SMOKE SIGNALS 1

TULSAOKLAHOMA CITY

O C TO B E R 2 0 1 4THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION

SMOKE SIGNALS

AWARDS NOMINATIONS

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

SOKTOBERFESTLANDON DONOVAN

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION2

OSA Smoke Signals welcomes story submissions from teams, clubs, leagues and associations via e-mail or FAX. If you have a story or a story idea, please e-mail or FAX us at the following addresses: oksoccer@oksoc-cer.com -or- FAX: 1-918-627-2693 to the attention: Dale Watts.

The Smoke Signals is the official publication of the Oklahoma Soccer Association and is published bi-monthly. Editorial offices are at the OSA office, 9410-B East 51st Street, Tulsa, OK 74145-8168. Telephone is 918-627-2663 and FAX is 918-627-2693. E-mail at oksoccer@oksoccer.com. The Smoke Signals is mailed to all registered coaches, referees, association officers, subscribers, and players six times a year. Advertisers assume all liability for content of advertisements printed and therefore assume all claims against the Smoke Signals. The Smoke Signals does not publish articles or letters from anonymous contributors. Contributors must provide a daytime phone number to confirm authorship of submitted articles or letters. Opinions expressed in this publication are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication. Errors, corrections and changes are inevitable. Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences.

OSA Smoke Signals Story Submissions

Oklahoma Soccer Association

IN THIS ISSUE Claremore hosts Tournament 4

Soktoberfest 5

October is Breast CancerAwareness Month 5

Landon Donovan 6

OSA District Meetings 8

25th AnniversaryOSA Workshop 11

US Youth National Workshop 11

Awards Nominations Due 17

Tournaments 21

Kids’ Page 22

P.O. Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153-0174, 800-347-3590 • WWW.OKSOCCER.COMTulsa Office: 9820 E. 41st Street,, Suite 115, Tulsa 74146, 918-627-2663

Oklahoma City Office: 4520 Old Farm Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73162, 405-286-0488

Executive CommitteeChairman

William AvenVice President – Youth Council

Tom WeddingVice President – Adult Council

Tek TsegaySecretary/TreasurerSean McKelvey

SecretarySid Goodrich

Vice President - Games,Discipline, & Appeals

Max TilfordVice President – Risk Management

Michael NaumannState Referee Administrator

Keith Beall

Youth CouncilVice President Tom Wedding

Vice-President – Youth RecreationalKeith Ash

Vice-President – Youth Competitive- - -

District 1 Vice PresidentDavid Perry

District 2 Vice PresidentJim Weir

District 3 Vice PresidentKathy Mead

District 4 Vice PresidentJanet Cooper

East Vice President CompetitiveShawn Slater

West Vice President CompetitiveMickey Weatherly

SYRANate Hopkins

Adult CouncilVice PresidentTek Tsegay

Vice President – Adult Competitive& Tournament

Sonny Dalesandro

Editor

Dale WattsLayout & Design- Sandy Bent

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For upcoming Tournaments, Coaching classes, or Referee courses, visit the OSA website.

CLUB MEETING DATES

OCTOBER 1– Altus, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Collinsville, NOKC 2 – Midwest City, Northwest Oklahoma 6 – Metro Tulsa, Norman, Washington County 7 – Davis, Stilwell 8 – Durant, Mayes County 9 – Beaver River 13 – Owasso 14 – Claremore, Elk City, Logan County, Mustang, Ponca City, South Lakes 20 – Atoka, Choctaw/Nicoma Park, El Reno, Shawnee, Stillwater, Westside 21 – Chickasha, Edmond, Harrah 22 – Tri-Lake 27 – Glenpool, Yukon31 – Halloween

NOVEMBER 2 – Daylight Savings Time Ends 3 – Metro Tulsa, Norman, Washington County 4 – Davis, Sand Springs 5 – Altus, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Collinsville, NOKC, Ref Committee 6 – Cleveland, Inola, Midwest City, NW Oklahoma 10 – Owasso, Wagoner 11 – Claremore, Elk City, Logan County, Mustang, Ponca City, South Lakes; Veteran’s Day 12 – Durant, Mayes County 13 – Beaver River 17 – All County (Atoka), Choctaw/Nicoma Park, El Reno, Shawnee, Stillwater, Westside 18 – Chickasha, Edmond, Harrah 20 – Bixby 24 – Glenpool, Yukon 25 – Tri-Lake 27 – Thanksgiving – OSA offices closed until December 1

DECEMBER 1 – Metro Tulsa, Norman, Washington County 2 – Davis 3 – Altus, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Collinsville, NOKC, Ref Committee 4 – Coweta, Midwest City, Northwest Oklahoma 8 – Owasso 9 – Claremore, Elk City, Logan County, Muskogee, Mustang, Ponca City, South Lakes 10 – Durant, Mayes County 11 – Beaver River 15 – All County (Atoka), Choctaw/Nicoma Park, El Reno, Shawnee, Stillwater, Westside16 – Chickasha, Edmond, Harrah 22 – Glenpool, Yukon 23 – Tri-Lake 25 – Christmas – OSA offices closed

Monthly Meetings Clinton COASL – Feb & AugCordellGreat PlainsHintonLawton UnitedNEOASA – Jan, June, Aug, & DecRed CarpetTri-CityVerdigrisAll other clubs meet “as called.”

Statewide Special Olympics Oklahoma Soccer Competition

On Wednesday, October 1, from 9am to 4pm, Special Olympics Oklahoma held the annual state-level Soccer competition at the Owasso Sports Complex, 10320 E. 116th St. North,in Owasso. This year 30 teams and 300 athletes competed in the tournament Teams are came from as far away as Noble, Bethany, Yukon and Harrah. There were several local teams competing from Jenks, Owasso, Wagoner, and Sperry. Robert Schaefer, Wagoner, is the Special Olympics Oklahoma Soccer Sports Director and was in charge of the event .

