Hello SLSG Members!  Welcome to Volume Eight of The SLSG Touchline Newsletter.  This month’s edition kicks off with the announcement of the high school seniors who have committed to their respective universities.  The SLSG Touchline will then spotlight our 2010 coaching education program followed by

Please support out newsletter sponsor -Twin Lake Trucking. 

some information about our new SkillsZone website.  An AC St. Louis signing update comes next and then the Touchline has some footage on an SLSG team that went to Costa Rica.  We will then wrap up with some upcoming events.

Please help spread the word on our SLSG Spring Camps and Athletica / AC St. Louis Season tickets.  The Touchline is sponsored by Twin Lake Trucking, their company contact information is listed at the end.  Thank you in advance for taking the time to read The SLSG Touchline.

St. Louis Scott Gallagher is proud to announce the list of high school seniors that have committed to universities around the country.  An athletic scholarship is a notable achievement and we hope that they reach their highest potential at their respective colleges both on and off the field.  Find the list at slsgsoccer.com/commitments

The SLSG Coaching Education Program recently offered two clinics for the club’s coaches. On February 6th and 13th, SLSG Staff Coaches conducted sessions focused on various topics of the game; dribbling, passing, ball striking, defending, goalkeeping, and  individual technical work. Session instructors included Dale Schilly, Tim Kelly, Blake Decker, Tom Howe, and Scott McDoniel.

Player Scouting System - A Scouting Staff will observe and assess every team in the U8-U11 In House League.  Following the assessment, team coaches will receive a written evaluation of their group with training recommendations to assist in the process of their team and players development. 

Classroom Sessions - In addition to the on-field clinics, we will be offering classroom sessions to discuss coaching techniques, setting up training / game calendars, understanding of training progressions, player communication, etc.

The Coaching Education Program will continue to evolve to address the needs of our coaches while constantly looking at ways we can improve the product for our players. Keep updated on the progress of the program and all upcoming offerings at www.slsgsoccer.com,  then click on the Coaching Education tab.

The Coaching Education Program has been developed to create opportunities for the club’s coaches to further develop their ability to teach the game.

 Upcoming initiatives from the program include:

St. Louis Scott Gallagher is proud to announce two great new tools to help every player in our Club:  The SLSG Skills Cards DVD and its accompanying website, The SLSG SkillsZone.   SLSG has partnered with PRIMA Digital Video to produce these two beneficial tools that will help players learn the essential soccer skills featured on the SLSG Skills Cards.

AC St. Louis has signed five of our past players, Jack Traynor (top right), Zach Bauer (bottom right), Tim Velton (bottom left), Luke Kreamalmeyer (top left), and Steve Ralston (not shown).  We are very proud of our former players and know that they are happy to be reunited in their hometown.  Ralston said, “Playing for St. Louis Scott Gallagher was an important stepping stone in my success as a professional soccer player.  Coach Gaffney and many other club coaches helped in the development of me as a player through their training sessions and knowledge of the game.  I consider it a privilege to have played for St. Louis Scott Gallagher.”

Because St. Louis Scott Gallagher is extremely committed to developing highly skilled soccer players, these two new video tools are an important step in the evolution of our Club and they will assist Coaches in their efforts to help their players become more skillful with the ball.  Coaches at St. Louis Scott Gallagher encourage players to practice at home in addition to Team Practices and these two video aids can guide this effort so that players will be able to make the most of their time when practicing on their own.

The SLSG Metro U14 Academy Development team recently returned from a 6-day trip to Costa Rica where they, among many other things, competed in 3 international friendlies with Costa Rican clubs.  The team won one match and lost two against very good Costa Rican sides, two of which were the youth programs of professional clubs that compete in the Costa Rican First Division.  The international experience provided the players with an insight into a different style of play and a passion for the game unlike anything they have ever seen before.  The matches allowed them to compete and compare themselves against players who will, in only a few short years, be professional players in Costa Rica.   

In addition to competing in international matches, players visited the Roblealto Community Center where they were able to spend time with children who come from Costa Rican families whose parents struggle to provide food, shelter, and education for their children.  The attached video shows players and children doing a Costa Rican version of the “Hokey Pokey” while at Roblealto.  On their day off from matches, players visited Punta Leona where they played beach soccer with some local Costa Ricans on a 7 v 7 sand soccer field and had the opportunity to do a Zipline Rainforest Canopy tour.   

The entire experience was captured through daily blogs written by players, which can be read at: http://slsgmetroacademy.blogspot.com/.    Additionally, you can view more pictures and videos from the trip at the SLSG Metro US Development Academy Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SLSG-Metro-US-Development-Academy/88135923147?ref=ts.