Dear Members:   There is still time to register your teams for the 2011 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup (National Championship Series- NCS), Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup and the Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup. Registration runs until February 28, except for the State Cup U-15 to U-19 Girls and U-18 to U-19 Boys whose registration deadline is May 1, 2011.   This week we turn our attention to the Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup, the first leg in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series (NCS). Winners at the state level move on to the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships which will be held this year right in our own “backyard” in Lancaster, Pa (also the site for the 2012 games). Regional champions advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships, one of the most prestigious and oldest competitions in youth sports. The final leg of the NCS will take place in Phoenix, Arizona.   Greg Ramos coached two teams to victory in the 2010 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup for Lehigh Valley United. He is back again this year with his ’95 and ’96 Boys for another run at it.   “The Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup is a great measuring stick to see where you are against other teams in the state, and it can be used as a tool to see the progress you have made,” said Ramos, also an Olympic Development Program (ODP) coach for Eastern Pennsylvania.   The National Championship Series is a grand event, from its beginnings at the state level to its conclusion at the national level. Ramos has been with his teams at all three levels of the NCS.   “The State Cup is the first piece in generating a national champion,” said Ramos. “There will only be one team left standing in the entire country for your age bracket when it’s all over. I’m extremely proud to be a part of it because it brings out a national champion in the end. Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer has done an exceptional job of making the State Cup a better event each year.”   Ramos has been training with his LVU squads through the winter in preparation for the State Cup. They take this competition seriously, as do all teams who enter. For Ramos, the competition is all a part of the team’s growing process.   “I believe in competition as a component in development at a certain age,” said Ramos.  “The cups are a useful tool in development in terms of age. The older you get the more significant the experience can be.”   To learn more about the 2011 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup, or to register your team, click here.   Click here for the Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup home page.   Click here for the Eastern Pennsylvania Turkey Hill Challenge Cup home page.   Good luck teams, and we’ll see you on the fields!