Well, the regular season is winding down.  You can see how the whole club is doing here: http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/standsum/standingclub.cfm?c=VLY

 

.  And how about those GU14C3!  8-0 in league with 19 goals scored and 0 goals scored against!


   The weather is getting hot (finally!), so please see the article below about hydration.

   Also, please remember that we need a coaching application and completed player evaluations from all current head coaches by July 31, before you can participate in team selections.

   Barry

1. post-season play
2. player evals
3. coaching applications
4. tryouts and team selection

5. Coach/Club evaluation survey.
6. More advice on the Offside violation

7. Article of the month - Keeping the Intensity during a game
8. Hydration

1.
post-season play
   League Playoff, Regional, and State Championship brackets are posted for U11 and older.
Districts/League Playoffs: http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/events/playoffs.cfm

 
Regionals and States: http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/events/state.cfm


   Good luck to all our teams in post-season play!

2. player evals and keeper evals
   Please remember that all head coaches must submit player evaluations to your director (Chris or Craig).  All the info is here: http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/

 

.  In particular, the eval spread sheet is here: http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/VUSC_Player_Evaluation.xls

 

  The directions are here: http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/VUSC_Player_Eval_instructions.html

 

.  Please put all your evals into one spreadsheet by creating a separate tab for each player.
   Also, if you would like to evaluate your keepers separately, Marc Sutton has provided two formats that work well.  These are also on the coaching page at http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/

 

.  Note that the keeper evals are for you and your keepers.  Your keepers should still be evaluated on the regular player eval spreadsheet.

3. coaching applications
   Anyone who would like to be a head coach for the 2010 soccer season (which includes fall 2009 and summer 2010) must fill out a coaching application here: http://www.spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=poKzIi4WWb3LxUfmivPvsBQ&email=true
   Assistant coach candidates are welcome to fill out an application as well.

   Remember... you must have turned in your player evaluations and have a coaching application on file by July 31 in order to participate in tryouts and team selections on Aug 2 and Aug 4.

4. tryouts, team selection, and coach selection
   Please check the tryout information at http://www.vusc.org/page/show/9530-tryout-information

 

.  If your player evaluations and coaching application are on file then the head coach may observe the tryouts for their age group.  The head coach may choose to invite the assistant coach(es).
   As noted above, head coaches who have their paperwork in may participate in the team selection process Aug 2 or Aug 4.  The head coach may choose to invite the assistant coach(es).
   A reminder also that the VUSC board selects head coaches.  Then the selected head coaches may select their asst coach(es), with board approval.  Coaching an age level in a previous season does not automatically give a coach that same assignment for the next season.

5. Coach/Club evaluation survey.
   In the next week or so, all parents will receive the link to the online coach/club evaluation survey.  Please encourage your team parents to fill out the survey.  We need everyone's feedback to make the club the best it can be!

6. More advice on the Offside violation

   More interesting advice on the Offside violation.  I don't really like where the new rules have taken us.  It's fine for the international level, but IMHO doesn't fit the spirit of the youth game.

 

   Barry

 

DELIBERATE HANDLING VS. OFFSIDE — NEW INTERPRETATION
June 9, 2009

Question:
A pass from a teammate goes to an attacker in an offside position.  Only this attacker is in the area of the pass and it is clear that the pass was intended for this attacker.  While the ball is in the air, a defender reaches up and handles the ball to prevent it reaching this attacker.  Should we call the handling foul even though we know that we will call this attacker for an offside violation if the ball reaches him?

USSF answer (June 9 2009):
ATTENTION!!! All referees please note that this answer involves a change in prior guidance due to the evolving interpretation of the offside offense by the International Football Association (the people who make the Laws).

Back in “the good old days,” pre-2008, it would have been simple: Punish the offside (interfering with play) and award the indirect free kick to the defender’s team, but caution the defender for unsporting behavior for the deliberate handling of the ball. This was based on the argument that the offside offense occurred first and, since it was going to be called because the pass was clearly “going to” the attacker, the referee’s decision to accept the AR’s flag for the offside stopped play and the handling therefore occurred during a stoppage.  The caution was for unsporting behavior since it was the defender’s intention
to “interfere with attacking play.”

