This Month in Marin – May 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
Let me start with a somewhat loaded question … when is it not a busy time at Marin FC?!
Tryouts U16-U19
Over the next two weeks the club will hold tryouts for our older ages. The weather seems to be stabilizing and minor adjustments in the schedule have been easily handled. For those coming out, be sure to check your training and tryout schedules for any last-minute changes.
College Night
It was standing room only on 4/27 as Kelly Coffey and John Sheffield assembled a college coach panel for two hours, including Holy Names, Sonoma State, UC Santa Cruz, Dominican and San Jose State, packed with information, advice and anecdotes for our players and families regarding the college process.
NPL Showcase
Many of our teams were under the eyes of college coaches again in Davis on 4/29 and 30. The wrap-up to the spring NPL season has evolved into a centralized event over the past years, serving as a league and player showcase with remarkable success. The list of attending college coaches has steadily increased, offering yet another opportunity to expose our players’ talents and determination.
Our New Younger Teams
The signs of transition are fading and indications of player and team development are everywhere as our newly formed teams gather for trainings and bonding experiences. Uniforms are in the works and plans for late spring and summer events are well underway.
Summer Plans
So, back to the original question: when is it not a busy time at Marin FC? Summer would seem the logical answer and teams will get a breather as breaks are taken and families get away together (or head to Denmark and Sweden). However, summer trainings and tournaments come fast upon us again.
As soccer is ramping back up by August, I’d like to make a personal request. Mark your calendars for mid-August. The club is working on volunteer appreciation and club spirit events that will gather us together as an organization of committed players and families. It promises to be a time to celebrate our esprit de corps and look ahead at all that awaits as the fall season approaches.
So, in conclusion, Is there a not-so-busy time at Marin FC … of course not!
Evan Cross, President
From the Director of Coaching
Here are a few highlights and news tidbits from the past month:
Alliance Trainings
Our Alliance training series continued April 15th, book-ended by Spring break and the Easter holiday. Based on a lower than expected turnout, we combined gender groups and had the keepers work with our goalkeeper trainer, Shane Kennedy. Numbers were surprisingly good and the quality of the training was excellent. A big thanks to everyone that came out.
In Full Swing
Our current teams were in full swing this past month with NorCal Premier, NPL Champions League and Academy games on tap. Our newly formed 17/18 season teams are also active, resulting in the largest number of teams we’ve ever had “in play” at one time as a club. Rounding out the month, our non-Academy blue teams will be participating in the NPL Showcase.
Prepping for Tryouts
Our “older player” tryouts begin next week and run for the following two weeks. Registration has been stellar and we’ve seen a lot of interest from kids outside of our current stable. Kelly and I have had several conversations with our coaching staff in the lead-up to tryouts and we’re all very excited about what the next fortnight has to offer.
– Josh Kalkstein, DOC
In the Spotlight
This month’s spotlight article features an interview with University of Pennsylvania freshman, Miranda Schwartz. Here’s what she had to say:
Tell our readers a little about yourself.
I was born in Marin and lived in Mill Valley since I was two years old. I have two brothers who are both competitive soccer players, Eli and Owen. Eli is one year older than me and Owen is two years younger. I attended Marin Academy where I played varsity soccer for four years under coach Josh Kalkstein. I graduated from MA in 2016 and currently attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
Recollect your Marin FC experience if you will.
I played for Mill Valley Soccer Club before joining Marin FC at U14. I played for Rob Funes for my first year, Kelly Coffey my U17 year, and Mike Carbone for the other three years. My experience with Marin FC was amazing. I think my favorite part of the experience was being coached and influenced by so many incredible people who truly made a lasting impact on my life. Also, many of my best-loved memories came from travel, the great times we had at away tournaments, specifically, San Diego Surf Cup, which was always my favorite.
What other schools did you look at and why did you ultimately pick Penn?
Over the course of my recruiting process I looked at several schools, but I was only looking at a few very seriously. Mainly, I was looking at Dartmouth, Yale, Georgetown, and Penn. I ultimately chose Penn because it’s an academically rigorous school, it is in a city and is somewhat large, and because I felt desired and supported by the staff there, more than from the other schools.
What were some of the adjustments you had to make to successfully transition from club to collegiate ball?
You must be fit to play. Coming in my freshman year, after working on my fitness all summer, I quickly realized the difference between being fit for a club match and being fit for a college match. I logged 10 minutes in my first game before feeling exhausted, even though I had passed the various fitness tests. I think there’s also a big difference between being a student of the game in club and being a student of the game in college. At Penn, and I am sure at other schools as well, we sometimes devote an entire practice to talking about tactical elements of the game, watching film, taking notes, discussing our game or an opponent’s game…etc. I realized there is a significant difference between being able to play soccer and knowing the game and having somewhat of an “academic” approach to it.
