This Month in Marin – March 2017
This Month in Marin FC summarizes the month’s news and notes in a series of ‘high-level’ briefs from various club constituents.
In This Edition
- From the President
- From the DOC
- In the Spotlight
- From the Director of Development
- From the Referee Coordinator
From the President
Tryouts, Tryouts, Tryouts!
As this newsletter goes to press, we’re between the weekends for our younger age group tryouts and things are simply fantastic. The weather cooperated and except for some hardly noticeable sprinkles late Sunday afternoon, all sessions had perfect temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Over 500 players registered and came out to test themselves and get to know Marin FC. We take this as a testament for year-round and elite level play and development county-wide.
Tryouts for our U-16 through U-19 age groups will occur in late April/early May. We will strive to get confirmed dates for these sessions to everyone by the end of March. Online registration is active, so please sign-up now.
Parent Info Sessions
In the lead-up to tryouts, three information sessions were held unveiling a new presentation and short film. For those who didn’t get to a session, we will continue to fill out the website with all kinds of relevant information, and in time, also migrate the presentation into an online format that people can navigate on their own. This is a particularly technical task and we would very much like to make the site more all-encompassing so that it can become a major resource year-after-year for all new players and parents. Please be patient as we go through this process amidst the many other efforts that constitute “usual” club business.
Fields
As highlighted in the parent info sessions, we are currently monitoring or involved in multiple field improvement projects across Marin, which will certainly elevate the quality of available practice and game venues. Marin Academy is fully functioning again and Dominican University is granting renewed time slots for us after a limited access trial period. Teams training at DU have received special instructions about conduct and care for the fields and facilities, and so we ask that at DU and all locations, our players and spectators maintain the highest level of care and concern befitting the club and our facility partners.
Spring League, State Cup and National Tournaments
With an exceptional high school season wrapping up (including numerous trophies for our coaches) we will hit the ground running into spring leagues and the culmination of State Cup play. Be sure not to miss a game as the level at which our teams perform promises exceptional matches every weekend. Further afield, spring is also the time when our teams hit the road … or more appropriately, hit the jetways. Two of our boys’ teams will travel to Indianapolis and Virginia, and two of our girls’ teams will return to the Jefferson Cup. Look for social media updates as these travels and tournaments unfold.
Shane Kennedy
Lastly, it gives me great pleasure to pass along important news about one of our beloved coaches and goalkeeping coordinator, Shane Kennedy. This past season, Shane was singled out for the California Interscholastic Federation’s Model Coaching award. From over 1,500 high school programs, Shane was the only soccer coach selected. Shane has enjoyed a tremendous soccer career, and countless players have benefited from his devotion to the sport. Marin FC is fortunate to have someone so dedicated to youth and so passionate about the game on our team. Congratulations and thank you, Shane!
Evan Cross, President
From the Director of Coaching
Here are a few highlights and news tidbits from the past month:
In NorCal News
This year’s event, hosted on February 6, encompassed three separate elements, a NorCal DOC Development Academy meeting, a NorCal DOC NPL club meeting, and an AGM. Kelly and I attended different parts of the event to ensure we covered the relevant ground. Discussion point highlights included recruiting rules, transfer policies and tryout windows.
Alliance DOC Meeting
Kelly, Mattias, Tyler and I met in early February to discuss issues that impact our immediate constituencies and the broader extended soccer community. It was a very collaborative meeting and proved, as ever, to be an invaluable use of our time.
High School Update
High school playoffs and NCS play wrapped up this month. It was great to see so many of our kids represent their respective institutions, and fantastic to see two Marin schools win their NCS divisions outright.
In Coaching News
Our coaches are excited to see the sun and roll up their sleeves again after the extended high school break. Accordingly, we held our first coaches meeting of the year on February 23, which proved to be a fantastic discussion about everything from the “nuts and bolts” of running a team to more high-level coaching topics like philosophy, curriculum and collaborative ways to better the experience for our kids. The narrative was insightful and served to kick-start an ongoing discussion aimed to support our players’ experience and overall development.
Academy Update
Our Academy teams got back into the groove of things this past month, kicking off the second half of their season with competitive matches.
Tryout Update
As this newsletter goes to press, we’ve completed the first two of three tryout days, with the final day scheduled this coming Saturday, March 4. Numbers have been great and the weather has been remarkably cooperative to date. Returning teams have attracted impressive new talent, which makes the selection process all that more difficult, always a good problem to have, I should add. Evaluators of new teams have commented on the depth and quality of talent in attendance. With the final tryout date on Saturday, roster announcements will be completed by the end of this weekend.
In Tournament News
This is a busy month for tournament play, with several teams participating in the Juventus Cup in Redwood City, the Jefferson Cup in Virginia, the Vegas Showcase and a host of other regional events. Safe travel and good luck to all of teams.
– Josh Kalkstein, DOC
In the Spotlight
This month’s spotlight article features an interview with Bowdoin freshman, Ivy Ricca. Here’s what she had to say:
Tell our readers a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Humboldt County, CA and lived there with my mom, Kim, dad, Ethan, and sister, Willow, until this year. I went to Arcata High School where I ran track and cross country, but was only truly passionate about soccer. In high school, I participated in environmental awareness groups and attempted, with marginal success, to teach myself to code.
Recollect your Marin FC experience if you will.