VisitOklahoma Soccer

Associationwebsitefor more

information, forms

and updates.

www.oksoccer.com

Calendar

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION4

Claremore Hosts Fall 2014 State Recreational Championships

Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Fall 2014 Governor’s Cup and the Fall Recreational Festival will return to Claremore Soccer Club on Novem-ber 1-2. The Governor’s Cup will determine the U10 through U19 boys and girls state recreational championships and the Fall Recre-ational Festival will host U6 through U10 boys and girls team in a festival format that has teams playing a 3 game format with no championship rounds.

OSA’s Youth Division moved the tournaments to the fall in order to attract many of the older age teams to participate in the state champi-onship tournament and to reduce

conflict that occurs with spring high school activities such as proms and graduation. The tournament is ti-tled the 2014 Fall Governor’s Cup to differentiate from the spring tour-nament help in early 2014.

As in previous versions of the tournaments, there will be options for teams in the U10 age brackets. The teams may choose to play in either tournament based on what the coach determines. The Fall Recreational Festival is a chance to play 3 teams without the pressure of advancement to a championship round. Teams just play 3 games and receive a medal and recognition.

For the Governor’s Cup, there will be a U10 bracket as well as a Recreational Select bracket for those teams who are formed under those regulations. Last year’s Gov-ernor’s Cup had both recreational and Rec Select divisions for U10’s through U16 in boys and girls brack-ets.

OSA plans on having the festi-val atmosphere for the young play-ers with as many activities for them as with the past festivals.

Registration is available on-line for both tournaments and the deadline is October 24. Below are registration links to both tourna-ments as well as rules of competi-tion.

Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Governor’s Cup Fall 2014 – RegisterMazzio’s Italian Eatery Governor’s Cup Fall 2014 – Rules of Competition

Registration fee includes referee fees:U10 - $240 U12 - $300 U14 - $350 U19 - $400

Mazzio’s Fall Recreational Festival 2014 – RegisterMazzio’s Fall Recreational Festival 2014 – Rules of Competition

Registration fee includes referee fees: U6 - $13 U8 - $170 U10 - $240

Hotel reservations for the State Recreational Tournaments: reservations

For a map to the Claremore complex, use the following link: Claremore Soccer Club 2700 N. Sioux Ave in Claremore -- DIRECTIONS

Field Map of Claremore Soccer Club - MAP

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If it’s October that means adult soccer teams are heading to Tulsa for the annual Soktoberfest held in conjunction with Tulsa’s internation-ally known Oktoberfest. Now in its 2 8th year, the adult tournament of-fers not only games in nine brackets, but the opportunity to partake in the festivities at Tulsa’s celebration that draws fans worldwide.

Food and memorabilia will be available at the Torcia Oliver Soccer-Plex at 105th and South Delaware in Tulsa. For directions and map, use the following link: Torcia Oliver Soc-cerPlex.

28th Soktoberfest Begins October 17For those using the Creek Turn-

pike, exit at Riverside Drive and turn south to the entrance to the complex which will be on your left. 10715 S. Delaware

Most every team will want to place an order for the t-shirts that have become a collector’s item among the participants. While avail-able at the site, Northeast Oklaho-ma Adult Soccer Association advises you to visit their website and order ahead of time so the shirts will be ready when you arrive. Soktoberfest

Registration is $500 until Octo-ber 7th and $325 for 7v7 divisions.

Brackets for this year’s tournament:

Men’s SuperGroup Men’s Competitive Men’s Recreational Men’s Under 21 Mens Over30 Competitive Men’s Over30 Recreational Men’s Over 35 Men’s Over 40 Men’s Over 45 (7v7)

Women’s A Women’s B Women’s C Women’s Over30 (7v7) Women’s Under23

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. OFC will again be offering T-shirts for players to wear during the month of October to show our support. These shirts should be worn for practice as well as warm-ups before games. All teams are encouraged to get a shirt and the T-shirts are available for all the OFC family to wear, so friends and family are welcome to purchase one as well. The money we raise will go to the American Cancer Society! Be sure to contact your team manager to place your order.

OFC is hoping we can make this our most successful campaign yet! #OFCBELIEVES T-shirts are $17 each, or $19 for 2XL, 3XL

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION6

CHICAGO (Oct. 6, 2014) – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called 21 play-ers into camp in preparation for the upcoming friendly against Ecuador on Friday, Oct. 10, in East Hartford, Connecticut. Kickoff between the two countries, which both qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, is set for 7 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live on ESPN, WatchESPN, UniMas and ESPN Deportes Radio. Fans can also follow on Twitter @ussoccer.

After a 15-year international ca-reer in which he became the most accomplished player in team history, U.S. Men’s National Team forward Landon Donovan (@landondono-van) will make his final appearance

Landon Donovan’s Final Matchfor the United States when he plays against Ecuador. More than 30,000 tickets have been sold for the match.

Following the USA’s game in East Hartford, Klinsmann is expected to make several changes to the U.S. roster that will travel to Boca Raton, Florida, to face regional rival Hondu-ras in the USA’s first match in Palm

Beach County. “We look at these two games

as an opportunity to take a picture of the player pool as it stands now,”

said Klinsmann. “Already the hier-archy starts to shift in some ways, which is normal at the beginning of a cycle. We are excited to look at this group against a very competitive team like Ecuador, and then we will have a chance to bring some differ-ent faces for the game against Hon-duras. Obviously, it’s going to be a

special night on Friday as e v e r y o n e in the U.S. Soccer fam-ily will have the chance to honor the amaz-ing career of Landon Don-ovan.”

A total of 15 players return from

the USA’s 1-0 win against Czech Re-public on Sept. 3 in Prague, including 10 starters and game-winning goal scorer Alejandro Bedoya.

