DGK in Action: Summer 2015

STAFF

CARLY McCABE– August 2015 – Chicago, IL

I just wanted to pass along the official staff page for Back on My Feet since one of our Dynasty alums and staff coaches, Carly McCabe, is now working for them as a Program Associate! Carly majored in History with a concentration in Peace and Conflict studies, and is interested in pursuing work with “sport for social change” type nonprofits. Back on My Feet is a perfect start for Carly as a non-profit organization creating independence and self-sufficiency within homeless populations in 11 cities nationwide by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.

http://chicago.backonmyfeet.org/chicago-staff

Congrats Carly and good luck in your new endeavor. You are sure to inspire, motivate, and lead your new students just as you have your teammates at Holy Cross and our students at Dynasty!

TRACY NOONAN – August 23^rd – September 3^rd, 2015 – Fiji & Tonga

In July I was fortunate to be invited through U.S. Soccer to travel as a sports ambassador in August with former U.S. Men’s National Team star Cobi Jones to Fiji and Tonga! You may need to Google them to find out just exactly how far from home and where exactly in the Pacific your director was! The U.S. State Department organization Sports United seeks to use sports diplomacy to connect cultures and teach life skills through soccer. This was my third trip with Sports United (Guatemala & Costa Rica were my previous trips) and my first time getting to meet and coach alongside superstar Cobi Jones!

After a flight that lasted too many hours to count,( losing a day flying over the International Date Line), we began with a clinic on Tuesday morning in a traditional Fijian village north of Nadi near Lahoata, a typical sugar cane growing and processing town. The village was small and filled with corrugated tin sided shacks (homes), a church, meeting hall, and central village grounds. Upon our arrival I was asked to put on a sarong as women traditionally do not bear their legs. We then proceeded to meet with the village elders and chief where we presented the traditional gift of Kava root (to be used later) and a local NGO leader asked on our behalf in Fijian for their permission to enter the village peacefully, explained who we were, what we wanted to do, and also ask permission to wear shorts for athletic activities. After all the formalities were over we ventured into the central grounds to gather the children for a talk on health and wellness and then give them a brief soccer clinic. Once the soccer balls came out, kids of all ages started flowing in from every direction! We worked with a group of roughly 50-60 children ages 5-15+ girls and boys. While the level of soccer expertise may have been low, the level of enthusiasm was off the chart! These kids could hardly contain themselves they were so excited to run around, jump, and play. We had a great time playing “Soap Tag” with them teaching them about the benefits of washing their hands with soap and avoiding the germs! At the end of the 2 hour clinic we concluded with a traditional Kava ceremony. Everyone had to sit down and remain seated during the ceremony. The ceremony then began as the villagers ground up the Kava and strained it through a cloth bag into a large wooden bowl placed in the middle of the room. It was then offered in a half coconut shell to Cobi to drink first (male drinks first) and then me second. Kava is actually a very mild narcotic and is known to make people feel relaxed.  It tasted like bitter muddy water to me and all I noticed was a slight numb feeling on my tongue for a few minutes. The villagers were quite thankful for the clinic and Cobi and I had the pleasure of experiencing true Fijian life and culture.

From there it was back to Nadi to run a second clinic for roughly 30 school children. As with all of our clinics we spoke we introduced ourselves to the group, gave them a brief background on our careers, and spoke with them about the benefits of sports tying in our health and wellness message. Then it was a super quick shower and an hour flight over to the capitol Suva on the other side of the island.

In Suva our main event was running a soccer/futsal camp every morning for 3 days with girls and boys ages 5-15. It was a bit chaotic trying to herd and control 75 young children in a one basketball court sized gymnasium, but with the help of some volunteers Cobi and I managed to teach them some skills and have lots of fun. We did relay races, passing, dribbling, heading, agility, everyone’s favorite game of “Soap Tag”, and lots of futsal.

