Special Olympics Team USA Soccer

Conclusions

2011-07-08T07:34:00.001-04:00

With the games over, the team home, and the blog updated, it's now time to close this blog. Many thanks to the visitors who have been following us here, and to somd.com and St. Mary's College for linking to us. The guys were constantly impressed by the steadily growing number of hits...about 150 per day! It was just more evidence that indicated the importance of what we were doing. So, again, thanks!

And what we were doing was important in several ways.

First, as the first American soccer team to win gold at the Special Olympics, we have raised the profile of the sport within Team USA, hopefully urging the organization to field not just 5v5, but 7v7 and maybe even an 11v11 unified team at the next world games in 2015.

Second, in winning and attracting attention from readers like you, as well as media outlets around the world, we have contributed to the Special Olympics message about mentally challenged individuals. That message emphasizes the ABILITIES of challenged individuals, rather than focusing on their "disabilities." Indeed, the members of Team USA are not "handicapped" any more than so-called "normal" or "fully-functioning" individuals. We all have different abilities, and this team's members have a wealth of them -- an extraordinary sense of hope, a willingness to commit and learn and adjust, and most powerfully, a yearning to seek and enjoy happiness. These attributes are not evaluated in an IQ test. But they should be, because these skills hold the keys to improving and enjoying life. So, in the important areas of hard work and pursuing happiness, we can all learn a thing or two from Team USA.

Finally, while this team has taught others a few lessons, the guys also have learned a couple of lessons of their own. Mostly about staying positive in the face of challenges. Whether those challenges are on the soccer field, in the form of an unsatisfactory lunch, or a 24-hour travel schedule, the team has learned that staying positive is the key to overcoming difficulties. Simply put, these World Games were not organized well. But the team's success came largely from the guys' ability to look past daily nuisances and make the best of the situation. Eunice Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics, always emphasized that the Games were not the end goal of participation. Rather, athletes needed to apply what learned from competition in their daily lives. In the end, the challenges at these games have prepared the guys to do just that, by presenting them with difficulties beyond the field of play. Whether at school, at work, or in daily interaction with other people, the team now knows that keeping positive will reduce frustration and bring out their best...and we know that their best is golden.

Congratulations to the team, and here's to a golden future!

It was a long road, but the journey was worthwhile in every way.

Bringing It Home

2011-07-06T14:42:00.001-04:00

Apologies for the delay, but here is a recap of the team's final day in Greece:

We had hoped to visit the National Archaeological Museum, home to one of the five most valuable collections on the face of the planet:

The Mask of Agamemnon (ca. 2100 BC), perhaps the most famous item in the collection

But, sadly, it turns out that the museum is closed on Mondays. As an alternative, we hit the beachside resort of Glyfada, which is sort of like Athens' version of Ocean City. There's a beach:

...although the part we used was not connected to a particular club or management group, so it was small and pretty basic. Those of us who didn't want sun and surf strolled the main street of stores:

An organic honey stall in Glyfada...Greece is known for its honey, and these shops are all over the place!

This is no Plaka. The stores are European and American clothing chains: Timberland, Nautica, and Guess, plus their Euro look-a-likes. Nobody bought anything, and after watching some soccer highlights at a coffee bar, we all convened for lunch. Perhaps the location for lunch was an indication that everyone was ready to head home:

After lunch, we returned to the hotel to pack. The team was given another 24-hour travel itinerary for its return to the states:
-leave hotel at 5:45 for closing ceremonies
-closing ceremonies from 8:30-11:00
-bus back to hotel from 11:30-12:30
-leave hotel for airport at 2:30
-flights home, arriving about 2:30pm Baltimore time

Since there were only two hours allotted for sleep, the team wanted to maximize that by packing before heading to the closing event. Then we were off to the last big party of the World Games, and what a party it was! Despite only receiving a banana for dinner, the guys enjoyed the clothes trading

the Greek pop music:

and the retelling of Greek history (so, we sort of got the museum lesson anyway!):

It's the Trojan Horse! (How will it do if we build a large wooden badger?)

and the spectacle of officially ending the games:

The parade of athletes leaving, amidst clothes-trading and smiles!

After the ceremony, the squad said goodbye to Coach Ken, who headed off on travel (he's writing this from an airport in Cyprus). Meanwhile, by now, the team is home, enjoying the comfort of their own beds, their own food, and, of course, the warm welcome from friends and family who must be thrilled to have the guys back...with gold medals around their necks!

Please check back tomorrow for extra pictures and final thoughts that will conclude the blog.

Happy 4th!

2011-07-05T02:44:00.000-04:00

fireworks as the Olympic flame is extinguished

Happy 4th of July! The guys had fireworks, too. But they marked the end of the games, not the birth of the country! Please check back tomorrow for a complete post about the closing ceremonies, and check back on the 6th for some final thoughts. Currently, the guys are on their way home, expected to arrive in Baltimore sometime mid-afternoon on the 5th. They can't wait to share their gold medals and memories with families and friends!

Handling the Hardware

2011-07-03T14:32:00.000-04:00

The team spent today at the Awards Ceremony, a somewhat bizarre 4-hour parade of bronze, silver, and gold medals from each of the levels in 5-on-5, 7-on-7, and 11-on-11 soccer. The whole event lasted over six hours!

Team USA enthusiastically waiting to get their medals...along with a few hundred others

Unfortunately, the number of medals that had to be distributed meant that some of the anticipated pomp was missing: no flag raising and no national anthem. But the guys still looked great on the podium!

Then it was time to take pictures with the hard-earned hardware:

The obligatory photo with Special Olympics officials

An artistic picture of gold...courtesy of Connie Thompson

A close-up of the medal

Coach Ken with goalkeeper Alan Hill and his medal...coaches don't get medals, so this is as close as Ken will get!

