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The Schwan's USA CUP newsletter provides the latest information and updates about the tournament. |
| Get a Free Development Camp for Your Team |
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The National Sports Center is offering a great opportunity this summer to teams that play in more than one tournament.
A team that plays in three of the following four tournaments will receive a free three-hour development camp from the NSC Soccer Academy at their home field.
A team that chooses to play in two of these four tournaments will receive a $20 discount at our residential camps (minimum 12 players). The cost per player will be $335. Contact Chris Schulz at 763.792.7489 for more details. |
| How Players Take Advantage of College Coaches Program |
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Players interested in taking part in our College Coaches Program should set aside time now to start making a recruiting plan. Here are some helpful hints:
- Review the NCAA Rules. Go to www.ncaa.com to better understand the recruiting guidelines.
- Visit the tournament website and review the college coaches in attendance for 2005.
- Identify the colleges/universities that you are interested in attending.
- Mark your calendar! The 2007 registered colleges/universities will be posted in April.
- Email the coaches you are interested in well in advance of the tournament. At a minimum, provide them with your team name, position, jersey number.
- Once the tournament game schedules have been posted, be sure to follow up with your game schedule. Remember: This is another opportunity for contact! Preliminary game schedules will be posted as follows: Monday, July 9, Schwan's USA CUP Weekend; Wednesday, July 11, Schwan's USA CUP.
- Schwan's USA CUP provides registered college coaches with customized rosters for the U16-U18/19 age brackets. Pertinent player information includes graduation year, grade point average, ACT and/or SAT scores.
- Final roster revisions are due no later than July 4. Roster booklets will go to print on July 5. Ask your team manager now when he/she would like to have this information for inclusion on the roster. Remember: They have a big job; make their job easier by providing your recruiting information well in advance of the deadline.
- Finally, prepare to attend one of the two "How to Get Recruited" seminars hosted by Soccer America on Thursday, July 19. Division I, II and III college coaches will be represented on the panel and available to answer your questions.
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| Upcoming Recruting Trip to Manitoba |
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Schwan's USA CUP representatives and ambassadors schedule visits to teams and clubs whenever we can. Our goal is to talk to as many people about the tournament as possible to answer questions, address concerns and to just be there if assistance is needed.
On March 1, we plan to be in Moorhead, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota. There are two big clubs in these twin towns that send a large number of teams to the National Sports Center every year.
On March 2, we will visit soccer teams in Grand Forks, North Dakota and then head off to Winnipeg, Manitoba. We will be in Winnipeg from the evening of March 2 to the afternoon of March 4. While in Winnipeg, there are currently meetings scheduled with South End United and with the Manitoba Soccer Association. Other meetings are being scheduled with Northern Lights Soccer Club and Phoenix Soccer Club.
If you are a member of a soccer program in one of these locations and would like a meeting with your club, please contact Colleen Bourdon at market@usacup.org or call 1-800-535-4730 |
| Information About Guest Player Program |
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Coaches, are you short of players due to injury or other commitments? Aren't having any luck finding a player to complete your roster? Then the Schwan's USA CUP Guest Player Program is for you. It connects coaches with players who want to have the USA CUP experience. The application to apply as a guest player will be available online by March 15th and teams looking to add a guest player can fill out the request form at any point after that date.
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| Schwan's USA CUP Referee Assessment Program Reaches New Heights |
Schwan's USA CUP is proud to announce the additions of Dave McKee, Herb Silva, Angelo Bratisis, and Gino Dipolito to the 2007 Schwan's USA CUP referee assessment program. All four of these National Assessors are also Major League Soccer Referee Observers.
Dave McKee is currently the National Director of Assessment, a National Instructor, as well as a National Emeritus Referee. Herb Silva is the MISL Director of Officials as well as a National Emeritus Referee and National Instructor. Angelo Bratsis is a former National Director of Assessment, retired FIFA referee, and a National Instructor. Gino Dipolito is a retired FIFA referee.
Also in 2007, Tony Leak from the United Kingdom will be attending as an assessor. Tony is a retired FIFA Assistant and a National Assessor. In addition to these new assessors, Gordon Arrowsmith (MLS Observer and retired FIFA), Steve Mortimer (retired FIFA), George Cain (retired FIFA), Peter Small, and Mike Gerkin will be returning in 2007. | |
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| Generating Our Own Media |
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Teri Vogt, Tournament Director
It's clear that the mainstream media does not follow soccer closely, especially youth soccer. Schwan's USA CUP gets a bit of coverage in the local daily papers and a blurb here and there on the affiliate TV news, but considering it's the largest tourism event in Minnesota the coverage pales in comparison to other sports stories. For a time, it really bothered me - this lack of coverage. But not anymore.
Enter Schwan's USA CUP Media Director Barclay Kruse. His attitude refreshed mine. Barclay's strategy was, if they won't cover us, we'll cover ourselves. The advent of the internet has opened up many new media avenues for us. Now our coverage plan includes the following tactics:
The tournament produces a daily on-site newspaper - chock-full of human interest stories, scores, standings and brackets. Participants can pick up the newspaper at HQ, the activities and transportation centers, tournament dormitories, and on newspaper stands around the NSC complex. The newsletters articles and some web only stories appear daily on the event web site in our media section.
The tournament recruits photographers and posts gallerys on the web site each day. Local media are free to take and use those photos in their publications.
Up-to-the-minute scores and standings are posted on the web site and many hometown papers can just find their teams results from there.
Audio Interviews are conducted on campus and posted on the web site - available for smaller radio outlets to pick up. They don't need to send a reporter here because we do the work for them. Video clips are also shot by the tournament and posted on the web site.
New in 2007 we are partnering with Crystal Clear Sports and planning to web cast dozens of games each day. Families unable to attend will be able to watch games live via computer, or download them for viewing later. DVD's of games and event ceremonies will also be offered.
So if your team is planning to attend USA CUP, you can hope your local media will cover the event, but if they don't you can get your fill of USA CUP stories, sights and sounds direct from the tournament at www.usacup.org. |
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