At US Club Soccer, we know there are four important influences in a player's development - the player, parents, coaches and clubs.  The Four Star News provides you with the truth about the one youth soccer organization dedicated to helping all four influences enhance a player's development.

id2 Scouting Nearly Complete; Invitations to Regional Training Camps to be Extended Sept. 1

Many tough choices are on the slate for the id2 selection committee in the next few weeks. With scouting nearly completed, the committee members must read through numerous profiles and select the players who will be extended invitations to the id2 Regional Training Camps in October.

"With recommendations continuing to pour in, we have amassed an extensive, diverse and talented pool of worthy players," said US Club Soccer Executive Director Bill Sage. "Our selection team will have many difficult decisions to make in the coming days."

The first wave of invitations for the 2006 id2 Regional Training Camps will be extended Sept. 1. The id2 program is US Club Soccer's revolutionary approach to identifying the nation's best youth players.

Boys and girls with '93 and '94 birth years are eligible to participate in the 2006 id2 Regional Training Camps. US Soccer Youth Development Program staff will be on site at these id2 Regional Training Camps to scout players for possible inclusion in the U14 National Team Program. The 2006 id2 program consists of three regional events staged across the country:

• Oct. 6-9 in Zarephath, N.J., hosted by PDA for Boys and Girls
• Oct. 6-9 in San Bernardino, Calif. hosted by Coast Soccer League for Boys and Girls
• Oct. 12-15 in Chicago, Ill. hosted by Chicago Magic for Boys

Scouts from across the country have spent the spring and summer identifying players for inclusion in the id2 Regional Training Camps as they compete in their own environment with their club teams. Parents do not have to pay fees and travel costs to multiple expensive tryout camps to ensure their players are seen by id2 scouts. The id2 selection process is apolitical as players are identified regardless of their affiliation (i.e. US Club Soccer, USYSA, AYSO, non-affiliated, etc.).

Once players arrive at the id2 Regional Training Camps, US Club Soccer covers all player expenses. Nike, the Official Equipment Supplier of US Club Soccer, will provide players with training uniforms, balls, bags and other equipment. Top club, collegiate and national team staff coaches will conduct the id2 Regional Training Camps. Further announcements about staffing will be made in the future.

More information regarding the id2 Regional Training Camps can be found online at www.usclubsoccer.org.

Learn more about the id2 Regional Training Camps

	Around US Club Soccer
US Club Soccer is committed to keeping its members informed about the happenings and upcoming events surrounding the organization. Youth World Series Focuses on Meeting Younger Players' Needs   The kickoff of the inaugural Youth World Series event in Miami, Fla. is a month away! Three Lakes Park will host U9- U13 boys and girls' teams Sept. 16-17 as the Youth World Series makes it debut (Apply Now). More Youth World Series events will be announced shortly. Providing an introductory tournament experience to US Club Soccer's youngest members, the Youth World Series is sure to meet the multiple needs of budding soccer talent:   Age appropriate playing formats Young players need to develop in an environment that stimulates their growth. With fewer players on the field at the youngest age groups, players touch the ball more helping them to improve their skills and decision- making. The playing formats for the Youth World Series, which can include U8-U13 age groups, are: U8-U9: 6 a side, 25 minute halves, max of 11 players* U10-U11: 8 a side, 25 minute halves, max of 14 players* U12-U13: 11 a side, 30 minute halves, max of 18 players* * - (Subject to change to fit local playing needs and styles) "The best experience for the players is to be in a positive learning environment over the weekend where they are going to be playing against the best competition in an organized manner," said Plantation Eagles (FL) Director of Coaching John Ramos. New, higher competition level For young players gaining exposure to new challenges and experiences is key. The Youth World Series will present young athletes with diverse playing styles and fresh opponents as they get a taste of what awaits them in the next few years. "This event will not only let kids see new competition, but will also let parents see new competition levels as their kids step up to play a different level outside of recreational or travel soccer," said Miami Strike Force (FL) Executive Director Daniel Prenat. Scouting for possible inclusion in id2 All age groups at Youth World Series events will be scouted for possible inclusion in US Club Soccer's id2 program, which seeks to identify top young boys and girls' talent. Learn more about the id2 program. "Kids start showing their talent at nine years old," said Daniel Prenat, the Executive Director of Miami Strike Force (FL). "That's when they start showing their ability and what the future may hold for them. Where I am from in Uruguay, that's when they begin getting identified. Here in the United States, we wait until the kids are 13 or 14 to identify them. That's what I like about the US Club Soccer Youth World Series is that younger kids will be scouted." All-inclusive awards The Youth World Series will be conducted to provide players at an early age the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work and success on the soccer field in a fun atmosphere. This will be done through various awards and recognitions at the end of each Youth World Series tournament: All-defense team (team that gives up the fewest goals throughout tournament) All-offense team (team that scores the most goals throughout tournament) Sportsmanship Award (team that shows the best sportsmanship on and off the field) Golden Boot (player that scores most goals) All-tournament team   Well-organized, well-managed event US Club Soccer, in conjunction with a local host, will provide marketing, event logistics and tournament presentation support for all Youth World Series events guaranteeing a professional, high quality experience for all attendees. "US Club Soccer has developed a good reputation for creating some very good tournaments," said John Ramos, Director of Coaching at Plantation Eagles (FL). Find what you are looking for in a tournament for younger age groups at US Club Soccer's Youth World Series! More Youth World Series Info »

