Tryouts For The 2024-25 Season
Coming Late October / Early November

Keep you eye out for registration for our High School Age Tryouts to be held in late October and early November! We will post all information and registration on our tryouts page! www.columbusforcesoccer.com/tryouts

A Note From Our Girls & Boys Directors

By: Kirby Valle & Ben Neer

Club Director, Girls Director & U16-U19 Girls Director

Happy Fall Columbus Force Families! 

As October is upon us and we are fast approaching the end of the Fall season, I wanted to take the time to touch on one of the controllable and impactful factors for our parents and spectators. The topic of sideline behavior is ever present in youth sports, regardless of the level of play or age. I feel it's important to use this moment in our club newsletter to empower our Columbus Force Parents and sideline spectators through our core values of CHIRP (Commitment, Humility, Integrity, Respect & Passion). 

The incredible parents we have in this organization are the difference makers when it comes to improving our club and overall player development capabilities with their willingness to buy into our club completely. It's important for all parents and spectators to learn about sideline behavior and our role in providing a game-day experience for players and referees that are conducive to learning and enjoyment within the game. 

Believe me, I understand as a parent myself, there is a lot of emotion coming from the sidelines. We want our children to do well and succeed. Plus, it’s fun to watch them play. So, we become emotionally invested in the game we are watching. This is a form of passion as listed in our club core values. We want parents that love to watch their child play and be advocates for their child and the environment. 

However, we need to pause for a moment and ask ourselves a few questions. Does our sideline behavior help our child and their teammates learn or does it harm their learning experience? Does sideline communication to the reffing crew align with our club value of respect? There can be confusion among parents & spectators when it comes to the difference between supportive, distracting, and hostile behavior. 

Simply said, hostile behavior is yelling or showing aggressive behavior toward referees, players, coaches, and other spectators. We are clear on hostile behavior and agree it must end. We at Columbus Force have a zero tolerance policy for hostile sideline behavior, as it doesn't align with our club culture and action will be taken if these behaviors happen. 

Supportive behavior is cheering after positive outcomes, NOT while children are in the middle of competing. Columbus Force encourages supportive behavior. But please understand that some children want to hear encouragement and praise from their parents, others do not. We ask you to have a conversation with your child and ask them what they want from you on the sideline in support of their soccer development and a safe learning space for them. 

While hostile and supportive behaviors are easily recognizable, there is confusion around distracting behavior. Simply put, distracting behavior is talking to the players on the field when they are in the middle of competing. Examples of distracting behavior are “Go to the ball!” “Shoot!” “Get rid of it!” This type of communication henders players on the field from making clear decisions. It creates unnecessary pressure and can be very confusing to a player, just trying to make a decision and learn in the game. We love the passion our Columbus Force parents have for their players, the teams and the club, but distracting behavior from spectators limits learning opportunities. 



Thank you for taking the time to read through the newsletter! We truly appreciate you investing in your child's soccer development on and off the field. 

Boys Director, ECNL-RL Director & U13-U15 Boys Director

Introducing our U13-U15 boy’s coaches:

Our 2012B ECNL-RL participated in the Nike Cup of Champions (St. Louis, MO) and OP Invitational (Columbus, OH) playing in the top division with a combined record of 5W-2L. Scoring 20 goals and only allowing 3 goals against. In their first league match against Blast FC, they came away with a 6-0 result.

Our 2011B ECNL-RL played in the Nike Cup of Champions (St. Louis, MO) and OP Invitational (Columbus, OH) in the top division with a combined record of 4W-2L-1D. In the OP Invitational they completed the weekend as FINALIST! Their first league match against Blast FC resulted in a 0-0 tie.

Coach John and his two teams played in the Dublin Charity Cup where the 2011B ended the weekend as FINALIST and the 2012B were crowned CHAMPIONS!

Our 2010B Fall Trap team will step into action for their first tournament at the Columbus Fall Classic. Coach Dennis has done a fantastic job merging players from three different teams and competing every time they step on the pitch.

Coach Jamie is working hard to build her two team’s chemistry while focusing on the team playing as a unit. Both teams are improving each week and look forward to finishing out the Fall season.

All the teams are off to a great start and each coach is displaying the dedication to their team that will lead to success. The coaches truly care about the players on and off the field. Our first official season at Columbus Force has been outstanding and we plan to stay the course to make our mark here in Columbus! #CHIRP

Boys U16-U19

Hello Columbus Force families!

I hope everyone is enjoying their respective HS season, and that they are staying healthy heading into the final third of regular season play.



