The Battle of Words Continues

A while back, I wrote about what I called the Triangle of Power in MN soccer (MN Thunder, National Sports Center, and MYSA) and the ongoing propaganda battle that is being waged.  Here's the latest.  I'm not going to comment here, just want to keep all this for my memory book.

Here is the latest email from our state association:

Date: March 12, 2009

To: MYSA Member Club Presidents and DOC’s

From: Bob Poretti, MYSA President
Candace Daley, MYSA Executive Director

cc: MYSA Board Members
MYSA Staff Members

Re: National Sports Center (NSC) 2009 Events

At a Region II committee meeting in San Jose last week, Minnesota informed its US Youth Soccer State Association counterparts that there has been some miscommunication about the NSC events for 2009 that historically were sanctioned by the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, but this year were sanctioned by US Club Soccer instead. As a result, many US Youth Soccer State Association administrators asked Minnesota to send out an email that could be shared with its members. In addition, we have been receiving a number of questions from our members looking for clarification as well.

Since the NSC events for 2009 were sanctioned by US Club Soccer, and not the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, participants cannot use their MYSA/US Youth Soccer Member Pass from MYSA, their US Youth Soccer State Association, and insurance provided by MYSA does not provide coverage for the NSC events this year. Anyone wishing to participate in the NSC events for 2009 may certainly do so but since the event is sanctioned by US Club Soccer this year they will need to ensure they have adequate insurance coverage. The applicable 2009 NSC tournaments include the NSC Spring Cup, NSC Cup, Wal-Mart All American Cup, Schwan’s USA Cup, Schwan’s USA Cup Weekend and NSC Fall Cup.

According to US Youth Soccer Executive Director Jim Cosgrove, this information would apply to any tournaments sanctioned by organizations other than US Youth Soccer State Associations or the US Youth Soccer Association itself.

Thank you!

Here is NSC's response:

TO: All MYSA-USYSA Coaches and Team Leaders

FROM: Steve Olson, Chief Operating Officer, National Sports Center Foundation

DATE: March 13, 2009

Recent communications from the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) have caused considerable confusion regarding USA CUP and other soccer events held at the National Sports Center (NSC).

To help clarify the issues for all clubs and teams affiliated with MYSA and USYSA:

All MYSA-USYSA teams are permitted without restrictions to participate in USA CUP and all other NSC events. All NSC events are sanctioned by US Club Soccer - an affiliate in good standing with the United States Soccer Federation, the parent organization of USYSA and MYSA.
Insurance coverage will be provided to all MYSA-USYSA teams at all NSC soccer events. The NSC will insure that all MYSA or USYSA teams will have comparable insurance coverage at no additional expense or hassle to participants.
The NSC will administer a quality player pass system at all NSC soccer events. For 24 years, the NSC has registered and managed player passes for teams from all around the world.
In summary, all MYSA-USYSA teams can participate in all NSC events with insurance coverage and without hassle and any additional fees.

As a former Executive Director of the MYSA, former member of the US Soccer Board of Directors, and FIFA referee, I am familiar with the laws, rules and bylaws of the USSF and USYSA. I believe that the MYSA is misinterpreting the rules and is causing needless hassle and confusion for NSC soccer events. USSF affiliates are not allowed to discriminate against other affiliates. We have made formal contact with the USSF and the Minnesota Attorney General's office. We will provide you with an update in the future.

We look forward to your continued participation in the USA CUP and other great NSC soccer events.

Thank you for your support.

Blogs, Brit's, and Board Rooms

As I was making the 15 to 60 minute commute from Woodbury to the Thunder Offices in St Paul on this historic morning, I had a bit of an epiphany.

Traffic was bumper to bumper from White Bear Ave into the downtown St Paul area as people headed to their jobs in the great rat race. A Lane Expert driving a snazzy newLexus hybrid SUV , sure that the lane I was in was barely moving in would get her to where she was going at least 20 seconds faster than the lane she was currently not moving in, cut in front of me then slammed on her brakes as she realized that my lane was just as jammed as hers. Go figure lady.

