We are excited to announce that beginning with the fall 2016 season Canton United SC will be offering several new specialized skill programs to cater to the individual needs of our players. For some time now we have been listening to the requests from our members to have specialized training available so beginning this fall four new programs will be offered. Players will be able to choose between Finishing School, Developing the Individual Defender, Developing 1v1 Creativity, and Conditioning, Agility, and Athletic Performance. Every athlete has different needs and this will allow our

families to select programs accordingly. Coaches will also begin to recommend courses to different players based on what they feel could benefit that athlete the most. All courses will have a weekly curriculum provided to parents. The programs will run in two separate four week cycles. Cycle 1: Tuesdays August 23 - September 13 Thursdays August 25 - September 15Cycle 2: Tuesdays September 20-October 11 Thursdays September 22 - October 13Cycle 1 registration will begin the week of August 15th with Cycle 2 to follow shortly after. All registration will take place online and links will be provided on Team App.

New Skill Programs Being Offered Beginning Fall 2016

Seasonal Newsletter

Fall 2016 Issue 1

Canton United SC

We welcome all readers to the new Canton United SC seasonal newsletter. We hope to bring our families information using this letter on important dates and programs being offered, player features, and articles about player development and the philosophy of the club. Overall we hope to help educate our families on what it means to be a part of Canton United SC and how it fits into the bigger soccer picture. Thank you for taking the time to read the new newsletter!

Canton United SC

IMPORTANT DATESFall Preseason Camp - Starts August 15Junior Academy - Starts August 30Special Skill Programs - Starts August 23Fall Season Ends - October 20High School Tryouts - October 31

Contents• Welcome to the Canton United SC

Newsletter....... ......................................1• Important Dates to Remember......1• New Skill Programs Being Offered

Beginning Fall 2016 ...........................1• How to Handle Birth Year Mandate

Changes.... .............................................2• Pete Walters Memorial Scholarship

Fund Information ...............................2• Player Feature: Chris Silvidi .............3• What Makes a Top Developmental

Club? ......................................................4

Welcome to the Canton United SC Newsletter

GREATNESS IS EARNED

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Contents

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GREATNESS IS EARNED WWW.CANTONUNITED.ORG

Fall Preseason camp at the-Hall of Fame Village Sports

Complex

Patience, Patience, and more patience. With training and games now beginning, many teams will be taking the field together for the first time. With the new birth year mandate, it will take many of our teams and coaches a period of adjustment. Some groups will adapt faster than others depending on how many of the players have been together previously as well as varying ability levels, but the overarching theme must be one of understanding and patience from the sidelines as well as from the players. All clubs in Northeast Ohio are adjusting to these changes and will take time to build the chemistry and fluency that some groups were accustomed to. Keeping an open line of communication with your team’s head coach will be critical during this time. We have stressed to all of our coaches to have an open door policy (outside of the 24 hour rule) to discuss an individual players development or placement. It is our job to make sure you understand where your child fits in to the current group they are in so feel free to ask or set up a meeting with

your child’s coach. Also we stress it is equally important that you communicate positively with your child whenever team placement is discussed. This is crucial during this time of change and having the same communication from the coach and parent is critical to a positive experience and continued development. If frustration is being expressed by a player we encourage you to support the coach’s decisions on placement and reinforce those as a parent. Conflicting information about the process from a parent and coach will lead to a disconnect in the player’s psychological development and approach which can affect all aspects of player development. We encourage you as parents to take this time to get to know the new parents on your team, as well as encouraging your players to make new friends out on the field. We will work through these changes together as we move through the fall season!

This past year, Canton United SC lost one of its very own coaches in a courageous battle with cancer.

Coach Pete Walters was the head coach of our Boys 2001/02 White team, and his commitment to developing both the player and the person left a lasting impression on both players and parents.

Over the summer months the club initiated a scholarship fund in Pete’s memory so that his legacy may keep on giving for many years to come.

Each year the club will award a $500 scholarship to one graduating boy and girl that demonstrates the qualities that Coach Pete preached day in and day out.

