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Shadow Tryout Registration Underway
Players interested in trying out for Shadow's 2010-2011 U11 & U12 Select or U11-U18 Premier teams are encouraged to register before tryouts.
Dates, times, and a tryout registration link are posted on the Shadow website. Stay tuned for our summer tournament schedule and coaching announcements.
Tryout Registration
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Curious About Spokane Shadow?
Join us for Shadow Information Night! Get your questions answered and learn more about Shadow's 2010-2011 plans, how tryouts work, the difference between recreational, select and premier soccer, and our player development philosophy. Monday, April 19, 20107-8p.m.NE Community Center, 4001 N. Cook, 99207
Hosted by
Sean Bushey, Technical Director,
Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club |
Pick-up Games Around the World
The South by Southwest film festival can serve as the world premier for a soccer film: Pelada
See the Trailer
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Support the Lisa Stiles-Gyllenhammer Boys & Girls Club
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The Boys & Girls Club of Spokane has officially named the newest Spokane Club after Lisa Stiles-Gyllenhammer, sister of Shadow U10 Marta Coach Chris Stiles. The Lisa Stiles-Gyllenhammer Boys & Girls Club is located in the former Mead Middle School at Market and Farwell Streets in North Spokane.
Lisa was a passionate teacher at Shiloh Hills Elementary who lost a long and brave battle with breast cancer in January of 2006. She was known for her excellence, encouragement, support, and going the extra mile for her kids EVERY time.
If you would like to support the fundraising effort and win another victory for Lisa, visit www.bgcspokanecounty.org and click on Donate Now in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Please designate your donation to the Lisa Stiles-Gyllenhammer Boys & Girls Club. Thank you!
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As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividends
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By Tara Parker-Pope,
The New York Times
Almost four decades after the federal education law called Title IX
opened the door for girls to participate in high school and college
athletics, a crucial question has remained unanswered: Do sports make a
long-term difference in a woman's life?
read more
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 Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club Newsletter - April, 2010
News & Information for Members and Friends
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Sean's Shadow Spiel
I have written many times on a similar subject - the love of the game. I am frequently reminded of how important it is for a player, a coach, or a team. One of my biggest desires for our club is to help others' love of the game grow - whether by getting better, being challenged, seeing rewards, seeing others grow, or a plethora of other ways.
Just as in "real life" love takes work. Not every day in life is rosy nor does it go exactly as we have planned; but we are still called to love those around us, whether our family, spouse, parents, children or neighbors. This does not come without setbacks, trials, and frustrations. It is no different for this game of soccer when it comes to loving it (well, it is a lot different in one aspect, it is just a game!) The point is that the game will come with frustrations, setbacks, and trials. However, deep inside I hope that there is always that flicker for the game; moreover, I hope the club fosters that burning flame more often than not.
One of the great games of all time was just played this past week: Barcelona v Arsenal in the quarter finals of the Champions League. If there is any doubt that soccer is the best sport in the world, it was erased with this match! It had all the drama, atmosphere, skill, and strategy a game could muster; thankfully, it was Spring Break so my kids could watch it also! It will be a game that is talked about and watched over and over again for a long time to come. For me, this is why I am involved in the game-to live part of that passion or inner surge of feeling that can come from this great game. Man, there are few things like it!
One of the players on display was Lionel Messi of Barcelona (and Argentina.) If you do not know, or your child does not know, who he is, you must. YouTube him. He is the best player in the world (or at least one of the top 2); he stands 5'7" tall (another great point about this game - you don't have to be any certain size to play this game; you just have to be good.) While he didn't have a phenomenal game, which doesn't bode well for Arsenal the next time they play, you can see the enthusiasm for the game exude from him each time he plays.
Recently, Coach Varlamos sent me an article from a while back done on Messi. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/feb/03/newsstory.barcelona
Notice what he spoke about: 'first of all you've got to love the game.' How much? 'Well... from the age of three I played every day: every morning, afternoon, and night. Inside the house, too. I'd break things. My Mum would go mad...' Does he still play inside the house? 'I do,' he said, with a sliver of a shy smile. Apart from a love for the game, what you need to succeed, Messi said, is a lot of work and sacrifice.
The point? Coaches, administrators, and parents (i.e., adults) we need to help impart this love of the game to our players by first loving them, by letting them play the game for themselves and their teammates and not for us. If the greatest player in the game right now is speaking about the love of the game as being critical in his success, then we need to take note and see how we can foster that for our children. We need to be their biggest supporters and sources of encouragement. When this occurs they will play because they want to do so; when we do so, we'll notice that they will actually play better than we thought they could; when we do, they will know how to impart it to their child one day...and that is what they are really playing sport for-to be better workers, spouses, and parents when it becomes their time to do so.
