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Building a soccer family since the year 2000 . . . 1000's of incredible memories! Thanks to all the Swifts families and players for the best soccer experience we could have together for so long. Good luck to everyone in all their future ventures ... Go Swifts!
- Coach Fred Wednesday, June 11 Last minute practice reminder for tonight (Wed.), report from the beach, and last game this weekend Hi all, Sorry for the lateness of this reminder about practice tonight at Poplar Tree Park at 7:00 PM. Hopefully there will be more field space available as some teams have now completed their seasons. We should go about an hour, give or take, depending on the number of enthusiastic girls I have show. See you there! A quick report from the Va. Beach Sand Soccer Tournament . . . More details and pictures to be posted on the website and Facebook page later, but in short the Swifts probably played the best round of Sand Soccer that we have in our trips to Va. Beach over time. With only 3 first round games in near 100o temperatures and sand that felt even much hotter, the Swifts won the first game, 2-1, vs. a very strong team from Hampton on goals by Lauren Montross and guest player Erin Holden with assists from Skylar Lisse. Key defensive strength was provided by Kellie Ruffer and Allyson Peltola with solid saves by Megan Louis. Additional help from Caitlin Weirick, Monica Fezuk, Corinne Saunders and guest player Ashley Emery in crucial substitute roles ensured the first game win. Game 2 was played against the eventual Division Champion, a team know as "Brasil", from Virginia Beach. Any team calling itself "Brasil" in a sand soccer tournament is either very good or very cocky . . . they were both. Their style of play and constant movement showed that they were the top team in the division, but we managed to keep the game close in a 2-0 loss with many saves by Caitlin in goal and tough defense by Kellie, Megan, Allyson and Ashley once again. All others combined for some great chances on goal, but we just could not find the net against this tough team. They went on to finish the tournament with 4 wins and 0 losses and we gave them the toughest game by far in their Championship run. Game 3 was a 4-0 goal fest for the Swifts over a team from Urbanna with goals by Caitlin, Corinne, Kellie (from long distance) and Skylar. Lauren had several near misses and all other players contributed in the win, including a cameo appearance in the goal by the ever-fashionable Allyson. With no chance to advance after "Brasil" won their game 3 in a forfeit to advance to the final, the Swifts headed home knowing they were equal to task against just about anyone else in the age group. Thanks to our parent chaperones and equipment managers, Cathy Whalen, Peggy Ruffer, Candy Fezuk and Betty Weirick. Those socks sure came in handy in the scorching sand!! and to my guest Assistant Coach Marijke Matthes, who was itching to get out and play in the competition . . . maybe next year at the U17-U-19 division. This Sunday, our final game of the season on Father's Day, June 15th at 12:00 Noon out at Bles Park in Ashburn. Please be there by 11:30 Am as we have a guest coach joining us . . . Jaime Moreno, MLS All-time leading scorer and D.C. United star forward, will help get us motivated to finish the season strong and look ahead to our future together in soccer . . . it should be quite a treat, so I hope everyone can make it. Uniforms - Purple/Black/Purple. See you on Sunday!
- Coach Fred Thursday, May 22 Exciting win for Swifts! On to the Beach!!
Hi Everyone,
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First, congratulations to the girls after their thrilling 1-0 victory last Sunday over the Springfield Sting!
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As I told them all right after the game, I was very proud of their efforts in this tough season. They could have just as easily cashed it in after the 7-0 drubbing a few weeks ago, but they haven't. They played hard in a difficult road game in Winchester vs. the EPIC Ice that ended in a 5-2 loss that was much closer than the score reflected. Then Sunday's win and dominating play for much of the game once again showed us all that this team is much, much better than their current record indicates. Nice job girls . . . let's keep up the work and continue playing hard for each other!
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Now, after our next game on June 1st, again against the Springfield team at home this time, we will get ready the following weekend for our annual trip down to Virginia Beach to take part in the North American Sand Soccer Championships for the 4th straight year on the weekend of June 7th and 8th. A fun time, tough games, and some great memories have been created over the years in our appearances in the tournament in the past, and I am looking forward to another great time this year.
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I need to know just who is planning to go this year as we have only registered one team and can roster up to 10 players total. If we do have more than 10 players who would like to travel, there are some listings looking for guest players on other teams in the tournament so we could possibly "loan" out a player or two if necessary. Please respond back to this e-mail if you are a DEFINITE YES, or a DEFINITE NO. For those in the in between category of NOT 100% SURE let me know that too, but if our DEFINITE YES's are less than 10 we may offer out spots to other guest players who have expressed an interest in playing with us. I'll need to set our roster for the tournament by next weekend, 5/31-6/1, at the latest.
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Below is the logo for the tournament this year that will be on the t-shirts, a link to the official tournament website for updates and more information, and also a link to the company selling "Sand Soccer Socks" that have been officially approved for use in this year's tournament. Check them out, and if we want to wear them as a team we can place a one-time order this week. Lodging, meal options, and other trip details are being worked out by Linnea Hamer-Lisse and we will have more on that shortly.
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Also, as tradition warrants, this is one tournament where proper soccer uniforms are not necessary . . . and so we need to plan a shopping committee to pick out some functional, yet chic apparel for the squad. I'm sure there will be many volunteers (and just as many opinions) for this job, so I will leave that up to the powers that be.
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Well that's about it from me . . . looking forward to another fun trip down to Va. Beach with everyone that will be going, and also a round of early thank you's for everyone for sticking with the girls through the season so far. I hope we can finish up strong and secure as high a place in the standings as they truly deserve.
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Go Swifts!
