Congratulations to four Junior Division squads of BRYC Boys who bested the field in their respective divisions of the FPYC Fathers’ Day Tournament, including the U8s coached by Yong Kim, the U9s coached by Anthony Pagano, the U10s coached by Mohamed Diaw, and the U11s coached by Andy Seamans. Each of them finished the tournament with unblemished 4-0 records.

The webmaster took in Coach Pagano’s U9 Boys Squad in their first game on Saturday where he noted that many of the same boys had played on the fall tournament squad that came "oh-so-close". This time the story would be different. After three "relatively" easy wins in which the boys outscored their opponents by an aggregate score of 12-2, the Sunday afterrnoon championship match against a team from Vienna Youth Soccer (VYS), which had amassed a preliminary round record of 2-0-1, was a different matter.  The boys were severely tested, both offensively and defensively, but managed to squeak out a 1-0 win against an equally strong team. Here are some action photos from their opening game win of the tournament, against Loudoun.

Over on the Travel side of BRYC soccer, every team is simply called "Elite."  On the Recreational side of the BRYC soccer program, anything goes.  Especially among the younger age groups, suggested (and sometimes adopted) team names can be crazy, and fun.  The webmaster would love to do a feature story or two on team names so he’s looking for some of the better ones this season and how they were arrived at.  Whatever name your team has selected this season, be it traditional or "off the wall", drop an email to the webmaster at brycstars@aol.com with the subject "TEAM NAME" and let him know how it was chosen.  If you can attach a team photo, be it traditional or "off the wall", so much the better.

To start things off, one of the more traditional soccer team names is "Strikers".  Expecting to see lots of photos of union members carrying picket signs (left), the webmaster was amazed when he Googled the term looking for "Images" and found very few of those but dozens of different logos from soccer clubs from all over the world who are so named, like the one on the right from a team in Pennsylvania.  Indeed, no fewer than four BRYC squads are using the name this season, including the U6 Boys squad featured in the story below on opening day; a U5 and a U19 Boys squad both coached by long time BRYC coach John Kelleher; and a U10 Boys squad coached by Kaya Yaglou, one of John’s "protoges", the only girl ever to play on the U19 Boys Strykers. 

Interestingly, except for the U6 Boys, all of the other teams are using the spelling "Strykers".  When you Google that spelling you find just a couple of logos for soccer teams that got creative with the spelling, like John, but dozens of pictures of armored vehicles like the one on the right.  After this story is published you’ll also find this photo of John Kelleher’s U5 Strykers, the first entry in the webmaster’s search for interesting team names!  Helping John (third from left) coach the Strykers are parent coach Steve Terpak, current U19G player Kate Cashion, and former U19B/Stryker and recent UVA graduate, Nishant Trivedi.  (This might just be the best coached U5 team in the history of BRYC!)

As noted in another story earlier this season, over on the Travel side of BRYC soccer, every team is simply called "Elite." But on the Recreational side of the BRYC soccer program, almost anything goes.  The Webmaster fully expected some zaniness among the younger age groups but was recently surprised to see some of the older players being equally creative. 

Take, for example, the U9 Girls coached by Dalila Belmadani.  Linda Campbell, mother of one of the girls, submitted a zany team photo (left) to go along with the equallly zany name "OMG LOL".  Thanks, Linda.  That made the Webmaster ROFL.

Then there’s Kayla Yaglou’s team of U10 Boys (right) who were previously identified as the "Strykers".  Apparently that name didn’t stick and the boys had a hard time deciding between the Lions and the Tigers.  In a compromise that should embarrass our lawmakers on Capitol Hill for it’s simplicity, the team adoped the name "Ligers".  If only we had a few "Repubocrats" or "Demlicans" maybe we’d get something done in Washington!

And then there’s the team of U14 Girls who, after their "official" photo was taken, were lucky enough to get their picture taken with Washington Spirit star Kika Toulouse on Photo Day.  (See their picture in the story below).  Co-coach Barbara Murrillo wrote that early in the season the girls were having a hard time coming up with a name so the coaches were simply going to choose one for them.  Not one to let that happen, one of the team suggested "Fierce Babes" and the rest of the team thought that was just fine!

Time is running short.  The webmaster is still looking for a few more of the better team names this season and how they were arrived at. Whatever name your team has selected, be it traditional or "off the wall", drop an email to the webmaster at brycstars@aol.com with the subject "TEAM NAME" and let him know how it was chosen. If you can attach a team photo, so much the better.

In support of BRYC and "Catch the Spirit!" Night, Washington Spirit standout defender Kika Toulouse appeared Sunday at BRYC Photo Day at Olde Creeke Elementary School to help promote the event...and...

April 4 -- Parents and kids alike turned out in large numbers at BRYC’s semi-annual Uniform Night, in search of some uniform piece that seemed to have gone astray since November, or a jersey or shorts to replace the ones that just don’t quite fit any more.  And equallly large numbers of BRYC volunteers were ready to help.  Thanks to hard-working Uniform Director Kim Thomas for spearheading the evening and to Training Coordinator Joan Smith for snapping the photos below.  Extra special thanks to all the folks who came out to help on a record-breaking night for uniform purchase and exchanges.

Uniform Director Kim Thomas has a house full or BRYC          Long-time volunteer Iris Jackson must love Uniform 
jerseys except two nights a year when she brings them        Nights.  She’s been volunteering for many years.  
out of storage.   She had Uniform Night humming like a                                                                                        
well-oiled machine.                                                                                                 

U14 Boys Coach Kevin Bradburn talked to some              U12 League Director Tracy Seamans helped Budget      
future prospects at the Spirit Wear table.                      Director Elizabeth Giuliani.  U16/19G players Samantha
                                                                                     and Sarah are clearly excited about the start of the season.   

