My First US National Team Camp as a Euro-Nat

Four weeks ago I was invited to, and participated in, my first US National Team Camp. The camp was for the US Paralympic Soccer Team at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA -- a first class institution. It has to rate as one of the top soccer experiences of my life.

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsID=54162&itype=&iCategoryID

The coaching staff of Jay Hoffman and Mike Haas are first rate. Head coach, Jay Hoffman, is an extremely experienced coach at the US National level with experience that includes coaching the U-18 Men's Team and as an Assistant on the World Champion USWNT, as well as having coached professionally (the WUSA Boston Breakers team.)

During the camp we had two-a-days -- at 9 AM and 3:30 PM. You'd think that might give you a lot of down time but, with the exception of 1-2PM and after dinner, we were always on the go.

A normal schedule consisted of:
6:40 - Wake up & shower
7:00 - Breakfast at the OTC Dining Hall
8:00 - In the training room for treatment or taping ankles
8:30 - Pick up gear
9:00 - Begin practice -- we were usually on the field 5 to 10 minutes before time
11:00 - End practice
11:30 - Treatment in the Training room (ice, etc.)
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Relax
2:30 - In the training room for treatment or taping ankles
3:00 - Pick up gear
3:30 - Begin practice
5:30 - End practice
6:00 - Treatment in the Training room (ice, etc.)
6:30 - Dinner
7:30 - Free time
10:00 - Lights out

As the week progressed, we found ourselves going to bed earlier and taking longer naps after lunch. The toll taken on your body also was greater, and by the end of the week, with all the knocks and strains, there were more people in the training room for things other than taping.

The drills we ran were watched carefully by Coach Hoffman and Coach Haas, and their observations and corrections were right on the money.

The drills were very well prepared, and the coaching points were emphasized. The veteran players guided the 'newbies' (of which I am one), and the spirit in the camp was very high and everyone was very motivated.

After all, this team has qualified for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens in September this year. The goal is to medal, which will be a tough task given that the US is ranked 6th in the world, but I can see that with the right attitude, hard work, and determination by everyone, this team can achieve that goal.

I was not very knowledgeable about the Paralympics or their athletes before October of last year, and my experiences at this camp have been invaluable to me personally, as it gave me the opportunity to discuss my stroke (from two years ago) with others that have faced the same challenge.

For those that don't know -- as I didn't before October of last year -- the Paralympic Team is open to players that have Cerebral Palsy, have had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), or survived a stroke. However, there are different player classifications depending on the extent of the disability, and there are restrictions to the number of players of a type of classification on the field at any time.

For more information on the team criteria and classification process, you can look here:
http://www.usparalympics.org/soccer.pdf

The players, disabilities aside, are like those of any other team that I've been on over the last 35 years (I've played at all levels of soccer up to D1 ball at Clemson University). Some loud, some quiet, some funny -- there is even a professional comedian (literally) on the team! The skill level ranges from average to very, very good, and on the field, you might be hard pressed to notice anything *different* about a player. For some players it may be a question of balance and one side dominant over the other.

Some of the players have dealt with the disability during all of their soccer experience and have learned to compensate for weaknesses -- and some played soccer from childhood and then experienced an injury or stroke (as is my case from two years ago.)

But overall, the soccer is good, and the players are great people! I wouldn't have traded this experience for anything! And two years ago, I never thought I would have had this opportunity given the circumstances. I guess there always IS a silver lining ...

At the conclusion of the week, we all went our separate ways back home armed with the strength and conditioning, and fitness program developed by the coaches and Olympic staff -- preparing to work hard and improve our chances of obtaining the ultimate goal in September -- a Paralympic Gold Medal!

 

Thanks! I've yet to be *classified* (and not sure I will classify because the physical after effects of my stroke may not be as significant as the classification standards -- which is not necessarily a bad thing ), but in either case, I'll be cheering our National Team on at the games in September!!! I hope you will be too!

 

This is too funny!!! It took me 5 minutes to stop laughing! However, if you have ever seen me play defense, you'd reconsider!! (I grew up in Brasil where they don't play defense ... only offensive football!)

 

Thanks for all the kind words everyone! These are indeed lifelong friends that I will remember. I plan to attend my next camp in May and will keep you all posted on the progress we've made.

Every camp is a tremendous opportunity and experience for me, and regardless of whether I classify or not -- or even make the final team for the Paralympic games -- the fact that I have been granted this experience -- to wear my country's shirt and represent the American soccer community by particiapting in the process -- is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life!

Nutmeg, good to hear from you too! I've been away as there have been a lot of things going on in my life, not the least of which is our impending relocation back to the US (Atlanta) at the end of June. I'm very much looking forward to being back in the States, and it will actually be easier for me to attend the upcoming camps (in Birmingham, AL). I TOTALLY understand where Kirovski is coming from now!

I was on the Clemson team from '78 to '80. At that time we were consistently ranked #1 in the country, but failed to win it all. We came in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th during the time I was at school there. (I decided not to play my Senior year due to a lack of playing time and other related issues. Sometimes you have to know when to fold... )

I didn't realize until some years later how good a team we actually had. We had 10 players from Nigeria, most of which had played at one time on their National Team. (My roommate my freshman year was Taiwo Ogunjobi, now the current Secretary General of the Nigerian Football Association -- here's a funny story about him -- http://www.kickoffnigeria.com/stories/?curl=Ogunjobi_in_mistaken_identity.php)

We also had a couple of players from Jamaica, Guyana, and England. I won't go into detail, but at that time there was no age limit for players in Division I (now I believe the player can't be over 25 years old as a freshman or something like that).

Needless to say, it was difficult as an 18 year-old American walk-on (albeit learning soccer and living abroad 9 of my last 10 years before college) trying to win a spot over a "twenty-something-plus" scholarship player with International experience. In some ways, it was a great achievement just making the team.

I improved as a player, but didn't get many opportunities to display it on the field. However, I held my own. In spring training of my freshman year (at 19) I had the best year of my life soccer-wise. I had gained some confidence and was scoring at least one and sometimes two goals a game during scrimmages. A new player from England that came in half-way through the school year later told me that he thought I was a starter. However, the pressure for the coach to win and play scholarship athletes -- not develop players -- won out, and things turned south for me after that. It was a definite *life lesson*.

Nevertheless, it was a great experience and I would have relished to have had the professional opportunities in the US that we now have. Also, I would have loved to have had the outstanding coaching that we have on the Paralympic team 20 years ago!

(Sorry for rambling on ... )

 

No, there are some good players, but we're not at that level... As for me personally, age (25 years removed from my peak at 19), fitness, and the stroke have made me only a shadow of my former (player) self ... But the effort and enthusiasm is still there!!!