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The Lastest Blog By Sliders http://www.powerbar.com:80/blog/Sliders.aspx Lastest Blog By Sliders en Fitness for Soccer http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/13013/Fitness_for_Soccer.aspx 10/1/2011 A Soplight Guide to Suppliments http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/11184/A_Soplight_Guide_to_Suppliments.aspx 6/15/2011 Advertisement

By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.

A "supplement" by definition is something you would take in addition to whatever you would eat or drink in the course of your normal diet.

Examples of supplements can range from commonly used and safe substances such as multivitamins, to generally safe performance improving substances such as creatine, and then to unsafe items such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

There is another class of substances beyond these called Performance Enhancing Drugs, which include anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. And yet another type of abused drug would include medications that are prescribed for proper medical reasons but are then abused and used in inappropriate ways.

Ritalin, commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is reported to improve focus or cope with jet lag in athletes.

For the purposes of this post I would like to focus on substances that typically would not require a prescription. Unfortunately, that does not mean they are all safe, and in fact the most dangerous substances are surprisingly easy to obtain in your local community or on the Internet. One of the biggest problems is that the supplement industry is unregulated so it is very difficult for the person using the supplement to be sure of the quality. Some supplements can contain a number of very unsafe ingredients.

Many young athletes are using and experimenting with substances supposedly useful to increase strength and muscle mass, improve endurance, and give them an edge on the competition. The pressures to use measures to improve sports performance are significant, and I expect these pressures only to increase as the years go by.

So let’s take a practical approach to supplements and let me provide a very simple “stoplight” guide to common supplements.

Generally Safe Supplements Used For Dietary and Nutritional Support
Most of these items would be safe for young athletes to use but there may be some instances where it would be wise to check first with your physician before use. For example, it’s possible to take too many multivitamins, too much protein powder, or eat a protein bar containing nuts when you have a peanut allergy. There’s evidence that taking a daily children’s multivitamin is a good idea for most kids.

* Daily multivitamin.
* Calcium.
* Sports drinks containing protein and multivitamins.
* Protein powders (obtain from a nationally reputable supplier).
* Fruit smoothies with protein boost or vitamin supplement

Probably Safe Supplements For Muscle Recovery and Increased Energy
In this category I would include creatine, used for muscle recovery and muscle mass gains; and naturally occurring stimulants such as caffeine, guarana, some B-vitamins, and kola nut.

Let me first be clear on one thing: there is no published credible research on the safety of creatine in adolescents or teens. Having said that, most trainers and physicians who take care of young athletes generally report that there are no “serious” side effects from creatine use, but stomach upset, dehydration, and muscle cramping are fairly common. Creatine use is probably fine, but check with your child’s physician before starting use.

Caffeine is another substance that falls into this intermediate category. Caffeine is found naturally in more than 60 plants and of course it’s found in coffee and sodas. For adults there is an upper limit on the amount of caffeine legally allowed in competitions such as the Olympics but again, we have no established limits for caffeine use in adolescents or teenagers.

Caffeine is a tough substance to avoid because it’s found in so many things so the best you can do is to read labels and use as little as possible.

Unsafe Supplements - Definitely Avoid
This category includes substances for which we have solid medical evidence of potential harm from use. I would also place prescription medications being used for reasons other than they were prescribed here.

For example, using Ritalin to improve focus or concentration in an adolescent without ADHD, or using an asthma inhaler to improve airway opening in a teen without asthma could lead to very serious health consequences.

What follows is just a tiny list of the most commonly abused substances. Literally hundreds of “performance enhancing drugs” and other substances are on banned substance list of most organized competitions. Most professional sports league, the Olympics, and the NCAA have strict screening and penalties for illegal substance use, and some state High School associations are also starting random drug screening. If you have any question at all check with your physician but you should avoid all of these:

* Anabolic steroids.
* Human Growth Hormone.
* Androstenedione (Andro).
* Ephedrine, pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), ephedra (Ma Huang).
* 19-norandrostenedione (19-Nor).
* DHEA (dihydroepiandrostenedione).
* Ritalin for use in individuals without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
* Asthma inhalers in non-asthmatics.

(Dev K. Mishra is the creator of the SidelineSportsDoc.com injury management program for coaches. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley. This article first appeared on SidelineSportsDoc.com.)]]> Methods for maximizing flexibility http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/10969/Methods_for_maximizing_flexibility.aspx 6/1/2011 Advertisement

By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.

We tend to think of young athletes as naturally flexible but in truth athletes of all ages can improve performance for sports by maximizing flexibility. In very simplistic terms, think of your muscles and tendons as elastic structures like rubber bands.

A stretchy rubber band is generally capable of greater motion and power than a cold, stiff rubber band. You want your muscles and tendons to be as long and flexible as possible, which usually leads to better strength, power, speed, agility, and even lower injury rates.

But there is considerable debate about what the “best” and safest method is to improve flexibility for young athletes. Back in the 1960s and 1970s we started every practice session with a series of stretch-and-hold moves (called “static stretches”), and then went on to activities involving movement. But over the past several years the pendulum has moved the other way. It’s now known that “flexibility” is much better and safer through exercises done with movement, called “dynamic stretching.” We also know that it’s harmful to stretch a cold muscle.

Here are some general guidelines for dynamic stretching that can be useful in most sports and age groups:

1. Start with a 3-5 minute easy jog. The purpose of this part of your activity is to get the body warmed up and reduce risk of injury. As I said above, don’t move to stretches without doing a warm-up first.

Depending on the sport and your environment you could also do a line-to-line jog, a lateral shuttle run, and backward running.

1. Move next into dynamic stretching. There are many, many different types of dynamic stretches. Coaches of different sports will have their favorites for their sport, so what is outlined here is a very general guideline:

A. Straight-leg marching -- for hamstrings and glutes.
B. Butt-kicks -- for quadriceps.
C. Forward shuffle with hip rotation -- for groin/adductors.
D. Scorpion cross-over stretch lying on your back -- for lower back and hip abductors.
E. Handwalks -- for shoulders, core abdominals.

If you’d like to see some photos of a simple version of dynamic stretching for adults take a look at the Core Performance website. The folks at Core Performance refer to this phase as Movement Preparation and you can get a good idea of the types of movements we’re talking about above. (I have no relationship with Core Performance, I just really like what they do.) For soccer players, I highly recommend the Santa Monica Sports Medicine PEP program.

And finally, old-fashioned static (stretch and hold position) stretches can be done as part of the cool-down after activity.

Static stretches haven’t disappeared completely, they just come at the end of the training session rather than right at the beginning. There are literally hundreds of ways to do static stretching, and many sport-specific stretches. Here’s a bare minimum of stretches that target most of the muscle groups. For each of these you want the kids to hold for about 30 seconds and do 2 or 3 repetitions of each stretch.

1. Upper-body stretches
A. Across body shoulder stretch
B. Triceps back-scratcher stretch
C. Lower back stretch
i. Rocking on all fours
D. Lower body stretches
i. Calf/Achilles stretch
ii. Quadriceps stretch -- standing
iii. Figure four hamstring stretch
iv. Inner thigh/adductor stretch
v. Hip flexor stretch

Right now you might be saying “this would be a lot better with pictures and more detailed descriptions …” And you're right! So I encourage you to take a look at Core Performance and the PEP program.