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- Coach Fred
![[ Sand Soccer Logo ]](http://www.sandsoccer.com/images/08logo.jpg)
The Official website of the Va. Beach Sand Soccer Championships
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New this year - Sand Soccer socks!
Sunday, May 11 Today's Game is Still ON !! Sunday, May 11th - Happy Mother's Day to all Moms!
Hi All,
Our game is still ON today, May 11th out at Sherando Park in Stephens City, Va near Winchester.
Happy Mother's Day to all Moms, please join us at Starbuck's in Franklin Farm at 10:45 - 11:15 to set up carpools out to the Winchester area . . . Special gifts for the Moms from the Girls!
The trip out there should only take a little over an hour, but if we leave by 11:30 or so we will give ourselves a little extra time for delays and making sure we find the field . . . and that all important bathroom run just before game time which is 1:30 PM.
Uniforms are Purple/Black/Purple but as always, bring both just in case.
Weather forecast is for showers moving in sometime in the afternoon, so hopefully they will hold off until we finish the game, but just in case please prepare for the worst and bring rain gear and umbrellas.
See everyone at Starbuck's in a little bit.
- Coach Fred.
Friday, May 9 Wet Fields = No Soccer on Saturday . . . Sunday still on . . . Maybe . . .
Hi again all,
It looks like tomorrow's game is off due to overly wet fields from the torrential amount of rain the past 24 hrs. and more expected on the way tomorrow at some point.
No word yet for Sunday, but with all the weather forecasts calling for more rain it is likely that we may be canceled then too. We'll get word out on that as soon as we know.
If we do play on Sunday, I've bagged the van idea because we would have to rent the van tomorrow afternoon with a Monday return resulting in a 5 or 6 hour rental becoming a 36 hour rental. This makes the whole deal not make much sense because we would spend a lot more money that we would otherwise. We'll work on carpooling from Starbuck's if we do end up playing. Stay tuned . . .
Oh and another Animal House quote just for laughs . . .
Stay ready girls, and keep an eye on the weather forecasts.
- Coach Fred
Tuesday, May 6 Lots of Soccer This Weekend and Time for a ROADTRIP !!
Hi all,
After this past Sunday's game I'm reminded of a classic line from one of my favorite movies of all time . . . Animal House . . . http://www.acmewebpages.com/midi/roadtrip.wav (sound clip)
Girls, you have to see the movie to get it . . . ask your parents.
Anyway, 7 goals later and one apathetic performance behind us, it's time to get back on the horse (no, not the one in Dean Wormer's office) and take on two more tough opponents this weekend.
First, Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, based on confirmation of all details by ODSL, we will be playing our rescheduled match from the beginning of the season vs. the ASC Rebels. They have opted to give up their home field advantage and we will now be playing at Stringellow Park, Field # 2 at 10:00 AM. Please be there by 9:30 AM after a good night's rest. We will wear our White/Purple/White uniforms. Hopefully the spirited, smiling, hard-working Swifts I know and love will all show up that morning . . .
That evening at 7:00 PM down at RFK Stadium the US Women's National Team will be taking on Canada in a pre-Olympic tune-up friendly international match. This will be the first time the US Women's team has played in RFK again since the 2003 World Cup in which they beat Sweden, 3-1 in the group stages. Many of the Swifts players and families attended that game as a U-12 Travel team 4 1/2 years ago.
I have a large block tickets available down near the field for only $18 each . . . all are welcome! Please respond with an e-mail as to how many you will like and I will have them at our game that morning and we can plan a group carpool ROADTRIP down to RFK that night.
Next, as the Animal House quote refers to, the best remedy for a bad experience is another ROADTRIP!
We will be playing the team from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, the EPIC Ice again this Sunday, May 11th. Their home field is actually more of a neutral field in Winchester, VA at Sherando Park. It is a fantastic park and fields are usually in immaculate condition, but it is about 1 1/2- 2 hrs. away depending on traffic. It is also Mother's Day, and I'm sure some of the mom's may not want to drive all the way out there on their special day. So . . . I am proposing renting a 15 Passenger Van for the team to take the trip in. Parents who would like to go could also meet up when we take off and carpool together to save both the driving headaches and gas money. The girls would all be in the Van with me driving so they can "bond" a little bit more and get ready mentally for the game. Cost of the van and gas would be covered by team funds. We would meet at approx. 10:30 AM at the Franklin Farm Starbucks and to pick up some food for the trip. The van would leave at 11:00 AM, arriving out in Winchester at around 12:30-1:00 PM for the 1:30 game. Everyone carpooling can leave their cars there, as we would return there at approx. 5:00-5:30 PM. Uniform that day would be Purple/Black/Purple.
Oh . . . did I mention the Swifts have gifts for all the Mom's too! Yes, whether you take the trip or not, we will have something special for all the Mom's or Special Loved ones at Starbucks that morning as well!
So . . . Who's with me??? Let's gooooooooo!
Hoping to finish up the season strong girls . . . Don't forget practice on Wednesday evening at Poplar Tree too (7:30 PM).
Go Swifts!!
- Coach Fred
Sunday, April 20 Today's Game (April 20th) - POSTPONED due to Rain tentative reschedule - May 18th
As a follow up to all of Cathy's calls this morning, I just wanted to send a quick e-mail to confirm that we are NOT PLAYING TODAY, April 20th down in Springfield.
Our parade of cars down the Fairfax County Parkway will not be necessary, and instead all the girls can rest their various injuries, ailments, bumps and bruises for another day at least. We are tentatively looking at a reschedule of this game on May 18th, which is currently a BYE week for both teams. More details to follow once all is set.
Enjoy the rainy day . . . do some touches if you're bored . . . lots of great soccer on TV today too.
Stay dry Swifts!