Now, however, in the modern, post-2008 era, we are unable to do this because the offside offense has become somewhat more complicated. Under current guidance for deciding if an attacker in an offside position has interfered with play, we look to whether or not the attacker makes contact with the ball (not counting the possibility that the attacker’s actions might be considered to have interfered with an opponent).  We must remember that, despite the intentions of the teammate and despite how clearly the ball is “going to” the attacker, that attacker could still decide not to interfere with play by avoiding all contact with the ball.  That “pass to the attacker” by itself does not constitute interfering with play.  Consequently, based solely on that “pass to the attacker,” the AR should not raise the flag for an offside violation,
so we are left with the handling offense — direct free kick (or penalty kick if the handling occurred in the defender’s penalty area).  The referee should still caution the defender for the tactical foul.  If the AR does mistakenly raise the flag based solely on the pass, the referee should wave it down and proceed as indicated to deal with the handling.


7. Article of the month - Keeping the Intensity during a game

How many times have you seen a team start a game by playing high level soccer.  They look like they are going to completely dominate the entire game. They score an early goal, keep playing well and the next thing you know it, they have their second goal and are winning 2-0. The team then relaxes because they have been playing so well and while they still try to attack, they have lost their intensity.  Next thing you know, they have conceded a goal and now it's 2-1 in their favor.  However, there is a little bit of panic setting in.  The score goes to 2-2 and the team that started off "on fire" can't get their momentum back and the next thing you know they have lost 3-2.

The mistake that is made is the belief that teams can turn on and off their intensity whenever they want.

The reality is, it's unusual for a team to be able to regain the momentum they had once they lose it.

It's much easier to keep playing hard, even if it means changing the style of play somewhat.  If you want to pull back into a more defensive formation, that is fine but it's important to keep the intensity high and to keep playing hard.

Typically, when you see a team start to lose their intensity, it only takes one player to remind the players to keep working hard. It's not so much what that player says but rather, what they do.  One hard tackle (not dirty but hard), one hard sprint to keep a ball in play can remind the teammates to keep the intensity up.  Once it's lost, one or two players can't turn it on for the whole team.  The entire team would need to do it and even then, there is no guarantee it will work.

When teams realize they have lost their intensity and try to get it back, it's quite common for panic to set in instead.

It's much easier to keep the intensity up, once you have it, then to regain the intensity once you have lost it.

Remember, one person, one player, one coach can make a big difference in keeping the intensity on high.

Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to Lawrence@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer Forum

To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters please click here

8. Hydration - from the Soccer-Ref-L

Here's some good info that Chicago recently put up on the web for USSF refs
<http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_14942242.html> .
It's useful for anybody.

=========================================

Hydration: Preparation and Warning Signs
Forget about every other question that you have about nutrition until you’ve figured out how to stay hydrated. Being smart about hydration can separate good performance from great performance.

You are mostly water. In fact, if you took the water out of a 180-pound lean body, there would be about 55 pounds left. Because your muscles, your brain, your blood and sweat are mostly water, your body doesn’t work like it should when it is not properly hydrated. You don’t think as clearly, your endurance is compromised and your heart works harder.

When you’re severely dehydrated, sweating stops and your body overheats. The  result is fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and collapse, or worse. In fact, every year, deaths in young healthy athletes are linked to severe dehydration.

Sweat It Out
Sometimes you don’t even see sweat, like when you swim. But you sweat  whenever your body heats up from working out. Sweat is your body’s cooling system. Evaporation of sweat from your skin cools you down.

When you sweat, you lose fluid from your body. That fluid must be replaced, and replacing fluids takes a plan.

Dehydration: A shortage of fluids in the body.

Don’t Rely on Thirst
You might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? Won’t drinking when I’m thirsty guarantee that I’m hydrated?” Surprisingly, no. During exercise, for reasons not totally understood, humans don’t drink enough to prevent dehydration. You need to drink before you’re thirsty and keep drinking after you no longer feel thirsty.

