Bits & Pieces

By Kim J. Harmon

Even though United States has since been eliminated, I’m still enthralled by the World Cup – aren’t you?

I mean, watching Italy advance on a controversial penalty kick (a good call by the referee, in my opinion) and seeing Switzerland eliminated in the Round of 16 despite – get this – not allowing a single goal in four games simply fuels my astonishment.

Despite the rather poor showing by the U.S., I hope soccer has gained some new fans.

It has in my house.

Months ago, I was talking about the World Cup and how I was anxiously looking forward to it when my oldest son – a basketball player at heart – remarked that soccer was boring. Of course, he also remarked that lacrosse was boring (we’ve watched some MLL on teevee) and since that’s just crazy talk I started to talk soccer.

I told him the things I thought made international soccer great, how sometimes games – like those between Germany and Poland, Angola and Portugal – can be much more than games and that the final score, the numbers themselves, were of little consequence and all that mattered was the win or the draw.

Because of the timing, I was unable to watch any of the U.S. games live – only the re-broadcasts. But my won watched every minute and even enjoyed watching others games … like when Germany defeated Poland, 1-0, on a goal in stoppage time (that was a great game) and when Brazil stomped Japan, 4-1, after falling behind 1-0 in the 34th minute.

International soccer found a new fan in my household. How about yours?

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Is it just me, or did there seem to be an anti-American bias by the referees who worked the three U.S. games in Group play? The display put on by Jorge Larrionda in the U.S.-Italy match was disgraceful. There were 37 fouls called, four yellow cards and three red cards and some of those calls were blatantly ridiculous.

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And how is it that a team – Switzerland – can go four games without allowing a single goal and still get eliminated?

The penalty kick shootout, my friend. It is arguably the worst possible way to decide a contest (almost like having basketball teams shoot free throws after two overtime sessions or football teams kicked field goals to decide a winner), but with the way international soccer matches can go hours with no one scoring it seems the shootout is the only way to decide a game.

Major League Soccer, I thought, had a good way to decide ties when it created a shootout where the kicker had to dribble the ball from midfield, into the box, for the shot. It gave the goaltender some small chance at defending the play, much more than goalies have now.

Unfortunately, MLS went away from it.

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Football Meeting

The Newtown Nighthawks Football – players and coaches – will be meeting Thursday, July 6. Varsity players and their parents will meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 pm while incoming freshman players and their parents will meet from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.

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Rising Stars Summer Hoop

The 2005-06 school year may be coming to an end, but the real fun has yet to begin.

The Rising Stars Summer Basketball league is now accepting registrations for the 2006 summer season (just visit the Parks and Recreation Department and reference code #41020A).

All boys and girls entering grades 6 through 9 are eligible to play.

Rising Stars calls Treadwell Park its home and games will be played two nights a week beginning mid July and running through the end of August. There will be playoffs and All-Star games, as well.

Rosters are co-ed and are formed based on age and grade to promote evenly-matched and competitive teams. All players will receive a Rising Stars t-shirt and equal playing time through the summer.

The teams are coached and the games officiated by Newtown High School varsity players. The emphasis is always on the fundamentals, providing a good learning experience for youth basketball players.

Any parents wishing to volunteer to help coach or assist a team or keep score at games can contact coach John Quinn at quinn_john@sbcglobal.net.

A pre-season clinic will be held Thursday, July 6, at 6 pm, at the Treadwell Park courts.

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Youth Track Meets

Sometimes kids have just to get outside and run.

Well, there will four summer youth track meets at Bethel High School featuring a 50-yard dash for athletes ages 5 and under as well as a 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dash and an 800- and 1,600-meter race.

There will be clinics at the end of each meet focusing on one of the field events such as shot put, javelin, discus, long jump and triple jump.

It only costs $2 to enter and every runner will get a ribbon with name and time on the back. That, plus a popsicle.

Meets will be held on July 12 and 19 and August 2 and 9. Registration will be at 6:30 pm with races starting at 7 pm.

These are open to athletes from three years of age up through eighth grade.

So, get out there and run.