a few years ago, he felt there was a bit of a division among those from the north and south ends of the community. The former Iowa Western Community College assistant coach - Ginn helped lead the Lady Reivers to a gaudy 70-9-6 record in his four seasons at the school - endeavors for players and coaches from all around the valley to "be working on the same page, have some synergy."
On the flip side, Ginn also feels club soccer has fewer issues here than the bigger metro areas in the state.
"One of the reasons why a choose to come to Logan or to accept this position was because I knew if we got in here and got organized that we could change the culture without a lot of conflict, because there was no major club in here winning all the time and preaching something other than developmental soccer," he said.
Another thing that appealed to Ginn about Cache Valley was its enthusiasm for the sport. Recent studies have suggested the valley has the nation's highest per capita rate of soccer players under the age of 13. Ginn went on to praise District 7 for doing "an amazing job of facilitating soccer for our rec programs," and for trying to adapt to USSF's policies and suggestions.
Perhaps more than anything, though, Ginn wants people to realize that Infinity's end game is to promote soccer as a life sport.
"Soccer is a life sport," Ginn said. "You go throughout this world and you see 60, 70-year-old men and women playing soccer still, and it's because they love the game. They may not have the mobility, but they can still play it.
"... It promotes healthy living, it promotes activity lifestyles. And with the obesity and everything that's going on with our culture, soccer can make such a difference."
Other directors for the club are Sherri Dever (Director of Coaching), Marla Nelson (Director of Goalkeeping) and Lisa Godfrey (Director of Operations). For more information about Infinity, go to www.infinitysc.com.
The original article can be found at: http://news.hjnews.com/sports/article_0688f02e-695d-11df-a7e9-001cc4c03286.html
By Jason Turner
It's only been two years, but the Infinity Soccer Club has taken Cache Valley by storm.
The non-profit organization is already one of the largest soccer clubs in the Beehive State as 29 teams, consisting of athletes from approximately 300 families, compete under the Infinity name. Those 29 teams consist of boys and girls ranging from the ages of 4-19.
There are currently 20 coaches - all are licensed or are working on their licensing through the United States Soccer Federations (USSF) - associated with Infinity, four paid professional coaching directors and a seven-person board, which meets once a month and deals with the financial and business side of the club.Because it was still green compared to other clubs around the state, Infinity is still evolving, but its primary objective will never change.
"Our real goal is to instill a passion for the game and a love for the game that (the youth will) want to continue to play and compete and represent their high schools and represent this community through their high schools, as well as reach the potential of possibly getting college scholarships if that's something they aspire to," said Jeff Ginn, the club's technical director.
Because Infinity - which basically originated when Soccer Academy and Valencia combined resources - has become the valley's biggest club so quickly, there have been concerns expressed by others in the community. Ginn is quick to stress he understands why people would be skeptical, but wants to dispel those misconceptions.
"There are people out there who look at us as a bad thing, and I can understand because there are a lot of clubs throughout this country that give club soccer a real bad name," he said. "We are not heavily into recruiting players and going and picking up players and doing those things that usually give clubs a bad name.
"... We want our product to speak for itself. We want people to understand who we are and what we're about."
The other big notion Ginn hopes to dispel is Infinity is an "exclusive club," and one that just cares about winning.
All youth from the valley are welcome to try out for one of the teams, and those tryouts, which happen every spring and fall, are currently taking place and will continue through June 4. As far as being obsessed with winning, Ginn said this is simply not true, particularly at the younger ages, where player development is by far the most important thing.
In fact, Infinity's Mission Statement reads: (Infinity's goal is) to facilitate individual player development through high quality training, coaching, teammate and competition.
"The beauty of the club is that we no longer care so much or focus so much on winning at all costs, which is quite frequently a big concern at the youth levels," Ginn said. "And our goal from the ages 8 to about 13 years old is to develop elite players that love the game, so when they get to 14, 15, 16, 17 and older, they're elite players that can play and dominate in the high school level, and if they so desire, earn a college scholarship."
Infinity is essentially broken down into three age groups/tiers, starting at the Academy Soccer level (ages 4-9). The primary focus with this age group is to teach the kids the fundamentals and skills of the sport and develop a love for the game.
