Academy Visit UAE Soccer School

Manchester United’s elite Under-16 squad spent a week in Abu Dhabi recently, meeting hundreds of youngsters in the UAE capital.

In between playing friendly matches against Al Wahda FC and Al Ain FC, the squad paid a visit to the Dome@Rawdhat, home of Manchester United Soccer Schools, where more than 300 youngsters are involved in the latest MUSS football programme.

The majority of the young players in the travelling party, all of whom live within close proximity of Manchester United’s famous Carrington training ground, have been with the Academy since the age of eight. In their visit to the Soccer School, and on another visit to visited Al Rabeeh School to take part in an on-field training session with pupils, they displayed the techniques taught at the renowned Manchester United Academy.

The MUSS programme at Dome@Rawdhat is teaching youngsters to pass and move, dribble and dominate, and attack with flair the United way. And more than 1,000 seven to 16-year-olds have taken part in the football programmes run by MUSS following its launch in the UAE capital in October 2010, after the signing of a partnership agreement with Reem Investments.

“Most of the Academy players have had experience participating in tournaments around the world, but the visit to Abu Dhabi was a fantastic opportunity for them, both from a football and an education perspective,” said Tommy Martin, head coach of the Under-16 Academy team.

Also accompanying the squad in Abu Dhabi was Clayton Blackmore, the former Manchester United player and Welsh International, now an assistant Academy coach, and Danny Keogh, who joined the club as a 14-year-old in 1979 and continued as a young professional until 1984, also an assistant coach.

The trip not only provided valuable experience for the visiting elite players, but also showed budding youngsters on Soccer Schools courses the level to aspire to.

To learn more about Manchester United Soccer Schools in Abu Dhabi visit www.manutdsoccerschools.ae

scholes passes on education

Paul Scholes is hoping to educate United's next generation of stars by drawing on the lessons he learned as a player.

The legendary Reds midfielder, who retired last summer and took up a coaching role at the club, worked with a string of top coaches during his silver-lined career, and he now wants to impart that wisdom in turn.

“It would be stupid not to use the experience of the people you’ve worked with," Scholesy told Inside United magazine.

“I’ve worked with unbelievable coaches like Archie Knox, Steve McClaren, Rene Meulensteen, Mick Phelan and Brian Kidd. I’ve worked with the best so if I haven’t picked something up from them, there’s something not quite right.

Scholes also took time out to praise Reserves manager Warren Joyce, with whom he has been working for the majority of his fledgling coaching career.

“I’ve been working with the Reserves," said Scholes. "The youth team already have a couple of coaches, so I’ve gone with Warren Joyce. He’s been great. I’ve settled in well with him and he’s been teaching me along the way so that’s been good.

“He’s got bundles of experience which is nice – he’s been coaching probably half his life, 20-odd years in the job. He’s been great, always giving me bits of advice; what to look out for, what he thinks I should be doing. He’s been brilliant to have here.”

Early Classes = Sleepy Teens!

Half of American teenagers don’t get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of 60- 90 minutes less than they need, experts say. One problem is biology. Teens are programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups, but many schools start classes as early as 7:00 a.m. Many students go to class feeling tired. One student, Danny, says that getting up in the morning is terrible. He feels tired. During his first classes of the day, it’s difficult to stay awake. Michael Breus is a psychologist. He’s an expert in sleep problems. He says that teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep a night. He feels that sleepy teens can become depressed. This can also affect their ability in sports and driving. Michael Breus says a tired driver, especially a tired teenage driver, is dangerous. What can schools do? Psychologists say schools can start classes later in the morning. Studies show that students’ grades improved by starting classes later. St. George’s School in Rhode Island wanted to try this. They started classes just thirty minutes later. Visits to the health center by tired students decreased by half. Late arrivals to first period decreased by one/third. Students felt less sleepy du
ring the day. The teachers also noticed that students were happier and more awake.

Olahraga

Tour of Kyoto, Japan

Well, good morning everyone. My name is Craig Stone, and I'll be your guide for today's tour of Kyoto. First, I want to go over the itinerary for the tour, so everyone can enjoy the trip without being worried about being left behind along the way. And no one has gotten lost so far.

First of all, we'll be leaving at 9:15 outside the main train station exit. That's in thirty minutes. Be sure to board the bus by 9:00 sharp.