I have been able to make several games in the area this Fall already, and will be back on the trail this week, but so far, the games have not disappointed. There have been some spicy matchups, but the thing that has been the most amazing to watch is all our amazing athletes competing for their respective schools.

A lot of players playing at the Varsity level against much bigger players has been another positive thing to see, and we hope players can bring that level of confidence and enthusiasm into the grueling Club season.

We have now begun the process of compiling every player’s student athlete profiles so that they are approved, and ready to share as we begin our College Showcase campaign. We are looking to highlight all of our players so that if they want to pursue playing the beautiful game at a collegiate level, we have something physical and digital to share with coaches at events, or in student to coach communications.

Good luck to everyone with the rest of the HS season, hopefully we’re still chatting at playoffs, and we cannot wait to see you all back here in just over a month!

Vamos Force!

Girls U13-U15

What a fantastic start to our 2024 campaign! Our teams are hitting their stride, finding different forms of success on the pitch, and it’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point of the fall season. As we begin looking ahead to winter training, we’re excited about the progress we’ve seen so far.

It's been an action-packed season for all our teams, and the growth across each age group is evident. Our 2012 E64 RL traveled to St. Louis to compete in the Nike Champions Cup, while the 2011 E64 RL were Finalists at the OP Invitational. The 2011s have also kicked off their league play, showcasing their skills at Club Ohio. Meanwhile, our 2012 Academy program competed in both the Dublin Charity Cup and the OP Invitational. Our 2010 girls will soon begin their tournament play at the Columbus Fall Classic on September 21st.

As our teams continue to evolve, the focus remains on player development. We see the larger vision of where we want to go, but it’s vital that we provide the girls with the necessary tools to get there and help them trust the process. While it’s easy for us as coaches to visualize the final goal, getting a group of U13-U15 girls to see that same vision requires careful guidance and attention to detail. Our role is to provide the map, building from micro moments to the broader picture.

The focus on small-sided games like 2v1 situations helps the players understand how to navigate larger, more complex scenarios like 4v2 or 6v4. It’s essential that our girls grasp the "why" behind every drill, rather than just going through the motions. Details are everything, especially at this age, and we want to foster an environment of intentional learning and growth.

Coach Spotlight – Danica Hanschu
Danica Hanschu is the Head Coach for our 2011 Blue team and serves as our Director of Goalkeeping. With over 20 years of playing experience, Danica brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to her team and goalkeepers. Her passion for the game is contagious, and she serves as an incredible leader and role model, both on and off the field. We are thrilled to have Danica as part of our coaching staff and look forward to all the great things she’ll continue to accomplish with her teams!

Keep up the great work, everyone, and let’s finish the season strong! #TrustTheProcess #PlayerDevelopment #ForceFamily

Coach Spotlight – Danica Hanschu
Danica Hanschu is the Head Coach for our 2011 Blue team and serves as our Director of Goalkeeping. With over 20 years of playing experience, Danica brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to her team and goalkeepers. Her passion for the game is contagious, and she serves as an incredible leader and role model, both on and off the field. We are thrilled to have Danica as part of our coaching staff and look forward to all the great things she’ll continue to accomplish with her teams!

Keep up the great work, everyone, and let’s finish the season strong! #TrustTheProcess #PlayerDevelopment #ForceFamily

Boys U10-U12

As we rapidly enter into the autumn months and approach the end of the Fall season, we have seen some tremendous growth across the age group as a whole already. The early success can be attributed to everyone involved in the process of growing the player from coach, parents, directors, and even the players themselves! It is vital that parents continue to support and reinforce the behaviors and actions as outlined by their respective coach. Parents play a vital role at this age in continuing to encourage as well as support your young athlete as they face new challenges both in games and in training. Our coaches are working incredibly hard to learn our club's curriculum while also developing a better understanding of the players on their team in order to find the best way to support their development. Your support of your player outside of the limited time we have with them plays a huge role in their continued growth both on and off of the field. 

The results of all of these different pieces coming together speak for themselves. Our Pre-ECNL teams have kicked-off their inaugural season in the league on fire, with each team winning their first set of games! On top of that, we have had four teams compete in and win recent tournaments: 2013B Pre-ECNL and 2015B Pre-ECNL Champions at LouCity in Kentucky, 2015B White Champions at the Grove City Fall Classic, as well as 2013B Blue Champions at the OP Invitational! Congratulations Coaches and teams!

