This Saturday only PWSI Dicks Sporting Goods Discount Day! Courage Recreational Spotlight

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1 Spotlight February 2018 Coming in April - Opening of PWSI Recreational Programs (Courage Cubs, House League, and SFL), the NEW PWSI Website, Recap of NPL & NCSL Weekends, PWSI Tryout Information, and more...

2 This Saturday only PWSI Dicks Sporting Goods Discount Day! Courage Recreational Spotlight

3 Courage Spring registration is STILL OPEN! The Season begins on April 7 and ends June 2. Don't miss your chance to play for PWSI Go to for more information. Extended hours at the PWSI Clubhouse to purchase uniforms or for in-person sign-up. Open 6-8:30 PM on March 28, April 2, 4, and 5. For information on uniforms contact Gabriel Portillo at gportillo@pwsi.org. Sign Up Now for Courage Cubs 4U-6U Programming - Currently Wait List Only

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5 Courage Club Update New PWSI & VDA Website and Registration Systems - Coming Soon We are proud to announce that over the next month PWSI & VDA will be launching a new websites and registration platform! PWSI and VDA staff has worked to create a customized and user friendly design for the new websites while also integrating a new registration platform, both through SportsEngine. SportsEngine offers team tools including a mobile app that will be used to track player availability at training, games, and send s out to teams for ALL PWSI team based programs. For more information on SportsEngine and how it will impact you please visit In the coming weeks you will receive and to join SportsEngine. Do not go sign up for an account yourself. You will receive an invitation to join via from the account you use for PWSI or VDA. Once you have signed in you can add family members (if they are not already there) and will be walked through how to download the SportsEngine app and the capabilities within the system! We are excited about the new step for our websites and registration platforms! Courage Alumni Spotlight An Interview with former PWSI Player Jonathan Williamson Each month we are proud to turn the spotlight on PWSI Alumni still playing in college or the professional ranks. This month we are proud to highlight a former player who was successful at the collegiate level and now continues to work in soccer, but not the way you would think. Thank you Jonathan, for taking the time to talk to us. Follow Jonathan on Twitter PWSI: Which PWSI Team(s) did you play for? How long? JW: Played for PWSI United from and PWSI Heat from PWSI: What created your connection to the game of soccer and how does it still impact you now? JW: I am actually a late bloomer. I didn't begin playing soccer until I was 10 years ago and moved to Britain. My dad is the Air Force, so we moved a lot. When we touched down in the UK, I actually went to an English school where American football and hoops weren't options on the schoolyard, so soccer it was. I fell for the sport immediately and without

6 reservation. I've played ever since, in high school, college and, as an adult, recreationally. I'm currently 36 and still play in an embarrassing amount of leagues in NYC. It's a lifelong love affair of which I'll never tire. PWSI: Where are you and what are you doing now? Jonathan Williamson: I'm a supervising producer and writer for Men in Blazers in New York City. For those unfamiliar, Men in Blazers is an NBCSN television show, podcast and digital brand that examines global football, particularly the Premier League, in way that's a bit... unorthodox. The show's hosts - Rog and Davo - are as likely to talk about a player's neck tattoo and questionable haircut (looking your way, Roberto Firmino) as they are about an amazing goal or piece of skill. PWSI: How did you get to your position? JW: The beginning of my career actually had nothing to do with soccer. Out of college, I worked as a television news producer and writer for many years, including several at NBC4 in Washington, DC. After burning out in news, I came to grad school in New York City to try and break into a different type of storytelling. Something more entertainment-based. When I graduated, all of my classmates had jobs locked up. I had nothing. Not even a sniff. One day I came across a Men in Blazers Tweet that said something to the effect of, "Looking for someone with television experience who loves football." I sent in my resume, told them I loved Ipswich Town and DC United, and it's been onwards and upwards (or at least linear) from there. There are tens of thousands of writers, producers, storytellers in New York City. Love of soccer is what got my foot in the door. PWSI: What is the highlight/achievement that means the most to you as a player? As a professional? JW: As a player, getting the opportunity to play Division 1 college soccer was something I always dreamed about. To achieve that at a school like Virginia Tech is something I'll always cherish. To be completely honest, I wasn't a player with a ton of natural talent. I'm David Silva-sized (which is to say short) with Peter Crouch touch (which is to say modest), so I had to rely on tenacity to reach that level. Wearing a Virginia Tech shirt is something that will stay with me forever. As a professional, the highlight of my career isn't really a single moment. Occasionally, at Men in Blazers, we get notes from viewers/listeners who have a personal story about what the show means to them. We recently got one from a gentleman who has stage four cancer. He said the show helped him cope. These types of notes, and getting the opportunity to play a part in something that means a great deal to people, will never be surpassed. It's something I never take for granted. PWSI: Who inspires you now in your current profession? JW: It's cliche, but my mom and dad inspire me. My mom taught fifth grade (Featherstone, Old Bridge and Antietam Elementary Schools!). My dad was a fighter pilot. It wasn't what they did - although both of their professions are unquestionably more important than mine - but how they did it. They taught me to throw myself into whatever I do with wild, bordering on reckless, abandon. If you're not willing to approach your hustle with that kind of enthusiasm, then you should find something else. PWSI: Who is your favorite team? JW: Ipswich Town Football Club. When we lived in the UK, this was our local team. They were in the Premier League at the time and suffered such indignities as losing to Manchester United 9-0 in what is still the largest margin of victory in Premier League History. "There are no easy games in the Prem, except Ipswich at home." Ipswich have since been

