It seems youth players across Northern California are falling asleep during their trainings - a phenomenon unique to Northern Cal. Nancy Pelosi is considering passing legislation forbidding youth soccer coaches from using the famed "Nine Step Method" and requiring players to wear head gear. Pelosi  believes congress must step in after an increasing number of players have fallen asleep while performing the method this year. 

   A noted soccer expert, Franz Badenbauer, from Palo Alto has studied the trend and thinks Pelosi is way off base if she plans to make  all players wear head gear. Badenbauer of the P.A. Soccer Trends believes the reason for nodding off is quite clear stating, "I have witnessed many trainings using the "Nine Step Method" in which many participants nod off and a few have fallen asleep altogether. Those educated outside the method have successfully avoided any issues with this disorder."

   Coach Smith of Hessel Soccer Club, an avid nine stepper and an expert swerver, disagreed with Badenbauer. He believes the problem is not the method rather it is the coaches using the method, "I do not think falling asleep is a problem until the fifth step. At this point we find the eyes becoming glassy and the yawns beginning. A good coach recognizes this and takes a Snickers break. I find they are good for another 20 steps after a proper break with  proper nutrition!"

    Apparently, both Snickers and Major League Baseball are main promoters of the method. Together with Soccer Fundamentals they may have sponsored a study of the method in which the developer of the nine step method bested a PSV Eindhoven Professional trainer by over 500,000 touches in one year!

   Major League Baseball released the following statement: " As you know we have a unique relationship with sleep. This method is great in that regard. We hope the head gear works." 

From the Far Post News Service...