We'll be visiting some of the most famous historical spots in Kyoto. Our first stop will be at the Golden Pavilion, a temple constructed in 1397. We'll be leaving there at 10:30. You'll have about forty-five minutes to stroll around the temple and its gardens.

Our next destination will be Ryoanji Temple. That's always a difficult one to pronounce. This temple is famous for its beautiful rock garden. We'll depart from the temple at 11:45.

Next, we'll have lunch from 12:00 to 12:45.

In the afternoon, we'll be making a brief stop at Heian Jingu Shrine, which was constructed in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the city of Kyoto.

After that, we'll head downtown and stop in Gion. Many people asked me about different traditional shopping areas, and this is a place we don't want to miss. You'll have about an hour to look around, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the atmosphere of the entire area. The shops, the homes, and the restaurants. A very traditional flavor of Kyoto. We'll be leaving Gion at 2:30.

Finally, we'll visit Nijojo Castle, which was the residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun. You'll have about an hour to tour the castle, and we'll meet at the bus at 4:00.

Any questions?

Key Vocabulary [Top]

    itinerary (noun): plan or schedule
    - Please review the itinerary for the trip at least a week before you leave.
    board (verb): to get on or enter
    - You need to board at least 15 minutes before departure.
    construct (verb): to build
    - The tower was constructed over 500 years ago.
    stroll (verb): to walk
    - I went for a stroll around the park early this morning.
    destination (noun): final place of arrival
    - What is your final destination?

Picnic Preparations

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Scott: Dave. I'm going to the supermarket to pick up food and drink for Saturday's picnic later. Any suggestions?
Dave: Well, everyone has been talking about having a barbecue down by the river, so why don't you pick up some hamburger and hot dogs?
Scott: Okay, but how much hamburger meat are we going to need? And hot dogs too?
Dave: Uh, I don't know. How about three pounds of hamburger and a couple packages of hot dogs?
Scott: Oh, that's not going to be enough. Do you remember the last picnic we went on? Your roommate, Jim, ate about ten hamburgers by himself!
Dave: You're right. Let's see. I'd better write this down. Uh, let's see about nine pounds of hamburger meat and, uh . . . , seven packages of hot dogs.
Scott: And you better pick up some chicken for those who don't like hamburger or hot dogs.
Dave: Okay. How about five or six bags of potato chips?
Scott: Humm. Better make that eight or so.
Dave: Alright. Oh, and we're gonna [going to] need some hamburger and hot dog buns. How about five packages a piece? I think that sounds about right.
Scott: Yeah, you better pick up some mustard, catchup, and mayonnaise too.
Dave: Okay. What else? Uh, we're gonna [going to] need some soft drinks. How about ten of those big 2-liter bottles?
Scott: Sounds fine, but be sure to buy a variety of drinks.
Dave: Okay. And what about dessert?
Scott: Well, maybe we could ask Kathy to make a few cherry pies like she did last time.
Dave: Well, I wouldn't mind that, but you know, she's been very busy working two jobs, so I'd hate to ask her, [Oh, hum . . . ] and uh . . . Hey, why don't you whip up some of your oatmeal cookies? [Well . . .] Hey, you could even ask, uh . . . , what's her name . . . yeah that new girl, Susan, the one that moved in across the street! [Well . . .] I bet she'd be willing to help you! [I don't know . . . ] She's a real knockout!
Scott: Nah, I don't think I could ask her . . .[Ahh!] I don't know her phone number, plus . . .
[ Door bell rings . . . ]
Dave: Hey, you don't need to. She's at the door!
Scott: What do you mean?
Dave: Well, I thought you two would hit it off, so I called her up saying I was you, and I invited her over to watch a movie.
Scott: You did what???
Dave: Wait, wait, wait . . . [uhhhhh . . . ]
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Key Vocabulary [Top]

