U8 Sharks Set Great Example.

Since the last time we played them, Coach Eric's team has improved quite a bit.  Their best player, Nathan, has really stepped into the leadership role on that team and it's made a huge difference in the quality of their play as a team.  But in the meantime the Sharks have gotten better too.  With the way they've been playing lately I thought it best yesterday to work with Coach Eric to mix things up a bit so that all the players would get as much as possible out of the game  So, after letting the Sharks play as a unit for the first quarter we mixed the two teams together in an effort to have a more balanced competition and that was good for both teams.  With our players having to face each other in some situations they get a better test of their skills.  For Coach Eric's players it meant that whichever side they ended up on they would feel they were in the game.  That's really important as we often see players who are actually making great progress in practice sort of check-out of games where the competition is much stronger.  We've even seen that with the Sharks on occasion.  So with yesterday's set-up we were able to put all the kids in a situation where they would play hard the whole game.  I know that for some of the Sharks it was a little confusing and maybe even a little disappointing (they like winning) but overall it was a good game.
It was nice having time prior to the game for a little practice and I was really pleased to see so many of the Sharks put the new move we worked on into use right away.  We'll keep working on those skills as much as we can. 

Sharks Classic!

     First thing...I'm sorry I had to miss the Shark's game prior to Thanksgiving.  I was at a soccer coaching certification class that weekend and Jackson's mom was kind enough to cover for me with the Sharks.  Thanks Coach Sharon!  I hear the team had a great game including a goal for Mckenzie which I'm pretty sure would have been her first in U8.  I wish I could have seen that.
     As for this week's game, it was the match I'd hoped it would be as the Sharks faced Coach Dropic's team.  I also coach what's called a U9 academy team which is a sort of entry level club team and many of the players on Coach Dropic's team are on that academy team too so I was pretty sure that what we would see Sunday would be a skilfully played game and I wasn't disappointed.  The Sharks were working their moves in where they could and generally playing with good control, always trying to move with the ball rather than just kicking it away.  Coach Dropic's players did the same and the result was a beautifully played game with some fancy footwork and a lot of scoring.
     I had Jackson for two goals, one a solo effort that he made after very patiently taking the ball to within ten feet of the keeper before shooting and the second off of a beautiful crossing pass from McKenzie.  It was perfect.  Along with her assist I also scored McKenzie for a half a goal as there was one that seemed to go in off her foot and Sam's at the same time.  Half of that one for Sam gave him two and a half total!  It was an amazing game for Sam as he came back into the game late in the first quarter after suffering a dislocated thumb while playing keeper at the start of the game.  He dealt with the whole thing with amazing composure, barely complaining about it.  Once his thumb was back in place (thanks Dr. Amanda!) he got right back in the game and went on a scoring spree.    
     Of course Elizabeth was the leader on the field in so many ways.   She jumped in to play keeper when Sam got hurt then when back on the field she was communicating with her teammates constantly.  At one point I even heard her complimenting one of the other Sharks on a play.  Zachary was trying hard to use his moves in this game and he had some very good runs at the goal and some great tackles on defense.  Lillian did her best too and was playing with a cool head the whole game.  Wyatt really picked it up in the second half and made great strides in playing with more confidence in his skills.
     Great game to watch. 
    

U10 Titans and U8 Sharks in High Scoring Games.

     Both the U10 and U8 games Sunday were high scoring affairs against teams with very good offensive attacks.  I was happy with the way both teams handled themselves throughout.  Neither team ever managed to hold a lead but they both played with courage and energy throughout.  There's no quit in those Titans or Sharks.
     The Titans were led in their attack by Justin, Drew and Morgan.  Morgan has become more committed to using her ball control skills each week and in Sunday's game she had several quality runs where she beat opponents on the dribble to get into their half.  And this is against a team with some very experienced and skilled players.  Drew was patiently using his moves too and that paid off repeatedly.  For Justin the key is his incredibly strong shot.  He had two goals Sunday that were from very low angles but were hit so hard the keeper couldn't react quickly enough to get a hand on them.
     The Sharks played with no subs against a team that had plenty of subs and they played with great energy throughout.  Elizabeth was our scoring leader and Sam was our invaluable defender again.  I'm really proud of how well they played and how they played without a word of complaint about having to stay in for every minute.  I'm also proud of how disciplined they were.  There were a few moments where they wanted to start playing kick-ball but overall they remained committed to using their skills and continuing to attack, even as the other team kept pressing us.  Even late in the game when they were probably getting very tired Zach, Sam and Tyler kept trapping the ball then trying to dribble out of our half rather than just booting it.  Lillian and McKenzie were doing the same and that was great to see.  Great game Sharks.

U6 Week Three Highlights.

