Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic - *2 Days Left*

What: 2011 Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic

When: Tuesday, August 2

Time: 6 p.m.

Where: St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School
            3500 St. Catherine St.
            Florissant, MO 63033

Why: The St. Louis Sports Commission's Coach It Right! program seeks to provide coaches the tools to create winners on and off the field. Coaches learn what kids need to be stellar athletes and stellar people. Every coach who completes the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic will receive their "F" coaching license from the Missouri Youth Soccer Association free of charge. The "F" licensure is geared toward 5-11 year-olds.

Registration: To register, please click here, call 314-345-5130, or email salexander@stlsports.org.

Limited space remains. Register today. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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Meet Zasmine

Don't worry. It's still Free Friday, but I want you all to meet a new friend of mine. The young lady in the picture above is Zasmine Johnson. She's one of three winners of the 2011 St. Louis Sports Commission Associates' Sportsmanship Scholarship. The photo shows Zasmine in goal for Hazelwood Central High School here in St. Louis. She also played volleyball and basketball - serving as team captain or co-captain of both squads. Zasmine is also a National Honor Society member to boot. She'll take her talents to Columbia this fall as a Mizzou Tiger. I haven't asked her what she will do athletically at Mizzou, but it really doesn't matter. Zasmine has the athletic and academic ability to do anything she wants.

This is what we want athletics to do for our kids. Zasmine remained focused on the field and in the classroom. She is now reaping the benefits of a job well done. You'll hear more about Zasmine in the coming weeks and months as we promote the accomplishments of this year's scholarship winners. In the meantime, you can help develop your own Zasmine by attending the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic this coming Tuesday at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School in Florissant. We will begin at 6 p.m. Every coach who attends will receive their "F" license from the Missouri Youth Soccer Association free of charge. Spots are still available, but you need to act now. Click on the following link for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic or call 314-345-5130 to register. Have a great weekend everyone. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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Kung Fu Soccer Anyone?

Blog writing can be tough sometimes. I'm not looking to have a pity party or anything, but talking about the same sports all the time gets to be somewhat boring. I know there's more to life than whether or not my Rams pick up a big-time wide receiver in free agency. Kevin, if you're reading this - can I please have a 6'4 receiver with 4.3 speed and great hands? I promise I won't ask for anything else until next year. Sorry - got carried away there. Anyway, the rest of the world doesn't live on first downs alone. Enter Sepak Takraw. Yeah, say that three times really fast. Sepak Takraw roughly translated means kickball, but not the kind you and I play at family reunions. It's a very popular sport in Asia and combines soccer and volleyball. Picture volleyball with bicycle kicks and you're halfway there. Better yet, have a look at the video from a game below (email subscribers click here).

Sepak Takraw hasn't really taken off in the U.S. just yet. We're still focused on regular soccer. Speaking of soccer - make sure you register for the 2011 Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic today. Every coach who attends will receive their "F" coaching license from the Missouri Youth Soccer Association free of charge. The "F" licensure certifies you to coach 5-11 year-olds in the state of Missouri. On your own, you'd pay $40. Click on the following link for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic and join us for free this Tuesday, August 2 at 6 p.m. inside St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School in Florissant.  Well, I'm going to practice my Sepak Takraw. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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Colts player places humanity before rivalry

Football is back! However, something interesting happened while I was filling out my preliminary roster for this year's fantasy football season. No, I'm not going to talk about the show of solidarity between players and owners in the wake of a new CBA. That stuff is automatic. After any public negotiation, the two sides almost always come together to kiss and make-up. I'm talking about the part that didn't have to happen. Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday invoked the name of Mrs. Myra Kraft. Mrs. Kraft is the wife of Patriots owner Robert Kraft. She passed away last week and Saturday praised her spirit and selflessness in allowing Mr. Kraft to continue working to bring resolution to the NFL lockout.

As fans, we get hung up on the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back. Well, the name on the back is important too. When we're done analyzing the deal and who gets what money, we need to remember there are still people involved. Saturday took time to take a step back from the euphoria of a new deal. He recognized that while everyone involved will be financially set for a very long time; there was still a man...hurting. My words don't do Saturday's actions justice. Have a look at the AP video below (email subscribers click here). Well done, Jeff. Well done. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol



This video is also available on SportsmanshipTV.

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Free Friday - Frank goes to Pittsburgh

Welcome to another Free Friday edition of the Sportsmanship Blog. Nobody cashed in on last week's prize. So, I'll try it again. There is a $50 gift certificate to Jake's Steaks on Laclede's Landing for the winner. Watch the latest episode of The Adventures of Frank and Big Sol and just do what Big Sol says (email subscribers click here). Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol




Register for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic at http://bit.ly/BigSolSoccer.

