April 1, 2011

Catching up with Alumni!

This week we spent some time with Alyssa Mautz, a new professional for Sky Blue FC in New Jersey.  Alyssa played for the St. Louis Soccer Club and St. Louis Scott Gallagher under Dave Fine for eight years and then for Steve Pecher and Scott McDoniel for her final two years of Youth Soccer.  During her ten years of club soccer Alyssa was a part of ten state championship teams, a record that can't be matched since the format/age groups of State Cup changed several years ago.  After graduating from Fort Zumwalt West HS and prior to being drafted by Sky Blue, Alyssa was a First Team Big 12 Selection for Texas A&M.  Alyssa recently spent time in Turkey with Sky Blue, playing in the Alanya International Tournament of Champions. 

SLSG - Alyssa, how do you feel now that you're a professional soccer player?


Alyssa - It's hard, but fun.  I have a new family in the Sky Blue players and we work very hard everyday, most times twice a day.


SLSG - How is Sky Blue different than your experience at Texas A&M?


Alyssa - Well, even though we had amazing players at A&M, the speed and strength of all of the players with Sky makes every session extremely intense.  And the fact we are playing every day for our jobs puts added pressure and tension into practice.  A few weeks ago it was hard to find any space or time on the field.  But now I'm starting to adjust and I'm playing faster... better.  


SLSG - What was Turkey like?


Alyssa - It was amazing!  Turkey was beautiful!  And although we spent a lot of time training we were able to see some amazing sites!


SLSG - You played a team from Sweden and Denmark, what were they like?


Alyssa - Well, you could kind of tell we were in pre-season.  Those teams had been together for some time before we played this tournament, so they seemed more in tune with each other.  But we played well and should have won the tournament.  The teams seemed very organized, especially FC Malmo from Sweden.


SLSG - Which players on Sky Blue have impressed you the most?


Alyssa - Well, Tobin (Heath) and Heather (O'Reilly) have been with the National Team so I haven't played against them as much, but I know they are amazing.  Angie Kerr, Ally Long, and especially Lara Calamari from Sweden are awesome to play with!


SLSG - How do you feel about your performance so far?


Alyssa - I feel okay.  I am bothered by a slight strain in my hip, but I'm still training and playing in the pre-season games.  We played the University of Virginia last week and I felt like it was my best game so far, we won 2-0 and I hit the post, so I felt like I was contributing.  But I know I can get better, I just need to keep working hard!


SLSG - When does Sky Blue open their WPS season?


Alyssa - We have one more pre-season game vs Penn State on Sunday (April 3rd) and then our first real league match is April 10th, we play at home vs the Philadelphia Independence and the game is on Fox Soccer Channel.  I'm really excited!


SLSG - Okay, good luck Alyssa, stay in touch and keep us up to date on the season!


Alyssa - Thanks and I will!  And good luck to all the Gallagher teams this Spring and Summer, hope to see you all soon!!




A great Story for our Girls!


Make sure you watch the video that accompanies this article.  This young lady is a great example of trust, discipline, respect, and passion!!  The staff was particularly impressed with the fact this player spends up to 90 minutes a day outside of training with the ball!!!!


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/magazine/mag-27Soccer-t.html?_r=4&pagewanted=2&ref=magazine


Next week - We will outline the ID Process for the Elite and Premier Teams in certain age groups as well as share a few more stories about players and teams in our club and from around the country!  

Have a great week and wether you are a fan or a player; play with unity, humility, respect, and passion.

Spring Update!

Hi Parents, Players, and Coaches of Missouri Girls! 

Steve, the Staff, and I haven't quite decided how this BLOG space will be most efficiently utilized.  But, as we work with all of you on a daily basis, we continue to realize how important it is to regularly communicate our insights, philosophies, updates, and other miscellaneous items.

This week we wanted to share with the parents our gratitude for their support of the coaches and players with regards to the In - House Program as well as GSLS.  The Staff continues to enjoy spending time at the Gallagher Complex and Soccer Park in Fenton each weekend because we can focus and concentrate on working with the players and coaches rather than worry about negative comments from parents or other fans on the sideline.  The environment has become very positive for SLSG players, a place where players can take risks, compete, smile, and challenge themselves to improve each weekend.  The League is unique in that it continues to pair Gallagher teams (and a few other clubs) against each other, but we continue to see rapid progress in our players.  The Directors and Staff cannot thank the parents and other fans enough for their support of our clubs philosophy to limit coaching from the sideline and instead use their voices for encouraging remarks that compliment all players in the game!