     First I want to thank Hailey, Ava and Maddox of the U6 Bats for helping out one of the other U6 teams that was short a few players Saturday.  Coach Petzelt told me they were a great help to his team.
     Before the Bat's game Saturday I showed them a new move which is a variation on the "pull-back" move they've all mastered so well.  It's called a Puskas after the player who made it famous but I also refer to it as a "fake pull-back".  It's a simple step that you sometimes hear other coaches just referring to as an "L" move.  You pull the ball back with your toe, rolling your toe down the back of the ball, but then instead of letting the ball roll past you and then turning with it as in a "pull-back", the player taps the ball out to their side with the outside of the foot and takes off running with it.  You sort of draw an L with the ball.  If done quickly it's very effective and a great first move in a combination with a second move like a "cut" or feint.
      Everyone got the move pretty quickly in our warm up and then I asked them all to try and use it in the game once we got started.  I was happy to see so many of the kids doing just that.  It can be comical though as from an adult's perspective you see that they aren't always using the move at an appropriate time and so it's not always effective.  The kids may even try their move when they are in open space and not being challenged by an opponent.  That's good though.  By setting them the task of demonstrating their moves in the game and then praising their use of those skills we get them in a situation where they focus on using the skill at game speed without being concerned about when the right time to use it is.  They learn that on their own by being free to experiment with the move, to see how well it works against an opponent.  Last week's Lion's game was a great example of this with all of the kids doing multiple, and mostly superfluous, pull-backs.  Slowly as they do that sort of in-game experimentation they will grasp how the move affects the players around them.  They slowly learn to take control of the situation, make their move first and even trick their opponent.
     Ashley probably made a huge step in this regard in Saturday's game.  In the second half I asked them to each try to use their pull-back in combination with another move.  Maybe a puskas, maybe two pull-backs together.  Whatever they wanted to try.  At one point Ashley was coming up the wall and she stopped the ball with her toe and instead of making her move right away she paused with her toe on the ball.  She was waiting for the defender to move to the ball.   When he did she then executed her pull-back and with the defender now chasing the ball around her she was able to do a second pull-back and then be clear of the defender.  If the memory of that sticks with her Ashley will have taken a big step in her development.  Good attacking players don't wait to respond to what a defender does.  They take control, move first and force the defender to commit.  That's why I don't want the kids thinking about whether or not to use one of their moves in the game.  I want them to keep it simple.  Just get out their, get to the ball and try your move.
     The parent of a player on another of the U6 team and I were talking about this and he was saying that it looks silly sometimes when his kid is out in the open with no one pressuring him and he just does a pull-back or step-over.  But that's exactly what you want to see from them at this age.  They've got to feel free to use those moves like that all the time, in any situation.  You wouldn't teach a basketball player how to dribble and then tell them "but that's a special technique, save it for the right moment".  Right now each of these "moves" we're teaching them looks like some fabulous new dance step but by the time they're playing in U14 these will all be just tools in the bag, commonplace parts of their ball control technique.

Titans Get Win in High Quality Game.

     This week the Titans got a big boost in their offensive threat from a strong performance by Morgan.  She played much more comfortably with more control, driving confidently toward the goal throughout the game.   With Drew and Justin coming up in support of her repeatedly it wasn't hard for the team to get plenty of shot opportunities.  Jaden was our rock in defense, frequently playing back there on her own as the rest of the team was crashing the opposition goal.  Danielle spent most of her minutes playing a kind of attacking midfielder position, getting back well on defense but then getting up into the other half when the opportunities presented themselves.   I really like to see that sort of free play from my team.  I don't want them just aimlessly chasing the ball but if they are seeing opportunities and anticipating the action I don't mind if they get out of position. 
     The other team gave us a really good game and I tried to get some of our players to watch the way some of the girls on Coach Ridener's team were playing.  One of my coaching points this session is "posture" and the importance of being in the right stance when receiving the ball or when moving with it.  One player on Coach Ridener's team had a particularly good stance over the ball, almost exaggerated, like a baseball infielder crouching to make a play.   As a result she had an amazingly soft touch on the ball and over and over again she was able to settle passes and outlet punts right at her feet then quickly move with the ball with great control.  I'd like our players to imitate that more.

U8 Sharks Week Two. Scoring Frenzy!

      Late in the third quarter of the Sharks' game Elizabeth got to a loose ball in the midfield then carried it down along the left wall into the corner.  When that ball came loose initially she had yelled out repeatedly "I got it! I got it!" Then when she got down into the corner she started yelling something else.  She was loud enough but I couldn't quite make out what she was saying.  Then she did a quick cut move to get free of the defender and quickly shot the ball across field into the goal area.  Zachary was there waiting and easily put the ball in the net.  He told me later that he almost missed it because the ball was high enough for a moment that he might have headed it in and so he hesitated.  But then he moved into position to catch it on his foot and take the easy shot.  As they were running back to the circle for the kick-off I asked Elizabeth what she had been shouting down there in the corner.  With a slightly embarrassed look on her face she said "get in the middle.  I was saying get in the middle."  What can you say to that but "wow".  Our six year old point guard running the floor for the team.
     Elizabeth ended up with three goals I think.  Zachary had at least two and was playing with so much energy up and down the field that he really set the tone for us.  Jackson had a couple too and Sam was the model of patient, confident ball control.   He isn't perturbed by elbows and contact and  he seems to have learned that working in close on the defender has advantages. 
     Everyone played so well and showed so much good fundamental skill.  I couldn't have been happier.  Lillian and McKenzie were both taking huge strides this game in their confidence and intensity level.  Wyatt was still kicking it away too quickly sometimes but he was so solid in at keeper for us in the one quarter where the opposition managed their most sustained attack.  Tyler had another great game too, again taking big strides in the development of his basic control skills. 
     One last story from this game.  On another run down the left wall Elizabeth had just one defender between her and the goalie.  By the time she closed on the defender she was up to full speed but with the ball totally in control, just a step in front of her.  Now I'm always encouraging the kids to use a move in any one-on-one situation.  Commit to trying some deceptive step or trick to get around the defender.  Don't just rely on your speed or a strong kick.  In this particular instance Elizabeth's move, and it was perfect, was to do nothing.  With the ball right in front of her, running at nearly full speed, she didn't seem to do anything more than just think about making a cut to her right into the center of the field.  The defender picked up on some subtle hint in her posture that she might do that and so he leaned just a bit to his left toward the center of the field and then he was frozen as, without altering her path at all, Elizabeth zoomed by him on his right then into the goal.  It was like she faked him out by simply staying cool. 

Week Two U6 Highlights.

