Final Day Boys - Coach Dacey

We have arrived in Frankfurt completing the short first leg of an all day trip. Yesterday was a whirlwind, with two games in the morning against FC Slovan Modra, lunch in old town Bratislava, an impromptu walking tour, a professional game, dinner and travel preparations.

Slovakia has been slower (or more reluctant) than the Czech Republic to feel (or possibly embrace) the impact of the fall of communism, with many legacy buildings and structures. In our hotel, Hotel Tourist, we got a taste of the Red Star days, but many players mistook the simplicity for meek one star lodging. Progress and modernization radiates from the capital, Bratislava, which has a wonderful mix of preserved history and gleaming steel.

Both games went well, with the 94s winning 4-1 and the 95s winning 6-0. FC Slovan Modra is a small local club that was given very short notice due to another club pulling out of the games a few days prior. Our hosts were generous and their players enjoyed playing against the Americans. We drew quite a crowd for a small village. The facilities are about to be replaced with all their money reserved for construction in lieu of upkeep.

After the game and gift exchange, we headed downtown for lunch in old town Bratislava. Old Town is a well preserved old European capital, with narrow streets winding around architectural wonders, all overlooked by a great old castle.

We all split up, set to return to the bus in front of the palace. However, our meeting time was lost in translation and bus failed to arrive, giving us the opportunity to educate ourselves on Bratislava's public transportation system.

A few km down the road, we found the train station were we could catch bus 61. Instead we opted to walk the 3 km back to the hotel, located a few blocks from the stadium. Along the way we saw great city parks, performance halls and daily Slovakian city life.

We heard the chants and songs of the local supporters before we saw the stadium. We were gifted ticketless entrance
through the VIP entrance. We arrived about twenty minutes in, with host FC Slovan Bratislava up 2-0 on bitter rival Dun. Streda. FC Slovan Bratislava is the league leader, richest and most storied team in Slovakia. There hundreds of riot police, in full gear. Inside the stadium, the two supporters groups were in separate, but adjacent stands. At the edge of each group, riot police lined shoulder to shoulder, at times thee deep, making a human wall to keep the two groups apart. Between the two stand stood an old firetruck, presumably to discourage or quell any riots with a high pressure shower. Near the firetruck were the German Shepherds and mounted police. I have only ever witnessed such a show of force at World Cup games.

To watch three first division professional games in thee different leagues and countries is amazing. The quality of soccer, stadia and atmosphere improved each game. What an education for our kids. As one coach stated, "If you don't want to be a pro after seeing that, then you don't want to be a pro."

The hosts continued to dominate in every aspect and some great finishing provided a 6-0 victory. The quality of play was surprising high.

After the game our entire group went for pasta and pizza before heading back the Hammer and Sickle Inn to pack and get a few hours of rest. We had a 2 AM wake-up and 3 AM departure.

Ten days, three countries, four games played, three division one pro games, a men's and women's pro training session, rejuvenation, sightseeing, castles, chateaus and the food, culture and history that goes with each. All while healthy, no issues and freakeshly high spirits. Truly priceless.

Soon we will walk through customs and into the lives we left less than two weeks ago. However, we will make that walk with new insights, appreciations and maturity, both as soccer players and, more significantly, as people and members of the global community.

We appreciate the support through this trip. While the calls home have been scarce, every opportunity was given to every individual to learn, grow and mature.

Everybody looks forward to home, but soon, when the reminiscing and story telling begin, most will yearn to return here, a sure sign of a successful trip.

Final Day Girls - Coach Shaw

We have arrived in Slovackia...Today was the icing on a triple layer, double chocolate, fudge and whipped cream cake. In all honesty, I can't come up with another analogy to use for this trip...each day seems to top the previous.

The 95s kicked off first at a very intimate soccer complex. This was a very open match, we started to gain the territorial advantage and wasted a number of chances. Sure enough, we were punished at the end of the half to be down 1 nil. In the second, more of the same--Tons more chances for us but they made theirs count and we drop the final match 3 nil. Quality stuff by our hosts on how to slow down a game when under pressure-huge lesson for us!

