The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 22, 1989, Page 9, Image 9
Berson coa<
By RICHARD W. ROWELL
Staff writer
While most soccer coaches were relaxing during
the off-season, USC head coach Mark Berson was
busy training the United States Under-18 Youth
National Team.
Berson was appointed assistant coach to the
Under-20 Youth team around a year ago with the
responsibility of assembling the future Under-20
group.
"Since the current team (Under-20) is out com
peting," Berson said, "it was my job to put
together a group and give them international experience
so they can step right in next year."
In building the Under-18 team, Berson's first
task was to visit the four regional camps last summer,
talk to the coaches and evaluate the players.
From there, he assembled a group of 16 players
who met during Thanksgiving at Los Crusis, N.M.,
for a training camp. Finally, the group assembled
at Rutgers University Dec. 26 and trained there until
leaving for the Soviet Union Jan. 8.
Berson had several major concerns in preparing
for the tournament ? the time of the tournament;
a hectic travel schedule; differences in food,
1 customs, and housing; and the ability to adjust to
the speed of international play.
"The period of the tournament was bad for us
oecause it was during a down time in the soccer
season," Berson said. "High school games are
over or the seasons have not yet begun and the
players aren't in peak form. I felt while we were at
Rutgers, we achieved our goal of mental and
physical fitness necessary for international play."
Since the tourney was during Christmas, players
were away from home for quite a while. Also, on
the long flight overseas the team traveled through
eight different time zones en route to Lenningrad.
On the day of its first game, the team woke up at 4
a.m., and the game was at 7 a.m., but Berson felt
his team adjusted well.
The team traveled comfortably enough, despite
not beine able to drink the water nr eat anv fruit
Ladies Continued from pag
Gamecocks. Deitch is a very athletic player who
likes to go to the net. She is 15-12 overall and 6-6
this spring.
"She has as much talent as any freshman in the
country," Elkins said. "She needs to have better
shot selection and do some things, again, that experience
takes care of."
Senior Magdalena Ringstrom from Vasteras,
Sweden, is playing very well at the No. 5 slot after
becoming more aggressive this year. She is 8-4 this
spring and 13-12 for the year.
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? place our players
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Berson credited his regional coaches for the improvement
in travel problems.
"In the past, our teams have had trouble traveling,
but our regional coaches have sent word to our
players to develop a determined attitude toward
adjusting to different customs and not letting it
fluster them."
"The SDeed of Dlav at the international IpvpI is
much quicker than in the U.S., and there is no way
to prepare for the change except to thrust our
players into the international arena and let them
see first hand," he said. "Our players were surprised
at the quickness, both physically and tactically,
but they adjusted well. Therefore, the trip was very
encouraging because our players showed the ability
to adjust to the circumstances which were
presented to them."
Berson said U.S. teams are at a disadvantage on
the international level because of this country's
lack of a strong professional soccer league,
something many other top countries have.
"We can't go out and watch a professional game
every weekend," he said. "Nor can we become
associated with a professional team and train with
them. Therefore, our players are behind in terms of
speed of play, speed of execution and speed of
decisions.
Thus, Berson has two major goals for U.S. soccer
? giving the American players international exe8
"Magdalena Ringstrom has played real well,"
Elkins said. "In fact, against all four of the Top 10
teams we've played, she hasn't lost a set."
Cyndee Newton, a senior, is an excellent doubles
player, but has struggled at the sixth singles slot.
She is 9-14 in 1988-89 and 3-9 so far this spring.
"She started out not playing real well and has
lost her confidence, but is finally starting to play a
little better now," Elkins said.
The Lady Gamecocks will look to turn things
around in the eight matches remaining before the
W Mmi act ice makes pe
Gamecock linemen cond
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jf assistant coach during sprinj
last week. The Gamecocks v
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wee^-'on8 break for Easter
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Duth soccer
posure and making sure that when the players
return, they are pressed to continue at the same
level.
"The environment to develop players to a high
level is always improving in this country because
technically our players are capable," he said. "The
problem is that they are not forced to execute as
quickly as they are capable of ? therefore, they
don't. So we need to place our players in a more
demanding environment, and the best way to do
that is through international play."
"When returning home, it is almost impossible
to continue to develop on the same level, so we
need to get as close as we can. We can do that
through more international play between clubs and
regional teams and more play between states."
Berson feels the United States has closed the gap
in its technical ability, saying the improvement is
coming because it is being addressed in the regional
developmental process.