     The "Bats" faced a good challenge this week but they were up to it and came away with a nice 3-3 draw.  We had a goal from Abby and then a beautiful shot-and-redirect combination for Ashley and Micah.  Then finally Maddox (I think) put one in.  On our first goal Abby carried the ball through a lot of traffic and came in from the left side for a very low-angle shot.  It was well struck and hugged the ground, giving the keeper no chance on it.  On that second goal Ashley made a very good run, taking the ball off another players feet then dashing out into the open and heading to the goal with the ball just a touch ahead of her.  She really maintained her composure on this run and had control the whole time.  When she let loose the shot it was pounded and might have found the goal on its own but Micah was there in the box and he cleverly gave the ball just a tap to redirect it a bit.  That took it completely out of the keeper's range and into the net.  Great team work on that one.
     The whole team played very well and they were working hard on using their ball skills for me.  I saw a lot of pullbacks and cuts and zig-zags out there.  Henry was getting the hang of playing the sort of attacking-midfielder that his brother Sam likes to play.  Always concerned about letting the other team get off a shot, Henry doesn't like too stray to far from his own goal.  But he knows that when the ball does come to him back there he can make a soft touch on it then head out into the open space to either attack the other goal on his own or make a good pass up-field for a teammate.  Right now he prefers the pass but I'll keep working on him to get up there and find his shot.  Ava likes to work from the back line forward like that too and she was really the key to our success in this game.  The other team had a lot of good opportunities taken from them because of Ava's tireless efforts to dig the ball out of the corner and then dribble it out of the opposition's reach.

     The Lions played beautifully, especially Diego.  I lost count of his goals but his patience and deft control on the ball are unforgettable.  Most kids are hoping to find a path to the goal that skirts their opponents by a wide margin but Diego is perfectly happy to be elbow to elbow with the defense, patiently pulling the ball along with him, cutting left then right and waiting till the shot is really there.  Saturday he repeatedly made a move to pass the keeper at the post so that he'd get in front of the goal for a better shot.  That just shows amazing patience and confidence.  Most players would want to shoot the moment they see a chance at the goal but Diego knows that from the low post angle the keeper has the advantage.  So Diego goes ahead and makes another move to get out around the keeper and then square to the goal for a much better shot.  Fantastic!
    Jagger was fabulous in as keeper this week and I think he faced some of the toughest competition he's ever seen.  One player on the other team, Joshua, made his way into the goal area repeatedly and did a great job of holding his shot till he was really right on top of Jagger.  But over and over again Jag stopped him.  He was like a Kung Fu master in there.
     I was really pleased with how the rest of the team played too.  We had no subs, which was really a good thing since they all got so many touches on the ball.  Then I gave them all an assignment at half-time, letting them know that I needed to see at least one pullback from everyone if they were going to get a snack after the game.  They all did it too!  Anna and Gunnar were getting close to ten each by the end of the game and Anna even managed a few with her left foot.  What I tell them is that even if the move doesn't "work", that is, if the other team ends up getting the ball, that's okay because I just want them to try it until they figure out how to make it work.  If they feel free to just do a pullback every time they're on the ball eventually they figure out on their own how to use that move to get free and head to the goal.  Great work Lions.

Indoor Season Begins

     It's good to be back inside playing when the weather becomes winter-like.  The field house can be cold in the early morning but it's a warm refuge compared to the rawness of the elements outside.   The space is filled with the noise of kids excited to get back to the game and parents getting reacquainted with their "soccer friends" and the first weekend of the session is a sort of reunion.
      All of our teams had great opening games.  There was lots of energy and some very good quality of play.  I don't get as much practice time with the kids as I'd like during the indoor session and I don't want their joy in playing to be burdened by a lot of coaching instruction from me.  So, I try to keep it simple and focus on the very basics of the soccer skill set.  You'll hear some Coaches yelling to their teams about spacing and passing and "staying in your positions".  You won't hear that sort of coaching from me.   I'm going to coach each of them on the development of their individual skills using the little time we have as efficiently as I can and then I'll let them figure out how to play together as a team.   I'll offer advice on that sort of thing when appropriate but a lot of what a player needs to understand about how to use the space on the field and how to anticipate the action must be learned  through experience.  I'll let them know that I trust them to figure it out and then during breaks or after games we'll talk about what we learned.  In the menu to the right is a link to a short list of things I told the U10 team I'd be looking for this session.  These points will apply to the other teams as well.

    As for everyone's performance this weekend, here's some of what I saw:

     The U4 team got off to a very good start.  We've got some real players in that line-up.  There was the usual mix of energy, silliness and occasional bruised feeling that you expect from U4 in the beginning but I'm really happy with the level of focus the players showed.  I think this group will progress quite quickly.

    Unfortunately I was only able to work with one of the U6 teams this week.  Chris took the other.  The group I had includes our insanely strong "girl power" line-up.  We had Abby back with us joining Ava, Ashley and Hailey.  When these girls are on the field they bring a constant, energetic attack that eventually wears the other side down.  They don't concede the ball ever and they don't seem to be afraid of anyone.  I saw a lot of very good skill from each of them with sharp changes of direction and good ball control.  But I also saw a lot of very smart play off the ball with Ava and Abby especially showing that they can anticipate the action and get to where the ball will end up rather than always chasing behind it.   We had Henry and Luke returning from the outdoor team and they played very well too.  Henry is quickly developing some very good skills with the ball and he's got his brother Sam's sense of the field.  Luke took a good turn in at keeper, making a couple of good stops.  The team was also joined by three players we hadn't seen since last indoor season, Derron, Cole and Maddox.  All three were full of energy and ready to go and Maddox was showing some amazing development as a control player since his last session on the team.  By putting some finesse together with his great speed Maddox becomes a real threat to score whenever he has the ball.

