Saturday Morning Soccer (kids and parents)	Saturdays	9am	Sharon Middle School
MLS Camp	8/18 - 8/22		Gavins (see below)
Registration for Fall Rec Soccer ends	8/31		form
Fall Rec Soccer begins	9/13
No soccer (Columbus Day wknd)	10/11		Gavins / East

2008-2009 Sharon Travel Soccer Rosters Posted
Rosters for all teams are now posted. Coaches will be announced soon. Congratulations to all. Have a wonderful summer, rest, practice a bit, and we'll see you on the fields.

2008 Kathy Lawler Scholarship Recipients


The Sharon Soccer Association announced the recipients of the 2008 Kathy Lawler Scholarship recently. They are Michelle Croteau and Rachel DeRose, who will both be attending the University of Maryland, Stephen Gage, who is headed to Catholic University, and T.J. Gillen who'll be attending Bridgewater State College. Congratulations to all.

Eagles Rise, then Fall in MTOC
The Massachusetts Tournament of Champions ended Saturday with preliminary round exits by both of Sharon's entries. The U14 Boys (Bloom) played in the Division 1 bracket and tied Hanover in a rain-shortened game 0-0, defeated Pittsfield 1-0 and lost to Brookline 2-0. The U12 Boys (Balzano) lost 2-1 to Martha's Vineyard and 3-1 on Friday and tied 4-4 on Saturday. Overall, a tremendous season for both of these teams as each one won their respective division of the South Shore Soccer League.

Saturday Morning Soccer for Kids and Parents!
Effective tomorrow, Brendan Murphy and Brian Dunlea will be organizing a weekly friendly game of soccer Saturday mornings at 9am behind the Middle School. This is for players of all ages and abilities and their parents also. Please bring plenty of water, sunscreen and be prepared to have some fun. If you have any questions please contact Brendan at bmurphy@walshbrothers.com or Brian at bkdunlea@comcast.net.

Sharon Brings Home 3 South Shore League Titles
The Flagg Street fields in Bridgewater were buzzing Sunday with the sounds of Eagles winning three South Shore League championships. The day started with the U12 Boys (Balzano) winning the Division 2 championship with a 3-0 whitewashing of Rockland. This completed their undefeated season. The U12 Division 3 Boys (Mullaley) then lost a tremendous match to Braintree 1-0. In a manner very typical of their undefeated SSSL Season, the Sharon Girls U14C team demonstrated commitment and heart in dispatching the No. 1 seed Quincy 1-0 to take home the Division 3 Championship. Finally, the U14 Boys (Bloom) captured the Division 1 championship by defeating previously unbeaten and top-seeded Brockton, 1-0, in what some say was the match of the weekend. In addition, Bloom's team took home the Sportsmanship Award for their play throughout the tournament. The U12 (Balzano) and U14 (Bloom) Boys each earned trips to the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions and will compete against the best teams in the Commonwealth next weekend at Progin Field in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Way to go Eagles!

Four Sharon Teams Advance in SSL Semis

In the South Shore League semifinals held Saturday, four teams advanced. Sharon will be playing for the U12 Boys Division 2 championship (Balzano) against Rockland at 11am, having defeated Whitman 2-0 in the semifinals. The U14 Boys Division 1 entry (Bloom) will be facing regular season champion Brockton at 3:30, having upset second-seeded Weymouth 2-1. The U12 Division 3 boys (Mullaley) beat Stoughton and will be facing Braintree at 1:30pm and the U14 Division 3 girls (Reilly) will be playing Quincy at 3:30, having beaten East Bridgewater in the semifinals. The U12 D3 girls (Goldschneider) lost their semifinal game 2-1. All games are Sunday in Bridgewater. The U12 Boys (Balzano) and U14 Boys (Bloom) have qualified for MTOC (Massachusetts Tournament of Champions) by virtue of their victories Saturday. Go Eagles!

MLS Camp Info and Sign-Up
Sharon Soccer is once again delighted to be partnered with Major League Soccer (MLS) to offer our local athletes the opportunity to attend the highest caliber and most rewarding program of its kind. MLS Camps is the official camp and clinic of Major League Soccer and it is through this valuable partnership that Sharon Soccer is able to offer local athletes a week of the finest and most-qualified coaching available in the country. Specific details are summarized below. Download the camp brochure here. For more information, please contact John Reilly at 781.784.7480 or by email at john.w.reilly@verizon.net.

Date: Mon. Aug. 18 – Fri. Aug. 22
Location: Gavins Pond Field in Sharon

Program: Recreational
Ages: K - 2nd Grades
Time: 9AM - Noon
Cost: $100 (includes soccer ball and commemorative shirt)

Program: Recreational
Ages: 3rd – 6th Grades
Time: 9AM – 3PM
Cost: $165 (includes soccer ball and commemorative shirt)

Program: Competitive
Ages: High School Camp
Date: Mon Aug. 18 – Wed. Aug 20.
Time: 5PM – 8PM
Cost: $50

Shin Guards and Water Bottle are required. All campers will receive an evaluation from a certified MLS coach as well as a free companion ticket to an MLS Game.