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OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION8

With the new OSA bylaws in place and all 4 youth districts with elected vice presidents in place, the time has arrived for those districts to hold their annual meetings. For an idea of where each club is located in the districts, refer to the map below or contact your club registrar or of-ficers for that information.

The four districts have elected vice presidents and determination of the dates of the meeting will vary for each district. The VP for each dis-trict:

District 1 – David PerryDistrict 2 – Jim WeirDistrict 3 – Kathy MeadDistrict 4 – Janet Cooper

4 District Meetings Planned Topics for business in those

meetings includes: league pro-grams and their format, administra-tion, rules & policies; tournaments; special programs such as TOPSoc-cer, Soccer Fun Days, Soccer Across America, Scholarships & Grants; National Youth Policies & Business meetings; and Coaching Education including player development and academy programs.

Each club in the district will be notified of the upcoming district meeting, its location, and time. De-velopment of soccer in Oklahoma is dependent on volunteer input and support, so please make certain your club is represented in these meet-ings.

Norman: 405.360.6764Oklahoma City: 405.552.5764

Moore: 405.793.2900Edmond: 405.478.7111

Oklahoma Sports and Orthopedics Instituteis Oklahoma’s source for Orthopedic

and Sports Medicine treatment.

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Two areas that often tend to confuse OSA members are how the OSA Board is comprised and what steps are followed in a disciplinary action. To clarify those issues, two flow charts are now posted on the OSA website under the Bylaws and Policies section located under the

New Flow Charts Explain OSA Board, Disciplinary Committee, and Map of Districts

About Us link. http://www.oksoc-cer.com/about/bylaws_and_poli-cies.aspx

The chart explaining the struc-ture and organization of OSA’s boards is shown below and includes the names of the various officers on the Youth Council and Executive

Committee. The boxes with Busi-ness items in them are tied to the committee or board above them.

The Games Disciplinary and Ap-peals Committee of OSA chart pro-vides members the procedure for which appeals are heard and the committee that deals with those appeals, complaints, and or suspen-sions. The process moves upwards from the bottom to the GD&A com-mittee at the top. Appeals from that committee go to either US Youth or US Soccer.

Voter Districts Map Available Online

For the OSA members who wonder which of the 4 districts they belong to, OSA has update the dis-trict voting map for you. Below is the map and it is also available on-line at the link below:

http://www.oksoccer.com/UserFiles/file/Policies/OSA%20Map%20of%20Voting%20Districts.pdf

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION10

Each year OSA offers clubs an opportunity to receive funding for projects their club determines are needed. At the recent Executive Committee meeting the original Au-gust 1 deadline for the grant applica-tion was extended to November 1.

The grant application is not dif-ficult but does require the signa-tures of the club’s Board of Directors (President and Treasurer) as well as a request for the amount.

A copy of the Grant Application is on the OSA website at this link:

http://www.oksoccer.com/UserFiles/file/Applications/OSA%20Grant%20Application%20revised.pdf

FAQ’s on Grant ApplicationWho may apply for a grant?

Applicants must be a currently reg-istered club in Oklahoma Soccer As-sociation which has been in opera-tion for at least one calendar year. Projects must be within the club’s registration area. Applicants who re-ceived previous funding are not eli-gible for five years after the receipt of such funding.

How much funding can appli-cants request? The Oklahoma Soc-cer Association budgets its grants on an average of $3000 per year di-vided among all selected applicants. Therefore, if your grant is for large field expenses, you may wish to use the US Soccer Foundation grant pro-cess.

OSA Grant Application Deadline Extended to November 1

When can a project expect to receive the funding? The OSA Grant Committee meets in August annu-ally prior to the OSA Annual General Meeting to review the applications. Awarding of the grants is announced at the OSA Annual General Meeting in August and funding disbursed shortly thereafter.

Grants will be awarded at the OSA Workshop.

What are some examples of projects that have been applied for? In past grant cycles, OSA has awarded money for coaches to at-tend licensing, referees to attend upgrade clinics, players to attend training, clubs to purchase equip-ment for players, and clubs to pur-chase equipment for their facilities.

What are some examples of projects that would not be funded? Grants will not be awarded for re-curring expenses, fixed overhead/administrative expenses (e.g. sala-ries, rent, utilities, etc.), loans or endowments, capital campaigns, funding to maintain the sustainabil-ity of an organization or program, or anything else deemed as not serving the youth and adult sports commu-nity within Oklahoma Soccer Asso-ciation.

Sample Project Grant Applications

1. Assistance in providingCoach licenses - $200.00Details: The XYZ club wishes to

provide Youth Module training for 16 new coaches in the club. The XYZ club will pay ½ of the cost and use the $200 to offset the total cost of $400 to train our new coaches. This will allow us to have 16 coaches meeting the license requirements for the fall season. The coaches have agreed that they will coach for two seasons for the club.

2. Assistance in providing Referee training - $125.00Details: The ABC club wishes to

provide training for 5 referees who are 09 in grade and wish to upgrade to 08. The club will provide ½ of the cost of upgrading to the 08 class to offset the total coast of $250 that it would cost the individual referee. Referees attending have agreed to officiate at least 6 games a season for two seasons and participate in the club’s tournament.

3. Purchase of soccer goals - $600Details: The MMN club will be

modifying its fields this fall to ac-commodate the new small-sided soccer fields. This requires smaller portable goals. The money will be used to purchase the new goals and we are including a bid from the com-pany that we have selected.

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Oklahoma Soccer As-sociation’s Score Work-shop celebrates its 25th year when the event kicks off January 31st in Mid-west City’s Sheraton Hotel. While many sessions and events at the Workshop re-turn, several new sessions will be added. For the first time, the Referee Upgrade Clinics will be a part of the Workshop as well as the usual As-signor course and recertification classes.

