In a Blog a few months back, I asked our readers--all 4 of them--what is better......World Cup or Champions League? Most--believe me--said 'Champions League'. World Cup is GREAT, don't get me wrong; but Champions League is a competition where teams that train together and play together week-in, week-out play against other top teams in the world who train and play together week-in, week-out.
Yesterday Champions League returned and it was great. The Paris St Germain v Chelsea match was very entertaining and the Bayern v Shaktar match was equally riveting. Thanks to FOX Soccer for winning the Champions League TV bid! Be sure to watch these Champions League matches coming up. Great Football/Soccer!
Let me take a minute to thank my dear friend, Greg Deutsch, for inviting me to sit on the 'Panel' during the recent Cincinnati CUP Annual College Showcase event last weekend. Each year the CUP Club hosts a College Recruiting symposium for college-bound players and parents the night before the Showcase. College Coaches from all Divisions (NCAA D1, D2, D3, ad NAIA) give recruiting presentations and answer commonly asked questions about the recruiting and college selection process--all moderated by Greg, who is the CUP Director of College recruiting and placement (in addition to coaching a team and GKs for the Club)--in an open forum setting. My part in the whole thing was to share with the potential collegiate players and parents the 'real story' about playing in college. What a lot of kids don't realize is that playing college soccer is a daily grind and a daily job that takes up huge amounts of time--particularly during the Fall season. At the same time, playing a college sport is a life experience that the vast number of college students are not privy to. I hope I didn't come on too strong, and I hope I didn't scare any potential collegians, but I have always felt that kids need to have some idea of what they are getting into.
Anyway.....many thanks to Greg and Cincinnati CUP for inviting me, and more importantly, for providing a badly need service to young players with aspirations to play in college. Playing in college is hard. And as Tom Hanks says in 'League of Their Own', "Of course it's hard. It's supposed to hard. If it was easy, everyone could do it. It's the Hard that makes it Great." (Or something like that). More Clubs across the US should have a 'College Night' or 2 for their players. Do it!
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the other team shoot everything right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
All the Best--EV
Yesterday Champions League returned and it was great. The Paris St Germain v Chelsea match was very entertaining and the Bayern v Shaktar match was equally riveting. Thanks to FOX Soccer for winning the Champions League TV bid! Be sure to watch these Champions League matches coming up. Great Football/Soccer!
Let me take a minute to thank my dear friend, Greg Deutsch, for inviting me to sit on the 'Panel' during the recent Cincinnati CUP Annual College Showcase event last weekend. Each year the CUP Club hosts a College Recruiting symposium for college-bound players and parents the night before the Showcase. College Coaches from all Divisions (NCAA D1, D2, D3, ad NAIA) give recruiting presentations and answer commonly asked questions about the recruiting and college selection process--all moderated by Greg, who is the CUP Director of College recruiting and placement (in addition to coaching a team and GKs for the Club)--in an open forum setting. My part in the whole thing was to share with the potential collegiate players and parents the 'real story' about playing in college. What a lot of kids don't realize is that playing college soccer is a daily grind and a daily job that takes up huge amounts of time--particularly during the Fall season. At the same time, playing a college sport is a life experience that the vast number of college students are not privy to. I hope I didn't come on too strong, and I hope I didn't scare any potential collegians, but I have always felt that kids need to have some idea of what they are getting into.
Anyway.....many thanks to Greg and Cincinnati CUP for inviting me, and more importantly, for providing a badly need service to young players with aspirations to play in college. Playing in college is hard. And as Tom Hanks says in 'League of Their Own', "Of course it's hard. It's supposed to hard. If it was easy, everyone could do it. It's the Hard that makes it Great." (Or something like that). More Clubs across the US should have a 'College Night' or 2 for their players. Do it!
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the other team shoot everything right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
All the Best--EV