[Great Decision ON Goalies Part]

One other point, when you look at the WUSA, aren't all of their US players college players? It is also my understanding that they aren't paying their players very much. There are good players who are passing to follow career goals. I'm a big sports fan, but there is a big world out there that is more important than sports, and to live comfortably in it you need a college degree. I've talked to a couple of people who are in the WUSA, including Mia Hamm, I know what she told our girls and that was to stay in school and make their grades. That was good advise to those girls and to Monica.

[about what i said]

As I said I'm a poor writer, but to try to make it clear, I've personally met registered scouts from all the Big XII soccer programs at high school games. Those were not the head coach, but were people who were working on his behalf. I don't know why you think that Tech. Col and Iowa and the others are new programs most of the Div I in this area got started in 1995 the same time that UNT started.

That was Title IX, and a lot of schools picked up women's soccer at that time.

[about what i said]

You are correct that the club system has raised the level of play and that most of the good players have played club. I challenged your assessment that high school honors were meaningless. I know the club system very well, I've been involved with it for 22 years and have coached at the Div I club level and I've been on selection committees for ODP at the State and Regional level.

I also know all about the club tourneys. They are a great place to watch the kids play. However, you need to go look at your NCAA rules. Texas is not a 3 year program, it was started the same time that all the other former SWC schools started. It is that three years ago they hired a decent coach, who has told me personally that he is looking at how kids play in high school. I know him and his staff and have seen both at high school games.

I also personally know player who have received offers at Big XII, PAC-10 and other NCAA sweet sixteen school who were recruited solely on the basis of their play in high school. Do clubs have a place, sure. But don't be one of those who've bought the propaganda that club is where you have to be. There are a lot of people in the clubs who's livelihood depends on that myth, but it is a myth.

I don't know about how coach Hedlund recruits and if all his players were solely evaluated on the basis of club play, but if he is not going to the high school tourney which are generally held in January when college soccer coaches have more time off then he is missing a bet. There are more and more who are coming, and they are coming because the tourneys you mentioned are so hectic that all they can do is concentrate on the top of their lists. When they come to Georgetown in January or Feb. they can see kids that they don't have time to watch at WAGS. The same thing is true for the state tourney which has been held in Georgetown for several years. Last year there were over a hundred different colleges represented in the stands. So again don't be misled by the club propaganda, yes club is important, but it is not all that is important and those clubs who try to see their kids out of high school play are doing them a disservice.

[Great Decision ON Goalies Part]

I'm having a little problem following your last post. I'm not a very good writer, so I have sympathy for others, but it would help if you used capital letters. Playing for a national team means that you have to have a passport from that country. If you accept a passport from another country, even if you are born in the US, you might be renouncing your citizenship. Even if you don't, and I understand there are legal ways that it might be done, you will have great difficulty getting a US passport later, and you will have to be careful that if you get one that it is legal.

If you are talking to Monica, I would suggest that she contact a good immigration lawyer before she makes this move. As I said, I've had personal experience in this, and passports and citizenship issues are not like getting a driver's license , SS or voting.

I would be very interested in hearing Monica's side. I know that several of the people who are connected with the team or who have excellent connections with the US national team. I am also very much plugged into the club system and the ODP program. From what I understand she would like to get her side out and I think this would be a good place to do it.

We all make career moves, Bill Gates and Michael Dell both dropped out of college and it didn't seem to hurt them much, but so did tens of thousands who you've never heard of and they were badly hurt. The ratio of those who benefit from dropping out to those that don't makes the odds on the move real bad.

I stated earlier in another post that I could understand Monica leaving the team for the opportunity, I don't agree with it but I can understand it. I don't understand leaving school. Monica is a very smart, she was also on the SBC honor roll, but leaving school is not a smart move. Having said all that, of course I wish her well. I will also miss her parents, and if you know them please send my very best. I hope this works out for her.

