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It’s been a crazy year, and that’s an understatement. But if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to live life to the fullest, because we never know what’s around the corner. But one thing we should all do is find a new sport to try. Whether it’s a now-forgotten new year’s resolution to stay fit or just to break the endless monotony that was quarantine, trying a new sport is a great way to be active and enjoy life.
Continue reading 7 New Sports for 2020 that You’d Never Thought Of Trying
June 14,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
East Rutherford NJ, For the first time in 32 years, the men’s World Cup is coming back to North America. FIFA’s 200-plus member associations gathered in Moscow on Wednesday and voted to award 2026 World Cup hosting rights to the United States, Canada and Mexico.
February 11,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Saturday was a big day for the future of American soccer and the United States Soccer Federation. Yesterday the federation selected its next president at its Annual General Meeting in Orlando, bringing an end to an a very public campaign process that has seen a great deal more attention than in past years.
Status Quo candidate Carlos Cordeiro, was elected as the new president of U.S. Soccer on Saturday after three rounds of voting and a historic and contentious eight-candidate campaign.
An unprecedented eight candidates stood for election and none of them are the incumbent Sunil Gulati, who has held the position unopposed since 2006 and declined to run for office.
Less than an hour before the Cordeiro election, fellow candidate Hope Solo blasted the federation for its faults, and criticized two candidates who, in her opinion, were complicit – two candidates who represented the status quo , Carlos Cordeiro and Kathy Carter.
Solo entered the race for United States Soccer Federation president less than a week before the nomination deadline back in December. Throughout the past two months, she has been outspoken in her criticism of the federation and the two establishment candidates.
Among the eight candidates was Ridgewood Resident Michael Winograd . Winograd was considered a blend of previous soccer experience and organizational talents. He played college soccer at Lafayette College and was a pro in Israel. He was also a coach and founder of a short-lived professional franchise, serves on the board of his local soccer organization and has a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
He was not considered as radical as some of the candidates, but he wanted to reform the structure of youth development on a state-by-state basis. He also has a plan for implementing promotion and relegation in American soccer that would also allow current MLS teams to remain in the top flight in perpetuity.
As the Cordeiro victory seemed imminent , Winograd withdrew after the second round as did several others.
Mike’s wife Siobhan Crann Winograd, said in a Facebook post, “Mike did a great job. Ran a honest, sincere, impressive campaign that we are all so proud of. His platform was bold, focused and raised a lot of the key issues ( especially the inequality for women). Without a doubt he was a major influencer.”
January 18,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, On Monday, Ridgewood resident Mike Winograd and his youth soccer advisor, Liam Winograd, went to ESPN FC. Winograd is currently in the running for United States Soccer Federation president.
Ahead of the United States Soccer Federation presidential election on Feb. 10, ESPN FC asked the eight candidates running to succeed Sunil Gulati to address a series of questions, in 150 or fewer words per answer.
Below are both a transcript and video of Village Resident Mike Winograd
Michael Winograd, USSF presidential candidate, answers ESPN’s questions :
https://www.espn.com/soccer/club/united-states/660/blog/post/3342635/michael-winograd-ussf-presidential-candidate-answers-espn-fc-questions
The video link https://www.espnfc.com/video/espn-fc-tv/86/video/3350902
photo Courtesy of Michael Winograd
December 11,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Philadelphia Enquirer ran an interview with Mike Winograd of Ridgewood ,who is one of the 7 nominees running for US Soccer President. On November 4th , the staff of the Ridgewood blog did a profile ( https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-resident-runs-for-president-of-the-united-states-soccer-federation/ ) .
Winograd a Ridgewood resident and New York-based lawyer was interviewed on November 7th , in Q&A with Michael Winograd, U.S. Soccer Federation presidential election candidate https://www.philly.com/philly/sports/soccer/usa-soccer-election-michael-winograd-promotion-relegation-nwsl-20171107.html?mobi=true
September 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, September 23, 2017, the Ridgewood High School boys and girls soccer programs will come together to host Super Soccer Saturday (SSS). On this special day for soccer players of all ages, more than 200 youth and high school players and their families will gather to celebrate the beautiful game of soccer.
All three levels of the boys and girls high school soccer teams will play home games on the stadium field at Ridgewood High School. The girls will face Wayne Hills and the boys will take on Northern Valley – Demarest. The game schedule is as follows:
Freshman Girls: 9:30 am Freshman Boys: 11:30 am
JV Girls: 1:30 pm JV Boys: 3:30 pm
Varsity Girls: 5:30 pm Varsity Boys: 7:30 pm
A highlight of SSS is the parade of youth players from the Ridgewood Soccer Association and Maroons Soccer Club who accompany the varsity teams onto the field during the
pregame ceremonies.
New this year… the NY Red Bulls freestyle “Street Team” will be performing during halftime at both varsity games, and will host an interactive station for youth soccer fans.
The NY Red Bulls Street Team has been combining street style with soccer for years, wowing audiences outside Red Bull Arena and pushing the boundaries of what is possible
with a soccer ball.
