Corey’s Soccer Journey http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com Just an attempt to share what’s happening in Corey's soccer life, reported second-hand and from afar. posterous.com Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:25:00 -0800 The Nike Friendlies Are Coming http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/the-nike-friendlies-are-coming http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/the-nike-friendlies-are-coming

In Sarasota, FL next week, two great soccer events are taking place – the Nike International Friendlies and the US Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase – and both of Corey's teams will be participating.

As we approach the International Friendlies, there is news popping up on the various International soccer federations' web sites.

France

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France returns sixteen players from its winning side at the Val-de-Marne Tournament last month in Paris.

NomPositionDate de nais.Club
Florian ESCALES* Gardien 3/2/1996 Olympique de Marseille
Dorian GRANGE* Gardien 10/05/199 Olympique Lyonnais
Dylan BATUBINSIKA Défenseur 15/02/1996 Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Kenji Van BOTO* Défenseur 7/3/1996 A.J. Auxerre
Nobie BOUA GNOUMOU* Défenseur 25/03/1996 F.C. Nantes
Sega COULIBALY* Défenseur 9/6/1996 Stade Rennais F.C.
Abdou DIALLO* Défenseur 4/5/1996 A.S. Monaco
Cécé Franck PEPE* Défenseur 9/11/1996 Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Nicolas SENZEMBA* Défenseur 25/03/1996 F.C. Sochaux-Montbéliard
Jonathan BAMBA Milieux 26/03/1996 A.S. Saint-Etienne
Kingsley COMAN Milieux 13/06/1996 Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Nianankoro DOUMBIA* Milieux 23/05/1996 SM Caen
Robin MAULUN* Milieux 23/11/1996 F.C. Girondins de Bordeaux
Neal MAUPAY* Milieux 14/08/1996 O.G.C. Nice
Jules NTCHAM Milieux 9/2/1996 Le Havre A.C.
Michel ARAAI* Attaquant 29/04/1996 Olympique de Marseille
Gnaly CORNET* Attaquant 27/09/1996 F.C. Metz
Moussa DEMBELE* Attaquant 12/7/1996 Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Victor MAYARD* Attaquant 11/10/1996 A.S. Nancy-Lorraine

* participated in Val-de-Marne Tournament
participated in Manchester United Premier Cup

Brazil

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Brazil features two players from E.C. Bahia, which reached the semifinals of the Manchester United Premier Cup tournament last summer. They also recently defeated Peru 5-1.

NomeApelidoPosiçãoData Nasc.Clube
José Guilherme Sangaletti Serrano GUILHERME Goleiro 09/02/1996 S.C.Corinthians P.
Fellipe Augusto Oliveira Goudim FELLIPE Goleiro 1/15/1996 E.C. Bahia
Marcel de Almeida Furtado MARCEL Zagueiro 3/1/1996 Santos F.C.
Eriks de Souza Santos Pereira ERIKS Zagueiro 2/23/1996 S.C.Internacional
Derlan de Oliveira Bento DERLAN Zagueiro 2/3/1996 Desportivo Brasil
Ian Evans Garcia Pereira IAN Lateral 11/5/1996 C.R. Flamengo
Abner Felipe Souza de Almeida ABNER Lateral 5/30/1996 Coritiba F.C.
Kauê Patrick dos Santos KAUÊ Lateral 4/4/1996 Figueirense F.C.
Matheus Queiroz Moura MATHEUS QUEIROZ Meio Campo 2/12/1996 São Paulo F.C.
José Augusto Bernardo ZÉ AUGUSTO Meio Campo 7/15/1996 Grêmio F.P.A.
Walney Oliveira Vieira WALNEY Meio Campo 11/21/1996 Fluminense F.C.
Gabriel Barbosa Almeida GABRIEL BARBOSA Meio Campo 8/30/1996 Santos F.C.
Linik Eduardo Santos LINIK Meio Campo 7/10/1996 E.C.Vitória
Gabriel Ramos da Penha GABRIEL Meio Campo 3/20/1996 E.C. Bahia
Joanderson de Jesus Assis JOANDERSON Atacante 2/16/1996 São Paulo F.C.
Bruno da Silva Pereira BRUNO Atacante 6/22/1996 São Paulo F.C.
Renan Gorne Silva RENAN GORNE Atacante 2/22/1996 Botafogo F.R.
Kaíque Vergílio da Silva KAÍQUE Atacante 1/19/1996 S.C. Corinthians P.