Girls U10-U12
2014G Pre - ECNL OP Invitational Finalists

Our 2014G Pre - ECNL team were Finalists at the Ohio Premier Invitational over the weekend of 9/14 - 9/15! This group of young ladies have worked extremely hard over the course of the early portion of their fall season! They are a brand new team with Columbus Force and are also undefeated in League Play in the 2014G Pre - ECNL South Blue Division! 

The smiling faces and determination makes this group of girls one of the best groups a coach could ever wish to work with! As their coach, I am so happy to be able to have the privilege to work with them and continue their passion and love for the game of soccer! 

Player Spotlight: Veronica (Ronie) Steele

2014G Pre - ECNL

Ronie is a new player in our club, this year and she got her first goal as a Force Player, this past weekend, in the Ohio Premier Invitational! Ronie plays primarily as a Winger/Forward and has been pushing herself hard to provide for her teammates, in front of goal. She has created several chances for her teammates, and she was able to get on the scoresheet herself, in the game against West Virginia Futbol Club! 

Boys & Girls U8-U9
Our U8-U9 program continues to thrive, with recent tournament success and upcoming opportunities for development. We are proud to announce that our 2017B Premier team were Champions at the OP Invitational, while 2017B Blue also took home the championship at the Grove City Tournament. Congratulations to these young athletes on their outstanding performances!

Additionally, our 2017G Premier team finished as finalists in Grove City, and our 2016B Premier team made it to the finals at the Dublin Charity Cup, showcasing the incredible dedication and talent within our program.

Looking ahead, we are excited to offer the Winter Force Academy Supplemental Training for U8 and U9 boys and girls. This 6-week program will run on Saturdays in November and December, with sessions from 12:00-1:00 PM and 1:00-2:00 PM. It’s a great opportunity for our players to continue developing their skills in preparation for the spring season. To register, click here.

We look forward to seeing our players continue to grow both on and off the field!

Juniors Programs!

By: Jessica Shelton

Specialty Departments

Goalkeeping, Sports Performance & College Recruitment

Boys & Girls Goalkeeping

Goalkeeper Supplemental Training

Looking for goalkeeper training through the winter? Columbus Force is hosting goalkeeper training for everyone. Goalkeepers will learn new techniques as well as enhance their goalkeeping ability.

Winter 1 Dates: Nov 3, 10, 17, 24; Dec 1

Intermediate Ages U7-U12: 10am-11am

Advanced Ages U13-U19: 11am-12pm

Goalkeeper Spotlights:

Sports Performance

Importance of a Soccer Parent

The parent, player, and coach all have the same amount of responsibility but their roles are different - this is known as the athletic triangle. The parent-player role in the athletic triangle is as vital as the other relationships. Below are some key roles of a soccer parent!

1. Let the coach be the coach. Be respectful of their style. Don’t criticize. Build them up. Coaches are doing their best and need encouragement. If you do need to speak with the coach, be sure to set up a time away from the field. 
2. Encourage your child to work on the things they can control: their effort and attitude. 
3. Create a positive, supportive atmosphere that encourages your child to maximize their potential - both on & off the field.
4. Give players space - let them practice and make mistakes in a distraction and anxiety-free environment. 
5. Do not coach from the sideline during games. This creates confusion for players and actually stifles their development and decision making.
6. Model sporting behavior - respect opposition and officials, congratulate good play by both teams. This sets and example for players and other parents. 
7. Steer post-game conversations away from the scoreline. Examples: What went well? What didn’t? What did you learn? How are you going to respond? 
8. Keep it fun - ensure your child is enjoying their soccer experience regardless of the level in which they are playing. You can still encourage them to be competitive without it being too intense and serious. Too many young players quit the game because of the pressure often put on them by parents. Youth soccer gets too serious too soon - keep things upbeat and lighthearted. 
9. Think Big Picture - statistically very few soccer players receive college scholarships or get pro contracts. If they do, then great! Yes, let's encourage our players to strive to win and be competitive; however, more importantly let’s make the most of all the life lessons and teachable moments that soccer presents us with.
   

USL YOUTH

We wrapped up our inaugural summer season of USL Youth in July. This program allowed players to train consistently in a team environment throughout the summer with league play against other top Midwest teams. Columbus Force entered three, club-neutral teams comprised of talent from across central Ohio: U11 Girls, U12 Boys and U14 Boys.

As we look to elevate the experience of our players and compete at higher levels, we plan to expand this program into additional age groups for summer of 2025. Select players will be invited to elite-level USL training sessions throughout the winter, and tryouts for summer teams will be held beginning in January. 

Keep an eye out for more information on tryouts - coming soon! 