All members of the Ridgewood community are encouraged to come to SSS and support the high school players. Fans will enjoy a variety of food concessions and can purchase
Ridgewood Soccer apparel. Attendees should be sure to stop by one of the 50/50 raffle stations to buy a ticket for a chance to win 50% of all raffle ticket sales. The winner will be
drawn at 9:00 pm and need not be present.
Many local businesses have kindly agreed to sponsor SSS. All proceeds support the soccer programs and Michael Feeney’s BEST DAY EVER, Inc., a local non-profit created
in memory of Michael Feeney to enable families with ill children to enjoy a “Best Day Ever.”
SSS will offer fun for the entire family, including a bounce house, tattoo station and youth soccer activities. In between games, youth players can participate in the SSS “Take a
Kick” contest and try to score a goal with one of several beloved youth soccer coaches guarding the net.
The Ridgewood High School Soccer programs seek to develop soccer players to their fullest athletic and academic potential, and to encourage them to become good citizens in
the community. SSS will provide an opportunity for players to be their best, both on and off the field.
September 15,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, “Abby” Wambach will sign her new book to night at Bookends at 6pm: Forward: A Memoir ($26.99). *Each person attending MUST purchase a copy of the book.
Click the link below to pre-order:
https://mkt.com/bookends
Mary Abigail “Abby” Wambach is an American retired soccer player, coach, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup champion.
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
Location: RHS Stadium, 627 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, September 10, 2016, players from all three levels of the men’s and women’s high school soccer teams, including Freshman, Junior Varsity and Varsity, will play home games at Ridgewood High School. “Super Soccer Saturday” as the day has come to be called, is a special day for all soccer players in town when more than 200 youth and high school players and their families gather at Ridgewood High School to celebrate the beautiful game of soccer.
The day kicks off at 11:00 am and the six high school teams will play rival teams continuously until 9 pm. A highlight of Super Soccer Saturday is the parade of youth players who accompany the Varsity teams onto the field during the pregame ceremonies. All members of the Ridgewood community are
encouraged to come out for Super Soccer Saturday and support the high school players.
Proceeds from sponsorships and from food and merchandise sales will help support both the men’s and women’s soccer programs. Donations from Super Soccer Saturday will also benefit Amy McCambridge, a Ridgewood mother, Marine Corps veteran, former RHS soccer player and Maroons Soccer coach who is dealing with health issues.
We are seeking businesses to sponsor this event. Your support of this event at any level would be
greatly appreciated. All sponsors will be acknowledged on the event t-shirts.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
the staff o0f the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, RHS varsity soccer players Hailey and Riley Ricciardi and Emma LaFrance were named to various All State teams by the New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association (NJGSCA). The selections were made by a state-wide coaches vote.
Junior Riley Ricciardi was selected to the All North 1 Regional Team. She was Ridgewood’s leading goal scorer the last two seasons.
Junior Emma LaFrance was recognized as a North 1 All State “Top 20” player in the North 1 section for 2015. Emma has been a work horse for the Maroons as an all-purpose player since she made her varsity debut as a freshman during the 2013 season.
Junior Co-Captain Hailey Ricciardi was named to the North 1 All State “Top 20” team and was also recognized by the NJGSCA as an All Region All-State (North 1, North2, Central and South) “Top 20” pick as one of the top 20 players in the entire state. Hailey was also voted to the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association Of America) Regional All American Team (All East). This is the second consecutive year that she has been accorded these honors as well as being named to the Bergen County Womens Coaches Association All County First team for the 2014 and 15 seasons.
It’s all about updating the fields for soccer and lacrosse. We already have three (3) 60×90 fields.
https://sitebuilder.capturepoint.com/RBSA#/page/486
Take a look at the RBSA website. There are only eight (8) Rec (Bonvarlet Senior and Junior) teams in town. Most of the Senior games this year were forfeited due to not having enough players.
As the demographic changes, the trending for the last 8+ years shows that baseball and softball particpation is way down. This past year there were only 5 travel teams that needed 60×90 fields. They usually play 2x week with one maybe two home games per week.
Those three fields are more than adequate for covering home field assignments.
So we’re left with conclusion. The Rec Comm wants to upgrade their facilities and showcase soccer and lacrosse.
The idea that they lost a field when BF was converted to a track facility is rubbish. They were desperate to get turf at the HS and play on Ridgewood Avenue and in front of the HS building. You can’t have your cake and eat it too…
One of those 3 60×90 fields is a mess. Lower Hawes barely fits 90 foot baselines. First and third are at the edge of the infield. I think the RBSA has proposed addressing this field but have been turned down by the BOE and the neighborhood. The Somerville field is in good shape and functional but is also a full dirt infield, not the best for ‘true’ baseball. The primary field at Vets was in rough shape at the end of the high school season. Too many teams playing too many games on that field.
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I’m a broken record — let’s thank the Willard school district for all of this. They helped pass the vote for getting their school extended while including the field changes at the high school and BF (removing a 60×90 and a softball field). We can go back further to who proposed putting into that vote the field changes and Willard changes. Can’t continue to post-blame at this point.