participated in Manchester United Premier Cup

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Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:47:00 -0800 Nike International Friendlies on FOX Soccer http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/nike-international-friendlies-on-fox-soccer http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/nike-international-friendlies-on-fox-soccer

Another Update: Now it's official! US Soccer issued this press release confirming FOX Soccer's broadcast schedule, scooped here one day earlier.

Although it is not confirmed on the US Soccer web site, FOX Soccer is now listing the Under-17 matches in its upcoming TV schedule. Great news for all the fans that will not be in Sarasota next week.

Update: this press release – issued by the Lakewood Ranch community – seems to confirm that the matches will be televised.

Fox-soccer-logo-new

DateMatchupTimeVenueTV
30-Nov Brazil vs Turkey 2 pm ET Premier Sports Campus
Sarasota, FL
None
30-Nov United States vs France 5 pm ET Premier Sports Campus
Sarasota, FL
FOX Soccer
2-Dec France vs Brazil 2 pm ET Premier Sports Campus
Sarasota, FL
None
2-Dec United States vs Turkey 5 pm ET Premier Sports Campus
Sarasota, FL
FOX Soccer
4-Dec Turkey vs France 2 pm ET Premier Sports Campus
Sarasota, FL
None
4-Dec United States vs Brazil 5 pm ET Premier Sports Campus
Sarasota, FL
FOX Soccer

 

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Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700 United States Defeats the Netherlands to Finish Trip http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/united-states-defeats-the-netherlands-to-fini http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/united-states-defeats-the-netherlands-to-fini

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On a cloudy day on which rain threatened but didn't spoil the match, the United States would come from behind to win against the Netherlands at Stade Leo Lagrange and finished second in the Val-de-Marne Tournament.

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The Netherlands would dominate early, owning the match both in possession and territorially. And their advantage would pay off, with Holland taking the lead after twenty minutes. But the United States would battle back, as Shaq was pulled down unnecessarily by the Dutch defender when challenging the goalkeeper on a floated cross. Guyllain would convert the penalty to draw the US level at the half.

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In the second half, the United States begin to level the match. The Oranje would not enjoy nearly as much possession nor create many chances. However, the United States would take advantage. On the well-taken, but speculative effort by DeAndre (below), Wes would pounce on the goalkeeper's inability to hold control the shot and tap the rebound in to give the US a second-half lead.

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DeAndre would get his goal in the last ten minutes of the match, finishing an excellent run and cross from Junior to give the US a 3-1 win. With three points, the United States would finish in a three-way tie with Peru and the Netherlands, earning second place on tiebreakers.

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Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700 Chance Meeting on the Champs-Élysées http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/corey-departs-for-france http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/corey-departs-for-france

Friday was a free day in Paris, and sight-seeing was on my agenda. I visited the Louvre in the morning, and I was headed up the Champs-Élysées to see the Arc de Triumphe in the mid-afternoon. Halfway up the avenue, I heard someone say, "Hey, Sean Baird!" What!?!? Who knows me in Paris?? When I turned around, it was "BJ," Bradford Jamieson. And then he yelled, "Hey Corey," and there he was. Wow!

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Within the next five minutes, the entire team was there. What an incredible surprise – and completely chance meeting – it was. It's a long story, but it was such a winding road that brought me to that location at that exact instant in time. If I was 30 seconds earlier or later, chances are that I don't see anyone.

