There were 3 TSC teams and 1 blitz team, but they are the hottest club in America losing to Jackson MS regularly 7-1.
Youth soccer club
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Blitz 06 boys beat Baton Rouge SC today 2-0 in semis. My son said the 2nd half was rough for Blitz going into a 20 mph wind the entire half so a lot of defending. Blitz scored their goals within the first 5 min of each half.
They'll play Miami Fusion who beat the NC Rush team 3-2. My son said they watched the end of that game and the ref added 8 min of stoppage time to the 2nd half. (Stoppage time beyond a minute or 2 in youth games at any level is really rare). Miami team seems to be capable scoring but they've also conceded a fair number of goals. The Blitz team conceded 1 goal in each of the 1st 3 games and none today. The goal against in the first game was just a really good goal. Came off a corner which was actually well marked and a player made a nice play to redirect a header into the far side. Goals in games 2 and 3 came from nice individual efforts to break down a defender and thus get the back line out of shape. My son said the game today the team never had a clean look at goal. The defense has been playing pretty well as a unit. Always a good thing and you've got an All State 6A GK behind them to clean up any messes.
I expect Blitz to play a little freer tomorrow. A trophy is on the line but knowing you've already got your spot for nationals wrapped up reduces some of the pressure.
They'll play Miami Fusion who beat the NC Rush team 3-2. My son said they watched the end of that game and the ref added 8 min of stoppage time to the 2nd half. (Stoppage time beyond a minute or 2 in youth games at any level is really rare). Miami team seems to be capable scoring but they've also conceded a fair number of goals. The Blitz team conceded 1 goal in each of the 1st 3 games and none today. The goal against in the first game was just a really good goal. Came off a corner which was actually well marked and a player made a nice play to redirect a header into the far side. Goals in games 2 and 3 came from nice individual efforts to break down a defender and thus get the back line out of shape. My son said the game today the team never had a clean look at goal. The defense has been playing pretty well as a unit. Always a good thing and you've got an All State 6A GK behind them to clean up any messes.
I expect Blitz to play a little freer tomorrow. A trophy is on the line but knowing you've already got your spot for nationals wrapped up reduces some of the pressure.
Absolutely. And the team is getting to hang out a lot with the early game times and only 1 game per day. They went bowling last night, today they're at an indoor go kart facility and then going to dinner. There are a lot of kids who were HS seniors so this is a good way to end your club soccer career. My son's old TSC team was down there as well. They got drubbed in their 3 games. And it doesn't resemble the team he played on...lots of kids brought in from other places the last 2 tournaments. I recognize maybe 3-4 players and the others were all "ringers". Sucks for them. Some good kids on that team that got driven off in chase of wins
At least 3 of the 4 Blitz teams in this regional are headed to nationals after today's results. The 2010s lost to a Rush team 2-1 today and will miss out.
Was hoping the 2010 girls would make it. Lots of friends still on that team. They’ve lost so many girls over the past few years to TSC, WSA and even BA Express. Any success is welcome. Great group of kids and parents.
I see where the 2009 girls are in the finals. Ironically, the two best 2010s at Blitz play up with the 09s.
I know a girl who plays on that team. She frequently plays up with the 2009s in tournaments and some league games. My wife found it odd she's not planning on playing soccer at Bixby next year and will run cross country/track instead.
My son said there are 7 finals being played today and 6 out of the 14 teams in those games are from OK. The USYS Southern Region goes from Florida up to North Carolina and all the states west through Texas (Missouri and Kansas not included). I know there were teams from FL, SC, TN, NC, AL, MS, LA, AR, OK, and TX. I don't know if KY is part of this region or not.
UPDATE: Blitz 06 Boys lead 2-0 over Miami Vipers with about 5 minutes left. <Knock on wood to not jinx it> This team has played tremendous defense the last 2 days, and all weekend really minus a few disinterested minutes in their blowout win on Sunday.
WINNER WINNER!!! 2-0 final. The team from Miami had only conceded 2 goals all weekend coming in and I believe in group play didn't concede any goals and had a goal differential of +8. My son said he saw the last few minutes of their game yesterday and they were a quality side. This is a really good win for this group from Blitz. My son's competitive club career started with a State Cup win at TSC and now ends with a trip to a national tournament. Glad he gets to have this experience.
Congrats. What a great way to cap off his soccer journey. Always fantastic to see Oklahoma teams having success in these types of tourneys.
