Monday, June 29, 2009

Learning in Defeat

It was certainly an exciting weekend of soccer in South Africa as the U.S. gave Brazil everything it could handle in the Confederations Cup Final, breaking out to a 2-0 halftime lead before falling (3-2) under a withering Brazilian comeback.

Playing outstanding teams in important games is the best way to learn. And, in spite of the loss, the U.S. can only be better off after this great experience...

Not only do you learn lessons, but you gain confidence from doing well and you are inspired by how close you have come to realizing dreams. Here is what a couple of the U.S. players said...

Landon Donovan said:

"You always hope to do the most learning when you win, but you probably learn more by losing. If we're smart and we take what we should from this game, we can progress; and that's what we're trying to do."

Carlos Bocanegra, the U.S. captain, echoed the sentiment.

"What we can take away from this is the confidence that we played so well against the big teams here," he said. "We showed that we belong. We're not just going to be a pushover in the World Cup when we come down here."

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Toughest Soccer Schedules: Utes and U.S. Play the Best

We don't know yet if the U.S. will come out victorious on Sunday and take home the gold at the Confederations Cup. Hopefully, they will put together another great performance and beat mighty Brazil in the Final.

But, for sure, we know this....the U.S. will have played Brazil (South American champs), Italy (World Cup champs), Egypt (African champs), Spain (European champs) and Brazil again in a span of two weeks....WOW!


What a fantastic way to test yourself...you want to be the best, you should play against the best. The players on the U.S team will know first hand what it takes to be an elite player...and perform with your teammates at the highest level.

You want to be a great defender???
Imagine if you are a player such as U.S. center back Jay Demerit. You have now gone up against Kaka, Robinho, Torres, Fabregas, Villa, Gilardino, Toni and more! You can find out what you need to improve on and, just as improtantly, you can gain confidence with your successes...









Here at Utah, we take the same approach...we test ourselves each season against the very best. We feel it gives us a chance to see what we need improve upon....it also toughens us up for the late season conference games as well as the NCAA tournament...over the years we have played great schools like UCLA, Stanford, Portland, Santa Clara, Wake Forest, Florida, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Colorado, Texas A&M and more...We have won our share of those battles and it has helped us to become a strong program.

2009 will be no different as we have Santa Clara, William & Mary, Colorado, Princeton, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Oklahoma State among our games...We love it!


So, here's to the U.S. and the Utes challenging themselves with the best competition available...and, hopefully, both can be holding up trophies to show for their hard work!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

New Locker Room: What A Difference A Week Makes!

We have been super stoked about our new locker room....The transformation continues as we speak...Down in the lower floor of the HPER (Health PE and Recreation) building just below Ute Field, our new room was previously used by the world-famous Ute Ski Team. The athletic department has been generous to help us get a brand new place to meet, change and get pumped up for the games!

A couple of weeks ago we showed you pictures of an empty room...and look how fast things have changed! Already the walls have been painted, the lockers are in place and almost done and a brand-new carpet is on the floor... Check out the video. We will keep you updated as well.


Monday, June 15, 2009

The "Governator" Signs on for U.S. World Cup Campaign

Arnold Schwarzenegger is definitely a heavy hitter. Now, the Governor of California, Schwarzenegger was a former world-champion body builder as well as an "A-list" movie star.

The U.S. is making a bid to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. And the "Governator" is joining the cause. Here is what he had to say on the matter:

"Soccer is the world's most popular sport and California has been home to some of its most exciting games, and I am proud to be a part of bringing the World Cup back to the United States."


Arnold grew up in Austria and played soccer as a boy. It is said that his dad really wanted him to become a soccer player, but he chose the body building world.




It is common practice for causes to recruit celebrities and politicians to raise awareness, money and help get their message out.

This brings up an important question...who should the Utah women's soccer team enlist to help publicize our team and cause? Any local figures that could help do that? Robert Redford? Gov. Huntsman? Jim Boylen? We would love to hear some great ideas!





Sunday, June 14, 2009

Introducing...the Funky Penguins!

We had a fantastic first week of camp...great players, crazy weather and loads of fun! If we have this kind of enthusiasm, we will have an incredible summer of soccer! We just have to show you the OFFICIAL CHEER of the Funky Penguins.

The Funky Penguins were coached by Katy Reineke and Danielle Sample...the youngest group of the week...made up of some energetic 5 and 6 year olds....the FP's were a big hit.
Next up is our very popular Academy for ages 10-13 year-olds. We have many of our Utah soccer players coaching and over 100 players signed up to come to camp, most of whom will be living in the Utah dorms...officially the best dorms in the world! We have some spots open, so give us a call at 801-330-7272 and we'll get you enrolled!

Friday, June 12, 2009

"Character Counts"


Sports can be a great teacher...