I screeched to a stop mere inches from her back bumper and heard the echo of screeches behind me, followed by the gratuitous blaring of at least 3 horns. I myself leaned on my horn for a good 4 seconds (one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four... that's a fun word to type) and shot the women an I Hate You! look. You know, the same look that you give the car behind you in a touchless wash as you start your dryer cycle and they enter immediately on your a$$ and start their wash before you're done, covering your now never to be completely dry carwith water and soap from the jet-powered sprayers. The I Hate You! bounced of her rear view mirror and pierced her soul (hopefully).

I glanced over to my passenger seat that was covered with the usual papers, skillzys, phone and head set chargers, pens, gum, gum wrappers, chewed up gum, suckers, used Caribou coffee cups, a McDonald's bag or two, McDonald's Monopoly game pieces from two years ago, aWendy's Frosty spoon, a Burger King Crown, some Arby's curly fries, a Subway White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookie sleeve, a Jimmy John's #2 sandwich wrapper, an uneaten lunch my wife packed for me last month, and other stuff us soccer coaches seem to hoard, and noticed that everything had apparently been teleported onto the floor. Now how am I going to find anything?!?!?!? Oh, that's what my passenger seat looks like.

I looked back out front, ready to give another I Hate You! look mouth a very pronounced "You bleeping idiot!" with a head shake, but before I could lock on reflected eyes of the fool driver, I saw the Obama or McCain sticker (whichever candidate you would like to think I support) on the back of her car. Oh. You're voting for him? Good for you!!! And the hate evaporated like much of my current stock portfolio.

It then struck me that this little interaction is very representative of the MN soccer scene today. MTA has caused some real anger in the community against the Academy, against the Thunder pro organization, and even against me personally. People believe very strongly one way or another, feelings are perpetuated on blogs, at Brit's, and in board rooms, and walls are built that become increasingly more and more difficult to breakdown as we get further and further away from Ground Zero. There needs to be a search for common ground here on both sides.  Members Read More...

The Triangle of Power

If someone was to ask who the three major players in the Minnesota soccer scene were, I think most in the know would answer the Minnesota Thunder, the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, and the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) - in no particular order.  It's been an interesting triangle of power for nearly 20 years, one that just saw another major shift in dynamics.

NSC recently sent out this mass email blast regarding the termination of their partnership with MYSA.  

Open Letter to Minnesota Soccer Community

October 3, 2008

I regret to report to you that the partnership agreement between the National Sports Center Foundation and the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, which has been in place since 1985, has ended.  (See letter below)

The lack of an agreement and cooperation will likely be a great inconvenience for Minnesota youth soccer players, coaches, teams and families.  When the NSC and the MYSA do not coordinate the dates for Districts, the State Tournament and the USA Cup, Minnesota teams will have to choose between these two great soccer opportunities.

The conflict between these events can be solved through cooperative scheduling if the parties are committed to do so.

We at the NSC have communicated with the 1) MYSA President, 2) the Vice-President of Leagues, 3)the Youth Council, and 4) the MYSA Executive Director ; all four have stated it is not their responsibility or within their authority to resolve scheduling conflicts. 

Historically MYSA Presidents and Boards had chosen to cooperate on making the dates of the USA Cup and the State Tournament work for all teams in Minnesota. It is a great disappointment for me that this cooperation does not continue as I know the conflict is avoidable having served as MYSA Executive Director from 1995 to 2000.

The purpose of this letter is to ask your help in encouraging the soccer leadership of Minnesota to resolve the problem. Please feel free to write me and let me know your suggestions. If you would like to receive e-mail updates on this subject please visit this link here and select to receive items from the "NSC/MYSA Partnership Agreement Information" list.

Steve Olson, COO
National Sports Center Foundation

October 2, 2008
Bob Poretti, President
Candace Daley, Executive Director
Minnesota Youth Soccer Association
11577 Encore Circle
Minnetonka MN 55343
 
Over the past nine months the National Sports Center Foundation and MYSA have exchanged letters and held numerous meetings regarding our Partnership Agreement.  The MYSA interpretation of the agreement has significantly changed and now is unacceptable to the National Sports Center Foundation.   The basic purpose of the agreement was to cooperate on USA Cup dates and in return the NSC would offer the MYSA a substantial discount for the MYSA State Tournament and all other MYSA use of the NSC.  The NSC has upheld its part of the agreement by discounting the state tournament and other event rental rates, but the MYSA has chosen not to cooperate in scheduling the District Tournaments in harmony with the USA Cup. 
 