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Let’s look at what’s needed to support the needs of youth sports in town. If soccer, baseball, softball, lax and other field sports can use the field, why is that such a bad thing? I believe (and could be wrong) that there was a review of the field usage and needs in town and we came up short. Schedler will help alleviate these needs.
Why do some people call it soccer?
June 6,2015
Known to most of the rest of the world as football, or “fútbol,” the beautiful game is almost exclusively referred to as soccer in the United States, but many Americans may be surprised to learn that our outlier moniker actually originated across the pond.
Games played by kicking, hitting, throwing or carrying a ball have been around for thousands of years, but in the mid-to-late-19th century many sports—such as baseball, soccer, and American football—codified their rulebooks into the forms we recognize today. Modern soccer was born in 1863, when representatives from several English schools and clubs got together to standardize a single set of rules for their matches. They dubbed their new organization the Football Association, and their version of the game became known as “Association Football.” The word association was used to distinguish their specific sport from other popular games of the day such as “rugby football.”
The word soccer comes from a slang abbreviation of the word association, which British players of the day adapted as “assoc,” “assoccer” and eventually soccer or soccer football. (The habit of adding –er to nicknames in British vernacular is frequently attributed to Oxford students of that period, and can be found in other sporting slang such as “rugger” for rugby.)
the fly has heard claims that the Maroons Soccer Clubs business practices fall far short …….
The fly has learned that many in town claim the Maroons organization that provides the competitive youth soccer program for Ridgewood, is currently being run as a personal fiefdom by Paul Boogaert (President) and others on the Board of Trustees. Sources say a few self-serving Trustees run the organization as they please, for their own personal gain or to protect their (and some of their fellow Trustees’) personal interests.
If you don’t know the Maroons are a 501(c)(3) organization, co-sponsored and heavily supported by Ridgewood, serving hundreds of our town’s families. The odd thing is all these people who never played a sport are suddenly clamoring to be on the board of the travel soccer program in town? Is it just a thirst for local power or as critics have called it joining the “sports mafia” . Some join boards to protect there child or some say promote their child at the expense of yours .
Sources claim the Maroons Board has engaged in improper elections aimed at stacking the Board ; many “red flag” financial irregularities ;improper (and undisclosed) Board compensation; self-dealing ; conflicts of interest and interested party transactions.The Board even let the 501(c)(3) lapse yet the when questioned the Board has been known to bring in lawyers . These are serious allegations that a simple audit would put to rest .
“Thank you berry much. Baseball been berry, berry good to me. Thank you. God bless you. Gracias!”
Ridgewood residents catch World Cup fever
JULY 2, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014, 2:35 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG AND JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITERS
America’s dream of winning the World Cup was dashed on Tuesday when the team was eliminated 2-1 by Belgium. With no goals on either side until overtime, tension remained high through the last 15-minute halves of the game, with the hope that U.S. could tie it up and go to a shootout.
Although the bars might not have the same feverish soccer crowds now that the U.S. is not in the competition, there’s still at least one place in Ridgewood where spirits remain high.
At Heidi’s Finest Bavarian Bakery last Thursday, the pastries, tortes, cakes, and buns went unattended with all eyes on the flat screen TV on the back wall at the East Ridgewood Avenue eatery.
This was much the scene throughout the village as fans, and those new to the soccer bandwagon, united for 90 minutes to cheer on the United States players competing on the fields of Brazil.
It was a long shot for the U.S. to win against Germany on June 26, but despite a 1-0 defeat, the team advanced when Portugal ousted Ghana in a concurrent game.
Heidi’s owners Agron and Edita Sadikaj perched on stools behind the glass cases of German goods, Edita holding their daughter, Lorena, and Agron bouncing the almost 2-year-old Liron on his lap, while the toddler played peek-a-boo with an adult-sized Deutschland cap in the colors of the German flag: black, red and yellow.
Asked about her thoughts on the German team’s strong reputation, Edita Sadikaj said the Germans “started very early.” Germany takes on France in the quarterfinals on July 4.
“I think to the U.S., it’s kind of a new sport. It’s not so popular. [In Germany] it’s like football in the U.S.A,” she said.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/soccer-kicks-patriotic-passion-into-gear-1.1044793#sthash.dGmXA9cA.dpuf
U.S. Men’s National Team Coach: ‘We Cannot Win The World Cup’
Klinsmann Offers Brutally Honest Assessment Before Team Even Arrives In BrazilJune 5, 2014 3:55 PM
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The United States men’s soccer team has its work cut out for it at the upcoming World Cup.
The United States is in what has been dubbed this year’s “Group of Death,” containing Germany, Portugal and Ghana.
It will be very difficult for the U.S. to get out of Group G, and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann isn’t expecting a miracle in Brazil.
In fact, he’s being brutally honest and realistic about his club’s chances.
“We cannot win the World Cup because we are not at that level yet,” Klinsmann said, according to the New York Times. “For us, we have to play the game of our lives seven times to win the tournament.”
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/05/u-s-mens-soccer-coach-klinsmann-we-cannot-win-the-world-cup/