Do not be fooled by the final score. Your Panthers got off to a great start by holding Coach Browning's team to just three goals. The Blue team is a powerhouse of talent and they are undefeated for the last few sessions running. To hold them the way the Panthers did, especially blanking them in the second half, given that the Panthers are a new team, was impressive. The kids played with consistent energy throughout (Ryder C. was setting the tempo for everyone) and they never conceded the game. We had great play in goal from two keepers, Nicholas and Kady, both of whom made a lot of good stops. Our defense in the first half was energetic but a bit disorganized, as you might expect in the first game. In the second half we had good teamwork on defense but we couldn't get past the half line with our offense very often. Again, that's to be expected, but all in all it was a great game.
We have the first game of the day next week which means we can show up a bit early and work on some things. Keep practicing at home. Go Panthers!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Black Berries. Week Two.
The U4 Black Berries were stronger than ever in this game. We had goals from everyone I think but Eileen. I had noted in last week's post that Dominic was able to score his goals because he was staying in position in front of the goal waiting for the opportunity. This week we had Carson and Ashley as well using that same strategy and it worked for them. It's easy from an adult's perspective standing up above the field of play to see that in order to score you need one player to be with the ball while the other players need to be spread-out in anticipation of receiving a pass. I try to imagine, though, what the field must look like to three and four year-olds. It must seem like a huge space to them and the idea of running all the way to the goal while the ball is against the wall at the half line must seem strange, like I'm asking them to run clear out of sight. But slowly the kids start to get a sense of the field and how to play on all of it not just the part near the ball and that's the key. Great work Black Berries.
Thanks to the Estradas for the snack.
Thanks to the Estradas for the snack.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sharks. Week Two.
This was a strange game for us in that it featured much more pushing, shoving and shirt pulling than normal. I'm not sure what to make of that. We also had a lot of trouble staying focused on the ball and everyone seemed to fatigue fairly early too. But the Sharks still managed a 2-2 tie. Our two goals came from Sam E. The first was off an assist from Austin. Coach Niemeyer's Green side managed the equalizing goal while the Sharks were daydreaming a bit. The real highlight of the game was when Jackson went to the other team's goal to be in position for a shot and then decided to stay and have a conversation with the goalie. He was there talking to her for about three minutes, I think. Flirting, maybe?
After the game I tried to explain to the kids that while they had played hard and I was proud of them they definitely hadn't played as well as a team as they had in their previous game. I may have tried coaching them a little too much in warm-ups. Next time we'll spend warm-up focusing on basic skills and try to have everyone's energy level up for the game.
I want to thank Austin's dad Mike for his help today. He'll be helping regularly now and I hope that will allow us to have more efficient warm-up/practices.
Thanks to the Gronottes for the snack. The Romitos have snack duty next for us on Feb. 12th.
After the game I tried to explain to the kids that while they had played hard and I was proud of them they definitely hadn't played as well as a team as they had in their previous game. I may have tried coaching them a little too much in warm-ups. Next time we'll spend warm-up focusing on basic skills and try to have everyone's energy level up for the game.
I want to thank Austin's dad Mike for his help today. He'll be helping regularly now and I hope that will allow us to have more efficient warm-up/practices.
Thanks to the Gronottes for the snack. The Romitos have snack duty next for us on Feb. 12th.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
And We're Off. Week One.
The first game of a session can be a disorganized affair, especially in U4 where we always have kids who are new to the game. But while other teams and Coaches were struggling to get things started yesterday your U4 team showed up ready to roll. First they welcomed in two players; Carson who is returning after taking a session off and Jagger who is new to the team. Then they chose a new name to go with their new shirt color: The Black Berries. With that taken care of the team was ready to get right to work and I was really impressed with how focused they were. We had a good warm-up with everyone cooperating and participating enthusiastically and from first kick on the Black Berries were completely into the game. We have nine players this session and you may have noticed that in the first and third quarters we went with five on the field at a time. Due to the number of kids we have signed up this session most teams ended up with nine or ten players so the league decided to go with five on five as the number for U4 to make it easier for every player to get plenty of game time. Yesterday I elected to use our players in a grouping that would allow our more advanced players to work together and allow our developing players the space to get more touches on the ball. The first quarter line-up featured Ashley, Austin, Eileen, Dominic and Jagger. This line-up is good for Ashley and Austin as they are really developing quickly into great ball-handlers and they get more of a chance to work on that if they are separated from Ethan, Samuel and Diego who are our most aggressive players. For the second and fourth quarters I went with Ethan, Samuel, Diego and Carson as a foursome knowing that all four of them are very aggressive and anxious to be with the ball. For these players the important next step is learning to play smartly away from the ball and begin thinking in terms of being part of a team. These line-ups seemed to work very well as we ended up with at least eight goals. More importantly there was lots of very good play from everyone and you could see that all of the kids are enjoying the game and are anxious to get better.