7 relegated to the Championship and, at present, show no signs of threatening to return to the top flight. But once you nail your colors to the mast, that's it. PWSI: Who inspired you as a young player? JW: I loved a player called Ally McCoist, who not a lot of people will know. Although, he did some work for ESPN during what I believe was the 2010 World Cup. He was a Scottish Striker with swagger for days. His game could not have been more antithetical to my own, but I loved his style. Someone once said of him, "He scores goals when other players refuse to accept the responsibility." I think I'm butchering the quote, but it was something like that. That ethos and the joy with which he played resonated with me as a kid. PWSI: What advice would you give a player in PWSI now? JW: In both life and football, passion is paramount. Get stuck into fifty-fifty balls. Chase down lost causes.

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9 Boys Development Academy Coaching Slate, Girls ECNL Coaching Slate, & ID Sessions for both programs have been announced! Courage Select Spotlight Current list of 2018 College Commitments March is a month full of tournaments and showcases. Here are some recaps from this month: Loudoun Showcase - 15U-19U Boys and Girls - NPL, Red, & White teams. Champions Boys NPL

10 Arlington ASIST - 9U-14U Boys and Girls - NPL, Red, & White teams. Finalists Boys NPL & 2006 Boys NPL

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12 APC Premier Cup - 15U-19U Boys NPL Teams & 2001 Boys Red - Champions - Boys 2001 NPL, 2001 Red, 2002 NPL Icebreaker Tournament - Boys & Girls 9U-14U NPL, Red, & white teams Boys U15-19 Red teams Girls U19 NPL2 team Champions: 1999/2000 Girls NPL 2, 2008 Girls Nike, 2009 Boys Nike, 2009 Boys Swoosh, 2008 Boys Nike, 2008 Boys Pride, & 2004 Boys Pride Finalists: 2007 Girls Pride & 2006 Girls NPL

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18 The Virginia Development Academy (VDA) is excited to announce the 2018 coaching staff and talent identification process for the U-23 teams competing in the CCL PRO23 league. Visit for more information. Summer 2018 Coaching Staff U-23 Men's' Team Head Coach: Jeff Carroll USSF "A" Assistant Coach: Bronson Gambale USSF "B" U-23 Women's' Team Head Coach: Adam Soos USSF "B" Assistant Coach: Michel Vanderhart USSF "B" ID Sessions Information March 31, 2018 U-23 Boys 1:00-2:30 p.m. Long Park March 31, 2018 U-23 Girls 1:00-2:30 p.m. Howison Courage Coaches Spotlight

19 Recreational & Classic Coaching Education As we are ready to kick off the Spring Recreational Season we are please to announce our next set of coaching education. PWSI offered the first sessions of "Coaching the Courage Way" to Recreational and Classic coaches in January (Select coaches are also able to register). We would like to continue with some new coaching education for all coaches. These coaching education opportunities will be led by PWSI Executive & Technical Director Mike Cullina. The coaching education sessions will be held in the meeting room above the concession stand at Howison Park. The schedule is as follows: Wednesday, April 4-8-9:15 PM - Coaching the Courage Way - Coaching with PWSI can be different than other places in our standards, expectations, and style of play. Learn from PWSI Staff about coaching "The Courage Way." Monday, April :30 PM - Coaching the Female Athlete - With years of experience coaching female players for many years at all levels, Coach Cullina and other PWSI Staff will talk about their experiences coaching female athletes. Monday, May 7-6-7:30 - I Need New Ideas... Help - Geared to help you plan and keep training sessions fresh so your players are excited to come to practice. *these sessions will be offered again in the future and recorded. If you are able to attend our these sessions please register here. Each Session is limited to 20 participants and thus the first 20 will be accepted. If you register but are not able to attend please do let us know so we can open the spot up to anyone else who registered. Monthly Training Session - March Dribbling Technical Skills Each player dribbles ball at mannequin performs prescribed move and finishes at same colored cone. Skill changes every 60 seconds, running clock. Ideal group is 4-6 per line. Skill List Fient Pull a V Roll Roll, Step-Over Step-over Maradona Half-scissor Full scissor Scissor ending with opposite foot with a roll and a step-over Matthews (inside-outside) Snake (outsideinside) Chop Ronaldo Chop (inside-inside) Player Choice

20 Courage Alumni in the Pros CJ Sapong - Forward - Philadelphia Union Twitter 2018 Stats - 1GP/1GS 1 Goal 1 Assist

21 CJ Signs a new contract with Philly Union Ali Krieger - Def/Mid - Orlando City Pride Twitter 2017 NWSL Best CONCACAF Women's Best States - 1GP/1GS Andrew Dykstra - Goalkeeper - Charlotte Independence (on loan from Colorado Rapids) 2018 Stats: 2GP/2GS 1 Shutout

22 Sheldon Sullivan - Defender - Houston Dynamo Twitter In Preseason with Houston Dynamo

23 Eric Valentine Calvillo - Forward/Attacking Mid - Toluca FC (Mex) Training with Toluca Reserves (U-21 Team) Twitter Your Ad Here Interested in advertising on having signage at Howison Park, or be included in the Courage Spotlight, contact Jeff Broderson at jbroderson@pwsi.org or visit our advertising FAQ page. Copyright All Rights Reserved.