It is unlikely that we will have many players playing for Arsenal or Barcelona (we'll work to help a player get there, however!). What is most likely is that these children of ours will grow up to have children of their own and we want to show them what the example should be like for them - to instill love into others.
Enjoy your soccer,
Sean Bushéy
Technical Director
Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club
Looking Back: From a newsletter from last year regarding tryouts...
...You would think tryouts would be an exciting time and time that you look ahead to see what our potential will be; there is some of that but mostly, us coaches look forward to it being over. For players, I am sure much is the same. For the parents, it is much, much worse.
We get afraid of seeing our child hurt; I experienced it myself last year when I had to break it to my 11 year old that he did not make the team he tried out for; ugh, the pain. Thankfully, it was short lived and he really has blossomed this year. My recommendation to parents is to have a realistic conversation with your child, telling him/her that there is a chance things may not go the way we would like; however, without taking a chance in anything that we do, we have no chance of succeeding. Being willing to succeed is being willing to fail.
To be fair, I think players understand this better than parents. We know it but we don't want our child to experience hurt, and rightfully so. And at the same time, no coach enjoys hurting the feelings of a child. Shoot, even tryouts at the college level are not enjoyable for me. There is no pleasure in telling someone that we are not going to meet your desires.
Our philosophy at tryouts is to form teams that will have a competitive balance throughout; teams that can have a chance at succeeding at the level they are placed at. We are open to any player having a chance to do that, as that is our responsibility to our community--to offer opportunities. Certainly, players that are in the Club already have an advantage as they are known best - for the overwhelming majority of our players, their tryouts occur over the course of the entire season - in games and just as importantly, in practices. They have a portfolio that the coaches evaluate from. A new player only has the tryout period of the one or two days, but to both types of competitors we seek to be fair. The returning player has no guarantees of a spot; the spots continue to be earned. The new player must fight his/her way in to an established team. But again, to both we seek to be fair; that is our charge. Ultimately, who fits the best where is what we strive to do. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes but our process seeks to be as pure as possible.
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Financial Planning Pays Off!
Thanks to prudent financial decisions and the support of our soccer community, Shadow is proud to announce that for the third year in a row, while the club has been improved and expanded, 2010-2011 Premier Club Dues will remain $875 per player (down from $950 four years ago and substantially less than what we see being charged by other premier soccer clubs).
Shadow is also happy to report the generous financial assistance we have made available to underwrite player club dues the past three seasons:
2007-2008 $22,375
2008-2009 $20,874
2009-2010 $24,870
Total of $68,119
Your contributions to help players in need of financial assistance are welcome!
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Shadow Thanks Our Team Managers and Team Treasurers!
 When it
comes to keeping our teams organized, nothing
makes more impact than the work of a good
Team Manager and Team Treasurer. These valued parent volunteers give
their time to support
their teams in so many ways - from coordinating a practice in your area
of town to coordinating
travel for 18 players and parents across the country. Shadow thanks our
2009-2010 Team Managers and Team Treasurers for their dedication:U10 Development Program: Lori Cunningham, Heidi Drynan, Sanna Cobb, Kim Lauer, Sheri Krygier, and Mark Gardner
U11 Select Program: Tracy Rice, Greg Boals, John & Shawna Hohman, Jessica Gallagher, Leann Bach, Amanda Boose, Carlynn Schon, Kate Hardie, Carole Mohr, Heather & Jeremy Smith, Nikki Spencer, Theresa Parada, Lynn Scharff, Mona Dershem, Kathryn Hapke Miner, Dawn Crosswhite, Holly Olson, and Cathy Dykman.
U11-U18 Premier Program: Mark Nevdahl, Paul Rose, Erin Clements, Michelle Ward, Susan Thompson, Robyn Smith, Desiree Guyette, Lynn Farias, Angela Meacham, Jennifer Kuck, Aimee Sayler, Linette Dressel, Heidi Heller, Heidi O'Neill, Krista Juul, Dalene Boone, Nancy Chappell, Deb Briggs, Bob Milligan, Eileen Williams, Alison Delay, Joe Melton, Steve & Rachel Yunk, Carrie Lockhert, Diane Wilson, Shelley Tombari, Charo Ryan, Gerhard Muelheims, Steve Gilbertson, Tom Lennon, Kelly Bliesner, Bill Eldridge, Kristyn Giem, Jamie Wolff, Susanne Simpson, Don Etten, Jayne Aunan, Lisa Anderson, Scott Carpenter, Carole Condon, and Carolyn Zakrzewski
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