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

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From the President

Evan Cross

Here are a few highlights and news tidbits from the past month:

The New Normal
I write while suspended over the bay on a flight heading to New York. It’s Friday, Oct. 25th and a high layer of smoke ribbons its way around the familiar contours of the bay below. The very top of Mt. Tam is clouded out by the suspicious umber. PG&E’s ensuing blackout contribution to the waning days of October. thrust us into a reckoning that we are in a new normal. Thanks go to all who have scrambled to be prepared and adjust as required. While the return of smoke and the departure of power is unwelcome, a litany of changes also ribbons around us and instead elevates the club. This newsletter, itself expanded with additional content from our ECNL Director and our SCIR (Strength, Conditioning, and Injury Reduction) program leader, leads the changing ways with numerous announcements about a happier new normal.

Welcome, Dara Potter!
After spearheading the Eloi Day at Cal which generated more than $25,000 for the Living for the Game scholarship fund, Dara has joined the club’s Board of Directors bringing with her an exceptional work ethic, inquisitive mind, high standards, organizational excellence, and a bright smile.

Welcome also to Fairview Capital as our new club-wide corporate sponsor!
After working together recently on the Abby Wambach lecture, we discovered how our organizations aligned. Marin FC appeals to Fairview Capital as a unique entity that serves a full breadth and width of social, economic, geographic, and demographic constituencies. The Fairview team includes Marin FC parents and player-alumni.
Founded in 1995 by Andy Mathieson and headquartered in Marin, Fairview Capital provides the highest level of personalized wealth management services and professional investment advisory expertise. Fairview’s holistic advice, disciplined investment process, and business decisions are guided by its clients’ best interests and unique needs. Fairview serves all of its constituencies—clients, employees, and community—with integrity and fairness. We’re proud to team up with Fairview on this multi-year partnership!

Further expansion
I’m also happy to announce that Marin FC will widen its partnerships with UCSF and Nike. We have partnered with UCSF for several years now and as our competitions continue to broaden (ECNL in particular) the great staff and trainers from UC are growing right along with us. We will be broadening (approximately tripling) our partnership with Nike. In addition to purchase credits as we have enjoyed in previous years, Nike approached us with an offer of over $20,000 in elite club credits towards our apparel and equipment. As with Fairview, our partnership with Nike is a multi-year with growing benefits for the club.

The new approach to baseline concussion testing
Protecting our players’ health is paramount. This year we launch a critical advancement to this end by making baseline testing vastly more accessible. After a search of numerous options, Marin FC is partnering with Player’s Health through an exclusive offering due to our status as a Player’s First™ club, to bring at-home, online ImPACT baseline testing. Some players are required to test per their league rules (these players have been notified), but for all others who wish to take advantage of testing, they may, free of charge, by requesting a test. Visit our website under the players’ menu to see the full details and request a test. Baseline testing is a valuable tool in the event of a concussion or head injury by aiding in a ‘return to play’ recovery plan with a player’s medical provider(s). Having convenient access to at-home testing eases adoption for all players and thus the level to which everyone can be safeguarded in the event of injury.

Player success
Ultimately, however, what is this new normal all about? The players. Period. The Board of Directors is diligently looking at all ways possible to improve the club, such as additional funding for coach advancement and expanded financial aid offerings, but it always comes back to the players, their teams and their success. While many of our girls are rising to the challenge of the ECNL and ECRL leagues and traveling to all corners of the country, it must be noted that rising to fill their cleats from the Pre-ECNL ages, our youngest girls are on an extraordinary winning streak. The U9, U10 and U11 Blue teams are all seated at the top of their gold divisions in NorCal. Both blue and red team players in this group will surely grow to stride onto the ECNL fields with poise and power. On the boys’ side, our Development Academy teams are blazing a trail through their league and national events. Our older teams have their sights set on runs deep into league and state cup competitions. Three teams have specifically been invited to the premier ECNL for Boys showcase event in Philadelphia in May, further expanding our growing relationship with the ECNL.

Smoke may visit our skies, but nothing will cloud what it means to be a part of Marin FC. This new normal will touch every club member. Enjoy!

Evan Cross, President

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From the Director of Coaching

Joshua Kalkstein

Here are a few highlights and news tidbits from the past month:

In October, Evan Cross and I attended the NorCal Fall Meeting. While there wasn’t too much of interest, there was one big item discussed and that’s the tryout window which seems to be a never-ending topic. While NorCal still hasn’t come to a firm decision it sounds as if we are going back to a NorCal wide tryout window as opposed to one that is set within each Region. We suspect this will have an impact on the MarinFC as we are in Region 5 that borders Region’s 1 and 4. I will have more to share on this in the coming season. On a positive note, the collaboration seen between a high percentage of DOC’s from NorCal in attendance indicates a shared desire sort through the tryout window challenges.

