ACFC Update

As this year ends, I'm very proud of our progress in 2010.

Here are some of our achievements this year...

- Two first place titles in Santa Monica League 7s divisions.
- Two second place finishes in the Kick for a Cure Tournament in San Diego.
- Admitted into to the LA Premier League.
- 1st Place in the EPL division of the Angel City Soccer League (playing for league championship this Saturday)

As we enter 2011, our club is continuing to grow. We have big plans for the new year, so I want to let you know what will be happening....

1. As always, we'll be entering 3 teams in the Saturday 7 v 7 league at Santa Monica Airport (10 weeks, beginning in February). I will manage these teams, but I'll be looking for three guys to help with each team. Please let me know if you're interested in helping out with game day coaching and management.

2. Tom Bry and Pete Wasek will continue managing the 30+ Premier league team, which plays year round.

3. We will continue practicing on Monday nights at the Santa Monica Airport until January 10th. After that we will find a new field to use until we can return to the airport in April of 2011.

4. Starting in March or April, I'll be forming another 30+ team to play in the LA Municipal League. This team will allow more of our over 30 year old players to play competitive 11 aside matches and earn a spot on our Premier League team.

5. Ivan O'Neill will continue to manage our charitable activities. While we're happy to be organized to play a lot of soccer, we also want to give back to the community. Ivan will lead that effort and will be contacting you for help with this.

6. Rahoul Ghose continues to manage our websites. Please use the site as a resource for all club information. Rahoul is great about updating results and schedules and he writes our blog.

7. We subsidize some costs through small sponsorships and money we earn in our league, but our club is mostly funded through player dues. Playing on each of our teams costs money and Pete Wasek continues to manage our finances. With such a big club, it isn't easy to do, so please continue to pay your dues to Pete when he asks. Our leagues cost a lot of money, but we play on nice fields against excellent competition with good referees. This is hard to find and it's worth paying for. Our club does not make a profit. All money goes toward club expenses.

8. We will continue to recruit players in the off-season. If you have friends that you'd like to bring in, please let me know. We're looking for exceptional players. Please keep that in mind when you bring friends.

9. Angel City FC has a board of directors-- Dave Woirhaye, Kirby Adams, Rahoul Ghose, Pete Wasek and Myself. These guys donate extra time and work to organize the club and keep it running as well as it does. They are all volunteers and I thank them for their help.

I've enjoyed playing with you guys. It will take time to get to the top level, but we're on our way and are competitive everywhere we play. I'm proud of our club and I promise it will always be a club you can be proud of.

I'll keep you updated as we form all our teams for the next season.

All the best.

Ben Kull
newben@mac.com

ACSL Week 5

With one week left in ACSL regular season play, three* teams have sealed their berths in the Cup Round. AWOL Select* sits on 12 points, three up on nearest rivals TWSS in La Liga division and five points above Angel City FC (who mathematically can still qualify).

The Swamp Donkeys* and Esjberg FC* are tied on 10 points in Serie A, four points above the AC Allstars.

And the EPL is still wide open with ACFC and Malibu tied at nine points and Del Rey City in striking range on seven points. Week 6 will decide the final three playoff spots and the seeding -- two teams with the best overall records earn a bye through the first round, while other contenders will face three matches in a single day to hoist the Cup.

ACSL 2010 FOOD BANK DRIVE

Building on last year's successful food drive to support the Westside Food Bank, ACSL will again collect food items for the community this Fall, on Nov. 20 and Dec. 4. Because of your generosity, the next Ronaldo could eat your can of food, get strong, get good, win a World Cup, and build us all more fields with his take.

For the Spring, we'll ask you all to bring him some pre-conditioned cleats. More on that next season, but start saving your old gear. Our goal for the holiday season is to donate 300 food items.

Rules for donations: NO EXPIRED FOOD; NO glass please (except for baby food); Un-opened; Not individually wrapped; and Inner packaging intact.

Some ideas:

* Tuna, Vegetables, and Soup
* Fruits and Fruit Juices
* Pork & Beans
* Stews & Other Meats
* Pasta, Lentils, Pinto and other beans.
* Macaroni & Cheese & Packaged Dinners
* Instant Soups
* Hot and Cold Cereals
* Peanut Butter & other Nut Butters
* Nutritional Bars: protein, granola, energy
or breakfast bars

For those of you with lil' nippers, they could also use:

* Infant formula
* Jar foods – all flavors and stages
* Crackers, teething biscuits, and cookies
* Raisins & fruit snacks
* Juices: jars, cans, pouches and boxes
* Infant and children’s cereals

Thanks for your help and making ACSL a part of the community.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Angel City FC's Ivan O'Neill.