(Dev K. Mishra is the creator of the SidelineSportsDoc.com injury management program for coaches. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley. This article first appeared on SidelineSportsDoc.com.)]]> Article Posted for Female Athletes: Top 10 Reasons Heavy Weights Don’t Bulk Up the Female Athlete http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/10855/Article_Posted_for_Female_Athletes_Top_10_Reasons_Heavy_Weights_Don’t_Bulk_Up_the_Female_Athlete.aspx 5/19/2011 www.EliteFTS.com

David Adamson and I were driving to the IPA Nationals this past weekend talking training (yeah we’re pretty passionate about what we do) when the subject of training women with heavy weights came up. I’m in my ninth year at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as the head strength and conditioning coach, and David has been in strength and conditioning for three years. This is a subject we deal with every year regardless of how much training information is available to the public. The best way to get information is to go to the source. So we asked Sarah Walls, another strength and conditioning coach at VCU. Sarah is also a writer for Muscle and Fitness Hers, a former figure competitor, and a women’s tri-fitness competitor—not to mention a strong female athlete who isn’t bulked up. Therefore, she has a great perspective on the subject. We, being a good team, put our heads together to find a way to combat this never-ending dilemma. Our way of doing that is through education. And, only one answer to a question is never enough. If you know your job well, then you know that there is more than one way to skin a cat. So we came up with the following list: 1. Women do not have nearly as much testosterone as men. In fact, according to Bill Kreamer in Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, women have about 15 to 20 times less testosterone than men. Testosterone is the reason men are men and women are women. After men hit puberty, they grow facial hair, their voice deepens, and they develop muscle mass. Because men have more testosterone, they are much more equipped to gain muscle. Because women do not have very much testosterone in their bodies, they will never be able to get as big as men. 2. The perception that women will bulk up when they begin a strength training program comes from the chemically-altered women on the covers of bodybuilding magazines. These “grocery stand models” are most likely pumped full of some extra juice. This is why they look like men. If you take the missing link that separates men from women and add it back in, what do you have? A man! 3. For women, toning is what happens when the muscle is developed through training. This is essentially bodybuilding without testosterone. Since the testosterone is not present in sufficient amounts, the muscle will develop, but it won’t gain a large amount of mass. The “toned” appearance comes from removing the fat that is covering a well-developed muscle. 4. Muscle bulk comes from a high volume of work. The repetition range that most women would prefer to do (8–20 reps) promotes hypertrophy (muscle growth). For example, a bodybuilding program will have three exercises per body part. For the chest, they will do flat bench for three sets of 12, incline for three sets of 12, and decline bench for three sets of 12. This adds up to 108 total repetitions. A program geared towards strength will have one exercise for the chest—flat bench for six sets of three with progressively heavier weight. This equals 18 total repetitions. High volume (108 reps) causes considerable muscle damage, which in turn, results in hypertrophy. The considerably lower volume (18 reps) will build more strength and cause minimal bulking. 5. Heavy weights will promote strength not size. This has been proven time and time again. When lifting weights over 85 percent, the primary stress imposed upon the body is placed on the nervous system, not on the muscles. Therefore, strength will improve by a neurological effect while not increasing the size of the muscles. And, according to Zatsiorsky and Kreamer in Science and Practice of Strength Training, women need to train with heavy weights not only to strengthen the muscles but also to cause positive adaptations in the bones and connective tissues. 6. Bulking up is not an overnight process. Many women think they will start lifting weights, wake up one morning, and say “Holy shi_! I’m huge!” This doesn’t happen. The men that you see who have more muscle than the average person have worked hard for a long time (years) to get that way. If you bulk up overnight, contact us because we want to do what you’re doing. 7. What the personal trainer is prescribing is not working. Many female athletes come into a new program and say they want to do body weight step-ups, body weight lunges, and leg extensions because it’s what their personal trainer back home had them do. However, many of these girls need to look in a mirror and have a reality check because their trainer’s so-called magical toning exercises are not working. Trainers will hand out easy workouts and tell people they work because they know that if they make the program too hard the client will complain. And, if the client is complaining, there’s a good chance the trainer might lose that client (a client to a trainer equals money). 8. Bulking up is calorie dependant. This means if you eat more than you are burning, you will gain weight. If you eat less than you are burning, you will lose weight. Unfortunately, most female athletes perceive any weight gain as “bulking up” and do not give attention to the fact that they are simply getting fatter. As Todd Hamer, a strength and conditioning coach at George Mason University said, “Squats don’t bulk you up. It’s the ten beers a night that bulk you up.” This cannot be emphasized enough. If you’re a female athlete and training with heavy weights (or not), you need to watch what you eat. Let’s be real—the main concern that female athletes have when coming to their coach about gaining weight is not their performance but aesthetics. If you choose to ignore this fact as a coach, you will lose your athletes! 9. The freshman 15 is not caused by strength training. It is physiologically impossible to gain 15 lbs of muscle in only a few weeks unless you are on performance enhancing drugs. Yes the freshman 15 can come on in only a few weeks. This becomes more complex when an athlete comes to a new school, starts a new training program, and also has a considerable change in her diet (i.e. only eating one or two times per day in addition to adding 6–8 beers per evening for 2–4 evenings per week). They gain fat weight, get slower, and then blame the strength program. Of course, strength training being the underlying cause is the only reasonable answer for weight gain. The fact that two meals per day has slowed the athlete’s metabolism down to almost zero and then the multiple beers added on top of that couldn’t have anything to do with weight gain...it must be the lifting. 10. Most of the so-called experts are only experts on how to sound like they know what they are talking about. The people who “educate” female athletes on training and nutrition have no idea what they’re talking about. Let’s face it—how many people do you know who claim to “know a thing or two about lifting and nutrition?” Now, how many people do you know who actually know what they’re talking about, have lived the life, dieted down to make a weight class requirement, or got on stage at single digit body fat? Invariably, these so-called experts are also the people who blame their gut on poor genetics. These so-called experts are the reason you see so many women doing sets of 10 with a weight they could do 20 or 30 times. They are being told by the experts that this is what it takes to “tone” the muscles. Instead, they are only wasting their time doing an exercise with a weight that is making no contribution to the fitness levels or the development of the muscle. In case you haven’t figured it out by this point in the article, what is currently being done in fitness clubs to help female athletes tone their bodies is not working. It’s not helping these women get toned, and it is definitely not helping improve athletic performance. Maybe it’s time for a change. Contrary to the ineffective light weights currently being used, heavy weights offer many benefits for women including improved body composition, stronger muscles, decreased injury rate, and stronger bones (which helps prevent osteoporosis). Let’s try lifting some heavy weights and controlling our diet and watch this logical, science-based solution make the difference we’ve been looking for. Tim Kontos is in his ninth year as the strength and conditioning coach for Virginia Commonwealth University athletes. A certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Kontos designs, implements, and supervises all strength, speed, and agility programs for all the VCU athletic programs. David Adamson is in his second year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for VCU. He is directly responsible for program design and implementation for men’s and women’s track and field, women’s cross country, and field hockey. Prior to coming to VCU, David worked at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Arizona State University, and Winona State University. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and in 2006, he received his masters in sport leadership from VCU. Sarah Walls is in her first year with the Rams’ strength and conditioning staff as a graduate assistant working with men’s and women’s soccer, golf, and men’s cross-country. Graduating magna c** laude, she earned a bachelor’s of science degree from Virginia Tech in 2003. Since graduation, she has spent time working at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in the strength department. While there, Sarah worked with women’s tennis, men’s tennis, men’s volleyball, and men’s soccer. At the same time, she also worked for LifeTime Fitness and helped manage and develop innovative training programs. In addition, she is a contributing writer for the magazine, Muscle and Fitness HERS. Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com. ]]> Fueling the young athlete http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/10776/Fueling_the_young_athlete.aspx 5/10/2011 Fueling the young athlete: How much water and when to drink it By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.

Water seems to have gotten a bad rap lately. It used to be perfectly acceptable to drink water during sports events, but nowadays it seems that there is a big push toward flavored waters and so-called "sports drinks."

Human bodies are about 60% water. Drinking water is critical for all human beings to stay healthy, and water overall is probably more important than food for survival. In average conditions an adult human being can go without water for about 3 to 5 days but can survive without food for much longer. The need for water consumption goes up with exercise and also increases with hot or cold climates. Every part of the human body is dependent on water for proper function.

Sports drinks and juices do provide hydration, but water is still generally the healthiest option for exercise lasting less than 60 to 90 minutes because it lacks the calories and additives of the other drinks. Sports drinks* may be more effective for longer duration exercise because they contain electrolytes that are lost with intense sweating.

Research shows that adolescents and teenagers get less water than any other age group. A good portion of an adolescent’s "diet" consists of soda and foods containing a large amount of processed sugars, fat or salt, which have little if any nutritional value. Drinking water before a meal can curb the desire to overeat, and by substituting water for empty-calorie soda will literally save hundreds of useless calories in the overweight child or adolescent's diet.

Young athletes face the risk of dehydration and heat related illness if they do not replace the water that is lost through sweat. Many pediatricians recommend that every child should drink half of their total body weight in ounces of water each day. For instance, the average 6-year-old weighing 46 pounds should drink about 3 cups of water or 23 ounces in the course of the day. Sports participation increases the body’s need to consume water.

For athletes, one of the keys is to begin hydrating well before your planned exercise or game session. There is yet another formula for hydrating before exercise. The general recommendation is for young athletes to begin hydrating themselves about two hours before exercise by having 1 ounce of water for every 10 pounds of their body weight. This can all get very confusing.

So here are some practical tips about drinking water that should be a bit easier to remember.

* The young athlete should have 12-16 ounces of fluid up until about 30 minutes before a game or practice (remember that most water and sports drinks come in 20-ounce bottles).

