Alyssa made the Newspaper!

I often write about my step daughter's success playing Soccer.  If you regularly follow this blog you know that Alyssa is 9-years-old on a traveling soccer team.  Last weekend was the toughest tournament that these girls have played in.  However, that did not stop them from winning their third consecutive tournament and this time it was published in the local paper:

VC Star: AYSO Tournament of Champions

In the picture, she is kneeling down in the bottom row, second from the left.   **The article mentioned Alyssa as a midfielder but she is in fact a forward.  Moreover, on the driving play where she earned the assist, they failed to mention how she completely ran over and destroyed the defender.  ***I wrote about this earlier in the week after it happened and eventually I will complete and upload her follow up video.  Also noteworthy, in the 5-0 game when the Vipers beat Conejo Valley, Alyssa performed a "Hat Trick" (3 goals in the same game).

Unlike club teams where parents pay big money for their girls or boys to play with the best and coached by the best, Alyssa's Viper team is an extension of AYSO.  After the fall season, selected girls will play on 2 or three all star teams and once that completes, the best remaining girls will form the Viper team.  This is a huge disadvantage because after the year is up, the system starts all over again: Random teams and then the merger of talent.  The Camarillo Eagles team that they played and beat is a Club soccer team that stays together through the years, something that Lebron James couldn't commit to and I hope his team loses tonight :)!

What these girls have done is magical.  They are gelling together and Coach Matt is a huge part of that.  They have scheduled tournaments into the fall and this team will prevail as an "Extended" AYSO Viper team.

In the four tournaments that they have played, the Vipers record is 14-2 with three first place finishes and one third place.  Their first tournament was played during cold and rainy conditions in Palmdale.  Still, they managed a third place finish and have been improving ever since.  Over the last 12 games, they have outscored their opponents by nearly 40 goals meanwhile allowing only 4 total.  Alyssa has kicked in at least half of those and has been developing an awesome cross for the assist. 

This weekend Alyssa is turning 10 and the tournament will be held in Goleta.  Many of my weekend hikes are dictated by these tournaments.  I will have a couple of hours in between games so any comment regarding short Goleta hikes would be appreciated.