The other two age groups, the Infinity Elite (ages 10-12) and Infinity Soccer Club (ages 12-19), are more geared for those who have the aspirations and skills needed to compete at district and state levels. Those in the oldest groups are involved in Utah State Cup competition, where they play in a league featuring the top club teams in the state - premier being the highest division.Teams that are successful at that level earn the right to compete in regional and, in some cases, national tournaments.
As is the case with other clubs, Infinity players pay monthly dues, the cost of which is determined by age and the level of play. Club fees are always a dicey subject, and Ginn insists Infinity does its best to cut costs "without damaging the product."
In years past, many of the top players from the valley traveled to the Ogden, Salt Lake and Provo metropolitan areas to play on long-established club teams like La Roca, Sparta, Rangers and Storm. With the formation of Infinity, Ginn is confident similarly-skilled players can now stay in the valley and receive the same training and opportunities.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide the service so (the elite players) don't have to travel down there," Ginn said.
Over the past two years, Infinity has proven it can compete with those bigger metro clubs. In the spring of 2009, Infinity had a pair of teams (a U11 and U12 girls squad) advance to the finals of State Cup competition.
Three Infinity teams - a U11, U12 and U13 girls squad - are currently alive in spring State Cup competition and have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Some other Infinity teams have recently enjoyed a great deal of success outside the valley, including a Travis Baxter-coached U15-16 girls squad (champions of the Las Vegas Mayors Cup), the Caleb Cowley-coached U13 girls squad (runners-up at Presidents Cup in St. George) and a Jeff Woods-coached U13 team that ended up winning the Presidents Cup.
Infinity also helps give elite local players the opportunity to be a part of the prestigious Olympic Development Program (ODP). The ODP program is the starting point for the U.S. Soccer Federation in determining the national team pool, and who represents the country in the Olympics and World Cup, should they qualify.
There are currently 14 Infinity players who represent the Utah ODP team at their respective age group, and they are Stacy Bair, Jordan Houston, Jessica Brooksby, Kaitlyn McKuskey, Rebecca Jenson, Madilyn Klein, Taylee Halverson, Kylie Griffin, Kyler Erickson, Anna Davidson, Breanna Sims, Lexi Sims, Demi Lopez and Brynnlee Welch.
Bair and Brooksby are currently in the Region III - the country is divided into four regions, and each region has about 60 kids in its pool - pool, and Bair recently became the first valley player to receive an invitation to the National Development Camp. Bair, a sophomore at Sky View, was one of 80 kids in her age group selected for the national pool. Approximately 18-22 players are selected to the ODP state team at each age group.
Simply put, Infinity has helped local players earn respect and recognition from the rest of the state. Ginn recalled talking to an aunt who recently moved from New Jersey to Draper. That aunt has a son who expressed interest in playing club soccer, and when she told the coaches in the Draper area who her nephew was, she received some positive feedback.
"And he pretty much just (told her), ‘Infinity has given Logan an identity at the state level,'" Ginn said. "... We've been watching the athletes of Logan come in and do really well, but it seems like they finally have a focus and a large-term aspect to their community.' But it was a big compliment when ... the state soccer teams and clubs acknowledge Logan and Cache Valley and that the first thing they think of is Infinity soccer."
Another one of Infinity's primary focuses is teaching parents proper soccer etiquette and helping them become better "adult learners," which is a phrase coined by the USSF. Ginn described "adult learners" as parents who have a desire to learn the game and adapt to USSF guidelines and suggestions.
"At all sports, you see coaches and parents telling the kids what to do all the time, where to go, how to get there," Ginn said. "You here the words, ‘send it, shoot it,' so many times that the kids stop thinking on their own and they don't know how to make decisions for themselves.
"... (Our goal) is to teach them that the kids are smart, they'll figure it out."
Something else Ginn and Infinity hopes to accomplish is to unify the soccer community. When Ginn, a native of Orange County, Calif., moved to the valley a few years ago, he felt there was a bit of a division among those from the north and south ends of the community. The former Iowa Western Community College assistant coach - Ginn helped lead the Lady Reivers to a gaudy 70-9-6 record in his four seasons at the school - endeavors for players and coaches from all around the valley to "be working on the same page, have some synergy."
On the flip side, Ginn also feels club soccer has fewer issues here than the bigger metro areas in the state.
"One of the reasons why a choose to come to Logan or to accept this position was because I knew if we got in here and got organized that we could change the culture without a lot of conflict, because there was no major club in here winning all the time and preaching something other than developmental soccer," he said.