Dominic put in our first two goals. I worked with him a bit on getting into position in front of the other side's goal so that he could knock those crossing passes into the net. When he put the first one in he was thrilled and made sure to tell me that he'd been right where I told him. When he put in his second off of a beautiful pass from Ashley he had more of a "well, this is pretty easy" look on his face. Ashley along with Austin did such great work possessing the ball and trying to dribble up field with Austin eventually managing a goal. Jagger and Eileen both played well too, being constantly in the mix. Eileen even had a bit of a breakaway at one point in the third that I hoped would lead to a goal. Maybe next time.
Ethan, Samuel, Diego and Carson made a very strong team that will score even more goals when they learn to stay out of each other's way. As it was, with all four of them contesting for the ball at the same time, they managed five goals with Diego getting two of those. The other boys each had one and there were moments when they were cooperating more than they were contesting with each other, particularly on Sam and Carson's goals. Carson and Sam were both able to score because they were in position in front of the goal waiting for a teammate to bring them the ball. Great work. I was especially thrilled to see Carson play so well after taking a session off. Welcome back Carson!
Then there was the Sharks game. The kids wanted to change their name again since they got new shirts. "Pirates" and "Black Berries" were among the many suggestions but I confess I just couldn't let them change. These kids are the Sharks! They play with more consistent aggressiveness and with more organization than any other team I've coached. I know that from the bleachers it may look like chaos out there sometimes but what I'm seeing is game by game improvement from every player that includes advances in awareness of where their teammates are and what their options are. When I put them in a position they understand for the most part what their responsibilities are and they give it their all. Even the discipline they show when warming up is amazing and I do hear comments from other Coaches about that and about the way they play as a team. So you see why I can't let them change their team name. These kids are a pack of goal scoring killers! They're Sharks!
We were joined yesterday by some players who had taken a session or two off, those being Sam A., Xavier and Brennen. Sam A. has become such a tenacious ball handler that the transformation since he first started is amazing. He's got a big kick too as does Brennan. When Brennen lines up behind the ball you'd better duck. Xavier got off to a shaky start but quickly found his soccer legs and fell into his old style of "ball control" soccer. Ball control is quickly becoming this team's signature style. We have Sam E., of course, who is always trying to dribble around players. But Austin and Elizabeth too have both settled on being good ball handlers and clearly prefer to dribble first and kick-away second. With Xavier and Sam A. added to the mix other teams are going to have a hard time getting possession of the ball.
Elizabeth was setting a great example for the rest of the team yesterday in communicating with her teammates. I don't know if you could hear her through the glass but every time she got open in the middle or was open for an outlet pass she would yell as loud as she could to get her teammates' attention. I've coached ten and twelve year olds teams that were crippled by their inability to communicate on the field and to see U6 players doing that so well already is amazing. I could already hear Jackson and Sam E. following Elizabeth's lead in this game.
We had great play in goal from Jackson in the second quarter and he showed off some beautiful punts. While out in the field Jackson did great work in that midfield position he likes so much. Luke and Austin were solid in defense as usual with both of them developing a bit of free-lancing style wherein they cover on defense and then streak up into offense when the opportunities appear. Kendall had a great game and had one flash of ball handling brilliance where she very cleverly turned the ball back away from her opponent and then made a quick step across field to get around them. I hope to see more of that from Kendall. I think she's been quietly absorbing soccer knowledge and skills for a while now and is one good game away from putting it all together. Sam E. had our two goals to give the Sharks a nice session opening 2-2 tie.
Finally I have to mention our newest teammate, Mckenzie, who hadn't played soccer before yesterday's game but who jumped right in to the action. She did great. I could also see that Kendall was making an effort to make Mckenzie feel at home on the team. That is so Kendall.
Thanks to the Eppleys for the U6 snack. See you next Saturday for games at 7:50 for the Sharks and 10:20 for the Black Berries.