In the evening, the guys repaid the gymnastics team for their incredible support at the gold medal match by visiting their "gym show," their closing event, which included performances by medal winners, including these Americans!

Lee Shannon finished her beam routine with a back-handspring dismount! Then she acknowledged the standing ovation!

Several rhythmic teams, including the Greek National Team, performed as well

In fact, these games have been remarkably successful for Team USA, and not just in soccer. USA won gold in EVERY team sport we entered: Basketball, Softball, Soccer, and Volleyball. Way to go USA!

Tomorrow, the team will head to the beach resort of Glyfada in the morning, before returning to the hotel to prepare for the closing ceremonies. It's been an epic two-week extravaganza, nine months of concentrated training, and nine years of playing together, and only a massive party with 7,000 other athletes from over 100 countries would be appropriate.

Please be sure to check the Extra Photos page for more pics from last night's victory celebration!

How could we leave out Alan Hill's celebratory plunge!

A Golden Day

2011-07-02T12:16:00.003-04:00

Team USA's final day of competition was scripted like a Hollywood movie...a Hollywood, Maryland movie, of course! After a rocky start that saw the Americans commit several fouls in an attempt to slow their skillful opponents, the team fell behind to Spain 1-0 on a 15-yard free kick in the 7th minute. But the Americans showed the resilience that has become their calling card since their last friendly against Ireland, and they immediately equalized -- just one minute later -- when Avery Long finished a Larry Mills cross from close range.

Avery Long ties the game!

Tied 1-1 at the half, the second period saw the Spanish threaten with dangerous forward runs from captain Markos Allejandro, but Team USA caught the Spaniards on a counter-attack in the 19th minute. A Wes Thompson pass cut out two Spanish defenders and Long ran onto it, then crushed the ball into the upper right hand corner to notch his second of the day and put the USA up 2-1.

Team USA stopping Spain in transition

Weathering the Spanish assault for the last ten minutes, Thomas Smith was assigned to man-mark Allejandro, and did a superb job keeping the talented captain at bay, as the whole team played smart defense in the final minutes.

Thomas Smith on his mark in the closing minutes

The tension built, and Alan Hill had to come out to cut off several crosses:

Hill triggers a counter-attack after cutting out a cross

But the boys hung on for the happy ending! USA 2, Spain 1! The first ever soccer gold medal for the United States at the World Games!!

The team's effort was aided by the huge crowd that came to support them. Besides the core of family who came to Greece, Team USA gymnastics led cheers, the bocce team added voice, and friends from Belize and Singapore -- made over the course of the week -- rounded out the cheering section. Chants of U-S-A drowned out the sqeaks of "Espana," and helped fuel the team to victory!

The core of family supporters

Part of the crowd that showed up today!

Then came the traditional post-game ceremonies, except for the medals, which will be handed out tomorrow afternoon. Check back tomorrow for pictures and comments from the medal ceremony!

No...Wes and Sam aren't emigrating. They traded jerseys with Spanish team members!

Now the team is eating dinner at a poolside pizza party, but be sure to check back later tonight for more pics and the full match report. Use the sidebar on the right to access both.

A day off!

2011-07-01T16:42:00.001-04:00

The team spent its day off today exploring Athens. Thankfully, the demonstrations died down now that we are more than 24 hours after the government's controversial vote to pass economic cuts. So, with the tear gas gone, we had clear views of the Acropolis, our first stop:

Ancient theatres surround the acropolis:

The Odeon of Herod Atticus, still in use

...which is a good thing, since the guys are such comedians:

And just below the entrance, craftsmen are working to support the existing structures by creating new marble stones to fit between the ones that are already there:

Then you get to the top, and....

Well, actually, we waited in line first. Three cruise ships unloaded their passengers just ahead of us! It took 45 minutes to get in, and the line to get out took over an hour to move through. But it was worth it!

Then we made the long trek down and had a proper Greek lunch in the traditional shopping district of Plaka:

Alan and Mallory Hill. It was Mallory's birthday today!

Recharged with souvlaki, gyros, and moussaka, we took on the daunting shops of Plaka:

What are these characters looking for, I wonder?

Finishing the afternoon with gelato

Then the team returned home via the Athens Metro, which Mary Lu considers better than DC's. We arrived back at the hotel in time to relax, catch a nap, eat dinner, and have a team meeting about tomorrow's schedule. The championship match kicks off at 12:45 local time (5:45am EST), and after a day spent soaking up Greek hospitality, the guys are ready to finish their Greek vacation in golden style.

Talking Tactics

2011-06-30T13:57:00.002-04:00

Team USA tied Spain 0-0 today, in a match that went pretty much as expected. The Americans outshot the Spaniards 5-2, and played very good defense, but neither team showed its full hand. Spain used its regular starters and subs, but they played slower than usual. Team USA mixed up its lines, using starters and substitute rotations from the Preliminary Round, not the Tournament Round.

Here are a few pics from today's match:

Terrell Nowlin heading for goal

Shaun Ridley squeezes in a shot

Cheering section (L-R): Mallory Hill, Shannon Snell, Connie Thompson, & Terry Summerfelt. Thanks for making the trip!

In case you didn't know who they were connected to!

Now, on to Saturday. What will the USA need to do to win the gold? Here's a quick break-down of the Championship match:

The game will be a classic battle of two styles. The Spanish are very skilled, and lead the group in scoring (6 goals in 3 games). The Americans are very athletic, and lead the entire competition (Prelims and Tournament) in defense, having given up just 2 goals in 6 games. More importantly, however, the two teams play two different formations. Spain uses a 2-2, and the USA uses a 1-2-1. What is the difference?

This graphic shows two teams playing a 1-2-1. Notice the diamond shape. Each team has one defender, two wing midfielders, and one central forward. As the graphic shows, in this formation, the goal is to get the ball to the center forward. That player then distributes the ball to wingers running toward goal, and all three attacking players (forward and midfielders) crash the goal.