As in the past, Friday evening will begin with coaching sessions, membership meetings, referee ses-sions, and the Hall of Fame induc-tion ceremony. A complete listing of the events wil be posted on the OSA website and emailed to clubs and leagues in the next few weeks.

Saturday begins with an 8:00am breakfast and access to the many vendors and their exhibits. Ses-sions and breakout groups continue through noon when the Workshop focuses on the annual Score Awards Luncheon where OSA’s many volun-teers, coaches, administrators, ref-erees, and players are recognized for their contributions during the past year.

OSA Workshop Celebrates 25th Anniversary Jan. 31 – Feb 1

Following the Score Awards Luncheon, ses-sions will run through 5:00pm and a few coach-ing course events will con-tinue on Sunday.

Registration for the 25th annual event is un-derway and can be done online by visiting OSA’s web site at www.oksoccer.com Cost is $50 through January 31, 2015. Con-

tact OSA at 800-347-3590 with any questions concerning the workshop. Hotel reservations at the OSA rate are also available on the web site so make your plans now to join us in Midwest City in February!

A tentative schedule and out-line of the sessions is included in this issue for your use at the Work-shop. Register today and join the hundreds of soccer fans who will be in Midwest City for Score Workshop XXV.

The US Youth Soccer Workshop at the NSCAA Convention will take place in January 14-18, 2015 in Phil-adelphia — bringing thousands of coaches, administrators and other soccer enthusiasts together in one place.

US Youth Soccer and the NSCAA, two of the nation's soccer leaders, merged their respective

US Youth Soccer Workshop NSCAA Convention

Jan. 14-18, 2015annual gatherings in January 2013, creating what is now the game's most influential event of the year. The combined convention appeals to the entire soccer community as US Youth Soccer brings the annual US Youth Soccer Workshop to the NSCAA Convention.

"To create the best, largest and most impactful opportunity for both

of our respective members is our first priority," said John Sutter, US Youth Soccer president. "The ben-efits of exposing a larger pool of coaches and administrators to our

continued on page 12

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION12

Nation's top youth soc-cer players to descend on Mohawk Soccer Complex Barboursville, W.V., Fox Cities, Wisc., North Little Rock, Ark., and Boise, Ida-ho to host Regional Championships. FRISCO, Texas (July 31, 2014) — US Youth Soccer is proud to announce the dates and locations for the Regional and National Champion-ships of the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, the country’s oldest and most presti-gious national youth soccer tourna-ment. After another banner year in 2014, the 2015 US Youth Soccer Na-tional Championships will be held at the Mohawk Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Okla.

“We are excited to host the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Tulsa, Okla., and look forward to working with the Oklahoma Soccer Association and the complex staff,” said John Sutter,

Tulsa Oklahoma To Host 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships

President of US Youth Soccer. “Each year, more than 10,000 teams play in our National Champion-ship Series as teams test their de-velopment and skill; earning their way from state to regional events, with the ultimate goal of earning a ticket to the US Youth Soccer Na-tional Championships. The event continues to get better each year, and we expect Tulsa to help make the 2015 National Championships a great experience for the players.” The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the Under-13 through Under-19 Boys and Girls age groups as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.

Each year brings about new challenges and highlights the mo-

tivation and commitment of these youth as they continue pursuing their dreams of being one of the best youth soccer teams in the United States. The National Cham-pionships are the final stage of the US Youth Soccer National Champi-onship Series and open to any US Youth Soccer member. The U.S. Soc-cer Federation initiated the open youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup, the oldest trophy in youth sport, (Under-19 Boys) in 1935 and the tradition con-tinues in 2015 with the McGuire Cup’s 80th anniversary.

Annually, the US Youth Soc-cer National Championship Series provides the nation's top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most cov-eted players in the country. In 2014, more than 700 coaches attended the US Youth Soccer Regional and National Championships.

2015 US Youth Soccer National ChampionshipsTulsa, OklahomaMohawk Soccer ComplexPlayer Luncheon: July 20Round Robin play: July 21-23 Semi Finals: July 25 (U14-U18)Finals: July 25 (U13 & U19) and July 26 (U14-U18).

2015 US Youth Soccer Region III ChampionshipsNorth Little Rock, ARBurns Park Soccer ComplexOpening Ceremony: June 18Round Robin: June 19- 21Quarters: June 22 (U14-U16)

combined efforts, our shared mis-sions and philosophies to our mem-bers, and to create the largest cel-ebration of our sport is exciting to both US Youth Soccer and NSCAA."

A highlight of the US Youth Soc-cer Workshop is the US Youth Soc-cer Awards Gala.

Seeking to expand the recogni-tion for those who give their time and efforts to the organization by way of service, US Youth Soccer awards and recognizes those indi-

US YOUTH NATIONAL CONVENTION continued from page 11

viduals at the annual ceremony.At the 2014 Awards Gala, the

sixth class of inductees to the US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame was announced, also the Dr. Thomas Fleck Award for excellence in youth coaching education, Boys and Girls Competitive and Recreation Coach of the Year, Administrator of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Male and Female Young Referees of the Year, Goal and Save of the Year and the TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year.

continued on page 13

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Semis/Quarters: June 23 Semifinals U13 & U19 Quarters U17 & U18Finals/Semis: June 24 Finals U13 & U19 and Semis U14-U18Finals: June 25 (Finals U14-U18)

The US Youth Soc-cer National Champi-onship Series provides more than 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the opportunity to showcase their abilities against the best in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. The yearlong competi-tion begins with over 185,000 players in the US Youth Soccer State Championships. These champions and se-lected wildcard teams, through US Youth Soc-cer Regional Leagues, advance to compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Cham-pionships. Champions (U-13 through U-19) from each regional event advance to the US Youth Soccer Na-tional Championships. The Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups have four teams representing the US Youth Soccer Na-tional League, in which the top two teams in each gender age group

division earn a direct path to the National Championships. Over-all, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation's top collegiate coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country.