* Keep sipping water during the practice or match.

* Start re-hydrating within 20 minutes of the conclusion of the practice or game. Research shows that the first 20 minutes are the most efficient time to start refueling. Try to take in 20 ounces within this window of time.

There are also many excellent sports drinks available that will provide hydration. Some advantages of sports drinks are better taste, and also the ability to replace electrolytes that are lost during sweat. But for most shorter duration sports events water will do just fine. Water is cheaper than a sports drink, and it has proved effective literally for millions of years.

]]> Soccer: How To Get Playing Time in High School or College http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/10742/Soccer_How_To_Get_Playing_Time_in_High_School_or_College.aspx 5/5/2011 All components of the playing time decision are based upon the players’ ability to meet the competitive demands of the game and our immediate competition. Soccer is changing very quickly and the demands of the game change as well. Those who adjust their playing habits will play. Considerations for Playing Time; 1. Academics - eligible and consistent 2. Mental – attitude, concentration, clarity 3. Physical – energy, competitive fitness 4. Ability – technical soundness 5. Chemistry – harmony with teammates and system 6. Opposition – how do you/our team match up 7. Situation/Circumstances – injury, home vs. away, hometown, etc. Coaches Evaluate Players In; 1. Practice/Training – direct observation 2. Games – direct observation 3. Team Activities – direct observation 4. Academics – direct and indirect observation 5. Personal Life – direct and indirect observation 6. Community – direct and indirect observation PT – why do certain athletes play? 1. Ready and Steady – players earn and keep their positions through consistency 2. Bright and Promising Future – players gain experience 3. Injury to Other Players 4. Burst of Inspiration – coaches have a “gut” feeling/hunch 5. No Contest – playing an inferior team 6. Shake It Up – trying something new/team chemistry is a problem 7. Time of Season – getting close to playoffs ]]> The Best Food for a Young Athlete http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/10661/The_Best_Food_for_a_Young_Athlete.aspx 5/2/2011 By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.  

Here’s a revelation: eat the least processed food you can find.

Right, that’s not a revelation. You’ve heard it before but it’s not an easy thing to do when feeding the typical American teenage athlete. But it can be done, especially if you try to stick to the 80/20 rule that I’ll outline below.

There are a lot of different diets and recommendations around but the number of choices is very confusing, and frankly, I’m not sure all of them are safe for young athletes. What we’re trying to do with a young athlete is make them as healthy as possible to improve their sport performance -- but more importantly I believe that we can set them up with good habits for a lifetime of healthy eating.

What I’m talking about here is eating as close to natural and minimally processed foods as possible. Some nutritionists call this “eating close to the ground” and other call it “eating clean,” etc., and it means stepping back to the old days of eating the most nutrient-packed and least processed foods you can find.

It means shopping on the edges of the grocery store and not down the middle of the store in the pre-packaged frozen foods section. The nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in natural foods will almost always lead to an improved health profile, improved performance, decreased body fat if the child is overweight, and increased energy levels.

  Examples of good food choices for the young athlete
It’s hard shopping for young athletes because they can be pretty set in their ways and are heavily influenced by their friends -- who may be eating poorly. Here are just a few examples of what you should aim for in the food choices:

  Fruits and Vegetables

Apples, bananas, berries, kiwis, oranges
Dried fruits as snacks
100 percent fruit smoothies from places like Jamba Juice
Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collard
Beans and lentils
Avocado

Meat, Fish, Nuts, and Dairy

Lean meats: chicken, turkey, lean beef
Fish: tuna, salmon
Nuts: almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pecans, cashews
Dairy: low fat milk, low fat yogurt, eggs

  Bread, Cereal, and Grains

Bread: 100% whole wheat or whole grain, rye, sourdough
High fiber cereal such as Kashi or Cheerios.
Oatmeal
Couscous

Let’s get real, kids will be kids: the 80/20 rule 
The guidelines above represent the ideal situations but the practical matter is that it’s impossible to have a young athlete follow these suggestions all the time. That’s where the 80/20 rule comes into play.

The 80/20 rule means that 80 percent of the time you stick with the healthy eating rules and 20 percent of the time you’re allowed to “cheat” and stray from the ideal. When one of your teammates has a birthday and cupcakes are the post-game “snack”-- go for it and enjoy it with your friends! Having a (very) occasional burger, fries, and soda? OK, then do the best you can with your other meals that week.

Be realistic and do the best you can, when you can. You’ll live a healthier life for the effort and it will allow you to perform at your best during games.

  (Dev K. Mishra is the founder of SidelineSportsDoc.com, where this article first appeared. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley.)
]]> BOXX goes first, Marta third! http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2771/BOXX_goes_first,_Marta_third.aspx 2/6/2010
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (February 4, 2010) -- Women’s Professional Soccer held its dispersal draft today for players’ rights previously held by the Los Angeles Sol, whose operations were discontinued last Thursday, January 28. Saint Louis Athletica, which traded several players to the Atlanta Beat to gain the first pick in the dispersal draft used its selection to draft WPS All-Star Shannon Boxx, the Sol’s captain and one of the world’s best holding midfielders. With the second selection, the Philadelphia Independence then selected goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who led the league in shutouts in 2009 with 12 clean sheets. The San Francisco Bay Area team, FC Gold Pride, then selected Marta, WPS’s Michelle Akers Player of the Year last year, with the third pick. Marta was a 2009 WPS All-Star, led the league with 10 goals and was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in December for a record fourth time. Other first round selections in the dispersal draft included two first round selections from the 2010 WPS Draft (college draft) with North Carolina’s Casey Nogueira and Nikki Washington going to the Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC, respectively. The Boston Breakers picked up veteran defender Stephanie Cox with the fifth pick, while the Washington Freedom grabbed one of last year’s top rookies, Brittany Bock with the seventh selection. Closing out the first round, Saint Louis Athletica picked up another WPS All-Star and midfielder Aya Miyama. Several trades took place in the second round with the Bay Area’s FC Gold Pride trading up to the 13th slot to select forward Kiki Bosio, giving Chicago Red Stars their 14th selection in the dispersal draft and the FC Gold Pride’s 2nd round selection in the 2011 WPS Draft. The Red Stars then traded away that 14th selection to Saint Louis for the Athletica’s 2nd round selection in the 2011 WPS Draft. The Athletica used the 14th selection to pick up midfielder Tina DiMartino. Several teams passed on their selections in the third round. WPS Dispersal Draft (player rights held by the Los Angeles Sol)

Round 1
1.    Shannon Boxx, M – Saint Louis Athletica *
2.    Karina LeBlanc, GK – Philadelphia Independence
3.    Marta, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4.    Casey Nogueira, F – Chicago Red Stars
5.    Stephanie Cox, D – Boston Breakers
6.    Nikki Washington, M – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7.    Brittany Bock, D – Washington Freedom
8.    Aya Miyama, M – Saint Louis Athletica
Round 2
9.    Manya Makoski, M – Atlanta Beat
10.    Faith Ikidi, D/F – Washington Freedom
11.    Kiersten Dallstream, F – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12.    Michelle Enyeart, F – Boston Breakers
13.    Kiki Bosio, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) ^
14.    Tina DiMartino, M – Saint Louis Athletica #
15.    Estelle Johnson, D – Philadelphia Independence
16.    Pavlina Scasna, F – Atlanta Beat
Round 3
17.    Pass – Atlanta Beat
18.    Pass – Philadelphia Independence
19.    Lindsay Browne, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20.    Pass – Chicago Red Stars
21.    Pass – Boston Breakers
22.    Pass – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23.    Pass – Washington Freedom
24.    Catherine Sorenson, M – Saint Louis Athletica
* via trade with Atlanta Beat (trade prior to draft)
^ via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives FC Gold Pride's 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
# via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives Saint Louis Athletica's 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft) NOTE: Mary Casey, GK, is now a free agent; Midfielder Julie Rydahl Bukh’s WPS rights have been released.
About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with eight teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions. In 2010, eight teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including six original WPS teams – Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and Washington Freedom – and two expansion teams Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the 2010 WPS Playoffs scheduled for September 19-26. For more information, visit the WPS official website at http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ or follow all the news at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer. ]]> USA Clinches Berth at World Championship http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2724/USA_Clinches_Berth_at_World_Championship.aspx 1/29/2010 The United States, which won the 2008 Under-20 Women's World Cup, got goals from Boston College's Kristie Mewis off Stanford defender Rachel Quon's cross and Stanford's Teresa Noyola (free kick from 23 yards) to move into Sunday's final of the Concacaf qualifying tournament against Mexico, a 1-0 winner over defending Concacaf champion Canada in the other semifinal.
The Ticas had their chances in the first half, however. Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno's free kick skipped off the top side of the crossbar and Katherine Alvarado's free kick hit the left post.
"First, we are thrilled to be going to the World Cup," said U.S. coach Jill Ellis. "I thought we had a better second half; we won more 50-50 balls and we kept better possession of the ball. We raised our level in the second half, which is what we needed to do, and the players responded well. It was a bit unfortunate to give up a goal but I think the players are happy to be moving on."
Costa Rica's lone goal came in the 77th minute from Vasquez Cedeno.
Jan. 28 in Guatemala City USA 2 Costa Rica 1. Goals: USA - K.Mewis (Quon) 60th minute USA - Noyola 71th CRC - Rodriguez Cedeno (Aguilar) 77th Lineups: USA -- Henninger, Quon, Dunn, Pressley, DiMartino, K.Mewis, Richmond (Brooks, 46), Nairn, Noyola, Leroux, McCarty (Bywaters, 57). Costa Rica -- Tapia, Cruz, Ugalde (Alvarado, 29), Quiros, Alvarado, Rodriguez Vasquez, Rodriguez, Sanchez, Vargas (Aguilar, 61), Venegas (Moreira, 67), Rodriguez Cedeno. Referee: Arlene Troya (Panama). ]]> US Soccer - Behind the Scenes http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2703/US_Soccer_-_Behind_the_Scenes.aspx 1/26/2010 http://www.youtube.com/user/ussoccerdotcom?blend=1&ob=4&rclk=cth]]> US Women's Roster Chosen http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2646/US_Womens_Roster_Chosen.aspx 1/18/2010 Jan. 8, 2010 © Robin Nordlund/U.S. Soccer