Dominic put in our first two goals. I worked with him a bit on getting into position in front of the other side's goal so that he could knock those crossing passes into the net. When he put the first one in he was thrilled and made sure to tell me that he'd been right where I told him. When he put in his second off of a beautiful pass from Ashley he had more of a "well, this is pretty easy" look on his face. Ashley along with Austin did such great work possessing the ball and trying to dribble up field with Austin eventually managing a goal. Jagger and Eileen both played well too, being constantly in the mix. Eileen even had a bit of a breakaway at one point in the third that I hoped would lead to a goal. Maybe next time.
Ethan, Samuel, Diego and Carson made a very strong team that will score even more goals when they learn to stay out of each other's way. As it was, with all four of them contesting for the ball at the same time, they managed five goals with Diego getting two of those. The other boys each had one and there were moments when they were cooperating more than they were contesting with each other, particularly on Sam and Carson's goals. Carson and Sam were both able to score because they were in position in front of the goal waiting for a teammate to bring them the ball. Great work. I was especially thrilled to see Carson play so well after taking a session off. Welcome back Carson!
Then there was the Sharks game. The kids wanted to change their name again since they got new shirts. "Pirates" and "Black Berries" were among the many suggestions but I confess I just couldn't let them change. These kids are the Sharks! They play with more consistent aggressiveness and with more organization than any other team I've coached. I know that from the bleachers it may look like chaos out there sometimes but what I'm seeing is game by game improvement from every player that includes advances in awareness of where their teammates are and what their options are. When I put them in a position they understand for the most part what their responsibilities are and they give it their all. Even the discipline they show when warming up is amazing and I do hear comments from other Coaches about that and about the way they play as a team. So you see why I can't let them change their team name. These kids are a pack of goal scoring killers! They're Sharks!
We were joined yesterday by some players who had taken a session or two off, those being Sam A., Xavier and Brennen. Sam A. has become such a tenacious ball handler that the transformation since he first started is amazing. He's got a big kick too as does Brennan. When Brennen lines up behind the ball you'd better duck. Xavier got off to a shaky start but quickly found his soccer legs and fell into his old style of "ball control" soccer. Ball control is quickly becoming this team's signature style. We have Sam E., of course, who is always trying to dribble around players. But Austin and Elizabeth too have both settled on being good ball handlers and clearly prefer to dribble first and kick-away second. With Xavier and Sam A. added to the mix other teams are going to have a hard time getting possession of the ball.
Elizabeth was setting a great example for the rest of the team yesterday in communicating with her teammates. I don't know if you could hear her through the glass but every time she got open in the middle or was open for an outlet pass she would yell as loud as she could to get her teammates' attention. I've coached ten and twelve year olds teams that were crippled by their inability to communicate on the field and to see U6 players doing that so well already is amazing. I could already hear Jackson and Sam E. following Elizabeth's lead in this game.
We had great play in goal from Jackson in the second quarter and he showed off some beautiful punts. While out in the field Jackson did great work in that midfield position he likes so much. Luke and Austin were solid in defense as usual with both of them developing a bit of free-lancing style wherein they cover on defense and then streak up into offense when the opportunities appear. Kendall had a great game and had one flash of ball handling brilliance where she very cleverly turned the ball back away from her opponent and then made a quick step across field to get around them. I hope to see more of that from Kendall. I think she's been quietly absorbing soccer knowledge and skills for a while now and is one good game away from putting it all together. Sam E. had our two goals to give the Sharks a nice session opening 2-2 tie.
Finally I have to mention our newest teammate, Mckenzie, who hadn't played soccer before yesterday's game but who jumped right in to the action. She did great. I could also see that Kendall was making an effort to make Mckenzie feel at home on the team. That is so Kendall.
Thanks to the Eppleys for the U6 snack. See you next Saturday for games at 7:50 for the Sharks and 10:20 for the Black Berries.
Monday, January 17, 2011
2011 Winter II
The next session begins this coming Saturday and the rosters are set. I'll be coaching a U8 team in addition to my U4 and U6. The link to the right for the NKYA schedules is up to date if you want to see the entire session schedule. I'll put a snack schedule together beginning the first week.