Drink It In
Forget about the old rule of drinking 8 glasses of water per day. You probably need more than that on most days. Counting how many glasses you drink is only one way of keeping track of what you need. A better way of making sure you’re hydrated is to check your body weight before and after practice. For accuracy, weigh yourself in minimal clothing if there’s
privacy, and afterwards, change out of the sweaty clothing before you weigh.  The weight lost during practice or competition is not fat, it’s fluid loss.

One pint of fluid weighs one pound. To replace the fluid, drink one pint of fluid (Gatorade or water) for every pound you lost. (One pint = 16 ounces =500 ml = ½ liter). It is critical to replace this as quickly as possible.  Before your next workout, your weight should be back up to normal.

If you can’t check your weight, pay attention to your body for signs of dehydration. Your mouth should not be dry. Your urine should be lemon-colored most of the time.

More than one episode of dark yellow urine is a warning sign that you don’t have much reserve. (Exception: Vitamin supplements can turn your urine yellow-orange, even if you are hydrated.) Loss of appetite, stomach aches, and muscle cramps can be other warning signals of dehydration.
When?
Drink before, during and after working out. Drink a pint or so of fluid a few hours before exercise. This will help make sure you are hydrated and give you enough time to urinate if you need to beforehand.

Keep drinking during exercise. And don’t worry about getting too much fluid.  If you’re sweating, your body needs a constant supply. Your stomach might gurgle, but your body will absorb and use the fluid. Feeling sick and cramping have been blamed on too much water when in fact, stomachaches and muscle cramps are usually signs of not drinking enough fluid.

Drinking fluids after workouts is extremely important. Even when drinking fluids during a workout, many athletes become dehydrated. Athletes working out in the heat for several hours can lose 10 pounds. That’s more than a gallon of water.

Hydration Tip: Keep your hydration source full and in plain sight so you remember to drink it.

What Should I Drink?
Your body needs water. But remember water comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. Milk is 90% water. Juice and most soft drinks are 89% water, sport drinks are 94% water, and even pizza is 50% water. And it all counts. Nearly everything that passes your lips provides water for your body, and in fact, research shows that most hydration happens at meals from the combination of food and beverages.

Research also shows that we tend to drink more if the fluid is flavored and if a variety of fluids are available. Gatorade and water are two excellent sources for hydration.

Keys to Hydration
When you have figured out how to stay hydrated, especially when you sweat heavily, you have accomplished the single most important performance-enhancing aspect of nutrition.

Water is your most important nutrient.

Outline for Heat Illnesses
Source: USOC Sports Medicine Division

Heat illnesses are common problems for both athletes and non-athletes in hot, humid weather. Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, and Heat Stroke start from similar circumstances: poor adjustment to hot weather and relative dehydration. These conditions can be severe and need emergency medical attention. All are preventable if certain procedures, such as time to adjust to heat, adequate fluids, and normal dietary electrolyte intake, are followed.

Heat Cramps

Cause
Inadequate adjustment to hot weather, heavy sweating; decreased blood levels of electrolytes; fluids and electrolytes not adequately replaced; unreplaced weight loss from previous workout/day.

Clinical signs and symptoms
Muscles in arms, legs, and/or abdomen spasm uncontrollably, accompanied by heavy sweating.

Treatment
Drink fluids; gently stretch and massage cramped muscles; rest in cool environment; apply ice to cramped area; watch for breathing or heart problems.

Prevention
Maintain adequate fluid intake by replacing sweat losses: 15-30 minutes before exercise, drink 16 oz. of fluid; during exercise, drink 8oz. every 15 minutes; and after exercise drink 16 oz. of water/electrolyte drink (i.e., PowerAde, Gatorade) for every pound of body weight loss; increase fitness; wear light colored and/or lightweight (i.e. mesh) clothing; do not use alcohol, coffee, caffienated drinks, or soda pop for fluid replacement.

Heat Exhaustion

Cause
Long exposure to hot and/or humid environment; heavy sweating; fluids and electrolytes not replaced adequately; unreplaced weight loss from previous workout/day.

Clinical signs and symptoms
Skin cool, pale and moist; heavy sweating; headache; dizziness; poor coordination; mental dullness; enlarged pupils; nausea; vomiting; fatigue; weakness; thirsty; small urine volume (bright yellow color); possibility of unconsciousness.

