PSV Union Football Club

PSV Union Players Comments- January 2012

What players say about the PSV Union, themselves, the coaches and the culture. PSV Union is a highly successful youth soccer renowned for developing soccer talent and helping place players in the appropriate college environment, academically, scholastically, geographically and matching their soccer aspirations. We have a number of high caliber college bound players, with some receiving considerable interest from college coaches. The PSV Union 94G team is receiving numerous accolades and positive feedback for their creative and attractive style of play. Primarily coached by Carine and Gary Ireland the team features several USA National squad players and several US Soccer Federation National Training Center players as well as players on the Mexico National youth teams with several other being recognized by foreign countries as being eligible to play international soccer. Several players have also been selected for the California State teams and District teams. We have previously had a number of players selected for various identification programs. (see here for a list of former college and national team players). The team features some of the best players in the country for their respective age groups. Some players have already committed to schools such as UC Irvine and USC with a number of NCAA Div. 1 colleges expressing interest in PSV Union players. While some are ready to make their college decisions shortly, others have several more years before deciding but are worth mentioning for future reference. The team is one of the top ‘age pure’ teams in the state and often performs against older teams through playing ‘up’ in league and tournament play and currently players a year up in league play and regularly plays vs. boys teams which significantly helps their progress. Below is an example of the type of player on the PSV Union 94G roster who has gained recognition for their achievements. We do have several other players who although have not been recognized by ID platforms are being recognized by colleges and hav received positive feedback and expect most players on the squad to be playing D1 college with some of the players expecting to be impact D3 college players. Some players played High School soccer this Fall with other players opting out of HS to focus on training and preparing for college.

• Siobhan Cox (#15) -Jr 2013  (ODP California State Team. ODP Western Regional Pool. USSF National Training Centers. Trying out for Ireland National team) Stanford Womens Soccer 2013
• Annie Kingman (#4) -So 2014 (id2 National. USSF National Training Centers-USA U15 National Team Camp invitee 2012). North Carolina Women's Soccer 2014
• Sunny Lyu (#10) - So 2014 (id2 Regional & National USSF National Training Centers)
• Jacey Pederson (#6) -8th Gr 2016 (USA U14 National Squad. id2 National USSF National Training Centers. USA U15 & U17 National Team)
• Amanda Perez (#17) - Sr 2012 (Mexico U20 National team. USSF National Training Centers, id2 National- NCAA Div. 1 USC 2013) University of Washington 2012
• Dana Schwartz (#14) - Sr 2012 (ODP California State Team & PDP/id2 selection- NCAA Div. 1 USC 2013. Israel U19 National Team). USC Women's Soccer 2012
• Amanda Shorin (#11) - Fr 2015 (USA National U14 team-id2 National. National USSF National Training Centers) 
• Sydney Carr (#23) Jr. 2013 (Santa Barbara Womens Soccer 2013) 
• Nicki Palermo (#11) Snr. 2012 (University of Chicago Womens Soccer) 

Q: How has PSV Union contributed to your development? 

"I actually can't think of a way PSV Union hasn't contributed to my development. I have been with PSV Union since I was 9 years old, and it is the only competitive club team I have ever played for. When I first joined, I was just a little girl who knew nothing but that fact that I loved to play. PSV Union coaches took my love of the game and showed me how to use to vastly improve over the time I have been with them. I went from not being able to pick up a soccer ball with my foot to juggle, to being able to pick up the ball in at least a dozen different ways and run across a field while juggling. I couldn't complete a simple scissors without falling over myself, and now I find myself working on much more intricate and detailed skill sets. PSV Unions dedication to technique and skill work has shaped my game, and I look forward to continuing to improve with them." Siobhan Cox

"I started with Union when I was 7 years old and since then they have taught me everything I know about soccer. One of the most important things is that, from the beginning, the coaches have stressed the importance of practice and improvement instead of immediate results in games or tournaments. This has been important to my development because it has allowed me to work on technical aspects of soccer that are crucial to a player that wants to go to a higher level. When it comes to the skills they have taught me, they haven't just said what to do but they have shown me how to actually do it, and they correct me until I get it right." Amanda Shorin

"PSV Union has contributed to my development by always offering extra trainings and during small sided games they play us against older players or numbers down against younger players." Jacey Pederson

"Union has contributed to my development by providing countless opportunities to work on my game. Practices are very beneficial because they are a place where I am introduced to new concepts and drills, which I can then refine when I train on my own. Playing with and against the coaches has been one of the greatest contributions to my development because they demonstrate by example and they have high expectations for people they play with. Furthermore, the coaches have helped me understand the game much better through post-practice and post-game discussions, by watching and analyzing professional games, and through corrections while playing." Dana Schwartz