[about what i said]

I would point out that Monica was all-state. I would also point out that having talked to a lot of soccer coaches that all-region and all-state honors kids are highly recruited. Go talk talk to the coaches at Texas, A&M, Baylor and others. Yes, ODP is a great showcase, but the coaches also know that there there is so much club politics in there that many great players never even try out.

After all club soccer is a money making business, I know I've seen the bottom line, and one of the best recruiting tools is how many players you can place on ODP from your club. When part time coaches in Dallas are making 1800 per month you'd better believe that the club a kid plays for is more important than the skill level. It got so bad that they had to change the state orgainzations.

There is a problem in All-region and all-state, and that is that great teams tend to be bunched into the same district. The selection process is that in order to be on the all region team you have to be all-district 1st team, same for all-state. This means that some great Dallas players get knocked out.

Lastly, look at where the kids on the state championship teams play club, and you will find that they are also on all the ODP teams as well. The club system is not good for soccer, but it lets college scouts look at a lot of players at one place in the big tourneys. That's the power of the club, However as more and more high school start having tourneys that should change. I know that the Governor's & First Lady's Cup was thick with college scouts. I saw every Big XII school there, and they told me that high school play there was on a club level. So don't tell me that "club is where the real soccer is in Texas" that might have been true ten years ago, but it's not now and hasn't been for a couple of years.

All of which is to say that having that level of player at North Texas is a sign of a strong program.

[Great Decision ON Goalies Part]

I think Monica was very wrong to leave school for a shot at the Mexican team. In the first place the Mexican team is terrible, and she isn't being offerred a starting spot. You are right they do look at soccer differently in Mexico, it's a man's game the the women receive a lot of grief. What I heard was that the Mexician coach said he never asked her to leave school, which doesn't sound like it's all that great a shot either.

Then there is the whole Mexican national thing, the last time I checked the US does not recognize dual citizenships, it might have changed, but since I was born in Panama and my brother was born in Brazil, I've had my share of problems with it. I do know that she ever wanted a shot at playing for any US national team this will be a big problem. I know that it will cause her problems in getting a US passport from this point on and it might lead to legal problems if she ever wanted to run for any office in this country.

All of which pales to the idea that any sports shot is worth more than a college education. I have the greatest respect for Moncia, and I think it is a huge loss for us, but based on what I see, it is a bigger loss for her.

[in Trouble]

I have to agree that losing Monica is a very big loss. There is no question that she was a team leader, certainly that leadership will be missed. You said that one of the walk-ons is from Texas Tech, do you know who she is or any information about the others?

I still maintain that we have some very good talent on the team and I have seen three of the recruits play and they range from very good to deserving the all-state honor earned.

How do you see the positions shaking down? Aside from the hole in goalie where do you see us weak and where do you think we have some strength?

[A soccer update]

I think that part of it is "burn-out" however there is a scholarship hunt that goes on each year as well. I uderstand that the losses we are seeing have been going on here for years. It's hard to blame a girl who's 'ship is getting books at North Texas moving for a full ride at a different school. Generally the difference isn't that big, but it can be.

This isn't limited to UNT, it is because the NCAA only allows 11 scholarships for soccer and you need to have at least 22, IMNHO, to form a squad. That means that almost all your starters will have much less than a full ride. The most common amount will be less than half.

At leat part of the problem this year is that we are only bringing in 3 'ship players who can play this year. This whole set up also works against a publich school were a full tuition, books, and fees is worth perhaps $3900. but a half tuition at SMU is worth much more. That Hedlund has been successful in this set-up speaks well for him. We're very lucky to have him.

[A soccer update]

The biggest hole is at goalie! We have an excellent recruit who does not appear to be eligible because she is a transfer, but that is not clear to me. We have a senior who was a walk-on who didn't get any playing time last year or much if any the year before. We have lost a starter at left mid (Adriana Adame who is from Austin and has transferred to UT) we also lost a forward starter (Natalie Mitchell who has transferred to TWU).

Monaco Housed who was an all SBC (2nd team) goalie is no longer in school, and has an offer to try out for the Mexican national team. Frankly, I had heard that she had been given the starting spot, but I think it was a very poor decision to leave school for a try-out. She will be sorely missed and her parents will be missed as well.