The 94s, would round out the tour with the final match of the day. The host side looked to keep possession and our group looked to counter. Sure enough on our first attack, we would win a corner and score. Minutes later, we win the ball in a cental area and score on the breakaway to be up 2 nil at the half. More of the same in the second, with the 94s countering quickly. We grab one more goal before our hosts respond for a consolation strike off a free kick. 3-1 VA.

What a fantastic way for us to finish the soccer! Both VA teams played 4 quality games against teams that are the backbone of the Czech and Slovakia youth national teams. The skill level of our opponents was significantly better than previous trips, womens' soccer is on the rise in Europe and the "world football" lessons were huge.

After spending time trading practice worn shirts with our hosts and conversing about Slavic Facebook-we had to make a decision. Go to the historic area of Bratislava to sightsee or picnic, relax and then go watch our hosts pro game that afternoon (they are the number 1 team in Slavackia). No vote-all wanted to relax and go to another game. Was it being tired of walking/sightseeing or were we getting into the soccer culture?

We are escorted on a 10 minute walk to the Slovackia national team stadium by a rep from the club (we were their VIP guests at the game). Apparently, certain streets have been blocked off to keep rival fans apart. As we enter the stadium, we are greeted by songs, chants and flag waving. On one end of the stadium are the rival fans, surrounded by dozens of Robo Cops in full riot gear. The "friendly" banter between the fans of each team was classic. Coorinated shirts are put on, synchronized dance, thousands of fans standing, waving at the same time. SK Bratilslava score first and then often, routing the guests 6 nil. The stadium is in full voice from the early goal and doesn't stop. At the final whistle, the guests' fans are escorted away by the Robo Cops, we leave comfortably with our hosts who have arranged our final dinner.

Wow, 3 pro games in 3 different countries!

It is now 10:30 am Europe time, we were up at 2:00 am to get to the airport in Vienna for the 6:30 flight.

All is well, it will be a long day of travel. A total of 17 hours... Will go now and let your sons and daughters tell you their stories.

Day 9 Boys and Girls - Coach Dacey

Vienna is an amazing city, overflowing with culture and history - and a bit of soccer!

We arrived in the city just after noon and dispersed for city walking, museums, an opera house and palace tours. Of course, some went in search of gifts and other gear. To wander the streets where some of the world's greatest cultural, artistic and intellectual contributions were born is truly an amazing and humbling experience. I hope our players felt the same.

We met up at the museum center at 4pm to catch the bus to the FK Austria Wien grounds. After some wait, and tasty spit-roasted pig head, the decision was made to ditch the bus in favor of the subway. We cleaned the picked over swine skull, devoid of all meat besides brain and tongue, tossed it in the trash and headed to the subway station. Once we sorted out the name of the stadium we figured subway and tram transfers, got tickets, and headed for Vienna's underground.

Along our journey there were a few clad in purple FC Austria Wien jerseys, the nearer we got to the stadium the more purple we saw. Walking up the hill from the packed tram the stadium we turned the corner and found a true European environment. Inside the stands, The Supporters were alive and well equipped with "Soccer-Holics", "Fed Aym", "Fanatics", "Bulldogs" and other large banners, flags, drums and two hooliganish leaders with microphones. The Supports stood, sang and chanted for the entire match, only to take brief cigarette breaks. Any whistle against their team drew moans, shouts and whistles. It was a proper European soccer environment. The first half was average, with the only real action a red card for the home team. Down to ten men, the hosts conceded a goal and The Supporters fell silent for a brief spell, finding a second breath with their team on the attack. In the 88th minute, FK Austria Wien leveled, The Supporters went nuts! Just into injury time, the hosts scored again. The Supporters discarded their shirts, lit flares and created every sort of ruckus short of imprisonment. Our players were soon pressed against the fence, pounding the metal and mimicking the locals. The final whistle drew even more song and chants out of The Supporters section.

It is an amazing experience for the players to get a taste of the passion and support in a true club.

After the game, we spent nearly the balance of the day (and loads of cash) in the fan shop, followed by a wiener schnitzel dinner hosted by FK Austria Wien and the assistant coach in the clubhouse. We then boarded the bus for hotel in Bratslavia.

Another day of fantastic cultural and soccer education comes to a close, leaving a single day of soccer ahead before departing for the states.

Day 8 Boys and Girls - Coach Dacey

Following three consecutive days of games, Friday was a day of rejuvenation, light training and packing for our departure to Vienna on Saturday.