Sharon Teams Qualify for Playoffs
Congratulations to the following teams. They have all qualified for the South Shore League playoffs which begin tomorrow night. Good Luck

Girls U12A (coach: Alan Robbins)
Girls U12C (coach: Bob Goldschneider)
Girls U14C (coach: John Reilly)
Boys U12A (coach: Mike Balzano)
Boys U12C (coach: Paul Mullaley)
Boys U14A (coach: Barry Bloom)
Boys U14B (coach: Larry Goodman)

Sharon U14 Girls Win Tourney

The Sharon U14 Girls A team entered the indoor soccer playoffs at Forekicks as the 3rd seed after a 5-3-2 regular season, but surged through the playoffs with a 3-1 semifinal win against King Philip and took a 3-1 lead against Walpole in the finals for the Championship. Congratulations!

Sharon Soccer Playoff Update
It has been a great spring for the Sharon Soccer Travel teams. Down to the last week of the season, 12 out of 17 eligible teams were still fighting for playoff spots. Despite the searing heat over the weekend, 7 teams made the playoffs, one of our best results ever. We’d like to congratulate everyone for having a great season – especially the players and coaches who worked so hard all year.

A special note of congratulations goes out to our playoff bound teams:

U12 Girls – Goldschneider
U12 Girls – Robbins
U14 Girls – Reilly

U12 Boys – Mullaley
U12 Boys – Balzano
U14 Boys – Bloom
U14 Boys – Goodman

Please send in photos of your teams so we can post on the site. Have a great summer.

Sharon Soccer Association Presents MLS Camps
Sharon Soccer is once again delighted to be partnered with Major League Soccer (MLS) to offer our local athletes the opportunity to attend the highest caliber and most rewarding program of its kind. MLS Camps is the official camp and clinic of Major League Soccer and it is through this valuable partnership that Sharon Soccer is able to offer local athletes a week of the finest and most-qualified coaching available in the country. Specific details are summarized below. For more information or to request a registration application, please contact John Reilly at 781.784.7480 or by email at john.w.reilly@verizon.net.

Date: Mon. Aug. 18 – Fri. Aug. 22
Location: Gavins Pond Field in Sharon

Program: Recreational
Ages: K - 2nd Grades
Time: 9AM - Noon
Cost: $100 (includes soccer ball and commemorative shirt)

Program: Recreational
Ages: 3rd – 6th Grades
Time: 9AM – 3PM
Cost: $165 (includes soccer ball and commemorative shirt)

Program: Competitive
Ages: High School Camp
Date: Mon Aug. 18 – Wed. Aug 20.
Time: 5PM – 8PM
Cost: $50

Shin Guards and Water Bottle are required. All campers will receive an evaluation from a certified MLS coach as well as a free companion ticket to an MLS Game.

Sharon U16 Girls Shine in 2008 Foxboro Cup, Fall in Finals Shootout
The Sharon Soccer Association’s Girls U-16 team competed at the 2008 Foxboro Cup 6 v. 6 tournament this Saturday. After going 2-0-1 in the preliminary rounds with spirited defensive play, the Eagles handily beat Raynham 5-1 in the semi-final round, advancing to meet Norton in the finals. With the final game tied at 0-0 after two overtime periods, Norton defeated Sharon in a shootout, 1-0. Congratulations to the Eagles, this spring’s U-16 Foxboro Cup finalists. Players included goalie Danielle Kaigler, defenders Erica Beach, Julie Federman Candace Lavien, and Becky Marder, center midfielders Stephanie Bartas and Mary Gillen, and forwards Clare Cunningham, Sara Gildersleeve, Cate Horan, Victoria Russo, and Anusha Singh.

Fall Rec Soccer Info
Fall Rec Soccer is starting on 9/13 and going through 11/1, with no soccer on 10/11 (Columbus Day Weekend). There is no Pre-K program for fall rec soccer. All U10 players are automatically registered for fall rec when they make a travel team. Sign-ups for Fall Rec can be done on the last two weeks of Spring Rec Soccer 5/31 & 6/7 at Gavins Pond fields, or you can send the form with payment from the registration page.

Extra Date Added: Friday Soccer Clinics at the Sharon Middle School
An extra day has been added to the Friday soccer clinics for all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls, held at the Middle School. The final two days are Friday May 16 and May 23. The clinics run from 3pm to 4:30, weather permitting, on the football field at the Middle School. Cleats and shin guards will be required for safety; mouth guards are recommended. Don't for get to bring a ball! Parents must arrange for prompt pick-up of their child at the end of each session. The cost of the program is $20. (Checks made out to Dan Abram) The deadline to register to ensure a spot is April 21. Limited signed registrations will be accepted at the field, space permitting. Please contact Dan Abram 781-784-5970 or by email at daniel.abram@zurichna.com to confirm your spot. Registration forms can be dropped off or mailed to: Dan Abram, 64 Ashcroft Rd., Sharon, MA 02067.

