From the Inside with Mike Foss
Super 20 North American Finals Wrap Up
 Tuesday August 5, 2008 In his second season of USL Premier Development League competition with the Royals, Mike Foss, defender and journalist, has logged over 550 minutes this season, and over 900 minutes with the 2007 squad.
Foss got his start with the Super Y-League’s ODP system in January of 2007 where he was competing for a spot on the SYL Select Team. Revealing his interest in journalism during the camps, Foss began writing for USLSoccer.com after he joined the Northern Virginia Royals Premier Development League team as an 18-year old later that season.
In the early summer of 2008, Foss again stepped up the U.S. soccer ladder by earning an invitation to train with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. In just a year-and- a-half Foss has successfully climbed from the Super Y-League’s U17 level to MLS. He was most recently a member of the Royals Super-20 League side that battled, and fell to a strong D.C. United side 2-1 at the North American Finals. This is the fourth edition of From the Inside for the 2008 season.
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To say July has been eventful for me would be a gross understatement.
From the Inside with Mike Foss
Major League Trial Opportunities
 Friday June 13, 2008
In his second season of USL Premier Development League competition with the Royals, Mike Foss, defender and journalist, has logged over 450 minutes this season, and over 900 minutes with the 2007 squad.
Foss got his start with the Super Y-League’s ODP system in January of 2007 where he was competing for a spot on the SYL Select Team. Revealing his interest in journalism during the camps, Foss began writing for USLSoccer.com after he joined the Northern Virginia Royals Premier Development League team as an 18-year old later that season.
Now the summer of 2008, Foss is again stepping up the U.S. soccer ladder by earning an invitation to train with RealSaltLake of Major League Soccer. In just a year-and- a-half Foss has successfully climbed from the Super Y-League’s U17 level to MLS.
This is the third edition of From the Inside for the 2008 season.
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I had a conversation this morning that I always hoped I would have, but never fully expected nor believed would happen. It was conversation with the coaches of Major League Soccer team, Real Salt Lake. They extended an invitation to me to come train with the team for a week and a half in July. In the vast scheme of the soccer world, these training sessions will barely register. But in my soccer world, and let’s face it, the only soccer world I really care about is mine, this upcoming training will be the biggest of my life.
From the Inside with Mike Foss
Royals Find Positives in 1-1 Draw with Rage
 Tuesday June 3, 2008
Now in his second season of USL Premier Development League competition with the Royals, Mike Foss, defender and journalist, has logged over 280 minutes this season and over 900 minutes with the 2007 squad. A vastly improved side over the course of one year - the Royals have appeared far more competitive this season. So far they have a record of 1-3-1.
This is the second edition of From the Inside for the 2008 season.
One of the troubles with the PDL season is that it only lasts three months. It has to out of necessity, because of the college soccer schedule. The reality is that it takes time to build chemistry with your teammates and time is not on your side when the season is so condensed. But you do what you can and after a month or so you begin establish familiarity.
This is a dimension I feel really eluded the Northern Virginia Royals last year. Granted, many of us had played together before, but team never came together as a whole and it hurt us. We are doing better this year, nurturing familiarity. On Saturday we had no choice but to become familiar. We were tied 1-1 against the Reading Rage in Reading when lightning struck about midway through the second half. Inside the visiting locker room we sat for the next three hours waiting for the game to be called.
From the Inside with Mike Foss
Early 2008 Season Reports
 This time last season Northern Virginia Royals defender Mike Foss was coming off a successful trip to Cocoa, Florida with United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League ODP National Camps. Having played in the U17 division of the Super Y-League during the 2006 season, Foss had turned enough heads during the regular season scouting process to be invited to the invitation only ODP event.
There, amongst the high-end soccer training, Foss stood out as he has at GeorgeMasonUniversity this past fall – through his academics. While progressively harnessing his interest in journalism, Foss is now in his second season of USL Premier Development League competition with the Royals. Last season he logged over 900 minutes with the youthful side and in only five months time had gone from a prospective SYL talent to a practiced PDL defender.
All the while, Foss has depicted the climb of a player from the elite youth ranks to the collegiate level on USLSoccer.com – a peek inside the life of a, now 19-year-old, moving up the USL ladder in an attempt to play at the highest collegiate level, the highest amateur level and eventually the highest professional level in the United States.
This is the first edition of From the Inside for the 2008 season.
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Saturday, May 10: Northern Virginia 1 :: Hampton Roads Piranhas 0
Welcome back to the Inside! A lot has changed since I wrote my first entry this time last year. First and foremost, I’ve begun to grow facial hair consistently on my chin. This is a very exciting development that I will keep updating everyone on as it progresses. On the pitch everyone is a little bit older and hopefully a little bit wiser. After nine months playing collegiate soccer with George Mason I am no exception. With a full season of PDL and college soccer under my belt my hopes and expectations for this upcoming season are only higher.
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