This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.

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Young Diamondbacks fan shows class, sportsmanship beyond his years

I talk with Sports Commission President (and my boss), Frank Viverito quite a bit about sportsmanship. One time I wanted to know why negative stories seem to resonate with people more than positive ones. I know good people read and enjoy this blog, but the most hits still come from negative stories. Frank said that negative stories don't need a set-up. You know when something is wrong the moment you see it. There's no need to explain context or anything. Positive stories have to be explained for the most part. I am happy to report that I may have found the proverbial "needle in a haystack" with this next story. This one tells itself. Here is the Diamondbacks broadcast team of Daron Sutton and Mark Grace with the call (email subscribers click here).



This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.

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Solo has second thoughts about World Cup Final

Hope Solo signing jerseys for kids at a Sports Commission event in 2009

To cheat or not to cheat? That is the question. If you're a consistent reader of this blog you're probably thinking I've had too many Mountain Dews. Not true. I've only had two today. Cheating is taboo when discussed publicly, but privately...well...ummm. I know it happens in all sports, but I'm specifically talking about soccer today. U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo thinks if she had exaggerated her knee injury a little more while her team was up 2-1, then maybe they would've broken Japan's momentum and won the World Cup last Sunday.

I realize that all athletes have second thoughts after a championship loss. What could we have done differently? What if I zigged instead of zagged? However, Solo's thought process has some validity to it. She legitimately hurt her knee during a collision with an opposing player during the match. Solo thinks she should have called for the trainers and wasted a little time; even though she was able to continue. That happens all the time in soccer. The team with the lead - especially late - will have players falling down as if they were being attacked by invisible ninjas. Tons of time is wasted and this tactic often demoralizes the other team as they try to mount a comeback.

Those who follow soccer will say the officials always add back the time lost during stoppage time. Yes and no. While the referee will add some time, it's rarely equal to the time lost through players faking injuries. Solo is a tremendous athlete with great character and she'll see that she and her teammates played as hard as they could and will be proud that they showed class and good sportsmanship. Our kids need to hear a positive message from us as well. Tell them to play a hard as they can within the rules. And while faking injuries is not necessarily against the rules, it violates the spirit of fair play. The spirit of any sport is my guys against your guys and let's see what happens. A winning attitude always comes before winning.

Make sure you and your coaches develop the skills to help kids become winners on and off the field. You can start by attending the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic; which will be held Tuesday, August 2 at 6 p.m. inside St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School in Florissant. Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) director of coaching Denny Vaninger will be our instructor. The best part is that every coach who attends and completes the clinic will receive their "F" license from the MYSA free of charge. Coach Vaninger describes the "F" license in the following manner: Focus of the 'F' License is geared for coaching players 5-11 years of age. The course offers "hands on" activities as well as covering characteristics of children, philosophy, age appropriate activities, organizing a lesson plan, care and prevention of injuries and risk management with team management. There is NO test.

This license usually costs $40 per person, but we at the Sports Commission are serious about having competent, well-trained coaches on the field for kids. If you have registered, thank you. If not, please take the time to do so by clicking on the following link for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic. You can also call 314-345-5130 or email salexander@stlsports.org should you have any questions or concerns. Remember, great athletes like Hope Solo have had great coaches. Take the first step to being the best coach you can be. Register for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic today. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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Free Friday - Steak and Soccer

TGIF! In celebration of everybody's favorite workday, I have another Free Friday giveaway. My fingers hurt a little bit from yesterday's post. Some people can just go on and on and on about their own kids. I definitely don't want to be THAT guy. So, I invited a couple of familiar friends to help me out this week. Check out the latest episode of The Adventures of Frank and Big Sol (email subscribers click here). Have a fun and safe weekend.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol



This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.

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The Most Beautiful Part of Me

We often say our kids are the best parts of us. That's certainly true of me and then some. Madison Symone is not only the best part of me; she takes my shortcomings and makes them special. The running joke in our house between my wife and I is that Madison looks like me and acts like her. For those who've seen me, you know I'm a funny-looking guy. I'm a nice guy, but funny-looking all the same. I've got a big head and small ears. I have these short, thick fingers tailor-made for weightlifting. And who could forget - I'm pigeon-toed and have very wide feet. Madison has those exact features. She's my child through and through. Nobody needs to call Maury Povich for this one. I'm Solomon Alexander and I am the father.

Even with her father's one-of-a-kind features, people think Madison is gorgeous. She's also able to do things on those feet no one in our family has ever been able to do. Madison is a dancer. I know I go on and on about sports and sportsmanship on this blog, but my daughter doesn't play a traditional sport. Well, there are two things at play here. One, Madison dances five days a week on average and takes courses in hip-hop, tumbling, cheer/pom, jazz, tap, ballet, and a few others that my wife knows better than me. So, she gets more exercise than any of the rest of us and she's in the best shape in the house by far. The other and more important reason is Madison loves to dance. She's been dancing since she could stand and wiggling before that. If the music has a discernible beat, my baby can go.