A quick run down as I've heard from unofficial sources

Kim Brimberry is short the 24 hours that are required to play as a sophomore

Emily Standeven has 23 hours (with better than a 3.0) and might be allowed to play, that is great news as she is a very strong player.

Keri McNeal, Kari Kuwamura, Jessica Zetlau, and Emily Hosek have decided to leave soccer, although Zetlau might be going to play at a small school in Wis.

If Emily is allowed to play that will give us 15 field player on some sort of scholarship. It is my understanding that we do not have a goalie who is on scholarship at this time. We do have seven or eight walk-ons and that will give us enough to have a scrimmage. I still have a high regard for the talent on the team. The only player that didn't have someone who would challenge them for a staring spot was the goalie.

If we can find a goalie, and if we don't have a serious injury we should still make a run at the conference title. It will be harder than it was last year, but we will win a lot of games either way.

[NT Greeks view of jocks?]

Way back when I was in school and the Greeks system was pretty strong, the frats made a big deal of recruiting athletes. I wonder if that is still the case, I don't think there were enough female athletes back then to worry about, but I also wondered about the if any of the Greeks go after the girls.

Several of my daughter's high school team mates and friends have joined sororities, and they talked about it this summer. My daughter said that she doesn't know of any athletes who are in sororities, and that no one contacted her. I think during the fee vote that the Greeks were strong supporters of the fee, and I'd love to know why that was. If anyone here is a current Greek, I would love to know, especially any that might be in a sorority. Please email me if you don't want to discuss this on the board.

I was also told that the "Honors crowd" opposed both the fee and Greeks, I would be interested in knowing if that sounds right.

[Where are the soccer fields?]

As I was leaving Denton yesterday, (see football for impressions) I looked over at the field where the soccer games have been held the last two years. I suddenly remembered that the field has moved, and I wanted to see what the new field looked like. I also wanted to find them since traffice in Ft Worth can make me late for a game.

I asked several folks and no one was sure. The best guess was out by the Library annex. Those fields are better looking than where we played last year, but they are a bit hard to get to. Does anyone know where we will be?

[A good soccer rumor]

I've now been reliable told that we will have eight walk-ons, one of whom is "really good" I don't have any new information about the other rumors, but this is great news. If the walk-ons stick they will have enough to have scrimages!

[More bad soccer rumors]

I heard this rumor last night from a soccer friend, and told him that I didn't believe it. I heard it again this morning from a different source, but I don't know if it either has solid data. I still find it hard to credit, but I thought I'd post it, perhaps Harry or someone in the Athletics department can shoot this down.

I refuse to question my daughter, because I don't think that's fair, and if they aren't true I don't want to upset her or spread them to the team. Again this is rumor, but if this player has quit school, the whole team will suffer on the field and off. The whole family were very big supports and off field organizers, I'm not sure you can or will fill that gap. If the reason given for leaving is true, I don't blame the player, but what a shame! The player is not Marin!

[Women's soccer 101]

I wanted to buy into "the only difference in boys and girls before puberty is cultural" and that's just not true. At least that's my observation, and I think that whole thing was silly. Girls and boys are different, and different doesn't have to be a better/worse thing.

That's one reason I think that women's pro soccer seems to be doing pretty well, it's not just little girls who want to be Mia Hamm, it's that the game is different enough that you see totally different styles, and people like to watch it.

Certainly the college coaches treat them differently. If you are going to coach girls you might want to get a copy of Anson Dorrance's book on coaching girls. It's very insightful, and I'll stack his personal record up against anyone in any sport. He's starting his 23rd year and his teams have been in every NCAA final since they started, and they've only lost 3 or 4.

[UNT Arts Students going to TWU]

I'll bet there was a lot of fighting about that, what did UT think about it? I like it because I'd like to see the UT system concentrate on Austin, but I don't think that'll every happen. I have a friend who was long time professor at what is now A&M Kingsville, he told me that's they'd been promised the moon when they became part of the A&M system, but it didn't change a thing.

