THE LATEST FROM WYOMING SOCCER |
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WYOMING 307 SELECT & ODP
Tryouts for the 2022/2023 season of Wyoming 307 Select and Wyoming ODP are starting in one week and will occur throughout the summer. Dates are listed on our site, and start next weekend, June 4-5 in Casper, and the registration will remain open (click the button below to register). Our 307 Select Coaches are constantly scouting for players at our events across the state.
As mentioned in previous communications, we re looking to add some value to our state programs, and will be introducing our newest partner, Trace, for our oldest age group of both boys and girls within the Wyoming 307 Select Program. We have other engaging tools in the works, as well. Be on the lookout for information on Trace and more in the very near future! |
If you are a coach and interested in taking it to the next level, we are currently seeking Wyoming 307 Select Coaches for the following age groups: 2013 Girls and 2007 and older girls. If interested, please contact David Eldred at td@wyomingsoccer.com.
Wyoming Soccer Association is actively seeking a state sponsor for our state programs. If you are aware of a business or organization who would like statewide exposure to families and young athletes, we would like to visit with them! Please contact our Sponsorship Committee Chair, Andrew Apfelberg, if you or anyone you know would be interested in this amazing opportunity. |
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ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED... |
Each year we award three amazing students a $500 academic scholarship for higher education.
Our Scholarship Committee waded through multiple deserving applications to select the winners.
Look for an announcement next week recognizing all three of our 2022 scholarship recipients!
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BE PREPARED FOR THE ACT/SAT TESTS
We are here to help through the eKnowlede PowerPrep10
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Wyoming Soccer Association's partner, eKnowledge, has boosted their programming to assist our high school aged soccer players across the state in gaining some amazing ACT and SAT test prep for a deal almost too good to be true.
The PowerPrep10 Beta Program is a course that is intuitive, student-driven, comprehensive, multi-media, content rich and focused precisely on your student's needs with instant access to a LIVE teacher!
The value of this is $350, but as a member of Wyoming Soccer Association you can get in for as low as $19.99 and can receive EVERYTHING for only $49.99 - a $1500 value!
Registration deadline to register for the next available ACT Test of 2022 (July 16, 2022) is June 17, 2022.
The deadline to register for the next SAT Test of 2022 (August 22, 2022) is July 29, 2022.
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SPORTS THREAD PROFILE ACTIVATION - 100% FREE
Attention College Bound Athletes!
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Do you have a player who as aspirations of being a college athlete (even if it is not soccer)?
If you have a high-school aged player, you probably received an email yesterday (check your inbox!) with information on how to activate your profile from our newest partner, Sports Thread. Why is this important and what the heck is Sports Thread you ask?
Well, in a nutshell...
Sports Thread is an award-winning social media-based network that connects student-athletes with team members, coaches, parents and fans.
Didn't see the email? We'll help you out. Follow these instructions:
Profile Creation Process
2. Open Sports Thread App
3. Select "More"
4. Click "My Profile"
5. Press "Edit" followed by "Add Sports Profile"
6. Fill Out Sports Profile
If you have questions, Sports Thread has a helpful FAQ page, which can be found here.
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FLINDERS UNIVERSITY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY
An Assessment of Sleep & Mental Health of Athletes
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If you currently participate in sports, or have retired from playing sports within the past 20 years, a PhD student from Flinders University is asking for your input in a research project.
This entails participation in a 10-15 minute questionnaire and is targeting all male and female adult athletes (18 years +) from all sports to complete the survey. They are interested in athletes who compete or have competed at all levels, from amateur, semi-professional, university/college, and elite/professional athletes.
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THE LATEST FROM US YOUTH SOCCER |
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US YOUTH SOCCER UNIVERSITY |
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We have mentioned the USYS University a few times in this newsletter, but we want to share a little more about what it is and how it can benefit our members...
USYS University is a first-ever gathering of educational resources designed to educate members on a broad array of subjects so they can perform better on, and off, the field of play. While initially not an institution designed for instruction or examination of students in advanced learning, or the conferring of degrees, USYS University aims to embody the goals of colleges and similar institutions; to enrich people’s lives through learning.
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THE LATEST FROM US SOCCER |
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INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL?
US SOCCER PROCESS
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Once in a while teams from around the state get an opportunity to travel and play internationally. Due to the pandemic, international travel applications were closed until this past February.
It is now open, and an online process must be followed and applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the event start date.
Please click HERE to find out more and be sure to read everything carefully. |
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OVERCOMING THE REFEREE SHORTAGE |
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Wyoming Soccer is working hard to gain more referees, and the best way to do that is to host referee clinics. We invite you to take advantage of the opportunity to offset some of the costs of youth soccer, earn some extra money, familiarlize yourself with the rules and see things from a new perspective!
Click the below button to find out about all our upcoming Wyoming Referee Clinics.
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If your club is interested in hosting a referee clinic, please click HERE.
Wyoming Soccer has also recently learned we are the recipients of another Innovate to Grow Grant, and this one will focus on referees. We cannot wait to share our plan with you!
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Cilia Mejorado, who plays for Riverton Youth Soccer Association, is in the spotlight for the month of May.
Cilia has been playing soccer for nine years and started when she was just five years old. She instantly fell in love with the sport and has excelled. She plays competitively for Riverton Rampage and can usually be found in the midfield and sometimes she plays forward.
Cilia has also been involved in Wyoming 307 Select, playing on the 2008 Girls team and the 2008 Girls Wyoming ODP team. She was also selected to participate in the West Region ID Camp for a chance at being selected for the regional ODP team. The camp will take place in Salt Lake City, UT this coming July. Cilia has also gone through the referee certification process and officiated youth matches for one year, but decided that making calls on other players was not for her.