IN THE IMAGE: Head coach Pia Sundhage USA to Gear Up for Annual Trip to Algarve Cup in Portugal
Where Americans Will Face Iceland, Norway and Sweden in Group Play
CHICAGO (Jan. 7, 2009) – U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has called in 26 players for an extended 20-day training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., running from Jan. 17 through Feb. 4. The camp will give Sundhage a final look at the core of her current player pool before selecting an 18-player roster for the annual Algarve Cup in Portugal.

The USA has been grouped this year with Iceland, Norway and Sweden in the tournament that will run from Feb. 24 through March 3, a week earlier than it is traditionally staged. Germany, Finland, China and Denmark will also be participating. The matches in Portugal will be the first international games of the year for the U.S. women, who went 7-0-1 in 2009 and currently sit atop the FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Sundhage used 29 players during the eight matches in 2009.

The USA will get the unique opportunity to scrimmage the Korea Republic Women’s National Team twice during the camp, on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. The Koreans are training in Southern California for three weeks and will also play two games against the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team, which is in camp at The Home Depot Center from Jan. 13-20. Like the USA, the Koreans also started a women’s professional soccer league last year.

Of the 24 players Sundhage called for the team’s December 2009 camp at The Home Depot Center, 22 return to California for the three-week “pre-season.” The new additions are veteran defender Stephanie Cox (55 caps), midfielder Tobin Heath, the 2009 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year who was sidelined from the December camp with an injury, goalkeeper Jillian Loyden, Hope Solo’s back-up for St. Louis Athletica, and U.S. Under-23 defender Brittany Taylor.

Loyden, who was recently named goalkeeper of the year in Australia’s W-League where she was on loan to the Central Coast Mariners during the WPS off-season, is the only player in camp receiving her first-ever call-up, although six players in camp are uncapped. Lloyden played in three WPS matches for Athletica last season.

Sundhage’s roster features 19 WPS players, six players who should be high picks in the upcoming WPS Draft and one who is a college junior in California Golden Bear forward Alex Morgan, one of the USA’s stars at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Midfielder Christine Nairn, who was at the December camp, was not called in for January as she recently finished a training camp with the U.S. U-20s, who are preparing for CONCACAF qualifying to be held later this month in Guatemala. The Americans will be looking to earn a berth to the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.

The roster includes the usual group of veterans, led by U.S. captain Lori Chalupny, midfielder Shannon Boxx and forward Abby Wambach, who is the USA’s active leading scorer with 101 career goals. The roster also includes veterans Carli Lloyd (85 caps), Heather Mitts (104), Heather O’Reilly (116), Hope Solo (85) and Cat Whitehill, who with 130 caps is just one behind Wambach, the most-capped player in camp.

The USA’s college seniors will all be attached to WPS clubs by the time they arrive at camp as the WPS Draft is set for Friday, Jan. 15 at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, Pa. Forwards Lauren Cheney and Kelley O’Hara, Heath and midfielder/forward Casey Nogueira are widely considered to be first round picks while goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and Taylor are sure to follow quickly.

The USA will be participating in the Algarve Cup for the 13th consecutive year and 15th time overall. Last year, the USA fell in the championship game to Sweden after penalty kicks but have won the tournament six times. The USA’s group match with Sweden this year at the Algarve Cup will mark the third time Sundhage has faced her home country while coaching the Americans. The U.S. defeated Sweden, 1-0, in Skelleftea in 2008 before last year’s meeting in the Algarve Cup Final. U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION Full Roster Listing
GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jillian Loyden (St. Louis Athletica), Alyssa Naeher (Penn State), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)
DEFENDERS (8): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Stephanie Cox (Los Angeles Sol), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Brittany Taylor (UConn), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Tobin Heath (UNC), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)
FORWARDS (7): Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Ella Masar (Chicago Red Stars), Alex Morgan (California), Casey Nogueira (UNC), Kelley O’Hara (Stanford), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom) U.S. Women's National Team Staff:
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage (Charlotte, N.C.)
Asst. Coach: Hege Riise (Charlotte, N.C.)
Asst. Coach: Erica Walsh (State College, Pa.)
Goalkeeper Coach: Paul Rogers (St. Louis, Mo.)
General Manager: Cheryl Bailey (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Athletic Trainer: Cody Malley (Apex, N.C.)
Athletic Trainer:  Hollie Walusz (Williamsburg, Va.)
Athletic Trainer: Rebecca Gutherie (Atlanta, Ga.)
Massage Therapist: Allison Griffith (Charleston, S.C.)
Massage Therapist: Raul Aparicio (Houston, Texas)
Equipment Manager: Andrew Dessert (Kansas City, Mo.)
Press Officer:  Aaron Heifetz (Cypress, Calif.)
]]> Donovan's debut with Everton a success!! http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2627/Donovans_debut_with_Everton_a_success.aspx 1/17/2010 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/everton/7004133/Everton-2-Manchester-City-0-match-report.html]]> Watching Soccer to Elevate Game Awareness http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2601/Watching_Soccer_to_Elevate_Game_Awareness.aspx 1/15/2010
It’s a Sunday afternoon, and the Central Square bar in Cambridge, Mass., is packed to the rafters. An hour before the game begins, a line about 40 people long is waiting to get in. These fans aren’t here to watch the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox or the Boston Celtics – they are here for the finals of soccer’s European Championship between Germany and Spain.

So can this be true? Have Americans finally started watching soccer now? What impact will this have on soccer in this country?

Not so fast. A few days ago, this same bar was barely half full for the semifinals of the same tournament. During the group stages, it would have been a treat if there were more than five people watching a game. I would know, as I had the luxury of taking three weeks off from work to watch all the games. But we are seemingly heading in the right direction, albeit slowly.

Of the 13 players in the U-12 girls travel team I coach, only four watched the finals. Two of them watched a few other games, but most of the other girls were not interested, even though I had provided them with a TV schedule and tried to entice them by offering a prize of a new soccer ball for the player who filled out a tournament bracket and had the most correct results.

I imagine this scenario is similar for most youth soccer teams around the nation. Of the 31 top-level games showcased at the European Championships, only about 10 to 20 percent of our youth players watched a maximum of maybe three or four games. This leads to the inevitable question:

“Do our young soccer players watch enough soccer to elevate us to the next level as a soccer-playing nation?”

The American Soccer Player
Most of our young soccer players are suburban youth who start playing as early as age 4 or 5. Most typically play on local in-town or travel teams. The better players move on and play for clubs, high schools and colleges. Our top youth players play a lot of soccer, as often as six times a week in structured settings of practice or games. However, our youth players spend little, if any, time watching top-level soccer. This developmental path leads to certain generic strengths and weaknesses in our player development.

