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Just For Kicks Al Chase |
Veterans in town
for some soccerHawaii soccer will celebrate another first this week as the Hawaii Soccer Association is hosting the National Veteran's Cup at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park complex.
The lure of Hawaii resulted in a 25 percent increase in the number of teams that will participate in the seven divisions. There are men's and women's over-40, over-50 and over-55 divisions plus a men's over-40 premier division. The over-55 divisions are new this year.
The opening ceremonies are scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Waikiki Shell.
Pool play begins Thursday at 9 a.m. with the championship matches set for Sunday morning. When the final whistle blows, more than 100 matches will have been contested in four days.
Twenty-three states are represented by the 1,300 players on 65 teams in town this week.
The players come from a variety of backgrounds. There will be a smattering of former pro players, judges, college professors, homemakers, business people, school teachers, the neighbor next door, corporate executives, as well as anyone who loves the sport, the camaraderie and enjoys the health benefits derived from being active.
The motto of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association is the "Game of Life."
The Veteran's Cup was established by the USASA in 1998 to provide high-level competition for veteran male and female players. Each team is guaranteed three full 90-minute matches. Two more matches are possible if a team qualifies for the finals.
Camp Springs SC from Maryland returns to defend its women's over-40 title and Sheer Power from Washington will defend its women's over-50 crown. The Palm Beach Ambassadors from Florida, the 2002 men's over-40 champs, are in the men's over-40 premier division this year.
Division winners receive $750 with the runner-up taking home $250. Division winners also receive an automatic berth in next year's competition and have their entry fee waived.
And, the 2004 competition returns to Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park in July. The goal next year is to attract 100 teams and there are plans to add a men's over-40 international division.
Congratulations
It was a successful summer for Hawaii players at Olympic Development Program camps on the mainland. Thirteen local players were named to Region IV division pool teams.Allison Lipsher and Kami Kapaku are in the Under-17 pool. Lipsher also was invited to join the Region IV team at the Adidas ESP United States Youth Soccer ODP National Championships in Austin, Texas, that started last Thursday and concludes tomorrow.
U-16 girls selected are Elizabeth Brauher and Mariko Strickland. Three girls, Elizabeth Carlson, Lauren Ho and Samantha Teramae, made the U-15 pool. The U-14 pool includes Randi Furutani and Marie Yempuku.
Boys picked include Ryan Bibilone, U-16; Stephen Fung, U-15, and Keoki Haole and Ariel Osorio, U-14.
Stephen Carlson of the Honolulu Bulls S.C. participated in the Adidas Elite Soccer Program last month in North Carolina, one of 36 players from a nationwide pool of 150 elite players so honored.
See the Columnists section for some past articles. Just for Kicks runs every other Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
Al Chase can be reached at achase@starbulletin.com