I want to let everyone know that NKYA is experiencing some growing pains right now. As the sport grows in popularity and the volunteers with NKYA continue to provide great coaching and organization the enrollment in our soccer program has nearly doubled from last session to this one. We have over one thousand kids playing soccer in our league! The team sizes haven't changed so we've obviously had to create more teams and fit more games into the schedule. The painful part of this growth might be the parking situation, especially when Basketball session starts. NKYA is working with Pleasure Isle to get the parking lot expanded by about 60 spaces (the gravel lot on the north side of the building) and that should be ready by next Saturday. But you might want to consider asking Grandparents and other relatives who want to come to the games to wait a game or two so we can see how this parking situation is going to work out. Also, please remember that Pleasure Isle charges a $2 admission fee for all adults coming to watch games. NKYA does not receive any part of that admission charge.
I can't wait to get started!
Lets play soccer!
I want to let everyone know that NKYA is experiencing some growing pains right now. As the sport grows in popularity and the volunteers with NKYA continue to provide great coaching and organization the enrollment in our soccer program has nearly doubled from last session to this one. We have over one thousand kids playing soccer in our league! The team sizes haven't changed so we've obviously had to create more teams and fit more games into the schedule. The painful part of this growth might be the parking situation, especially when Basketball session starts. NKYA is working with Pleasure Isle to get the parking lot expanded by about 60 spaces (the gravel lot on the north side of the building) and that should be ready by next Saturday. But you might want to consider asking Grandparents and other relatives who want to come to the games to wait a game or two so we can see how this parking situation is going to work out. Also, please remember that Pleasure Isle charges a $2 admission fee for all adults coming to watch games. NKYA does not receive any part of that admission charge.
I can't wait to get started!
Lets play soccer!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Week Eight. End of a Great Session.
Happy New Year! After a long Holiday layoff both teams came back with great performances and had a blast in their final games of the session. Briefly, the highlights were:
Goals from Blue Jays Samuel, Ethan, Diego, Austin and Ashley. They played so smartly in this game and did such great work getting into position away from the ball. Ashley went from being afraid to leave the bench to being one of our most aggressive and determined players. Great work, Ashley!
The Sharks had a goal from Noah S. on a brilliant turn and shoot move off of a pass from Noah R. There was a second goal but there was such a crowd around the ball I'm not sure who put it in. The big highlight for me was seeing the cooperation between the players and there was lots of it. One play in particular really stood out though. In the fourth quarter Elizabeth and Austin were playing up and at one point Elizabeth got stuck going into the corner with at least three opposition players blocking her way. Austin was moving toward the middle of the field looking for a crossing pass. Elizabeth smartly decided to turn around and take the ball out of the corner and back to midfield. When she turned Austin immediately began running toward the wall on her side to give her an outlet pass option. Elizabeth saw him, passed him the ball and then darted into the middle herself while Austin began bringing the ball back toward the goal but now from a more favorable angle. We didn't get a goal on that one but it was such a great example of teamwork and field awareness that any outsider reading this would probably be surprised to find out that I was describing the actions of four and five year old players.
It was a great session and I want to thank you all for the opportunity to coach these kids. They are great kids and it's an honor to work with them.
See you in a couple of weeks.
Goals from Blue Jays Samuel, Ethan, Diego, Austin and Ashley. They played so smartly in this game and did such great work getting into position away from the ball. Ashley went from being afraid to leave the bench to being one of our most aggressive and determined players. Great work, Ashley!
The Sharks had a goal from Noah S. on a brilliant turn and shoot move off of a pass from Noah R. There was a second goal but there was such a crowd around the ball I'm not sure who put it in. The big highlight for me was seeing the cooperation between the players and there was lots of it. One play in particular really stood out though. In the fourth quarter Elizabeth and Austin were playing up and at one point Elizabeth got stuck going into the corner with at least three opposition players blocking her way. Austin was moving toward the middle of the field looking for a crossing pass. Elizabeth smartly decided to turn around and take the ball out of the corner and back to midfield. When she turned Austin immediately began running toward the wall on her side to give her an outlet pass option. Elizabeth saw him, passed him the ball and then darted into the middle herself while Austin began bringing the ball back toward the goal but now from a more favorable angle. We didn't get a goal on that one but it was such a great example of teamwork and field awareness that any outsider reading this would probably be surprised to find out that I was describing the actions of four and five year old players.
It was a great session and I want to thank you all for the opportunity to coach these kids. They are great kids and it's an honor to work with them.
See you in a couple of weeks.
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