Albion Soccer Club Producing Success on the Youth Pitch and Beyond
Albion SC teams have shown impressive results at the state and national levels already this year.
It has been a busy and successful 2014 so far for San Diego’s Albion Soccer Club. From the local pitches to state and national competitions, teams have brought home accolades at all levels. These successes are all a part of the culture of excellence that Technical Director Noah Gins has helped to cultivate at the club.
“Success is bringing the best out of the players, and ultimately the team,” Gins said who is well know throughout Cal South as well as across the country for developing youth soccer players. “The road to success in youth soccer is paved with technical ability and soccer intelligence and is bolstered by a player’s confidence and his passion for the sport.”
Nowhere has that been more evident than with the Albion SC BU15 White team, who took the U15B Red Division title in US Youth Soccer National League competition after defeating Scottsdale 99 Blackhawks 1-0 on the final day of the season. With the win, the team earned an automatic berth in the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, to be held July 21-27 in Germantown, Md. The boys ended their National League season with a 5-1-1 record and 14 goals scored. David Gastelum closed out the season tied for No. 2 in scoring with five goals.
“At Albion SC, we have always made it clear that we want to be playing on the national scene each and every year,” said Gins, who coaches the BU15 White team, at the time. “We want to compete with and outperform teams and clubs from around the country. Our goal has never been to be the best in San Diego, but rather the best in the country.”
“The focus of getting players into college encompasses our training environment all the way to us showcasing our players around the country. We do a lot of our college placement off the field, said Gins. “Talking to coaches and discussing connecting the player to the right program often happens on the field.”
A team that that wins is usually comprised of players who are dedicated and passionate, and who have been trained properly. Developing players who are successful on and off the field requires creating an environment for that success to flourish.
“Successful players have to have a good training environment daily. Proper player development involves creating a competitive atmosphere during training, which allows players to be prepared for the challenges ahead,” says Gins. “Our training centric approach at Albion SC also plays into our teams being very successful at the State, Regional and National level.”
On the girls’ side, Albion USA 97-98 had an incredible run of their own in the US Youth Soccer National League U16G Red Division. While they were not able to match their U14 ECNL Championship, falling one point short on goal differential to Tampa Bay United 97 Premier with a 4-2-1 record, the girls showed their tenacity with several nail-biting victories.
On the state level, Albion SC also had excellent runs with several teams finishing Cal South State Cup competition as finalists after posting solid numbers in tournament play.
Being successful also requires the courage to be patient and encourage players and team to seek success, even after failing to capture a win. As Gins points out, “The GU18White and GU16 USA have qualified for USYSA Region IV Championship through Cal Regional League after an incredible state cup run and tough battles throughout Regional League,” proving there are many roads to the title of National champion. While it may be obvious that determination and persistency are required for success, it is another story to successfully continue to inspire teams.
The first team to earn their way to a title match were Albion SC BU11 Premier, who came in second behind Central California Aztecs in the Cal South State Cup Governors Division in Feburary. They were followed in March by Albion SC BU10 White and Albion SC BU11 White in the Cal South Presidents Division.
The most recent successful team run came on the girls’ side, as Albion SC GU14 White played their way to the title match in the Cal South National Cup GU14 tournament. After blazing through bracket play with a 3-0-0 record and 11 goals scored in three shutouts, the girls moved on to the knockout rounds. Another 11 goals and four clean sheets later, they faced Exiles Black in the title match. In a battle of stellar defensive sides, Exiles finally cracked the Albion wall, earning a 2-0 victory. However, the Albion girls could hold their heads high after their run.
“The objective has always been to build a nationally recognized and respected youth soccer club,” said Gins who is off to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with Puma and the Italian National Team, and this task undoubtedly has been achieved.