We awoke to weather we erroneously expected for the majority of the trip - gray, cloudy and the constant threat of rain. There we're a few drops, but the sun broke out in the afternoon to return to the same glorious weather we have enjoyed the whole trip.

Our delegation was invited to meet with the Kyov city officials in the morning. The Vice Mayor and his team received our Managers, Coaches, Team Captains, Delegates, and President. We were invited into city hall were a breakfast reception was set out, with coffee, water, wine and pastries. They wished us the best of luck in our games (unless we were playing the local team) and travels. Denise presented the Vice Mayor with a very well received VYSA desktop pen set and clock. In return, we were each presented with a DVD on Kyov and the local history and culture.

City Hall sits at the end of the city square (well, it is really a rectangle), which has a small outdoor farmer's market surrounded by small shops of all sorts and the requisite Gothic church.

Back at The Compound, the boys had free time and study time in the morning. After lunch we all headed to Uherské Hradiště, hometown of FC Slovacko, for some shopping downtown.

Later in the afternoon, we went to FC Slovacko's facility for training and a rejuvenation session in the spa. The girls had a mini-tournament (won by the staff). The boys session was short and light, with fun games like soccer tennis and dodgeball. After training we went into spa for rejuvenation in the steam rooms, pool and hot tubs. Dr Dan spent some time explaining the process and great benefits to this sort of rejuvenation.

An outdoor barbecue was hosted by FC Slovacko. The FC Slovacko Women's team joined us after training and we all ate and danced then prepared for the Czech Idol Rematch, hosted by MC Badiee. Despite all the preparation and rehearsal, the girls fell to the crowd pleasing comedic performance of Noah, who earned the Czech Idol Title for the boys side with a monotonous rendition of the classic, "She Got It Me!"

After MC Badiee awarded Noah the title, we had a brief ceremony, where our host, and logistics coordinator, Jitka, was presented with a small gift of appreciation on behalf of the players, staff and VYSA as a whole.

The boys returned to The Compound, the girls to Hotel Club, to pack and prepare for an early departure to Vienna. We are currently headed south through the rolling, green fields of Southern Moravia for Vienna, where we will spend some time sightseeing prior to watching FK Austria Wien (Vienna) in a top division league game. After the game we head to Bratislava to check into the hotel.

Amazingly, we are all healthy and injury free. Any homesickness and apprehension has given way to excitement, growing relationships, a fledgling cultural appreciation and an increasing love for the Czech Republic . We will likely struggle to return all players to the States.

It was difficult to get some of the staff to board the bus this morning (with two begging Mr Miller to get fired), as we have all taken to the food, weather and Moravian people.

Our brilliant journey is quickly coming to a close.

Until Tomorrow ...

Day 7 Girls - Coach Shaw

Hello from I95 traffic from Prague! We are hardly moving as I start this blog.

Another day of life memories! We left very early this morning to visit what is the one of the most impressive cities I have ever seen. From the history, to the detail in the buildings, the modern fashion, to my favorite-the food. Yes, my goal is to sample different foods throughout this trip. And I have a number of players who share this desire.

Watch for the pics of the world famous castle, the guards that can't smile, the bridge and wonderful market. But the highlight for me is finding our way back to our bus through a maze of subways, asking directions from people who don't speak English-using hand signals, grunts and gestures. Thanks to our Chef de Mission, "Eddie"-his ability to speak 4 languages saved the day. Having 30 girls jog through a subway system to catch a train is an awesome site.

We arrive at the home of the youth academy for FC Sparta Prague. What a site-they took inspiration for its design from Liverpool and Bayern Munich's facility. This is a world class facility, to develop world class players. The 95s would find this out in their game.

No excuses for our teams, in Region 1-we have to play 3 games in a row. This is game 3!

The 95s kicked off first against Sparta Pragues' 94s and we were given a lesson in "world football." Their hunger, technique, movement and passing had us 4 nil down at half. We discussed battling and showing some toughness-tried a couple of different things in the second half. Lots better, scored twice but they also caught us out for 3 more. Final, 7-2. Later I was to find out that this was the top girls youth team in the Czech Republic. Our fatigue, maybe? But in truth, a rested team would have had a tough match on their hands.