- Coach Fred
Sunday, April 6 Game today is still on! Moved to Poplar Tree Park # 2 on Turf NOTICE: Our game today is still on, but has been moved just up the street from Stringfellow to Poplar Tree Park to play on the all-weather turf Field # 2 there.
I will have uniform jerseys there if you have not picked yours up yet. Uniform: White - Purple - White
Happy Birthday to both Jillian and Brieneke!
- Coach Fred Thursday, April 3 And the season begins! . . .
Hi all,
It is time to get started! ODSL wanted us to really jump in with both feet this weekend and scheduled us for TWO games, one Saturday and one Sunday . . . BUT, we have been in touch with our Saturday opponent, the ASC Rebels and they are helping to reschedule Saturday's game for a later date due to the fact both Coach Fisher and I will not be available to coach at all that day. We'll have more details on the reschedule date once everything is finalized with ODSL.
So, for now . . . NO game this Saturday unless ODSL forces us to play. D.C. United plays that night at 7:30 PM if you can make it down to RFK. That's where I will be.
We ARE playing on Sunday, at 4:00 PM at Stringfellow Park on Field # 2 (middle field) vs. the EPIC Ice, a good team coming all the way from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. We will welcome them to our field, but hopefully send them home with their first loss of the season.
Uniform will be New WHITE jerseys, New Purple shorts, and White Swifts socks. (see note below about picking yours up)
Please be at the field by 3:30 for a good, focused, intense warm up to get ready for the game!
Let's go Swifts!
Thank you to the girls that made it to practice on Wednesday night even though we had to squeeze onto a portion of the field and finish up in the twilight of an unlit field. I am in touch with CYA on which field exactly and what time slot we are supposed to have so we can be sure to have a place to practice in upcoming weeks. Next Wednesday, April 9th, D.C. United has another home game, so unfortunately I won't be able to make it to practice. If Coach Fisher is unable to attend, I will look to schedule another time slot next week some time so we can get in some touches and work together on getting ready for the following week's game. Stay tuned to your e-mails, our website, and our Facebook page for updates.
Uniform jerseys are IN ! The girls that were at practice got theirs already, but I am up for meeting at Starbucks in Franklin Farm on Sunday morning (around 9:00-9:30 am) to give them out to anyone who would like to pick theirs up before the game that afternoon. Just answer this e-mail with a reply if you want to meet there and if there are any takers I'll make sure to get there.
So let's have a great season this Spring, Swifts! I'm ready, and I hope you all are ready to have some fun and put up a few W's this season.
- Coach Fred
Tuesday, March 25 Time to Kick Off SWIFTS !!
Hi all,
A quick note to let everyone know about our tournament schedule this weekend in the FPYC Liberty Cup and that we will NOT have practice tomorrow night (Wed.).
I have to be at RFK Stadium tomorrow night to manage the El Salvador vs. Anguilla World Cup Qualifier and so I cannot make practice. (Trivia questions: Name the Capital of Anguilla, and Where is country located?)
We have Poplar Tree from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, but I believe many of the girls already have other sports commitments and/or a heavy homework load after the break. So we'll take a break this week, and start up next Wednesday night at 7:00 PM under the lights at Poplar Tree Park on Field # 2 (middle field). Four games this weekend should be enough of a tune up.
FPYC Tournament Schedule for this Weekend:
We have two games on Saturday (3/29) and two on Sunday (3/30) -
Saturday - Poplar Tree Park - both games on Field # 3 (far-turf)
1st Game - 1:15 PM vs. Springfield Sting (arrive by 12:30 for new uniform pieces*)
2nd Game - 5:00 PM vs. McClean Mavericks
Uniform - Purple/Black/Purple (but bring both!)
*I have the new numbered shorts, some more SWIFTS socks and some new practice socks for everyone before the first game. New jerseys are being screened and should be ready before our first league game, but not in time for this weekend. (Caitlin and Monica, I will have an extra for you both)
Sunday - Poplar Tree Park
3rd Game - 10:30 AM vs. Vienna Hurricanse (Field # 3)
4th Game - 2:30 PM vs. LUYAA Sonics (Field # 2; middle-turf)
Uniform - White/Purple/White (but bring both!)
Champion is determined on total points from Wins-Losses-Ties.
There is a Coach's game at Poplar Tree at 6:00 PM on the Saturday night right after our game
(Coach Fred's status - Doubtful; Coach Fisher's - ?)
All other information on the tournament can be found at:
and will also be posted on our team website and Facebook pages.
Please let me know if you will NOT be able to play in any or all of the games this weekend. I expect that we should have at least 15 healthy girls available for all or most of the games.
Let's have a great tournament girls to start the season off right. Rest up for the weekend, and be ready to play . . . Go Swifts!
- Coach Fred
Saturday, March 22 CYA Swifts - More updates, Practices and FPYC Tournament next weekend
Hi again all,
Hopefully everyone has had a restful Spring break and are now ready to get outside to kick it around again with your Swifts teammates this Spring.
A few new updates since my last mega e-mail . . .
Practices -
We have officially been assigned Poplar Tree Park on Stringfellow Rd. near Fair Lakes on Wednesday nights from 6:00- 8:00 PM on Field # 2 (middle) for now. Since I know that 6:00 PM will be very difficult to make for most participating in after school sports and activities until mid May, I am going to begin practices at 7:00 PM and we'll go until 8:00 - 8:30 PM depending on who might be scheduled on the field immediately after us and when they show up. Once school sports wind down, we can begin a little earlier.