I started playing for Marin FC in the spring of my freshman year of high school. I’m from a rural area without many competitive club teams, so this was a significant first step on my journey to becoming a student-athlete. Mike Carbone was my first coach and he was very welcoming, even though I could only make one practice per week because I lived 5 hours from Marin. FC was a totally new level of soccer for me and it really opened my eyes to the incredible level of talent in Northern California, not to mention the rest of the state and across the country. Playing for FC was really terrifying at first. I felt like a total outsider and was outclassed by most of my teammates – but I adjusted quickly, and playing for Marin FC made me the player I am today. I owe a ton to my coaches, Mike Carbone, Kelley Coffey, and on occasion Tyler Gottschalk, and the different ways they pushed me, and the rest of the team, to be better. One of my favorite memories was when Tyler took us to the Disney Cup in Orlando over winter break, my junior year. We had a combined team of U16s, 17s, and 18s and it was a ton of fun. We played some of our best soccer, and it was great to play with members of other FC teams.
What other schools did you look at and why did you ultimately pick Bowdoin?
I spoke to Middlebury, Amherst, and Davidson, but ultimately chose Bowdoin because it had the best team atmosphere and coaching staff. A huge part of my decision had to do with the relationship I developed with Bowdoin’s coaches during the recruiting process. They’re awesome people and I respect them a lot. Bowdoin’s Maine coastal location was also a deciding factor.
What were some of the adjustments you had to make to successfully transition from club to collegiate ball?
At FC, almost all the girls’ teams play a similar, fast-paced, complex passing game. It was impressive to watch, especially when we were all on our game. The quick passing game we played at FC continued regardless of who our coach was because I think players, coaches, and the club support the fact that it’s the most effective way to find success, especially playing in a typical 4-3-3.
At Bowdoin, we play in a 4-4-2, which was the first big difference I had to acclimate to. Our coach likes the idea of us playing a big, spread out passing game, that I personally, and most of the other players, are relatively unfamiliar with because we came from clubs with similar style philosophies to FCs. The other big adjustment I had to make was playing for a female coach. I think most youth soccer coaches are male, which I personally have no problem with, but playing for Bowdoin’s female coaches took some adjusting to. Everything about the way men and women coach is different: the way they talk to players, the way they view the game, the way they present problems they see in the game, and the level of intensity they openly exhibit. Also, I quickly learned that I needed to hit the gym. You don’t realize it just by looking at them, but a lot of female soccer players in the NESCAC are totally “jacked”. They’re incredibly strong and take lifting—something I’d never really done—very seriously. Being 5’9” and 135 pounds coming into the season made me appear somewhat of a “human noodle” on the field. The “freshman fifteen” is very real, but in my case, it came for a very good reason.
Summarize your collegiate soccer career to date. What have been some of the highlights?
I broke my collarbone in a game against UMaine Farmington in early October, so I only got to play the first month. Also, we didn’t make it out of the NESCAC playoffs, which was a huge disappointment. On a more positive note, I’m back in training and lifting again, and am using the time effectively to make myself bigger, faster and stronger.
What are you learning as a collegiate athlete that you’ll take into post-collegiate life?
I’m learning how to manage my time. NESCAC is unique in that athletics and academics are expected to coexist while not “diluting” one other. We’re held to a very high standard by coaches, professors, the administration, and ourselves, so there’s not much room to mess up. I was not prepared for the level of academic rigor that I experience daily here at Bowdoin. I think being a student-athlete is teaching me how to balance the responsibility of succeeding in the classroom and on the field. It’s a great experience, but there’s a certain degree of “tough love” that comes with it.
From athletics to academics. What are you studying?
I’m currently on a biochemistry/pre-med track. On the flipside, I’m also really interested in the study of religion, which I’m considering majoring in. I think while biochemistry explains how the world and the organisms in it work, religion gives insight into social interaction and modern world politics.
Any interests outside of soccer?
I’m volunteering at the Brunswick soup kitchen and providing math support in the local elementary school. I also like exploring the coast of Maine, and hope to learn to sail this summer.
Any thoughts about life after college?
I think after my 4 years here at Bowdoin, I’d like to join the Peace Corps for a couple of years and then go to med school. Eventually, I’d like to be a practicing physician and join Doctors Without Borders for a few years.
The Marin FC alumni community is alive and well. Do you keep in touch with many of your former teammates?
Yes. Campbell Day goes to Williams and plays soccer there. We keep up a friendly rivalry and hangout after our competitive matches.
Anyone you want to thank or recognize at Marin FC?
Mike, Tyler, Kelley, and Josh deserve a ton of credit for putting up with my inability to make every practice during the school year. Collectively, they held our teams to a high standard and I truly credit the experience I had at FC for shaping me into the player I am today.
Before I let you go, give us a little insight into your interests and passions. Name three books on your book shelf, three gadgets you couldn’t live without, and three artists/bands in your IPod.
Books: Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), and Biology: How Life Works (textbook).
Gadgets: My TI-89 calculator, earbuds, and computer (a MacBook Pro that contains most everything important in my life).
Music: The Grateful Dead, Taylor Swift, and Blink-182.
How can our readers follow you if they’d like to track your athletic activities?
They can follow our team at http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/wsoc/index.
From the Director of Development
Eloi Run
Click here to visit our new homepage and to register to run or walk. Space is limited so do not delay!
Got Team News?
To share a game summary or tournament recap:
- Go to MarinFC.com
- Scroll down the right side of page navigation menu under Seasonal Information
- Click Submit an Article
- Enter your contact information and article summary. Match the ID and submit
Edited posts will be added to our website homepage “latest news” section and posted on our Facebook page within 48 hours. We encourage you to use this tool to keep all in the club informed re: individual and team accomplishments. A big thanks to those of you that use it already.
– Ian Tonks, Director of Development
From the Referee Coordinator
We expect to have the referee refund list finalized this week. Assuming all goes to plan, Lynetta will be processing reimbursements in the next 7-10 days.