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US National Athlete Visits Manchester Soccer Practice

At the beginning of practice, on Thursday, August 27th, coach Bud Ball brought together his MSA girls U14 Lady Dutch team and introduced them to a special guest. A member of United States Women’s National Soccer U18 team (USWNT), Taylor Kornieck, had come for a visit. Taylor is a high school athlete from Las Vegas and plays for the USWNT; which places her in the top 20 female high school soccer players in the country.

When the opportunity arose through work contacts, to have Taylor visit the U14 Lady Dutch, Coach Ball recognized the value right away.  Ball understands, in addition to bringing female coaches during summer soccer camp, the importance of introducing his Lady Dutch to female athlete role models, of which Taylor is the most recent. Taylor didn’t lead any drills; just the chance to watch an elite athlete perform is a learning experience. And the lessons she supplied were provided to a worthy team.

The U14 girls team is a team of success. They have quickly moved up divisions in the last few years, and now play in Division 1. They have also outgrown local competition and now play in the Western Suburban Soccer League (WSSL) against teams from Ann Arbor, Flint and the Detroit area. Coach Ball spoke proudly of the talent he has found in Manchester. Although the teams they play against have to search for players over a wide area, the U14 Lady Dutch has only needed to look in-district for superb players.

The girls on the team act like the successful athletes they are. As practice began, it only took one word from their coach, and the girls immediately lined up for their first complex drill. An injured player, who still attends every practice, called out encouragement and suggestions for improvement from the sideline. There were smiles, laughter and conversation, but also the serious focus of athletes training for a purpose. When Taylor arrived the girls were eager to invite her into their drills and inter-team scrimmage.

Roger Chandler, president of the Manchester Soccer Association and parent of a team member expressed, “It just great to have a US National caliber player like Taylor, spend time with our girls.”

The U14 Lady Dutch season begins September 13th, and they are sure to be competitive.

by Danielle Muntz

Danielle lives in Manchester Township and has many interests which she takes part in with varying degrees of success. She can be reached at Danielle.Does.Stuff@gmail.com.