In contrast, the 2-2 allows players more flexibility:

                 x x
GK
                 x                 x

Here, any player can become a winger, and forwards can be central or wide. The drawback is that the flexibility makes it hard to practice particular patterns, or ways to attack. The options are so numerous that players can find it hard to adjust and "be on the same page."

Here is what the field looks like when a 2-2 plays against a 1-2-1.

                        x                    y                      x
Sp                                                                                        USA
GK                  y                                            y                    GK

   x                    y                       x

In this match-up, the game is usually determined by the ability to "recover," or get back on defense. One of the wingers in the 1-2-1 must get back on defense to cover the extra forward in the 2-2. And on the other hand, one of the forwards in the 2-2 must get back on defense to account for the third attacker in the 1-2-1. Whichever team fails to recover will lose. For the Americans, this means that the wingers must run up and down the length of the field. However, Team USA has three lines of wingers, providing enough depth to cover the players' exhaustion. Today, and throughout the tournament, the Spanish have been slow to recover, and they do not have the depth the Americans have. Team USA hopes to have a particularly productive second half.

Thomas Smith recovers to pressure a shot from the Spanish captain, and Sam Huffman blocks it! Way to defend, guys!

So, now you're in the know about the gold medal match-up! But if you want to see everything else the players have been up to, click on the Extra Photos link in the sidebar to the right.

Tomorrow, the guys have no game. They will spend the day in Athens, visiting the Acropolis and browsing the shopping district of Plaka (as long as security officials decide it is safe). Alternatives include Technopolis, a craft community in West Athens, and watching the gold medal softball game. The team was present at the USA's 14-2 win over Canada today:

Cheering on the softball team, with hats courtesy of Team USA Gymnastics!

After spending the day out and about, the team will have a light walkthrough in the evening and then settle down for a good night's rest before trying to become the first American soccer team to win gold at the Special Olympics World Games.

TEAM USA in the news

2011-06-29T22:42:00.000-04:00

TEAM USA soccer has been making news on and off the field. Check out these stories:

-From the TEAM USA website
-From The Enterprise (St. Mary's County local paper)

And check out this article on Connie Thompson, captain Wes Thompson's mother, who was chosen to receive an expenses-paid trip to Athens as part of the company's program to support mothers of Special Olympians.

Medal Round Bound!

2011-06-29T14:49:00.001-04:00

The Match Reports page has full coverage of today's game against Austria, but here's the gist:

Team USA won 3-0 in a completely dominating performance. Avery Long, Wes Thompson, and Larry Mills scored, while Steven Summerfelt recorded a pair of assists. Austria was held to just one shot on goal. Some pictures from the match:

Terrell Nowlin on the attack

Brandon Chan pressuring an Austrian winger as Wes Thompson looks on

Shaun Ridley gets a shot off just before the challenge

The Americans celebrate their third goal

After two matches, Team USA now leads the Group:

TEAM              W      L      T    Pts    GF GA
USA                  2       0       0        6       5       1
Spain                 2       0      0         6       6       3
Canada              0 2 0        0       2       4
Austria              0       2       0        0       2       7

The team will complete group play against Spain tomorrow morning (3:15am EST). But regardless of the outcome, the U.S. and Spain will meet again on Saturday at 12:45 local time (5:45 EST) for the gold medal of the Level 5 tournament.

Because the two teams will meet again on Saturday, tomorrow's match will be approached tentatively by both managers, who are likely to rest starters and conceal their gameplans for Saturday. Spain is not as deep as Team USA, going 6-deep instead of 8-deep, and their top two players have played 110 out of 120 minutes. Tomorrow's post will explore the tactics of the gold medal match in greater detail, but for now, we conclude with some pictures of celebration:

After the final whistle!

Update on Demonstrations -- Still Safe and Sound!

2011-06-28T17:04:00.000-04:00

As the guys go to bed tonight, Athens is again dominating world news. The European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund are awaiting votes in the Greek Parliament tomorrow and Thursday before they agree to loan the country enough money to pay its bills. Otherwise, the country will default and the foreign investment which is currently propping up a weak economy will entirely collapse. Still, many Greeks oppose the stern measures required by international banks before they give the loans. These measures include raising the retirement age, cutting state pensions and salaries, and privatizing many government services. As a result, demonstrations and protests have accompanied the general strike organized in opposition to those "austerity measures." The demonstrations today were more violent than previous ones, with large numbers of police called into action and tear gas released on protestors.

However, please note that these disturbances are entirely contained within the area around the Greek Parliament building in downtown Athens. This site is about 30 minutes away from the soccer complex, and over an hour from the team's hotel. So far, the only affect on the team has been unpredictable lunch times, as the strike shut down transportation and demonstrations further delayed the arrival of the athletes' lunch food to the soccer complex. Considering the slim contents of this lunch, we didn't miss much! And certainly the event has done nothing to quell the excitement in the team camp ahead of tomorrow's match against Austria.

For the latest, see the BBC report. But rest easy. We are.

The Tournament Begins!

2011-06-28T10:54:00.005-04:00

After saying very little about soccer yesterday, the focus shifts back today because the Tournament Round began. The World Games is divided into three phases of competition: Preliminary Round, Tournament Round, and Medal Round. When the Preliminary Round ended on Monday afternoon, Special Olympics officials began the process of "divisioning." Divisioning involves grouping the teams into separate competitions, so that teams play against opponents with a similar ability level. In the past, the Games have been plagued by sandbagging -- in which teams purposefully underperformed in the Preliminary Round in order to get placed into a lower tournament which they could win. But this year, the officials announced a system of policing: large margins of victory and vastly superior play in the Tournament Round would result in immediate disqualification. As a result, the Preliminary Round featured honest effort, and no match in today's Tournament Round had more than a two-goal difference. Kudos to the divisioning committee!

