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New Minnesota youth soccer club kicks off.

By Admin, 10/24/14, 9:45PM CDT

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For immediate release.

Two former high-level Minnesota soccer teammates take the lead at the new North Oaks Soccer Club. 

With an extensive history in soccer success and with the help from their college coaches, other former teammates and and a cast of young, former Division 1 players, the North Oaks Soccer Club packs a powerful punch.

Looking for something new, something different.
"All of us were more than eager to be part of something new, something special, something we were not finding anywhere else." says club President, Scott Larson.  "We may be starting with a small number of teams, but we are very big on quality development.  We're very fortunate to have people involved who have had tremendous success developing successful players and successful teams."

Larson highlights his fellow elite-level high school, select, and college teammate, and NOSC's Director of Coaching and Player Development, John Michaelson, as topping that list.  Michaelson has been coaching Minnesota's leading Premier level girls team for the past five years, NOSC's first official team for 2014.  The team enjoyed two State Cup titles and competed in USYSA's Region II championships the past two years in a row.

Beyond Soccer.
One of Michaelson's development cornerstone's is his D.R.E.A.(M) training philosophy.  According to NOSC's website (www.northoakssoccer.org), D.R.E.A.(M). is a philosophy that leans heavily on developing important life-skills like discipline and responsibility to draw out a high level of effort framed with a positive attitude to develop exceptional technical and tactical soccer skills. 

Michaelson knows players develop successful life-skills every bit as much as they do athletic skills when they have high-level expectations to manage.  "When you are being highly challenged in a sport, it forces us to be ultra disciplined and very responsible in other areas of our lives in order to successfully compete at the highest athletic levels possible.  The discipline and responsibility developed through this process absolutely translate to being successful in the classroom, in the workplace, in our relationships and with our kids."

Ingredients change, recipe stays the same.
Club offerings seem to change with the rise and fall of individual teams, not always based on the success or consistency of a program.  "For us, it helps immensely to have great coaches working with unbelievably committed, hard-working players,"  Michaelson says, alluding to the clubs now U18 Elite level team that has had five years of elite-level success, earning back-to-back Minnesota State Cup titles and two invites to the Midwest Region II Championships.

"The now U18 team has changed every season from its entrance into Elite level as 14's.  Every year, new players force the team to adapt, adjust and learn to play well together.  This has not been some anomaly of a single group of the same talented players, but an ongoing collection of players highly committed to developing at an aggressive rate." Michaelson adds. 

"While this is a true and earned testament to the players level of commitment and dedication, it is also the success of the development plan and ability to consistently develop players both new and returning to the program, year after year."

Youth and wisdom.
"The success of all the players we have here at our club has been nothing short of awesome.  John and his staffs training and development philosophy has brought so much out of these kids."  Larson lauds.  In addition to bringing on several high-level coaches and trainers for the handful of the clubs first year teams, Scott and John have been able to enlist several of their former elite-level soccer friends to be part of the clubs direction.

Since coming together to create the North Oaks Soccer Club, the Larson-Michaelson team has been able to pull together an impressive advisory board to help provide insight and feedback on the clubs development.  To date, the advisor's include former University of St. Thomas Men’s, Minnesota State Select National Champions (1990), long-time youth Select and Olympic Development Head Coach, Jamaican National Team player, USSF “B” license, Coach Denzil Lue; former U.S. Women’s National “B” Head Coach, long-time youth Select and Olympic Development Head Coach, President of the Minnesota Soccer Association, University of St. Thomas Coach, USSF “A” licensed coach and a member of the USASA Soccer Hall of Fame, Stan Mirza; and Keith Peterson, former stand-out for the Men’s Minnesota State Select Team, an original member of the Minnesota Thunder (along with Scott Larson) who had appearances for the Region 2 Team at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival (along with John Michaelson) as well as the U.S. National “B” Team (the first Minnesota born player to do so) and holds a USSF "C" license, a former collegiate, Select and Olympic Development coach. 

Larson says with a quiet confidence, "We know the importance of youth coaches when it comes to connecting with today's player.  For example, we are extremely fortunate to have former Golden Gopher player Sara Johnson leading as our clubs Girls Director along with other college stars as part of our training team.  At the same time, we believe having an equal list of highly knowledgeable people who not only played, but coached at some of the games highest levels, couples impressive experience with youthful energy to give our players an amazing development opportunity."

Blasts from the past.
The leadership of Larson and Michaelson brings back the days of their youth.  "Yeah, Scotty and I had a lot of fun back in the day as dueling midfielders.  We both probably remember many of the successes and game day thrills from our junior high days through elite level days.  But, probably most memorable are the people, the teammates and friends we made along the way." Michaelson states. 

Nodding, Larson continues,  "Like players today, we also played with and against people from across the city.  And, as we grew older and more competitive, we played with and against people from across the state and across the country.  After every season, it ended up being the people that shared your passion to be 'the best' or at least take a really good run at it, that we probably found the most memorable.  Many of these people we all still enjoy friendships with today." 

Michaelson and Larson hope to bring players playing for the North Oaks Soccer Club the same kinds of success and memories in the years and decades ahead. 

Contact/More information.
NOSC will open it's first official season in 2015, just after the first of the year.  Check them out at www.northoakssoccer.org.

Contact:
John Michaelson
Director of Coaching and Player Development
doc@northoakssoccer.org