The FPYC Tournament -
Still no schedule has been released, but we will be participating in 4 games over the weekend of March 29th and 30th and it looks like the fields for the U-16 Girls bracket are . . . Poplar Tree Park! So at least we might be familiar with the fields a little, and there won't be a lot of driving involved. The team needs to be registered next Wednesday, the 26th and unfortunately I will be at RFK Stadium working the El Salvador-Anguilla World Cup Qualifying match so I will need someone to go to the FPYC Cabin at Providence Park to register us and pick up any goodies they are giving out for the teams. (This means I will also miss practice that night, but we can either practice on the Thursday or Friday night next week.)
New Uniforms! -
The new uniforms are in . . . very nice, light fabric for the Spring/Summer all numbered on both the shirts and shorts. They are not screened with CYA Swifts as yet, and so I am going to go tomorrow morning to see if we can have it all done by the tournament . . . if not the first weekend of the season. Numbers are mostly the same, except for Allyson who now can have her original # 9 back and the newest players, Caitlin and Monica.
Monica?? -
Yes, we have another new player in addition to Caitlin Weirick . . . She's Monica Fezuk
(pronounced Feh-zook), and she is a Westfield High School freshman. Monica joined us for our last two indoor games and played some solid defense in the time she was in against some tough opponents. Monica played on the same CYA SFL team as Caitlin for the past few years, but is ready to make the jump into travel soccer. Her Mom and Dad, Candy and Steve, have been very supportive of her soccer career and are also looking forward to joining the Swifts family. Welcome to Monica and the entire Fezuk family!
If you're keeping score: Chantilly - 6, Oakton - 5, Westfield - 3, Paul VI - 2, Bishop O'Connell - 1 . . . with one Cougar waiting in the wings . . . (Hi Erin H. ;-)
Well that's about it for now . . . our ODSL schedule is not released as yet, and so we can't really talk about any other possible tournaments or trips beyond the Va. Beach Sand Soccer trip. We can cover more on that in the coming weeks.
Keep up with those touches, and if anyone would like to stop by Poplar Tree around 11:00 AM tomorrow (Sat.,Mar. 22) I am planning a little conditioning and kick around to check out the fields and work out some of the kinks after I drop off the uniforms for screening. All are invited, parents too, to get in a little exercise and get the blood flowing again. See you tomorrow if you can make it.
Go Swifts !
- Coach Fred
P.S. Don't forget to keep an eye on our website at: http://eteamz.active.com/swifts/index.cfm
or the new Facebook Page at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10753162436
Give Me Liberty! The FPYC Liberty Cup that is ... Swifts Playing in Local Pre-Season Tournament Mark the dates of March 29th and 30th on your calendars, as the Swifts begin the 2008 Outdoor Soccer campaign with 4 games that weekend in the FPYC Liberty Cup. All games are on local fields in either Fairfax, Reston, Chantilly or Centreville and against some of the same level competition and even possibly a couple of the same teams we will face in the upcoming ODSL season. Schedule with teams, times and fields will be released in the next week and posted on this site and our Facebook page. Stay Wired In! After a challenging indoor season ending in a tough loss in the 3rd/4th place playoff round game, the Swifts are ready to take it outdoors and gear up to make a run at a trophy or two this Spring. New uniforms are on the way, new players are in place, and the Swifts are "Ready To Fly!" Go Swifts!! - Coach Fred Friday, March 7 CYA Swifts - A new chapter in a great book - last indoor game this Saturday
There has been a lot of CYA Swifts news in the past few months, so I thought I would update everyone on all of the goings on. Like a good book, the story of the Swifts has once again provided us with many different ups and downs as we move through the evolution of a great team through the years . . .
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First, as most of you know Sarah Schmitt was injured in our very first game of the indoor season after taking a knock to the head resulting in a serious concussion. No one really knew how serious it was, but she suffered blurred and double vision for a while and has experienced bad headaches and slight memory loss for some time. She was unable to attend school for more than a couple of hours at a time. Sarah is currently undergoing therapy to restore herself to her full self once again, and we wish her well in her recovery. We are sure that Sarah will once again be able to join us on the field some time in the future, but for now her priorities will be to get better and fully healed. Our thoughts are with you Sarah . . . Get well soon!!
Second, we play our last indoor game of the season on Saturday night (3/8) at 5:55 PM at the Dulles Sportsplex. This is a playoff round game where we are playing for 3rd place by virtue of a great win last week to move ahead of Vienna into the 4th seed position. We will play the Reston United team again, a team we narrowly lost to in that first game of the season, 4 -3.
We will wear our WHITE/Purple/White uniforms.
Third, as the girls grow older and more committed to many other things in high school it is inevitable that they will venture off to follow their passions and other interests. We say good bye to three players, Gabbie and Rebecca Slaughter and Lindsay Blassic this season.
Gabbie and Rebecca were both with us for just a couple of seasons, but both brought with them a fun spirit and enjoyment for the game and always gave their all whenever they were on the field. In spite of their various injuries they managed to put in as much time as possible, and often showed us flashes of brilliance that told us what they were really made of. We wish them both well in their pursuits of track and marching band excellence at Oakton.
Lindsay Blassic is one of the longest tenured Swifts of all time. Joining the team in only our fourth season, Lindsay played with the Swifts for 5 full years and had an excellent career. Her classic finishing and knack for being in the right place at the right time to score some fantastic goals and provide superb passes and crosses to her teammates up top will be Lindsay's legacy with the Swifts. Only several nagging knee and ankle injuries and the onset of acute asthma were able to slow Lindsay down in recent seasons, but she always gave it her full effort on the field. Well done Lindsay, and good luck in all your ventures at Oakton.
Fourth, as some go some also arrive, and so we welcome Caitlin Weirick to the Swifts this season.