Summarize your collegiate soccer career to date. What have been some of the highlights?
Thus far, my collegiate soccer career has been amazing. It was great to have the season in the fall as a freshman because I could develop friendships and settle in at school before we started classes. It has been really great to have a team that is like a family who will support you and be there for you at all costs. I think my favorite memory from this season was our game against Cornell, who we beat 5-0. It was our first away game during the regular season and everyone was having so much fun and really enjoying themselves throughout the entire game and trip.
What are you learning as a collegiate athlete that you’ll take into post-collegiate life?
I think the most important thing I’ve learned thus far is the value of hard work. I know it sounds cliché and I am sure everyone’s heard it a million times before, but I don’t think I quite understood its worth until I got to Penn. It’s nearly impossible to succeed here, in and outside of soccer, without working extremely hard, and I’ve discovered that when you achieve something you worked so hard for, it’s completely worth it.
From athletics to academics. What are you studying?
– I’ve decided to double major in Art History and Earth Science with a concentration in Environmental Science. I’ve always had an interest in art, since before I can remember, and history has consistently been my favorite subject since middle school. This past fall semester, I took an art history class and absolutely fell in love with it. I knew almost immediately it was what I wanted to study. I’m studying environmental science because I’m very passionate about the environment and hope to work for an environmental nonprofit after I graduate, hopefully focusing on endangered species.
Any interests outside of soccer?
I love to cook! When I am not playing soccer, or studying, I spend a lot of time watching cooking shows (and since I don’t have a kitchen in my dorm, I haven’t been doing much cooking lately). I also love art so I regularly visit art museums in Philly.
Any thoughts about life after college?
Like I said before, I want to work for an environmental nonprofit, like the World Wildlife Fund, and hopefully travel and help save endangered species. I’m almost certain I want to go to grad school, though I’m not sure what I want to study, and part of me is toying with the idea of going to culinary school at some point, although now that feels more a dream than a possibility.
The Marin FC alumni community is alive and well. Do you keep in touch with many of your former teammates?
Yes! Some of my former teammates are my best friends. I would say, however, that I probably keep in touch with the coaches more than some of my old teammates.
Anyone you want to thank or recognize at Marin FC?
There are so many people that contributed to my Marin FC experience but I think the two people that stand out the most are Josh Kalkstein and Tyler Gottschalk. There was never a moment during my time playing for Marin FC that I didn’t feel supported by these two men. I always knew they had my best interest at heart and always made playing soccer more enjoyable.
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.
For books; ‘Secret Life of Bees’, ‘The Longest Ride’/any Nicholas Sparks book, and ‘The Book Thief’. For gadgets; my phone, a water bottle (if that counts), and headphones. For songs/artists, ‘Forever’ by Chris Brown, ‘He Lives in You’ from the Lion King 2 soundtrack, and ‘Bennie and the Jets’ by Elton John.
How can our readers follow you if they’d like to track your athletic activities?
They can follow our team at http://www.pennathletics.com/sport/w-soccer.
From the Director of Development
Eloi Run & Walk Registration Incentive
Our 2nd Annual Eloi Vasquez Memorial Event in the Marin Headlands is less than 45 days away. Here are the event particulars:
Date: Saturday June 10, 2017
Time: 8:00am
Location: Golden Gate National Recreational Area, Marin Headlands
Participants: 400 competitive and non-competitive runners and walkers
Cost: $75 for adults and $50 for children (a portion of the fee is tax deductible)
Participation is limited to 400 entries and we expect a sold-out event, so sign-up now to reserve your spot. And as an added bonus, those that register by May 15 are automatically entered into a raffle to win four (4) 2017 season tickets to CAL Berkeley Women’s soccer home games. Winners will be announced on May 17, 2017.
This is an important community building event and we look forward to everyone’s participation in support of Eloi and our scholarship endowment.
REGISTER >
Got Team News?
To share a game summary or tournament recap:
- Go to MarinFC.com
- Locate the About Marin FC/Media & Info navigation menu link
- Click Submit an Article
- Enter your contact information and the article summary 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’re in the process of updating referee program information for the 2017-18 season. Specifics should be available on our website by mid-May.
Meanwhile, many of you are asking questions about referee courses. We typically offer three free (try saying that five times fast) Marin FC sponsored referee courses during the summer months of June and July. We haven’t completed the schedule yet but will let you know when it’s finalized.
Another option is to contact one of the course sponsors listed here:
https://cnra.gameofficials.net/public/class/classSearch.cfm?classTypeID=917. These classes are hosted by other clubs and may involve a fee or minimum game referee commitment for the host club. These, and all Marin FC hosted classes, will be listed on our website.
Players who did not complete the referee requirement in 2016-17 are still obligated to honor the commitment. Managers will be receiving a list of those players shortly and will reach out to the individuals directly to ensure they “make good” in short order.