•    supermarket (noun): a place where you buy food or other household goods, also grocery store
- She went to the supermarket to buy food for dinner.
•    talk about (phrasal verb): discuss
- Let's get together after class to talk about tonight's party.
•    pound (noun): a common measure of weight in the US, also 16 ounces
- The turkey weighs over 25 pounds, so there should be enough to feed all our guests.
•    package (noun): a container often used for food
- He said he bought three packages of cookies to feed the kids an afternoon snack.
•    you better (modal of advice): informal for "you had better" or "you'd better" and is generally used when there could be a negative consequence or result if the advice isn't followed
- I told her that she better make enough food for 20 people, or some of the guests won't be happy or satisfied.
•    whip up (phrasal verb): prepare quickly
- There's no time to fix a big dinner, so I'll just have to whip up a simple salad.
•    bet (verb): strongly believe or have faith in
- This cake has a nice flavor. I bet she added some cinnamon to the recipe.
•    knockout (noun): a very attractive or beautiful woman
- Hey, you'll love her roommate. She's a real knockout, and she isn't dating anyone.
•    nah: informal for "no"
- Nah, I don't want to go out to eat. Let's just eat something easy at home.
•    hit it off (phrasal verb): get along well
- I thought they would hit it off and go on another date, but it turns out that they didn't have much in common.

Friday's Weather Report

Well, for those of you who went out today, I don't have to tell you it was clear, but muggy for most of the state, with the high temperatures in the low to mid 90s. The city of Elkview had the high for the day of 97 degrees. And that's hot. I'm glad I'm working indoors today!
For those of you planning outdoor activities tomorrow, you can expect fair skies for most of Saturday with temperatures in the high 90's. However, things might change by Saturday evening with a storm front moving in. We can expect light scattered showers over the northern part of the state bringing slightly cooler temperatures in the eighties, but this rain should taper off by mid Sunday morning. It will be partly cloudy for most of the morning, but these clouds should move out by mid-afternoon.
Skies should be clear Sunday night for those wanting to catch a glimpse of the partial lunar eclipse. It should start at 10:47 pm. And that's all for today's weather.
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Key Vocabulary [Top]

•    muggy (adjective): warm and humid
- We didn't like the muggy in that part of the country, so we moved here three years ago.
•    fair (adjective): clear
- We anticipate fair weather for tomorrow's barbecue.
•    taper off (verb): slowly decrease
- The snow should taper off by the early afternoon.
•    glimpse (noun): a quick look
- I only caught a glimpse of the newspaper this morning, but it looks like the weather will improve this weekend.

ESL Program Meeting

Randall: Hi Faith. Do you have a minute?
Faith: Sure. What's up?
Randall: Well, I just wanted to go over the schedule for Wednesday's orientation meeting to make sure everything is ready.
Faith: Okay. Here's a copy of the tentative schedule. [Okay.] Now, the registration starts at eight thirty and goes until nine fifteen. [Alright.] Then, the orientation meeting will commence at nine thirty.
Randall: Okay. Now, we had planned originally for the meeting to go until ten thirty, but now we have someone from the international center coming to speak to the students on extracurricular activities, so how about ending the meeting around eleven?
Faith: Fine. And, uh, then students will take the placement tests from eleven fifteen until noon [Okay.], followed by twenty-minute break before lunch. [Okay.] And, immediately after lunch, we have reserved a campus shuttle to give students a forty-five-minute tour starting at one thirty. [Oh. Okay.] We want to show students around the university, including the union building, the library, and the student services building.
Randall: Great. Now, how about the oral interviews?
Faith: Well, we're planning to start them at two fifteen.
Randall: Uh, well, teachers are going to be up to their ears in preparations, and they'll be hard pressed to start then.
Faith: Okay, let's get things rolling around two forty-five.
Randall: Okay, here, let me jot that down. Uh, could you grab a pen off my desk?
Faith: Right. Finding anything on your desk is like finding a needle in a hay stack. [Oh, it's not that bad.] Here, use mine.
Randall: Okay. And we'll need a hundred and fifty copies of this program guide by then.
Faith: Hey. That's a tall order on such short notice! How about lending me a hand to put things together [Okay.] by this afternoon so we don't have to worry about them?
Randall: Okay. And I think the manager has given the green light to go ahead and use the more expensive paper and binding for the guides this time.
Faith: Okay. So the interviews will go from two forty-five until, let's say, four thirty. [Okay.] I hope we can wrap things up by five.
Randall: Great. I think the bottom line is to keep things running smoothly throughout the day.
Faith: I agree. I'll pass this schedule by the director for a final look.