In the afternoons we oversaw a larger clinic (150+) hosted by UNICEF walking around stations and enjoying soccer with the local children as well as visiting another local school to give them a chat/clinic. In addition one of the afternoons I ran a full training session for the U16 Fijian Girls National Pool while Cobi stayed with the UNICEF group. The National Team group was eager to soak up all that I could give them, but there simply wasn’t enough time to show them all that I wanted. After a week of clinics on Sunday I had a day of recovery and Cobi flew home.

On Monday it was off to Tonga on a 2 hour flight for more of the same with new groups! In Tonga I had 2 full days of programming plus informational dinners with local teachers and coaches in the evenings. It made for LONG days! In general the Tongan culture is similar to Fiji; the people are extremely friendly and happy, but reserved at the same time. This meant I had to be a lot more engaging with my talks trying to pull the children out of the shells to get them to open up, participate, and ask questions.

On the first day I was asked to give a 2 hour lecture for coaches at the Tongan Soccer Federation.  Having no idea on the level of play or coaches to expect it was challenging to prepare sessions. Mainly you have to be flexible and adaptable in these environments, so I based my sessions off what I observed in Fiji.  I decided my topics would be “How to Run a Training Session” and “Fitness” and fortunately it was just what they needed. Phew!

In the afternoon I ran a 2+ hour field session and gave a brief lecture to their U15 and U20 Women’s National teams (a combined 20 player group) that are preparing for Oceana qualifications in the upcoming youth World Cups. As a very small nation, (kingdom actually!), Tonga has an uphill challenge to qualify out of Oceana with both Australia and New Zealand in their group. The girls were fabulous though and a lot of fun to work with. My favorite part though was seeing the shock on their faces (and their coaches) when I removed the bowls of hard candy they were devouring in the classroom prior to our lecture.  It was the perfect segue into my lecture that was impossible to resist.  They obviously hadn’t been exposed to the Dynasty nutritional standards yet…they have been now!   😉

On my second day I had two school visits (chat + clinic) at an all-girls school and all-boys school. My favorite comment after my talk on health and wellness with the girls was when one of the girls said to her friend ; “I’m gonna really miss fried chicken”.  Thrilled that they were truly listening and that my talk made an impact with at least one of them!  We had great fun in that session and ended with a paired heading contest.  At the boys session I worked with roughly 25 boys ages 10-18.  I loved seeing how competitive they were in the relay races, with even the very last groups sprinting to not finish last.  And I was impressed to see the older boys in the group being inclusive and incorporating the younger boys instead of dominating over them and establishing seniority.  What I appreciated most about the visits in Tonga was how well disciplined the children were in comparison with in Fiji. I am not sure what differences there are culturally, or perhaps it was just the settings I was in, but across the board all the children in Tonga were much more respectful. They listened well and were always very appreciative of my time.

On Thursday I wrapped up on Tonga and it was back to Fiji and then home! Not much down time to explore the beauty of the island, but I hope to have the opportunity to return again and explore the turquoise waters and numerous islands I saw through my plane window! Surprisingly the weather in Fiji and Tonga was not nicer than back home in NC! Granted it is ‘winter’ in the south Pacific and I was in some of the rainier sections of the islands. I actually had more rain and clouds plus cool evenings in the 60 which was a welcome change from our heat and humidity, but not at all expected!

Overall my trip to Fiji and Tonga was yet another worthwhile volunteer experience for me. I always appreciate the fresh perspective I get when I experience new places and cultures. From a health and wellness point of view both nations are struggling with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease mostly due to obesity like we have here in the United States. The western cultures and processed foods have made it down to their little slice of heaven and much of the traditional foods and farming practices have been pushed aside for modern conveniences. Sound familiar? In addition basic hygiene remains a challenge and the need for education on proper hand washing and more availability to soap and hot water is needed to help reduce the transmission of germs.

The biggest challenges the Fijians and Tongans face in respect to sport is they are starved for good coaching, lacking in facilities/equipment, and opportunities for higher level play, so it is a challenge for top athletes to stay inspired, motivated, and improve. There are teachers and coaches willing and eager to help, but a real need for coaching education exists. Made me appreciate the countless opportunities we have to develop and excel here not only as athletes, but as coaches too!