     I was so proud of those U8 Sharks this Sunday.  The team we played against is coached by Eric Henderson who is the director of the Legends soccer club and hearing his compliments for the beautifully controlled, fearless and imaginative style of play the Sharks have was very gratifying.   And it was a tour de force too.  Everyone seemed to have their best game face on and we saw every player showing solid fundamental skills throughout the game.  Elizabeth, Jackson, Zach and Sam seemed to really enjoy their new rolls as senior players on the team and all of them were setting a wonderful example for their teammates.  Elizabeth managed two goals, one of which she just hammered.  Her sense of how to get open in the middle when the Sharks are attacking is amazing and that led to her first goal off a nice pass from Tyler.  For the second one she was on her own, dribbling through traffic to that powerful finish.
     Jackson was showing his swagger in as keeper.  Then on the field he was using his moves, trying to always keep the ball close.  He had some great runs and then did manage a couple of goals.  Like Elizabeth, he's got a pretty good sense of when to come in and crash the goal.
     Sam made perfect traps followed by quick steps to the open field over and over again.  Nothing super flashy, just rock-solid consistent competence with the ball.  The ball would come to him, he'd glance up the field, make a soft touch of the ball to his right or left then take off.  Sometimes he'd pass up right away, sometimes he'd try to take it in himself.  Just beautiful stuff.
     Then we had Zachary and his new-found speed.  Is it the shoes?  The dude can fly and he's always got the ball at his feet, making some sort of feint move.   He did a little "fast-slow-fast" move late in the game yesterday that was just crazy smooth.  With the added dimension of Zach's speed and finesse the Sharks' attack is really balanced and I think other teams will have a hard time containing them.
     Tyler looked very good and is progressing rapidly toward having ball control skills to match his incredible tenacity and toughness.  Our other returning player is McKenzie who had a very good game.  She was in the thick of the action constantly and showed no fear of being in the crowd with bigger kids.  She made some good moves with the ball too.
     The new players who joined us were Lillian, Reagan and Wyatt.  Lillian is fresh up from U6 and so she's just getting used to the speed of the U8 game but she played very well really, including a good turn in at keeper.  Reagan too seemed a bit overwhelmed at first but she warmed up and played with good energy.  Wyatt came into the game ready to play, showing some good ball skills and a powerful left foot that led to a goal for him.  Great first game all around.

     The U10 team chose the right name for themselves:  The Titans.  They played like it, with a great combination of speed, finesse and power.  The only returning players are Drew, Jaden and Owen and they all played very well.  Drew's skill with the ball is remarkable and now he's really tireless in his commitment to trying to beat opponents one-on-one rather than booting the ball away.  I think he really relishes that challenge now.  Jaden was solid in defense for us and showed some very nice ball skill.
     Among the new players are Michaell Michelle and Kailey who don't have much soccer experience between them but they showed a lot of good energy and were trying their best to get into the action.  A very good first game for them.  We were also joined by Morgan and Danielle, more experienced players who show great promise in becoming skilled attacking players.  I'll be pressing them both as the session goes on to try to play more often with the ball at their feet and to try to work through traffic using their dribbling skills.  I'll be doing the same with Addison, a player with a very strong kick who just needs to get in the habit of trapping the ball first, looking around then moving with it before letting loose with that big kick.
     The final addition to the team is Justin, a very polished player with great speed.  He's a great compliment to Drew and Owen on the attack.  Prior to the game he seemed nervous about being put up in the striker position but he is new to indoor and I think he quickly realized that on the smaller, faster field you are really in an attacking position wherever you are on the field.  He took advantage of that and had at least a pair of goals.  I lost track.

     Great work from everyone for the first week.  Do your toe-taps!  I'll see you next weekend.


    

Fall Outdoor Session Wrap-up

I apologize to everyone for becoming so lax in my efforts here at the blog.  The combination of my coaching schedules and administrator duties this session have made it near impossible for me to even take a moment to reflect on how the kids are progressing let alone write anything about it.  But the session is over and my schedule is less hectic so now I can take a moment to look back on the work we did this Summer/Fall and think about where our various Sharks are.  And I promise that from here on out I'll get back to regularly reporting on what I'm seeing in practices and games.

Hopefully you noticed during the course of the Fall session that the focus in practice was always on individual ball control skills.  I occasionally threw in a passing/shooting drill, mostly for the aerobic aspect of it, but the bulk of our time was spent working on ball control.  With the younger kids the idea was always to just keep them focused on having the ball at their feet and getting a feel for moving around and taking the ball with them.  For the older kids I was trying to introduce them to some more complex deceptive moves while always emphasizing to them that the most important thing is to develop a soft touch on the ball and learn to be confident with the ball at your own feet.  Kicking it away is rarely the best first option.

What I saw by the end of the session was a lot of very good progress with many players showing remarkable improvement and growing confidence.  During the indoor sessions we'll continue in that direction, always focusing on developing those individual skills that make it possible for a player to feel comfortable on the field, even in a crowd.  The indoor sessions give us a great opportunity to work on really sharpening those close-in technical skills, the pull-backs and play-behinds and all the other great moves you can use to deceive your opponent.  The turf conditions outdoor can be unforgiving but indoor it's all smooth so you have the chance to really work on that fine ball control you need to win in one-on-one situations.  I'm really looking forward to it.  And, as I've said before, I'm not looking for wins.  I'm looking for constant improvement and growth.  I'm looking for the kids to be fearless and feel that they're free to try anything.  When we see them doing that, when we see them trying to throw a step-over or scissors or Cruyf turn or whatever in to a game situation, we need to celebrate that as much as we would a goal.  To succeed you can't be afraid to fail.  Check out the video below.  It shows a professional team in pre-game warm ups. When one of the players, Juan Mata,  executes a move that just looks impossible his teammates celebrate with him like he'd scored a goal in competition.  That's how I'd like my teams to be...all the players pulling for each other and pushing each other to try harder and go farther.