MLS Clinics
We are going to start the MLS clinics this Monday at Gavins from 5:30 to 7:00. All ages. After the first week we will split up the times for the players. The schedule will be U10 and Rec from 4:00-5:30pm and U12 and U14 from 5:30-7:00pm. The first week will start 4/7.

Nominate a Senior for the Kathy Lawler Memorial Scholarship

The Sharon Soccer Association’s annual Kathy M. Lawler Memorial Scholarship is intended to recognize the soccer player(s) in the senior class who best exemplifies the ideals of competitive effort, good sportsmanship, team spirit, and community involvement. The award is intended to honor the memory of Kathy M. Lawler, who served for many years as the Registrar of the Sharon Soccer Association. A candidate for the SSA’s annual scholarship must be:

1.  A graduating senior at Sharon High School, pursuing further education.
2.  A varsity member of either the girls’ or boys’ HS soccer team.
3.  A positive example of competitive effort, good sportsmanship and team spirit.
4.  A significant contributor to SSA’s youth soccer program, above and beyond any participation as a player. These contributions must have been for a minimum of four SSA seasons.

The candidate’s contribution may have involved coaching, refereeing, fund-raising, or any other activities important to the success of the SSA’s youth soccer programs. These contributions must have been on a volunteer basis. The award is not based on soccer-playing ability. It is also not necessary that the candidate be a product of SSA’s “traveling” soccer program, provided that he/she meets the criteria listed above. 

Scholarship candidates may be presented to the Association either by application or by nomination. A candidate’s application must include the seasons the candidate volunteered for the SSA and the job(s) the candidate participated in. Candidates must be presented to the Association by April 20^th. The winner(s) of the annual scholarship will be determined by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the SSA. A scholarship will not be awarded in a year when no well-qualified candidates are presented. Winner(s) will be announced at High School Graduation.

Mail your applications/nominations to SSA, PO Box 393, Sharon, MA 02067.

List of Registered Soccer Players Now Posted
A list of all players registered to play Sharon rec soccer is now posted here. Any questions, please contact the registrar, Joe Topale, at SSAregistrar@comcast.net.

Meet the MLS Coaches
If you're interested to learn a bit more about the MLS coaches that give special instruction to our kids here in Sharon, we've posted a bit of background information about coaches Sharon Wates and Daniel Boulton in the ABOUT US section.

2008-2009 Travel Soccer Tryouts
To tryout for the 2008-2009 Sharon Travel Soccer teams, players must attend at least one of the following age-appropriate sessions. Please do not show up unless your age group is trying out. You will not be permitted to try out with other age groups. Click for more info.

6/9 - U14: 4:30-6:30 girls / 6:15-8:15 boys
6/10 - U12 4:30-6:30 girls / 6:15-8:15 boys
6/11 - U10 4:30-6:30 girls / 6:15-8:15 boys
6/12 - U10 4:30-6:30 boys / 6:15-8:15 girls
6/13 - U12 4:30-6:30 boys / 6:15-8:15 girls
6/16 - U14 4:30-6:30 boys / 6:15-8:15 girls

Schedule Note: Sunday Soccer Cancelled for Season
Spring rec's Sunday soccer cancelled for the season. See REC SCHEDULE for entire 2008 Spring Rec Schedule.

Spring Rec Soccer Info
Teams have not been finalized. You will be contacted by your child's team's coach AFTER April 3. Updated schedule and information about spring rec soccer can be found in the REC SCHEDULE section of this website. Pre-K and Kindergarten players are exempt from the late registration fee. Everyone else must pony up.

Coaches Clinic
Back by popular demand, we will be running coaches clinics for travel and rec soccer coaches. These clinics will take place on Saturday March 15. The clinics will be run by coaches from Eastern Mass Football Club (EMFC) and will focus on age specific drills and give you some new ideas for the spring season.

U-10 and Rec Coaches at 2-3pm
U-12 at 3-4pm
U-14 at 4-5pm

The clinics are free of charge and you are welcome to attend any or all of them. Please RSVP to Andy Kushner regarding your attendance. Clinics will be run at Mansfield Sportsplex (directions).

Sharon's Andre Tippett Ends Up in Canton

Neighbor, friend, Pop Warner coach and current Patriots Director of Community Affairs is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The great former Pats linebacker will be heading to Canton (Ohio) along with WR Art Monk, CB Darrell Green, DE Fred Dean, OT Gary Zimmerman and CB Emmitt Thomas for induction ceremonies on August 2, 2008. Andre made the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 1980's as one of the most prolific and feared pass rushers, along with the Giants' Lawrence Taylor. Congratulations, Andre! We're all very proud of you.