Tulsa Host of 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championshipscontinued from page 12

For more information, visit http://championships.usyouthsoc-cer.org.

In early October, US Youth Soc-cer met with OSA officers to plan and prepare for the upcoming 2015 US Youth Soccer National Champi-onships.

Vince Trinidad, Tulsa Sports Commission; Heath Aucoin, Executive Director of Tulsa Sports Commission; David Moore, OSA League Scheduler, Nate Hopkins, SYRA; Laura Porth, Bixby Soccer Club; Matt Howe, Tulsa Sports Commission; Bill Aven, OSA President; Jim Tindell, Executive Director TSCH; Paige Wedding, National Tournament LOC Secretary, Tom Wedding, OSA Youth Vice President.

Sid Goodrich, OSA Executive Director; Teresa Totty, Tulsa Sports Commission; and Vince Trinidad, Tulsa Sports Commission discuss the plans for the 2015 National Championship tournament in Tulsa.

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION14

Oklahoma Soccer Association is proud to announce that eleven players have been invited to par-ticipate in this event. The boys will play their games at Grande Sports World in Casa Grade, Arizona. The girls’ matches will be played at Boca Raton, Florida. Congratulations!

ODP Region III Announces Annual Inter-Regional Event for Nov. 27 - Dec. 1

Riley Dunham, GK

Joseph Ruiz

Austen Parker, GK Garret McLaughlin

Lamar Batista

Dante Brigida Whitney Gonsalves Ben Ayers , GK

Hensley Hancuff Jaci Jones Jocelyn Nelson

BOYS 1997s BOYS 1998s

BOYS 1999s

BOYS 2000s

BOYS 2001s

GIRLS 2000s GIRLS 1997s

SMOKE SIGNALS 15

My very good friend and col-league Logan Fleck had a saying about quality coaching, “It’s easier to say no than go. It’s harder to teach go than no.” A part of coach-ing/teaching ‘go’ is to know when as the coach to let them go. High quality soccer performance by play-ers moves through many mistakes in order to grow to a consistently good performance. Coaches of youth players, and the parents of those players, must let the youth player work through trial and er-ror. This is an important part of the learning process. The coach should guide the players through that pro-cess, but not micromanage them. Over-coaching precedes timid play. This is what coach Fleck was alluding to in that it’s hard for some coaches to let the players go. So if you want your team to be good, I mean re-ally good, then you must let them make some mistakes as they learn the game. Most of those mistakes will happen in training sessions as you teach them go rather than no. But some mistakes will happen in a match and once in a while it will cost you a goal and perhaps a loss. The price is a part of growth within the dynamic game of soccer. Coach-es who teach no instead of go will

Players First Movementwin some matches at the youth lev-el, but once the game is at a higher standard the team that coached no will become a ‘no go’. Let me share with you some of coach Fleck’s thoughts on the matter.

“This message is a reminder of the face-to-face or phone conversa-tion that I’ve had with colleagues of my frustration at watching a high level educated coach use the direc-tive approach (telling the players what to do numerous times during the game). Instead of quite bluntly allowing the players the opportu-nity to figure it out on their own. This did not occur once but many times and I observed young play-ers (13-14 year olds) being moved around as to where they should be and what to do the majority of the time. We can all argue about coaching moments, but when they become a running commentary as to where a player should be – we (coaches) have crossed the line. To me this is not only hindering player development but, in my mind, is abuse. We (coaches) interject what we want the players to do and they just follow the yelled out instruc-tions. Bull! I was privileged to have been coached by some of the best coaches in the country. Who with great patience and understand-ing knew that the game is and will always be a player’s game. Those coaches taught me the most impor-tant thing about soccer, which was to possess the confidence to make my decisions on the field and to take responsibility for the game. Let me pause to thank them all again.

No, over-coaching is not a new problem – but this particular event occurred at a very high level and I hate to think that our Founding

Sam Snow, US Youth Soccer Coaching Director

Fathers of soccer in this country would feel good about this being the end result of contributing a life-time of effort to the education of coaches in the country. I would like there to be proclaimed a ‘Shut Up For Soccer Day’! The day would en-tail all coaches (and parents if they so choose) but most decidedly us coaches to not yell anything at the players or referees for one game – on the same day nationwide. The coaches will enjoy, observe, ana-lyze and/or suffer in silence while the game is going on. This I know is like asking the entire country to quit smoking simultaneously, however I do believe we can and will make our point and more importantly show the respect for the players that our coaches showed us back when we played the game (and enjoyed it as well).

This topic is one that touches all of us and I simply want us to do our part to continue to keep soc-cer a player’s game. Many of you knew my father, Dr. Tom Fleck, and were present during his accep-tance speech upon receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NSCAA. He focused his speech on two points. He stated clearly and categorically that the award should have been given to all of you who make the game what it is today. His final point was in regard to the children who play soccer, LET THEM PLAY!

This problem of over-coaching youth soccer players has reached epidemic proportion that is as det-rimental as smoking and obesity are to their health. I feel this issue of over-coaching young players can kill our game.”

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION16

FRISCO, Texas (September 30, 2014) — US Youth Soccer is ex-cited to announce the release of "Spatial Awareness – A Progres-sion for Coaching the Tactical Use of the Field of Play through Con-cepts of Space." The new coaching education resource provides youth coaches with an age-appropriate approach to teaching players tacti-cal concepts that utilize concrete and abstract spaces on the field of play.

Spatial Awareness features a simple structure to guide all coach-es through the steps of strategically training players on the tactical use of spaces on the soccer field. Princi-ples are broken down by age group, from Under-6 through Under-19

US Youth Soccer releases Spatial Awareness Coaching Guide

— gradually broadening players’ awareness of space and the use of space on the field, which can lead to more enjoyable and attractive soccer.