Caitlin played during the first indoor season with the Oakton JV indoor team that I coached, and has been playing as a guest goalkeeper with us in recent weeks. She has also made the Oakton JV outdoor team this Spring and is currently their starting goalkeeper. In Sarah's absence, Caitlin is a very welcome addition to the lineup to cover the void in the nets and will allow Brieneke, Allyson and Megan to play their regular positions more often. All will still serve as backup goalkeeper "by committee" as needed.
Welcome Caitlin!
Several other players have expressed an interest in joining the Swifts later this Spring to be able play with us through next year, and they will be joining us from time to time as guest players during indoor, in tournaments, and at practices. Please welcome them as you would any other new teammate whether or not they eventually end up playing with the Swifts.
Fifth, the outdoor ODSL season begins in just 4 short weeks and we should receive our outdoor practice slot assignment very shortly to begin our once per week sessions. I have requested Wednesday nights at 7:30 PM at Word of Grace, as this seems to result in the least amount of conflicts with HS sports, but have not had confirmation as yet. I will keep everyone posted as soon as we receive our official time slot and can schedule our first practice. The ODSL schedule should be out around March 30th and we should begin play on the weekend of April 6th.
Sixth, in order to prepare for our outdoor season, I have applied for the FPYC Liberty Invitational tournament on the weekend of March 29th and 30th. We have been accepted and will play 4 games over the weekend. I know some may have conflicts, but we will need as many players as possible each day so that we are not forced to play without substitutes or even shorthanded. We will extend an offer to several guest players if necessary, so please let me know sooner rather than later if you absolutely will not be available that weekend. The tournament is local, and hopefully we can plan a team bonding session during down time or on the Saturday night to get together with everyone in a fun atmosphere.
Seventh, looking ahead to our annual post-season Sand Soccer tournament in Va. Beach again, I have signed us up for only 1 team thus far to compete in the tournament. The tournament is scheduled for June 7th and 8th and we would probably head down early on Friday, the 6th. We are allowed a roster of only 10 players with 5 on the field at a time. In past years we have entered 2 teams, but have found that we are usually scraping together players to play on both teams and with the hectic schedule we end up playing almost non-stop all day long. With only one team we should have a little more relaxation time. If there is a significant number of additional players who really want to play in the Sand Soccer tournament, then I suppose we could request a second team and fill open spots with more guest players but that could end up being more of a hassle than being fun as it is supposed to be. We will review our options based on interest. Linnea Hamer-Lisse is heading up the hotel search and handling other beach area details.
On a side note about Sand Soccer tournaments, I also have found a similar tournament down at Clearwater Beach, Florida (near Tampa) that is open for us to play in on the weekend of July 12,13th if there is enough interest. The rosters are only 8 players down there, and the tournament does not seem nearly as large as Va. Beach, but it is a fun place to visit and might be a great trip for the team if enough players would like to make the trip. I'll have more details on that tournament at indoor this Saturday and in the coming weeks.
Eighth and finally, (whew!) we are just about to retire another set of Swifts Uniforms as we come to end of the second year of these current sets. We have added and lost a few players in that time, and have also lost several pieces of uniforms over that time as well.
I have posted some choices on our new Swifts facebook group page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10753162436 for the girls to vote on.
** They are also visible below and under the "Links" tab to the right. **
Please take a moment to check these out and offer your choice and/or opinions. If we want to have them for our first game we will need to place our order very quickly, so please check them out and comment as soon as you can.
Well, I think that's it for now . . . I'm sure there are more things I could list (like car washes, other fundraising, D.C. United games, etc., etc.), but I will save that for the next extended e-mail.
Hope to see everyone on Saturday night for the final indoor game and possibly all going out for a bite to eat at nearby Wegman's, PotBelly Sandwiches, Cheeburger,Cheeburger, Coldstone, or one of the other restaurants in that vicinity after our 3rd Place victory!!
Go Swifts !!
- Coach Fred
Sunday, February 24 New Facebook Group for the Swifts!
A new Facebook group has been set up for all recent news for the CYA Swifts, and a way to pass along updates quickly and more efficiently among the girls on the team since they all are on Facebook much more than checking e-mails or this website. Go to www.facebook.com and type in CYA Swifts in the Search box to be taken to Coach Fred's page where the Group is hosted.
The Swifts are Looking for a Few Good Recruits
CYA Swifts - Not just a team,but an adventure!
A fun team, fun players, and a spirit to play together since 2000. If you are looking for a team to play for that enjoys soccer and doesn't take itself too seriously, then we're the team for you!
Playing in ODSL weekly and practicing at night under the lights at the Word of Grace outdoor turf fields in the Herndon/Chantilly area once per week, we will work with everyone and their demanding schedules to be able to continue fielding a team during these difficult high school years.
Two-time ODSL Randy Rawls Sportsmanship Award winners, the Swifts have no formal tryouts, as we are just looking for experienced players who have a willingness to be part of a team of girls that love to play for each other. All positions are open because all players are given the opportunity to play all positions at some time in the season. Heart and dedication to the team can rarely be determined in a one or two hour tryout.
Contact Head Coach Fred Matthes at (703) 391-0877 or (202) 587-5455 or via
e-mail at freddiedcu@aol.com or fmatthes@dcunited.com if you are interested in playing with us this Spring. All inquiries and questions are welcome.
Sunday, February 17 CYA Swifts will still fly this Spring! Hi to All,
Thank you to everyone who has responded already to either myself or Cathy about returning to play again in the Spring outdoor season. From all the verbal and actual sign ups on the CYA website so far it looks like we will be missing only 2 or 3, possibly 4 players from our roster of the Fall. This means we would have a current roster of 14 or 15, and have put out some feelers and posted some notices to see if we can find a few good players to fill those open spots. I am excited to play at least one more season together, and want to have a lot of fun doing so.
