It’s been pretty quiet here in Bradenton for the past couple of weeks.  We went 3 weeks without games.  We did have a mini camp with the potential new players for next year.  Our ’91 players will be leaving the team after this semester and the coaches are looking for players to fill those spots.  Many of the ‘91s will go right into college from the US team.   Many of these players participated in the 2007 U-17 World Cup.  It has been a lot of fun being able to play with them this semester. 

     Today I will go into a little more detail about what a normal practice is like here at US Soccer.  We wake up at 6:50 AM on IPI days (M-W-F) and go to lift weights and do core exercises.  Tuesdays and Thursdays we wake up at 7 AM, walk down to get some breakfast which consists of eggs, hash browns, oatmeal, banana and lots of water, then we walk back to the dorms and stop by the equipment rooms where we find our gear already washed and waiting for us in our individual bins.  All the coaches then drive up in their mini vans and pick everyone up to take them to the fields. 

     When we get to the fields we normally have 20-30 minutes to get our boots and shin guards on while the coaches set up the cones and hurdles.  Then the coaches bring everyone in and talk a little about what they have planned for the day, then we jump right into the warm up.  The warm up is about 30 minutes of light work at the start then near the end we pick it up to full speed to get our hearts pumping and our muscles ready to go.  Next, we head over to do our speed work, which is normally drills with the ladders and the hurdles.  The ladders are for more speed and quickness and the hurdles are for the acceleration and speed.  Then we’ll usually do some technical work, such as sprinting from pole to pole recieving the ball and passing it back to the lines (this is not as easy as it sounds, especially when you have to do it for a good 45 minutes in 80 degree heat and at full speed).  Then we’ll play some keep away or short sided games and each time the coaches will put a different restriction on the game, and they can get pretty interesting with the rules. 

     Near the end of practice we will bring it in to the coaches and they will tell us if the practice was good or not, if it was good then you can expect the same or an easier practice the next day, but if it was bad then you can expect to run a lot the next day.  Finally, for the cool down we will usually take a couple light jogs back and forth across the field and grab our ropes and stretch.  Usually our focus for the cool down stretches is to increase flexibility for increased speed and to experience less injuries.  Back when I played at home, I didn’t take much time for stretching.  We only had a couple of hours to practice, a couple of days per week, and we were usually rushed to get there at the last minute.  Since playing for the US team, we are taught how important stretching is for your body, especially when you are expecting your body to perform at higher levels.  I encourage players to take the time to stretch thoroughly before, and after, practices and games.  Not only does this protect your muscles from injury, but it also helps your body to perform better for your games.  Your muscles will be warm, and loose, and much more likely to play harder, faster, and longer.  But don’t forget a good cool down as well to prevent tightening of the muscles.  You will be a better athlete with good habits for your body.

     That is a normal practice day here at US Soccer.

     The end of the semester here at IMG is coming fast.  We had our first games in 3 weeks last weekend and won both of the U16 games.  We don't play again until the Development Academy Spring Showcase in IL over Memorial Day Weekend, and then we pack to come home on May 29th.  We will have a number of summer commitments including trips to Chicago, Milwaukee, N.C., Uruguay, Argentina, and Central America.   It looks like a busy and exciting summer planned for the team. 

\\Drew

The National Team left Bradenton earlier this month for a weekend in Chicago, IL.  We were scheduled to play both the Chicago Magic and the Chicago Fire U-16 and U-18 Development Academy teams.

    Saturday we played the Chicago Magic at the Northwestern University fields at 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon.  My team played first and we scored the first goal about 15 minutes into the game on a break away that barely crept in the left corner, scored by Jamie Gutierrez (from CA).  I was subbed in the second half and played for 20 minutes up top.  About 5-10 minutes into my playing time I beat a defender and got tripped up inside the box and won a PK.  I grabbed the ball, shot it in the lower left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way.  We ended up winning that game 2-0.

    We stayed for the second game (the U-18 game) as well and the Magic struck first with a baseline shot that squirmed under our keeper and into the opposite post.  With about 5 minutes left one of our substitues, Eder Arreola (one of our ’91 players from CA), had a through ball and buried it in the opposite corner.  The game ended in a 1-1 tie.

    On Sunday, we also had 2 games against the Chicago Fire Development Academy team.  This time we played at Toyota Park where the Chicago Fire MLS team plays.  We started the game off strong but with 10 minutes left in the half, they scored to make it 0-1.  In the 70th minute we had a free-kick outside about 5 yards outside the box.  It was taken by “Scotty” (Caldwell; a ’91 from MA) who hit it off the upper 90 crossbar then bounced straight down and into the net, it was beautiful!  I finally got to go in, in about the 75th minute and had 2 chances but missed high and wide.  We did have an excellent chance to pull ahead in the last couple minutes.  Korey (Veeder; a ’91 from FL) crossed the ball to the back post where I headed it back across to Jamie (Gutierrez; CA) who was 1 on 1 with the goal keeper, but he sent it over the bar.

    We stayed for the U-18 game again which remained 0-0 all the way through to around the 60^th minute when Coach put Eder Arreola in the game.  The score ended up 5-0 and Eder had 4 goals and 1 assist.  Every goal was on a break away or a cross, but we were all excited.  We flew out of Chicago that night and returned very late to Bradenton.  It was a fun trip.

