LEBANON – With Labor Day Weekend approaching, this means one thing to the Centerville United Soccer Association (CUSA) Girls U14 team; the Labor Day Mead CUSA Cup. The CUSA 92 Premier team is one of the host teams, and they are ready to go says Asst. Coach Dean Burgess.
“We got started a little early this year, back in late July. The girls had a full week of training followed by a camp hosted by CUSA. The camp was three hours a day for five days.” Burgess then added, “We attended a tournament last week and we’re at the Arsenal Challenge Cup this week.”
But don’t think the girls are being worked too hard. After this weekend, the girls will have a week to rest before entering their hometown tournament.
“I’m still going to touch the ball on the week off. I’ll also be icing my knee,” says sidelined Kristie Wolf. Wolf has been on the team for about two years and is sitting out with a knee injury. “I played yesterday’s game and felt a little shaky. I should be ready to go for the Mead CUSA Cup.” Wolf adds, “Some of these girls have played together since they were seven. We play as a unit; we play as a team. Teamwork is the reason our team wins games.”
The team has a bit of an emotional tie to the upcoming Mead CUSA Cup. When they were in the U10 division, the girls made it to the finals and lost on penalty kicks. This year will be their last chance to win a first place trophy.
Another reason the CUSA 92 Premiere team should do well is the parenting that surrounds these young ladies. Donna Reist, parent of Erica Reist, says, “I try to give her as much encouragement as possible. I try not to say anything about the opposing team, their record, or anything at all that might scare her. I just want her to have fun.”
With the Mead CUSA Cup just around the corner, keep an eye out for these girls on their home turf. As Burgess puts it, “It will be an advantage for the girls to sleep in their own beds and be right down the road from the fields. They have a chance to take the Mead CUSA Cup this year!”
The games and real time scores of the CUSA team and 203 others competing at the 2006 Arsenal Challenge Cup can be found on www.arsenalchallengecup.com
PHOTO: Kristie Wolf helped her U14 CUSA Premier team to a 4-0 win over Woodridge Premier FC, one of the top 30 ranked teams in the region. (Photo by Michael Blackwell, TourneyCentral.com)