Hoping to see more success of Oklahoma teams in ECNL going forward. I believe one TSC girls team qualified for ECNL nationals this year while Energy had a couple. Would love to get those numbers up.
TSC 2007s are making that trip. That's a really good side. Don't know how they fare normally but I know a number of those girls have already committed to play D1 college soccer. I believe the 2007 TSC boys are going to San Diego for ECNL playoffs as well. My son played with the center back on the 2012 State Cup team. That player was playing up a year because his dad didn't want him playing for Donny Carreno....too much politics going on with that group he said.
Good luck in playoffs. I know the players really want to win but at the end of the day, the experience with their teammates and families will be the thing that sticks with them for life. I've been seeing pictures of my son with the team the last couple of days and the genuine joy on his face during the activities and hang out time is priceless for me.
The 2007 TSC NL girls are a really good side. Most of the girls who went to Energy came back this past year and boosted the quality of that team.
Last years NL nationals in San Diego was an amazing experience for my kid. Hard to describe the scene to people who haven’t been there. College coaches everywhere. Nike, Addidas, etc…all there with huge tents the girls can go in and talk to the reps, get fitted for cleats, etc.. The best girls in the country all in one spot. It’s a special experience.
Not expecting much as far as results this year. Told my daughter that she gets to play against the top two teams in the country in the next several days. There will be lots of eyeballs on those games. What a great opportunity to show scouts and US Soccer that you belong in that upper tier. Concentrate on your performance. Seize the day.
Happy for your son to play in a national tournament. He will remember this experience for all his days. Now go win it
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Rough week as expected for the girls at nationals. They were beaten rather handily by MVLA and Surf and lost 2-1 to VDA out of Virginia. The soccer complex in Seattle was very nice. Beautiful setting in a valley surrounded by huge pine trees. 24 full size fields. Parking was adequate. Officiating has always been really good at nationals. No complaints.
First time in Seattle and not a huge fan. Airport is a mess. Zero assistance available trying to find shuttles, etc. We arrived at midnight Seattle time and it took us well over an hour to get a shuttle. No rental cars were available Friday night or Saturday despite having a reservation. Lots of open drug use in and near downtown. Really sad to see so many lost souls. Best part of the trip was Mount Ranier trip.
Glad this episode of soccer is over. My daughter’s team just wasn’t good enough this year. New season starts in 30 days with 7 new players. Hopefully they will prove to be upgrades.
First time in Seattle and not a huge fan. Airport is a mess. Zero assistance available trying to find shuttles, etc. We arrived at midnight Seattle time and it took us well over an hour to get a shuttle. No rental cars were available Friday night or Saturday despite having a reservation. Lots of open drug use in and near downtown. Really sad to see so many lost souls. Best part of the trip was Mount Ranier trip.
Glad this episode of soccer is over. My daughter’s team just wasn’t good enough this year. New season starts in 30 days with 7 new players. Hopefully they will prove to be upgrades.
I did mention she gets July off right 😂😂😂😂. All girls at the ECNL level I know basically play year round. They will have a team signing party in late July for the upcoming season then training and games commence the first of August. There are very few breaks.
So does she have anything special planned for her soccer vacation? Dollywood, Branson, the Bahamas?
We’re stopping in Colorado on the way back from Seattle and will be in the Grand Lake / Estes Park area until Sunday. Much needed time away from soccer for us all.
Hopefully this season was the exception and not the norm. Last year we won our pool and made it to the final 16. This upcoming season is a big year for her team as they need to get back on track. All that said, they still made it to nationals. My daughter is the only 2010 girl from Oklahoma ever to play at ECNL nationals and she’s gone both years she was eligible. So it’s still better than Oklahoma teams just not good enough imo.
Agree on the neutral party. Likely the only way you get those area teams to play on the league.
It sounds like it's only going to be U6-U10 which is fine since those age groups don't have leagues offered by OSA/OPC (is OPC even still a thing?). It would be dumb for not all of those clubs to be a part of this. I always thought it was silly when my son was playing U10 at TSC that his only "games" were against other TSC teams which were mostly girls teams from an older age group or if they played in a tournament.
This is a good thing and you'll see kids develop a little more in the end with the more game situations they are put in. It also means you'll need more referees. The 2 big rec programs in the area assign a full crew for U9/U10 games, none of the clubs do unless it's a tournament (Blitz still only assigns 1 ref to those games in their tournaments)...but if they want offside called in these games they need ARs on the games otherwise you're going to see a ton of coaches get carded/sent off or parents banned from games.