"This new coaching guide from US Youth Soccer is another great resource for coaches and clubs to utilize as they continue to develop players of all ages,” said Sam Snow, US Youth Soccer Director of Coach-ing. "It provides direction for age-appropriate training, aiding coach-es from the youngest age groups to the highest levels of youth soccer. I'm confident this guide will prove to be useful to coaches and play-ers at all levels and provide an in-creased understanding of the tacti-cal approach to the game."

Spatial Awareness is also con-sidered a companion piece to the Player Development Model re-leased in 2012. The Player Devel-opment Model is a curriculum de-signed to serve as a standard to guide each of US Youth Soccer’s 55 member State Associations and more than 5,000 clubs on how to effectively train athletes of all levels and abilities.

Available for coaches of all youth age groups and abilities, the Spatial Awareness coaching guide can be downloaded here or by go-ing to the US Youth Soccer Coaching Education Document Center.

For more information on coaching resources and other tools for coaches, parents and adminis-trators, visit USYouthSoccer.org.

Oklahoma Pro Teams Offer OpportunitiesOklahoma now has seven

professional teams to attract soc-cer fans from across the state. Whether outdoor or indoor, men or women, the teams are presenting their games to the state and most are using Oklahoma players on the squads. What an opportunity to follow some of the very player who just a few years ago were par-ticipating in OSA matches as youth players.

Currently, the Tulsa Revolution is beginning its indoor season at the Tulsa Cox Business Center arena downtown. October 25 will have the Revolution playing the Mexico National Indoor team at 7:30pm.

Their schedule is available online by using the following link: Tulsa Revo-lution

Energy FC is currently touting their move to Taft stadium in the near future. Energy has also re-leased several TV miniseries on the new stadium and how it’s being up-dated for the Energy’s use. For ac-cess to those series, use the follow-ing link: Energy FC TV Miniseries

Oklahoma City FC has both men and women’s teams playing in the Oklahoma City metro area and their new theme for the upcoming spring season is Elevate 2015. The schedules have not yet been posted for the spring 2015 season, but you

can visit the team’s website by us-ing this link: Oklahoma City FC

The Tulsa Athletics squad ad-vanced to the South Region finals in August and although they lost 2-0 to Chattanooga in those finals, the Chattanooga team competed against the New York Red Bulls U23 team in the national finals and lost 3-1. An outstanding tribute to the Athletics and their season as they advanced a round farther than the previous year.

For the latest on the Tulsa Ath-letics, use this link to their website: Tulsa Athletics

continued on page 19

SMOKE SIGNALS 17

If your club or team wishes to honor a coach, volunteer, referee, TOPSoccer volunteer, administra-tor, family, a save of the year, or a goal of the year, you MUST go to the link below and complete these award applications. Don't wait any longer.

The time to submit the applica-tions is already passed, but if you hurry and get these nominations to OSA as quickly as possible, you can still have these deserving people recognized for the work they do to make soccer function at your club level.

Coach of the Year - 2014 Each year, OSA recognizes two out-standing coaches from across the state. In addition to receiving recog-nition at the state level, Oklahoma’s Coaches of the Year are automati-cally placed in nomination for the national Coach of the Year Award announced at the US Youth Soc-cer workshop. Any certified coach working with OSA teams in Okla-homa is eligible. The nomination form asks several questions about the nominee and does require doc-umentation. Applications may be submitted prior to due date. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

Hall of Fame Nominee 2014- Dead-line not changed on this application! The purpose of the Oklahoma Soc-cer Association Hall of Fame is to recognize the achievements of outstanding Oklahoma soccer par-ticipants whose accomplishments and effects upon the sport merit the highest acclaim. A participant may be a Player, Coach, Referee, Administrator, Volunteer, or Sup-porter. The award will be a plaque displayed in the Tulsa office of OSA.

Award Nominations Deadline ExtendedA duplicate plaque will be given to the recipient. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application Check here for policies and require-ments for nomination.

Referee of the Year - 2014 Oklahoma recognizes two levels of outstanding referees: youth and adult. The youth Referee of the Year must be a grade 08 or higher and not older than 19. The adult referee must be at least an 07 grade refer-ee or higher and at least 20 years of age. Youth Referee of the Year will attend the Southern Regionals to officiate matches. The adult Ref-eree of the Year may attend the US Adult regionals. Applications may be submitted prior to due date. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153.

Youth application

Adult application

Volunteer of the Year - 2014 Oklahoma is proud of its many vol-unteers and the endless hours they spend promoting the sport of soc-cer. To recognize such volunteers, the Volunteer of the Year award was created. The award is given for dedication to soccer in areas oth-er than coaching and refereeing, although those activities may be mentioned in showing the amount of time devoted to the sport. For details on the application, use the link below. The winner of this award will be forwarded to US Youth Soc-cer for regional competition. Appli-cations may be submitted prior to due date. Due date is August 1st of each year mailed to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

Family of the Year - 2014Oklahoma Soccer is proud of

the many voluntees and the end-less hours they spend promoting the sport of soccer. It has become evident in recent years that vol-unteers are not only individuals working together but entire fami-lies volunteering to help grow the game of soccer. To recognize such families and their efforts, OSA cre-ated the Family of the Year award. The award is given for dedication to soccer in areas other than coach-ing and refereeing, although those activities may be mentioned in showing the amount of time de-voted to the sport. For details on the application, use the link be-low. Applications may be submit-ted prior to due date. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

Administrator of the Year - 2014Oklahoma is proud of its many

administrators who work diligently behind the scenes to prepare for the fall and spring seasons of Oklahoma soccer. To recognize such admin-istrators, the Administrator of the Year award was created. The award is given for dedication to soccer in areas other than coaching, refer-eeing, or volunteering although those activities may be mentioned in showing the amount of time de-voted to the sport. For details on the application, use the link below. The winner of this award will be forwarded to US Youth Soccer for regional competition. Applications may be submitted prior to due date. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

continued on page 18

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION18

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Goal of the Year - 2014A video clip of no more than 60

seconds in length must accompany the nomination form and be sub-miited as a clip, not electronically submitted. The goal must have oc-curred during the season year im-mediately prior to the season year for which the clip is being submit-ted and for US Youth Soccer U6-U18 age groups only. Applications may be submitted prior to due date. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