On 10/6 we had our Eloi Day which was a fantastic event. We had a great turnout of kids, parents, and siblings at the Cal vs. UW game. We had superb weather, enjoyed working with Cal and laid the groundwork for a long-term good partnership! Most importantly, we were able to celebrate Eloi, his spirt and raise more money for the scholarship in his name. The only thing that didn’t follow script was, despite all our support, Cal couldn’t get the win. That said the level of play was high and our kid’s enthusiasm for the game was on full display!

On 10/7 a small group of us DOC’s met with David Chesler who is one of the A level instructors for US Soccer to discuss where we are as a club, our vision, and style of play. It was a great evening and we thoroughly appreciate ‘Chez’s’ willingness to make time for us. While it was a very informal evening there was a lot of good back and forth dialogue and we were able to further develop and cultivate a relationship with US Soccer. We are looking forward to having Chez back out for another informal get together later in the year.

In summary, It has been a busy season. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, I also attended an NPL Region 5 meeting which took time to further discuss the tryout window, quarterly RAC (Regional Advisory Committee) meeting where all the DOC’s of Region 5 get together. November will bring NPL games, Premier League game, state Cup, DA and DA showcase matches.

– Josh Kalkstein, DOC

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In the Spotlight

This month’s spotlight features an interview with Sonoma State University graduate, Isabella Amyx. Here’s what she had to say:

Tell our readers a little about yourself.
Isabella AmyxI was born and raised in Mill Valley where I attended Tam High school. My dad, Tim Amyx, and sister, Nicole Amyx, both attended Tam high as well. My mother is from Mexico so I grew up in a bilingual home. I ran cross country, played basketball and of course soccer all four years of high school. My interests were pretty much just sports because I was always in season and playing with Marin FC all year as well. But in the summer my family traveled a lot doing 3-4 week road trips across the country and visiting Mexico every summer.

Recollect your Marin FC experience if you will.
When I first tried out for Marin FC, I was the only girl on my Mill Valley team who did not make the “blue” team. It was crushing and I almost stopped playing. I played on the “red” team for a year and really discovered myself as a player and was soon bumped up to the “blue” team. Other than that year, I played with a lot of the same girls I had been playing with my whole life and we all got along very well. I was a school year above all the girls because of the age cut off at that time but loved playing with that team. In my final year at Marin FC we were coached by Kelly Coffey and traveled to Indianapolis for Nationals and that was an amazing experience.

What other schools did you look at and why did you ultimately pick Sonoma State University?
For the most part I only looked at Division I schools. My heart was set on going DI. I was looking at UCSB, UC Davis, University of Portland, University of the Pacific, and Sonoma State. My parents were the ones who really encouraged me to keep a DII school (Sonoma State) on my list. I chose Sonoma State because I loved the coaching staff and because they were a nationally ranked Division II school that continuously competes for a national championship. I hate losing and I loved the idea of having something big to work for: a national championship.

Isabella Amyx

What were some of the adjustments you had to make to successfully transition from club to collegiate ball, and after college?
At each transition of teams I had to learn to play faster and more physical. Going to college taught me to be more physical and adapt to a new team. Every team plays differently and you need to find a way to join that style of play while also highlighting your strengths. The same applies for when I went on to play in Europe. The girls are faster, smarter and stronger so at each transition I had to be ready to bring my best and consistently improve.

Summarize your collegiate soccer career to date. What have been some of the highlights?
I believe I had a successful collegiate career, as Freshmen I started and was tied as the leading scorer and we won the conference. During my 4 years at Sonoma, we qualified for the NCAA tournament every year and I ended last year as a captain, being named the most valuable offensive player and was named 1st team all-conference CCAA tournament. After college, I came to Europe to play for FF Lugano, a professional team in Switzerland and got to play in the Champions League. This was a dream come true in so many ways. The team challenged me to become a better player and I got to play against teams such as Manchester City, Juventus, and AC Milan. It was an incredible experience to play against so many players that I had watched throughout the World Cup this summer.

What are you learning/did you learn as a collegiate athlete that you’ll take into post-collegiate life?
Honestly, time management. I thought I was busy in high school but college takes it to a whole new level. I had to learn to balance practice, with school and homework, 2 jobs and a rigorous travel schedule. It was tough but I learned to manage my schedule and to be very productive with my time.

From athletics to academics. What are you studying?
I got my degree in applied physics and a minor in mathematics.

Any interests outside of soccer?
Traveling. That was a big reason I wanted to continue playing in Europe since I wanted to be able to travel as well. I also really enjoy long-distance running, a passion I inherited from my mom who is an ultra marathon runner. I have been running long-distance races since I was 8 (this year was my 14th consecutive Dipsea race)

Any thoughts on life after college?
Well I’m currently living it and it is still constantly changing. When I graduated, I knew I did not want to start working right away so when my team in Switzerland ran into some work permit issues, I decided to stay here in Europe to travel and search for a new team. I’m definitely not rushing back to find a job because I know I’ll be working my whole life and just want to keep playing while I am healthy.