PRO

ADELAIDE GAY – August 2015 – Sweden

Former student and staff coach Adelaide “Addy” Gay is excelling in her first season abroad playing for Kvarnsvedens IK – Fotboll of Sweden’s 2^nd Division. She has been the starting goalkeeper all season (started in March) and has been a key factor for the team this season as they make a push to move up into the top division next season. The season ends in October, so hopefully they will win their division so they can make the jump into the top league in 2016! The club website and her player bio can be found here: http://www1.idrottonline.se/KvarnsvedensIK-Fotboll/Varaseniorlag/Damlaget/Spelarintervjuer/AdelaideAdieGay1/

KELSEY QUINN – August 2015 – Melbourne, Australia

Kelsey is still living her dream of playing professional soccer abroad. A former Dynasty student, Quinn is a 2013 graduate of Villanova with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and her Masters of Education in Sports Management from VCU in 2014. She is now in her second season starting for Heidelberg United in the WPL, Australia’s second league underneath the W-League. In addition she has picked up some quality experience training with the W-League Melbourne Victory in the off-season as she continues to establish herself and works to make the jump up into the 1^st division (a lot of which depends on getting a work visa and being allotted one of the few international slots which can be difficult!)

In addition to playing Kelsey is also an assistant coach for the U16 Heidelberg team while also working and gaining valuable experience in her chosen field of study!   She is taking advantage of her of college degrees working for Impact Soccer in Melbourne as a Program Coordinator. This position is right up her alley as it is a combination of team management, event planning, USA tour coordination and business administration.

Curious of what soccer in Australia looks like? Here are some highlights of Kelsey in action for Heidelberg earlier this season. She makes some great breakaway saves! Keep up the good work Kelsey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2e8nSRZ7y8

NWSL UPDATE – August 2015

• Ashlyn Harris – A HUGE congratulations to Ashlyn as a member of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion US Women’s National Team! We finally got the third star! While she did not see any playing time during this summer’s World Cup, she certainly played an important role on the team as a reserve gk to Hope Solo. Since the World Cup she has been starring with the Washington Spirit and has been a key ingredient (along with 6x NWSL Player of the Week honoree Crystal Dunn) in securing one of 4 playoff spots.

• Megan Kinneman – (aka “Ping”) started the summer with the Houston Dash in a reserve role and  was activated to the full roster on several occasions in the back-up role to Bianca Henninger when regular starter Erin McLeod was on duty with Canada at this summer’s World Cup. During the NWSL summer break she made a brief appearance on staff for Week 1 of camp and was looking uber sharp, quick, and explosive! Her training at the pro level has certainly made an impact on her game – WOW! Upon the return of the World Cup players to Houston Megan knew her chances of playing would become much slimmer, so she decided to jump on an opportunity to play abroad in Norway. After a brief trial she signed a contract for the second half of the season with Arna Bjornar in the top division. Since then there has been no looking back as she quickly established herself as their starting keeper.
• Caroline Stanley – signed a contract with Seattle Reign following the World Cup with starting gk Hope Solo out on the injured reserve list for a few games post World Cup. Played in her first game and recorded a shutout!  http://www.nwslsoccer.com/News/2015Q3/887137.html   
• Kelsey Wys – Has tag teamed with Ashlyn Harris on the Washington Spirit, stepping in and holding her own while Ashlyn was gone with the National Team in Canada for the World Cup. She has proven herself a legitimate starter in the NWSL in just her 2^nd season. Check out just one of her saves this season: https://twitter.com/WashSpirit/status/633292401159860224

COLLEGE

ROSE CHANDLER – July 22^nd – July 29^th, 2015 – Chula Vista, CA

          It is never easy to recover from an injury, mentally or physically, so I was excited to see Penn State RS freshman Rose Chandler back into camp with the U20 Women’s National Team after recovering from wrist surgery. Way to go Rose! The U20 WNT is continuing their preparation towards the next U20 Women’s World Cup to be held in Papua New Guinea in 2016 and focused on upcoming qualifications. I know Rose is fighting hard to earn a roster spot on that team! Good luck!

