News

Team USA to play Sunday for the Cup!
November 5th, 2011
International

After putting on two convincing performances in their first day of competition, Team USA was confident entering Friday's matches against Switzerland and England. After defeating the Swiss 21-0, they prepared for a very strong England squad. It was a hard-fought match, with England scoring the game's only goal in second half. Despite the loss, Team USA were still through to the semi-finals.

At that point, it was a matter of seeing who would be the next test. The opponent ended up being France, setting the stage for a rematch of the final in the inaugural World Cup in Tokyo. The match was intense, as Team USA struck first, with Michael Archer putting away a penalty kick in the first half. In the second half, France had several scoring chances, but a goal by Kendra Scalia-Carrow sealed their fate and Team USA advanced to the FIPFA World Cup final with a 2-0 victory!

The final game will see the United States vs. England in a rematch! Kickoff is Sunday, November 6 at 9am EST. You can watch the game live at the Blog Handicap website.

Team USA is one win...

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USPSA E-newsletter World Cup Edition
November 1st, 2011
E-Newsletters

Dominic Russo, USPSA PresidentPresident's Letter

Dear Members and Friends of the USPSA,

The time has come. For the past two years, members of Team USA have trained hard to become the best they can be. The US is in a tough pool but that is not uncommon for the top-seeded team. Only two teams from each pool will move on to the semi-final round. The team will have to start hot and fast as their first opponent, Japan, was a worthy adversary in 2007.

There are ten countries represented for this World Cup. Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, and the US. There will be two pools of five teams with the opening game on Wednesday night, November 2, between France and Belgium.

In 2007 I had the honor of being directly involved with the team and it is my opinion that as good of a team we had in 2007, this team is head and shoulders above that charter team. They have trained longer, harder, and they are faster. I know to a person, each one of these players - old and new - feels a great pride in representing their sport for the United States and each one of you. I...

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Holden Man helps develop U.S. Power Soccer Team
October 18th, 2011
Tara Johnson, The Daily Holden
Local News

AUBURN, Mass. - For Addison Russell, 23, of Holden, the U.S. Power Soccer Clinic at Saint Joseph's Parish Center in Auburn on Sunday was an opportunity to reintroduce his passion for sports after a tragic accident nearly took his life several years ago.

In August 2006, at the age of 18, Russell was with friends riding a tube behind a motor boat on Lake Quinsigamond. A Kawasaki 900 STS Jet Ski ran him over, striking his head, and leaving him with serious injuries.

Russell, a three-sport athlete, had just graduated from St. Peter-Marian High School earlier in the spring. He had planned to play soccer at Emmanuel College.

He was in a coma for nine months and the family was unsure if he would survive. When Russell's mother, Gail, discovered the U.S. Power Soccer Association, she, along with several other community members, decided to host a free clinic in the Auburn area.

According to the USPSA, Power Soccer is the fastest growing sport for power wheelchair users. The sport was originally developed in France in the early 1970's and was introduced to the United States in the early 1980's.

Since then, many countries have created their own version of the sport, which led to an international meeting in Paris, France...

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USPSA E-newsletter for October 2011
October 4th, 2011
E-Newsletters

Dominic Russo, USPSA PresidentPresident's Letter

Dear Members and Friends of the USPSA,

The new season has started and Team USA has begun the final preparations to go to France and defend their title. In addition, there are a number of new things this year that I would like to share with all of you.

There is an official FIPFA World Cup website that will keep you up to date with things going on in Paris. There is also a plan to show the games via this website, so check back often for the information so you can cheer on the team!

During the World Cup, a World Congress will be held. During this meeting, elections and matters dealing with the business of soccer throughout the world will be discussed. One item on the agenda will be a new Constitution. The new Constitution simplifies a 20-page document into 5 pages. Simple is sometimes better for a young organization, however, in this case, it also eliminates the voting rights of the Zones and reduces the decision makers...

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2012 Conference Cup Bid Packet
September 27th, 2011
Tournament Selection Committee
Announcements

Dear USPSA Members,

The bid packet for 2012 Conference Cup tournaments is now available for download on the USPSA website (Downloads » Games and Tournaments). The bid packet is due back to the Tournament Selection Committee one month from today, October 27th.

We encourage all teams to review the packet and consider bidding to host your Conference Cup tournament. Now that almost every team has had the experience of attending a national tournament, we hope more teams will have the desire to host a Conference Cup. It is a lot of work and a big responsibility, but it is very rewarding as well.

In January, the conference hosts will be given a deposit of $500 for every team in their conference. These deposits will help the host organization with some initial costs (meal catering, facility rentals, etc) of hosting the tournament. That $500 will then be subtracted from each team's final tournament registration costs later in the year.