In general, the strengths of the American soccer players are that they are athletic and technically sound and they have a terrific work ethic and team mentality. Brian McBride is the quintessential American player. His bloodied face during the 2006 World Cup conveys the image that most outsiders have of the typical American player – tough, strong and willing to play his heart out for the team.

On the flip side, two criticisms that often are leveled at most American players are that they lack creativity and tactical or game awareness. These development opportunities can be traced to two root causes. The first is the absence of “street soccer” in the United States. Recently, discussions at various levels of U.S. youth soccer have examined how promoting and incorporating the “street soccer” concept into our coaching philosophy can help address some of these deficiencies.

The other root cause is that most American soccer players and coaches do not watch enough soccer. This puts American players and coaches at a disadvantage compared with their counterparts around the world. They lack an understanding of the subtleties of the game and the tactical and creative edge that competitors from the top soccer-playing nations develop.

Why is watching soccer important?
Coaches have a limited time to teach the game – two to three hours a week of practice for a youth travel team, and a maximum of 10 hours a week for top youth players. Soccer players take their game to the next level by practicing on their own, by playing soccer with their friends outside the team environment and by watching the game.

Top players of any sport spend a lot of time during their formative years following a team or other top players. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant grew up watching Michael Jordan, who in turn watched Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Dominique Wilkins. Tom Brady grew up idolizing Joe Montana. Steven Gerrard, the current Liverpool captain, was an avid Liverpool fan who grew up watching the team play at Anfield whenever he could. He watched not only Liverpool stars such as Dalglish, Rush and Barnes, but also players from rival clubs such as Bryan Robson of archrival Manchester United. He watched old videos of all-time greats – Maradona, Pelé and Cryuff – and classic games like the 1986 World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany. All these experiences helped mold Gerrard into a world-class player.

Watching soccer regularly – especially having an idol or following a team – serves to inspire a young athlete to work harder in order to improve. This leads to more touches on the ball, whether in the backyard or with friends on a side street. In addition, these young players try to mimic, and eventually master the skills and techniques of their idols. Who better to demonstrate these skills and techniques than the best players in the world? Few coaches can demonstrate these skills and techniques as well as the top players. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo has taken Figo’s stepovers and cuts to a new level by executing them at a phenomenal speed and adding other subtle touches to beat defenders almost at will.

Watching their idols play also helps young players understand the mental aspect of the game. They can learn how to concentrate and keep focus throughout a game and how to keep their cool after being brought down by a bad tackle; they can maintain focus after making a mistake. (Unfortunately, some of the leading soccer players don’t control their emotions well or contrive to cheat and deceive by diving. These actions serve as a bad example for younger players, but that is a topic for another discussion.)

Finally, by watching the game, young soccer players can start processing and internalizing the subtleties of the game, such as how to break an offside trap with a through ball from midfield to a forward making a late penetrating run behind the defense. They can learn tactical nuances and build game awareness by learning how to play in different scenarios. When they are up 1-0 on a w** pitch or down 2-1 with 15 minutes left to play, they will know how to respond without having to depend on their coach for instructions or guidance.

The key point is that we must develop soccer players that can think critically about the game. As coaches, many of us can run practice sessions focused on specific tactics and game situations. But unless players can think critically and independently in the midst of a game, these sessions won’t be effective in terms of solidifying tactical understanding and building game awareness in young soccer players.

As a nation, Americans play soccer mostly with our feet and our hearts, but not with our brains. We need to develop soccer players who start engaging their soccer brains more. Watching more soccer can help fill this missing ingredient in the makeup of soccer players.

Current State and Gap Analysis
In the past 10 years, U.S. soccer has made great strides. The Men’s National Team has gained respectability around the world and is a strong second-tier team. We don’t have the same level of consistency and talent as the top European or South American countries, but the U.S. team is capable of upsetting a top opponent. The Women’s National Team remains one of the top teams, although nations such as Germany, Brazil, China and North Korea appear to have caught up.

Still, most of our youth players don’t watch soccer frequently and don’t follow a team. Chart A illustrates our “current state” and the “gap” with the other top men’s teams around the world.

The bottom axis (x-axis) depicts how much soccer is watched by the youth players in a particular country, ranging from players who are not interested in watching soccer (level 1) to avid fans (level 5).

The left side axis (y-axis) depicts the overall soccer playing ability of selected nations. Each nation was placed into one of three tiers (top, second and third) based on FIFA rankings.

There are two key takeaways. First: Players in most countries watch more soccer than our players, regardless of playing ability. Second: most players in the top-tier nations such as Brazil, England and Germany watch a lot of soccer. The implication of this second point is huge. As a nation, we have a solid structure in place to foster the development of soccer. However, until we address and overcome this issue of getting our players to watch more soccer, (and move up the chart as indicated by the dashed arrow) we will be unlikely to produce enough top-class players to compete consistently with the top-tier countries.

What are the challenges to getting American players to watch top-level soccer?
Soccer has grown in leaps and bounds in America, but it still is not considered a mainstream sport. It competes with at least four other major team sports – American football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey – in addition to other sports like lacrosse, track and field, tennis, field hockey and swimming. Furthermore, our youth’s attention and time is also taken by video games, television, the Internet and other interests such as music and theater (not to mention a packed scholastic schedule). Finally, a sentiment remains prevalent among most Americans that soccer is too slow and boring. There aren’t enough goals. Even most of our college-level soccer players aren’t interested in watching more than highlights or goals.

How can we get youth players to watch more top-level soccer?
Existing conditions can be leveraged to persuade players to watch more top-level soccer. The first boom generation of soccer players – those that played high school and college soccer in the middle to late 1980s – have children who are of soccer playing age now. Those parents can promote soccer in their communities and encourage kids to watch soccer.

Technology also can play a role. Text messaging, the Internet and social networking websites (e.g. Facebook) can be effective viral marketing tools to reach out to and influence youth soccer players.

Looking to the future
At the youth level, interest and popularity of the game continues to grow, translating into marked increase in the number of youth soccer clubs, training camps and tournaments. The overall level of coaching has improved through the efforts of U.S. Soccer, NSCAA and the various youth soccer organizations. The youth structure is being refined continually, and the recent development of the academy league is a step in the right direction.

As we move forward with these initiatives, we also should try to increase the number of players who watch the game on a regular basis. This will help develop players who have that “edge” and instinctive “feel” for the game. It will enable us to develop players who read the game better, and as a result, make better decisions as individual players and as a team. It will take more of our soccer players to the next level.

Editor’s Note: Roni Mansur is a nationally licensed coach in the United States and has been coaching soccer at the youth level since 1999. A former collegiate player at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, he is the Coaching Director at Cambridge Youth Soccer, an organization with more than 800 players and 70 coaches, and coaches a U-12 girls travel team. In addition, he is a Manager in the Strategy and Operations practice at Deloitte Consulting LLP.. This article originally appeared in the March-April 2009 issue of Soccer Journal.
<]]> Pre-Event Meals http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2586/Pre-Event_Meals.aspx 1/14/2010
This article originally was published in Olympic Coach e-zine. It is reprinted with permission of the U.S. Olympic Committee. For a free subscription to Olympic Coach, go to: http://coaching.usolympicteam.com/coaching/ksub.nsf. It appeared in the March-April 2009 issue of Soccer Journal.

It is well established that exercise performance can be affected by diet and, in order to maintain optimal training, the body must be properly fueled with appropriate nutrients. A pre-event meal is an integral part of a complete training plan. Of course, a single pre-event meal will not compensate for a poor training diet. For this reason, an active person routinely should follow basic nutrition guidelines. It is essential that a diet contain enough calories to cover an active person’s daily energy expenditure. It also is advisable for a diet to be composed of a wide variety of foods to ensure adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. A training diet should be high in carbohydrates without compromising necessary protein and fat.

A pre-event meal should have a definite focus on carbohydrate intake. Evidence has shown that a high-carbohydrate meal enhances exercise performance more than a low-carbohydrate meal. Carbohydrate in the liver and muscles (glycogen) can be metabolized to provide energy for the working muscle more rapidly than fat, allowing a person to sustain a higher intensity level of exercise. Therefore, its depletion would inevitably result in a need to reduce exercise intensity or discontinue exercise. Because the body’s glycogen storage is limited, a diet should provide enough carbohydrate to maximize glycogen stores, particularly for those participating in high-intensity or endurance events. The basic goals of a pre-event meal are as follows:

1. Prevent weakness and fatigue, whether because of low blood sugar levels or inadequate muscle glycogen stores, during the event;
2. Ward off feelings of hunger, yet minimize gastrointestinal distress from eating; and
3. Guarantee optimal hydration. In addition, individual preferences must be considered. If a person truly believes that a specific food will improve performance, then the psychological effect of consuming that food may result in enhanced performance.