At a year old she would dance in the aisle at church during every song. For anyone who has ever been to an African-American church (regardless of denomination), you know that services last three hours or more and half of that is singing. This kid would not stop dancing. It really was a no-brainer for us. We put her in dance classes as soon as someone would take her. Madison is now eight and has been dancing at Dance Plus here in St. Louis since 2007. Whether it's athletics, academics, the arts, or a combination of all three, all of our kids have gifts. Our job as parents is to make sure our kids develop those gifts with the best coaches and teachers we can find. Jamell Jacobs, owner of Dance Plus, is such a teacher.

Jamell teaches kids of all shapes and sizes and turns them into dancers. She and her staff enhance the kids' ability and self-confidence. When they're on stage, you can't help but smile as you see a child's very best shine through. I've trusted my only child to Jamell and she has not let me down. She won't let you down either. Many summer camps will be winding down by the end of the month. Some of us have that two-week lull between the end of camp and the start of school.

For anyone interested in dance, Dance Plus is hosting a two-week dance camp that runs August 1-12. More information can be found by clicking on the following link for Dance Plus. Madison performed a solo dance number for her school's talent show in April. It was choreographed by Dance Plus instructor Danielle Wallace. Watch the video of her performance below (email subscribers click here). You'll also notice in the background the name of the school. Incidentally, that's the location for this year's Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic. If you haven't registered, please do so by clicking on the appropriate icon in the right sidebar of the blog homepage. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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Parents charged after baseball brawl at youth tourney

It appears that some parents at a youth baseball tournament in Castle Rock, Co. lost their minds. An argument began after a reported bad call by an umpire. This escalated into an all-out brawl - among the parents. No one is quite sure who hit who first, but the results are as ridiculous as they are serious. A teenager is in the hospital. A man with a long criminal history and his wife are charged with assault. Oh yeah, the town prosecutor is facing charges too. Confused? I am too. Parents, we have to stay in our roles. We lose our power as teachers and protectors of our children when we do what we tell them not to. Watch the KUSA-TV story below and let me know what you think (email subscribers click here).



This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.

Hopefully, the parents in your organization don't behave like this. But maybe you do have some who need to be reminded of their proper role. Well, I invite you to order a ground-breaking booklet that will teach everyone in your league what their role is and how to stay in it. Click on the following link for Through a Child's Eyes...A Parents' Guide to Improving Youth Sports and feel free to order as many copies as you need. I'll personally ship them to you free of charge. Our kids' experiences in sports should be safe and fun. Let's do everything we can to make sure that happens. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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U.S. women performed with great skill, character

Yesterday could have been it for the U.S Women's Soccer Team. They were down a goal to Brazil in the second minute of stoppage time of extra time in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women's World Cup. All Brazil had to do was play 'keep away.' Everyone thought the run was over. Well, everyone except the Americans themselves. The match could have been called at any time, but they kept playing. And in the second minute of stoppage time of extra time, Abby Wambach literally got her head in the game and tied the match 2-2. The U.S. would go on to win on penalty kicks and advance to the semifinals. Have a look at the post-match interview with Abby Wambach and Hope Solo in the video below (email subscribers click here).



This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.

People will obviously laud the skill and determination of the American team. They showed plenty of both, but their tremendous character and sportsmanship should not be overlooked either. If you watched the match, you know there was a referee who interjected herself in the contest quite often. There were some controversial calls made that went against the U.S. However, you never saw the Americans lose their cool. Hope Solo didn't stomp around the goal line like somebody stole her bike. The coach didn't run on the field and shout expletives at the officials. No one threw a tantrum when it became clear that Brazil was doing a lot of flopping to waste time toward the end.

They conducted themselves like champions and continued to play hard until the match was over. This is a great lesson for our kids. You don't have to perform to have a great performance. Just continue to work hard and play like you practice. While you may not coach an Abby Wambach or Hope Solo yet, make sure you give your kids the tools to be successful. First, RSVP for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic on Tuesday, August 2. We will begin at 6 p.m. at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School in Florissant. Admission is free and every coach who attends and completes the course will receive their "F" license from the Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) free of charge. Just click on the following link for the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic to register. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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Free Friday - Soccer Coaches Listen Up!