The committee decided to keep the tournaments small this year, limiting them to round-robin tournaments of four or five teams, with a final Medal Round at the end of the week. This was done on purpose, in order to avoid scheduling matches in the hot Greek afternoons. All matches will be over by 2pm local time. So, each team will play three Tournament Round matches (one on Tuesday, one Wednesday, and one Thursday), and then Bronze medal matches will take place on Friday, and Gold medal matches on Saturday.

The United States has been grouped with Canada, Austria, and Spain in the Level 5 Tournament. There are 8 levels. Level 5 equals the highest placement for any U.S. soccer team at a Special Olympics World Games. More importantly, the team was excited to get rematches with Canada and Austria, who we outplayed in the Preliminary Round, but did not beat. Spain is the favorite in the group, having tied a team grouped into Level 4 and beaten Austria during Preliminaries. But Team USA does not play Spain until the final day of the round-robin, on Thursday.

Full coverage of the Americans' opening Tournament Round match is available on the "Match Reports" page, but we won't keep you in suspense. In a dramatic turnaround from the Preliminary Round match against Canada, the U.S. was outshot and gave up more corner kicks than in all Preliminary matches combined, but discovered their scoring touch and won 2-1! The Current Level 5 standings after the first day:

TEAM                    W             D L          PTS    GF GA
Spain                       1              0               0             3        4           2
USA                         1              0               0             3        2           1
Canada                     0              0               1             0        1           2
Austria                     0              0               1             0        2           4

Check out the pics from today's match:

Steven Summerfelt turning the corner

Sam Huffman stepping in front to send the USA into attack!

Avery Long going 1-on-1

Laundry and Patriotism go hand in hand here!

Daily Life at the Games

2011-06-27T16:38:00.002-04:00

Ok, ok. Enough about soccer. Mostly. This post will be more about everyday life at the games.

The first thing you need to learn about the World Games is the obsession for pin trading. Every country has a pin specially issued for the games. Each athlete gets about ten of them, and they are obsessive about trading and collecting them.

Larry Mills trading pins with a Kenyan ladies player

Larry's collection has grown since the Opening Ceremonies, when this picture was taken. Earlier today, a girl from Moldova asked Coach John to trade a pin, and before Coach could answer, Larry had his pin out and stole the trade!

Even administrators have the addiction

Another part of daily life have been the morning naps at the stadium. As the team gets used to a transportation system that requires them to leave at 6am, and arrive at 8am, for an 11:30am match, they have taken to sleeping in the same far corner of the upper level at the stadium:

Notice the pillows, which the players have been instructed to bring. They make for a funny scene when we walk on the field with them, but at least we're well rested!

Then there is the community of athletes. An international group of coaches and players who love the game and enjoy meeting new people. Every day brings new connections!

Brandon Chan and a pin-trading friend from Maylaysia

Coach John with (Dave) Teng Pak, the coach of Singapore and a friend the coaches made on the first day in Athens

Coach Ken juggling with the Irish striker who scored twice against us in Rhodes.

The team with John, our fast, talented, and talkative Namibian friend

Finally, and inescapably, there is the beach. Whether at Rhodes, or now at our beachside hotel south of Athens, daily walks on the beach have been a great way to recover from hectic days and very close games:

The Greek beaches we've seen on Rhodes and here at Anavyssos have both been more rock than sand, but very dramatic. As the guys are showing here

A less dramatic picture from the rocky beach across from our current hotel

So, that's a peek into the usual goings-on around here. But let's be serious. We're here for the soccer. And we did play Italy to a 0-0 tie today:

Wes Thompson watches as Larry Mills beats an Italian defender

For more on the matches, please click on the "Match Reports" link in the sidebar to the right. Tomorrow's entry will feature a discussion of the tournament and our team tactics as we enter the business end of the competition!

Updates about Updates

2011-06-27T06:40:00.000-04:00

Please check out the updated Match Reports and Extra Photos links to the right! A full briefing of the team's day will appear later today, but the team's final Preliminary Match against Italy ended as a 0-0 tie. The Americans outshot the Italians 7-1, but continue to have trouble scoring. Still, their passing and defense are improving with every match, and the team will have a light shooting session this afternoon, as they continue to work on the problem ahead of tomorrow's opening Tournament match.

The tournament schedule will be discussed in the full post later today.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2011-06-26T15:21:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy 24 hours for TEAM USA, between Opening Ceremonies and the beginning of preliminary play today, so here's a summary of what's been going on in Athens:

The Good
The Opening Ceremonies can only be described in one word: Olympic. They were artistic, inspiring, and on a colossal scale. We arrived in the afternoon at the staging area, but had some time to walk around. First, we saw the Ivory Coast, sporting traditional clothing:

Then the guys were approached by the Kenyan women's track team, and although several played coy, they eventually gave in and posed with ladies:

The march then started. As is often the case at these kinds of events, we had to walk about a half mile before we got to the stadium, and the march came in fits and starts as other countries ahead of us entered at an uneven pace. Coach John made the most of the down time, showing our anti-dancing team how to break it down (with the help of a Greek volunteer):

Then things picked up and we approached:

The Discus Thrower, cast for the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896...the Opening Ceremonies were in the track stadium from those Games!

Then entered the stadium, greeted by American fans peering over the edge:

..and in the stadium:

Entering the Panathenaic Stadium

The ceremony interpreted the creation of the world according to Greek myth:

...and also offered a staged version of Homer's Odyssey, challenging the athletes and fans to face discrimination with the determination of Odysseus:

Then we had the obligatory speeches, though two were memorable. A tribute to Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver:

and the introduction of Special Olympics' Global Ambassadors, 12 athletes with remarkable stories of success and integration:

Then came the torch...er...torches first:

Representatives of Law Enforcement from every country...they were the torch runners over the course of the last year

All told, it was a moving way to open the Games.