Another thing that appealed to Ginn about Cache Valley was its enthusiasm for the sport. Recent studies have suggested the valley has the nation's highest per capita rate of soccer players under the age of 13. Ginn went on to praise District 7 for doing "an amazing job of facilitating soccer for our rec programs," and for trying to adapt to USSF's policies and suggestions.
Perhaps more than anything, though, Ginn wants people to realize that Infinity's end game is to promote soccer as a life sport.
"Soccer is a life sport," Ginn said. "You go throughout this world and you see 60, 70-year-old men and women playing soccer still, and it's because they love the game. They may not have the mobility, but they can still play it.
"... It promotes healthy living, it promotes activity lifestyles. And with the obesity and everything that's going on with our culture, soccer can make such a difference."
Other directors for the club are Sherri Dever (Director of Coaching), Marla Nelson (Director of Goalkeeping) and Lisa Godfrey (Director of Operations). For more information about Infinity, go to www.infinitysc.com.
The original article can be found at: http://news.hjnews.com/sports/article_0688f02e-695d-11df-a7e9-001cc4c03286.html
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Infinity welcomes MLS Cup to Riverwoods
By Jason Turner
sports writer
When the MLS Cup Tour makes its way through Cache Valley on Friday, representatives of Real Salt Lake - the reigning champions of Major League Soccer - will be there to make the experience extra special for several local youngsters.
Not only will the MLS Cup be displayed at five different elementary schools in the valley, it will exhibited for an extended period of time at an auction and dinner hosted by Wasatch Property Management and the Infinity Soccer Club.
The Cup can be seen by the public starting around 3:30 p.m., and the silent auction is scheduled from 4:30-6 at the Riverwoods Conference Center. Following the auction, Infinity SC - a non-profit organization home to 29 teams from the valley - will host a dinner from 6-8:30 p.m. Cost for the dinner is $20 and is open to the general public.
Jeff Ginn, technical director of Infinity, developed a friendship with RSL employee Scott Reynolds several years ago when Ginn was the head soccer head at Iowa Western Community College. Reynolds, RSL's sales manager, and Ginn were reunited when Ginn moved to Utah, and the professional soccer club and Infinity have formed quite the partnership ever since.
"When I moved back to Utah, we ran into each other again and reunited those ties, and so we've had a good relationship," Ginn said. "Scott Reynolds and I have had a really good relationship over the few years.
"... They've just really bent over backwards to be part of Infinity and reach out to our club. They've been very accommodating for us."
Those who attend the dinner will receive a Real Nation T-shirt, a ticket voucher for RSL's homer opener against the Seattle Sounders on April 10, and will have their picture taken with RSL's mascot, Leo the Lion, and the club's three trophies.
The other two trophies are the Eastern Conference Championship Cup and the Rocky Mountain Cup. RSL captured the Rocky Mountain Cup by winning the 2009 season series with the rival Colorado Rapids.
All proceeds from the auction - select items will also be auctioned off at the dinner - will go to Infinity. The club will use a lot of the money it raises to help parents with monthly dues, Ginn said, and Infinity plans on donating a portion of it to District 7 of the Utah Youth Soccer Association. Infinity also plans on using a portion of it to improve soccer fields and equipment in the valley.
Real Salt Lake has aided Infinity in its fundraising efforts before, and plans on contributing at least $10,000 to the cause, according to Infinity's Web site, www.infinitysc.com.
"Each team has the liberty of doing their own fundraising activities, from cleaning the Spectrum, from selling items like Fat Boy Ice Cream, so a lot of different individual team things happen," Ginn said. "We did one other thing with Real Salt Lake last summer. We had an Infinity Day, where we got a percentage of the tickets that we sold and our kids got to go play on the field during halftime and we got to walk out with the (RSL) players holding their hands in the pre-game, so there's a really neat tie with Real Salt Lake and Infinity Soccer already."
The fact that Bill Manning, president of RSL, will be a guest speaker at the dinner would attest to this. Ginn praised Manning, saying hearing him speak makes the cost of the event more than worthwhile.
In addition to honoring RSL's breakthrough 2009 season, the event will focus on the recent achievements of Infinity players. Each team will recognize an offensive and defensive MVP, plus give out a "Forever Futbol Award" and name a most improved player.