This is a good thing and you'll see kids develop a little more in the end with the more game situations they are put in. It also means you'll need more referees. The 2 big rec programs in the area assign a full crew for U9/U10 games, none of the clubs do unless it's a tournament (Blitz still only assigns 1 ref to those games in their tournaments)...but if they want offside called in these games they need ARs on the games otherwise you're going to see a ton of coaches get carded/sent off or parents banned from games.
OSA/OPC has a total of 6 girls teams in its academy league U7-U10. The boys side seems to still be hanging in there but one has to believe it’s an only a matter of time before the boys side fades away.
Many of the top academy teams from the area are now playing in Dallas based leagues. I know both TSC and WSA have girls teams playing down there. Assume boys teams are playing there as well.
Regarding parents and coaches getting kicked out of local U9-U10 meaningless league games, please re-think what you’re doing. These games are basically scrimmages with the sole goal of getting your kids touches and developing their game. Winning should be far down the list of game priorities. There will be games down the road where winning matters. This is not those games.
It could be interesting. WSA doesn't want to remove anything from Bush's money. It would be nice to get ODA, even some of the outlying regions in it. I wouldn't mind Arkansas getting in it. As a parent, I would not mind going to Arkansas once or twice an academy season if we played a couple of games in a day. They might get tired of having to come here, though.
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WSA is a little different than other clubs in the state as they have the numbers to have legitimate leagues as the academy level comprised solely of in club teams. I don’t see them joining for this reason as well as the money factor.
I’ve never seen much benefit in playing in Arkansas on the girls side. The facilities I’ve been to are subpar as is the competition. I have no idea if the boys side completion is better.
On the club side, ECRL final nationals are next week in Virginia (quarters, semis and finals). WSA 09 girls are playing. ECNL final nationals are the following week. Both are in Virginia No Oklahoma teams advanced to the ECNL finals.
How often do we have teams in the finals? Back in the day it was a rare occasion we won regionals and advanced to the national finals. We are a small state.
Not very often. As you commented making it to the final weekend is a big deal for any team but especially Oklahoma based teams due to lack of population. JM took to 09 boys to the ECNL finals a few years back. That was the best showing by a Tulsa based team in many years. I will concede the ECNL boys pool is a bit watered down due to MLS Next but making it to the finals is still a huge accomplishment for a Tulsa based team. Good luck to the WSA 09 RL girls this week. .
There are far more games in youth soccer that don't matter long term and only in the moment. Parents have lost sight of that fact thinking the result of every game has a college scholarship or pro contract riding on it. They matter far more to the parents than the kids long term. I've read a lot of insights from college coaches about what they're looking for when they show up to games and subsequent follow ups if they happen to see a player they like. Attitude towards coaches, teammates, referees and parents. Are the parents overbearing and insane or do they sit and watch quietly only offering encouragement? These little things set apart all the kids who have that skill level. Parents, coaches and kids who are screaming at referees about a throw in decision at a U12 game have no idea about the game. They'd be shocked to know their team is better off with the other team throwing it in as statistics show there is a turnover after a throw in on avg. about 4.5 seconds after the throw is taken.
Speaking of Nationals, my son's team plays in the President's Cup nationals beginning Friday at the Stryker complex in Wichita. I've never been to Stryker (and only been to Wichita for any reason a couple of times). From the pictures I've seen, Stryker may be as good or better than Scheel' in KC. Looks like the U18 groups will primarily be in the indoor field, stadium field, and field 9 which looks pretty nice as well. My son already knows he's playing goal in the game on Saturday. Sounds like 2 groups of 4 with the top 2 in each group advancing to semis and finals. Coach seems pretty confident of that happening (Blitz team may be going in as the #1 or #2 seed based on regional performance). Glad he gets to close out his club soccer career with this experience. Great time with his teammates as well as rewarding end to something he's poured so much of his life into the last 13 years.
Best of luck at nationals. Great way to cap off his soccer journey. Stryker is nice but it’s not Scheels imo. Parking is atrocious if the complex is full. The indoor complex might be the nicest I’ve seen. I’ve always thought it’s a little crazy that Wichita would have a complex like Stryker.