Treatment
Stop activity; rest in a cool area; sponge with cool water; drink water if conscious (replace weight loss with 16 oz of fluid for each pound of body weight); watch for breathing or heart problems; refer to physician attention if recovery does not occur quickly.

Prevention
Maintain adequate fluid intake by replacing sweat losses; 15-30 minutes before exercise drink 16 ounces of fluid, during exercise drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes, and after exercise drink 16 ounces of water-electrolyte drink (i.e. Powerade, Gatorade for every pound of body weight lost; increase fitness; wear light colored and/or lightweight (i.e. mesh) clothing; do not
use alcohol, coffee, caffeinated drinks, or soda pop for fluid replacement; allow time for rest and cool down.

Heatstroke

Cause
Body’s temperature control system stops working.

Clinical signs and symptoms
Hot, dry and red skin; no sweating; rapid pulse; confusion; dizziness; unconsciousness; rectal temperature as high as 104°-106° Fahrenheit.

Treatment: Medical Emergency!
Immediate emergency cooling (e.g. cool room, put body in tub of ice water, ice cloths with a fan blowing on skin) and transport immediately to hospital; check temperature; watch for breathing or heart problems (may need CPR)

Prevention
Maintain adequate fluid intake by replacing sweat losses; 15-30 minutes before exercise drink 16 ounces of fluid, during exercise drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes, and after exercise drink 16 ounces of water/electrolyte drink (i.e. mesh) clothing; do not use alcohol, coffee, caffeinated drinks, or soda pop for fluid replacement; allow time for rest and cool down.

Sources: ICSN, International Center for Sports Nutrition
USOC, United States Olympic Committee – Sports Medicine Division
USSF, United States Soccer Federation – Sports Medicine Committee

(Thanks to Mark Stein, ATC, for his help with this project.)
1991 United States Olympic Committee (revised November 1999)

Water Content of Common Foods and Drinks

Item  Water content, approximate
Diet soft drinks, tea, coffee  99%
Sports drinks (Gatorade)  94%
Milk                            90%
Soup                          90%
Soft Drinks, soda pop, juice  89%
Yogurt                          80%
Corn                          76%
Baked potato                  74%
Cooked rice                  73%
Cooked pasta                  66%
Taco                          59%
Chicken                  54%
Ground beef                  53%
Pizza                          50%

Prepared by the U.S. Olympic Sports Medicine Division and the International
Center for Sports Nutrition.1999 U.S. Olympic Committee

USOC Medical Emergency Procedures
Heat Illness Guidelines

Recognition
Heat Cramps
Musculature spasm of extremity and abdomen
Heavy sweating
Core temperature normal or slightly elevated

Heat Exhaustion
Cool, moist, pale or flushed skin
Headache and dizziness
Strong, slow pulse
Weakness, confusion, and fatigue
Nausea, vomiting

Heat Stroke
Usually, hot, dry, flushed skin
Headache and dizziness
Strong, slow pulse
Heavy sweating, thirst
Fluid and electrolyte depletion
Enlarged pupils
Possible unconsciousness

Management
Heat Cramps
Cease activity and remove from heat
Rest and drink cool fluids
Monitor for change in symptoms

Heat Exhaustion
Cease activity and remove from heat
Sponge with cool water
Slowly administer cool fluids orally if conscious
Monitor for change in symptoms

Heat Stroke
Activate EMS
Remove wet clothing and sponge with cold water
Monitor symptoms
Remove from heat

Referral
Heat Cramp/Heat Exhaustion
Contact consulting physician if complications occur or symptoms do not resolve

Heat Stroke
Activate EMS

Follow Up
Heat Cramp/Heat Exhaustion
Maintain adequate fluid intake, adequate rest and cooling periods,
acclimatize to environment, physician release if indicated

Heat Stroke
Physician release to activity
Maintain adequate fluid intake
Adequate rest and cooling periods
Acclimatize to environment

Notify Head ATC or designee and appraise of situation

Notify the emergency contact of the patient if they are a minor