CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Goalie Gordon Queenan of Tarrytown, N.Y., gave the customary postgame handshake yesterday to opposing co-coach Joe Gray of Palo Alto, Calif., at the AYSO National Games at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

Fun, games,
competition

AYSO teams come from across
the nation to test themselves at
Hawaii's biggest soccer facility

---

By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.com

There were soccer players as far as the eye could see, running on the lush green fields, stretching on the sidelines, lounging after a hard-fought match under clouds that slowly gave way to another sunny Hawaiian day.

There were parents, relatives, lawn chairs, team tents and coolers packed with goodies. The atmosphere was festive, the way it should be at a youth competition.

The American Youth Soccer Organization 2002 National Games kicked off with pool play matches at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park yesterday. Boys and girls ages 12-19 in uniforms representing all colors of the rainbow, some with unique designs, started their quest to reach Sunday's championship matches.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Daniel Cadena of Tarrytown, N.Y., showed his fancy soccer skills yesterday at the 2002 AYSO National Games at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

The mainland teams have known for a year they would be coming here for the tournament. Paying for the trip was handled in different ways by teams from around the country.

"It was mostly the parents who took care of the cost," said Scott Markowitz, coach of the Pacific Palisades (Calif.) Under 12 girls team.

Dawn Videan, coach of West Michigan United, a U14 girls team from Saranac, Mich., said her team learned it was coming Memorial Day weekend 2001.

"AYSO conducts a draw to be fair to all teams. When I first heard we had been selected, I said we are going no matter what it takes," said Videan. "We did a lot of fund-raising and had a lot of parental support. In Michigan we get 10 cents for each soda bottle or can we turn in and my daughter (Kelsey) raised $600 that way."

The team sold pizza, cookie dough, other food and conducted an Avon product sale. One West Michigan parent estimated his cost at $1,100 per player plus food, but "that doesn't include the souvenirs."

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Balls were flying all around as the Diamond Head girls soccer team warmed up prior to its match in the 2002 AYSO National Games at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

West Michigan, which augmented its team with players from neighboring Hamilton, participated in six tournaments to get ready for the National Games.

Tarrytown Sleepy Hollow, just north of New York City, relied mostly on individual sponsors although there were some corporate sponsors, according to coach Jim Huvane.

His U16 boys team tied Palo Alto (Calif.), 1-1, in its opening pool-play match yesterday on a late goal by Pedro Rodriguez.

"It was my dream to go to Hawaii for the National Games," said Rodriguez.

The Tarrytown team expanded its trip by spending last week on Maui, but it wasn't all fun and snorkeling.

"They had us up at 7 a.m. running, and we had two practices a day," said Jimmy Huvane, the coach's son.

"They were killing us," said Rodriguez who admitted, after having watched the recent World Cup, that fitness was absolutely necessary to play the game of soccer right.

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Jake Niiro, 6, tried out some stretching drills with the Diamond Head girls soccer team yesterday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.

Playing at Waipio has been a rewarding experience for the New Yorkers.

"This place is amazing. Last year we played at West Point and the fields were all dirt. When we got here we got down and kissed the ground," Jimmy Huvane said. "Everything is so well organized here."

The team has visited the Arizona Memorial and Coach Huvane said that it had extra special meaning for his players after 9/11.

Each team played two pool matches yesterday, have two more today and one tomorrow morning before the top teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinal round Saturday afternoon.

In between matches, one of the players' favorite activities is the trading of team pins with players from other teams.

Jordan Lopes, who plays for the Leeward U12 boys team, was going from team to team with a kitchen freezer bag of pins asking for trades.

"I'm going to display them in my room," Lopes said "I've got about 15 pins so far."

"He's been in soccer a long time and has lots of ribbons from tournaments," said his mother, Joanne.

For Greg Porter, who's daughters Molly and Jennie play for the Pacific Palisades U12 team, planning for the trip was no problem.

"I have relatives who live in Kahala, so it was easy. The only bad part was we had to leave mom home with two other kids," Porter said. "This is such a great facility.

"A couple of weeks ago, my daughter went to the volleyball tournament in Davis (Calif.). That has about 10,000 participants, but it didn't even make the news or papers. Here, this tournament, which isn't as big, is front page and on TV."

Pacific Palisades didn't fare that well yesterday.

"We lost one-nil, but the kids played their hearts out. Everyone got to play, everyone had fun and that's what counts," said Markowitz.

There are about 250 referees working the tournament and they are all volunteers.

"We pay our own way here. I don't think there is any AYSO Region that could afford to send a referee here," said Pat Huber, a referee from California.

"I knew about it ahead of time and could plan. Once this is over, my family will join me for a week of vacation."

Peter and Jackie Chaffey, who introduced AYSO soccer to Hawaii in 1974, would be very proud of just what the Hawaii AYSO organization has accomplished since 225 youngsters played that first season.