Infinity enjoyed a lot of success in 2009 as several of its teams did well in State Cup competition and 14 of its players were selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) pool at the state level. All of those players, plus coaches and board members will be honored Friday.
In addition to Manning, Sky View sophomore Stacy Bair will speak at the dinner. Bair, a mainstay in the regional ODP pool, recently returned from Coral Springs, Fla., where she was invited to attend the prestigious National ODP Development Camp.
Those interested in the event, Infinity members or not, can purchase tickets by calling Celeste at 750-5151or by visiting the Elements Restaurant.
Ginn made it a point to thank Wasatch Property Management, the Riverwoods Conference Center and the Elements Restaurant for making this event a reality.
sports writer
When the MLS Cup Tour makes its way through Cache Valley on Friday, representatives of Real Salt Lake - the reigning champions of Major League Soccer - will be there to make the experience extra special for several local youngsters.
Not only will the MLS Cup be displayed at five different elementary schools in the valley, it will exhibited for an extended period of time at an auction and dinner hosted by Wasatch Property Management and the Infinity Soccer Club.The Cup can be seen by the public starting around 3:30 p.m., and the silent auction is scheduled from 4:30-6 at the Riverwoods Conference Center. Following the auction, Infinity SC - a non-profit organization home to 29 teams from the valley - will host a dinner from 6-8:30 p.m. Cost for the dinner is $20 and is open to the general public.
Jeff Ginn, technical director of Infinity, developed a friendship with RSL employee Scott Reynolds several years ago when Ginn was the head soccer head at Iowa Western Community College. Reynolds, RSL's sales manager, and Ginn were reunited when Ginn moved to Utah, and the professional soccer club and Infinity have formed quite the partnership ever since.
"When I moved back to Utah, we ran into each other again and reunited those ties, and so we've had a good relationship," Ginn said. "Scott Reynolds and I have had a really good relationship over the few years.
"... They've just really bent over backwards to be part of Infinity and reach out to our club. They've been very accommodating for us."
Those who attend the dinner will receive a Real Nation T-shirt, a ticket voucher for RSL's homer opener against the Seattle Sounders on April 10, and will have their picture taken with RSL's mascot, Leo the Lion, and the club's three trophies.
The other two trophies are the Eastern Conference Championship Cup and the Rocky Mountain Cup. RSL captured the Rocky Mountain Cup by winning the 2009 season series with the rival Colorado Rapids.
All proceeds from the auction - select items will also be auctioned off at the dinner - will go to Infinity. The club will use a lot of the money it raises to help parents with monthly dues, Ginn said, and Infinity plans on donating a portion of it to District 7 of the Utah Youth Soccer Association. Infinity also plans on using a portion of it to improve soccer fields and equipment in the valley.
Real Salt Lake has aided Infinity in its fundraising efforts before, and plans on contributing at least $10,000 to the cause, according to Infinity's Web site, www.infinitysc.com.
"Each team has the liberty of doing their own fundraising activities, from cleaning the Spectrum, from selling items like Fat Boy Ice Cream, so a lot of different individual team things happen," Ginn said. "We did one other thing with Real Salt Lake last summer. We had an Infinity Day, where we got a percentage of the tickets that we sold and our kids got to go play on the field during halftime and we got to walk out with the (RSL) players holding their hands in the pre-game, so there's a really neat tie with Real Salt Lake and Infinity Soccer already."
The fact that Bill Manning, president of RSL, will be a guest speaker at the dinner would attest to this. Ginn praised Manning, saying hearing him speak makes the cost of the event more than worthwhile.
In addition to honoring RSL's breakthrough 2009 season, the event will focus on the recent achievements of Infinity players. Each team will recognize an offensive and defensive MVP, plus give out a "Forever Futbol Award" and name a most improved player.
Infinity enjoyed a lot of success in 2009 as several of its teams did well in State Cup competition and 14 of its players were selected to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) pool at the state level. All of those players, plus coaches and board members will be honored Friday.
In addition to Manning, Sky View sophomore Stacy Bair will speak at the dinner. Bair, a mainstay in the regional ODP pool, recently returned from Coral Springs, Fla., where she was invited to attend the prestigious National ODP Development Camp.
Those interested in the event, Infinity members or not, can purchase tickets by calling Celeste at 750-5151or by visiting the Elements Restaurant.