[Women's soccer 101]

One of the endless debates is why don't women's sports have more of an audience. My answer generally is that they're not a much fun to watch. The men are stronger, faster, and generally more everything. It's why men don't play women in much besides fencing.

I can't think of a sport where this is more apparent that in soccer. The rules are the same, the field is the same, but the speed and strength of men is so much greater that they play is totally different.

For example any D2 college man player can send an accurate pass the width of the widest fields (75 yd.) There are women who can do it but you'd count them on your fingers and toes. Second a pass sent 25 or 30 yards from its target is still playable in a men's game. The speed and quickness allows them to get into play from those distances. I don't know of any women who can do that.

The result of these and other differences it to change some of the basic play of the game. Women do send through balls all the time, but they have to work the ball into position first. That means that you'll seem more dribbling and footwork in a women's game than in a man's. You will also see more of what is called the 'short passing game' because they can't play the long passing game.

For many people watching the women play is more fun because they use more of the basic skills and put on more a 'show' with their footwork. The women are just as aggressive, and anyone who watches a women's game will understand that this is a full contact sport. However they generally don't have as many cards as men do, I think that has to do with a generally sneaker nature. I remember that it was always the girls who started the trouble in grade school and it was always the boys who got caught!

Just some thoughts from someone who can't wait for the season.

[Soccer team readies for run at title]

I'll make a point of it.

[Soccer team readies for run at title]

I didn't add that I don't have any inside information, and I'm not trying to second guess the coach, for all may faults, at least I don't do that.

What I really miss is the opportunity to talk soccer with others who know the game and the team. I'd enjoyed speculating about where which player will play and all the other endless topics soccer nuts spend hours upon. Now the only time I can do that is when I go to a game.

I know that most folks on this board can't wait for football, just think how it is for those of us who can't wait for soccer! We don't even have anyone to talk shop with... Oh well I guess that means I get teh last word!

[Soccer team readies for run at title]

I think that John might be talking to the other teams in the league. I don't know when that interview was made and I don't know who the nine that he talks about are. I'm pretty sure the Adame is gone, and she started all but one game. We have three girls who played in over 10 of our 18 games, but the most that any started was 3. Interesting!

I think our strength will be in the defense. As long a Marin is there we'll be a strong attacking team, although I'm worried about losing a starter up there. The area that bothers me is the middle. It looks like we will only have one player returning who was a regular starter in the middle. We're lucky that have a senior of Michelle's capability to play center mid, as that position is like the quaterback in football.

The other positions in the middle will have good players available, but that's also where you need subs the most. We have to have 4 outside midfielders to provide the speed that the game requires. That's two starters and two subs who can step in when the startes run out of gas. It's like the end position, you need to sub because those positions need a lot of sprints.

We need for some freshmen/transfers to step up in the middle... That's my $.02 worth and if I'm so smart why aren't I getting paid big bucks as a coach?

[UNT Arts Students going to TWU]

I feel so much better now that I'm no longer bald!

I attend a small Methodist church that is right across the street from a big Methodist church. In the Methodist system the facilities belong to the denomination and not to the local congregation. Our church was a Swedish church until 1948, and since that change every Bishop and expert has pointed out how silly it is to have two churches across the street from each other.

The devil will die of frostbite before the "Americans" ever take over my church!

I know how the TWU alumni feel, however our church doesn't get tax dollars, and while the name should never be changed the two schools can be merged to eliminate duplication. The same thing is done in many universities where 'brother/sister" no coed schools merged but kept the old names.

[UNT Arts Students going to TWU]

Since both schools are coed, it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to have to state universities in Denton. What would a merger do for UNT?

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I am not used to having to close my tags! it seems such a simple thing to have an auto close at the end of each posting

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I didn't think that looked like a 44 point font but this is bigger than a 14, so we're using a from of html. I wonder what code is allowed? The sql option is very interesting.