September 15th, U6 Sharks Girl Power Day!

     At our last practice the girls on the U6 sharks insisted on playing together against the boys in our end-of-practice scrimmage.  We only had one goal available so I had them playing a version of the game where each team takes turns attacking then defending.  All the defending team has to do is get the ball out of bounds then they go to the circle and become the attacking team.  This game is inherently unfair as it's much easier for the defending team to succeed than it is for the attacking team.  That's intentional though, as what this version of the game re-enforces is the need to possess the ball rather than simply kicking it.  Controlled, aggressive attempts to get the ball in close to the goal are rewarded with shot opportunities.  Wild "big" kicks are rewarded with an almost immediate loss of the ball.
     Well the girls, led by Hailey, got it the idea pretty quick, keeping the ball close, trying to penetrate the defense with their moves rather than trying to kick the ball past the defenders.  Hailey scored twice and I think Ashley had a goal too.  The boys, unfortunately didn't quite get it and in fact they sort of tried to double down as the game went on.  By the time they were down three to nothing the boys were starting out every kick-off with some sort of pointless blast and so they were giving the ball away over and over again.  Hopefully they ultimately learned something from this.
     On Saturday I decided to let the girls play as a group again and recruited Micah to fill out the side by taking a turn in as keeper.  They came on very strong and as in practice their play was characterized by a lot of energetic but fairly controlled runs into the other team's side that resulted in more than a few goals in that first quarter.  Hailey had two then Ashley and Ava each added one.  Micah was rock-solid in at keeper too.
     When the boys came on for the second quarter they played strong too and did so with much more control than they had been showing at practice.  The ball control skills that Diego and Jagger have right now are very impressive and I like seeing them trust in that ability, knowing that they can take on any defender rather than just kicking the ball away.
     Great game little Sharks.

     The U8 Sharks were completely dominant in their game and they were demonstrating some very patient, thoughtful play.  Lots of confident ball control and heads up spacing.  The outstanding players of the game for me were Tyler and Sam A. and Zachary.  Tyler is becoming more aggressive and goal-hungry every game.  He had several really good runs with the ball at his feet where he beat the last defender one-on-one then only had the keeper to face.  One of those led to a brilliant shot/pass in to Austin who sure-footedly put the ball in the net.
      Sam A. shows just an amazing sense of how to move alongside of and interact with his teammates.  He rarely tries to steal the ball from another Shark but rather always knows to get just a few steps out ahead of whoever is bringing the ball up for the team so that he's in an advantageous position.  He runs sideways and backwards with ease, always keeping his eye on the ball.  And in Saturday's game I saw him switch fields intentionally a few times, crossing back over Sam Eppley's path to regain the best position.  That is, when Sam E. would cut to his right, toward Sam A., then Sam A. would quickly run back to the left side of the field, keeping himself open as an option for Sam E. to pass or at least to be in a better position for a rebound.  The first time he did it it could have been a fluke but by the third time it was obvious that he was intentionally playing actively away from the ball, thinking about where to be to take advantage.  Amazing.
      Zachary always wants to start out in a defender/midfield position so this Saturday I told him he could start out there but that if the ball came to him he had to settle it then try to beat at least one defender with his dribble before passing the ball up.  He did so repeatedly and was as cool as he could be about it.  He's got great peripheral vision and most of the time when he would make a couple of moves to get clear of a defender he would then immediately find a teammate in the open and make a sharp pass.  I'm pushing all the kids this session to really test themselves with their ball control skills and to always try to take on the defense with the ball at their feet but I want to always let them know too that their vision for the field and for seeing opportunities opening up ahead of them is a great skill to have too.  Great work Zach.
     Elizabeth got a goal which was great to see.  She's a natural at seeing those opportunities open up suddenly so she likes to hang back at the periphery when we're attacking, just waiting for a loose ball that she can dribble in for a shot.  Austin had a pair of goals that I saw, including the one I mentioned above.  The second was an impressive blast from the penalty area line that he let go of after dribbling past at least two defenders.  His ability to get off a quick shot is a great advantage for him.
     Sam Eppley had at least two goals and played a nice quarter in at keeper.  Jackson had to leave early but his time in during the first half was brilliant, both in keeper and on the attack.
     Thank you all again for your patience with me as my Coaching schedule keeps me running from one venue to another.  Thanks for Mike Seng for taking the team for me the last quarter.  This coming Saturday I'll be out of town coaching my son's team in Richmond so Mike will have the team the entire game.  I hate to miss even one as they are playing so well right now.  Owen's team, the Dragons, are doing well too and I'm having a great time with them putting so much of what I've learned coaching the Sharks to work in guiding another group of enthusiastic players.  Here are a few pictures of the Dragons in action this past weekend.

Homework Assignment: Watch Some Soccer!

The US Men's National Team plays Tuesday night in Columbus versus Jamaica in an important World Cup qualifying match.  You can catch the action on ESPN2 beginning at 8:00 PM.  I'll try to post more info here about local High School and College games too.

Sept. 8th Games Canceled

All fields are covered with standing water.  Games canceled.

Practice On

I won't have a chance to see the fields myself today until after work but I expect there will be some areas that are usable so we'll go ahead and plan on practicing.  Be prepared for some mud.  If the weather is bad at practice time then use your own judgement.  If there is any lightning or thunder we'll cancel for sure.