94s kicked off against Spartas' 93s - with some 95s on their roster. What a pleasant sight as we showed some mental toughness and bounced back from the loss yesterday. We played with tons more passion and speed and were rewarded with a first half goal. The second half was one any coach would be proud of, Sparta with all the possession and VA battling to stop their attacks. Very entertaining! We hold on and win 1 nil.

We had a lovely dinner at their restaurant overlooking their facility.

Am now 2 hours (11:30pm) from our hotel-another long day. Tomorrow we will meet the Mayor of Kyjov (the town we are staying in), he wants to formally welcome our program. Reporters in the afternoon and a pro recovery session planned with 3 different types of saunas at FC Slovacko.

I hope the Mayor gives chocolates... I have yet to sample them!

Day 7 Boys - Coach Dacey

Today was all about busing and soccer.

We left The Compound early for Prague, to face Slavia Prague, currently the top club in the country. After a few hours on the bus, we got to the southeast outskirts of the city, where Slavia has built a new stadium and has six training fields.

On the way in, Dr Dan spoke about how to prepare to play. Bad traffic presented a teachable moment about dealing with adversity (possibility of arriving late) and controlling the controllables. Dr Dan also spoke on nutrition and the impact various foods would have on performance.

The facility was great and sat on the same grounds as the pro hockey club, HK Slavia Prague. After overcoming the language barrier, we were shown to the locker room and begun preparations.

The 94s played well in spurts, but quickly learned a valuable lesson: top teams finish opportunities if given the most slim of chances. Soon we were creating our own chances, but unable to convert and gave up the second goal. Our effort was decent, but we were unable to recover against a top level opponent and finished down 5-0.

The 95s played well in the second game, creating and finishing two early opportunities. Quickly thereafter, Slavia brought on two very skilled center mids, who began to create problems. A few adjustments enabled us to get two more goals before the half-time whistle. The second half saw us score another goal and quickly quell any attack, guaranteeing the 5-0 victory.

Following the game, our gracious host gave us a personalized tour of the year-old stadium, which is very modern and clean, fit for any team in the world. The stadium is very intimate, with no fences and the stands very close to the field, which Andre feels gives them a major home-field advantage. We started at the field level, with a brief tour of the visitor's locker room; the host locker room is off limits to anybody not connected to the team.

Andre, our tour guide, is the Director of Media Relations for the club and a lifelong fan. He told a brief history of the club, focusing on how the communists forced the club to change their name and colors, as it was not a club for the people. With the departure of communist rule, the name and colors were returned and the long process of rebuilding the club took hold. Winning replaced by wallowing (and a berth in the Champions League, with a quick exit following a 7-0 drubbing by Arsenal). The boys were allowed to walk out the tunnel to field level (although not allowed on the field), just like the pros! All eyes were wide, in awe of stepping out of a first class clubhouse onto one of the finest fields any of the boys have ever seen!

Our tour continued up to the VIP section and further up to the restaurant/disco, where the players and staff are available to the media before and after every game.
Andre was nice enough to answer many questions, many of which were very educational for the boys in what it means to be a pro (training, diet, rules, salary, etc).
It was a great tour and very gracious of Slavia to give us this opportunity. The boys were then set free in the fan shop!

We then went to dine at the home of Slavia's bitter rival, and more famous club, Sparta Prague, where the girls were playing. However, we were sent to the 'new' stadium downtown and had to find our way to the training facility, which sits inside the world's second largest sports stadium (Indy Speedway being the first), Strahov Stadium. Strahov seats 220,000 people. The infield now housed 8 training fields (yep, full size), a club house, offices and a parking lot. Amazingly, all this is inside a stadium - I am unable to describe the immensity of this place - google it, you will be impressed. Sparta currently use this facility as a training ground for their youth, women and reserves.

We are now sitting still in traffic on our way home. We hope to be back to the compound around 11:30 (it is now 9), as we have been invited to meet with the Mayor of Kyov and local press in the morning before we head to training and a group dinner with some of the FC Slovacko youth players.

A very long, but highly productive day comes to a close and a day of rest and rejuvenation await before we depart for Slovakia and Austria.

The boys are all doing very well and gaining experiences and appreciations that will undoubtedly help mold their lives.