While not fantastic in record, our indoor season thus far has been encouraging. When we have had enough players to field a full side and a couple of subs we have done very well. The added time on the floor for all has increased fitness and number of touches for everyone. We have shown to everyone who watches that we are a pretty good team. We still have three indoor games remaining, one next Saturday night, the 23rd at 9:00 PM, one on March 1st at 9:50 PM, and our final game is part of the Playoff round on Saturday, March 8th where game time is determined by our order of finish. Currently we are in 5th place, but could finish as high at 2nd mathematically if we were to win out and be in place to play for the Championship.
No one told the NY Giants that going from a 5th seed to winning the Super Bowl was impossible . . .
I do not have a schedule for outdoors yet, but we should get our same practice night time slot again this Spring and we will attempt to still hold practices for those who can make it. Even 1 and 1/2 hrs. of touches and playing gives us at least a little bit of an edge going into each weekends' games. I do realize everyone's commitments to other sports, other activities, and their homework at this time of year and so I really appreciate every time that we can get a majority of the team to make it out to a practice.
There are a few things we need to talk about as a team such as Spring tournaments, Sand Soccer in June, and a possible fun extended away trip and tournament in the early summer. We also need to decide if new uniforms and other team items are necessary at this point, or should we just continue on with what we have.
(For those not returning, if we could get back your uniforms for any new players joining us that would be great. We can return them if you like once we finish up our Spring season).
As I have said before girls, this is your team and so I look to each of you at this point in our history to determine our overall direction from here on out. I've enjoyed coaching and helping you all get to this point, and now I am excited about you all being part of the decision process at each and every point. Please always feel free to contact me on any issues or items you want to discuss and we will approach them together as a team.
Let's finish up indoor strong, and plan for the warm weather ahead when we can get back outside to kick around!
Go Swifts!
- Coach Fred
Thursday, January 17 Swifts Head Indoors Out of the Cold The Swifts kicked off their 2008 Indoor Season with a tough loss to Reston United '92 last Saturday in a spirited 4-3 effort to begin the year. As I sucked up Pina Colada's and Margarita's poolside and on the beaches in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico the Swifts held their own for much of the game, and reportedly could have taken the game with a few more key finishes. Thanks to Coach Al Peltola for standing in for me in a return to the role he played for a couple of years in the early history of the Swifts. Welcome back Coach Al ! Best wishes to Sarah who suffered a concussion during the game and will most likely miss a few weeks of action. Her courage to continue playing is much appreciated, but head injuries are never something we want to mess around with so rest up Sarah and get well soon! Next indoor game is Saturday, Jan. 19th at 5:55 PM vs. the SYC Spirit. Please arrive by 5:30 PM to stretch and warm-up. Please let me know if you CAN NOT make it, as I hope to have several more substitutes than we had last week. Plan on wearing PURPLE/BLACK/PURPLE, but bring along your WHITE as well, just in case. If we do find out that we will be short-handed often this indoor season, I am all for inviting experienced guest players from Oakton, Paul VI, O'Connell, Westfield or Chantilly soccer teams that you may know to play with us. Hope to see everyone on Saturday! - Coach Fred Wednesday, August 1 August means Tournaments!
We'll continue our Thursday night practices at Barnsfield Rd. and hopefully we will begin to see more and more girls out to work on their fitness, skills and getting to know each other once again. Thank you to all the girls who have made it out so far. I hope to see everyone out soon, starting with this Thursday, Aug. 2nd at 7:00 PM. Next Thursday, you're off the hook as many of us will be at RFK Stadium to see D.C. United take on the L.A. Galaxy and David Beckham . . . no practice that night. NOTE: If you can't make it, the game is on live on ESPN2 at 7:00 PM The next weekend, however, is the Nicole Cup on August 11th and 12th at the Hencken Soccer Fields at the Potomack Sports complex in Sterling, VA near Algonquin Park. We'll need to decide who will be playing on the two teams we have entered. We can roster up to 7 per team, so 14 players are eligible. We have some tough competition, but this will be a great tune up for our next full 11 v. 11 Tournament in a couple of weeks . . . Speaking of that, we have been accepted into the Dulles Tournament on the weekend of August 25th and 26th. Fields have yet to be determined, but again we are probably going to be playing some very tough competition which will help to get us ready for our ODSL season ahead. We have been rewarded, as expected, for our fine Spring season with being promoted to the 1st Division in ODSL for the Fall! This is a good thing, and means that we will be playing competition that is the equivalent of WAGS Div. 4 and 5 teams all season. For those planning on going out for their High School team again this year, this will give you plenty of opportunity to improve and show that you belong at this level . . . if you take the opportunity seriously! Let's work hard this August and by September we WILL be ready to play! See you all soon! Go Swifts!
