It is the pleasure of the North Soccer Club to extend to you and yours a sincere wish for the best in the coming year. Everyone associated with the Club should be proud of past accomplishments. Over 350 participants, almost 25 teams, soccer all year, playing opportunities for boys and girls, playing and coaching opportunities for men and women. Where do we go from here? What challenges and opportunities do the New Year and new millennium bring? What role will you play??

As the experts say, the only thing certain about the future is that it will be different from today. The only constant will be change. To meet that challenge the NSC sends out a loud message, "We Need Your Thoughts, We Need Your Involvement." Whether it is being a team administrator, coaching a team, or being a positive team rooter we thank you for your past contributions and urge you to continue to stay involved and work together to maintain the success of the North Soccer Club.

A Presidents Message

Martin Grealish, our NSC president, sends the following message to all soccer families.

"The 1999/2000 Indoor Season finds the NSC continuing to grow. The first session consisted of 23 boys and girls teams from U8 to U14. As a proponent of the game of soccer I am excited about the increasingly popularity of the sport and I look forward to a continuation of this trend. This increase however places more demand on the limited practice times available to us from school facilities and we appreciate your understanding if your child’s practice time is less than ideal. Please be assured all efforts are being made to try and improve on the times we are being given. On a related note we have also met with John Smith to address some concerns that have been raised in regards to schedules and we expect to see some improvement in upcoming sessions.

This increase in numbers has also meant that some parents are coaching for the first time. We are thankful to them for accepting this important responsibility and we look forward to helping them develop as coaches through our monthly coaches meeting. In the meantime they deserve your full support. These coaches meetings are open to any parent who may be interested in coaching or who just wants to learn more about the game and are held the third Thursday of every month at the NA High School. Some of the upcoming guests include Paul Turner, head coach of the Cape Cod Crusaders (NE Revolution Farm Team); Mike Noonan, head coach of Brown University’s men’s soccer team; Ed Matz, head coach of Northeastern University men’s soccer team and Matt Forde, regional director for MLS Soccer Camps. Please call me if you would like to attend these meetings and be assured that any offer to help or participate in any of the club’s activities will be most welcome."

Job Well Done

Sports Writers Wanted

Speaking of getting involved and recording special sports moments, how about grabbing a pencil after your next game and composing a simple recap of the game results. It makes for special reading by the team members in The Free Press and also could be a cornerstone of your journalistic portfolio should you want to join the Sun Chronicle Writing Corp. Only one simple rule - we are certain that everyone on your team made a positive contribution and this fact should be noted in your report. If you can get it faxed to the Free Press by early Friday, you may be reading your ‘expert analysis’ by the following Thursday.

The Score Is?

Have you ever been to an indoor soccer game at the Milford bubble? Have you ever wondered what the score was? Have you ever scratched your head and asked yourself how much time is left in the game? Well this writer has a New Year wish for the Milford bubble. It is hoped that one more new scoreboard will be installed. Numbers would be clearly marked for easy reading by those of us with good and not as good vision. It is hoped that the new scoreboard would last for a lengthy period of time and have the look and feel of the one that was installed recently. Recognizing the funding and participation level that the NSC sends their way, let us challenge the NSC Officers to encourage Mr. John Smith and Co. to improve the quality of this important accessory.

Proper Conduct

The Club has been asked to spread the word that we need to be responsible for our behavior during games, practices and other soccer related events. This responsibility also extends to our families and friends. Please keep an extra antenna up for children carelessly roaming around the schools or other unusual behavior. Remember that we want to leave our playing and practice facilities in at least the same, if not better, condition than we found them.

Still in Search Of....

The Club still needs to fill The Field Director Officer position. With the spring quickly approaching (yeah!) there will be a lot of coordination required to ready the fields for the spring outdoor season. Rose, Amvet and Ruth Rhind fields are all within the scopes of the soccer club vision but we need the leadership of an individual to pave that path. Bob Preston, our former guiding light for many years, has laid down the shovel. We need someone to pick it up and continue to ensure, with everyone’s help, quality playing fields for tomorrow. Anybody interested?? Contact any of the Board Officers.

Amvet Update

You may not recognize the Amvet fields the next time you play on them. A major effort has been directed towards improving the condition of these fields. The fields have been inspected, and seeded. New loam has been placed in low laying areas and an automatic sprinkler system has been installed to make sure the investment stays in good health. Come spring the area will be re-seeded (that’s planting more fresh grass seed) with the intention of putting the fields in play during that spring outdoor session. Dan Ellis has spent considerable time and effort propelling this major project. It has been rumored that Dan has pitched a tent at Amvet so that he can properly monitor and control these new offspring.