The final moments of the Opening Ceremony

There was more to the Good than just the Opening Ceremonies. The guys opened preliminary play today, and performed very well. Although they lost to Canada 1-0, and tied Austria 0-0, they had more shots on goal in both games and dominated possession. Again, only the finishing was missing. The team will continue to work on this, though some of it was just bad luck. Wes Thompson rattled the crossbar in the Canada match, and Avery Long just missed the corner of the goal against Austria. Full match reports can be found here. But for now, here are a few pics:

Introductions before the match with Austria

Action during the Austria match, which ended 0-0

The Bad
Unfortunately, the guys have had some challenges on this trip, as logistics and organization continue to be a problem. The Opening Ceremonies ended at 12:45, and after a glut at the bus station, we did not get back to our remote hotel until just before 3am. Departure for today's games was at 7am. Then it turned out that our Austrian opponents missed their bus while trying to sneak in an extra hour or two of sleep, so we didn't play our first match until 1:30pm, and then played immediately afterward at 2:30pm. As a result, the guys slept at the stadium for an hour or two in the morning, but in addition to the difficult ferry ride, they were clearly running short on sleep. Most of them hit the hay at 9pm tonight, as we must be up at 5am for mandatory arrival before 8am tomorrow (3 hours before our final preliminary match against Italy).

The other logistics problem has been food. Breakfast at the new hotel consists only of corn flakes with warm milk, and hard boiled eggs. And meals at the Opening Ceremonies and stadium have included only a thick french loaf with a single thin slice of cheese or meat, along with a small granola bar. Hydration resources have been excellent, but the guys have needed additional food on a regular basis and the coaching staff was challenged to supply it today, since most groceries are closed in Greece on Sundays.

Terrell Nowlin showing the complete contents of his dinner sandwich before the Opening Ceremonies

Both of these difficulties, the transportation and the food, result from the difficult economic circumstances in Greece. The organizing committee is clearly short on resources, and the Games have received criticism from workers complaining that the government should not be spending money on an event like this during such a crisis. Indeed, a general strike is planned for Tuesday and Wednesday, which could affect transportation to the venues. We'll keep you posted.

The Ugly
Another of the organizational snafus is more comical than truly problematic...the new hotel outside of Athens will only wash clothes at the outrageous price of 4 euro per item ($6 for a shirt)! As a result, necessity required the players to learn to do their wash in sinks and bathtubs over the last two days. Happily, we'll all be smelling fresh and clean tomorrow, and friends and family will rejoice to learn that the players have a newfound respect for washing machines. Perhaps their laundry duties at home will increase?

The Take-Away
All of this is to say that the last 24 hours have given us everything we expected in terms of experience and competition. Some things haven't run perfectly, but those problems have taught us new skills and a new appreciation for the differences that exist in other places around the world. Plus, we've learned to challenge ourselves and perform in the face of a little adversity (and it is just a little, considering what the Palestinian, Iranian, Afghan and other delegations face at home on a daily basis). Tomorrow, we'll put those lessons into action against Italy at 11am in our final preliminary match. Scores have been improving (1-3 vs Ireland; 0-1 vs Canada; 0-0 vs Austria), so we expect that to continue tomorrow. Go USA!

Schedule Set

2011-06-25T09:44:00.001-04:00

The team is just about to head off to the Opening Ceremonies, so look for a pair of posts tomorrow: one about the big event (on ESPN3!), and one about our first day of matches.

But before we go, we wanted to share our finalized Preliminary Round schedule:

Sunday 6/26 11:30am (4:30am EST) vs. Austria
Sunday 6/26 1:30pm (6:30am EST) vs. Canada
Monday 6/27 11:00am (4:00am EST) vs. Italy

Preliminary matches are only 15 minutes long...just one half. They will determine our seeding for the actual tournament, which begins on Tuesday. We may have an additional divisioning match Monday afternoon, if necessary.

Off to the Ceremonies! Look for us!

A 24-Hour Boat Trip??!!

2011-06-24T16:52:00.002-04:00

So, just in case you're keeping score, it took 24 hours to travel 5,300 miles from Baltimore to Rhodes. Ok. Then it took us 24 hours to travel 266 miles from Rhodes to Athens. The good news: We're here, we're fed, we're showered, and we can sleep in (well, the players can...coaches have to get up at 7:15 for a meeting). The bad news: the last 24 hours felt like 48.

First, we had a quality training session, focused on shooting, physical play, and being ready for balls to come back from out of bounds quickly -- all things we identified as problem areas from the Ireland match:

Then we went back to the medeival town of Rhodes to see the Special Olympics torch pass through town. The players were celebrated:

Heading into the Torch ceremony

A classical Greek tragic dance to introduce the Torch

Comedy Tonight! (the motto of the last 24-48 hours!)

Then saw the torch:

We SWEAR it was lit!

Then walked back through town and stopped at the Archaeology Museum, where we were graciously admitted for free, but then were promptly escorted out by Olympic officials intent to keep us on schedule:

Goalkeeper Alan Hill with Daphne, our friendly (and diligent) official guide.

Then we boarded the ferry:

But, with 1000 other athletes on board, the ship only had beds for about 1/4 or 1/3 of the occupants, so some of the guys made their own beds out of couches:

benches:

and floors:

while others chose not to sleep:

The reward for not sleeping was a marvelous sunrise over the Dodecanese Islands:

When the ferry arrived in Athens, the players boarded a bus and headed for their hotel. Unfortunately, the soccer fields are too far away to allow the teams to stay at the Olympic Village. Instead, the players are staying at the Alexander Hotel in Anavyssos, about 40km from Athens. This amounts to a one-hour bus ride. So, we're far from the center of town, but the beach is once again across the street, and this time the swimming pool overlooks the ocean:

sunset from the pool deck

Team USA poolside!