Key Vocabulary [Top]

•    go over (verb): review
- We still need to go over the final proposal before Friday.
•    tentative (adjective): not certain, not finalized, still in review
- Here are our tentative travel plans for next week's trip.
•    commence (verb): begin, start
- The meeting was supposed to commence at 9:00 AM, but it was postponed until tomorrow.
•    originally (adverb): in the beginning, in the first place
- We were scheduled originally to go over the proposal today, but let's review it later.
•    extracurricular (adjective): outside the regular curriculum
- Several extracurricular activities are being organized for the students this semester.
•    placement (adjective, also noun): the act of placing something in a particular order or level
- The results of the placement tests will determine which level you should be in.
•    shuttle (also noun): in this case, a bus that carries passengers from one point to another
- The shuttle should arrive in 10 minutes.
•    to be up to your ears in (verb phrase): to be extremely busy
- I'll try to complete that report by 5:00 PM, but I'm up to my ears in other paper work, so I can't guarantee it will be finished.
•    to be hard pressed (verb): to have difficulty doing something, especially because there is not enough time
- I'm going to be hard pressed to complete the presentation this evening.
•    get things rolling (verb phrase): to start something
- If you help, we can get things rolling and complete the assignment by tomorrow.
•    jot down (verb): to write down a quick note
- Let me jot down your phone number so I don't forget it.
•    to find a needle in a hay stack (verb phrase): extremely difficult or impossible to find something
- Locating the report in this filing cabinet like finding a needle in a hay stack.
•    tall order (noun): something difficult to do
- Completing this work order by noon is a real tall order.
•    to lend a hand (verb phrase): to help
- Could you l end me a hand to move these boxes?
•    to give the green light (verb phrase): to give the okay or permission to
- The president of the company must give the green light before we proceed with the plan.
•    to wrap things up (verb phrase): to complete or finish
- Since everyone lent a hand to the project, we were able to wrap things up in time for the party.
•    bottom line (noun): the most important point
- We want to emphasize that the bottom line in our business is great customer satisfaction.

Back to School Supplies

Girl: Dad, I need a few supplies for school, and I was wondering if . . . .
Dad: Yeah. There are a couple of pencils and an eraser in the kitchen drawer, I think.
Girl: Dad, I'm in eight grade now, and I need REAL supplies for my demanding classes.
Dad: Oh, so you need a ruler too?
Girl: Dad, I need some high-tech tech stuff like a calculator, a Palm Pilot, and a laptop computer.
Dad: Uh. I didn't have any of that when I was in middle school, and I did just fine.
Girl: Yeah, and they weren't any cars either, WERE there. [Hey] And things are just more progressive now.
Dad: Well, we can rule out the hand pilot [Palm Pilot, Dad]. Whatever, AND the computer . . . unless mom lets you sell the car. And as for the adding machine [Calculator]. Yeah, I think mine from college is kicking around here somewhere.
Girl: Dad, I need a calculator for geometry, and I have heard you can download free software from the Internet.
Dad: Great. My daughter will be playing video games in geometry class.
Girl: Dad.
Dad: Okay. How much is this thing going to cost me?
Girl: Well, I saw it at the store for only $99, WITH a $10 mail-in rebate, or you could buy it online.
Dad: Oh. Do they throw in a few aspirin so your father can recover from sticker shock?
Girl: Dad. Please!!!. Everyone has one [I've heard that before.] and you always say you want me to excel in school, and I'll chip in $10 of my own, and I'll even pick up my room [Hey!!].
Dad: Hmmm, 100 bucks.
Dad: Well, you'll be supporting me in my old age, so, I guess so. When do you need it?
Girl: Now, right now. [Now!] Mom's already waiting in the car for us. [Huh?] She said she would buy me an ice cream if I could talk you into to buying it for me today.
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Key Vocabulary [Top]


•    demanding (adjective): requiring great effort or work
- My history teacher is very demanding. She expects student to memorize so many facts.
•    mail-in rebate (noun): refund or return of money sent to the purchaser after buying goods
- It took two months to receive my mail-in rebate from that company.
•    throw in (phrasal verb): add as an extra item
- The computer store threw in a free set of speakers when I bought a computer.
•    sticker shock (noun): great surprise at the sales price of an item
- I can't get over the sticker shock of seeing the price of cars these days.
•    chip in (phrasal verb): add or contribute
- My father chipped in money so I could by my first laptop.
•    buck (noun): informal for dollar

- It only costs a few bucks to buy some folders and notebooks for school.