By Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / June 24, 1998

NORCO – The world’s eyes are currently on the World Cup, soccer’s grandest event and the most watched sporting event around the globe.

Recently, eight local athletes started on the road that may one day see them representing the United States national team.

Michelle Trosclair of Destrehan, Natalie Robert of Norco, Julie Porche of Luling, Joseph and Mark Griffin of Luling, Cliff Weber of Destrehan, Jonathan Blanque of Destrehan and Matthew Parker of Hahnville competed in the United States Youth Soccer Association Olympic Development Program’s Region III subregional in Katy, Texas the weekend of June 11- 14. The goal of the Olympic Development Program is to find players to playfor the United States in international tournaments.

Trosclair played on the youth 16 team, Robert for the youth 15 and Porche for the youth 14 squad. Joseph Griffin and Weber competed for the youth18 team while Mark Griffin played for the youth 17 squad. Blanque andParker both played for the youth 16 team. Each team has 18 rosteredplayers, two goalkeepers and 16 field players, and six alternates.

The sub-Region III tournament includes state select teams from Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Texas and South Texas. All players were members of theirstate select teams chosen after players had attended district, area and state trials.

The players who competed in the subregional will next attend a week-long Region III camp in July involving all 12 state soccer associations. Thegirls will attend the camp at the University of Alabama-Montevello while the boys will head to the Tuscaloosa campus. Players attending the campwill have the opportunity to make the Region III pool and then the region team.

Once they have made the region team they may tryout at the national level.

When they are on the region team they play tournaments against the other regional teams and have the chance to play other tournaments domestically and abroad. If they make the national pool or team they havea chance to play for the U.S. in such tournaments as the World Youthgames, Goodwill Games, World University Games, the Olympics and the World Cup.

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