hope to see some of you at the bama december showcase during the final four. i am bringing a crew down from illinois. it should be a decent tournament. are any of you going?
I'm local- waiting to see if my son is going to play before I sign up to ref. Shoot me a pm if you want some dining advice (I assume the tournament has a specific hotel where the refs will stay). Fwiw, I went to a UAB men's game at Regions Park, where the final four will be held. Venue looks great- it's on a baseball field, but the pitch looks flawless. It does look like the hospitality (box) seats will view the games from the end of the field. The regular seats are all aluminum benches, so bring a cushion to keep your life energy from being sucked out through your buttocks!
I will be there as well...Bringing one more from Houston. We will be working the National League games it looks like
Local here also, When you are all congregated and ready to go out and eat some food, at least one night you HAVE to go to the Flying Saucer. Do NOT bring wives!
Gold- what are the national league games. The assignor mentioned something about that. The flying saucer- I will leave to some of my younger(single) crew mates! I will be asleep by 10.00 in the evening- with a newborn it is hard to get a good night's rest thanks for the tip about the dining- chmy- can you pm me and tell me good places to go
From what I looked up it is the best of the Non-Academy teams throughout the country that play in a league. Here's the site for more info: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/national_league/index.asp. Here's a quote from last year's site: The US Youth Soccer National League competition is for the nation's top teams in the Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 boys and girls age groups. The National League offers additional exposure to collegiate, professional and U.S. National Team coaches and offers top notch competition. National League teams earn slots via success in the US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues and the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series.
I worked a team in the NTX state cup u17 boys semi-final that had already qualified because they won their division in the National League. Excellent group of players, and they didn't really care if they won the semi (even though they still did) since they already qualified. I'll probably know some of the Houston guys you are taking with you since I work HFA. Enjoy!
Since there are several on the board coming, i thought i'd just throw out some of my faves. the restaurant scene in birmingham is actually pretty decent. The best meal in birmingham is Highlands Bar and Grill. it is one of the top restaurants in the country. it is as pricey as you'd expect for a meal at this level. jacket required. reservations fill a week or so ahead on fri, sat. the same restauranteur has a french restaurant next door, chez Fon Fon. also excellent. A list of other favorites: Thai: Thai Emerald. In Hoover. a good alternate is Surin 280. Upscale Mexican: Sol y luna. Downtown. Serves tapas style. high end tequilas, and a particularly appealing tamarind margarita. Seafood: Ocean- super fresh, modern design. awesome "cold bar" stuff- three or four different types of oysters from various areas... Hot and Hot Fish club is also phenomenal. Upscale italian: Bottega. Has a more casual side next door. Shameless plug: Bright Star Restaurant (my wife's uncles own this place)- oldest restaurant in alabama (1907)- steak, snapper, shrimp with greek seasonings. Great fresh, honest food, not too fancy. can accomodate large parties pretty easily. AlabamaRef- what are your faves?
Those places listed are great advice. An addition especially after working soccer games and wanted some good cheap food on the go. Tazikis "weekend special" has to rank among my favorite meals. Greek Food = great. The Summit has a bit to offer also.
The J Clyde. Are we going to have a get together? I definitely know some of you, but others are yet to come out from behind the alias.
A question from a non-soccer official, how are officials for these types of events selected and what grades?