August Newsletter

Newsletter- December 2008

A Message From the General Manager
My son was in his middle school's production of "A Christmas Carol" last weekend. If you have never seen the movie or musical or never have read the book, I would recommend that you find time this Holiday season to do so.

Regardless if you have seen or read it, we all have heard of Ebenezer Scrooge. We all have heard the phrase, "Bah Humbug". We all know the moral of the story - Scrooge needs to be reminded of the true meaning of the Holiday Season. He fails to remember the significance of the Holidays until he is reminded by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.
 
As you celebrate the Holidays this season, remember always to remember. Sometimes we get so caught up in the moment that we fail to remember. Don't forget the TRUE meaning of the Holidays. Don't forget family and friends. Don't' forget those less fortunate than us. Don't forget to remember.

All of us at Pinnacle Sports remember all of you and your faith and commitment to us.

On behalf of the entire staff at Pinnacle Sports, we wish you and your family the most Blessed and Happiest of Holidays.
 
Rich Garbinsky
General Manager, Pinnacle Sports
 

COACHES SPOTLIGHT
Zdravko Popovic, Coaching More Than Skills
Zdravko Popovic, Director of Soccer at Pinnacle Sports and Co-Owner of The Cleveland Internationals is one of the most successful soccer coaches in The United States, both on and off the field.  He is a USSF A Licensed Coach who works with all levels of athletes from Youth to elite US level players.  His on-field accomplishments include- USASA National Womens Coach (1998-2004), USASA Regional II Womens Select Coach, US Olympic Sports Festival Coach (1997 gold medal winners),  US Soccer Festival Coach (1992, 1996 Silver Medalists), multiple National Championships including three National Super Y League Titles in 2007 along with numerous State and Regional Championships.


While his on-field accomplishments are extremely impressive, they are not what you will hear about Zdravko from the individuals who know him best.  In 2007, Zdravko was named a National Finalist in The Positive Coaching Alliances Double-Goal Coach Award which honors coaches who teach more than just the skills of the game.

"Here I was with dreams of playing soccer in college and on the US National team" says former Internationals standout and current staff member Keri Sarver. "I came to him to get me there but he was more concerned with my grades, family, how I treated my parents, and if I kept my room clean. As a 12 year old, I was not so sure how this fit into my goals of making it big. Fast-forward a few years and I realized it had EVERYTHING to do with reaching those goals."

This is exactly the type of sentiment you will hear from the players that Zdravko works with on a daily basis to this day.  Zdravko has said many times that he gets more satisfaction out of seeing his players grow up and become positive, contributing members of the community than he has ever gotten out of winning national championships.   Zdravko's determination to develop the whole individual rather than just the soccer player is one of the many reasons that Zdravko is one of the most successful coaches in the United States and is exactly why he has been chosen to head up the soccer program at Pinnacle Sports.

Team Sports Are More Than Just Fun
Participating in youth team sports can have social, emotional, and mental health benefits for children. Research shows that kids who play sports have less depression and anxiety and also are less likely to become involved in risky behaviors such as drugs and sexual activity (NYU Child Study Center, 2005)

According to Dr. Steve Horan, an expert in community health improvement, young athletes also learn to value wellness, to hold onto their ethics in a competitive environment, to be team players and leaders, and to develop good relationships through team sports.  However, Dr. Horan also emphasizes the importance of choosing the right team sports environment in order to increase these positive outcomes.  For more information on Dr. Horans suggestions to ensure a positive sports experience for your child, please check out the article Sports Parents: Are your Kids Reaping the Benefits From Sports? Parents and coaches have to be very vigilant to ensure that sports have this desired goal of character development, says Horan.

Pinnacle Sports coaching philosophy emphasizes principles of character development to not only make children successful on the field, but also in life.

"BEING" A  Complete Player
My wife Jamie made a very powerful statement the other day as we were talking about what it means to really "Play"?
 
"When a player becomes "Complete", they now have a reason for "being" instead of just playing. They now know why they are there." 
 
Because it's more than a game!!! Coach, do you see the Bigger Picture in your daily routine of practices, and everything else you have to deal with? 
 
When each area of their life is functioning (in the game), these become the declarations of a "Complete Player":
 
In their Body - "I am prepared to Perform Skillfully and Fearlessly" - we Play Hard
 
In their Mind-"I am focused and alert for every situation" -  we Play Smart
 
In their Social -"I belong to something bigger than myself." - we Play Together
 
In their Spirit -"I am ready to play with all of my Heart" - we Play True
 
That is a Player I would want on the field/court. Is your coaching developing all four areas of your player's lives?
 
Pay Attention, be Intentional, Develop, Train, Teach, Inspire, be Patient and Coach like their lives depends upon it. Because in reality, you probably have "one" on your team where that is really true.
 
Go the Distance,
 
Wade Salem
Coaching 4 Life

Akron Children's Hospital

Pinnacle Sports and Akron Children's Hospital continue to work together to promote Pediatric Sports Safety.  This issue of ACH's HEALTH UPDATE addresses concerns directly related to the long-term health and safety of our female athletes.
 

Outdoor Field Project Update

We are extremely excited to announce that our outdoor field project is nearly complete!  The turf has been installed and has been partially filled with rubber.  The parking lot has been re-paved and new traffic rotation with a family friendly drop-off zone is in place. The new field lights are hooked in and ready for testing. We are ready for some warm weather to tie up all loose ends and open the field this spring!

 Pinnacle Sports would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners on this amazing project: Kaczmar Architects, Inc., Campbell & Associates, Inc., Summit Construction Company, Inc., Sports Construction Group, and Musco Sports Lighting.  Please look forward to our Grand Opening of the field this spring; we will notify everyone once we finalize details for this much anticipated event!

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