Albion SC Winning Ways of Successful Player Development
Doing It Right – Bringing home championships by developing players who play great soccer.
San Diego’s Albion Soccer Club was successful at the 2013 Surf Thanksgiving Cup Tournament. The Albion SC BU10 White, BU11 White and GU14 White are all Thanksgiving Cup Champions.
Albion Soccer Club Technical Director Noah Gins, “The leadership at Albion SC continues to make their mark in youth soccer with developing some of the most talented teams and players while coaching their teams to victory. I am very pleased to see the results of our teams and more importantly the leadership coming through and getting the results for the teams and club that is expected.”
“This tournament is always a good one to finish the year off as it brings together good competition and allows teams that win to secure a spot in the Surf Cup. Albion SC always enjoys playing in the Surf Cup every summer.”
At Albion SC, Gins, Wayne Crowe, Roy Lassiter and Noah Kooiman, among the other coaches, take great pride in developing each individual soccer player and instilling a strong love for the game. Winning is the product of this successful player development and collecting the winner hardware is a fun bonus.
“The office is filling up and actually overflowing with tournament championship trophies and we use these as constant reminders that the hard work is paying off. We also know there is always another championship to chase that will allow us to teach our players the valuable lessons of competition and going after something you want in life,” says Gins.
“For us, we feel the satisfaction of a championship but the bigger picture is what did it take to win that championship. The sweat and the hard work that it took — behind the scenes — to earn those games, this is real focus at Albion SC. Preparation is everything and we believe that without preparation you are preparing to fail. We also use the platform of competition to build character and determination in our players. We push our players to be more and do more. This constant approach is what brings the best out of these top youth players and allows them to realize that they have more than they thought they had in the moment of truth.”
Wayne Crowe, Development Academy Director & GK Director coached Albion SC’s BU10 team and says, “It was great to finish off the year on a high note earning the Surf Thanksgiving Cup Tournament Championship and season with a 100% win record.”
“This was a highly competitive Surf Thanksgiving Cup Tournament. With four of the top youth soccer teams all being in the same bracket, the level and competition was very good within our group. Our BU10 team played extremely well to win all their games. The Semi Final against Nevada Heat and the Final against Carlsbad Lightning were also highly challenging,” says Crowe.
“This is a great group of young players who play a great brand of soccer. These boys have the ability to always find a way to be successful on the field. I look forward to moving into to the post season playing in the Albion SC Development Showcase and defending the Cal South State Cup after winning it at U9.”
Albion SC’s Advancement Director and GU14 coach Roy Lassiter says, “The Surf Thanksgiving Cup was a tough tournament with six games and anything could happen in this two-part tournament. When we enter a tournament, we set goals for the team to accomplish. Once we reach the first goal, we focus on the next. Our goal was to win the tournament, but we played it game by game. I am very proud of my girls and want to congratulate them. To score as many goals as they scored is great. Now, they are going to compete in Surf Cup, which is one of the best tournaments in the country. They worked very hard for this achievement.”
“What is bigger than winning is the development of our soccer players,” says Lassiter
“This is my second year with these girls and it has been a process; they brought a lot of intensity the first year and have gained the wherewithal and understanding of each other on the field.”
According to Lassiter, “It is a complete team; every player is involved in every game. I believe in not just having a strong eleven players but a strong seventeen players who each can showcase their talents in the style of play we want. I like a possession-style of soccer and these players have really bought into my style of play and now have a very high level of consistency. They play the style of soccer the Albion SC and I want them to play.”
“If we keep doing the right things, we will be able to win tournaments and be champions. We are starting to see the fruits of our labor,” says Lassiter.
Doing it Right is just want Albion SC wants to do, and the club’s track record speaks for itself. A few weeks ago Albion SC enjoyed a strong showing at the US National League and has just earned more 2013 Surf Thanksgiving Cup Tournament championships than any other competing youth soccer club. Previously, Albion SC came off of the Disney Championships that sent the GU17 team to Sweden and BU17 team to England (Newcastle) fully sponsored by Puma. These successes are after the summer soccer tournament season, which was filled with Regional Championships and National Championship games.
“Success is bringing the best out of the players, and ultimately the team,” says Noah Gins, Technical Director of Albion SC. “The road to success in youth soccer is paved with technical ability and soccer intelligence and is bolstered by a player’s confidence and his passion for the sport.”