My daily schedule is pretty packed, but it is a good one.  First thing when I wake up around 7:25 a.m., I head over to the breakfast buffet and have a huge breakfast.  Every other day we have “IPI training” – that’s our weight lifting, balance, and agility training program.  On those days we get up at 6:00 a.m.  Then, after breakfast, we come back and go to the trainers room to get our practice gear.  US Soccer provides all our training gear for us as well as launders it for us every day.  Around 8:00, we head to the fields in about 7-8 vans.   Once we arrive there we usually have a couple minutes to kick the ball around while waiting for all the vans to arrive.  Then we start practice, and it is always started off with a warm up.  It is either a run across the field and stretch or it is a ladder, hurdle, stretch, and competition warm up, which is 10 times more fun.  Then we usually will split the teams up and play a little 5v5 or 6v6 or some other competitive games.  Next, we usually split the defenders, forwards and midfielders up and work in our position groups.  The forwards will work on finishing, the midfielders work on moving the ball and showing angles and the defenders work on lateral movement or defending certain formations.  Some of the other things we do is work on formations, so we would just work on the forwards checking and if that's not on the second and the third options after that.  Then at the very end of practice depending on how we all did, or if we did anything wrong, we will run.  The running here is at least for 30 minutes and we have to do sprints up and down the fields in under 20 seconds and we have a 10 second rest period.

    After practice we come back to the condo, shower, turn in our clothes to be washed, go eat lunch and then go to school.  Our school is located about 10 minutes from the IMG campus in a strip mall.  It is a very small school and we are there from 12:30 – 5:00 each day.  The afternoon school is mainly just the US Soccer team and some of the IMG basketball players so the class size is very small.  The teachers are fun and you do get an education.  After school we come back to IMG and have dinner.  Our evenings vary.  Usually on Mondays we have mental conditioning.  This is where we have some team building exercises and teach us to “think outside the box.”  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, most of us go back to school for mandatory study hall from 7-9 p.m.  Wednesday nights are often team meetings or Bible Study.  Friday nights are the nights we look forward to for the ‘exciting’ trip to Walmart, the movies or some other shopping location.  Not much to do on the weekends, so you look forward to any off campus trip that IMG has scheduled.  Weekends are also when we usually play our games.  Sometimes we have games in the middle of the week, but they are mainly on the weekends. 

That is a what a day is like here at the U17 US National Soccer Team residency program.

 Since I have been here in Bradenton, we have had the opportunity to play a number of MLS teams.  They have come through Bradenton as part of their spring training.  We've played about 5 MLS teams.  It wasn’t their full squads, but it was still a challenge.  We have played the Chicago Fire (1-4), Kansas City Wizards (0-3), DC United (0-3), Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids (0-1; 0-3).  I actually got to play against the KC Wizards, DC United and Toronto, but we never won.  Playing these teams has definitely improved my game; a lot!  Even though the players that are here are primarily not the first string, they still play like it because they are trying to secure themselves a spot in the starting line up.  So these guys are out there absolutely hammering us!  We've had probably 5-10 injuries and everyone had a cut or a bruise.  Even though all that was going on, we still had fun playing with the professionals!  It has been a great learning experience.

My name is Drew Hartell and I’ve been asked to tell you a little bit about myself. I am 15 years old and have lived in Virginia Beach my whole life. I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old with the NYSL club. Up until recently, I attended Norfolk Christian School . There, I started for the Varsity soccer team as an 8th grader in the center mid position. Primarily, I played forward for my premier travel team named Beach FC Red (“Fire”). The “Fire” has been in the State Cup Championship Final 4 all four years we have played, and have won the State Cup Championships 2 out of the 4 times. We were runners up in the Region I Championships one year and semi finalists the other year. The Fire is a great team to play for! This past fall I also was chosen to the State ODP (Olympic Development Program) team along with 6 other Fire teammates.

But my dream happened a few weeks ago. I was on my way to a tournament in North Carolina with the State ODP Team when about halfway there I got a call from my mom saying that I made the U17 National Team!!! I was so amazed that I almost woke the kid sitting next to me. What I had to realize was that I had to end my life as I knew it here in Virginia Beach , and move to Florida to live with 40 other players on the US National team that I had never met before. I had to take some time to think this through and then I thought about how hard I have worked and how badly I wanted just a chance to play for National Coaches and this team! I also learned how much of a great opportunity this was after a couple of the coaches sat down with me and talked to me about it. But there were two things that just made my day and those were when I got an email from Coach Hall, one of my former coaches, where he said, "It couldn’t have happened to a nicer kid or a nicer family." And the other was from the kids on my team when they said, "out of all of us here, you deserve this opportunity most of all." To hear that come from friends, and a guy that I admire and respect, was one of the best moments of my life.

Well, I got my dream and not only that but I also have the opportunity to train with the top players in the United States. I get some of the best training in the entire country. It’s not easy, that’s for sure. We work very hard here! You have to play your hardest all the time and can never let down or else you risk someone else possibly taking your spot on the team. Along with the great training, and quality players, we have the opportunity to play teams that you can only imagine playing! Since I have been here, we have played MLS Teams such as, DC United, Kansas City Wizards, Columbus Crew, and the Chicago Fire just to name a few. Soon we will have the opportunity to play some Division I colleges as they come to Bradenton to train; colleges such as Notre Dame and the University of Maryland . These teams come to Bradenton to do their spring training and while they are here we have an opportunity to scrimmage them. The US Team will also take a 10 day trip to France this March to play in a tournament against 8 other national teams.

I am now at Bradenton on the National Team and it one of the best things that ever happened to me! I scored my 1st goal on my first day here against the other half of the Team and I haven’t looked back since. Sure, I have gone through some hard times, and I continue to. But it doesn't matter to me because the kids aren't the ones that say "you aren't good enough;" the coaches are! No matter what the kids say I just keep on going because this has been a dream of mine ever since I was about 7 years old, and I’m not about to give it up now.