News for the Week of March 25, 2012

Program Notes for the Week of 3/25/2012:

The Buoy:
We would like to give a shout out to a former member of our coaching staff and friend of the program Nate Taylor who recently opened a new youth ministry center in Avon Lake called The Buoy.   Nate serves as the director of Youth Ministries at the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Avon Lake where many of our soccer families are members.  To read more about what The Buoy has to offer, please go to the link below:

http://www.cleveland.com/avon-lake/index.ssf/2013/03/new_avon_lake_youth_ministry_c.html#incart_river

Congrats and best of luck to Nate with this new program for area youths!!


College Soccer Section:
We have been presenting some information related to playing soccer in college and we will conclude our series this week.  This week we are going to present some information on NCAA Div. III schools and how they operate.


NCAA Div. III schools are typically small (less than 3,000 students), liberal arts, academically oriented schools. They are the largest of the three NCAA divisions and account for 40% of all colleges.  They are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships and you do not need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. However, these colleges are usually generous with both academic scholarships and need based financial aid which they combine to bring their costs in line with that of a typical state school. On the soccer side, these schools are aligned in conferences, play for a national championship, and feature a level of play which is attainable for the typical Avon Lake player. Two recent graduates who are attending D-III schools and playing soccer are Dana & Jillian Strimbu who play for Otterbein University. There are 446 D-III schools across the U. S. and Avon Lake is located within reasonable reach of 94 schools in a 4 state area as follows:

Ohio - 22

Pennsylvania - 55

Michigan - 7

Indiana - 10


The Ohio schools are listed as follows:

Baldwin-Wallace
Kenyon College
Bluffton Univ.
Capital Univ.
Marietta College
Case Western Reserve Univ.
Univ. of Mount Union
College of Mt. St. Joseph
Muskingum Univ.
The College of Wooster
Oberlin College
Defiance College
Ohio Northern Univ.
Denison Univ.
Ohio Wesleyan Univ.
Heidelberg Univ.
Otterbein Univ.
Hiram College
Wilmington College
John Carroll Univ.
Wittenberg Univ.
Franciscan Univ. of Steubenville

Almost half of the Ohio schools play in the Ohio Athletic Conference which is one of the premier D-III conferences in the country. Take some time to research and visit these schools, you may be surprised at what they have to offer.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue to add new videos each week and this week we are featuring last year's game against Strongsville which they won by score of 3-0. Remember that Strongsville made it to the State final four before falling to eventual champion Perrysburg.  We were able to be very competitive in this game.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz6j-jW5q1L2RUJCYmuvUxzAXcgAeuSy6&feature=view_all

Look forward to us adding more games in the coming weeks.


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope that you find something that inspires you here:

Losing is a learning experience. It teaches you humility. It teaches you to work harder. It's also a powerful motivator. - Yogi Berra

Winning doesn't always mean being first. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before. - Bonnie Blair (speed skater)

The triumph can’t be had without the struggle. —Wilma Rudolph (track & field)

You can't put limits on your goals, the more you dream, the farther you will get.

Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.

Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.


Happy Easter to all our soccer families and have a safe and relaxing Spring Break!

News for the Week of March 18, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 3/18/2013:

Coaching News:
It's official now and was what we expected - Daegen Duvall has been hired as Head Coach for the 2013 season.  Daegen will also be pursuing his "A" license this summer which is the highest level license a U.S. coach may receive.  Also, Jessica Carey will be returning for her third season with Shoregals.  Todd Kauffman will be returning if his schedule permits - he is interviewing for full time employment and may not be available in the afternoons any longer.  Congrats and best of luck to our coaching staff!!


College Soccer Section:
We have been presenting some information related to playing soccer in college and we will continue that over the next few weeks. This week we are going to present some information on the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).

The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) is made up of 15 schools primarily in West Virginia with a few in Pennsylvania. Of the 15 schools, 11 currently field women’s soccer teams. All the schools are NCAA Div. 2 programs which means that athletic scholarships are available. The schools are as follows:

Wheeling Jesuit Univ.
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Seton Hill Univ.
Concord Univ.
Shepherd Univ.
Davis and Elkins College
Univ. Pitt-Johnstown
Univ. of Charleston
Ohio Valley Univ.
Alderson- Broaddus College
West Liberty Univ.

The profile for these colleges are that they are small schools with a strong Christian influence. The schools range in size from 600 – 1,000 students. Avon Lake High School has roughly 1,200 students in comparison with an average class size of 300. So these colleges are anywhere from half the size of ALHS to close to the size of the high school. Many of the schools have a strong Christian influence even to the point where bible study classes are a required part of the curriculum and regular attendance at chapel services is also required. As a parent, you can expect many of these colleges to have “dry” campuses. This may be exactly the kind of environment that you are looking for your daughter’s college experience. Other positive attributes are if your daughter likes outdoor activities such as skiing, camping, hiking, whitewater rafting, then you are in one of the best locations in the country for those types of activities. The recreational opportunities are outstanding and that hopefully overrides the urge for partying. On the soccer side, competition for scholarships is going to be limited because of the small size of the schools which increases the likelihood of your daughter receiving money. Also, the remaining 4 schools without women’s soccer programs probably will start programs in the near future which means more chances to play and more scholarship money available. These are definitely programs where Avon Lake girls can succeed. You would need to visit to see if they may be right for your daughter.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue to add new videos each week and this week we are featuring the Senior Night game from last season against Midpark which was played to 1-1 draw. This game was highlighted by an excellent goal off a free kick from Kailey McClain.  Her goal is at the 16:00 min. mark in Part 3.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz6j-jW5q1L0PbFYpAkY_COYf6rO3Qp7a&feature=view_all

Look forward to us adding more games in the coming weeks.