	Competition News
By offering the best competitions available, such as the National Cup, we seek to provide youth players with the opportunity to test themselves against the best club teams from across the country in multiple levels of competition. No one else can offer this. First Repeat Champions Highlight 2006 National Cup V   Winning a US Club Soccer National Cup championship requires dedication, grit and skill. With over 1,000 teams applying for the 2006 National Cup V, earning a national title is a significant accomplishment in itself. Now imagine the challenge of claiming the title of 'National Cup Champion' two years in a row. In July, teams achieved this outstanding feat of winning back-to-back National Cup championships: Bridge FA's Boys Super Group U15s, CASL Elite's Boys Super Group U13s and Slammers FC's Girls Super Group U16s. These repeat champions highlighted the intense 2006 National Cup V Finals, which also featured Capital Athletic Boca Juniors' Girls Super Group 15s and San Juan SC Spirits' Girls Super Group U17s winning their second National Cup title and Ironbound SC earning a pair of National Cup championships in the Boys Premier U15 and Boys Super Group U17 age groups. The freshly crowned 2006 National Cup V champions will have their names engraved on The Doug Hamilton Memorial Cup. The newly renamed National Cup trophy honors Doug Hamilton, the former President & General Manager of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and Chief Operating Officer of AEG Sports who passed away in March.   The National Cup, US Club Soccer's signature competition, crowns the country's top boys and girls' club teams in U12-U17 age groups. From Memorial Day Weekend through the Fourth of July Weekend, teams from across the country took part in the 2006 National Cup V Regionals, which were held in: Boise, Idaho; Fort Dix, N.J.; Jacksonville, Fla.; LaGrangeville, N.Y.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Rockford, Ill. and San Bernardino, Calif. The 2006 National Cup V Finals were staged in Greensboro, N.C. with the Girls Finals held July 22-25 and the Boys Finals contested the following weekend, July 28-31. Both the Boys U15-U17 and Girls U15-U17 Finals were held in conjunction with the Score at the Shore Showcase to maximize our members' exposure to college scouts. Visit www.usclubsoccer.org to view 2006 National Cup V results, photos and "The Road to the Cup" blog. Congratulations to the 2006 National Cup V Champions and thanks to all who participated in the 2006 National Cup V!   2006 National Cup V Boys Super Group Champions U13 - CASL Elite (NC) U14 - ISC Strikers Silver Elite (CA) U15 - Bridge FA Gold (SC) U16 - Sockers FC Chicago White (IL) U17 - Ironbound SC Warriors (NJ) 2006 National Cup V Boys Premier Champions U12 - LA Rampage (CA) U13 - Juventus Sport Monarcas (CA) U14 - Roanoke Star Premier (VA) U15 - Ironbound SC Blaze (NJ) U16 - South Charlotte SA Gold (NC) U17 - MPS Cape Cod Crusaders (MA) 2006 National Cup V Girls Super Group Champions U15 - Capital Athletic Boca Juniors (CA) U16 - Slammers FC (CA) U17 - San Juan SC Spirits (CA) 2006 National Cup V Girls Premier Champions U12 - Internationals (OH) U13 - Arsenal FC (CA) U14 - PDA Fire (NJ) U16 - Rio Vista Football Tiburonas (NM) U17 - New Jersey Wildcats (NJ) More Details on the 2006 National Cup V »

