We are two Girls' Travel U14 teams, XCEL and Spirit Xcel. XCEL is a WAGS (premier) D4 team. Spirit Xcel is an MSI Classic D1 team.

***SPIRIT XCEL players are named MSI Classic Division 1 Sportsmanship Winners for Spring 2009! CONGRATULATIONS, SPIRIT XCEL on great sportsmanship once again! ***

Tryouts for skilled players with athleticism and speed available by arrangement. Contact Coach Kathleen at coachkerins@verizon.net or 240-676-5893.

Xcel and Spirit Xcel are stable teams and most players have been with the team for several years. Both teams are known in the soccer community for their skills. The girls are indeed skillful players working in an environment where an understanding of the game is valued. Xcel reached the semi finals of the Potomac Memorial Day tournament this year, losing to the eventual champion in the semi-finals.  Spirit Xcel has been champions of their division several times and are always highly competitive.  Both teams have won multiple sportsmanship awards from their respective leagues.

OUR WEBSITE   Check out the "My Site News" tab at left which includes photos of the team in action. The Calendar tab has our schedule, and the Links tab has articles of interest as well as links to relevant organizations. In addition, you are encouraged to contact Coach Kathleen or our managers.

OUR STAFF

• Head Coach - Kathleen Kerins at coachkerins@verizon.net or 240-676-5893
• Goalie Trainer - Raul Garcia
• Xcel Assistant Coach - Steven Kittelberger
• Spirit Xcel Assistant Coach - Sal Caccavale
• Spirit Xcel Manager Dana Young at dmyoung@novaresearch.com or 301-672-2163
• Xcel Manager Jane De Angeli at jane.deangeli@verizon.net or 301-717-9628
• Beach Blast Coordinator & Xcel Team Sportsmanship Liaison - Susan Freed

TRAINING PHILOSPHY Coach Kathleen's training program includes an emphasis on individual decision making, team tactical development, and player creativity. Coach Kathleen has worked with girls' teams for 12 years now and is nationally licensed. Using a Coerver foundation, Coach Kathleen integrates drills learned from her own research and experience as well as from training and seminars she attends. Coach Kathleen offers clinics and camps over school breaks and summer - her website is available through the Links tab at left.

TEAM CULTURE Our players come from diverse public and private schools from Germantown to Chevy Chase and from Silver Spring to West Bethesda. The girls enjoy learning together to improve their skills. Both Xcel and Spirit Xcel, as well as Coach Kathleen's older and younger teams, are frequent Sportsmanship award winners. Spirit Xcel is the MSI Classic D1 sportsmanship award winner for Spring 09, and Xcel was the WAGS D4 Sportsmanship Award winner in Spring 08. Coach Kathleen emphasizes being confident in one's skills and committing to support one's teammates in at atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation. We have a tremendous group of parents and all the girls' benefit from their cheering and support.

TRAINING SCHEDULE Click on the Calendar tab to see our team schedule. The girls work hard and are proud of their skills. We practice in Rockville, Bethesda, Potomac and occasionally Germantown. Goalies from both teams work with a goalie coach. Xcel trains Mondays and Thursdays with a shooting clinic occasional Fridays. Spirit Xcel trains Tuesdays and Fridays. Winter, both teams practice Mondays and Thursdays in Rockville.

TOURNAMENTS Both teams play tournaments - MSC XCEL plays several tournaments a season. Spirit Xcel plays a pre-season tournament. Xcel won the Bull Run Tournament Spring 2008 and was a Semi Finalist in both 2007 and 2009's Potomac's Memorial Day Tournament.

WINTER Both teams train two days over the winter and compete in a futsal league. Team training includes conditioning, speed and agility, and injury prevention work. Kathleen is familiar with the PEP and other injury prevention programs and incorporates these into her programs.

SUMMER 2009

PRESEASON CAMP  Xcel and Spirit Xcel completed team camp Aug 17th week. With Coach Kathleen, Coach Sal, Coach Steven and Coach Raul, the girls worked hard on their fitness, strength, and flexibility. They got to know new teammates and together worked on patterns, shooting, restarts, and tactics.  With WPS Freedom coach Clyde Watson, Xcel demoed some drills for youth coaches visiting from Nigeria, and Spirit Xcel scrimmaged with the coaches.

SUMMER SOCCER Head Coach Kathleen Kerins coached the SMYF U13 Super Y team, one of only TWO Super Y U13 teams in Maryland. The Super Y program is part of an overall developmental program that includes Super 20 and Premier development Leagues. All the Xcel players who tried out for Super Y made the Super Y team. Also, all Xcel players and many Spirit Xcel players made their MS teams at Pyle, Westland, Cabin John and Hoover MS Spring 2009. At 7th grade, this is quite an achievement. We are very proud of these players.

BEACH BLAST Both MSC XCEL and Spirit Xcel competed in the Cape May Beach Blast tournament in Wildwood, NJ.  Girls and parents alike enjoyed the action packed weekend. Coach set a record for coaching SIX games in one day!

We are looking at a team trip to Europe for tournament play in Summer 2010. See the Links tab for more from the organization we are working with, Excel Sports, which offers international soccer tours for youth teams.

TEAM SPIRIT The girls enjoy each other's company and have been to see DC United, Washington Freedom and the Women's US National Team play. Other socials include the occasional team pool party or sleepover. The girls have also volunteered as ball girls for Kicks Against Breast Cancer, collected soccer gear for a youth soccer league in Iraq, and assembled holiday stockings for the National Center for Children and Families in Betheda.