What We're Working On

I apologize for failing to post anything about the first week of games.  Thanks again to everyone for your patience with me as I try to balance all my soccer responsibilities.

So, what have we seen the last two weeks?  And what should we be working on this session?

With the U4 kids we've seen a group that is, without exception, very engaged during practice and fairly interested on game day too.  For me as the coach that is a wonderful situation to be in with a U4 team.  Our first two practices went very well with no significant melt-downs and lots of consistent participation.  I'm especially happy with how engaged Katie has been.  I think we'll see a lot of progress for her this session.  Nolan and Caroline are new to the game but both have the advantage of having older siblings who already play so, again, I'm seeing two players who are dropping into the routine of practices and games with some ease.  Eiden seems to be doing very well too.  He works hard at practice and is just on the cusp of understanding how to use his skills in the actual games.  Eiden is a good example of where a lot of kids in this age group typically are in their development.  He shows great skills in practice but during the game he hasn't yet gotten the hang of having to contend with other kids for the ball and so he ends up chasing them, the kids, rather than anticipating the position of the ball.  It is the slow development of that ability to anticipate how the action will unfold and understand the game from a broader perspective that we should look for from these kids this session.
     Ironically, it seems though that the way to help them develop that perspective is to spend practice time focused on the ball and building their basic ball skills.  When you see players like Hunter and Damien consistently find their way to the goal you have to realize that they are only able to use their vision to navigate the field because they are now, after a lot of practice, fairly relaxed with the ball at their feet.  And at the very upper end of this sort of development is Will who is so casual about possessing the ball that he can now start anticipating the other team's actions.  We saw him in Saturday's game in several instances peeling away from the swarm of kids to drop back into coverage of our goal.  Now, you see lots of kids begin their field awareness development by playing at being goalie or a defender and that's a great first step.  But what you need to see in Will's actions is that he seemed, to me at least, to be dropping back only as a way to be in position to get the ball.   After one particular run that the other team's best player, Carson, made, Will seemed to realize that rather than contend with Carson and his own teammate to get the ball he, Will, would get out of the scrum and let Carson come to him, one on one.  And in that situation Will knows he can steal the ball.  Defense becomes an opportunity for offense.  Pretty sharp.

     The U6 Sharks are doing great work in practice and I'm seeing some amazing development from all of them.  I'm particularly impressed with the powerful kicks that some of them now have.  Carson in particular has developed a really beautiful power kick off the outside of his right foot.  That's a valuable skill to have and many good players could go for years without mastering it.  Micah's shooting kick, while more traditional, is also impressively powerful.  With Ashley we have good technique...with both feet.  That is probably the most valuable skill any striker can have.  You've got to take your shots where you get them and playing with only one foot can severely limit your options.  I always try to make a big deal in practice or games whenever I see the kids make any sort of touch with their off foot.  They usually look at me like I'm crazy.
     I also get that look from them when I'm talking about how they need to control the ball with their toes.  I think for most of them the work we do in practice on developing their touch must seem completely unrelated to what happens in games.  For kids this age the game is still mostly about moving forward on a straight line toward the goal and to do that you need to kick the ball, then run, then kick again, then run, etc.  I think at this age they are mostly seeing the field in a horizontal perspective where all lines converge on the goal.  After a while though they will start to see the field as an open space in which they can find non-straight paths to the goal.  I hope we'll begin to develop that broader sense of the field space this session through all of our practice work on ball control and touch.  Again, the irony is that in order to get them to "feel" the whole field I need to force them in practice to focus on the ball at their feet.  When they begin to develop confidence in their ability to move with the ball they will be able to look up more and see the field and then be open to whatever options present themselves. Diego is our leader in this regard right now.  He has a beautifully patient, meandering sort of style.  He just pokes and prods the other team's line until he either finds a way through or they just get tired and let him through and all the while the ball is at his feet.  I'm planning to try a few specific games at the next practice to help all of the Sharks develop that ability to move laterally or even backwards in order to find a path.

     The U8 Sharks are playing with remarkable skill right now.  Lots of very good ball control and movement and lots of very constructive communication on the field.  When you combine that with the way some of them are maturing physically you get a team that is overwhelming the competition again.  Austin, Sam E. and Elizabeth are all hitting the ball with ferocious velocity right now.  Austin, in particular, seems to have crossed some new threshold, especially with his right foot, and is now just punishing the ball.  Early in Saturday's game he took a corner kick for us and Mike and I were trying to get the other Sharks to move in front of the goal but in the near-post area, so closer to Austin so that he could get the ball to them.  Karolyn wasn't hearing us and so she stayed where she was in the far-post and it turned out that she was in the right spot.  Austin's kick nearly hit her in the head on a fly.  That's about 15 yards in the air and that's very impressive for a six year old.
     I think that developing a more powerful kick for all of the U8 Sharks should be a goal this session.  I'll want to combine that with their normal work on ball control and touch.  I really want to press all of them to trust themselves to try and dribble through the traffic, using their moves to find a path.  I coached Owen's club team in a couple of KYSA Academy games this weekend and the teams we played each had players who pressed forward with the ball every time they got it and their skills, for seven and eight year olds, were just astounding.  I'm very happy to report that Owen and his teammates responded in kind rather than falling into bad old habits of playing kick-ball.  The Dragons (Owen's team) pulled, spun, scissored, stepped over and did everything else they could think of to break the other team's defense and when they lost the ball they just went back to get it and then tried again.  I know eventually the kids have to learn how to anticipate each other and start making passes in order to really penetrate good defenses.  But I remain convinced that right now, at this stage in their development, the key is to stay focused on individual ball control so that as those skills become second nature to them they will be able to look up and see those passing opportunities that appear so obvious to those of us on the sidelines.
     I would point to one game highlight as a demonstration of what I want the kids to be developing this session.  Sam E's second goal was from a tiny two yards out as he crossed from the left side.  He had one defender in front of him and Karolyn was wide open about eight yards away with a clear shot at the goal.  Obviously Sam could have passed to her and she'd have scored easily.  What he did instead was make the simplest cross-over move, just a step left then, when the defender bit on that move, a quick step to the right and he found himself wide open for a chip in.   My goal this session is not to convince Sam that he should pass the ball rather than penetrate and shoot.  My goal is to get the other kids to do more of what Sam does.  Attack.
     So for this session...more foot skills and first touch practice.  More tutoring on the finer points of a powerful kick...and very little discussion, let alone practice, on passing.  Attack, attack, attack.

