Wondolowski's impact on San Jose Earthquakes Academy

Stephen Wondolowski, the head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes U-15/16 Development Academy team, and a couple of his players spoke with me during the Academy Playoffs about 2014 FIFA World Cup forward Chris Wondolowski and his impact on the club's youth system.

Two penalty kicks lift Chicago Magic PSG to U-15/16 Academy Quarters

Chicago Magic PSG's Stephen Payne

The Chicago Magic U-15/16 team’s 2013-14 Development Academy season was on the brink. Down a goal to Kendall SC in group play at the Academy Playoffs at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, the Magic rallied with two Luka Prpa penalty kicks to earn a 2-1 victory and win Group E.

Kendall was in the driver’s seat entering the game with six points and needing a draw or a victory to win the group. The Miami-based side also had a first-half goal to its name against Chicago Magic PSG.

But the Magic showcased a string of scoring chances and had a nose for the box to draw two penalties and several other moments in the offensive third.

“We all just stuck together, kept going, and just played as a team, and it worked out great for us,” Prpa said. “In the first half they put us under pressure, and then we brought it together at halftime and we really picked it up a lot in the second half. We wanted this badly, for our coaches, for our parents, for everybody. We all wanted it.”

For more, visit ussoccer.com.

Yedlin's rise inspiring Academy players at Seattle Sounders FC

DeAndre Yedlin's former Development Academy coach Dick McCormick and a couple Seattle Sounders FC Academy players chatted with me about Yedlin's rise professionally and internationally at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Eclipse Select defender Hannah Marwede bound for Miami in 2016

Eclipse Select's Hannah Marwede

CHICAGO (June 20, 2014) – Eclipse Select Soccer Club defender Hannah Marwede (Lake Forest, Ill.) credits the club for her increasingly assertive demeanor and leadership over the years. Now, Marwede will look forward to utilizing her skills in the incredibly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference.

Marwede recently announced her commitment to play for Miami starting in the fall of 2016, and representing the Hurricanes in the ACC is already motivating her as she continues performing at a high level with Eclipse Select.

“I’m just so excited to play in the ACC,” Marwede said. “I’m really looking forward to that, and just knowing that I will be playing in that conference makes me want to keep training super hard to help the team when I come in.

“I visited all types of schools – big, small, private and public – and after Miami came to one of our games, they showed interest in me. I was definitely interested, and I could tell after my first visit with them that things clicked and I fit in well with their coaching staff.”

Under the guidance of Eclipse Select President Rory Dames and the club’s experienced staff, Marwede says she has made the biggest strides in changing what she says was a passive approach before joining the club.

“When I first came to Eclipse, I was not a very aggressive player,” Marwede said. “Rory and the coaches branded the fact that you cannot be passive. They really changed me from a player who was too soft. Now I’m aggressive, hard-nosed, and mentally I’m much stronger.”

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.

Eclipse Select's Lea Waddle headed to Vanderbilt in 2016

CHICAGO (June 16, 2014) – It is only natural to gravitate toward the successful Eclipse Select Soccer Club sister connection that exists in the Waddle family. With two older sisters already competing at the college level, current club midfielder Lea Waddle (Lake Forest, Ill.) will become the third collegian on the pitch as she recently made her commitment to play at Vanderbilt in the fall of 2016.

“It’s so exciting to finally know where you are going to go to college,” Waddle said. “I still have a lot to do and accomplish with the club program, so that is where my focus still is. It was never my priority to have my commitment this early, but it’s nice to have gone through this process. Everything just fell into place.”

During her search, Waddle had also visited Boston College, as well as Northwestern, where her oldest sister Georgia completed her junior season in the fall of 2013. Instead, Lea will reunite with the family’s second-oldest sister, Angela, who wrapped up her freshman campaign and will be a junior when Lea joins in 2016.

“She obviously had some great pointers and great advice, discussing how to weigh the positives and negatives during the search,” Waddle said of her conversations with Angela. “Her personal experience, though, will be much different than mine. We are two completely different players. It turned out to be a perfect fit for me in my own way, and in her own way, so it’s interesting how things worked out like that.”

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.

Academy Alum Shipp's Technical Prowess Benefiting Chicago Fire

Development Academy alum Harry Shipp

Chicago Fire midfielder Harry Shipp garnered some well-deserved praise following his team's 5-4 victory against the New York Red Bulls on May 10. The rookie and homegrown player tallied his first three Major League Soccer goals and he assisted the game-winner to also earn MLS Player of the Week.

Shipp is not the biggest or fastest player on the pitch, but his technical savvy and comfort with the ball more than make up for that. For the former Development Academy player for the Fire and Chicago Magic PSG (Chicago Magic AS Monaco during Shipp's tenure), these elements of the game truly shone at an early age.

"I would travel with a bunch of guys for an hour or hour and a half each way to play for the Magic and Fire," said Shipp, who hails from Lake Forest, Illinois, north of Chicago. "Those four or five times a week when we trained were important. They were competitive sessions, and for me, the technical work was incredibly important. I'm not a big or fast guy, and I was really able to get good with the ball."

For my full conversation with Harry Shipp, visit ussoccer.com.

Kecia Morway Jumps at Chicago Red Stars Opportunity

Kecia Morway

As the National Women’s Soccer League’s Chicago Red Stars prepare for their 2014 season, a familiar face is hoping to make her leap to the professional ranks.

Defender and Lake Villa, Ill., native Kecia Morway just wrapped up her tenure at Colorado College, and the Eclipse Select alumna is now testing her game to the fullest with the hopes of joining the Red Stars.

“I have never banked on having a soccer career after it was over,” Morway said. “But right now, I’m not ready to leave my cleats behind. This is a good opportunity, and I can’t pass it up. You never know how many opportunities you’re going to get.”

Morway’s name was up for consideration during the 2014 NWSL Draft in January, though she said that she was not expecting a team to select her. Following the draft, Morway reached out to her longtime club coach, Eclipse Select President and Red Stars head coach Rory Dames.

“I expressed interest to him that I still wanted to try and continue to play,” Morway said. “Obviously having Rory as a coach for so many years growing up, he knows my capabilities and didn’t want me to stop playing. I am willing to put the time and effort into doing this, and so I decided after my spring semester to give this a shot.”

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.

Eclipse Select College Commitment: Lotz Preps for Northern Iowa this Fall

CHICAGO (March 18, 2014) – As is the case for many Eclipse Select Soccer Club players based in Northwest Indiana, local youth players are drawn to Eclipse for their further development to make the competitive transition to college.

Midfielder Natalie Lotz (Wheatfield, Ind.) is another fitting example of a player seeking that extra edge. Now, the Kankakee Valley High School senior is headed to the University of Northern Iowa later this fall as she has announced her commitment to play for the Panthers in the Missouri Valley Conference.

“One of my friends had played on the Northwest Indiana Eclipse team, so after hearing about it I went out and made the team,” Lotz said. “I liked it a lot, and it was competitive. At the club level, the training and competition are far better than high school, and of course if you want to get to the next level, it is the best experience to prepare you.”

For more, visit EclipseSelect.org.