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British Coach Helps AYSO
Contributed by: Pam Vetter

10/11/06 Valley News Article

Challenger Sports and Woodland Hills AYSO Region 71 have been working together to offer unique British soccer coaching to local kids.

Christopher Gardner, Challenger Club Coach and former semi-professional soccer player from Gloucester, England, has been in the United States for six months.

"I've been to Arkansas, Memphis, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and now with AYSO in California. I started with Challenger two years ago, but I've been helping AYSO Region 71 for seven weeks. I love it," Gardner said.

"We help the kids develop, make progress with skills, and the coaches see a different perspective from English players," Gardner explained. "The coaches are parents, so we help both parents and kids. We show them our training, a different structure, work with a theme, and advance their skills as well."

"I mean, working with six-year olds is so different than what I normally do, but it's fun," Gardner said with his wonderful British accent and a grin.

As the team practiced dribbling skills with Gardner, AYSO Boys U-14 Coach Mark Tracht enjoyed the different point-of-view.

"This is great. The kids are learning from the experts," Tracht said. "They learn new drills and discover new ways to play the game competitively."

AYSO Boys U-14 Assistant Coach Terry Stobie liked what his son was learning on the field.

"Nick has played soccer for eight years now. He loves it. This program is great. The British coach adds a new level of play. He helps parent coaches learn more and helps our players. After all of our years of play, when you reach the U-14 level, it's really important to have the extra coaching," Stobie said.

AYSO Region 71 Commissioner Reza Shahmirzadi believes in supporting the coaching staff.

"Challenger has been involved with our region for five years. They are well known to Region 71 as the coaches of our annual summer camps. The Challenger Club Coach assignment is to mentor and provide on the field training to our coaches, especially in the lower divisions," Shahmirzadi said. "After this assignment, Christopher Gardner will be going back home to England, but we really appreciate him sharing his knowledge with both our coaches and soccer players."

For more information on Woodland Hills AYSO Region 71 soccer contact www.Region71.org.

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