Club new
Club news & updatess & updates
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Mercer Island FC is our community's volunteer-led, non-profit soccer club for kids of all ages. Let’s play!
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- Update on Return To Play
- Register Now for Recreational teams
- New Coach Spotlight: Meet Zack Foxhoven
- Youth Coach Arden Paglia Inspired By Coach Mentors
- Reading Recommendation
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In our last message to you on May 20
th
we communicated that the club would not be returning to play until King County is in Phase 3 of the State’s Phased Approach. In that short period of time things have evolved. MIFC is continually looking at the evolving situation and we are making plans for our Select and Juniors soccer programs to resume safe, limited training in early July when we have access to fields. See the full update we posted on our website
here
.
Check out our return to play health guidelines
here
Registration for all of our programs has opened --
here. In order to plan our team and coaching rosters, it is important for you to register your intent now to make the transition back to play as seamless as possible. If seasons are cancelled or cut short, we will refund your payments accordingly.
With respect to Select team formation we have adjusted our policies around the complications the pandemic restrictions have presented to us. See those policies
here. Also note that Select players may reserve their spot with a $500 deposit, with the balance due at a later date.
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Register Now for Recreational Teams
Select Coaching Staff
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In the meantime, we are planning on having a fall recreational season! Please register
here
as soon as possible. The number of interested players is an important factor as we attempt to form teams. If King County reaches a phase that allows youth team sports to play league games, we want to be ready with coaches, teams, and competitive divisions for everyone who wants to play.
There is
no upfront fee
to register for Recreational and Micro soccer. When we get confirmation that
the fall season is on we will ask families for payment prior to the first practices. If you have already
registered and paid a registration fee a refund will be provided if we are not able to have a fall season.
We will be closely watching what happens with the public schools. As you may know, we rent
many of our practice and game fields from our local school districts, so any decisions that they make
will affect us as well.
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New Coach Spotlight: Meet Zack Foxhoven
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Zack Foxhoven has joined the MIFC Select Coaching team. This season, he will shepherd the Boys 02/03, 04 and 07 Maroon teams, along with the 09 White team to greatness. Zack comes to MIFC with an illustrious soccer career, playing for UCLA and the University of Louisville before ascending as a professional Portland Timbers player; AJ Auxerre French league player, and in the Australian premier league with the Goulburn Valley Suns. He has coached EFC teams for four years, and supported the Reign Women’s team as a player assistant.
Zack’s coaching philosophy tracks Liverpool and Barcelona. His focus is on building individual skills and supporting team-based success. He stresses a strong pass first mindset and looks to create a strong team bond, with an attitude that each day provides the opportunity to aim higher, get better and have fun.
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Youth Coach Arden Paglia Inspired By Coach Mentors
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During our time off the pitch without our players, MIFC coaches have been educating ourselves by attending virtual happy hours with some amazing speakers. In past weeks, we’ve heard from Anson Dorrance, 22 time champion UNC Women’s Head Coach and former USWNT and World Cup winning coach. Coach Dorrance explained the significance of the Competitive Cauldron, which uses competition to drive players’ improvement, and self coaching, which encourages each player to identify a path for self improvement.
Increasing our global exposure, we heard from Gari Fullaondo of Athletic Bilbao. Coach Fullaondo discussed the importance of differentiating coaching techniques to effectively engage and appropriately train different age groups. He provided us examples of how to modify formations and training techniques to best accommodate players. Last week we talked to Peter Fewing, Lesle Gallimore and Brayton Knapp.
In coming weeks, we’re looking forward to meeting with Josh Faga,David O’Neill, Dan Lock and
Marc Nicholls, former Sounders director of player development and the new technical director of MLS expansion team, Charlotte. We can’t wait to incorporate what we’ve learned to improve the soccer IQ of our MIFC players!
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MIFC delivered boxes of treats to all 23 of our graduating MIFC Seniors. We wish we could have celebrated all of your accomplishments on and off the field in person. We know, however, that each of you will apply to your next endeavors the passion, rigor, willingness to experiment and learn, and camerederie that brought you success and joy with MIFC .
Best of luck to Elena Briggs, Annika Jorgenson, Makenna Rojas, Lucy Whitney, Tyler Hill, Michael Ivanov, Jaden Krauser, Sean Cote, Ben Flaherty, Kalvin Lee, David Smoots, Derek Snyder, Onur Gazioglu, Cooper Hand, Mattias Harney, Alexander Kruus, Alexander LaBrie, Torin Hill, Zachary Mason, Callum McCarthy, Karun Mokha, Steven Perzia and Mohamed Bin Zohor.
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Finished all of your "to read" books during quarantine? If you want to enhance your soccer coaching IQ, Coach Aaron Byers recommends Football Braining, the newest book by Raymond Verheijen, coaching educator. Perhaps a belated father's or mother's day gift for our parent coaches!
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
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