American Vietnamese Soccer Experience Sports Exchange Program The 2008 American Vietnamese Soccer Experience Sports Exchange Program, led by the US – Vietnam Trade Council in co-operation with the Vietnam Administration of Sports and Physical Training and the Vietnam Football Federation and its affiliated football departments at the provincial level, as well as Hong Bang University and the Dong Nai Department of Sport and Culture, serves to strengthen relationships between the two countries through the sport of women’s soccer. This exchange program was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs and brings U.S. and Vietnam citizens together in the spirit of sport, camaraderie, and team building, while supporting efforts to strengthen the overall bilateral relations with Vietnam. The School for the Blind Hanoi Clinic Group Teaching Skills in Hanoi
4
Embed
American Vietnamese Soccer Experience Sports - …usvtc.org/Vietnam_soccer_overview_1_2-karen_edits.pdf · American Vietnamese Soccer Experience Sports Exchange Program The 2008 American
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
American Vietnamese Soccer Experience
Sports Exchange Program
The 2008 American Vietnamese Soccer Experience Sports Exchange Program, led by the US –
Vietnam Trade Council in co-operation with the Vietnam Administration of Sports and Physical
Training and the Vietnam Football Federation and its affiliated football departments at the
provincial level, as well as Hong Bang University and the Dong Nai Department of Sport and
Culture, serves to strengthen relationships between the two countries through the sport of
women’s soccer. This exchange program was made possible by a grant from the U.S.
Department of State Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs and brings U.S. and Vietnam
citizens together in the spirit of sport, camaraderie, and team building, while supporting efforts to
strengthen the overall bilateral relations with Vietnam.
The School for the Blind Hanoi Clinic Group Teaching Skills in Hanoi
The American Vietnamese Soccer Experience Exchange Program consists of two main
components. The first component included sending four American soccer coaches to share
the United States Soccer Federation’s latest coaching methods including “US Best Practices”
and its “E” license manual to youth players and instruct local coaches in the Vietnamese cities
of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province. The American Coaches included, Janine Szpara, a US “A” Level License coach, top Oregon youth club and NCAA coach, plus former
US National Team, WUSA, and NCAA All-American player at the Colorado College, Emily
Patterson, a top Oregon Youth coach and former University of Portland Final Four player, Leslie
Gaston, a top Atlanta Club youth coach and former US National Youth team and NCAA All
American player at the University of North Carolina, and Katy Daly, an Oregon youth club
coach who also has Special Olympic Soccer coaching experience and former University of
Puget Sound player. Over 310 Vietnamese players from the ages 14-21, attended these clinics,
including 40 people with disabilities. Most of the players invited were female, but 20 male
players participated with the disabled groups. In addition to the new players to the sport of
soccer, some of the top players in Vietnam from Hong Bang University also attended these
clinics. With assistance from the U.S.-Vietnam Trade Council and Nike, the American Coaches
also visited and donated gifts to the School of the Blind and the Thu Duc Youth’s village
orphanage. The US Vietnam Trade Council hosted two receptions in Hanoi and HCMC with
sponsors such as Nike, Highland Coffee, the US Embassy, and participating soccer groups
attending. Nike provided soccer ball and t-shirts for all participants as well as give-away
mementos for both clinic players and for the blind school and orphanage. Highland Coffee
provided drinks for the players and administration at all clinic sites. US Coach Janine Szpara
commented to a local newspaper: “Before our Vietnam trip, we don’t know much about
Vietnamese women. However, after 2 training days in Hanoi and HCMC, we are very much
impressed by Vietnamese women’s good skills, as well as their friendliness, open and eager to
learn”. Ms. Szpara has recommendations for Vietnamese women: “If you love sports, you
should go for their favorite one. You can play in group, in club to increase sport opportunities
for yourselves”.
Clinic in Hong Bang Hong Bang Group Orphanage
The second component of the American Vietnamese Soccer Experience consisted of a 9
day tour of the United States by 9 Vietnamese players and 2 coaches. This U.S.
component was a joint hosted effort by several Nike partners, including Stanford