A meal should consist primarily of carbohydrates and fluids, as they easily can be digested. If the meal is small (400-500 calories), it can be consumed about two to three hours prior to an event, allowing enough time for digestion and absorption. If the meal is high in fat, protein or fiber, extra time must be allowed for digestion. Also, as the amount of food consumed increases, so will the time needed for digestion.

A large meal containing appreciable amounts of protein or fat, such as a large cheese omelet, may need to be eaten five to six hours before competition. Carbohydrates high in fiber and gas forming (bran products, legumes and certain vegetables, such as onion, cabbage and cauliflower) are not recommended as they may cause intestinal discomfort. A liquid source of carbohydrate can be taken prior to the event when schedules do not allow time for meals or for those who have a sensitive stomach or experience pre-competition anxiety. Liquid meals can include sports drinks, juices, low-fat smoothies and shakes.

Carbonated drinks are questionable as they may cause stomach discomfort. Caffeinated drinks should be considered on an individual basis. For some individuals, caffeine may be ergogenic, most notably by making the effort seem easier. Caffeine also may spare muscle glycogen and thereby delay fatigue during endurance events. However, for others it may cause nausea and anxiousness. Once thought to be dehydrating, we now know that athletes who are accustomed to consuming caffeinated beverages can do so and experience enhanced performance, even in hot weather.

A pre-event meal is particularly important before a morning event, because as much as 12 hours or more may have passed since dinner, and liver glycogen levels could be sub-optimal. A pre-event meal could replenish glycogen stores and decrease chance of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and therefore delay fatigue. Because early morning pre-event meals may need to be limited in size, it would be important to consume a substantial carbohydrate dinner or bedtime snack the night before, such as a bowl of cereal. Plenty of liquids also should be consumed to ensure maximum hydration status. Consider the following pre-event food choices.

Morning events: The night before, eat a high-carbohydrate meal (such as pasta with tomato sauce). Early morning, eat a light breakfast or snack, such as cereal and nonfat milk; fresh fruit or juice; toast, bagel or English muffin; pancakes or waffles; nonfat or low-fat fruit yogurt; or a liquid pre-event meal.

Afternoon events: Eat a high-carbohydrate meal both the night before and for breakfast. Follow with a light lunch: turkey sandwiches with small portions of turkey; brothy soups; a bagel with a little peanut butter; fruits; juice; low-fat crackers; or high-carbohydrate nutritional bars, pretzels or rice cakes.

Evening events: Eat a high-carbohydrate breakfast and lunch, followed by a light meal or snack: pasta with marinara sauce; rice with vegetables; light-cheese pizza with vegetable toppings; noodle or rice soups with crackers; baked potato; or frozen yogurt.

No one food or group of foods works for everybody; the person should experiment to find which foods, and the amount of food, works best. Food choices may vary based on the type of exercise, as well as the intensity and duration of the exercise. However, it is important to experiment with new foods during training rather than around competition.]]> Yes, Eight Glasses A Day http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2561/Yes,_Eight_Glasses_A_Day.aspx 1/12/2010
By Laurie Evans

Most people underestimate the simple act of drinking water. The human body is about 75 percent water and everyone should know that proper hydration is important to keep your body functioning at its best. Even more important to remember is that the human brain is about 85 percent water. The brain gets priority when it comes to hydrating. If you fail to drink enough water, it is the rest of the body that suffers first.

Keeping your body properly hydrated is as crucial as maintaining an engine’s oil level. This is especially true for young people, whose bodies are still growing and developing. Engines will run for a while with the oil low, but eventually they break down and stop running. Dehydration is an accumulative process, and health professionals are finding chronic dehydration to be increasingly common. The cure is the simple act of drinking water. Nothing can replace the importance of plain water. Editor’s note: Based in southern California, Laurie Evans is a hydration consultant with Mountain Valley Ventures, which provides personal cooling products for companies whose employees work in high-heat environments. She can be contacted with hydration questions by calling 1-800-597-0618 or on the web at www.polar-products.com For more information on the topic, see “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.M|D. This article originally appeared in the July-August 2002 issue of Soccer Journal.

Everyone should be drinking the minimum amount that doctors have long told us we need. That is a total of eight to 10 eight-ounce servings of water daily to function normally. When you are using extra energy competing in sports, your water intake should be increased. It used to be thought that simply drinking when thirsty was sufficient, but modern research is showing that thirst is a symptom of already being dehydrated. Drinking 60-80 ounces of water per day is important maintenance. It is also important to remember that an increased water intake has a tendency to flush sodium from your system, so one electrolyte beverage per day should be part of any hydration regimen.

There are quite a few electrolyte replacement drinks, but these drinks should not be used as a replacement for water. Coaches, parents and adult players teach by example. What kind of example is being set in the hydrating department? Next to dedication and skill, bodies are the most important piece of competitive equipment in the game. Is chronic dehydration a problem for your team?

Are you aware of the signs of chronic dehydration? They include muscle and joint pain, back pain, stress, allergies and asthma. Do you recognize any of these symptoms? Know your players and watch for signs. Research has even found possible links between chronic dehydration and Alzheimer’s disease. It has long been believed that consuming any fluids would keep the body running properly. New studies, however, show that water and only water can do this, so don’t underestimate the importance of establishing a new drinking routine.

If you want to know if you are drinking enough water, check the color of your urine. Unless you are taking vitamins or some type of medications, your urine should be almost clear. “Clear and copious” is a good description of a healthy person’s urine. You know yourself better than anyone; watching and listening to the signals your body gives is important.

When the weather is hot it is easy to drink water. In the colder months drinking water takes more of an effort, but drinking adequate amounts of water stays just as important. The cooler the weather, the more likely we are to reach for hot drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Unfortunately those drinks act as diuretics and extra care should be used to avoid dehydration. For every cup of coffee that you drink, you need to drink three glasses of water to replace lost fluids. And for every 12-ounce beer you drink, you expend 20 ounces of fluid. Do the math and drink the extra water. Fruit juices, such as pure orange juice, are OK, but avoid juices that have added sugar or other ingredients.

To get your team in the best competitive condition, start a hydrating program now and see how the players’ performance improves, especially as the weather heats up. If you are not an avid water drinker, then most of your players are probably not either. After all, kids copy what they see others doing. So my challenge to all of you coaches out there is to increase your water intake to a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses a day. It is easier than you think. It is best to drink purified or good bottled water. Tap water may have chemical taste and excess chlorine.

It has been 13 years since my own experience with heat exhaustion, and my favorite summer beverage is no longer iced tea, but water. I try to drink a minimum of 80 ounces every day and in the summer a gallon plus. My health is great and many of my aches and pains have left, even though I will be 55 this year.

Our company has been teaching the importance of hydration and acclimation since 1992 while providing a full line of personal cooling items. Cooling products can help everyone on a hot day, but nothing can beat being fit and fully hydrated. Our clients include military teams, firefighters, K-9 teams, the Pacific Coast Strike Team, and we hold classes at Fire Rescue West and some search and rescue events. Our primary focus is to help prevent all types of heat-related problems while educating people about the importance of drinking water.

Hydration and acclimation are important in any season, just like eating well-balanced meals. It is all part of staying fit and staying sharp to enjoy a healthy and safe time during the soccer season.]]> WPS 2010 Home Openers Announced http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/2375/WPS_2010_Home_Openers_Announced.aspx 12/24/2009 http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/schedule/2010-wps-schedule.aspx]]> Sports Nutrition for Soccer http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/1657/Sports_Nutrition_for_Soccer.aspx 10/3/2009 Sports Nutrition for Soccer

I read a great article in Success in Soccer Magazine and from that article I am pleased to present the following nutrition guidelines from nutrition expert: Stephanie Nunes, RD, CSSD:

Fuel the machine and see the results!
Studies have shown that having a fueling and hydration plan for competition can improve performance. In this article, we’ll explore how proper nutrition can help players meet the physiological demands of soccer, and we’ll lay out specific guidelines and suggestions to help you create a nutritional plan that meets your personal needs.

Key concepts

Eating a healthy diet daily lays the foundation for an athlete’s training and performance.
Nutrition before, during and after exercise has been documented to reduce fatigue, improve performance, prolong endurance, decrease muscle damage and speed recovery.
Maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte balance is essential.