Until Tomorrow ...

Day 6 Girls - Coach Shaw

Sorry families, I was a little busy and now I can catch up.

Today started with an opportunity to watch our host club men's pro team train. A good experience for all, Coach Darcy had a great discussion on what to look at with the details in the practice and what we can learn to become better.

After lunch, SHOPPING at a local town that had some fantastic little Czech stores, great cafes (sorry about this) and some history.

Back to soccer as the girls were to play FC Slovacko late in the day.

Both teams had spent some time team building through out the day and it was time to test.

The 95s started a bit flat but went up by a goal early, we were more athletic than the other team but they enjoyed the possesion. In fact, we would catch them on the counter 2 more times to be up 3 nil at half-in all honesty, the half did not compare to the previous day. We played better in the second half, keeping the ball more and forcing the other team to chase. They did eventually get 1, but the coaches were significantly happier with the second half performance. Big test tomorrow-we play the top ranked youth team in the Czech Republic.

94s came into the game today with confidence and a positive mindset but their fatigue was evident in the first 15 minutes-2 nil down. The girls responded rather than dropping their heads and regained control of the game. Some great chances but no goals for in the first half. 2nd half was more of the same, our players showing some toughness and never gave up-we got caught on a couple of counter attacks and would score 1, 4-1 final for our hosts.

Till tomorrow and Praha.... Long day today, with the team building exercises and 2nd game under our belts.

Day 6 Boys- Coach Dacey

Wednesday was a great day. We got to see the FC Slovacko Men's first team train, lunch at the facility, games against FC Ziln, then fine dining at The Compound.

It is always educational to witness a full professional team train. Following the training, Aaron Brunner had a great session about the training - the players were very insightful and obviously learned a lot about how a pro approaches training.
Both games went very well. Again, we were treated in high fashion, with a great facility in the outskirts of Ziln. FC Ziln's youth training ground is a three field complex siting in a beautiful valley. They have a small stadium, a full-size grass training field and a turf training field with lights. As with most, if not all, European club facilities, they had a clubhouse with meeting rooms, locker rooms and a small restaurant. It is amazing to witness the true family and social atmosphere of these clubs. It seems many club members spend the majority of the day at the club. The kids are training or playing, the young ones are playing and the parents are eating and socializing with the other adults.

The 94s took the field first against a powerful and athletic FC Ziln side, who scored an early flicked goal off a set piece from about 26 yards out. We chased the game for the remainder of the half, cutting out service to their powerful forwards. The second half adjustments proved effective as we dominated play, creating numerous chances, but unable to put one away. FC Ziln walked away with a quality victory; we walked away disappointed in the result, but proud of the effort put in by our players.

The 95s headed to the locker room, where Mr Fisher had all the uniforms laid out in an organized fashion. FC Ziln provided oranges and grapes on a silver platter. The opportunity to connect with team-mates and dress in a professional environment has a very positive impact on the players. They carry themselves differently, they approach their tasks differently, they take more responsibility for themselves and their team. The maturation differences are great to witness.

Once we warmed-up, we headed back to the locker room for final instructions and team line-up. The excitement to play was obvious and manifested itself early, with us scoring in the first ninety seconds. A very early goal, but not enough to erase the history written a day prior. Our momentum continued and we put away three more quality goals for a commanding 4-0 half-time lead, before heading back to the locker-room for some adjustments. The second half saw our purposeful efforts to play faster and more simple came about, providing some very high quality and entertaining soccer.

Tomorrow we depart early to meet the powers of Czech football: Slavia Prague, a top club in constant battle with Sparta Prague for domination of the Czech leagues at every age group. We greatly anticipate a great challenge.

Day 5 Girls - Coach Shaw

Hello all... We can't get over the weather. It drops to the 40s at night and into the mid 70s in the day-hardely a cloud in the sky.

Game day, got to love it!

In the morning we toured the Moravian Caves which was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. These caves go deep under ground, with these huge canyons... In one area it seemed to be straight out of Jurassic Park. When we reached a certain point, we had to board a boat that returned us to the beginning-taking a boat through underground waterways!

We then travelled to Brno, after lunch and shopping-it was time to get back to soccer. I think we were at their youth academy facility, 2 turf fields, very simple but definetly intimate for the soccer lovers. Both the 94s and 95s would be playing a year or two up.

