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Just For Kicks
THE awarding of the 2002 American Youth Soccer Organization National Games to Hawaii is a feather in the local soccer community's hat. 2002 AYSO national
games boon for stateIt also provides further justification for the building of the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex, the only site in the state that could accommodate such a large event.
The week-long Games are expected to attract between 7,000 and 8,000 players, coaches, referees and family members to the 50th State.
"The amount a person will spend is between $1,200 and $1,500 and that is a fairly conservative estimate," said Max Sword, AYSO state director.
"This is a huge triumph for Hawaii. It should be treated like any other large convention that comes to town which generates revenue for the state."
Mainland teams are invited based on a certain number of slots granted each AYSO region. Since all AYSO regions can not be accommodated, a lottery is held to determine those receiving invitations.
Most of the teams coming here will be region champions.
The Games include the under 12, 14, 16 and 19 age groups. Four slots in each age group are reserved for foreign teams.
"I have sent letters to Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia and New Zealand," said Sword.
Hawaii's region winners are guaranteed a spot in the tournament. Should an age group not fill up with invited teams, more Hawaii teams will get the chance to compete.
Fifteen committees have been established to handle the logistics.
The day before the tournament begins, there is a Soccerfest where players are all mixed up from the different teams in an age bracket for 30 minute matches.
"It's a chance for them to get to know each other, find out about where they live, kind of a cultural exchange," Sword said.
Megan Inouye and Erin Otagaki have been named to the 2000 National Soccer Coaches Association Women's Scholar Athlete West Region third team.
Inouye is a senior defender for Northern Colorado University. A graduate of Mililani High School, she maintains a 3.61 grade-point average. She is a communications major.
Otagaki, a Punahou graduate, is a striker for the nationally ranked University of Washington team. The junior has a 3.36 GPA while majoring in English.
The West Region includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The selections include all NCAA Divisions (I, II and III) of soccer.
NSCAA Far West Region teams cited two Hawaii players. Brian Ching, a senior striker for Gonzaga University, was picked for the NCAA Division I first team. Cherish Kaaa, a senior striker for Linfield College, was named to the NCAA Division III third team.
Spain will host this year's Club World Championships, July 29-Aug. 12. Twelve teams are entered, four more than during last year's inaugural event staged in Brazil.
South Korea and Japan will host the Confederations Cup, May 30-June 10. FIFA wants Korea and Japan to host the Confederations Cup to make sure everything is running smoothly before they jointly host the Men's 2002 World Cup.
The field includes the national teams of South Korea, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, France and Mexico.
FIFA also announced recently that the Women's 2003 World Cup will be held in China.
FIFA also favors expanding the Women's Olympic soccer field from eight teams to 12.
