Josh Sterling, Sonoma County Alliance’s Director of Coaching announced today Coaching Staff for 2007-2008 season. He also included reminders about play-ups, team formation and coaching rotation. Sterling believes that this year’s staff is even stronger than last year’s staff. “We had to deal with a lot of variables this year with Gabe Rood being hired by US Club Soccer, Benjamin Ziemer being hired with Sonoma County SOL and Kai Edwards being hired as the head assistant at UC Santa Barbara, but we our new additions I feel like we added to already the best soccer educators in youth soccer in our area.” Sterling believes “It says a lot about the quality of our staff when three of our coaches are selected to such great positions outside SCA. It is disappointing to lose Kai, but Benjamin and Gabe will remain in the club”.

Coaching Rotation

Teams will rarely have a coach for more then 2 seasons. In the younger age levels we even try to keep coaches with a team only for one season. We think it is helpful to a player’s development to experience multiple coaches during their youth soccer career. Most coaches have certain age groups or genders suited to their experience, coaching education and personality. There are certain genders, age groups and teams needing a specific style or personality from their coach. In order for SCA to excel we think it important for coaches to become experts in certain age groups, through experience and coaches education - much like school teachers. While SCA has coaches who have and do coach both boy's and girl's teams, in various age groups, we are moving towards coaches staying in certain ages. Beginning this year some coaches will stay with their team for a second year however none will remain with their team for a third year. The Coaching Staff will always look at what is best for the player and team.

Coaching Staff Qualifications

SCA has some of the finest soccer educators in Northern California. Our staff holds 6 USSF National "A", 4USSF National "B", 3 USSF National "C", 3Dutch Trainer II (5 month course in Holland) and one German National "B" license. The staff also has over 20 years of combined coaching experience at the District, State and Regional levels of ODP. The staff has 3 coaches who are with the US Club Soccer ID2 program. In addition our staff has 7 coaches who have coached at the college level at 7 different colleges.
Our staff’s commitment to being open to learning, improving constantly, working together and placing player development as our primary goal benefits our players immensely. These shared qualities and goals insure your child is trained with the most current training ideas and drills by our staff who embraces a positive coaching philosophy. Finally, the cooperation between our staff is unmatched benefiting your child’s soccer development immensely.

Team Formation

Each season SCA forms new teams. Every player tries out for the next age group. This years players are not guaranteed a spot on a next year’s team. They earn their spot based on evaluation in a tryout against their peers and their participation during their previous season. Each season we reach an agreement with our players. This is for one season. This agreement is renewed when a player is selected for a team, after the tryout process. Every player will be given a fair chance to make a SCA team.

First and Second Teams

In the U11-U19 we believe 1st and 2nd teams (White) are necessary for the development of all the players. These teams are not equal in strength. The coaching staff strives to develop a season plan allowing both teams to compete in appropriate levels of competition. Both first and second teams receive top level soccer education.

Play-up Policy – What is best for the player?

All play-ups are reviewed on a year-to-year basis. The Coaching Staff believes there are only a handful of reasons for a player to play up in the U11-U19 age groups. Reasons are limited to issues surrounding player development and not based on social concerns. A previous year of playing up experiences will assist us in reaching a decision but it is not a valid reason to remain a play-up. The staff’s decisions will be made using an evaluation of the previous years experience combined with their knowledge of age group demands and the players projected development. We will always ask, “What is best for the player”?

Increasingly many of our competitions are played with US CLUB SOCCER passes and players are allowed to move freely between age groups and teams. Consequently the play-up “landscape” has changed in the past few years. Where as playing up in CYSA used to be permanent for one year this is no longer the case. The Nor Cal Cup, Nor Cal Spring league and other US Club sanctioned tournaments are events in which players can move up or down depending on their age. This change helps us immensely.

Requests or staff recommendations will be reviewed by the SCA coaching staff, after watching players in pertinent age groups, during tryouts. Parents who hope for their player to play-up must request so via email to SCA's Director of Coaching prior to the tryout at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Players must tryout the first day in their true age group.

Coaching Additions

This year we added new coaches to our already strong staff. These coaches are Mike Mastin, Ian Mork, Katie Turtle, and Michael Manno
Michael Manno has spent the past 6 years as Camp Director for Z soccer, 4 years as a Little Kickers Coach, 2 years in PYSL programs as SCA staff member. He was a standout player at Piner HS and played his youth in Santa Rosa United.

Katie Turtle has spent the last several years as a Little Kickers Director, spent 2 years as SSU Women’s Assistance, work with Z soccer as a camp trainer for several years. Katie played her youth soccer at Santa Rosa United and went on to UC Santa Barbara to play her college ball. She is currently in the process of getting her Master’s degree.

Mike Mastin has returned to SCA after a few years away from soccer. He has spent multiple years in Santa Rosa United, Rohnert Park Express, Petaluma United and SCA. He has coached High School soccer at Rancho Cotati and recently coached the boy’s team this year at Maria Carrillo to a NCS title. He was named this year Empire Coach of the Year for his historic season at Carrillo. Mike played his college soccer at SSU for Marcus Ziemer. Mike is a teacher at Maria Carrillo.

Ian Mork is also returning to SCA after 3 years. Ian has spent the last 3 years in Belize as Assistant Coach of the Men’s National team, U20 National Head Coach and Technical Director of the youth. He holds a UEFA B. Prior to being in Belize Ian was coaching in SCA, was SSU Assistant for one season and ran multiple programs for Z soccer. After his college career he spent time playing in Holland, Belize and professional indoor in Kansas City.

2007-2008 Coaching Staff

Boy’s Teams

97B	Gabe Rood
97BW	Chris “Yato” Carniato
96B	Ian Mork
95B	Eric Parish
94B	Matt Bernard
93B	Benjamin Ziemer
93BW	Ian Mork
92B	Neil Turnbull
91B	Andrew Ziemer
90B	Andrew Ziemer
91/90B	Mike Mastin

Girl’s Teams

11G	Trisha Ziemer
11GW	Shawn Rothrock and Josh Sterling
12G	Vinnie Cortezzo
13G	Trevor White
14G	Eric Parish
14GW	Shawn Rothrock
15G	Trevor White
16G	Vinnie Cortezzo
17G	Chris “Yato” Carniato
18G	Josh Sterling

Goal Keeper Program Coach - Matt Bernard

Academy

This year we are moving to age level training pools instead of set teams. Teams will be formed for events that the Academy players are attending. The Academy players will attend all the same events as previous years (Nor Cal Premier Jamborees, SSU 6v6, Harvest Cup, Sac U Boofest, Nor Cal Cup and a few more. In addition we will add an internal 4v4 league in the Spring and Fall and will not play in CYSA D5 league

Staff- U8, U9 and U10

Gabe Rood, Vinnie Cortezzo, Trisha Ziemer, Shawn Rothrock, Katie Turtle, Trevor White, Michael Manno, Megan Catton. Josh Nazzal, Matt Bernard and Chris “Yato” Carniato

Last Updated ( Saturday, 03 February 2007 )