The 95s had a pre game meeting with Dr. Dan "The Mental Man." It is so important for our players to know how to properly prepare for a game mentally. Without a proper understanding and without the skills, players will have inconsistent performances. Has that ever happened to our players? There is work to be done!

95s started very brightly. A very positive first 25 minutes, resulted in an early goal. Great stuff! Second started with more of the same. However, we were unable to kill the game off with a second. We hold on under pressure for a 1 nil win.

94s set the tone with a goal in the first five mins against their opponent. They continued to dominate the game for the first 15 until a shift in momentum occurred, but held strong defensively to maintain their lead. After a few adjustments at halftime, the girls restablished control of the game by pressing hard and mainting possession to finish with a 1-0 victory.

Paul

Day 5 Boys - Coach Dacey

Parents, Fans and Supporters -

Finally, we got to play.

In the morning we took a tour of some fantastic caves. The players and adults will all have some great photos!

After the caves we were off for a quick lunch than to FC Brno's youth academy for the games.

The facility was very nice: a modern clubhouse with two outdoor turf fields and another turf field beneath a bubble. Walking off the team bus, the boys were given the pro-like experience of using the locker room to dress and get pregame instructions from the coaches and Dr Dano.

Following a brief warm-up we took the field, with the '95s on the small upper field and the '94s on the full-size lower field.

The '95s set a VYSA International Tour record, by conceding a goal in the first 12 seconds. Stunned, and down 1-0, we regrouped, settled in and began to play a bit. We scored in the eighth, 18th and 30th minutes to take a 3-1 halftime lead. FC Brno got a goal with eight minutes left and pressed to tie for the remainder of the game. It was a solid win against a quality opponent, who displayed a relentlessness and fight that too few of our players have ever witnessed. The refereeing was dodgy, seemingly providing the host with endless opportunities on free kicks in the last eight minutes. We took away some very important lessons: you must consistently play hard, you will be punished for sloppy play and everybody loves to beat the Americans!

Overall, we played well, despite a rushed lunch, getting lost on the way to the fields and being hurried through dressing and warm-up.

The '94s dominated play through superior soccer and work-rate. Following daily improvement in training and building on budding team chemistry, we took the field with the plan to possess the ball and get in behind the opponent on the flanks. This came quicker and easier than we anticipated, as a quick build-up through the midfield resulted in a great ball through to one of our forwards who calmly finished, furthering our momentum and confidence. From there, we dominated play and had our way until our confidence started to boil over and turn to complacency in the details. We conceded a goal late, with an end result of 4-1. It is good to get the first victory and hope to face a more stern test tomorrow in Ziln.

After the games, we watched the start of the girl's games, then headed to the mall for some shopping before returning to the comfy confines of The Compound, for some tasty Chicken Fried Steak-like patty and whipped potatos, both of which were very good.

Due to fatigue, Czech Idol was postponed for a day. We hung out for a bit and went to bed.

Tomorrow morning we are off to watch FC Slovacko men's team train at the same facility where we have been training, then lunch at the hotel at the training facility, then off to Ziln for our games.

All the boys remain well and excited to have the game portion of the trip underway.

Until Tomorrow.....

Day 4 Girls - Coach Shaw

Hello all-another day of great memories! From tradition to soccer; from team bonding to food.

Easter is a very special time here, you can really see that in the way everything shut down and the traditions that have been handed down throughout time. Where we are staying, was settled in the early 1100s.

Have I told you that the food has been great, ok... Some has taken getting used to but overall, no complaints and our players have been eating.

Today after breakfast, the traditions started with some Czech singers and a traditional Easter egg carver. One specific, "Good Luck" tradition was a bit of a shock but in the end proved more to be a laugh. Sticks/twigs are decorated with ribbons and then are used by men/boys to lightly swat women/girls tushes, accompanied by a "chant." Our coaching staff, admins and President were the first to experience this to shock, running and laughter... Later that day, the girls would travel to the boys facility for festivities and possible more of this?

Picture this, a group of athletic girls walk off the bus and traditional singers are looking to bestow good swatting fortunes... Well, first you have to catch them-forget it. They then pursue our staff again, our President then commandeers her own stick and returns the favor-quality stuff! Message sent! As for the boys who had their sticks ready-stern looks from our girls and a number of don't you even think - TRADITION OVER! I had one boy tell me-"do you think I am crazy, I want to live to see 15."