Save of the Year - 2014A video clip of no more that 60

seconds in length must accompany the nomination form and be sub-mitted as a clip, not electronically submitted. The save must have oc-curred during the season year im-mediately prior to the season year for which the clip is being submit-ted and for US Youth Soccer U6-U18 age groups only. Applications may be submitted prior to due date. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year - 2014An individual may be nominat-

ed and selected as the TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year for extraordinary accomplishments if the individual, in carrying out the US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer program and its events and activities has demonstrated qualities of patience and under-standing as well as fulfilling roles such as coach or role model. Mail to OSA, PO Box 35174, Tulsa, OK 74153. Application

AWARD NOMINATIONScontinued from page 17

SMOKE SIGNALS 19

The FC Tulsa Spirit women’s team should continue in 2015 once again using primarily players from Oklahoma. The team plays their matches at the Union 8th grade center at 6501 S. Garnett and Coach Ali Adibi will again lead the team into their Women’s Professional Soccer League matches. For more information on the FC Tulsa Spirit, use the following link: FC Tulsa Spirit

And the newest addition to the pro ranks of soccer in Oklahoma is the Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Formed just this year, the team will be a part of the USL Pro league and play its matches in downtown Tulsa at the One OK fields which are also the home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team. The team recently showcased its new uniforms and logo which includes some throw back to the Roughnecks of old. Keep up with the Tulsa Roughnecks FC on the website. Tulsa Roughnecks FC

No longer can Oklahomans com-plain that they have to travel to Dallas or Kansas City to see professional soccer matches. Those matches are here in the state and most feature players you have watched as they progressed from U6 to U19. Support the teams and keep pro-fessional soccer available to your young-sters.

OK PRO TEAMScontinued from page 16

YOUR GAME, YOUR FIELDSTULSA

5817 S. 118th East Ave.Tulsa, OK 74146

918.249.0044SOCCERCITYTULSA.COM

OKLAHOMA CITY4520 Old Farm RoadOklahoma City, OK

405.748.3888SOCCERCITYOKCITY.COM

Don’t miss out25th Anniversary

OSA Soccer Workshop January 31 - Feb. 1

Midwest City - Sheraton Hotel

• coaching sessions• membership meetings• referee sessions• Hall of Fame induction ceremony• Awards Luncheon

A complete listing of the events wil be posted on the OSA website.

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION20

Watts’ WhatBy Dale Watts, Editor

Ah, technology! I’m surround-ed by machines and robotic devices that are causing me to curse at my computer, pound on my car’s dash-board, and talk to a GPS device as if it’s listening to me.

Really? Is this what was sup-posed to make our lives easier and more productive? It’s now invaded the soccer world with radio commu-nication for the referees and a chip in the soccer ball so someone in a booth hundreds of feet in the air in a press box can determine whether or not a goal has been scored. We have vanishing spray to indicate the 10 yards required for a free kick. We have amazing wrist watches for the referee that can count down the time for each half and information on how many miles he/she has run during the match.

Teams can check in with cell phones showing their player passes. Reports can be uploaded from those cell phones and videos can be made to embarrass players, coaches, fans,

and officials. Coach can’t make it to the game? Drag that IPad out and stream it to him.

We have access to hundreds of videos on how to play the game, how to coach it, how to officiate, and how to understand it. The multiple cameras employed at this year’s World Cup, made even Amer-icans stop and watch the games.

And yet…we still have imper-fection.

The radio communication be-tween referees stops working; the chip in the soccer ball fails at the crucial moment; the vanishing spray runs out; the wrist watch battery dies; cell phone reception is not good; and the videos won’t down-load properly.

The human factor is what makes our sport fascinating. The referee who doesn’t see the foul; the coach who substitutes at the wrong time; the scheduler who for-gets to inform a team of a cancella-tion; the association employee who posts the wrong date. We all make mistakes and that’s what makes us human. The technology we rely on also fails at times and yet we expect it to never do so.

So why do we expect perfec-tion from our players, our coaches, our officials, our administrators, our leagues, or from OSA? It’s never go-ing to happen. There’s a quote from Forrest Gump I could cite at this point, but won’t.

As I approach the end of the fall season, I’m still yelling at my car’s GPS because it doesn’t understand my voice command for the address of Hatbox Field in Muskogee! I am still threatening my computer at work with, as Redd Foxx once said: “A two by four soaked in motor oil for 24 hours knowing it will not bend, break, or splinter.”

But I have learned that the ma-jor source of those errors is me. The GPS works fine when I follow the di-rections. The computer works best when I use the correct key strokes.

And our sport will be much bet-ter when we all realize that no one involved in our sport is perfect. To expect perfection is admirable, but to demand it is impossible. It’s why we still call it playing a game! To understand, just watch a bunch of kids play a game, any game, and the need for perfection is not on their minds. And it shouldn’t be on ours either.