 Teen volunteers Sam (left, with U9B League Director Larry Little) and Mimi (center)     Commissioner Dan Lemieux
earned volunteer service hours and were a big help keeping the lines moving.                   helps out as well.
 

You know the season is about to begin when over 100 coaches, including veterans of well over a dozen seasons past, along with first-timers who have just passed the test fot their E-License in preparation for coaching BRYC’s youngest players, gather for the pre-season coaches’ meeting.  As the weather outside has begun to change and fields have begun to dry, excitement was in the air.  Let the spring season begin!

After a welcome from new Recreational Soccer Commissioner (former Registration Director) Dan Lemieux, and remarks from D.C. United’s new Marketing Executive Evan Maly about opportunities for BRYC participation, and Golden Boot’s Deanna Scarcino discussing the host of training opportunities this season, coaches heard from BRYC EXCOM members on the subjects of training (complete with a footskills demonstration from Training Coordinator Joan Smith’s daughter Julia); practice field assignments (Fields Coordinator Trish Moxie had the coaches sitting on the edge of their seats); BRYC’s newest referees (Referee Director John Davis introduced a supersized evaluation card for coaches who just can’t say enough about referees’ performance); All Star Coordinator Anthony Pagano on the evolving all star schedule for the season; and Mac Squires on a number of issues related to risk management. 

Coaches have been given their rosters, their practice and game schedules, and equipment.  New uniforms ordered through the registration process have not yet been distributed due to a hiccup with our supplier but will be handed out to coaches before the first game of the season.  Coaches will be calling their team in the coming week, with practices beginning as soon as the coaches are able in anticipation of the first games of the season on April 6.

Braddock Road Youth Club mourns the sudden passing of Christopher C. Heasly, a referee for BRYC since he was first certified in 1999.

On the morning of Saturday, April 13th, Chris collapsed 50 feet from the finish line of a five kilometer race at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. EMS personnel at the scene and off-duty EMS providers participating in the race administered CPR almost immediately. Chris was flown to the Outer Banks Hospital, but could not be revived.

As a referee, Chris was known for his tremendous ability to manage and guide players and coaches, before people skills became as important to officiating as enforcement of the Laws of the Game BRYC Refree Director John Davis recalls quite a few conversations with Chris about phrases and gestures that he used which worked well in difficult officiating situations. He always brought a smile with him to the field, and made every referee proud to be a member of his officiating team. His mentoring of BRYC’s referees, young and old, will be very much missed.

Chris is survived by his wife, Patrice, and three adult children, daughters Kathryn and Carolyn, and son Chris who was also a player and referee with BRYC.

April 6 -- When BRYC’s younger players, at the U5 and U6 levels, get together on Saturdays the action is fast and furious. Playing two simultaneous 3v3 games on small fields with even smaller goals...

In recent years a number of BRYC’s older age groups have begun to play in "Friendship Leagues" against opponents not just from BRYC but also from nearby leagues including Burke, Springfield, Vienna, FPYC, and SYA. The very first such league, that set the standard for sportsmanship and great play for all those that have followed, was the U13/14 Girls.  

This season, four BRYC teams competed against nine teams from the much larger Springfield (SYC) and two from the smaller Burke (BAC) clubs, splitting the girls into two divisions during the first seven games, with the leaders of the two divisions playing each other in the final week of the season for championship bragging rights.  Despite a 0-0 tie in the final game, the BRYC team, called the Landsharks, coached by Jon Gant, assisted by Gio Giunca, proudly claimed those rights after recording a record of 7-0-1 and not allowing a single goal against in the final seven games of the season, while scoring 20 of their own. Two of the seven were 1-0 nail-biters, but the girls prevailed each time until the final game when they settled for a well earned 0-0 draw against a team from Springfield who finished their season undefeated as well, with a record of 5-0-3.

Congratulations to the two coaches and to the girls on their great season.

Under the leadership of BRYC’s Training Coordinator for the past few seasons, Joan Smith, BRYC has strived hard to have the best trained coaches among the area’s recreational clubs. To help reach that...

After an absence of several years, BRYC has returned to the Old Dominion Soccer League (ODSL) in the form of the U12 Girls "Rage", coached by Jim Clark, assisted by Fred Welther.  BRYC’s ODSL...

Traveling to Martinsburg West Virginia on Fathers’ Day to take on four local teams in the Tri County Soccer Club’s 2013 Mountaineer Open,  the BRYC Rage U12 Girls, BRYC’s first ODSL squad in a number of years, closed out their spring season in style with a fantastic day on the pitch, taking on four opponents and notching shutouts in all four of their tournament games! Way to go Rage girls!

After a year’s hiatus, women’s professional soccer has returned to Washington in the form of the Washington Spirit, one of eight teams in the newly formed National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The...

BRYC Elite’s Micro Academy Program, led by Brian Welsh and David Bagan, is a year round program designed specifically for players in the U5 –U8 age ranges.  The program is designed to develop the "game within your child".

The BRYC Elite Micro Academy focuses on "player development"  - not the development of "my team - your team" - and will identify players who are ready for a more challenging and competitive environment.  It will also serve as an introduction to the level of play that can be expected for those desiring to make the transition to travel soccer.

  Micro-Academy Ages for the 2012-2013 season:
   - Under 8/Under 7:  August 1, 2004 - July 31, 2006
   - Under 6/Under 5:  August 1, 2006 - July 31, 2008
   
The Spring Program will run for 12 weeks with one Friday evening session per week, 6:00-7:15 PM, at Robinson High School Upper Turf field.

Start Date:  March 8th, 2013           End Date:  May 24, 2013          Make Up Date:  May 31, 2013

Fee: $195.00 (includes reversible MicroAcademy pinnie)