Last night the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Orlando. The game put the Lakers up 3-1 in the best of 7 series. The game went into overtime...the final score was 99-91. The Lakers were trailing, 87-84 with 10 seconds left in regulation when Derek Fisher hit a 3 point shot to tie it up....Fisher then also hit a 3 pointer with 35 seconds left in overtime to put the Lakers up for good. Now, the Lakers are a flashy team...in L.A. with all the "Hollywood" people...superstars like Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol...however, Derek Fisher was the hero last night. And Fisher has a very interesting past....he came from a little-known school (University of Arkansas at Little Rock) and was not heralded coming out of college. He is small by today's NBA standards for guards (6-1)....he is not the greatest athlete...and now he is 35 years old.

He has struggled all throughout the playoffs and people have been saying he is too old. He was 0-5 in shooting last night until the game-tying shot...Here is what his coach, Phil Jackson, said after the game:

"We've always said the character has got to be in players if they're going to be great players, you can't just draft it. It's not just about talent, it's about character, and (Fisher) is a person of high character, brings that to play, not only in just his gamesmanship but also his intestinal fortitude."

We agree....it's not always about talent...but character, drive and teamwork do make a HUGE difference. And we strive to have our players here at Utah show those same qualities.

The Lakers' win will no doubt please former Utah player, Chelsea Card. Chelsea is from Southern California and is a GREAT fan of the Lakers. So, congrats to Chelsea!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Excitement buzzing at Day Camp this week!

Camp season is here and this week we have a group of 70 young players practicing their skills out on Ute Field. Utah coaches, Rich Manning and Leslie Keener, as well as current and former Utah players are giving instruction and encouragement.

Ute players coaching this week are Amanda Sanchez, Kelly Isleib, Danielle Sample, Katy Reineke, Amy Edman, Katie Brower, Morgan Skeen, Lauren Hair, Lauren Dudley, Lauren Porter, Shay Kennedy, Hannah Turpen and Nicole Cardon

The players have been fantastic...some great skills and a great desire to improve. And we have some photos to prove it! Here is some dribbling under pressure...







Dribbling with speed!
















Danielle Sample working on some heading skills with her group...the Mighty Penguins

Danielle and Katy Reineke are coaching the youngest group...we will have video of the group later this week.









Lauren Dudley and Lauren Hair coach their group in dribbling under pressure...shielding and keeping the ball....

Good job!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Locker Room...before

Well, it's a start! The new Utah Soccer Locker Room, formerly the equipment room for the ski team (think waxing and calibrating), is on its way. The room has been cleaned out and now the painting, carpeting and ceiling renovation will begin...this process should be done by the end of June.

At that time, the lockers will be installed and the new design put into place. We are super excited and will keep you updated on the progress...D-day is August 4 as that is the first day of preseason.
For now, here is a short video of the room...

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Following Utah Athletics


Like many folks here in Utah, we are huge fans of many of the Utah athletic teams. Attending football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, track, gymnastics and all kind of events are some of the things our soccer team most enjoys doing during the school year.

Most of our teams have joined the technological age and are doing things like Facebook, Twitter, and even blogging! So we thought we would give you some information on how to follow your favorite team (besides soccer, of course!)...

Utah Athletics
www.twitter.com/utahathletics
www.youtube.com/uathletics

Track and Field
www.twitter.com/utah_trackfield
www.utahtrackxc.blogspot.com

Gymnastics
www.twitter.com/UtahGymnastics
www.youtube.com/user/UtahGymnastics

Volleyball
www.twitter.com/utahvolleyball
www.utahvolleyball.blogspot.com

Football
www.twitter.com/KyleWhittingham

Skiing
www.twitter.com/utahskiteam

Men's Basketball
www.twitter.com/JimBoylen


Monday, June 1, 2009

Sportsmanship Discussion Comes to Front After Big Sports Weekend

Sports and competition bring out a range of emotions. It is always a fine balance between forcing your opponent into submission and also doing it in an honorable way... There was a LOT of discussion about sportsmanship this weekend after a couple of high profile events.

First, on Saturday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers were "upset" by the Orlando Magic in a rout in game 6. After the game Lebron James left the court without performing the customary congratulations and hand shakes...and then left the arena without attending the post-game press conference.

Then, on Sunday in France, Rafael Nadal lost in the 4th round of the French Open to Sweden's Robin Soderling. It marked Nadal's first loss ever at the French Open after 4 straight titles and an incredible 31-match win streak. Nadal was gracious after the match.

Click here to see a couple of minutes from the press conference.

Diane Pucin wrote a strong opinion in the L.A. Times contrasting the two...Click here to read.

In our sport, it is traditional that both teams shake hands after the game...

What should be our expectations after a tough loss for athletes? What qualifies as good sportsmanship?