Therefore, the NSC has no reason to continue in a partnership agreement with MYSA.  This letter serves as official notice, on the part of the National Sports Center Foundation, that we are exercising our options under Section II of the agreement to end the contract effective the date of this letter, October 2, 2008.  As of this date the MYSA and NSC will no longer have any agreements in place regarding scheduling priority or discounts for the use of NSC facilities.
 
However, we still believe that a cooperation agreement between our two organizations is in the best interests of soccer in Minnesota.  To that end, we propose crafting a new partnership agreement which is clear to both parties, addresses the scheduling of major events and serves the best interests of the entire soccer community.  We propose meetings to begin immediately in order to have the document ready for your AGM.
 
The ultimate goal of cooperation is for a youth soccer team in Minnesota to be able to play in both the USA Cup and the MYSA District/State Tournament.  An agreement between the NSC and the MYSA would guarantee this.  Non-cooperation will result in less opportunity for youth soccer in Minnesota and teams will be limited to choose one event.
 
We look forward to your response.  As a former executive director of MYSA I know that it is possible to solve this problem with a modest effort.
 
Steve Olson, COO
National Sports Center Foundation
 
Please note: The MYSA is distributing, via its website, reasons for an amendment to its rules governing the State Tournament indicating the NSC will be seeking "significant concessions" from MYSA to keep the event at the NSC.  This is incorrect. The NSC has made no such requests and is only seeking the same scheduling cooperation that is in the original agreement has largely been in place between the MYSA and the NSC from 1985 to 2007, but did not happen in 2008.

MYSA's response hit our inboxes yesterday.

Date:    October 7, 2008

To:       MYSA Club Presidents

            MYSA Club Coaching Directors

From:   Bob Poretti, MYSA President

            Candace Daley, MYSA Executive Director

cc:        MYSA Youth Council Members

            MYSA Staff Members

The Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), at its Executive Committee Meeting on September 22, 2008, voted to not renew the current Partnership Agreement with the National Sports Center Foundation (NCSF), which is set to expire on December 31, 2008.  MYSA focuses on providing quality services to its members and therefore must make decisions that seek to accomplish this goal and are in the best interests of the organization’s members.  Recently, NSCF sent out a notification that the Partnership Agreement was being terminated.  However, that notification was not only misleading, but it failed to provide accurate information.  More specifically:

1)      MYSA and NSCF have not had an agreement in place since 1985.

2)      MYSA has complied with all aspects of its agreement with NSCF.

3)      In April 2008, the Youth Council (MYSA’s board of directors) approved the sanctioning of five of NSCF’s six events for 2009, even though it was not obligated to do so because the Partnership Agreement between the two entities was due to expire on December 31, 2008, prior to any 2009 events.  The Youth Council approved the sanctioning of the NSC Cup, NSC Fall Cup, Wal-Mart All American Cup, Herman’s Cup and USA Cup Weekend.  The Youth Council did not approve the sanctioning of the USA Cup Week because the 2009 dates chosen by NSCF directly conflict with MYSA’s 2009 District and State Tournaments.

4)      In the past, when the USA Cup Week overlapped with MYSA District Tournaments only, MYSA District Directors worked with teams that were interested in participating in both the District Tournament and USA Cup Week.  In most cases, the schedules were worked out so the team could do both.  

5)      MYSA representatives have met repeatedly with NSCF representatives to try to avoid the scheduling conflicts but there is a lot of soccer being played during the month of July by our members and only so many days to get it in.  When the NSCF unilaterally chose dates in 2009 that overlapped with both MYSA’s District and State Tournaments, MYSA was once again put in a very difficult situation by the NSCF.