We welcome contributions to this scholarship fund so that we may continue to provide this scholarship to players for many years to come.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to this scholarship should make a check out to:

Pete Walters Memorial Scholarship

Checks should be sent to:Canton United Soccer Club401 Lindy Lane Ave SWNorth Canton, Ohio 44720

Pete Walters Memorial

Scholarship Fund

How to Handle Birth Year Mandate Changes

Lor

Our first feature is being done on a player that represents the characteristics that any coach would want out of a player. Chris Silvidi has been the steady guiding force of the 01/02 Blue team since very early in his United career. In his U10/11 days Chris was known for his high soccer IQ, good decision making, and ability to apply learned concepts from practice in game situations almost immediately. This led to him rarely comprimising his positioning as a center back or putting his team in jeopardy even at a young age which is quite rare. In the last couple years, his athletic ability has blossomed to combine together with his already impressive understanding of the game and technical skill to create an elite level player. A tireless worker, Chris has always led by example with his commitment to improvement and excellence bringing the best out of the players around him. Just this summer Chris was selected as one of a handful of players from Ohio

North to attend Region II camp in Illinois with a chance to make the National pool! Chris continues to push himself and his coaches in his pursuit of understanding tactics and details of the game at a higher level. All younger players are encouraged to watch Chris train or play if given the opportunity. Also, younger players are encouraged to understand that his achievments and succesful development as a player did not happen overnight. It took years of commitment and dedication to excellence and he truly embodies the ‘Greatness is Earned’ motto. The following are responses from Chris:How long have you been playing with Canton United? I have been with Canton United for 4 ½ years. I started in March of 2012.How has playing with Canton United prepared you as a player and as a person? On the field, Canton United has done a lot for me. United has taught me how to be a leader, it has made me a better teammate, and it has boosted the level of my play a great deal. I am in great physical shape because of all

the training I have done at United. I am a much better athlete in all sports because of my time with United. As a person, United has taught me how to deal with people and to deal with tough situations. What is your favorite Canton Untied memory? During the 2013 winter season, I stepped in for a game as center defender because another player wasn’t there, and I’ve held on to the position ever since.What is your advice for young players in the program? Make soccer a priority and work hard at practice. What are some of your goals as an athlete and a person? As an athlete, I hope to play soccer at the college level. In high school I hope to earn Varisty letters in soccer, track, and cross country in each of my 4 years. Aside from sports, I want to keep the highest possible grades in school and go to an elite college such as the University of Notre Dame.What are your favorite activities off of the soccer field? Running, music (I play guitar), reading, spending time with friends and family.

3www.cantonunited.org Canton United SC Newsletter

WWW.CANTONUNITED.ORG GREATNESS IS EARNED

Canton United Player Feature: Chris Silvidi

Chris Silvidi blazes trails in athletics and in the

classroomFast Facts

• Member of Canton United SC since 2012

• Federal League Individual Mile Champion (4.48 time)

• All Time Mile Record Holder in Green Middle School

• Federal League Individual Cross Country Champion and #4 in the State of Ohio

• Selected in soccer to the Olympic Development Program Region II ODP Camp

• First freshman ever named to the Varsity squad under Coach Jason Nelson at Green HS

• Captain of the 01/02 Blue MRL team (since U10)

• Carries 4.0+ Grade Point Aver-age

In both 2014 and 2015 United has been awarded the ‘Top Developmental Club’ award issued by Ohio North. This award has come for both boys and girls, and is given to only a couple of clubs each year. In 2016 United also finished in the top 5 clubs in overall points at the Ohio North State Cup and the only club representing the Greater Stark and Summit country areas. While proud of the accolades, it is good to reflect and ask ourselves what really makes a top developmental club? Secondly, what does that mean for our members? 1. Training Environment The training environment is the single most important element when talking about player development. This encorporates the overarching philosophy of the club, as well as the ability for the coaches to properly challenge the players and implement

the proper training methods over the LONG term. A player that is learning and player that is being challenged is in the proper developmental environment.

2. Consistent Commitment In order to achieve excellence at a given skill, it takes consistent effort over time. Whether it is learning a language, an instrument, or a sport, consistency in the proper environment is a formula for success. This is why we offer a year round training program in order to provide the level of consistent training required to be competitive at higher levels. We encourage all players to partipate in the full soccer calendar and not session by session. Imagine taking piano lessons for 3 months (fall) then missing 5 months of lessons (winter) and then picking back up 3 more months (spring). This would cause all sorts of issues in the learning curve over the long term and disrupt the

overall growth compared to others that continue to practice during this time. In order for us to achieve success such as a top developmental club, it has taken the commitment of those players that reap the full benefits of the program. The combination of the training environment together with the commitment from our players and families is what allows our program to continue to grow and introduce more and more families to what premier training is all about. While there will always be some hiccups along the way, we are committed to providing our families with the best possible training experience. Those that remain patient, loyal, and committed to the program will continue to benfit and our club is committed to continue pushing our players to be the best they can be!

What Makes a Top Developmental Club?

U13 Girls Finalists at the Pacesetter Soccer

Invitational in Toledo, Ohio Spring 2016

GREATNESS IS EARNED WWW.CANTONUNITED.ORG

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