The physiological demands of soccer

Short, intense bursts of activity are combined with moderately intense exercise (anaerobic and aerobic) and occasional rest periods.
Players run an average of 10 kilometers (six miles) per game, with total physical activity ranging from 90 minutes to two hours.
Sweat losses (salt loss) may be as much as three liters (100 ounces) in the heat.
Strength is also an essential component of soccer performance.

How does nutrition interact with these physiological demands?
Intensity Due to the prolonged and vigorous nature of the sport, carbohydrates are a soccer player’s main fuel. Good carbohydrate sources include bagels, cereals, beans, rice, pasta, bread, pretzels, fruit, juice, potatoes, beans, whole-wheat bread and tortillas.
The body stores carbohydrates in the muscles as glycogen, but these stores are limited and need to be constantly replenished. Small meals and snacks throughout the day can help keep energy levels high. Glycogen depletion can lead to fatigue, both physical and mental, and performance may be compromised as players lose the fuel they need to think and make good decisions on the field.
What does this mean? To conserve muscle glycogen and prevent fatigue, have a carbohydrate/sports drink before and during practice sessions and games.

Endurance Players need to eat a balanced diet every day, from every food group, and keep themselves well-hydrated.
Sample of a balanced meal plan for athletes:

grains: 8–15 servings (55–65 percent, three or more from whole grain)
protein: 5–7 ounces (lean sources)
fruits: 2–3 cups (variety)
vegetables: 2 ½–3 cups (variety of intense colors)
dairy: 3 cups (lowfat or nonfat)
fats/oils: 6 tablespoons (heart-healthy)
sugars: 200–300 calories (usually from training supplements)

Note that this is a sample meal plan. Everyone has individualized needs based on resting metabolic rate, exercise duration, intensity, current training status and body weight.

Hydration Muscle cramps are the most notorious effect of dehydration, but even a small amount of dehydration can affect performance. Do you know your sweat rate? Are you a salty sweater? Your electrolyte needs may increase when the weather is humid or hot. Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks are essential for practices and matches lasting over 60 minutes.
The best way to avoid dehydration is to consume fluids throughout the day. Your urine should look like lemonade, not like apple juice. Carry a water bottle with you, stop at drinking fountains and take drinks early and at regular intervals during practice sessions and games.

Strength To build strength, you need high-quality protein in small amounts throughout the day: fish, lean meats, eggs, tofu, nonfat milk, yogurt, nonfat cottage cheese, etc. Large amounts of protein are not necessary.
Sufficient carbohydrate intake promotes muscle synthesis (growth). Consuming carbohydrates before, during, and after play conserves protein, allowing it to do its work with the muscles. If your body lacks carbohydrates, protein will be used as fuel, making it impossible for your body to build muscle. In extreme cases, the muscle tissue itself will be broken down and used as fuel!
Avoid high-protein/low-carb diets, as these lower your glycogen levels, leading to fatigue and a decrease in intensity of up to 50 percent!
Before and after strength training, you should eat carbohydrates and protein in a 4:1 ratio. Examples: a whole-grain waffle with peanut butter, j**** with cheese/yogurt, a banana with a handful of nuts, a bowl of cereal with nonfat milk, toast with nonfat cottage cheese, a lean meat sandwich, trail mix, a sports bar, etc. And don’t forget to hydrate!

Specific guidelines for competition and training

The day before competition
Objective
Eat high-carbohydrate meals the day and night before a match to fuel your muscles. These meals should consist of two-thirds carbohydrate (bread, bagels, pasta, rice, tortillas, potatoes, cereal, fruits, juices, vegetables, yogurt and milk) and one-third protein (lean red meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, cheese, soy products, beans, nuts/nut butters and seeds). Fried or f**** foods will not fuel your muscles or enhance performance.

Sample meals

pasta with red sauce
rice bowl
baked potatoes with lean meat and veggies
Chinese food with rice
bean and cheese burritos
waffles and peanut butter (yes, it’s OK to have breakfast food at night!)
thick-crust pizza with veggies/Canadian bacon
fruit or j**** with meals or during the day
lean meat sandwich

Hydration
Make sure you are drinking water, juices and sports drinks throughout the day to stay hydrated.

Breakfast on match day
Objective
Breakfast refuels your body to replace the energy it used while you slept. It also helps you think better. Once again, the breakfast should be high in carbohydrates and low in fat, with a small amount of protein (depending on tolerance and time of event). If your event is 2–3 hours or more after breakfast, this should be a substantial breakfast.

Sample meals

waffles with peanut butter and fruit
large bowl of cereal with milk and banana
fruit or yogurt smoothie and a piece of toast
granola bar or energy bar
peanut butter sandwich and j****
oatmeal
bagel, egg and cheese sandwich
yogurt mixed with cereal and fruit

What if I’m too nervous to eat?
If you find you’re unable to eat a large breakfast at one sitting, eat half and then wait an hour or so before eating the rest.
Studies have shown that getting something into your system can improve performance. Anxiety can affect gastric emptying and cause stomach distress, so choose foods that are liquid or semi-liquid. Examples: yogurt, honey, applesauce, banana, pudding, sports drink, carbohydrate gel or liquid supplement (chilled if possible).
Nutrition conditioning—i.e. training your gut by eating the same meals and snacks in training that will be used in competition—can also be helpful.

What if my event is early in the morning?
Have your breakfast (e.g. bowl of cereal) as a late-night snack the night before. The day of your event, wake up and drink 8–16 ounces of sports drink, try a packet of carbohydrate gel washed down with water, or drink a glass of juice. Aim for 100 calories.

Before the match
Objective
Give your body carbohydrates to maximize blood sugar and glycogen stores, get rid of hunger feelings and help you think clearly. The challenge is deciding what foods you can tolerate and when. Foods should be high in carbohydrates, low in fat and low in fiber, with a moderate amount of protein.

Meals 3–4 hours before match

lean meat sandwiches with pretzels and fruit
lowfat cheese and ham tortilla wrap with baked chips and j****
broth-based noodle or rice soup with crackers
cold pasta salad with cheese and sports drink
peanut butter sandwich with banana and crackers

Snacks 1–2 hours before match

bagels
toast
yogurt
graham crackers
dry cereal
pretzels
trail mix
fig newtons
energy bars
animal crackers
rice cakes
canned or fresh fruits
juice
oatmeal cookies

Tips
If you are a heavy sweater and/or have two competitions in one day, eat more salty snacks (e.g. pretzels, lowfat crackers or broth-based soups) to help retain fluids and maintain good hydration. As you get closer to competition, rely more on liquids and small snacks: carbohydrate gels/jelly beans, pudding, juice, sports drinks, honey, etc.

Between matches
Matches more than two hours apart

Meals should include both carbohydrates and protein:
lean meat sandwich
nonfat yogurt with cereal
tortilla wrap or pita sandwich with a piece of fruit
peanut butter sandwich and j****
bagel with lowfat cream cheese and a fruit smoothie
pasta salad
rice bowl
leftover high-carbohydrate dinner if tolerated

Matches less than two hours apart
Meals should include mostly carbohydrates:

lowfat crackers
high-carbohydrate energy bars
fig newtons
smoothies
juices, bagels
dry cereal
yogurt
animal/graham crackers
toast
pretzels
vanilla wafers
fruit leathers
bananas
meal-replacement drink
English muffins
dried fruit
trail mix
sports drink

After matches
Objective
To restore muscle glycogen, repair muscle damage and replace fluid and electrolytes, athletes should refuel and rehydrate within 30 minutes after the event. This 30-minute window of opportunity helps to maximize recovery, enabling players to bounce back for future training and events.

Guidelines

Fluids: Replace 24 ounces for every 16 ounces lost during the event. Including sodium in the recovery plan is beneficial. Examples: sports drink, recovery drink, meal-replacement drink or chocolate milk.
Carbohydrates: Eat half a gram per pound of body weight.
Protein: Aim for 10–20 grams of protein.

Quick foods to eat within 30 minutes

bagel with peanut butter and 24 ounces of sports drink
sports bar and sports drink
lowfat chocolate milk
bowl of cereal with dried fruit and nuts, plus fluids
leftover sandwich with j**** and water
yogurt with bagel and water or sports drink
fruit with crackers and cheese, plus water or sports drink
protein/carbohydrate repletion drink or meal-replacement drink
thick-crust veggie-and-cheese pizza with fruit and water

What if I don’t feel like eating right after my event?
Focus on liquids. Lowfat chocolate milk is a great replacement drink for the crucial 30-minute time frame!