The Marin FC alumni community is alive and well. Do you keep in touch with many of your former teammates?
I do keep in touch with a few of my teammates and see them when I am home as many players return to play for the semi-pro team, The Marin Siren.

Anyone you want to thank or recognize at Marin FC?
Definitely Shane Kennedy and Kelly Coffey. Shane was also my coach while at Tam High and I always loved playing for him. It was also awesome playing against Kelly (coaching at Dominican) when I was at Sonoma.

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: The Invincibles by Amy Lawrence, Harry Potter (all of them!), I am Zlatan by David Lagercrantz
  • Gadgets: my camera, phone, and computer (because let’s be honest, we all can’t live without them)
  • Artists/bands: Coldplay, Maroon 5, Quinn XCII

How can our readers follow you if they’d like to track your athletic activities?
Well I don’t currently have a team but I have got some upcoming trials so the best way to follow my athletic activities would be through Instagram (@bellamyx).

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From the Marin FC ECNL Director

Tyler Gottschalk

We have reached the midpoint of the ECNL/ECRL Bay Division season, and to date, the teams have been very competitive overall as they adjust to life at the highest level. We are very proud of the efforts of all the players thus far and are extremely happy with how hard the girls are working to continue to raise their level.

Recently our 06 and 07 ECNL teams competed in the club’s first-ever appearance at a National Event, which was hosted in Davis. The 07s went 1-1-1, beating Crossfire United 3-0, and drawing Pac Northwest 0-0. The 06s went 2-0-1, topping Boise Thorns and Pac Northwest 3-0 and 2-1 respectively, then finishing with a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Seattle United.

The first National Event for our U15-U19 ECNL teams is rapidly approaching. The four squads will depart for Phoenix on November 7th, and play three matches over the following three days. The squads will play teams from all over the country including teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and SoCal, as they look to earn points to qualify for the ECNL National Playoffs.

It is full speed ahead in our inaugural year in ECNL, and while we continue to adjust on the fly, the success thus far has been a total group effort, from the managers to the entire volunteer staff, the board, the players, and the coaches. Thank you to all for all of your efforts!

– Tyler Gottschalk, Marin FC ECNL Director.

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Strength and Conditioning / Injury Reduction

 

This October Marin FC launched SCIR v2.0. By now you may be aware this is the first time we’ve centralized the program. All sessions run at the College of Marin in room PE 22.

45-minute sessions run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings 4:30-5:15 pm or 5:45-6:30 pm. The Fall program will run for six weeks.

Week one in the books, so thought we would share a few observations:

  • SCIR is evolving. During six 45-minute sessions, we worked with well over 200 of your sons and daughters.
  • SCIR includes Nutrition, Mindset, Movement and Recovery topics. Our mission is to help our student-athletes discover the interconnectedness of these four topics.
  • Nutrition, Mindset, Movement, and Recovery determines our capacity to train and compete. For example, how many of us believe a 90-minute evening training session really begins during breakfast that morning?
  • Recovery is a topic we will cover time and time again. To that, players are welcome to attend more than one session/week. SCIR is available! However, please keep in mind, one session/week may be best for your son or daughter. Rest and recovery days are a critical component of our health and wellness. Please check-in with your son or daughter and we encourage you to jointly honor the importance of good ole fashion rest.
  • This week 45-minute sessions featured mixed-genders and many different ages. This was both challenging and quite amazing. Moving forward more heavily attended sessions will feature two coaches.
  • The SCIR program – especially during the v2.0 Fall session – is designed to teach some very basic joint Mobility, muscle Activation, Dynamic motor patterns and Strength work (MADS!). The program is both simple and sophisticated. We want our student-athletes to understand the relationship of these pieces (which joints should be mobile and which ones stable?), learn to slow down and move really well and ultimately become empowered to take better care of themselves.
  • Repetition and fundamentals are not always flashy or fun, but build a foundation of strength. We might compare much of this Fall program curriculum to fundamental soccer work like juggling a soccer ball. Those players open and committed to building a strong foundation will benefit the most.

– Andy Boone, SCIR

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From the Director of Club Operations

Jamie Firmage

Got Team News?
To share a game summary or tournament recap:

  • Visit MarinFC.com
  • Locate ‘Media & Info’ under ‘About Marin FC’ at the top of the page
  • Click ‘Submit an Article’

Alternatively, click here: https://forms.marinfc.com/submit-an-article/

Edited posts will be added to our website homepage “latest club 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.

– Jamie Firmage, Director of Club Operations

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