6)      The NSCF unilaterally sets its USA Cup dates well in advance and historically has not been open to changing those dates, so a truly cooperative effort could not be achieved unless the NSCF was willing to consider rescheduling the USA Cup dates.  Instead, the NSCF refused to do so and now attempts to shift the blame on MYSA for the parties’ inability to reach an amicable resolution.

MYSA hopes that a more cooperative effort can be achieved in 2010 and beyond.

A number of people have called/emailed/talked to me since, sure that MYSA is acting out against NSC due to NSC's new partnership with the Thunder.  Members read more...

Of Academies, Affiliations, and Alliances

Wow, it's been a month.  Where does the time go?

Finally sitting in a coffee shop for a little Mark-time; time that is tough to be found in today's busy world of youth development, personnel management, first team playoff runs, new program development, and my almost-two-year-old beautiful baby girl's tantrums and moments of pure magic.  As a teen, I remember wishing I could blink my eyes, jump forward, and "arrive" at adulthood so I would be able to relax.  Yeah, right.  I've been considered an adult for at least 5 years now and, like the Energizer Bunny, things kpee going, and going, and going...

I hope to make more time like this in the mornings.  I drop Emmri off at school (day care really, she's only two) at 7:45AM and usually battle west-bound rush hour traffic from Woodbury to the Thunder offices in St Paul each morning.  The drive is anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.  Gives me some additional Mark-time for sure, but I can't work on my laptop (can't say I haven't tried) and it's too early to call people, so the most productive thing I get done is plowing through audio book after audio book or enjoying the new music stations I find on SIRIUS.  But wait, you might say, I've posted before that I enjoy the drives and the time spent in the car to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa for tournaments.  That's true, but the rush hour commute to work is different.  I feel like I'm wasting time in traffic, rather than the feeling of peace when I'm alone and driving to and from an event.  Weird, I know.

The rush hour drive, a pain though it may be, has however given me another one of Life's Amazing Usuallys and Great Hrevelations (or LAUGHs as I like to call them).  Ready?  In rush hour, the fast lane is usually not the fast lane because everyone thinks it's the fast lane.  Follow that?  Amazingly accurate when you reflect on it.  This is right up there with some of the other LAUGHs - people usually like me until they don't and my keys are usually in the last pocket I check.  

Anyway, time for a little blogging...

After the inception of the Bangu Tsunami Academy program in 2004, the word Academy became a buzz-word in the Minnesota soccer scene.  I believe there were a few other people using Academy in their soccer programming, but none to the extent that we were, offering what we thought was more of a true Academy year-round training program rather than a camp or clinic or a winter training program.  We all see the world through our own filters I guess. 

Academy programs have since proliferated the local market almost as fast as the Cabbage Patch Dolls did in the early 80s.  Can you believe it’s been over 25 years since people went wild over those ugly things?!?  Why has Minnesota seen such an Academy boom you might ask?  Mostly it’s a marketing thing as clubs are looking to retain players and stop movement to other clubs by claiming to offer what everyone else seems to be offering.  Be Like Mike.  And that’s not a bad thing necessarily.  In fact, we started our Academy program in 2004 partly to be like the other big clubs in Region II.  Though we didn’t have a fear that our players would migrate to another club in the region, we wanted the cache of saying we had a program that other big clubs in Region II offered.  We saw the results success that these clubs had had and wanted to put ourselves in their company. 

I get a laugh sometimes at some of the “Academy” programs that are being offered now.  Just like I’m sure many across the US and abroad are in stitches when they look at our “Academy” program.  I guess we’re all doing what we can in our own little way.

This past year, though the year-round Academy training concept (at least our version of it) has remained, the word “Affiliate” started to gain tongue time.  The Thunder spent the greater part of the last year trying to affiliate with different clubs, much to the chagrin of many people.  Through these affiliations we would offer to help local clubs promote the game of soccer in their communities while also working to elevate the game (through instruction and connection with the professional club) and identify the truly exceptional soccer athletes, looking to provide these special players with a development system that they could not hope to find at the local club level. 

With little buy in for the affiliation process in the end, we moved to full on mergers to form MTA this fall.