"The No. 1 factor to address right now is for all
of us to look at ways in which we can create a more
competitive environment in which our players can
develop," Berson said.
"We are improving and there are many positive
signs. We must remember that our strength in this
country is the great diversity in the styles of play
and our types of players," he said. "Our challenge
is to develop the most demanding environment we
can for our players to compete in so we can continue
to grow.
"It is clear that the game is the best teacher, and
it is clear that the more competitive the game, there
are more amounts of difficult situations, thus
preparing our players for international play."
The United States's current Under-20 National
team just competed in a tournament and finished
in the top four internationally. Evidently, the
philosophies of coaches such as Berson and the
hard work of other regional coaches and young
players are improving the quality of American soccer.
And slowly but surely, this country is gaining
respect for its soccer ability.
Metro Conference Tournament, which Elkins still
?1
uviicvca nicy can will.
"Before the season's over, we want to get back
in the Top 25 again, and we want to win the Metro
Tournament," he said. "I think both of those are
reachable goals."
The bad news is that the good times for the Lady
Gamecocks' tennis program are still in the future.
The good news is that the future begins when San
Diego State visits the Maxcy-Gregg tennis courts at
noon today.
LOOKING F<
f a USC
practice I \ \ f HE
RI VERB EN
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am
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For Additional
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SPORTS BRIEFS
USC honors its
scholar-athletes
USC honored its scholar-athletes
at a reception at the Capstone House
last week.
Athletic Director King Dixon
reported that 109 of the 382
Gamecock student athletes earned
grade point averages of 3.0 or better
for the 1988 fall semester. Eight USC
athletes recorded a perfect 4.0
average, including football players
Mark Fryer (a two-time Academic
All-American) and Joe Reaves, soccer
players Gavin Coombs and
Patrick Mihm, women's tennis
player Carol Culik, woman swimmer
Kristen Britt, men's swimmer Chris
Dudka, and softball player Kris
Kordonowy.
"We are so very proud of the accomplishments
of our scholarathletes,"
Dixon said. "These young
people have done an outstanding job
of keeping things in perspective and
balancing their academics with their
athletics. Our hats are off to them
and our congratulations go out to
every one of them."
USC Provost Dr. Arthur Smith
also recognized the group at the
reception.
Women swimmers
12th in NCAA
The USC women's swimming
squad finished competition in the
NCAA Women's Swimming and
Diving Championships Saturday in
Indianapolis, ending the tournament
with a-T2th- place finish.
The 12th-place finish was two positions
lower than the Lady
Gamecocks' lOth-place finish last
year, but it is the highest finish by a
USC women's team without competing
in relays.
Two USC women, Beth Wadlington
and Renee Borup, finished
15th and 16th, respectively, in the
10-meter platform competition,
which the Lady Gamefcocks didn't
THE GAMECOC]
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participate in during the regular
season.
Wadlington and Borup earned AilAmerican
honors, and their efforts
helped USC diving coach- Randy
Ableman earn "National Diving
Coach of the Year" honors, the first
such award in Lady Gamecock swimming
and diving history.
USC's Isabelle Arnould earned
All-American honors in the- '1650
freestyle, finishing the event in fifth
place with a time of 16:14.04. Also
earning All-American honors for the
Lady Gamecocks was Michelle Smith
in the 200 backstroke, as she finished
sixth with a time of 2:01.10.
Track teams open
outdoor seasons
The USC men's and women's
track and field teams participated in
their first meet of the outdoor season
at the Florida State Relays in
Tallahassee March 17-18.
On Friday at the University Invitational,
senior Gamecock Reggie
Nayer won the 1,500 meter race and
freshman Art Henson captured the
high jump title. For the Lady
Gamecocks, sophomore Shannon
Wyont took first place in the 1,500
meter race.
Saturday in the Open Invitational,
Gamecock Paul Wiechern won the
high jump competition and in the
process qualified for the NCAA Outdoor
Champioships to be held in
Provo, Utah the weekend of May 29.
USC senior Ray Bolton placed first
in the 100-meter dash and
Gamecocks Nigel Stoddart and Eddie
Miller finished second and third,
respectively, to sweep the event for
USC.
"I was really pleased with the way
our kids ran for the first outdoor
meet of the season," said USC head
coach Charlie Strong. "If we continue
to run like this then we can be a
real good team."
Over 30 other teams participated in
the event, including Eastern
Michigan, Southern Illinois and
Metro foes Cincinnati and Florida
State. No team scores were accounted
for.
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