Amvet Field Maintenance

As anyone who has made a major investment knows, when one acquires an asset there are the up-front costs and then there are the maintenance expenses. The initial costs are worthless without a proper plan to maintain the asset. The North Soccer Club is now faced with this fact of life. NSC has initiated a fund-raiser this winter to help defray the cost of this maintenance. Letters have been sent to various companies within the area seeking their participation. Also NSC is seeking a self-propelled lawn mower to donate to the Amvet Boulevard School which will in turn keep the grass under control. If you would like to join this program or have any questions please contact either Michele Martino @695-0162 or Brian Hamilton @695-7141. Truly worthwhile causes that will provide short and long term paybacks.

J. E. Case - Take a Bow

As noted previously, the Amvet fields’ have been reconditioned in several areas. Loam has been placed in low-lying areas and in spots where the turf was bare. This loam (and there was a lot of it) was generously provided by J. E. Case at their expense. If any of you are in need of loam or mulch this year, please consider purchasing from J. E. Case.

An Electrician Lookout

In order to bring to full completion the hookup of the sprinkler system at the Amvet fields, the NSC needs to access the skills of a licensed electrician. If you qualify and can donate a few hours to this assignment, please contact Dan Ellis who wants to complete the sprinkler installation in early spring.

Mark It On the Calendar

During the last week of July 2000, the North Soccer Club is going to sponsor another Major League Soccer (MLS) camp. This camp will be structured in accordance with the needs of each team. Soooo...if there are any areas that you think should be emphasized, please forward your thoughts to Marty Grealish. The betting is that the turnout will be another success story.

Words Can’t Say Enough

Traditional end of year nostalgia brings added incentive for providing thanks to those soccer "diehards" who have had a positive influence on our families. Please share your compliments with the following individuals who have given much of themselves during 1999 to further the soccer skill development of your loved ones.

1999 Indoor Girls Teams Coach(s) and Team Administrator:

U14 Stars - Dave Walkins, Kathy Brunelle; TA - Kathy Brunelle

U14 Blizzard - Dan Ellis, Bob Preston, Doreen Paquin; TA - Jody Lambert

U14 Rockets - Jim McTernan, Bill Mendes; TA - Becky Badger

U12 Storm - Dan Ellis, Bob Preston, Doreen Paquin; TA - Sandy D’Andrea

U12 Lightening - Peter Gregory; TA - Sue Sinnott

U12 Tornadoes - Martin Grealish, Michael Parent, Scott Wade; TA - Cathy Butters

U10 Ladybugs - Bill Vandeventer, Sal Mazzone; TA - Joanne McGrath

U10 Red Rockets - Steve Alix, Chip Speicher; TA - Pat Connolly

U8 Kickers - Mark Dusel; TA - Helen O’Halloran

U8 Twisters - Kim O’Connell; TA - Pam Ocel

1999 Indoor Boys Teams Coaches and Team Administrator(s):

U14 Thunder - Joe O’Hear, Jerry Kaelblein; TA - Mary Ludwig

U14 Express - Sean O’Neill, Wesley Goodwin

U14 Galaxy - Rob Clodi, Bob Hamlin; TA - Donna Hamlin

U12 Blast - Charlie Richardson, Ron Omerod; TA - Darlene Markie

U12 Rowdies - Alan Goldberg, Tim Betts, Mike Kummer; TA - Mary Beth Smith

U12 Impact - Tom Hines, Jerry Larence; TA- Gwen Sinclair

U10 Sidekicks - Martin Grealish, Joe Chaisson; TA - Brian Hamilton

U10 Sting - Paul Murphy, Bob O’Halloran; TA - Helen O’Halloran

U10 Raptors - Dennis Perry, Max McCarthy; TA - Susan Goodwin

U10 Hurricanes - Curt Ventola, BJ Jha; TA - Kim Keane

U8 Force - Martin Grealish, Dennis Begin; TA - Cathy Ventola

U8 Firebirds - Doreen Paquin, Andy Boyland; TA - Pat Boyland

U8 Falcons - Cathy and Jim Curtis, Jeff Ocel; TA - Denise Rosbicki