Lunch and soccer tennis followed - a relaxing time but very important for team and state chemistry.

Off to a very important practice, the coaching staff of both girl's teams decided to have a shortened scrimmage. The 95s played the 94s to a 1-1 draw. A very spirited, scrappy match... Both teams looked good in moments but at times frantic. I guess being the first time we have "played," plus in a new environment, new teammates etc.... The energy is high with anticipation for the games!

We then went back to the boys facility for dinner and a Czech Idol show down with the boys, which we were not prepared for and thus, lost. They sprung the contest on us after spending days preparing but I know we will respond with a solid return. Plus, if we lose again... The girls coaches will have to answer the call - we don't want that!

Till tomorrow.

Day 4 Boys - Coach Dacey

Parents, Fans, Supporters,

Our fourth full day was relatively eventful, filled with cultural education, domination at Czech Idol Face-Off and a great training session.

This morning, the boys partook in a Czeck Easter Tradition: the weaving of six twigs to make a sort of Super Switch. The boys were less interested in the weaving, or the colorful ribbons tied to the top of the Super Switch, but more with the tradition of swatting the women on the backside with the resulting switch. Some called it a flogging, but we feel that is a bit too harsh (although relatively apt description), as every man and son we saw was equiped with the Super Switch to bestow a year's worth of good luck with every swat. Once the boys got the Switch woven, they eagerly anticipated the arrival of the girl's bus, but fell victim to shyness and just witnessed the traditionally dressed local Czech men chase around the female coaches, administrators and VYSA President, who promptly comondeered a Switch and returned the beating to the previous owner's ears. Proper politics (and a small VYSA branded gift) quickly returned order and a new cultural understanding to the situation, complete with traditional Czech music and song. After the culutural education, the players set up soccer tennis and other games for themselves as The Compound staff prepared a delicious lunch of chicken, saurkraut and potato.

After lunch the boys met with Dr. Dan The Mental Man about concentration skills. We then left for training back at FC Slovacko, where we worked on finishing and ended up with a spirited 7v7 game. In the finishing part, David Galdo hit a picture-perfect bicycle kick that quickly brought a rukus heard at the clubhouse half a mile away!

After training, we returned to The Compound for a simple dinner similar to fried rice or jumbalaya. Once refueled with carbs, the boys prepared for the Czech Idol Face Off against the girls. Once the girls were properly thrashed, they were sent home. We then watched a local movie projected on the wall outside then turned in for the night.

Tomorrow we will play our first game against FC Brno, the same pro team we watched play a few night's ago. The boys have a great group spirit and are ready to play. We leave early to tour local caves, eat lunch, then off to the game. Rumors abound about the girls practicing their songs for a rematch. Because Czech Idol is an ongoing competition, individual results must be kept secret to ensure the integrity of the Competition. Photos should be posted soon!

Many boys are naturally suffering from home sickness, but seem to be doing very well, with most thriving in the situation. The ongoing individual and team maturation is a priveledge to witness and be a part of. As parents, you should all be proud of the class exhibited by your son.

We all look forward to the game tomorrow, where the next blog entry will focus much more on soccer and less on floggings!

Until Tomorrow.......

Day 3 Girls - Coach Shaw

Easter Sunday-major holiday in the area. A number of our players went to a Czech mass-bright and early.

Off to practice after breakfast, it was supposed to be a scrimmage (things change and we had a good session instead). 94s worked on combination play and the 95s on defending (zonal play). The intensity and quality has picked up-coach is happy, we have found our legs!

We then had a fantastic lunch in the hotel associated with FC Slovacko, watched the first half of their women's team (coached by our host). And then off to Brno to watch a pro men's game-FC Brno. We play their youth teams later this week.

We have a late dinner (not home yet-in the bus-8pm) and a day of Czech traditions tomorrow.
Paul

Day 3 Boys - Coach Dacey

Happy Easter!

Day 3 was all soccer, beginning with training at FC Slovacko, where the '95 and '94 boys played to a 0-0 draw. Both teams created quality chances and did well to incorporate training topics in the game.

