The MCSC U12 Panthers Challenge Team completed a successful weekend at the Greensboro Adidas Challenge Clash Tournament. The Panthers went through Group play and came out of their Group the #1 seed which qualified them for the semi-finals of their Division. The Panthers won in the semi-final match with a score of 4-1 advancing them to the U12 Division Championship Game. In the Championship Game they faced the #1 ranked team in NC and fought a hard match, but came up just a little short in the end. It was a great accomplishment to make it to the finals and compete at the level that the Panthers were able to compete.
The Challenge Clash Tournament capped the end of the Fall Season for the Panthers. They compete in the Western NC Challenge League and are still undefeated after 24 matches and a year and a half of League play. The WNCCL encompasses teams from Hickory, NC and all points West.
The Panthers will resume League play in Spring in the WNCCL. They also hope to attend another State Tournament in the Spring.
The Macon County Soccer Club ended the Fall 2008 recreation season with over 300 players ages 4 through 17. The culmination of the season for U9 and above was the annual Clash of Colors Tournament.
Challenge Soccer Tryouts Saturday, December 6 1:00-3:00PM Industrial Park Soccer Fields Cost $150 for new players $100 for returning Fall 2008 players
The Macon County Challenge teams will be holding tryouts for several teams to play in the Western North Carolina Challenge League. Bring a birth certificate copy and a refundable $50 to tryouts. Cost covers uniforms, referee fees, backpack (new players), and state registration fees.
Age groups for the Spring will include U14 boys, U12 girls, U12 boys, and U11boys. U14 players can be 14 if birthday is on or after August 1, 2008. Each team will play 4 home games in Franklin and 4 away games in the WNC area. Teams will be formed depending on player interest, coach availability and available divisions in the Western North Carolina Challenge League.
Current coaches are:
U14 Boys Guy Gooder 421-4845
U12 Boys Frank Cline 349-0022
U11 Boys Joel Scott 349-0964
U12 Girls Tony Esterwood 342-7135.
See www.wnccl.org for more information on Challenge League play. Call Tony Esterwood with any questions at 524-1928.
The leaves are starting to turn beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow and fall off the trees. The weather is turning cooler and the days are getting shorter. It's one of my favorite times of the year. However, that also means that fall soccer is drawing to a close. The younger teams (U5, U6 and U7) will play their last games this weekend. The older teams will finish their regular season this weekend before starting two weeks of tournament play. The MCSC would like to thank everyone for their help and support during the fall season. Before you go though, we have a few more things to take care of.
Soccer Equipment
Coaches, please turn in all soccer equipment after your last game. Members of the board will be available near the concession stand to check in your equipment.
One of the responsibilities of the Macon County Soccer Club Board of Directors is to provide our children with the best coaching possible. To help us do a better job, we are asking all parents to complete a coach evaluation form. This form will help us identify areas where we can improve. Please complete the form and turn it in at the concession stand on game day.
We tend to take digitial pictures the same way we've used our film cameras or disposals, basically, point and shoot. With practice, it's easy to master all of the features your digital camera offers, and the terrific action shots you'll get will make it worth the effort.
From Jeffrey Housenbold and Dave Johnson, co-authors of the book, The Shutterfly Guide to Great Digital Photos(McGraw—Hill/Osborne, 2005), come these tips for getting your best pictures.
Catch your kids in the act by getting close to the action. When photographing your next soccer game, move closer to the action and stay down at kid level by shooting from your knees or on your belly. Also, your picture will have more impact if you frame the action tightly and keep one or only a few players in the shot.
Freeze the moment with the two—step shutter release. Know how to use your two— step shutter release. By slightly pressing down on the shutter release button, you can lock the focus. Now, continue to hold the button so you can recompose the picture without changing the focus. Once you have the perfect photo, press the button all the way to snap the final shot.
Eliminate the “lag time” by presetting the white balance. Cameras have an automatic way of adjusting for different lighting situations. It's called white balance. When your white balance is set to the “auto” default, your camera must adjust the colors each time you take a picture, and that creates lag time. Preset your white balance to the lighting you're in — daylight, night, fluorescent, or incandescent — and you'll get a faster response from your camera and bright, accurate colors every time.
Highlight the motion by panning the camera. Panning captures your subject in sharp focus while blurring the background. Position yourself to follow the motion of the moving subject. Press the shutter release and hold it down for a few seconds as you swivel your body to follow the subject.
News
