Youth Focus: Titles in Federal Way, More fun in North Kitsap

Local community newspapers continue to churn out good stories about soccer around Puget Sound.

Today we highlight the two national titles won by Federal Way United girls, and the new approach North Kitsap Soccer Club is taking with the youngest of the young.

U.S. National Cup Finals: 2 Federal Way girls soccer teams take top prize

The Federal Way United Soccer Association captured its first — and second — national soccer titles last week.

A pair of local girls soccer teams triumphed at the United States National Cup finals in Virginia Beach, Va. on Tuesday. The FWU Reign ‘93 Purple won the under-14 Super Group championship and the Reign ‘94 Purple won the title in the under-13 Super Group. The Federal Way United soccer club was only one of two clubs at the tournament to field more than one
national champion.

The US National Cup is a prestigious and highly competitive national tournament, sponsored by US Club Soccer. The tournament started with nine regional qualifying tournaments in early July, involving 1,400 boys and girls teams from across the country.

Read it all at PNWLocalNews.com

North Kitsap Soccer Club kicks in a new program

POULSBO — The North Kitsap Soccer Club’s youngest shooters will soon be playing on a new field: equality.

NKSC coaching director Chris May said in reviewing the club’s programming, too much time was being spent perfecting the skills of the older players and not enough focus was on the needs of the little ones.

In the past the young-uns would compete against one another on teams, which looked similar to a confused, yet enthusiastic, school of fish darting to and fro. They played on bumpy and sloped fields at Port Gamble. Not all of the athletes were taught at the same skill level, as the coaches are all parent volunteers and not all are proficient in soccer’s rules and skills.

The results: Several kids who didn’t have much fun, the playing field wasn’t equal and the competition was too intense.

“It wasn’t very much fun and they weren’t learning,” May said. “Kids are way too young at that age to play soccer on a competitive level. Trying to have 5-year-olds compete is crazy.”

Read it all at PNWLocalNews.com