SMOKE SIGNALS 21

- Oklahoma Soccer Association -

SANCTIONED TOURNAMENTS 2014Not a final listing – some applications are still pending

October 18-19, 2014SoktoberfestHost: NEOASAAll national Adult State AssociationsFields: Metro Tulsa Soccer ComplexContact: Shae RoggendorffPhone: 918-622-8948Email: info@neoasa orgWebsite: www neoas orgU19 Boys & GirlsAdult Men’s and Women’s Competitive and RecreationalReferee Assignor: Larry Morgan Email: bokconstr@aol com October 17-18, 2014Frost Ya FannyHost: Lawton Soccer ClubUS Youth Soccer teams onlyLawton, OKFields: Big Green Soccer ComplexWebsite: www lawtonsoccerclub orgContact: Gene MiniettaPhone: 580-429-0896Email: miniettag@aol comU6 – U14 Recreational Boys & GirlsReferee Assignor: Brandon NerisEmail: brandon@lawtonsoccerclub org October 24-26, 2014Blitz United Fall InvitationalHost: Blitz United Soccer ClubAll US Soccer affiliated teamsTulsa, OKFields: Indian Springs Soccer Complex – Broken ArrowWebsite: www blitzunited org Contact: Robbie MitchellPhone: 918-691-7404Email: adoc@blitzunited orgU11 – U19 Competitive Boys & GirlsReferee Assignor: John EvansEmail: acessoccer@cox net

November 7-9, 2014Turkey ShootoutHost: Edmond Soccer ClubAll US Soccer affiliated teamsEdmond, OKFields: Edmond Soccer complexWebsite: www edmondsoccer com/tourn_ts phpContact: James L SoesbeePhone: 405-409-2324Email: soccer999999@sbcglobal netU7-U10 Academy Boys & GirlsU6-U19 Recreational Boys & GirlsReferee Assignor: Brandon StoryEmail: bstory4@gmail com November 14-16, 2014BASC 33rd Annual Recreational TournamentAll US Soccer affiliated teamsBroken Arrow, OKFields: Indian Springs Sports ComplexWebsite: www bascok com Contact: Scott HamiltonPhone: 918-258-5770Email: bascsw@cox netU6-U19 Recreational Boys & GirlsU8-U10 Academy Boys & GirlsReferee Assignor: Mike NaumannEmail: bassignor@hotmail com November 14-16, 2014 Norman Classic Cup Host: Norman Youth Soccer Association All US Soccer affiliated teams Norman, OK Fields: Norman Soccer Complex Website:www normansoccer org/Contact: Dustin Hooker Phone: 405-573-0070 Email: nysatournaments@yahoo comU8-U10 Academy Boys & Girls U11 – U17 Competitive Boys & Girls Referee Assignor: Bill Pevarnik Email: wpevarnik@att net

November 21-23Tulsa Friendship CupHost: TSC Hurricane Soccer ClubAll US Soccer affiliated teamsBroken Arrow, OKFields: Indian Springs Soccer ComplexWebsite: www tulsafriendshipcup comContact: Michael NsienPhone: 918-625-2150U7 – U10 Academy Boys & GirlsU11 – U14 Competitive Boys & Girls

November 22-23, 2014 adidas Sam Shannon ShowcaseHost: TSC Hurricane Soccer ClubAll US Soccer affiliated teamsJenks, OKFields: Metro Tulsa & Indian Springs Soccer ComplexWebsite: www tschurricane comContact: Jim Tindell918-688-9071Email: jimtindell@me comU15 – U19 Competitive Boys & GirlsReferee Assignor:Trey TwymanEmail: mtscrefs@yahoo com

Applications to host available online at www.oksoccer.com/tournaments/hosting_state_tournament.aspx

OKLAHOMA SOCCER ASSOCIATION22

Tongue Twisters

FALL PUZZLE

KIDS’ PAGEKIDS’ PAGEQuestions to ask your CoachWhat if there were no hypothetical questions?What was the greatest thing before sliced bread?Is it possible to be totally partial?If swimming is good for your figure, how do you explain whales?

F N D X Z T M X Q W H Y A P I Y I V K U E O P X X D L I X R X E O S O T N U U D X T W D Y H T S O H G S E E G C S R S C E S T N P X T N E H T A E R T A N C P U X E V F O C H N V C D E I F I T R O M U I G P D K L K W L H S R V L L Y A L I Y E N L G B K N A T Y U S I Y A S A I T W O C E E U C F K C Y S R V K M J G I L A S X G X I F F E E P L B R R S F J U Q Y U Q D D V M N Y E T R H M I K D A P Y O R U O Y F F A L N G E L F Z C B U P P E M T C J W

Top Ten Scary movie “Lessons”10. If you’re running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice, more if you are of the female persuasion. Also note that, despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it’s still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

9. When you have the benefit of numbers, “never” pair off and go it alone. 8. Do not take “anything” from the dead. 7. As a general rule, don’t solve puzzles that open portals to Hell. 6. Don’t fool with recombinant DNA technology unless you’re sure you know what you are doing. 5. Never stand in, on, above, below, beside, or anywhere near a grave, tomb, crypt, mausoleum, or other house of the dead. 4. Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke. 3. If your car runs out of gas at night, do not go to the nearby deserted-looking house to phone for help. 2. If you’re searching for something which caused a noise and find out that it’s just the cat, “leave the room immediately if you value your life.” and last but not least... 1. If you find a town which looks deserted, it’s probably for a reason. Take the hint and stay away!

Because we haven’t had anyone submit answers to our word search puzzles, we will no longer offer the contest. Just enjoy the puzzle and have a wonderful school year.

CANDY DEMON DEVIL DRACULA GHOSTFRANKENSTEIN FRIGHTENED GHASTLY GHOUL GOBLIN HEADLESS MONSTER MORTIFIED OGRE PITCHFORK PUMPKIN SCARY TREAT TRICK ZOMBIEIf Stu chews shoes, should Stu

choose the shoes he chews?

Irish wristwatch.

SMOKE SIGNALS 23

New Sponsor ofOklahoma State AssociationOklahoma State AssociationSCORENew Sponsor ofOklahoma State AssociationSCORE

Official Sponsor of

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SCORE is excited about our new partnership with Oklahoma S.A. We are here to help you with all of your soccer needs. Call

800.626.7774 or visit www.scoresports.com

SCORE is excited about our new partnership with Oklahoma S.A. We are here to help you with all of your soccer needs. Call

800.626.7774 or visit www.scoresports.com