U8 Sharks Give 3v3 Another Try

The U8 Sharks looked much more relaxed this time around playing in the 3v3 Live Regionals.  The fields were beautiful and the weather was great.  The Sharks came out and played with the confidence and intensity we expect from them.  So, all in all it was a great weekend of soccer.  We had plenty of time between games to get some very good practice in so that was a nice bonus.  And of course the kids had a good time just hanging out with each other between games.

On Saturday we played the Norwin, PA Rowdies three times and they were all good games with the Sharks usually dominating the ball.  However the Rowdies came out on top in two of those games.  For the weekend Sam E. was our leading scorer but Sam A. got a goal in too, as did Jackson and Austin.

On Sunday we played the Rowdies again, this time to a 4-4 tie and then also played a couple of older teams.  In those games the Sharks played with lots of energy and were never backing down from the bigger kids.  That last game was really a good one.  All in all I was really happy with the way they played and the experience they're getting is invaluable.  Even though we took 2nd place in the U6 division with the Rowdies we managed 3rd place on Sunday in the U7 group as we beat out the Rowdies on goal differential.  Great tourney Sharks!

3V3 with the U8 Sharks.

On June 30th some of the U8 Sharks participated in their first 3v3 tournament.  Here are some highlights.

Sharks!

After the game I told them that they are the best team I've ever seen in their age group.  

They are.  They improved so rapidly over their play from last session and now show so much self-confidence that the transformation is almost hard to appreciate, as though when you see them play now you think, well, of course, they always play this way.  The truth is though that at the start of the last session things were rough for a few games and some of those games were hard to watch.  I don't mind the losses at all but watching the kids in games that they clearly aren't enjoying is difficult.   It's difficult when you see how hard they work in practice and how excited they are when they arrive for a game to then see them on the field with looks on their faces as though they are being punished.  They turned things around by the end of the session though and in this session, with the competition watered down a bit, the little Sharks and the big Sharks came together and developed a consistent style of play that served them well in every game (every victory).  These are great kids.  Thanks for letting me coach them.

Week Seven: Control.

The Sharks are a very strong team right now.   And I do mean "team".  The quality of their play as a group, their cooperation, anticipation and communication with each other is remarkable.  As strong as each of our individual players is they are, as a team, simply overwhelming because they play with such calm confidence and patience.  They control the game and dictate the pace and they know that they are doing that.  To see how far they've come from the somewhat panicked play of last session is wonderful.

I want to recognize the contribution that Drew and Owen make every week by setting such a great example of the style of play we want; that controlled, cool-headed style that allows them to stretch the field and and create opportunities.   And it's important to recognize that Drew and Owen and all the Sharks do this, not because we've harped on them to pass, pass, pass.  Rather it's because we've harped on them to develop their ball skills and to get comfortable with the ball at their feet.  When they begin to do that then everything else, from maintaining their spacing to seeing passing opportunities, can just fall into place naturally because they'll be playing with their heads up and their eyes taking in the whole game not just the small circle of turf right in front of them.  I'm so proud of how hard they've worked and of how fearless they are.

The big highlight of today's game had to be the goal for Daylon, his first.  That he just began playing and yet already plays with such poise is hard to believe.  If Drew and Owen set the tone for the team then Daylon has been the most conspicuous emulator of that tone.  He's as cool and un-panicked in the midst of the action as any player I've ever coached.

The Sharks have one more game together then it's Summer break and Drew and Owen will be moving up to U10.  I know those two have both relished their roles as the "big kids" on the team and they'll miss the little Sharks.  But who knows, in a few years they might all be back on the same team again.  In the mean time they'll just have to become the core of a new U10 version of the Sharks and get on with showing their new teammates how it's done.

Brilliant!

The U8 Sharks game this week was easily the team's best performance ever.  The final score was impressive to be sure but the real beauty of this game was in the team's ability to compose themselves at the half.  The first two periods were played at a very frenetic pace and with the score close all the way to the half-point the team was playing too fast with too much kicking and not enough control of the ball.  I took a moment with them in the bench to remind them that they should ignore the score and just focus on playing the game the way we like to play: cool-headed with good ball control, dribble first, pass second.  In the second half they went out and did just that and the result was a barrage of goals, mostly in one-on-one situations where the Sharks' patient attack had allowed them to get past the opposition defense for clear shots.

Drew had a goal for us early in the game then Sam E. put one in before the half.  In the third quarter the game was a 2-2 tie.  In those early quarters we'd had great play from everyone even if the pace was faster than I like.  That pace was working for us at first, especially with the play of Sam A. who was showing some amazing athleticism and speed.  Coach Mike and I both noted that he seemed to have really reached a new level in terms of his anticipation of the action and his touch on the ball.  He and Drew along with Sam E. were the brunt of our attack early.