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It was only ten or fifteen minutes, but I loved it!

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Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700 United States Falls to Peru http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/united-states-falls-to-peru http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/united-states-falls-to-peru

The United States Under-17 Mens National Team fell to Peru this afternoon, 2-1, at the Stade Georges Le Tiec in Val de Fontenay. Despite coming back from a first-half deficit, the United States gave up a second goal and ran out of time to equalize.

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The match was played on a cool but sunny afternoon in suburban Paris and in front of a crowd of a few hundred, including several youth soccer teams and a couple of school-age groups of kids.

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The Americans would fall behind early. In the 15th minute, a turnover in midfield would leave the defense disorganized. The Peruvians found the open forward, and he made no mistake. Despite not creating much possession or scoring opportunities, Peru led 1-0. Unfortunately, the United States was not creating opportunities, either, and the first half ended without any further goals.

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In the second half, the United States played better. The United States enjoyed more possession and earned several corner kicks. About midway through the second half, Corey was pulled down trying to make a near-post run. The referee would award a penalty, and Tyler was able to convert to give the tie the match.

Several minutes later, however, Peru would get the match-winner. Despite not enjoying much possession, Peru was dangerous in the counter-attack. With 15 minutes remaining, a long ball was misplayed and Peru broke free. Peru was able to score on the 1v1 to regain the advantage. The United States had some time to score, but was unable to equalize before time ran out.

In the end, the United States has to be disappointed with the result. While they had the slight advantage, they did not maintain enough possession and didn't take advantage when they did have the advantage. And defensive mistakes allowed Peru to score twice when there were limited chances.

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All of that said, it was great to see Corey in France!

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Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:14:52 -0700 Tough start for the US in Paris http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/tough-start-for-the-us-in-paris http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/tough-start-for-the-us-in-paris The United States Under-17 MNT didn't kick off the Val-de-Marne Tourney in Paris the way they would have preferred, with a 3-0 lost against the hosts. They will get a chance to bounce back on Thursday vs. Peru...with a proper match report and pictures!

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Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:32:00 -0700 Two wins and two draws for the Under-17s in Spain http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/two-wins-and-a-draw-for-the-under-17s-in-spai http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/two-wins-and-a-draw-for-the-under-17s-in-spai

More details on the recent matchs and a few more pictures to follow, but here are some results from the past week:

United States 1:1 Mexico

Details here, but the US scored on one of its two penalties to equalize against Mexico.

United States 1:1 United Arab Emirates

Herber Mejia-Flores (Junior) scored on an assit from Tyler Turner in the 6th minute of the second half and the UAE equalized in the 82nd minute.

United States 2:0 Russia

Details here, as Wesley Wade scores two goals, one on an assist from Corey Baird, to give the Under-17s their first win.

United States 5:0 Spain

The Under-17s scored five in a strong performance over the Spanish regional team. Goal scorers included Wesley (with two goals), Rubio, Angel, and Conor. Corey had one assist on the day. Sorry for the confusion on this one; I think we're finally sure that it was 5-0.

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Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:00:00 -0700 United States 1:1 Mexico (updated) http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/united-states-11-mexico http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/united-states-11-mexico

Corey earned his first Under-17 cap yesterday, starting and playing the entire match in a 1-1 draw versus Mexico in Benidorm, Spain. Mexico took the lead, but the United States equalized on one of their two penalty shots. Junior drew both of the fouls in the box.

Corey-baird-usa

United States Lineup

GK: Paul Christensen (WA)
Defense: Shaquell Moore (GA), Conor Donovan (NC), Kevin Politz (NJ), John Requejo (CA)
Midfield: Christopher Lema (NJ), Steven Echevarria (NY), Herber “Junior” Mejia-Flores (VA)
Forwards: Corey Baird (CA), Rubio Rubin (OR), Danya Kafai (CA)
Subs: Tyler Turner (CT) for Politz (53'), Bradford Jamison (CA) for Rubin (72')
Goal: Christopher Lema (penalty)

Updated: Read the U.S. Soccer article on the match, or if you want a different take, read the Mexican federation’s article. The Mexican article is interesting, both in its interpretation of the match result – the mini-PKs after the match didn’t change the result; it was simply a tiebreaker – and in its opinions about the penalty calls.