College Recruitment
Having recently joined the Columbus Force, one of my roles is serving as the Director of College Recruitment. I am looking forward to helping facilitate and support those student-athletes looking to move on to the next level after high school. I’ve been a head collegiate coach for over 28 years, having spent 21 of those years at the D1 level. I’ve also coached at the NAIA level, and now currently am coaching in Division 3 as the Head Coach for the women’s team at Ohio Wesleyan University, moving into my fourth season. I also have over 25 years of experience as a high school age club coach and Director of Player Development. Club players I’ve coached have moved on to compete at literally every collegiate level in the country.

In order to help facilitate the process, at the bottom of this newsletter, I’ve included a top down chart to which players and parents can follow in order to make sure they know to whom questions should be directed and support sought. Please know that all coaches and staff at Force are here to support, direct and educate in the recruiting process. This is simply a “first step” approach in the process.

The process starts, and ends, with the high school student-athlete. “Of all the soccer superstars I’ve known, their dreams of stardom were their own” - Anson Dorrance/Univ. of North Carolina. All entities involved will help guide, inform and support the recruiting process. However, the interest and desire to play collegiately must be initiated by the student-athlete. Not only does the process start with the student-athlete, but it concludes with the student-athlete, in choosing to commit to a collegiate program.

In the Force Recruiting Newsletter, we will focus primarily on two area: Education & Best Practices. I will also include an editorial. Education & Best Practices encompass a very large amount of information. It simply isn’t possible for a newsletter to be exhaustive in covering all aspects of the wide landscape of the college recruiting process. This is why it is important for players to utilize the Force network of coaches and Directors. They will also be able to serve as points of support. Also, please understand there is not simply one specific, definitive method to go about searching for the right collegiate fit. There are many ways to go about it. Therefore, the information that is provided is just one approach. Finally, the college landscape is constantly changing, including member schools (schools moving divisions for example), compliance, financial considerations, etc. We will try to keep up with all the changes. In future newsletters there will be a greater amount of Education & Best Practices information included. This first newsletter is simply the launching point for the future.

EDUCATION

 There are many collegiate levels to which players can aspire and eventually compete. Let me be clear, there is a place for any player wanting to play collegiately! That is not to say that every player can play at the Division 1 level, or for their dream school. It simply means that if playing collegiate soccer is an important variable in the decision making process, there is a place for you. And having a fulfilling collegiate playing experience isn’t simply confined to Division 1. There are many levels. Not only are there many levels, there are unofficial levels within the levels  In other words, playing for Florida State (D1) may be vastly different than playing for a bottom tier Division 1 program. It would be worth your while to investigate.

• NCAA Div. 1
• NCAA Div. 2
• NCAA Div. 3
• NAIA
• NJCAA
• NCCA

BEST PRACTICES

 Junior Year

• Register for NCAA Eligibility Center
• Send letters and emails of interest to college programs
• Create a “pool of schools”
• Attend ID Camps of those schools in your “pool” – be selective
• Attend “unofficial” visits to colleges and meet with coaches
• Take SAT and/or ACT tests
• Speak with your guidance counselor at your high school

Senior Year

• Check Status with NCAA Eligibility Center
• Complete FAFSA forms
• Schedule official visits
• Complete college applications
• Initiate and/or continue to communicate with college coaches
• Train and compete – don’t dial it in your senior year!

EDITORIAL

One of the first steps in the recruiting process is for players to create a “pool of schools”. I always advocate for players to cast a wide net, particularly if there are unsure of what exactly they are looking for. In order to create a pool of schools, start by asking yourself these 5 questions

1. How close or far away from home do I want to be? Do I want to be able to get home within 3 or 4 hours, or am I okay having to take a flight?
2. How many students do I want to be in a classroom with Would I like a smaller classroom of 30 students or am I okay with 300?
3. What role do I want to fulfill on the soccer team during my four years? Would I like to have a realistic chance of playing within the first two years, or am I okay just wearing the jersey and sitting the bench for 4 years?
4. What type of social atmosphere am I looking for? There are faith based, liberal, conservative and everything in between from which to choose.
5. Does the university/college have my intended academic major? Or, do they have a wide enough academic offering that it I change majors I won’t have to change schools?

If you can answer those 5 questions, you are well on your way to forming a manageable pool of schools to pursue.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

NCAA: NCAA.ORG

NCAA Eligibility Center: Web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics:  https://www.naia.org/landing/index

Winter Camps & Training

Don't miss out on our upcoming programs!

@ColumbusForceSC