“PSV Union has definitely made me into the player I am today. It's philosophy, coaching staff, and atmosphere has influenced me since I was six years old.” Amanda Perez

“My coaches at PSV Union devoted so much time and effort into me so I could become the player I am today. They instilled a passion for the game inside me, which was the driving factor to my success. I am really grateful and fortunate to have such coaches.” Sunny Lyu

“Without PSV Union, I would never have improved as I have. The coaches at our club are all high-level players themselves, and they have inspired me to be the best that I can be. The coaches inspire me to always put 110% into every training and game. The club presents new ideas and I learn about the game every day. PSV's philosophy fosters player development like no other club.” Annie Kingman

Q: Is PSV Union different from other clubs? If so, how?

"Although PSV Union is the only competitive club team I have ever been on, I do believe that it is different from other clubs. I have never seen or heard of an environment that matches that of PSV Union. Everyone coaching in the club is extremely dedicated and competitive, and always inspire the players. Coaches play with and against us to continuously challenge everyone, demonstrate everything first hand, and truly care about our development. They pass on their dedication to us as our injured players often come out to watch training sessions and PSV Union players get together outside of club to train together. It is an environment in which anyone who loves to play the game can improve." Siobhan Cox

"Union is very different from other clubs in the area. Union is a club that takes in anyone with the right attitude and teaches them how to play soccer. The coaches truly care about developing the players. At Union, you also get the opportunity to play with and against older and more experienced players and there is a feeling of camaraderie throughout the club instead of just the teams." Amanda Shorin

"PSV Union is a lot different then most other clubs for a couple of reasons. At PSV Union we are kind of like a big family, everyone knows pretty much everyone. We train at one place and everybody trains at the same time, which is different, then a lot of clubs. Also, at PSV Union our coaches demonstrate to us and play with us in small sided games which help us to improve because they expect more from us and challenge us." Jacey Pederson.

"PSV Union is a unique club because it places emphasis on small but important details of the game. In addition, PSV Union is different from other clubs because of the crossteam training it provides. Younger players have the opportunity to train and play with older players, and girls have the opportunity to play with and against the boys teams as well." Dana Schwartz

“PSV Union is different from clubs in many ways, but I believe that the coaching staff gives their players a huge advantage. We are surrounded by coaches that are players first. This exposes us to their soccer mentality and allows us to try to learn from them. PSV has instilled a unique competitiveness in not only me, but all it's players. It focuses on improving players skills along with their overall understanding of the game.” Amanda Perez

“PSV Union is different from other clubs in several ways. While most other clubs focus on winning, points, ranking, and tournaments, PSV Union focuses on progressing as individual players and enjoying the ‘beautiful game’. Players at Union develop a fervor for learning new tricks, passing rhythmically, and playing ‘street soccer’, rather than focusing on league rankings or winning strategy. We do not participate in many tournaments, and we try to stay away from full-field games when possible. There is adifferent soccer culture at PSV Union.” Sunny Lyu

“PSV Union is very different than other clubs. First, we don’t focus on tournaments or games. At PSV, there is an emphasis on training and not on games. When we go to a tournament or game, we focus on playing attractive soccer and learning the game. While it is nice to win, we are not concerned with the score. Second, we are encouraged to play both 'up' on older teams and along with younger players in their games. Furthermore, we play with and against our boy's team on a regular basis. The older girls and boy’s competition helps us improve our speed of play and makes us elevate our technical skill. Playing with the younger team does the same for them while improving our own confidence and building team spirit. PSV is more united than any other club I have heard of. We all play at the same field, and know almost everyone on every team. It truly feels like PSV is one big family.” Annie Kingman

Q: How would you describe your clubs philosophy on player development.

"There are so many aspects to our club's philosophy on player development, but I think everything roots from dedication and loving the game. I don't believe that a person can be taught by someone else to love soccer (it has to come from his/herself), but PSV Union takes the players that are truly dedicated to the game and build from there. In the Club, there is a huge stress on individual development as well as playing for one's team. Individual development is encouraged through a heavy emphasis on skill work, technique, and creativity, and then each individual is able to contribute to the team effort." Siobhan Cox

"I think Union tries hard to improve each player to the best of their individual ability. They have the ability to take any soccer player as high as they want to go, with the only limitation coming from the soccer player. If a player commits themselves to improving, there is no limit to how high they can go at Union." Amanda Shorin

"My club's philosophy on player development is different then a lot of clubs I think. I think this because they aren’t focusing on developing teams, they are trying to develop individual players. They focus on playing the right way, rather than focusing on winning." Jacey Pederson

