FC Samoa - Player Testamonials

Simone Ripamonti, Athletic Trainer

Friday, 05 September 2008 06:40

I'm really glad to receive informations about how big is becoming the Samoa soccer net because Nick [FC Samoa Coaching Director] is a great soccer man and I learned a lot from him when I came there to make an internship 2 years ago.

I'm Simone Ripamonti, I was born to Sassari Sardinia (Italy) 25 years ago. I played soccer until when I was 18 for no-professional team here in italy. On April 2006, I'm graduated at Rome's University Institute of Motor Science and now I'm post graduating to Rome at the same university to become a professional soccer physical trainer.

On summer 2006, I decided to make an experience to USA firstly to practice my english and then I knew Nick from my host family and I started to help him with the youth soccer player during his summer camp. When I came back from California I start the 2 years post graduate course specializing on soccer coaching and athletic training specific for top soccer player.

On 2007/2008, I collaborated at Rome's University Institute of Motor Science with Professor Valter Di Salvo Ph.D., professor of Theory and Methodology of Sport Training at Rome's University Institute of Motor Science and professional soccer athletic trainer since 20 years working with Lazio, Manchester United and now for Real Madrid C.F.

Last year,on summer 2007, I won a scholarship to make an internship for six months (Jenuary-June 2008 ) with Real Madrid C.F. as a help athletic trainer inside a specific area called prevention injury training (propriocetion and balance training,core stability for soccer players). ( http://www.torres2000.it/ripamonti.htm ) Before to start the internship my university paid me a spanish course for two months and on December 2007 I moved to Madrid to start. It been one of my best experience of whole my life because I have the possibility to train in one of the best soccer club in all world, training the best soccer players and learning from one of the best soccer professional athletic trainer,Prof. Valter Di Salvo.I been so lucky because at the end of the season we won the championship so it been an incredible experience. At the end of my internship the Real Madrid left me a certificate to spend for my work future experience and also to spend to finish the university.

On June 2008 when I came back to Sardinia after my internship to Madrid, I worked for a soccer summer camp ( http://www.camparzachena.it/ ).

Now I'm studing to finish the post graduate course to become a professional soccer athletic trainer and start to work.

I have a propose to make an internship to Australia working for the Australian Institute of Sport, I'd really want to make an experience there because they are really the top for the area that I'm studing to (propriocetion and balance training, core stability for top players).

Anyways I would like to talk with Nick to start a collaboration with him between my summer camp and his summer camp, we should come there to do a summer camp with our coaches to help you guys to develop knowledge about soccer methodologic train, and you could come to Sardinia next summer at the end of June to see our soccer camp. I will talk to Nick soon to see if he's interested in it.

I hope to give you all the informations about my life until now. It's a pleasure for me your interest for me and I hope to start a good collaboration with you and FC Samoa.

Regards.

Simone Ripamonti

Simone working with Real Madrid

Simone Ripamonti working with Real Madrid C.F.

Tessa Salzman, D1 Player

Sunday, 31 August 2008 20:26

Tessa Salzman

The Importance of Professional Coaches

Growing up on a traveling team with a serious coach provided me with an opportunity to learn and improve literally week by week. I watched the group of girls I grew up with on the field take individual as well as team skills and use them in practice and then eventually in the game.

Before my team had a consistent and professional coach, I remember struggling year after year flip-flopping from class III to class I and still not having a sense of improvement after a stretch of about 3 years with the same coach.

Then I remember in a following year when my team started learning the concept of the dish with our PROFESSIONAL COACH Nick Parker. I mark that year as the beginning of my team's development. The next 3 years we surprised and impressed our parents, previously played opposing teams and ourselves with our noticeable improvement. We continued exploring and enhancing our team strategies as well as individual skills.

I think one of the most rewarding moments for me as a player is half time at State Cup when our coach sat back and just smiled. We were demonstrating the skills that we had been working on over the past year and were actually giving a state ranked team, who had never even heard of the city of Arcata, a run for their money. I don't even remember if we won that particular game but knowing that I could play at that level was a huge accomplishment.

--Tessa Salzman

Etta Grover-Silva, Collegiate Player

Sunday, 31 August 2008 19:33

My name is Etta Grover-Silva and I am currently a member of the Smith College Soccer Team.

I have played soccer since I was 3 and I had quite a bit of help along the way. My first inspiration was my brother who started playing when he was 5. I played with him and tagged along to all of his practices. When I was old enough I got on many recreational teams myself and had several coaches. The coaches were usually mothers or fathers dedicated to their children and interested in the game of soccer. Soccer was so fun but I really didn't start to appreciate the game until my club team decided to go Class 1 and hired a professional coach, Nick Parker. This new experience gave me an appreciation of the game I had never had before. I was learning and understanding roles of individual positions, the tactics of different formations, and fine tuning and learning how to use specific skills. I feel like I improved more in the three years coached by Nick than the entirety of my recreational career.

Jenna Hunter was my next coach and she coached our same club team for two years. She had worked a lot with the Humboldt State soccer program and inspired me to think about playing in college. Playing soccer in college had rarely crossed my mind before Jenna. I had considered it but understood that I was from a small town in the middle of nowhere and my chances were limited. However, traveling down south to play against players that were not much better than I and were being recruited by division 2 and division 1 schools was extremely encouraging. I was so inspired that I applied for mainly division 1 schools with the intent to play soccer. However, I was not able to make a video of myself or market myself well and was not well received by division one or two coaches.

I found my heart set on a division 3 school in the end due to my desire to pursue my other interests as well as wanting to play both soccer and do Track and Field in college. The experiences I have had here at Smith on the Soccer team have been unbelievable and a crucial part of my college enjoyment. I love pushing myself while pushing others, being a leader, and having an opportunity to learn from and teach my teammates. My coach is also phenomenal and I am constantly learning from her every day. I would never have been able to have this experience if I was not exposed to a high level of soccer before getting to college. I may not have even pursued soccer in college at all if I had not been inspired by the "division one" recruits that I played against throughout California. Traveling was hard on the body and check book but it was well worth it. My college soccer experience has been priceless and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

--Etta Grover-Silva