	Positive Coaching
Positive Coaching is an ideal embraced by US Club Soccer. Through our partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance, we bring you a monthly article detailing how to create a positive coaching environment at your club. Beware the Rush to Specialization by David Jacobson for Positive Coaching Alliance   The question most asked of PCA trainers at our Sports Parent Workshop is how parents should deal with pressure on their children to specialize in a sport. In pursuit of scoreboard wins, too many coaches too often tell too many children to drop everything but their sport. When coaches pressure athletes to specialize, parents must weigh the potential costs: dropout, burnout, and overuse injuries. Factoring in poor on-field performance and interpersonal stress from children being pushed against their will, early specialization often backfires, depriving children of fun and the opportunity to learn life lessons. "Before puberty, generally age 12 and under, the idea is to expose kids to multiple sports," said Dan Gould, director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University, and a member of PCA's National Advisory Board. "You should try two or three sports, none of them year-round, and 'sport- shop'." Children should continue to play multiple sports through high school, though Gould acknowledges that cuts, tryouts and other commitments mean "kids and parents may not have time to do it all, so the child may have to choose a sport with the parent's guidance." Note that Gould recommends the child choose. Parents choosing - or forcing a child into premature specialization, or acceding to a coach's demand - is what Gould calls "the Tiger Woods/Venus Williams Effect," where you specialize from age four and never try another sport. "Maybe that's not the right sport, and maybe, like 97 percent of the rest of the population, your child is not going to play college sports. It takes 10 years and 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become proficient, so people start early to get all those hours in. But if kids don't fall in love with that sport early, they never get all those hours."   Damaging Effects En route to the scholarship or other outcome specialization aims to achieve, lie physical, psychological and emotional pitfalls. Physically, specializing too early may curtail full development of fundamental motor skills, such as hopping, skipping, jumping and running, Gould said. Also, children are subject to overuse injuries, especially epiphyseal (aka growth-plate) trauma, he said. Psychologically, early specialization may lead to burnout, which Gould defines as "formerly enjoyable activities becoming no longer enjoyable due to chronic stress." Burnout may manifest physically, too, as children who quit sports may exercise less, or not at all. A parent's overall overemphasis on outcome makes "kids feel like they have to win to be worthy," Gould said. "Early sports specialization is part of the pressure - the professionalization - of youth sports. If you push and push you get a lot of baggage where a kid is only as good as his last performance." Emotionally, the dangers include damaging the parent-child relationship, Gould said. "Parents may get disappointed if kids lose interest in the sport they chose, especially if parents have spent a lot of money. "Parents also must be careful not to get sucked into equating their worth as parents to their children's performance in sports. When that happens, you start making questionable decisions in the name of your kid." PCA's Sports Parent Workshop teaches parents how to help children continue get the most out of the sports experience. To request information on partnership opportunities, please visit http://www.positivecoach.org/inforequest.aspx or phone toll-free 866-725-0024 or e-mail pca@positivecoach.org.   Who Cares About Pressure To Specialize? I CARE One coach who is adamant that youth athletes participate in multiple sports has taken matters into his own hands, creating an acronym, "I CARE," to resist early specialization. David Bayliss - a former professional duathlete (running/cycling), whose 20-year coaching career includes track-and-field and cross- country stints at Palo Alto (CA) High School - now brings this multi-sport philosophy to youth soccer: Identify: the athletes who are interested in playing multiple sports by asking your youth athletes and parents at the start of the season to share their plans. Communicate: with the coaches who coach your athletes in their other sports. Appreciate: children's desire to play multiple sports. Respect: the other sports' training and competition objectives. Enable: multi-sport participation by tweaking training. Key to activating the acronym is a proactive approach, Bayliss said. "I've had positive and negative experiences with the other coaches I've approached about the way we train the youth athletes we have in common. Some were shocked that I would communicate with them, but we were able to collaborate." For example, sometimes Bayliss and the counterpart with whom he shares an athlete agree that between the demands they both place on that athlete, the athlete may not need extra cardio and should spend extra time focusing on technique. "Also, if the athlete has a competition in the other sport over the weekend, I may excuse him or her from Friday weight training." Bayliss advises parents to be similarly proactive. "At least start the communications between your kids' coaches, or if necessary, actually arrange their communications with each other. Take them out for coffee and make sure they're e-mailing each other." To learn more about the US Club Soccer-PCA Partnership, or bringing the advantages of Positive Coaching to your club, visit www.PositiveCoach.org, or contact the Positive Coaching Alliance at PCA@PositiveCoach.org, or toll free 1-866-725- 0024.

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	Soccer Post Offer
US Club Soccer has named Soccer Post the Official Online Store of US Club Soccer. This new partnership provides great benefits for all US Club Soccer members including special monthly offers on soccer gear and equipment: Nike T90 Laser Ball - $17.99 ($29.99 Retail)     Retailing for $29.99, US Club Soccer members are able to purchase the Nike T90 Laser Ball for $17.99 at soccerpost.com. This 32 panel ball is hand-stitched PU for durability and maximum ball control. Whether used for match play or as a training ball, you will not be disappointed. To take advantage of this special offer on the Nike T90 Laser Ball, use Promo Code: CLUB067 upon checking out to receive the discount.