Friday, July 13 CYA Swifts Ready to Fly Again This Summer! A Great Spring Season! Yes, it is time to get started for the Summer in preparation for our Fall 2007 Season as a U-16 team. So far we have heard from a majority of players that are planning to return, and with only one exception no other messages from anyone planning to leave the team. I think this Fall could be one of the best ever for the Swifts coming off one of our better seasons this past Spring both in ODSL and in the Va. Beach Sand Soccer tournament. A New/Old Player for the Swifts I also have some very exciting news, particularly for those original and long-time Swifts, about a special player who will be returning to the Swifts after a long hiatus overseas while her family had been living in the Philippine Islands. We welcome back Allyson Peltola who will be joining us once again starting in August when the Peltola's return to the Chantilly area! For those of you who never played with Allyson, she scored the first ever goal for the Swifts in both tournament and league play way back in 2000, and scored many, many other often spectacular goals along the way throughout her 2 1/2 years with the Swifts. She continued playing soccer while in the Philippines at a very high level where "Travel" soccer truly is just that. Her teams often had to play in places like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and many other countries just to get higher level competition. She was selected to her Varsity soccer team in her Freshman year. Allyson's teams were also fortunate to be invited to Europe to play in youth tournaments on two separate occasions. Allyson will make us a much better team this season, and should raise the level of everyone's play considerably. We all look forward to having Allyson rejoin us this season. As for activities and events for the remainder of summer . . . Summer Practices Our Summer Practice Schedule will be on Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to ~8:15-8:30 PM, and for the time being we will return to our old stomping grounds at Barnesfield Rd. (or at least what's left of it). There is a sizeable field between the two baseball diamonds as well as some available outfield areas that we can get in some good work until I'm told we will be overrun by U-12 Boys Travel and House teams towards the end of August. For those unfamiliar with Barnesfield Rd., it is the rough road that extends across the intersection of Franklin Farm Rd. and Centreville Rd. It continues on for approx. 1/10th of a mile and the small gravel parking area is on the left. Don't drive a nice car, as it is very dusty, bumpy and full of rocks and other hazards. We take what we can get around here for soccer facilities these days . . . Hopefully we will be allocated evening time under the lights at Word of Grace again for the fall. We'll plan each week by ear, and a backup location would be nearby Franklin Middle School if it gets too crowded at Barnesfield. Tournaments I have signed us up for two teams in the Nicole Cup on August 11, 12 to be played at the Potomack Lakes Sportsplex in Sterling, near Algonquian Park. This is a 4 v. 4 format with small goals and no goalkeepers and each team can roster 7 players, so we can have 14 players eligible to play. If we have more than that, I will look at a third team and invite some other guest players. As for a full-sided 11 v. 11 tournament, I signed us up for two, but realistically we will only select one of them. They are both local and occur on back to back weekends. The SYA Cardinal Cup is played in Centreville and Clifton and is the weekend of August 18,19th. The Dulles Tournament is played in Herndon and Chantilly and is the weekend of August 25, 26th. I will be out of town for the 18th and 19th, but in town for the 25th and 26th. I think we have a better chance of fielding a fuller team on that second weekend as well. Please let me know your preference, if you have one, for either of these two tournaments and I will make a final decision accordingly. I purposely stayed away from Labor Day weekend because most tournaments are out of town, and so will be many of our families on that last long weekend before school starts up again. Other events Of course D.C. United will be in full swing with 5 more games this summer including the marquis matchup with the L.A. Galaxy featuring David Beckham on August 9th at 7:00 PM. For those of you who ordered tickets but have not received them just let me know and I'll make arrangements to get them in your hands long before the 9th. I do have access to a very limited few more, so let me know if you would still like to attend and had not yet ordered tickets. I can't guarantee they will be near the rest of the group, but at least you'll be in the stadium to see D.C. United and Becks! Our regular Thursday night practice that evening will be moved to another night or cancelled. Other D.C. United summer home games: July 14 vs. FC Dallas July 25 vs. Monarcas Morelia (Mexico) July 29 vs. Club America (Mexico) Aug. 9 vs. Los Angeles Aug. 22 vs. New York Red Bulls Please let me know if you would like to attend any of these other games and we'll work on putting together another group and maybe do some tailgaiting together. Car Wash! Since travel teams take money to run, and we have spent our fair share in recent months, it is time to once again "prime the pump" , as they say. With warm weather brings the opportunity to get a lot of parents and Swifts out to splash, spray, and soak each other and maybe even wash a few cars too! Typically on a good Saturday we can wash 30-40 cars or more this time of year with an average donation of $10, sometimes even a lot more. This covers the cost of a tournament, or half way to some sweats for the approaching cold Fall and Winter weather. I'm not sure which Saturday(s) would work best for all, so I'm up for suggestions. July 21st or July 28th come to mind as the best early options, but I'm open to any time other than tournament dates. I'm also up for planning any other events the girls would be interested in doing together this summer before they all break off again into their high school worlds for the fall. Some suggestions might be: * A waterpark visit (Splashdown or WaterMine) * Rafting or Tubing (Shenandoah River, near Harper's Ferry?) * Amusement Parks (Six Flags, Kings Dominion) * Cookouts and Pool visits * Movies, Ice Skating, or other local "stuff" It's up to you girls . . . it's your team after all ! You plan it, and we'll help out. So make sure those cleats still fit, get in some running and touches before next Thursday night and we'll get going again for the Fall! See you next Thursday, the 19th at Barnesfield at 7:00 PM ! Go Swifts! Monday, May 21 Coming Soon . . . It's off to the Beach!!!