Despite their age and their lack of familiarity with the Mexican team, it seems that the spirited rivalry between the United States and Mexico at all levels quickly became apparent in this match. In Corey’s words:

The match was way intense. They hate us, and we hate them.

Evidently, there was plenty of trash talk on the field, and more than a couple of scuffles. Each team received several yellow cards, and Mexico received a red card for a second caution with about five minutes to play. Even Corey received a yellow for an "aggresive" play on a ball near the goalkeeper.

Corey thought that the United States created more chances than Mexico but that their defense was very strong. Mexico played lots of long balls to its big forwards to create opportunities, and their lone goal came on a counter-attack after the U.S. lost the ball in midfield.

Wilmer seemed pleased with their first international performance after the match:

We earned respect today.

The United States resumes its European international matches on Monday against the United Arab Emirates, with matches against Russia and Spain later in the week.

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Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:00:00 -0700 Corey Arrives in Spain http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/corey-arrives-in-spain http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/corey-arrives-in-spain

Corey arrived in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday, and travelled south to their home base at L’Aflas Del Pi.

Lalfas-del-pi

On their first day, they had a very light training session – mostly stretching – before heading a bit further down the Mediterranean coast to Alicante to watch the Spain vs. Scotland match. They had first-row seats for the match, and Corey had a great time. He loved the fact that he was able to see Darren Fletcher (Manchester United) and Charlie Adam (Liverpool) close up.

Spain-v-scotland
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The ended up eating very late meals on Tuesday: lunch around 4:30pm and dinner at midnight! My sense is that it had more to do with the fact that they arrived late and went to the match than that they may be eating on a more Spanish late-night dinner schedule. Time will tell us if that's the case.

On Wednesday, they practiced twice, including some strength and conditioning practice, and Corey found himself exhausted by that evening and went to bed early. Hopefully, he can get through the jet lag by the time the match against Mexico comes on Saturday.

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On Thursday, they trained in the morning and watched the other teams that they will face play in matches in Spain. Corey felt that the United Arab Emirates were the weakest of the teams that they will face over the next couple of weeks

Finally, US Soccer announced the Spain tour today on their web site. More to come over the next few days.

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Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:39:00 -0700 Corey is going to Europe! http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/corey-is-going-to-europe http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/corey-is-going-to-europe

We just found out that Corey will be one of 22 Residency players traveling to Spain and France over the next three weeks. The boys found out tonight (!) who is on the travel roster, and they packed immediately to leave from Miami tomorrow. They will be in Spain for about two weeks, then in France for another week before returning to Florida on October 30th. During this time, they will play seven matches against Under-17 teams from other countries.

Spain-flag

Spain

  • In Spain, they will be staying in L'Alfàs del Pi, in the southeast part of Spain about an hour and a half south of Valencia.
  • They play four matches in Spain:
    • October 15th, vs. Mexico, at Benidorm, Spain
    • October 17th, vs. United Arab Emirates, at Benidorm, Spain
    • October 19th, vs. Russia, at La Nucia, Spain
    • October 20th, vs. Spain, at Benidorm, Spain

France-flag

France

  • They arrive in France on October 23rd, and they will be staying about six miles southeast of the Eiffel Tower, along the Seine River.
  • They will play three matches in France, against France, Peru, and the Netherlands. They play on October 25th, 27th, and 29th.

Of course, one major challenge that Corey has to worry about is his schoolwork. He will have his laptop with him and will be receiving – and expected to complete – assignments, quizzes, and tests, while he's in Europe.