"I believe the club's philosophy regarding player development is to develop players from a young age by educating them about the game and teaching them crucial skills. The coaches believe that players who are not the fastest or strongest can still be great players by becoming exceptional in another areas of the game. Another part of the club's philosophy is that it may take a long time before desired results are visible, but as Long as players continue to work on the harder but crucial parts of the game like passing out of the back under pressure instead of just kicking it long, they will be successful inthe future. The coaches believe it is more important for players to develop by playing correctly than by playing to win. I believe my team, the 94G, is a great example of this because we progressed from being the lowest division of class 3 to becoming one of the best teams in Northern California." Dana Schwartz

“My clubs philosophy is one that is used in many other successful professional clubs. They believe that a players/teams development is more important than just winning. They tell us passing, receiving, and dribbling are the main concepts of soccer and in order to be a great soccer player we must develop those techniques.” Amanda Perez

“My club’s philosophy on player development is unique and effective. My coaches encourage my team and I to self-train as much as possible. We are taught that one’s work ethic and attitude leads to success, not physical dominance or complacency. We are asked to keep track of juggling records and practice moves at home.” Sunny Lyu

“Our club's philosophy is centered around training and touching the ball. Our coaches encourage us to touch the ball every day. In any given game, we are limited in the number of touches. This is why we focus on practice rather than games or tournament play. In addition, we are given 'soccer homework'. Our coaches provide us with learning material such as YouTube videos and articles. We are encouraged to watch professional games and to learn how the game is played at the higher levels.” Annie Kingman

Q: How did you improve? What is the reason for your success?

"I first began to improve when I came to terms with what I wasn't good at. It is definitely hard to look at yourself and analyze what aspects of your game need a lot of work, but when I did, I was able to focus in on where my game was lacking instead of just practicing what I was better at doing. Then, training wholeheartedly in an extremely competitive environment, as well as on my own, is what helped me improve. I believe I am successful because I'm competitive and have high standards for myself. I hate losing, so being in an environment where everyone is just as good as or better than me  consistently forces me to keep pushing myself so I don't fall behind." Siobhan Cox

"I improved at Union by putting in time and effort and by listening to what the coaches said. The coaches have always been very encouraging and helpful." Amanda Shorin

"I improved by paying attention to the details in the small things that our coaches showed us, and after learning something new i would go home and practice it until I got better. The reason for my success is pretty much Gary and Carine believing in me, and them helping me the last 3 and 1/2 years." Jacey Pederson

"Over the past several months, Carine and Gary have helped me identify my biggest weaknesses and I having been working to overcome them every day at practice. Specifically, playing small-sided games throughout winter has been extremely beneficial to my improvement because I am involved in every play and I get a lot of touches on the ball. Playing against Carine, Gary, Veronica has been an important factor to my improvement because playing with them forces me to make much quicker and smarter decisions on and off the ball." Dana Schwartz

“I really began to improve when I decided to fully commit myself to the game. With the help of the PSV coaches and my sister, current national team member, I was able to realize my weakest aspects, and began to really focus on improving them.” Amanda Perez

“I improved by staying with this club and learning from the coaches. It took me a long time to get where I am (6 years and counting), and I still believe I have a long way to go. I had to push myself to get better everyday. A lot of time on and off the field (during practice and at home) was the key. I firmly believe that it takes time and effort in order to improve. Thus, the reason for my success is the time I spent with my club team/coaches and myself at home, working on moves, striking balls with a friend,juggling, and watching games on TV.” Sunny Lyu

“I improved by touching the ball everyday. The coaches at PSV are excellent teachers, but they can only help us so much in a practice session. I take what I learn at training and I practice it on my own. Also, my coaches taught me how to always put my best effort into everything. Opportunity to improve is everywhere, and I improved by trying my best everyday.” Annie Kingman

Q:How often and What do You Practice? 

"I practice every day of the week, both on my own and with PSV Union. I keep a ball in my locker, so I always have the opportunity to train at school as well. In my own game, my technique and speed of footwork need improvement, so I focus on skill work (such as the 10 Vs, and the other sets of skills we work on at PSV Union) as well as different types of juggling." Siobhan Cox

"I usually practice 6 days a week and work on dribbling, passing, and/or shooting and then we usually play a small-sided game. By playing small-sided games, we get to practice the skills we learned during the practice in an environment where you can take risks and touch the ball ten times more than you would in a full-size game." Amanda Shorin

"I practice every day, whether it's team training or by myself I always will try to get out and at least juggle and get some touches on the ball. When I practice on my own, I like to pass against the wall at my elementary school and I also like to practice my V's and add different moves to the end or before. I just like to come up with new ways to have fun with the ball." Jacey Pederson