Following the game we had lunch at the FC Slovacko then watched the first half of the FC Slovacko Women play. Then we were off to Brno to watch a sloppy 1-0 FC Brno victory.

We are now headed back to the hostel for Czech Idol competitions.

Until tomorrow.

Day 2 Girls - Coach Shaw

Hello from a very warm and sunny day in the South East of the Czech Republic! Had to put on sun block today...that is great considering that 3 weeks ago it snowed here.

We are really starting to settle and pick up the occasional Czech word, for thank you, please, hi, hello etc. Today we toured a very important castle that has some very interesting history (See Coach Dacey's blog for details). Had lunch at another castle and then proceeded to FC Slovacko's stadium and practice facility. This is the home club of our host Jitka Klimikova who is the Head Coach for the U17 Czech Republic's women's team (some of her players will be on teams we will play next week). She is also the Head Coach for FC Slovacko's women's team. Both teams spent some time soaking in the ambiance in the dressing rooms and stadium, learning about how to show respect for "footballing" traditions in Europe and of course, we trained on one of the their practice fields.

The 1994's worked on defensive responsibilities and the 1995's worked on our attacking shape. After dinner, we had a very competitive team bonding experience--lots of laughs, losing team helps clear tables after breakfast.

Looking forward to building on our experience and of course, the soccer is just warming up.

Day 2 Boys - Coach Dacey

Our second full day was eventful, with a tour of an historic chateau, lunch at the base of a 13th century castle, then off to training, dinner and team building activities.

In the morning we toured Chateau Buchlovice, built toward the end of the 17th Century and was the residence of the Berchtold family. The Chateau served as a hospital during Napoleon's march north from Vienna, Austria and was the meeting place for the Russia Austro-Hungarian Foreign Ministers to discuss the annexation of Bosnia and Herzogovina by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy which was one major development leading to World War I.

The Chateau sits on about 10 square kilometers surrounded by beautiful gardens and elegant but hated hissing peacocks and peahens. The last owner fled in 1945 as the people's movement forced the ruling class into hiding. Besides, the last Berchtold is said to not have sired an heir.

The rooms were amazing in their craftsmanship, decadence and preservation.

After lunch of the shadows of the Buchlov Castle, one of the oldest Moravian castles, we headed for training at FC Slavacko's turf field. We trained on building attack with combination play, getting into the flanks and crossing and serving.

Tomorrow, we will train in the morning and watch the FC Slovacko Youth and Women's teams, who are coached by our guide, Yitka, who also coaches the U17 Czech Women's National Team, who just upset Belgium and England.

Here is a link to FC Slovacko: http://www.fcslovacko.cz.

Following the Women's game, we head to FC Brno to watch a Czech First Division game.

All the boys seem to be acclimated and anxious to don the State uniforms to see how we compare to the Czech players.

Day 1 Girls - Coach Shaw

Hello all,

It was a long day-we met at 3pm our time, 9pm Czech time. Arrived into Kyjov at about 2pm. Long, tough day of travel! All holding out fine.

What a welcome greeting, traditonal dance, song and music by a local group at the boys facility. Onto the girls hotel, a quiet very simple hotel in town.

Weather is fantastic, about 70 and sunny! After a late lunch, both teams had a light session at a local small stadium-with a number of onlookers to add to the ambiance. Beautiful setting, the field was on top of a hill looking over the valley. (Am still trying to figure out pics.)

We are shattered-looking forward to tomorrow.

Coach Shaw '95 Girls

Boys Day 1 - Coach Dacey

Welcome to the ODP Czech Republic Blog.

We have arrived safely, are settled, and have trained.

After twelve hours of travel, we arrived in Kyjov, Czech Republic. Upon arrival at our hostel, we were greated by nine local kids in traditional dress, playing and dancing to traditional tunes. What a great cultural experience. Hopefully we can figure out how to post some pictures!

The hostel is set amongst farm fields and vineyards, a few kilometers outside of the city, where the girls are staying.

We went to a small village to train, playing some possession games, mostly to get our legs back from such a long, overnight travel night.

Everybody is doing well and we are all relatively tired. Tomorrow we head out to see a castle and a chateau, followed by training.

The weather is beautiful, the hills are rolling and the food is fantastic!