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope that you find something that inspires you here:

I always want to give more than I gave yesterday. -Allyson Felix (track & field)

You can either throw in the towel or use it to wipe the sweat off your face

Reaching my goal doesn't prove what I'm made of. NOT QUITTING does

You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there. - Venus Williams

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself. - Gail Devers (track & field)

There are always new, grander challenges to confront, and a true winner will embrace each one. - Mia Hamm (soccer)


Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.

News for the Week of March 11, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 3/11/2013:


College Soccer Section:
We have been presenting some information related to playing soccer in college and we will continue that over the next few weeks. This week we are going to present some information on the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

This is a NCAA Division II conference which means scholarships are available. As the name would suggest, all of these schools are located in the state of Pennsylvania.   About half the conference is located in the eastern part of the state, but of most interest to us are the schools in the western side of the state which are within a 2 to 2 1/2 hour drive from Avon Lake.   The conference schools are as follows:

West Chester Univ.
Slippery Rock Univ.
E. Stroudsburg Univ.
Edinboro Univ.
Bloomsburg Univ.
Indiana Univ. of PA.
Kutztown Univ.
Lock Haven Univ.
Shippensburg Univ.
Clarion Univ.
Mansfield Univ.
California Univ.
Millersville Univ.
Gannon Univ.
Mercyhurst Univ.

The profile for these schools are that they are small to mid sized schools ranging from 2,000 to 15,000 students. The western PA schools - Edinboro, Clarion, Slippery Rock, IUP, California, Gannon, and Mercyhurst are all relatively close to Ohio and Avon Lake. Very good athletic and academic conference. Yet another place where AL girls can find success. Once again, many girls from the Greater Cleveland area are playing at these schools. People in Ohio have a tendency to overlook the wealth of schools which exist in Pennsylvania. Well worth your time to check into.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue to add new videos each week and this week we are featuring the Sylvania Northview game from last season which was played to 1-1 draw.  This game was highlighted by a great goal from Claire Jones in the last minute of play to earn the tie.  Her goal is near the end of Part 4.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz6j-jW5q1L3mBeJplfuy5CRO1m9dP0Z8&feature=view_all

Look forward to us adding more games in the coming weeks.


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope that you find something that inspires you here:

Tell me I can't, then watch me work twice as hard to prove you wrong.

Those at the top of the mountain didn't fall there.

You can feel sore tomorrow or you can feel sorry tomorrow.

Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won. 

If you believe enough in the process SUCCESS will come to you. You just have to be willing to see it through to the END.


Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.

News for the Week of March 4, 2013

Program Notes for the Week of 3/4/2013:


College Soccer Section:
We have been presenting some information related to playing soccer in college and we will continue that over the next few weeks. This week we are going to present some information on the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

The GLIAC consists of 17 schools of which 14 have women’s soccer teams. The schools are located throughout Ohio and Michigan. The conference schools are as follows:

Ashland Univ.

Ferris State (Mich.)

Univ. of Findlay

Grand Valley State (Mich.)

Lake Erie College

Malone Univ.

Michigan Tech (Mich.)

Northern Michigan (Mich.)

Northwood Univ. (Mich.)

Notre Dame College

Ohio Dominican Univ.

Saginaw Valley State (Mich.)

Tiffin Univ.

Walsh Univ.

These colleges have student populations that range from a few thousand up to 10,000 students. All the schools are NCAA Div. 2 programs. That means athletic scholarships are available.  Also, they are large enough to be able to offer a wider variety of majors.  Grand Valley State is a national power in women's soccer and advanced to the Div. II Final Four in 2012. Many of the Michigan schools are in prime skiing areas which offers another enticement for those who like to ski. The Ohio schools are loaded with players from the Cleveland area.  These are programs where Avon Lake girls can be very competitive. So keep these schools in mind when making college visits and as possibilities to play soccer.


2013 Calendar:
Just a reminder that the coaching staff has assembled a preliminary calendar for the 2013 season. You may find this calendar via Google calendar at:

2013 Shoregal Calendar

If you have a gmail account you can subscribe to this calendar. Subscribing will merge these events with whatever other calendar you may have constructed.

Of course, this early in the season there will be changes as we progress, but this will give you a good idea of what to expect throughout the rest of 2013.


Video of the Week:
We are going to continue to add new videos each week and this week we are reaching back to 2010 and the game against North Olmsted.  This was one of the most important games in Shoregal soccer history as it clinched the first SWC championship for the Shoregals.  After falling behind 3-1 in the 2nd half, the Shoregals mounted a furious comeback led by three goals from Emily O'Connor in a 20 min. span to defeat a stunned N.O. team 4-3.  This section of the game is featured in Part 4.  The video has been uploaded in 5 parts through You Tube and you may view it by either going to You Tube and typing in Shoregal Soccer in the Search bar or go to the direct link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVF0QorL7PM

Look forward to us adding more games in the coming weeks.  


Shorty Sez:
We are going to continue presenting motivtional sayings coming from the Twitter site called Women Sports which may be found at:

https://twitter.com/Women_Sports

Once there, here are some selected examples of tweets over the past week. Hope that you find something that inspires you here:

There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around and say "watch me".

I do it because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn’t.

There will always be someone that tells you that you can't do something. Your mission is to prove them wrong.

You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. - Vince Lombardi

Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong.


Shoregal Website:
Don't forget to visit our Shoregal website at:

www.alshoregalsoccer.org

There you will find more in depth stats and stories than we can fit on our blog.