My top complexes I’ve been to would be:
1). Surf in San Diego
2). 60 acres in Seattle
3). Richmond VA
4). Moneygram
5). Toyota
6). Austin
I’ve placed heavy emphasis on grass fields in my rankings
#1 and #2 got my nod due to year round weatherI blame the coaches and clubs for crazy academy level parents. They should pound into their parents memory what the goals are at academy level (it shouldn’t be wins especially in league games). If you’re a U8 parent and the game plan is to play long balls up to the star forward because that’s the path to win today then find another team. Your kids are not developing.
Koch money helps. Wichita in the summer? Yuck.Best of luck at nationals. Great way to cap off his soccer journey. Stryker is nice but it’s not Scheels imo. Parking is atrocious if the complex is full. The indoor complex might be the nicest I’ve seen. I’ve always thought it’s a little crazy that Wichita would have a complex like Stryker.
My top complexes I’ve been to would be:
1). Surf in San Diego
2). 60 acres in Seattle
3). Richmond VA
4). Moneygram
5). Toyota
6). Austin
I’ve placed heavy emphasis on grass fields in my rankings
I blame the coaches and clubs for crazy academy level parents. They should pound into their parents memory what the goals are at academy level (it shouldn’t be wins especially in league games). If you’re a U8 parent and the game plan is to play long balls up to the star forward because that’s the path to win today then find another team. Your kids are not developing.
Honestly, the parenting situation hasn't been that bad, IMO. There have been some special coaches, but overall, it hasn't been too crazy. There has been very little emphasis on what you talk about, just playing long balls to the best player. A lot of it doesn't work at the highest academy games these days.
The officiating has been bad at times, but the older officials have been the worst. I give much more grace to the younger officials.
From my experience the parenting situation varies from team to team. Sounds like you’re on a good one. My most enjoyable soccer experience was watching my kid play on the third team at Blitz at U8. Just a great group of parents. The higher level the team the more vocal the parents in my experience. Type A parents tend to have type A kids after all.
We played an ECNL showcase there in March and they were quite nice. I know they’ve seen a lot of use this spring/summer. With all the rain in Dallas I’m not surprised they’ve suffered. There’s really no substitute for getting off a grass field for 4-6 weeks in the summer to allow it to heal. Did you play on the upper level fields? I would still prefer a subpar grass field to turf for ECNL age girls. Doesn’t matter near as much for boys.
I haven’t seen anything from TSC regarding TSA for this upcoming school year. Assume they decided to discontinue it?
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I heard some other people talk about how terrible moneygram was as well. I have never been there so I can't say one way or another other than others I know bitched about it
It's been a couple years since my son played at Moneygram but they were pretty nice then. I'd 100% agree on Toyota. They were amazing fields. Parking can be an issue for the big tournament weekends. Dallas has a lot of really nice complexes. Hell, Russell Park in Plano is pretty nice for a public park. I've not been to any of the coast complexes you mentioned. I will say, Lakewood Ranch just outside of Bradenton) in Florida was really nice, and the complex my son played at in Tucson last year was really nice.
In Wichita for Presidents Cup Nationals. They've already reworked the entire schedule because of how damn hot it's supposed to be . Son was supposed to play his first game at 2pm tomorrow, it's now an 8pm game. I'm fine with that except I came to Wichita a day early for opening ceremonies and now have to wait around all day tomorrow.
Former USMNT CB Matt Besler was the motivational/keynote speaker. Good message.
Wichita is weird. Largest city in KS but it feels small and most of the taller buildings in its downtown area are overshadowed and shorter than a lot of the grain silos surrounding downtown. My guess is it's about 1/2 the size of Tulsa. I could be wrong. And they've got us at a hotel literally in the airport traffic circle some 30 minutes away from Stryker. Kind of pissed me off. Lots of driving the next few days. 6 U18 boys teams, one of which my sons team beat in the regional final. We'll see how things go. They should be confident and they have at least 1 more player in the mix who wasn't able to play in regionals. And he's a good player with pace.
Former USMNT CB Matt Besler was the motivational/keynote speaker. Good message.
Wichita is weird. Largest city in KS but it feels small and most of the taller buildings in its downtown area are overshadowed and shorter than a lot of the grain silos surrounding downtown. My guess is it's about 1/2 the size of Tulsa. I could be wrong. And they've got us at a hotel literally in the airport traffic circle some 30 minutes away from Stryker. Kind of pissed me off. Lots of driving the next few days. 6 U18 boys teams, one of which my sons team beat in the regional final. We'll see how things go. They should be confident and they have at least 1 more player in the mix who wasn't able to play in regionals. And he's a good player with pace.
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