So, it's been the longest day of the trip, but now the guys are settled, along with soccer teams from Canada, Denmark, Palestine, Egypt, Costa Rica, Belize, Venezuela, the Ukraine, and others. Tomorrow will feature a light training session, and then transportation up to Athens for the Opening Ceremonies, which begin at 7pm and will be televised on ESPN3.com, click here to subscribe (for free) and watch us!!

Taking A Long Walk

2011-06-22T18:04:00.002-04:00

Today's adventures were all about taking a long walk.

The morning started with the final preparation match before Divisioning at the World Games begins on Sunday. We lost 3-1 to an Ireland team who was not as fast as us, but who was much more experienced. Nevertheless, we learned some important lessons and owned the entire second half. With some better shooting, we could have tied or even won. For the full story on the game, click on the "match reports" page on the sidebar to the right, or just click here. For more pictures, click here.

Larry Mills and Terrell Nowlin moving into attack

Brandon Chan in pursuit of an Irish attacker

After the learning that success at this level was going to take some more strength and learning (a long walk, if you will), the team spent some time this afternoon at the hotel pool. Trading the ocean waves for the calmer pool didn't have any affect on the good times, though, as you can see:

Then the evening was spent at Lindos, an ancient city even older than Rhodes. It has its own acropolis, less famous than Athens, but no less scenic:

There wasn't enough time to climb up to the acropolis, so the team wandered the streets and shops, trading pins with other countries' athletes:

Part of the Israeli delegation

This one is obvious.

Next, the entire population gathered to watch the Special Olympics torch run through town on its way to Athens. The team headed home after seeing the torch, and went to bed early before tomorrow morning's training session and the long ferry ride. But before they could get home, the guys had to climb the large hill leading out of Lindos:

The Long Walk

Our guys making the hike up

One day, two big hills, and a better team for it! Now, off to Athens! As it turns out, we'll be hot on the heels of the torch. We leave by ferry tomorrow afternoon, and are due in Piraeus, the port town of Athens, at 1pm on Friday. Unless the ferry has internet (which seems unlikely, since they don't even offer blankets or pillows), the next post will come Friday afternoon, once we have settled into our new accommodations at the Alexander Beach Hotel.

What Else Is There To Do Around Here?

2011-06-21T17:35:00.005-04:00

On the team's first full day in Rhodes, they did it all: a training session, ocean swimming, visiting the ancient city of Rhodes, and finishing with a beach disco party. All we can wonder is, whether we've done everything already! Who knows what's in store for tomorrow, but here's a recap of today's adventures.

This morning's training session focused on what soccer players call "set pieces." These are free kicks that result from fouls, as well as corner kicks that result when the ball crosses the baseline of the field. More than 50% of all goal come from set pieces, so it is always good to practice them constantly.

Then practice finished with some practice on penalty kicks. The team has not yet practiced these, and they will determine games if the team gets beyond their group phase in the Tournament. Fortunately, we had an astroturf field much like our game fields in Athens. The guys looked great!

Avery Long and Sam Huffman won the penalty kick competitions, and Alan Hill made some fantastic saves:

The guys also enjoyed their first taste of international stardom, as a group of Greek schoolchildren came to watch, cheered the great goals, and then took a photo with us afterward:

In the afternoon, the guys spent a couple of hours at the beach. Almost everyone tested the ocean waters, and the conclusion was that the warm Aegean Sea was the perfect way to cool down after training. We're still waiting for Alan (on the left) to wear his European-style swimsuit!

The evening involved a walking tour of the ancient city of Rhodes. Although the Kolossos no longer stands (it was a bronze statue over 100 feet high, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), most of the old town is circled by a wall built by the Crusaders:

...and filled with mosques from over three hundred years of Turkish occupation:

Along the way, the guys bumped into the Irish team we'll be scrimmaging tomorrow in our last preparation match:

We got along tonight, but things will be less friendly tomorrow!

Then all the countries based in Rhodes went to a beach party. Except for dancing machine Shaun Ridley, most of the guys refused to dance, reserving their moves for the field.

The Beachside Disco...where's our guys???

We came home after 11:00, ready for a good night's rest before tomorrow morning's training session and match against Ireland. Be sure to read the match report tomorrow. Also, team manager Mary Lu Bucci is taking more pictures than we can post on these daily updates. To see all of them, visit the Extra Photos page.

All Rhodes Lead Here!

2011-06-20T15:59:00.000-04:00

Today the team arrived in Rhodes Town, on the northern tip of the island of Rhodes. Rhodes is actually much closer to Turkey than to mainland Greece, but its residents have considered themselves Greek for over one thousand years. We'll discover more about the island tomorrow night, when the team visits the Town and has a traditional Greek dinner and dance.

Today, we were too tired to discover much of anything. That was actually a little strange, since almost everyone slept on the plane, including Avery Long:

Once we arrived, about 4pm local time (9am Eastern Time), the Greek police collected our passports:

Notice that he's dropping them into a plastic grocery shopping bag. Very professional.

Then we drove about 20 minutes up the coast to our hotel, the Rodos Palace. On the way we passed several landmarks, including this cross atop the highest point on the island:

and lots of Greek homes, which use solar power to heat their water and are constructed to make the most of the sea breezes:

When we arrived at the hotel, we found that it lives up to its name, at least in terms of the view:

Well, this is the view from the coaches' room, anyway. Alan Hill and Wes Thompson have a view of the pool and were a little shocked at the nature of male swimwear in Greece (photo not included).

Next, the team ate dinner, and Coach Ken proudly pushed the guys to sample the spinakopita, bakhlava, and whitefish with yogurt sauce, which most of the players did (especially Larry Mills and Brandon Chan!). Others clung to the spaghetti. Team USA thought the hotel did not live up to its name when they wanted to charge us for still water at dinner...but it says something when the hotel won't serve tap water, so the coaches have decided to supply the players with liters of water each day and each night, in addition to the good water they'll get at training.