YOUTH

DOROTHY BERTONCIN – June 6^th, 2015 – Lee’s Summit, MO

Congratulations to junior goalkeeper Dorothy Bertoncin for her role guiding her high school team to a 4^th place finish in the Missouri High School State Tournament. They finished with an overall record of 19-4-2 (9-1-0 in conference) with Bertoncin and her defense only allowing 7 goals in conference and winning the conference title for the first time in 7 years. She recorded 16 shutouts while playing with unfortunately having to play with a partially torn labrum in her shoulder! She earned 2nd Team All-Conference behind fellow Dynasty student Megan Swanson (congrats Megan!). Her coach, Dave Wiebenga (a Dynasty staff coach) said her biggest strength is her ability to save shots through defensive organization. He said she is a great leader on the field.

ALLIE CUTLER – June/July 2015 – Raleigh, NC

Congratulations to Broughton High School senior goalkeeper Allie Cutler for being named All-Conference, All-State as well as being selected to play for the East in the NC East/West game and Clash of the Carolinas. Both games are All-star events featuring the top senior players from the state. The Clash of the Carolinas is the nation’s only interstate prep soccer all-star event. Founded in 2007, the match annually features the top boys and girls graduated seniors from North Carolina and South Carolina.  The Clash game ended 0-0 and the West beat the East 1-0.  Allie will be a freshman at Furman University this fall.

NICOLE CERULLI – July 30^th– Aug. 1^st, 2015 – San Jose, Costa Rica

Congratulations to Dynasty student, Nicole Cerulli of Boston, MA on being name to the U18 US Youth Futsal Team that recently competed in a series of international friendlies in Costa Rica!

According to the U.S. Youth Futsal website: After a year-long identification process 72 players were selected to represent the United States in Costa Rica, where the U.S. Youth Futsal U18, U16 and U14 boys and girls teams will compete from July 30 to Aug. 1. Participants were selected after attending Regional I.D. Camps throughout the nation last fall and winter concluding with a National I.D. Camp earlier this month.    Teams will stay in San Jose, the host nation’s capital, and train and play at the official training center of the Costa Rican National Futsal Teams. Costa Rican opponents include Colegio Alajuela, Colegio Ezcazu, Colegio Santa Ana, Colegio Santo Domingo and CTP Lindora. The visit will include one day of training and one day of team-building adventure activities prior to the three match days.  

Unlike other countries, especially Central and South American countries, futsal hasn’t really emerged as separate game here in the United States. There are indoor winter leagues (especially in the colder northern states whose fields are covered in snow all winter!), but futsal here in the U.S. is primarily seen more as a good training component to develop technical skill, speed, and proficiency to help players develop their outdoor 11v11 game. The US doesn’t have a full women’s national futsal team and this was the first year that we had a team over U-16. In Costa Rica the U18 team that Cerulli played on faced three local U-18 clubs, and then in the biggest game against the Costa Rica Women’s National Futsal team Nicole started and played the entire match. They lost 4-1, but Nicole claimed it was a very close game and good showing for the younger US side in which half of our players were under 16!

MARZIA JOSEPHSON – August 1st, 2015 –Cary, NC

Congratulations to Marzia for winning the 5th DECADE of DYNASTY contest this year as our “Most Improved” repeat student at camp this summer!  The contest was based on the overall combined fitness and distribution rankings that were done at camp.  These physical tests included: Beep Test, T-Test. IL Agility Test, 3 Hop, vertical jump, sit-ups & push-ups, while the distribution tests included: dominant and non-dominant goal kicks, drop kick, and punt.  Marzia went up 17 spots in the rankings from 25th in 2014 to 8th overall in 2015!  Well done Marz!

BENEDIKTE TURNER – May 30^th, 2015 – Chapel Hill, NC

Congratulations to Carrboro High School senior goalkeeper Benedikte Turner as the starting goalkeeper for the Jaguars who won the NC State 2A Championship! This is their second championship in 4 years, impressive!