This Free Friday offer may be the best yet. The Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic is back. That's right. The same people who bring you St. Louis' best baseball clinic are doing it again with soccer. The 2011 Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic will be held Tuesday, August 2 at 6 p.m. at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School in Florissant. Instruction will be top-notch. We'll have plenty of food and a great sportsmanship message for you, your kids, and parents. That being said, we have raised the stakes a little. We've always wanted to provide coaches something tangible at our clinics - something they can use that will really help kids. How about this? Every coach who attends and completes the clinic will receive their "F" license from the Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) for free.

No, it's not a joke. To take an "F" license course anywhere else would cost you $40. I'm putting my money where my mouth is.  If you show the commitment to your kids by showing up, the Sports Commission will show its commitment to you.  The only thing you have to pay at the Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic is...well...attention. Moreover, your instructor will be none other than former U.S. National Team member and MYSA Director of Coaching - Denny Vaninger. Enough talk. It's time for action. Click here to register. You must RSVP to be able to attend the clinic. Please feel free to contact me at 314-345-5130 or email salexander@stlsports.org if you have any questions or concerns. I told you this one's good. Have a great weekend and register today. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol 

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Sportsmanship: Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton is an album released in 1988 by the legendary rap group N.W.A. All of the original members were on this one - Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and Dr. Dre. The songs depicted life in Compton, Ca. and none of it was good. I can recite almost the entire thing to this day, but my mom never heard a word of it. Parental discretion was advised and necessary. At 12-years-old, I had already developed an impression of Compton. The Los Angeles suburb was simply about guns and gangsters. Fast forward 23 years or so and the public perception of Compton hasn't really changed. People think the city is still about guns and gangsters.

Enter Allan Guei. He's an 18-year-old graduate of Compton High School. Guei is an extremely talented basketball player who will attend Cal State-Northridge this fall. He entered a free-throw contest organized by Compton-area businessman Court Crandall. Any Compton senior with a 3.0 GPA or higher was eligible. Eighty young men and women qualified and eight were chosen at random to compete. Incidentally, Crandall was asked why Guei was allowed to compete. His basketball prowess gave him a huge advantage over most of the other students. Crandall emphasized that this contest was among kids with good grades. To tell Guei he couldn't compete would be telling him that his grades didn't matter.

The contest was closer than you might think. Guei won - hitting 5 of 10 shots. However, the runner-up made 4 of 10 free-throws. She shot them underhanded. Guei received a $40,000 scholarship to use toward his educational expenses. His family was ecstatic. Although Guei had a full scholarship to Northridge, NCAA rules would allow him to keep at least 80% of the contest money. But Allan Guei is a point guard and his first instinct is to pass. He gave his entire $40,000 scholarship to the other seven contestants.  Guei told the Los Angeles Times, "I felt it was the right move to help the others, especially when everything else was taking off for me."

It was the right move. This young man teaches us a good lesson in sports and life. When you can help someone, you should. Seven more young people will have a better chance at a quality education and a better life thanks to a young man from Compton. Not bad for a city called "The CPT" - not bad at all. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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A Uniquely American Finish

Today, the United States turns 235 years old. This day isn't about fireworks, barbecue or parades. It's not even about patronizing our service men and women by waving mini-flags or wearing cheap lapel pins. Today is about pride - American pride. I don't care where you're from or what sports you like. The men's 4x100 meter freestyle swimming relay final from the Beijing Olympics brought out the patriot in us all. My family and I were literally jumping up and down in our family room as we watched Jason Lezac pull ahead. Do me a favor and take about a six-minute break from the grill and watch this race with the family (email subscribers click here). And save a few burgers for the big man. I'll be right over. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol



This video is also available at SportsmanshipTV.

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Free Friday - Name Those Rams

The NFL lockout has now extended into July and fans are getting nervous. Well, I like to keep an upbeat attitude and nothing lifts the spirits more than the National Sportsmanship Awards. It's the night where we celebrate all that's right in sports (shameless plug). Here in St. Louis, we love our Rams. Nothing brings a smile to the face of a Rams fan more than the 1999 season. It was the year we caught lightning in a bottle, flipped a two-headed coin, and H-E double hockey sticks officially froze over. Ah, yes - I remember like it was yesterday. The Catch. The Tackle. The Smoke. Yes, the smoke. Seriously, the Georgia Dome looked like an old tavern after all the fireworks went off. But I digress, this Free Friday is for the Rams fan in you.

In the history of the National Sportsmanship Awards, six St. Louis Rams players have been recognized for their impeccable character and sportsmanship. These men are winners on and off the field. That being said, there are two who rose above all others and are the subject of today's Free Friday trivia question. Who are the only two players in history to have won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams and a National Sportsmanship Award? Click here to go to the website and view all of our past winners (Hint: The answer's on that page). Please post your answer in the comment section of this page. A winner will be chosen at random at 5 p.m. today. You'll receive a free $20 gas card from Quik Trip. Good sportsmanship always pays. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

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