Minnesota’s next soccer buzz-word will be “Alliance”.  With the deep tie ins to community names and local high schools, volunteer community boards will be reluctant to change the name of their local soccer association to something other than the city name, thus preventing full on mergers. 

However, in the “Be Like Mike” spirit, clubs will be looking to offering something similar to the MTA conglomerate (that’s not my word for it by the way).  If mergers can’t happen, we’ll see Alliances.  These will likely be in winter training only with area clubs looking to pool ideas, resources, and players for supplemental training opportunities that can rival what MTA provides.  Some might even begin to bill this training like ODP, looking to bring each club’s top players together, give them training with similar ability players, and form a US Club Tournament Team and head to an early spring tournament.  Maybe even a group like Alan Merrick or Coerver take the lead.

I remember talking with Charlie Cooke, Director of Coaching for Coerver USA, back in 2005.  My thought was that we (BTFC) were on the verge of a unique (to Minnesota) youth development system based on geographical distribution, were going to be attracting many talented young athletes to our programs, and thought it would be a great showcase for Coerver Coaching here in the area.  We had the players with interest and ability, Coerver could provide the structure and coaches education.  I use Coerver drills all the time and get a ton of ideas from their DVDs.  (The preceding statement may not be used in any Coerver promotions without the express written consent of the guy typing it).  Charlie was intrigued by the idea but told me that I had to talk with the Minnesota Coerver licensee, Simon Whitehead.  I called Simon up but he couldn’t commit to combining with Bangu in fear of the adverse repercussions to his summer camp and winter clinic programs, the loss of community support for these programs due to involvement with the Dark Side.

It bugged me for a while that the club I had just joined a few months back had such a powerfully negative rep.  Moreover, for a company (Coerver) to tout the “World’s #1 Coaching Method" and then not want to work with dedicated young athletes in a year-round training environment in fear of loss of camp revenue was astounding.  Maybe they had recently revised their company mission statement and were now trying to be the "World’s #1 Camp Program". 

Anyway, I digress.

Though there have been a few short-term alliances this past year, the dam is about to break on this.  It will be interesting to see what is done and who leads what.  It will be easy to rally support for different programs based on the 800 lb gorilla in the market, but that's OK.  I don't think anyone could say that my colleagues or I have ever shied away from competition.  Exciting times ahead! 

And we’ll all look back on this and laugh.

What was supposed to be a post about NSC Cup, but turned into a bit of a Caribou Coffee Iced Vanilla Latte rant

Silver lining of missing the trip with my 14s to Portland this weekend?  Hanging out with the 11s at NSC Cup! 

In order to continually challenge the Blues, most of the local events we will be participating in this summer will be at the U12 age group.  However, it is important to make our mark at our own age group as well this summer so people know about us and hopeful good performances will serve to "expand our brand" so to speak, and maybe attract other talent to our program. 

Attract other talent?  What?!?!?!  What about developing players in your own club?!?!  What about promoting from within your own organization?!?!  You seem like you're always looking to replace your current players with other players?!?!  I hear this gripe about what our club does from people now and again - both from current Bangu parents as well as from non-Bangu people who attempt to pick our program apart.  I'll tackle these questions here and now in order.

First, our Academy is ALL about player development at the younger age groups.  Our philosophy is to bring similarly talented and interested kids and parents together, provide them with year-round, structured training developed by professionals and under the guidance of quality coaches and trainers.  Does this set us apart from community clubs?  Not much these days as more and more clubs are moving towards year-round team instruction and more and more clubs are placing the coaching focus at the younger age groups.  I'd like to think we're a big part of this recent movement, but that's just me.  So what's the difference between our Academy and other programs at the U9 to U12 age groups?  Well, the main difference is we're a regional magnet for interested players in the East (Woodbury), North (Andover), and South (Bloomington).  After the merger with the Thunder, our younger Academy programs will expand to include the West (Plymouth/New Hope) and an Urban Academy (Minneapolis/St Paul), as well as bring Blaine into the mix in the North with the new partnership the Thunder has with the National Sports Center.  These geographically dispersed Regional Academies will serve to attract talent and interest from multiple cities.  This is the big difference as most other soccer associations are set up to provide soccer development for kids in their single communities. 