The Team-Conference alignments will be announced after all returning teams have registered. You can specify in the form that you would like to host your team's Conference Cup even if it is not yet known.

If you have any questions, contact Jonathan Newman, Chairman...

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Power Soccer: Team USA Prepares for Another World Cup Championship
September 23rd, 2011
Zak Schmoll, Bleacher Report
Local News

If I told you that Team USA was the defending World Cup champion, you'd write me off as delusional.

However, I did just say that, and I am of perfectly sound mind—because the United States National Power Soccer Team did indeed win the 2007 World Cup in Tokyo.

Of course, by now you're wondering what is power soccer?

According to the returning Team USA coach Chris Finn, "Power soccer is similar to outdoor soccer only for people who use power wheelchairs. Instead of using our feet, we use our wheelchairs and foot guards to push and spin kick the ball."

Two teams of four play on a regulation basketball court in a fast-paced and sometimes very physical contest that has been spreading rapidly across the world.

There will be 10 countries from four different continents meeting for the World Cup in Paris this November. Team USA is, of course, hoping to come out on top again.

Power soccer is indeed a very competitive sport and, by hearing from some of the athletes, I think that you will hear a little bit more as to what this international competition means.

Jordan Dickey explained what the World Cup championship would mean to him.

"Every athlete at any level dreams of representing their country, I...

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Local Mentor 'Plays it Forward'
September 13th, 2011
Jeff Olsen, KARE-11
Local News

deeandra power soccer GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - A local teen who has found inspiration on Courage Center's soccer field is helping other kids with disabilities see what is possible for them.

"She's pretty humble, but she's a pretty good player," Barb Fealy said about her daughter Deandra.

Dee was born with cerebral palsy, which means she has trouble with muscle control.

"She has no ability to control her body," Barb explained. "But she has a smart, intellectual brain."

Indeed, at 16 years old, Dee is ranked at the top of her class at Columbia Heights High School. She is intelligent, funny and very competitive.

"...

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Sports and Social Change Featured Organization
September 7th, 2011
Sports and Social Change
Local News

ASSOCIATED SPORTS: Football (Soccer)
CAUSES SERVED: Athletics, Children and Youth, Disability Issues, Special Needs
AGE GROUPS SERVED: All
EMAIL: krusso1 [at] indy [dot] rr [dot] com
WEBSITE: http://www.powersoccerUSA.net

Just minutes prior to the final championship match, players on competing teams are seen hanging around talking, laughing, and having a blast. Blasphemous, right? Nope. This is special. This is the sport of Power Soccer.

Power Soccer is a sport developed specifically for those who use power wheel chairs. According to the United States Power Soccer Association, “Athletes' disabilities include quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and many others.” The game is similar in format to outdoor soccer, but is played indoors on a basketball court. “Two teams of four players attack defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in a skilled and challenging game similar to able-bodied soccer.”

While relatively new, Power Soccer...

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USPSA E-newsletter for September 2011
September 1st, 2011
E-Newsletters

Dominic Russo, USPSA PresidentPresident's Letter

Dear friends and members of the USPSA,

Hope you all had a great summer. The soccer season is now open and registration has begun. There have been a number of questions about the promotion and relegation of teams. Please know, registration needs to be complete prior to us announcing which conference you will be placed in. As we go through this process, we will give priority to the teams who met their obligation by attending their Cup tournament and then review the teams that did not attend their cup.

International development continues. I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in a development workshop in Australia in August. It was a FIPFA event and attended by Herve' Delattre, Pika Durand, Nico Dubes, from France, Hiroshi Takahashi from Japan, Mark Jones and the Russo's from the US. Wow, what a long trip! We had the pleasure of meeting 29 players, their families, and a highly motivated organizer and the President of the Australian Power Soccer Association, Matt Cross. The energy and commitment from those involved was incredible. The...

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2011 Registration Now Open
September 1st, 2011
Jenny Mitchell, Secretary
Announcements

Welcome back to POWER SOCCER! Last season, the first under the Conference system, brought about some exciting changes. There were over 350 games played and four national Conference Cup Finals. Overall, we feel the Conference system worked out very well and we are excited for more teams to join in the fun this season.

Conference Teams will be realigned based on the results of the Conference Cup Tournaments over the summer. The complete Team-Conference alignment can only be announced after all returning teams have registered, so it's very important to REGISTER EARLY!!!

There are three levels of involvement for power soccer teams.

  • Teams that want to be in the competitive level of Conference play must play a minimum of 12 games, two (2) of which must be against teams in the same conference or higher, as well as participate in the post-season tournament.
  • Teams who don't wish to be quite as competitive or travel should register as a Non-Conference team. Non-conference teams can still play competitive, sanctioned USPSA games, but there is no minimum number of games to play and no end-of-season tournament.
  • Brand new power soccer programs may want to start...
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