Wednesday, May 9 Good start for the Swifts and Looking Ahead Hi all, I haven't updated everyone for quite a while since the season began, and we are definitely off to one of our better starts in several seasons with 1 great Win, 1 good Tie and 1 tough loss. In each game we have shown a lot of heart and fight and some great skill at times. Now we need to work a little more on putting it all together and continuing our great positive attitude in these first games to ensure a great season ahead. Tough Breaks Get Well Soon goes out to Rebecca who broke her wrist in last Saturday's game fighting for a loose ball inside the penalty area. A tough break for Rebecca, who has suffered several over the past couple of year's as bones go . . . as well as her mom also nursing a broken ankle at the same time. Sister Gabbie did her part in the game by scoring her first ever Swifts goal for both of them and celebrating in style! Way to go Gabbie, and a speedy recovery to Rebecca and Kim. JV Soccer: Oakton - 3, Chantilly - 0 Lauren may not have been allowed back in Saturday's tie game after a nasty collision of heads, but she took another one for her other team, the Oakton Cougars, on Tuesday night vs. Chantilly. Lauren suffered another hard foul in the box mid-way through the first half resulting in a penalty-kick. The kick was converted by Erin R. and was the first goal in a 3-0 shellacking of the Chargers JV team that would have fared a lot better in my opinion if they had some Chantilly based Swifts players in their lineup. I know that our girls would have at least shown some heart and fight for a Chantilly team that was sorely lacking in both as they basically gave up against Oakton in the final 20 minutes of the game. Congratulations to Lauren, Brieneke and Sarah who all got into the game and contributed well in the win, and in so doing showed that ODSL players can play just as well as WAGS players and also sticking up in some way for their absent Swifts teammates who cheered them on from the Chantilly bleachers. (Thanks for the support Erin F., Carson, Casey and Shawn!) Practice Thursday, Game Sunday Next, practice tomorrow night, Thursday, to work on those things we still are a little rusty at like finishing, support passing and making runs into open space. See everyone at 7:30 at Word of Grace. We are off to a good start, and have played very well against the current two top teams in the division, but now it is up to us to see what we are made of and continue to play with a high level of intensity and determination for every minute in every game from here on out. I know we can play with any team in this division, and it is up to each girl to bring their best effort every game. Last season we settled for ties . . . this season we can do the little bit extra to turn those into wins. We've shown everyone out there that we are a force to be reckoned with. Our game is this Sunday, the 13th, at 12:30 PM, also at Word of Grace vs. the VSA Heat 91, and we will be wearing our White/Purple/White uniforms. This also happens to be Mother's Day . . . so let's play well for MOM!! Looking ahead and enjoying the season Finally, for the fun side of what we do . . . it's time to plan some outdoor activities, including a fundraising car wash now that the weather is warmer as well as a team Barbecque or Pool party and also get an idea of who will definitely be going to Va. Beach for the Sand soccer tournament in June. We also should look ahead to our summer schedule to see if we want to attend a group camp together, and also play in some small sided local tournaments to keep us sharp. The Nicole Cup is being resurrected this year on August 11,12 in Sterling, Va. and I have committed us to at least two teams and a lot of volunteer help . . . Jaime and Louise Moreno are hosting the event and working with Gail and Thomas Rongen to bring back this very worthwhile event again in Nicole Megaloudis' memory. Keep up the hard work Swifts! See you Thursday night and Sunday afternoon! - Coach Fred Friday, April 20 CYA Swifts Game on Sunday; Moment of Silence and some Hokie pride to Remember . . .
These girls have all been through so much in their young lives growing up in this area far beyond the soccer fields they play on . . . Sept. 11, 2001 . . . the Sniper attacks . . . the Police officer shootings in Chantilly only minutes from their practice fields . . . and now Virginia Tech with it's many victims from the Northern Virginia area and local high schools. On Sunday, we will return to the field to play the game we love but we'll observe a Moment of Silence just before the kick-off along with our opponents from Sterling in honor and tribute to those who have fallen at Virginia Tech this past week. Although they are our opponents they too live in this larger community, just a few miles up the road, and are equally affected by this most recent tragedy. They also have older brothers and sisters in college, and they know friends or other families that have students at Virginia Tech and they are feeling the same that we are feeling for those who had to experience these events first hand down in Blacksburg. Together we will remember, and we encourage all parents on the sidelines to also observe this Moment of Silence with us on Sunday. Game time is 2:00 PM, so please try to be there by 1:30 PM. Uniform will be White jersey, Purple shorts, White socks (I have some new Swifts socks for those not at practice tonight) Also, as a lasting tribute, the girls at practice tonight agreed that we should all wear something in Maroon and Orange to show our 'Hokie Pride' on Sunday, much as many of you will be doing tomorrow at work or school. We would like to get together Saturday morning, at the Franklin Farm Starbucks, to then shop for either ribbon or elastic or something we can wear on our uniforms on Sunday. Something like an Orange & Maroon "Captain's Band" of sorts is what comes to mind, to be worn on the socks or arms by each player. We may have to create these, as I understand from my daughter that works at Michael's that almost everything in the Va. Tech school colors has been bought up this week. We'll brainstorm a little over coffee/hot chocolate then head out to find what we can together. Let's plan on 9:00 am to get started. Hopefully we can find something quickly within the center, but might have to branch out to a fabric store or other supply store, so carpooling will be helpful. We'll pay for whatever we find out of team funds. Hope to see everyone either on Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon or both . . . keep safe. - Coach Fred Monday, March 26 Time to Kick Off for the Spring! Hi all, Yes after a quick hiatus from the indoor season, it is already time to lace up the cleats again and head outdoors to begin preparing for the Spring 2007 Season. Our schedule is already up on the ODSL Web site and we are in the Girls U-15 Second Division . . . (we got a kind of promotion, due to a combining of the original 3 divisions). www.odsl.org Our first game is not until April 15th, so we have a little time to get ready for what will be a tough season ahead, but one that I think all the girls will respond well to and should fare well in the overall standings. Our single practice slot is set again for Thursday nights, from 7:30-9:00 PM at the Word of Grace field, or what used to be Old Redskin/United Park. Directions can be found on the ODSL website if you really need them, but I think most people remember where the field is. Our first practice will be this Thursday, March 29th. I realize that many girls will still be involved in High School sports practices and games for a couple more months, but if at all possible please try to make it by for some or all of the practice time. It is important to be able to work on some of our tactics together in order to perform at our potential this season. For those not participating in activities right now, it will be a great opportunity to get in some work and spend a little extra time with a ball. We may also be sharing our space with some of the former players from CYA United, my older |