Ginn made it a point to thank Wasatch Property Management, the Riverwoods Conference Center and the Elements Restaurant for making this event a reality.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
SV’s (and Infinity's) Bair invited to a prestigious national camp
Stacy Bair has dreams of playing soccer at a very high level, including aspirations of one day suiting up for the U.S. National team.As lofty as that might appear, the Sky View sophomore certainly appears to be on the right track.
Bair received some big news recently when she was invited to represent Region IV at the National Development Camp Feb. 16-20 in Coral Springs, Fla. Bair left Cache Valley at 3 a.m. today for the Sunshine State.
Only 17 players from Region IV — which consists of 12 western states — were invited to attend this development camp for the U16 National team, and Bair is believed to be the first one ever from Cache Valley, according to Bair’s mother, Janet, and local club soccer coach Robson Chaves.
Needless to say, Bair is ecstatic for the opportunity to join such a select group of players. Bair caught word of the invitation when Janet Bair received an e-mail from Joyce Bordley, the girls administrator for Region IV’s Olympic Development Program (ODP).
“I was really excited,” Stacy Bair said. “I was a little nervous because I didn’t know if anybody that I knew would be going ... but then I found out that there were a couple people that I know who are going to the same camp, so I would be fine.”
Bair caught the attention of scouts for the camp by showcasing her ability at the Region IV ODP Championships, Jan. 16-19 in Phoenix. The striker played for the Utah 94 team and was a big reason the squad from the Beehive State advanced to the championship match.
During Utah’s five matches, Bair scored three goals and assisted on two others. Utah battled perennial power California South tooth and nail twice in the tournament, losing 1-0 in group play and in the finals.
Fellow Sky View forward Jessica Brooksby was also on the team, which notched victories over New Mexico (2-1) and Washington (5-0) after a tough 2-1 setback to Arizona.
Brooksby, a freshman, also played well in Phoenix, scoring a goal en route to being named to the 94 all-tournament first team.
Bair also played on the 94 squad a year ago, helping it advance to the championship match, as well. That team was handily beaten by California South 4-1 for the title, but Utah was a lot more competitive this time around.
The Richmond native credited better team cohesion and new head coach Heather Cairns and her staff for Utah 94’s improvement.
“I think that we just had better organization than we did last year, and the coaching was better this year, I thought,” Bair said. “And we played more as a team because we got to know each other better than last year.
“Because it was all kind of just put together (last year) and we didn’t know each other that well, but this year was a lot better, I felt.”
Joining Bair at the national camp is fellow Utah 94 teammate Maris Hamblin (Lone Peak), and Juan Diego products Monique Morrison and Victoria Shimkus. Morrison and Shimkus both played for Utah 93 at the recent ODP tournament, and all four players are in the Region IV ODP pool for their respective age groups.
As a sophomore for Sky View, Bair was one of the 4A’s most dangerous strikers. Bair led the Bobcats in goals and assists with 11 and seven, respectively.
Bair’s success has led to opportunities to attend several camps throughout the country, in addition to the national camp. The costs involved with Bair’s soccer endeavors are starting to take their toll, however. As a result, the Bair family is looking for local businesses to help sponsor the camps.
“You want to give them every opportunity to succeed,” said Janet Bair, who made it a point to thank all of those who have helped fund Stacy’s trips.
The original article can be found by clicking here.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
USU Autographs for Infinity Soccer
On Tuesday, January 26th the U10 Girls were invited to come 20 minutes early, to their scheduled training session, to watch the Utah State University Aggies Women's Soccer team finish up training. The young Infinity Girls were captivated by the speed and intensity that the Lady Aggies were demonstrating right in front of them. The lady Aggies were intense, focused and skilled. It was fun for coaches, players and some parents to see what the college level of training is like.
The opportunity to meet someone that you admire, or find a new hero is priceless. As the Lady Aggies completed their training, the Infinity girls waited patiently to receive autographs from the finest soccer players in our community.
Not only do the Lady Aggies get to feel like rock stars to ten your old girls that admire them for 15 minutes, they get the recognition that they deserve. It is our hope as the premier soccer club in Cache Valley to continue to build a strong relationship with the USU Soccer program.
Much thanks to the Lady Aggies, Coach, Heather Cairns, Coach Josh Walters, Coach Marla Nelson and the USU staff that has made it possible for us to use the Stan Laub Center.
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