Once Corey returns to the United States, he gets to fly further west to San Diego, where he gets to spend a couple of days in California before heading back to Florida on November 3rd.

 

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Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:00:00 -0700 Roster Finalized for Fall 2011 Semester of U.S. Soccer Residency Program http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/roster-finalized-for-fall-2011-semester-of-us http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/roster-finalized-for-fall-2011-semester-of-us

US Soccer issued a press release today, announcing the fall roster for the Under-17 Men's National Team Residency Program. Congratulations, Corey!

Wilmer

…10 traveled with the team to Zagreb, Croatia, in May. DeAndre Robinson, Corey Baird, Wesley Wade and Tyler Turner all scored for the United States…

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We learned a bit more about the upcoming trip to Spain and France. They will be gone October 10th to the 30th, spending two weeks in Spain and another week in France. 22 of the 32 boys will be traveling, so no guarantees… Regardless, Corey will get an opportunity to come how for a few days immediately after the boys return from Europe.

Unfortunately, for me, I'll be in Germany while Corey comes to San Diego. I'm still holding out hope that I might be able to leave early and meet them in Paris to see the boys train/play and spend a little time with Corey.

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Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 -0700 Great to see Corey for the weekend! http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/great-to-see-corey-for-the-weekend http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/great-to-see-corey-for-the-weekend

Three weeks was enough for Margie and me. We really needed to see Corey's face, talk to him for longer than 15 minutes, and get a better feel for how things were going in Bradenton.

The weekend we dropped Corey off, we were running around so quickly that it was difficult to get a good feel for how Corey would adapt. We had confidence that he'd do fine and talked with him regularly over the past couple of weeks, but seeing him for a couple of days, hearing (and seeing!) how he was doing, and spending some time with a few of his friends and roommates made a huge difference.

We arrived late Friday night and went to see the boys play the Clearwater Chargers on Saturday morning. The team was split and one half played the Under-18 academy team; the other half played the Under-16s. The conditions were extremely hot (90+ and very humid).

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In the first match, Corey started and his team played well, mostly dominated, and earned a well-deserved 1-0 win. Nice goal, Rubio! In the second match, the boys struggled in the first half and fell behind 0-2, but stormed back in the second half to win 3-2.

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We had a great lunch with Corey afterwards. Margie took a bit of time to recover from the heat, but Corey shared a lot of details about the past few weeks, and "seeing Corey's face" was so valuable.

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Saturday night, we took Corey out for dinner with a couple of his roommates: Danya and BJ. It was a very nice dinner with three very nice young men. Another feel-good moment for Margie and me: Corey is hanging out with some very good boys.

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On  Sunday, we'd hoped to watch the Manchester United vs Chelsea match, but Corey was late for strength training during the previous week.The penalty: doing dishes for lunch on Sunday. So, instead, we waited for Corey to finish his penance, then Corey spent several hours with us on Sunday afternoon, doing some needed shopping and having another very nice meal with our boy.

In some ways, the trip reminded us how much we miss spending time with Corey on a daily basis, but it was pure chicken soup for our souls the entire weekend. I'm sure we'll continue to miss Corey greatly, but he's doing well and remains a great kid. It'll hold us over for a few more weeks, hopefully!

Margie and I took a large number of pictures this weekend. Residency Visit Pictures

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Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:00:00 -0700 Off to Bradenton http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/off-to-bradenton http://soccerhappenings.posterous.com/off-to-bradenton

Well, we left our son on other side of the country today… Tough for both Margie and me, as you might imagine.

What an incredible opportunity for Corey! While we were in England, Corey was invited by US Soccer to participate in the Under-17 Men’s National Team Residency Program. Corey's been focused on getting this invitation for a couple of years, and it finally arrived. After discussing the reasons to attend or to stay in San Diego, we decided to give it a try for a semester. To extend this for two or more semesters, Corey knows that he needs to make his coach happy on the soccer field and his parents happy in the classroom. At the very least, it will be an interesting several months.