Junior Elite Clubs National League Event (JR ECNL)

This weekend some of the top teams from the Midwest Region were in town to participate in a Jr ECNL event.  The Jr ECNL is a regional league that matches top teams from Region 2 against each other in 6 different weekend events.  So far this year there have been events in Columbus Ohio, Carmel Indiana, St. Paul Minnesota, and Detroit Michigan.  The final event will take place in Milwaukee Wisconsin on April 9th and 10th.  SLSG U12, U13, and U14 Elite traveled to Columbus and Carmel this past Fall and will participate in the STL and MIL event this Spring.  The ECNL and JR ECNL were created to challenge the top players in the country by putting them in the most competitive environment possible.   The JR ECNL does not keep standings but the competition has proven to be the best these teams have faced throughout the year.

This weekend U12 Elite went 2-0-1 vs Ohio Elite, Carmel United Elite, and Eclipse Select.  13 Elite went 1 - 2 -0 with an impressive win over Minnesota Thunder, and U14 Elite went 1-1-1 vs Hawks, Eclipse, and Carmel United Elite.  The competition was fantastic and a huge benefit to the girls program as the club impressed both on and off the field.  Thanks to everyone who helped make the event happen!

Teams in the News 

Congrats to U9 Club America (Guignon and Zaber) and U12 Premier Green (Guignon and Clifford) for winning the GFD Super Cup hosted by GFD at SportPort this past weekend.  The teams posted a combined record of 7 wins and 0 losses in the two day tournament.  Great start to the Spring for these two groups!

The U18 age group is home to 5 different SLSG teams, all with great coaches and talented players. This age group has represented the club in the biggest tournaments all over the country for the last 10 years.   Here is a look at each team and coaches;

U18 Elite - Fernando Hernandez (ECNL Participant)
U18 Green - Kirk Moser/John Schneider (State Champion, Regional Finalist)
U18 Navy - Mark Bayens (5-time State Champion)
U18 Red - Mali Walton
U18 White - Mali Walton

The players of U18 SLSG have been recognized for their hard work and accomplishments on the field by many different colleges and as a result many of them will be continuing their careers at the next level.  Congratulations to each player, their families, and their coaches.  SLSG is proud of these young ladies and knows they will represent SLSG with class for years to come!  Here is a look at where the players will be displaying their skills next year.

U18 Elite
Lauren Fernandez - Eckerd College
Brooke Barczewski - IUPUI
McKenzie Barringhaus - Bellermine
McKenzie Combs - Bellermine
Jordan Woolums - Indiana
Molly Huber - Kentucky
Haley Womack - Iowa State
Estelle Bol - UMBC
Caitie Dierkes - Evansville
Kayla Nurnberger - Quincy University
Courtney Young - SIUE
Marissa Graham - Central Missouri St.
Hayley Bettlach - Undecided
Margaret Roth - Undecided

U18 Green
Megan Dolan - Lynn University
Tori Flynn - Drake
Julia Merlo - SLU
Maddie Bush - SLU
Alexa Dickerhoff - Rockhurst
M. Owens - SLU
Lauren Flynn - Missouri
Megan Schneider - SLU
J. Turner - Arkansas
Abby Stock - SLU
Jessica Kelley - SLU
Jessica Hanson - Illinois State
S. Hatz - Drury
K Haberberger - Undecided
K. Brenner - Undecided
T. Magalletta - Undecided

U18 Navy
Courtney Vonderhaar - SIUE
Michelle Auer - SIUE
Jessica Bayens - Rockhurst
Lindsay Elking - SLU
Ellie Bumb - Mississippi
Lydia Harlan - Dennison
Allie Rodriquez - Rockhurst
Julie Mooney - Murray State
Melanie Hunt - Truman State
Kelsey Fouch - Missouri State
Taylor Wakeland - Quincy University
Brooke Oosterndorp - Missouri State
Kelsey Dinges - Miami of Ohio
Maritza Hayes - Nebraska
Erin Robinson - Central Missouri St
Caroline Brandt - Rockhurst
Lauren Rein - William Jewell
Leah Connery - William Jewell

U18 Red/White
Caitie Dierkes - Evansville
Hailey Rogers - North Park University
Erin Brennan - Spring Hill College
Katie Hoener - Kenyon College
Julie Friem - Central Methodist University
Several still undecided.

Next week 

WPS Players Update (Alyssa Mautz -Lori Chalupny) 

The First of Many.... Scotty Mac Introduced

Hello Everyone!  This is the first of many blogs that the SLSG Missouri Girls Coaching staff will manage so you get different views from a few sets of eyes.  Remember this is a blog and not a press release so it will be a touch on the casual side.  

Scotty McDoniel is up next and will take it from here...  Enjoy the world's beautiful game...  

~Ken "Gody"