Traveling
Objective
Plan ahead for meals, snacks and fluids. Buy a lunch box or insulated bag that can keep food chilled, and pack your familiar foods the night before your match. Consider putting a frozen bottle of water or sports drink in your lunch box to keep foods chilled.

Suggestions for eating on the road

single-patty burgers (instead of “monster burgers” with bacon and cheese)
sandwiches with turkey, chicken or roast beef (instead of chicken salad or salami) with lots of veggies
grilled chicken sandwiches or salads (instead of fried chicken)
grilled (not fried) meat or fish
pasta with red sauce (instead of cream sauce)
stir-fried vegetables and steamed white rice (instead of fried egg rolls or dishes with a lot of meat)
waffles, pancakes, grits, scrambled eggs or grilled ham (instead of bacon, sausage or biscuits)
thick-crust pizza (whole-wheat is good) with vegetables and Canadian bacon (instead of a pepperoni, sausage or “meat lover’s” pizza)

Hydration Are fluids really that important?
Yes! Being only slightly dehydrated can decrease strength, speed, stamina, energy and cognitive processes while increasing the risk of injury.

Before the match

Drink 16 ounces of sports drink two hours before the event (urine should be light-colored but not clear).
Drink 8–16 ounces of sports drink 15 minutes before the event.

During the match

Drink as often as possible.

After the match

Drink 16–24 ounces of sports drink.

Why are sports drinks better than water?
They are formulated to taste better than water, which encourages rehydration. They also provide sodium, which helps the body retain more fluids, and carbohydrates for muscle glycogen.
]]> WPS Expansion Draft Results http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/1523/WPS_Expansion_Draft_Results.aspx 9/21/2009 With the first pick in the WPS Expansion Draft the Atlanta Beat selected Leigh Ann Robinson, formerly of FC Gold Pride. The Philadelphia Independence then tabbed Lori Lindsey, formerly of the Washington Freedom, with the seccond overall pick. SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 15, 2009) – Women’s Professional Soccer held the WPS Expansion Draft on Tuesday for its two 2010 expansion clubs, the Atlanta Beat and the Philadelphia Independence. Each team was able to select up to nine players from other WPS teams that played the 2009 season. Initially, existing teams were able to protect up to 10 players – adding two more protected players after losing a player. No team could lose more than three players and expansion teams collectively had to select one player from each existing team prior to selecting a second player from an existing team. In addition, the expansion teams collectively had to select a second player from each existing team prior to selecting a third player from an existing team. One international was selected in Saint Louis Athletica’s Sara Larsson, who was tabbed by Atlanta. With the 14th pick, Atlanta passed and with the 15th pick, Philadelphia passed concluding the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft. The results of the 2009 WPS Expansion Draft: Selection  Player    Position Previous Team
1.) Atlanta          Leigh Ann Robinson      D      FC Gold Pride
2.) Philadelphia   Lori Lindsey                 M      Washington Freedom
3.) Philadelphia   Jen Buczkowski            D      Sky Blue FC
4.) Atlanta          Amanda Cinalli             F      Saint Louis Athletica
5.) Philadelphia   Nikki Krzysik                D      Chicago Red Stars
6.) Atlanta          Katie Larkin                 D/M   Los Angeles Sol
7.) Philadelphia   Sue Weber                  D       Boston Breakers
Second Round
8.) Atlanta          Sharolta Nonen           D        Los Angeles Sol
9.) Philadelphia   Sarah Senty                D        Washington Freedom
10.) Atlanta        Sara Larsson               D        Saint Louis Athletica
11.) Philadelphia Danesha Adams          F        Chicago Red Stars
12.) Atlanta        Noelle Keselica            F         Sky Blue FC
13.) Philadelphia Kelly Schmedes           F         Boston Breakers
14.) Atlanta        Pass
15.) Philadelphia Pass About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured. The Inaugural Season kicked off in March 2009 with seven WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. The league’s eighth and nine franchises, Philadelphia and Atlanta, will begin play in the 2010 WPS Season, which begins March 2010. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.
]]> Sundhage Names Squad for September WNT Training Camp http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/1383/Sundhage_Names_Squad_for_September_WNT_Training_Camp_.aspx 8/30/2009 http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Womens-National-Team/2009/08/WNT-September-Training-Camp.aspx]]> WPS All-Star Game http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/1371/WPS_All-Star_Game.aspx 8/28/2009 The WPS All-Star Game presented by the Coast Guard will take place on Sunday, Aug. 30 and will pit the WPS All-Stars against Swedish Champions Umeå IK. The match will be played at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Saint Louis Athletica's home field, in Fenton, Mo. and will kick off at 5:30pm ET / 4:30pm CT. Purchase game tickets.

TUNE IN: The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel with a half-hour pre-game show starting at 5pm ET / 2pm PT. The match will also air, both live and tape-delayed, on MSG Plus, Comcast Sports Nets and Fox Sports Nets. View the full TV schedule (pdf).]]> 2009 NCAA Soccer Rankings http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/1368/2009_NCAA_Soccer_Rankings.aspx 8/27/2009 http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-soccer/division_i1.html Women's http://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-soccer/division_i1.html]]> Soccer Nation Expo 2009 http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/163/Soccer_Nation_Expo_2009.aspx 2/23/2009 Cal South put on the Soccer Nation Expo on February 21-22, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Soccer Expo included a Futsal tournament, lectures from leaders in the field of soccer, autograph sessions by LA Galaxy, LA Chivas and LA Sol players, exhibitor booths, kids games and soccer drill and game demonstrations for coaches and it was all free.

The website below features pictures from the 2009 event.

http://www.soccernationexpo.com/

]]> Upcoming FREE Soccer Events http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/156/Upcoming_FREE_Soccer_Events.aspx 2/14/2009 Over the next month, a few very cool soccer events will be taking place for LA area natives. The first two listed are free of charge.

1. LA Soccer Expo ( http://www.soccernationexpo.com/ )

2. SOL Fest ( http://www.womensprosoccer.com/eventitem_ektid8666.aspx?team=la )

3. LA SOL Home Opener ( http://www.womensprosoccer.com/soccer_ektid8398.aspx?team=la )

]]> Before You Begin Your Exercise Program http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/149/Before_You_Begin_Your_Exercise_Program.aspx 2/7/2009 Before you begin training and working out, make sure you consult your doctor and receive a clean bill of health and a green light to start working out.

Every person's body and fitness levels are different, so everyone's workout level can be different as well. When doing any exercise, listen to your body, if something does not feel right, discontinue exercise and consult your physician immediately.

]]> Dynamic Soccer Warm-up - Part 2 http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/148/Dynamic_Soccer_Warm-up_-_Part_2.aspx 2/7/2009 The below list are some advanced dynamic exercises that can be completed after you have completed some of the beginning exercises and are fairly warmed-up.

1. Jog/sprint backwards

2. Skip backwards

3. Jog and every 10 feet or so, jump up with 2 feet as high as possible and and do the movement of a header while in the air.

4. Jog and every 5 feet or so, touch the ground with your hand, continue jog and touch ground with opposite hand and continue.

5. Jog and every 10 feet turn and do a 360 and continue your jog forward then on next turn go opposite direction and continue.

6. Jog in the shape of a "S", like a snake.

]]> Dynamic Soccer Warm-up http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/133/Dynamic_Soccer_Warm-up_.aspx 1/25/2009 Over more recent years in soccer as well as many other sports, static stretching has given way to dynamic stretching before exercise. As a college soccer coach and trainer, I use a dynamic warm-up with a few static streches mixed in to ensure my athletes are warmed up thoroughly. I do still believe in the value of static stretching and insist my athletes utilize them at the end of a training session or match. Here are some good beginning dynamic stretches/exercises to include in your dynamic warm-up prior to any workout.

1. Jogging

2. Skipping (pump arms)

3. Toe flicks

4. High knees

5. Kick butts (heels kicked back to touch gluteals)

6. Side to sides

7. Carioca (both directions and get your knees up high when you are pulling them across your body)

8. High kicks (opposite hand touches foot above waste level)

If trying these exercises, place a cone 15-20 yards away and do each exercise once up and back.

]]> Blog Updates http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/110/Blog_Updates.aspx 12/17/2008 Soccer Clinics http://www.powerbar.com:80/post/sliders/109/Soccer_Clinics.aspx 12/17/2008 I am hosting two clinics on Januray 24, 2009 that will be geared towards female high school aged soccer players. Each clinic will include a warm-up, a technical component for all athletes and then breakout sessions that will focus on specific skills for strikers and goalkeepers.

If interested in attending, email at: Slidersports.org

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