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Our weekend was a whirlwind! We took a red-eye flight on Friday evening to get to Bradenton on Saturday. We made it to Bradenton by around noon on Saturday and met Tim, Sam ("Pugs"), and Ryan. These are the guys that are going to make sure that Corey life stays in order: Tim and Sam for US Soccer and Ryan does his part for IMG Academy.

We learned which room Corey would be staying in. Corey is staying in the Forwards Room, with many of his veteran BNT teammates: Rubio and B.J. share their room with Corey, while Danya and DeAndre are in the front room of their suite. Plenty of room for the five boys. Two interesting points here:

  • First, Corey has been classified as a forward for the U-17s, a bit of a change since we've always considered him a midfielder. In retrospect, Corey's been playing the outside mid or winger position for most of the past year, so it's not that big of a departure.
  • Second, they room the boys by position. Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, and Forwards all room with teammates playing the same position.

Below are some pictures of Corey's living room and his bedroom. He claimed the bottom bunk when we arrived, but he's switched to the top bunk since.

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Most of Saturday was spent getting Corey registered at IMG Academies and buying all of the things that you need to live on your own. In so many ways, getting Corey ready to join residency was the same as getting Ryan ready for college: buying sheets, towels, laundry and bathroom supplies, school binders and notebooks, and lots of last-minute advice about living on your own!

We all stayed at the Holiday Inn at Sarasota on Saturday night and enjoyed meeting some of the other parents in the hotel bar that evening. And of course, the boys hung out as well.

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On Sunday, we had two orientations: one for the Residency program and the other for Saint Stephen's School. Some interesting notes:

Residency

  • Wilmer Cabrerra is the head coach. He played for the Columbian national team for several years and competed in the 1990 and 1998 World Cup; he’s been the head coach for the Under-17 Residency program since 2007.
  • Wilmer gave a very good introduction to the program, talked a lot about how caring for the kids in the absence of their parents wasn't lost on them.
  • The staff for the residency program includes three coaches, two trainers, one equipment guy, and two administrators.
  • Wilmer really emphasized that soccer is a lifestyle and that they need to focus their lives around carrying themselves as soccer players, eating like soccer players, working hard at school to enable their soccer aspirations, etc.
  • The Residency program gets criticism for not creating more superstars, but it’s clearly a solid route for aspiring players: 55% played in college and 42% played professionally.
  • The schedule is packed:
    • Strength and conditioning on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings
    • Practice five days a week in the morning
    • School five days a week in the afternoon
    • Study hall on Tuesdays and Thursday after dinner
    • Matches or a sixth practice on Saturdays
  • Nutrition is an area of focus
    • More vegetables!
    • Hydration assessments
    • Trying to create a lifestyle rather than forcing them to eat well
  • In October, they are taking a 2-3 week trip to Spain and France. Only 20-22 of the 33 boys will travel.
  • During the first week of December, they will compete in the Nike International Cup in Sarasota.
  • They will play Brazil, France, and Turkey. This event is held at the same time and location as the Development Academy Winter Showcase.

Saint Stephens Episcopal School

  • The Saint Stephens program is specially designed for the Residency Program.
  • The school itself is a well-rated college prep school, not much different from Corey’s school in San Diego, Cathedral Catholic HS.
  • There are four class blocks in the afternoon, allowing the boys to rotate around the four core subjects: math, science, English, and history.
  • Corey is taking Algebra 2/Trigonometry, Chemistry, English 10, and US History.
  • With soccer being an additional, fifth credit, he’s still going to need to catch up before graduating in three years.
  • They also have an advisory period each day to discuss any issues the boys are having. Corey’s advisory teacher, Mr. Allen, and his wife, who is also the IT guru at St. Stephens, come to most of the Saturday matches or practices. Very cool!

Interesting Links

Not surprisingly, Margie also took a healthy number of pictures. Taking Corey to Bradenton

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