After dinner, the team took an evening stroll on the rocky beach, which produced some collector's items and some nice skipping stones. Coach John, Larry, and Wes proved to be excellent skippers.

Then the walk finished with a great team picture:

...just as the sun was setting over the ocean:

After returning to the hotel, it was time to get to sleep. The guys are hoping to wake up with our bodies on Greece time and ready for an 8:30 am training session. Tomorrow's session may be followed by a friendly and final preparation scrimmage against Ireland (who is joining us in the Palace) on Wednesday or Thursday. Details to follow.

One last bit of news that requires no additional details...ESPN has just announced that it's online channel, ESPN3.com, will carry the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Games live from Athens on Saturday, June 25, from 1-4pm Eastern time. Please visit espn.com to register for ESPN3 coverage, so you can look for us!!

A 24-hour flight???!!!

2011-06-19T16:06:00.001-04:00

Today is the scheduled travel day to Greece, which should mean that it's a boring day. But the guys found ways to make a boring day great!

First, Avery Long showed us the latest fashion in soccer shorts:

Then, we had a light training session after practice, including an introduction to some new stretches:

Then, we spent an hour in line with our friends on the swim team while waiting to check in for the military mobile command flight that will take us to Greece:

Then, Goalkeeper Alan Hill found more food (he has a real talent for this):

Now, the team is awaiting its flight, scheduled for 7pm. The next posting will come from Rhodes, but our current schedule doesn't have us landing there until almost 3pm Greece time tomorrow! After a 24-hour trip, the team will relax on Monday, but we'll post some more photos from the trip tomorrow night!

Finally, the team would like to wish all their dads a Happy Father's Day. In addition, we don't want to forget the moms! We would like to ask you to visit the Proctor and Gamble Facebook "Thank You Mom" page. P&G will donate one dollar to Special Olympics for every visit to this page, from today until the end of the World Games. The company is a title sponsor for Team USA, and you should check out their awesome commercial about World Games athlete Molly Hinka. We met Molly yesterday!

Ready to Go!

2011-06-18T22:46:00.003-04:00

After a year of preparation, the team finally left Southern Maryland today, headed for the World Games! A large crowd of family and friends sent the team off with lots of loud cheering.

Leaving Home! Go Team USA!

The squad then arrived at the TEAM USA hotel, where they received yet another pair of shoes for the turf fields in Greece, thanks again in part to our friends at Rockville Soccer. Then the guys were greeted by the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders, the Baltimore Orioles mascot, and well wishes from many of the pro golfers competing at the US Open in Washington this weekend! After a dinner for the whole American delegation (where the guys all had to wear the best-looking shorts we were given), the guys went back to their rooms for their last night's sleep in America!

At the hotel...love the shorts, guys!

TEAM USA send-off dinner

For family and friends, here is the latest update on the team's schedule tomorrow:

8am Wake-up
8:30am Breakfast
10am Light training session
1pm Lunch
2pm Leave for airport
4pm Flight departs
9:30pm Land in Shannon, Ireland
12:30am Depart Shannon for Rhodes, Greece
5:00am (12 noon Greece time) Land in Rhodes

Final Preparations

2011-06-16T13:42:00.000-04:00

The team's final week of practice prior to departure has been outstanding! But to get a full sense of the improvement, let's set the stage with a little background:

Last Wednesday, the team played a co-ed squad from Leonardtown High School's boys and girls teams. Playing in 95-degree heat, the team was slow to start, trailed 3-0 early on, and lost 7-1. As a result, this week's preparations have focused on staying positive and sticking with our game plan, regardless of the score. A team dinner on Monday night renewed the players' sense of opportunity, friendship, and excitement, and good practices focused on recovering to play strong defense whenever we lost the ball.

Yesterday, the team's final session in America was a rematch against Leonardtown. This time, it was team USA that caught Leonardtown taking it easy, and jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead on two goals from Larry Mills and one from Terrell Nowlin, along with solid defense from everyone and the best game yet from goalkeeper Alan Hill. Leonardtown regrouped, but Team USA still won the first match 4-3. In the second match, Leonardtown came out strong and took a 3-0 lead, but this time Team USA continued to work hard, closing the score to 4-2 at halftime. The game was even closer, at 5-4, with just five minutes left, but Leonardtown caught Team USA on a counter-attack and scored, winning the second match 6-4, and winning the overall score 9-8.

Still, this was the team's best performance so far, and with key players Wes Thompson and Steven Summerfelt beginning to run around, dribble, and even kick the ball a bit, the team will leave America on Sunday confident in its chances at the World Games!

Please check in for daily updates starting this Saturday, June 18.

Greece Makes News In Other Ways

2011-06-15T12:16:00.001-04:00

Greece made world news today, and it had nothing to do with the World Games, as central Athens erupted with demonstrations against the Government's cutbacks in spending. These demonstrations have been occurring every few months for the last two years, ever since the recession combined with Greece's national debt to make Greece's economy the worst in Europe. In addition to similar concerns about state spending that face almost every country in the world right now, Greece remained heavily in debt due to spending on facilities for the 2004 Olympics -- including the stadium that will host our soccer matches at the Special Olympics World Games. In return for a loan to keep the government running, Greece had to agree to immediately and severely cut back its state spending. The government promised to raise the retirement age and reduce pension payments for state workers, as well as reduce a variety of programs that assist the Greek population in general. All this is happening while Greece faces almost 15% unemployment (the United States is at 9%), so many Greeks are worried about whether they will be able to pay their rent, and many more are worried about how they will be able to plan for the future since they will not be able to expect the same state system their parents had. For more details on the demonstrations, see this story, and this one.

picture of a protest in Athens on June 15

The result of all this concern has been a series of demonstrations. However, it is important to note that the violence at these demonstrations has been minimal, no tourists or foreign visitors have been targeted, and the demonstrations have been focused around the Parliament building in central Athens, which is nowhere near our residence or our stadium. Some museums and bus lines have been closed temporarily, but there is no reason to expect that this disturbance will affect the team's experience in any important way. Greeks recognize that tourism is an important part of their economy and livelihood, and so we will receive the usual and famous Greek hospitality, even if the Greeks are arguing with each other while we are there.