"I train every day. I have team practices four times a week and then participate in at least one small group a week. On days I do not practice with Union, I train on my own, usually practicing various skills that were shown by the coaches during practice. This includes Coervers, skill ladder, variations of juggling, variations of striking, and a large range of different controls." Dana Schwartz

“I train everyday possible at PSV Union, and the days where I can't go I train on my own. My usual training schedule consists of 5 days practicing with Union (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday), one game (Sunday), and one day training on my own (Tuesday). At PSV Union we work a lot on technique and the ability to really understand the game. We're pushed to work on things that are difficult and that we struggle with. This allows me to improve my weakest aspects so I can be an all around better player.” Amanda Perez

“I try to train everyday. Sometimes I train double days if I feel like it. If I’m sick or recovering I take a day off. But mostly I try to train daily. I mainly work on skills--juggling, footwork, turns, passing, striking, etc., but I also run on my own when I can. I also love to train with a partner or group.” Sunny Lyu

“I practice 5 days a week with my team, and usually have one game on the weekend. I practice on my own on the days I don’t have regular club training. During the summer, we often have double-day training. At practice we usually start with skill training and juggling. Afterwards, we will play small-sided games or inter-club games.” Annie Kingman

Q: What are your favorite things abou tthe club? 

"I love the environment PSV Union fosters for its players. Every day, regardless of whether it is game day or an optional training, I know that I will be working in extremely hard in a highly competitive and focused environment with coaches that love the game. I always expect to be pushed to my limit at training, by myself and my coaches, while just having fun at the same time. Everyone who is part of the club loves to be out there." Siobhan Cox

"My favorite thing about the club is that everyone in the club loves soccer and is dedicated to becoming the best player they can be." Amanda Shorin

"PSV Union is such a unique club and I love it here. My favorite things about the club is that we are a huge family. I know girls and boys on the younger teams that are 7 and 8 years old." Jacey Pederson

" I train every day. I have team practices four times a week and then participate in at least one small group a week. On days I do not practice with Union, I train on my own, usually practicing various skills that were shown by the coaches during practice. This includes Coervers, skill ladder, variations of juggling, variations of striking, and a large range of different controls." Dana Schwartz

“My favorite things about the club are definitely it's coaches and players. We've all grown in the same atmosphere and have developed the same mentality. I really enjoy playing with players that constantly push and compete with each other to get better.” Amanda Perez

“There are so many things that I treasure about PSV Union. After spending some time away from it I have been able to realize how great of a club it is. I love the competitive environment at Union. My favorite things we do at Union are small sided games.” Sunny Lyu

“I have many favorite things about the club. Some of my favorite parts of PSV are the family feeling between all the players and teams, the trainings, the coaches, and my teammates. The club inspires me to be my best every day.” Annie Kingman 

Q. What kind of Player do you Need to be to Join Union. What attributed would you need to possess to be a player PSV Union coaches would be interested in coaching?

"To join PSV Union, I believe a player needs to primarily love the game and be competitive with themselves and those around them. A player has to love being out on the field almost every day, even when they are struggling and exhausted. I think PSV Union coaches are interested in coaching players who are truly dedicated to soccer. Players that watch professional soccer on the television, players that have a favorite player and team, and players that love everything about the sport are the type of players that PSV Union coaches would enjoy working with and training." Siobhan Cox

"I think that a person of any skill level can join Union. What really matters is that they love soccer and want to improve." Amanda Shorin

"At PSV Union you need to be hungry to learn more. You need to be interested in the game, and really love it. If you don't love the sport the coaches will not be able to relate to you, which makes it harder to coach you. If youre a player who likes to learn new things and challenge themselves, I think that the coaches at PSV would like to coach you." Jacey Pederson

"To be a member of PSV Union, it is crucial that players are passionate about soccer and are willing to work hard. All players must be dedicated and have a desire to improve." Dana Schwartz

“In order to become a player on PSV you really have to enjoy the game. You'll have to be dedicated to improving your skills and understanding. They're interested in players who go out and train on their own, and work on the material given during practice.” Amanda Perez

“At Union, the coaches do not look for the fastest or strongest player. Instead, they look for someone with a personality, a good attitude, a desire to improve, a passion for the game, and a good work ethic. They also value a player that acts and looks like a serious soccer player. (No nail polish, wear the right gear, correct stance/posture, coordination...) Finally, they probably value players that are good people off the field as well.” Sunny Lyu

“To be a part of PSV Union, you have to be a certain kind of player. You have to always be hungry to learn. Attitude is a HUGE part of being a soccer player, and without a good attitude it is very hard to improve. You have to have respect for your coaches, your teammates and yourself. Finally, you have to have the drive to be your best. Focus, determination, and dedication are three qualities a player must have to be successful at PSV Union.” Annie Kingman