Cilia has a lot of passions besides soccer. She loves to play volleyball, and this past season her team was conference champions which was also the case for her soccer team. Cilia also enjoys and loves anything outdoors, from snowboarding to tubing out at the lake, and from fishing to hunting. She is truly an adventurous soul.
One of Cilia's favorite things to do is bake, and she is very good at it. Her mom jokes that Cilia likes to make her squishy. Haha!
Cilia is usually coached by her father, Jeremy Mejorado, but Coach Gates Richards has also had the privilege of working with and coaching Cilia, and he had this to say about her, "Cilia is a pleasure to coach! She demonstrates a quiet leadership in practice and in games. Her level, consistent approach sets an example for her team. We know that we can rely on Cilia to play whatever role is needed, and to do so willingly. Whether we need someone to push forward to create scoring opportunities, or we need someone to hold fast on defense, Cilia always rises to the occasion. Her teammates know that she will be there, with a smile, getting the job done. She helps her teams perform at the highest levels!"
Cilia is a talented, jojyful, kind and versatile young lady, and we are honored to spotlight her. We want to hear more about players like Cilia. Remember, the Player Spotlight can highlight achievement in any area, whether it's soccer, academics, community, or attitude. Please share your kids with us!
To nominate a player from your club for the Player Spotlight, please download the nomination form by clicking HERE. Once completed, please email to wssa@wyomingsoccer.com.
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SOMETIMES BASIC ISN'T SO BASIC!
From our Technical Director, Dave Eldred
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What are the 5 basic “rocks” or fundamentals of soccer?
We often get laser focused on the broadest aspects of the game, the systems of play, as the overall objective for a match or even at training. Maybe we are focused on the different moments in the game; attacking, transition and defending, maybe even set pieces, or maybe we are attentive to the right side, the back line or a group of players of our formation for success against our opponents. All are big picture aspects of the game. All these are team tactics and are fluid, and no doubt, what makesour game so fun to play, coach and watch.
We cannot forget about the basics for our players! Five BASIC individual technical skills for developing players are; heading, shooting, dribbling, passing and receiving. We need to incorporate these 5 basic “rocks” into each of our sessions and constantly challenge, or offer, our players ample time to master these basics. These are the tools used to identify players! These need to be tirelessly perfected by our players and not necessarily at training sessions. Any individual player with “a ball and a wall” can become far more proficient at these basic rocks. Shoot the ball at the wall, receive it, dribble it, pass it, head it. Repeat. I encourage you to have a conversation with Brian Longbottom from our WSA technical staff about how he became such a decorated collegiate player. When he had no one to play with, he made no excuses, he spent hours and hours with “a ball and a staircase”. Just think about that for a second.
In this 'Coaches Corner', I want to take a deeper dive into receiving. While it is vital to a player's skill set, one would argue all the basic “rocks” are vital for the advancing player. Let's consider why receiving the ball isn’t necessarily basic.
Consider the 4 D’s.
The top players are considering all 4 D’s in fractions of a second by being aware of their place on the pitch and their opposition.
1) Decision
- Players have to make a decision about receiving the ball with multiple surfaces of their feet; inside, outside, sole and laces, in addition to thigh, chest and head. Utilizing the correct or best option assists the player in many ways. Consider how many of your players receive the ball every time with the inside of their right foot when the outside of their left or another alternative would better prepare them for the next decision after successfully receiving the ball to shoot, pass or dribble.
2) Direction
- Once a decision has been made as to which body part will best be used to receive the ball, players need to assess which direction they will, in turn, direct the ball. Right, left, diagonal, square, negative are all directional decisions that are necessary to relieve a player or teammate from pressure. We need our players checking their shoulders ALL the time to aid in this part of the basic skillset of receiving the ball.
3) Distance
- Players receiving the ball at this point have made a decision on how best to receive and control the ball, and have selected a direction to go. Now they need to consider how far their first touch of the ball in receipt needs to go. In space, we expect their first touch to be a couple of yards to allow them to be at full pace so their second touch can be played in at speed. If they are not in space, the distance of the ball received likely needs to be pillow soft to keep it close and keep possession.
4) Deception
- In a split second, players need to consider deception as an option when receiving the ball. Common deceptive receiving tactics are to drop a shoulder or faint one direction and go the other. Checking in or out can help create space and deceive opponents among others. If the split second decision doesn’t allow for any of the aforementioned, players can abandon touching the ball by dummying it or simply making the defender believe he or she will receive it and allow the ball to come and go without any touches to it in an attempt to allow possession to another teammate or by retrieving the ball themselves.
I will share deeper dives into passing, dribbling, shooting and heading in future newsletters, but for now, I hope we can all appreciate how the BASICS of receiving a ball are not at all basic.
Encourage your players to consider the 4 D’s when receiving a ball and applaud them when you see them incorporate any of the 4 D’s this weekend at the Wyoming Cup & Championships and the United Cup.
Congratulations to all our graduates, state champions, recreational, club and HS players for a fantastic spring of soccer………if not for the weather.
Working together to give the game back to the kids!
David Eldred
Interim State Technical Director
Wyoming Soccer Association
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THE LATEST UPCOMING EVENTS |
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May 28-30, 2022
Casper, WY
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The Fall Line Up will be announced in June! |
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MAY CODE OF CONDUCT HIGHLIGHT |
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Take pride in your appearance as a member of Wyoming Soccer Association and your local club.
- Be clean and presentable for games.
- Boxer shorts and sports bras are not to be visible from under the uniform.
- Jerseys are to be tucked in at the beginning of each game.
- Shin guards are required.
- Socks are to be worn pulled up and over the shin guards.
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GET TO KNOW OUR GROWING LIST OF PARTNERS |
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WYOMING SOCCER ASSOCIATION| www.wyomingsoccer.com
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