UPDATE (6/18): The Greek Government has reached a deal with unions to prevent closings during the World Games. This agreement also reduces the likelihood of any disturbances during our stay. For more information, see the Team USA official announcement.

What a Stadium!

2011-06-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

The basic schedule for the World Games is out. We don't yet know our exact opponents or match times, but we do know that we're playing between 9am and 1:30pm for seven days in a row...June 26-July 3. The first two days will be "divisioning" games. These are preliminary matches that will determine which of the eight or nine tournament levels we will play. The next five days are tournament matches. The best part is the venue: the Helliniko Field Hockey Stadium, built for the field hockey matches at the 2004 Olympics. Check it out:

Although the astroturf surface will make the ball roll out of bounds more often, our team is very good at set pieces, so this plays to our advantage. The stands will create a great atmosphere for players and fans, and the location along the Athens shore will provide fresh breezes (and maybe a trip to the beach after a game)!

Gear Arrives!

2011-06-07T00:13:00.001-04:00

Last week, the team was excited to receive their full TEAM USA gear. As you can see in the picture below, it's basically a full wardrobe! Travel shirts of various kinds, a couple of T-shirts, several pairs of shorts, a full track suit, new tennis shoes, and three bags, all provided by Champion and all marked with the TEAM USA logo. We'll be hitting Greece in style...except for those crazy looking shorts on the left...the ones with the red and white stars. Yikes!

Along with the incredible support we've been given by Herb Gainey, the St. Mary's College of Maryland Women's Soccer Team, and Rockville Soccer, who supplied us with balls, shoes, and shinguards, the team is now well equipped for success in Athens. Thanks everyone!

Training Really Heats Up

2011-06-02T00:09:00.005-04:00

Since practices went up to three times per week, the team has been improving rapidly. The proof is in the scores from scrimmages. The team lost to the St. Mary's College Women's Soccer team 8-2 on May 4, but then improved to a 6-3 defeat on May 11. On May 25, they played a local amateur team to a close 9-7 defeat. The next measurement comes on June 8, against members of the local Leonardtown High School team. Check out all the scores here. Notably, the squad has chosen not to scrimmage any Special Olympics teams in the run-up to the World Games, since they haven't lost to a Special Olympics team in eight years. But the competition in Greece will be at a whole new level, so the team is playing against very strong competition to prepare themselves.

The training schedule has been made even more difficult by soaring temperatures this week. However, Greek summers bring temperatures in the 90s as well, so every day of practice in that heat will prepare the team for playing games over there. In addition to heat, the team is also battling a couple of injuries. Wes Thompson's fracture of a small bone in his foot is progressing on schedule, and Steven Summerfelt's knee is also supposed to be ready for game action by the time the team lands in Greece on June 19. All systems go for Greece!

Rules and Regulations

2011-05-25T00:09:00.001-04:00

For those of you interested in how the matches work at the Special Olympics World Games, here's a quick primer:

-games are 4v4 plus Goalkeepers, with 20 minute halves
-goals are a bit smaller than regulation indoor soccer goals
-fields are 50x35
-balls are restarted on the sideline with kick-ins (not throw-ins)
-balls are restarted on the endline with corner kicks or direct distribution from the goalkeeper's hands (no goal kicks)
-goalkeepers cannot distribute the ball past half-field

There is no qualifying for the Special Olympics World Games, but football (soccer) is the most popular team sport at the event. Over 100 teams will be present. As a result, we will spend the first several days of the tournament playing Preliminary Matches, sometimes more than two per day. Officials will watch every team and then categorize the teams into a number (up to eight or nine) of separate tournaments, each filled with teams of relatively equal ability. Each tournament has its own gold, silver, and bronze medals.

No American team has ever medaled, and very few have been legitimate contenders in their tournaments, but officials at our training camp in San Diego said this was the best American soccer team they had ever seen! We're definitely hoping to raise the standard!

For the truly interested, you can read the full rules and regulations here.

Training Schedule Intensifies

2011-05-24T23:23:00.002-04:00

At the end of March, the team spent four days at San Diego State University (seen above and below), training twice each day as part of a weeklong camp for all of TEAM USA. The squad returned to Maryland just in time for April showers, and they had a number of practices canceled. So, to make up for lost time, training sessions have expanded from once to twice to now three times a week in the final run-up to departure. Constant practice, including winter sessions in a basketball gym, has greatly improved the team's skill and understanding of the game, and most of the current sessions involve a lot of scrimmage time... which is good, because they will play multiple games per day in Athens. Time to make sure we're in shape, guys!

Meet the Team

2011-05-22T23:31:00.003-04:00

The 2011 Special Olympics Team USA Soccer squad comes from St. Mary's County, Maryland. The team has not lost to an American Special Olympics team in over eight years. In 2009, the squad won the Maryland State Championship in the Unified division (playing against teams mixed with Special Olympians and their partners).

Team members (as seen in the picture above):

Back Row (L-R): Head Coach John Toner, Manager Mary Lu Bucci, Brandon Chan, Avery Long, Wesley Thompson, Larry Mills, Steven Summerfelt, Assistant Coach Ken Cohen

Front Row (L-R): Thomas Smith, Shaun Ridley, Alan Hill, Terrell Nowlin, Sam Huffman

For more about the team, check out their individual profiles and their coverage in the local Maryland press. This blog will share news about the team's experiences leading up to and during the 2011 Special Olympics World Games in Athens, Greece, from June 25-July 4. For more on the World Games, click here.