Though our White teams are comprised of kids from multiple geographic areas, the more visible benefits of this magnetism come with the Blue teams each year, teams that not only draw from numerous areas, but moreover draw talent from multiple areas.  This makes it tough for a local community team to compete with our top teams and why we look to play outside of our age group with many of the Blues.

Are we better than community clubs?  Well, define better.  If better is wining some tournaments, maybe we're better.  But I don't think that collecting trophies at U11 has anything much directly to do with where players are at 5 years from now.  If better is providing a development environment to the most kids, we're clearly not better than many clubs.  If better is developing players, I think we're better at developing a certain type of player - the gifted players who need to be surrounded by other talented players to allow for a consistent level of challenge in each and every training session.

I have absolutely no idea where I was going with this - so back to the questions.

We give all our kids close to 100 coached sessions per year.  If you count each tournament game separately, we're well about that number.  Our teams go through the same year-round development system, and I believe improvement is tangible as I look at all the kids this summer as compared to where they were at last fall.  So yes, we develop players.

As for promotion from within, no one can tell me that good at 10 means good at 17.  Clearly there are some special players who, as long as they continue to love the game, anyone can tell they'll have success in this sport.  However, I've known two kids who have attained national level abilities, coming from second teams at U11.  Personally, I didn't do the majority of my own development, the real development that allowed me to play at the professional level, until I reached Macalester College.

Through these experiences, I'm always on the look out for the current "B" team player who can make the jump to the top team in August.  It happens all the time.  And our White team at this age group in the East is very good.  I've been thrilled to see the changes in those player in a year.  However, we look for the best current talent interested for our Blue teams each August.  It is unfair to current Blue team players to take a kid onto a Blue team based on loyalty they've shown to our club in the past.  I'm not providing the best service possible to the talent gathered on the Blue team already if I'm not always looking to recruit more talent.  There, I said the dreaded "R" word.  I don't have a problem with it, that's what I do, that's what our club does, and we make no bones about it.  But ALL clubs recruit players.  I ran the recreational program in Woodbury for 4 years, and recruiting happened there.  I know C3 teams that recruit from rec programs, C2 teams from other C2 teams, and Premier teams from surrounding areas.  Our club is just out there looking to recruit the very best players for the Blue teams and that makes us an easy lightning rod for criticism.  No problem.  We can take it. 

What about the fact that it seems like I'm always looking to replace my own players with better players.  Well, that's partly true as I look to next year.  However, throughout the 0708 season until the last day of our last game, my girls have my commitment to give them all the tools necessary to battle for Blue team roster spots next year.  Will our roster change in August.  Probably.  But in this we're no different from many other clubs.  There are always tryouts each August, there is always some kind of turnover.  Well, maybe not always, but pretty darn close.  It's my hope that any player who works with me for a year will leave a better player than they started.  There undoubtedly will be hard feelings by parents/players if/when told that they were not able to secure a Blue team roster spot for the next year, but in the end, it's my hope they look back on their time with me as a positive one.  I fully realize that's asking a lot sometimes for some people.  That's OK, comes with the territory.  Soccer coaching is a fickle business, I've said that plenty of times.  People usually like me until they don't.

In the end, as I've said before, my job, and the job of all the coaches I work with, is to give the girls the tools throughout the year needed to continue to play at the highest level they possibly can the following year.  Some girls are tuned in at training and pick up coaching well.  Some girls don't and this surely affects their overall development.  Some girls have the deep desire to train on their own.  Some girls only touch a ball during our training sessions.  Some girls have a passion that is flourishing, some girls have parents too hard on them and their passion could wane.  Some girls will develop bodies suited for athletics at the higher levels, some girls won't.  Some girls have an innate intelligence for the game, some girls don't.  That's the way it goes.  I can only help facilitate development, I can't control 100% of it.   

Holy crap.  Where did all this come from?  I was finally going to sit down and catch up on some tournament thoughts from the last few weeks.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow. I'm going to have to re-title this post...