In the second half the Sharks started playing with that beautiful calm ball control that just drives other teams crazy.  Again and again Daylon would hold the ball for a few extra ticks, like a point guard looking for an open man, then he'd send a pass down field that would lead either Sam E or Austin right into a shot.  Elizabeth was seeing those passing lanes too and made some beautiful passes up to the strikers.  I talk to both players a lot about trying to use their skills to get around the other team and do some attacking of their own but I think that with both kids they have such a soft touch on the ball and such confidence in their control that they can use their peripheral vision freely and see those obvious passing opportunities.  Most of the time they are sending the ball up field to a target, not just clearing it wildly.

As mentioned, Sam E and Austin were the beneficiaries of some fabulous support from their midfielders and so they got up into the box often enough to score a combined 5 goals in the second half.  Sam E had 3 for a game total of 4.  Austin put in two, one on a rebound.  The other was a blast from 8 yards out that he really hustled to get open for.  Elizabeth had sent a nice ball up the wall for Austin and as he raced along with it toward the opposition's right corner he got tripped up by a defender and took a nasty spill.  (after the game he was showing off his turf-burn to the other kids)  There was nothing malicious there but it might have been called a foul.  The ref saw it otherwise and let play continue.  Now you need to know that up to this point the other Coach had been chirping a bit about the officiating and Mike and I were just a bit annoyed by this since we do try to constantly impress on the Sharks that they must use their skills, not their elbows.  We want them to play as clean as possible while never conceding the ball.  So hearing complaints that the Sharks might be playing too rough is hard to bear.  At any rate, after that fall Austin took and the ref's no-call Mike was a little fired up and he called to Austin to shake it off and go take the ball back.  Austin did just that and as he circled back around for his shot Mike couldn't help but call out "make'm pay!"  Austin delivered...all shoe laces then straight into the net!  Competing hard is its own reward...but winning is a nice bonus.

Zachary and Jackson both did well for us in this game too and were both a big part of our attack and defense.  They both had moments of really wonderful, un-panicked ball control.  Zachary did give me a pull-back or two this game and he did make a couple of nice runs around his opponents.  And more than once his big kick saved us.  Jackson was cool as a cucumber in midfield and repeatedly made nice first touches to settle the ball then look for a pass.  He told me after the game though that he just hadn't had time for a pull-back.  So now he owes me two.

I'm really proud of them this week.  That first half had them moving towards that panicked, frenetic play that uses a lot of energy but isn't particularly effective.  But they pulled it together in the second half and settled into their own beautiful game.  Like I said above, winning is a nice bonus.  But what I like to see is that they are all building the confidence in themselves and each other that will allow them to gladly compete against anyone. Well done Sharks.

U6 Sharks Return to Form. U8 Sharks Continue Run of Fine Play.

     First, my thanks for Mike Seng for covering for me at the U4 game.  I hear the team played well again.  That has become a very strong group of players.
     Thanks to Coach Ben for running the U6 Sharks through their pre-game routine.  He certainly got them motivated to play.  What I saw from them Saturday was some of their best play yet.  Special congratulations to Micah for picking up a goal.  He was really on fire this week and found himself in the right position repeatedly.
     The U8 Sharks played beautifully in another great game.  Before the game I asked them all to show me how they do a "pull-back", a basic ball control technique.  When we were sure they all had it Mike and I let them know that we expected to see them all try it at least once during the game and if they didn't do at least one "pull-back" they'd owe us two the next game.  The idea is to keep them focused on stretching their skill set rather than on getting wins.  I want to see them all progressing at about the same rate and by keeping them focused on those individual skills I hope to avoid having anyone getting left behind or hanging back from being involved in our attack as a team.  Well a lot of them did try to demonstrate that move and frequently it was at sort of the wrong time strategically, which I think is a good thing.  That means that they were able to get their heads out of the rush of the game just long enough to think about performing this task we'd set for them and I think that when they can do that they can get to the point where the game slows down for them a bit.  By the way, Zachary and Jackson owe  me two pull-backs next week.

The star this week was Sam A. who managed his first goal in U8.  Sam just gets right in the thick of things and always knows which way to the goal.  We had great play from everyone this week with the scoring spread out among several players.  Austin had the first, then we had goals from Drew (3), Sam A., Sam E. (2) and another from Jackson late.  We had very good midfield play again from Zachary and Daylon and a lot of great ball control from everyone at both ends of the field.  I have some video below (it's a bit shaky) that shows some of the scoring and other good plays.  We added a player this week, James, and you'll see in the video that he nearly turns a rebound on one of Sam's shots into his first goal.  There's also a clip of Elizabeth attempting something close to a bicycle kick.  Crazy!

Spring Break or Spring Training?

     So apparently most of the U8 Sharks just spent their Spring Breaks in various camps, clinics and intensive training programs.  I gathered the kids at the start of the game and told them that I knew that since they'd had two weeks off they'd be kind of anxious to play.  "Go crazy and have fun.  I'll bug you about the ball control and stuff in the second quarter.  Right now just go crazy."  I expected over-energetic, chaotic play with a lot of ball chasing but while there was a bit of that the overall play was excellent.  They were full of energy but they were using their heads and playing the field smartly with lots of good spacing.  Coach Ben's Ninjas were feeling it too and they came out of the gate pressing hard.  The game was fast paced from the start but not the wild kick-fest I expected.  Rather, it was well played, beautiful soccer with lots of deft ball control and sharp, imaginative passing from both teams.
     Mike and I are always talking (or yelling) to the kids about maintaining their spacing and playing their positions and I think generally they have only been getting what we mean in a very abstract way.  But in yesterday's game they were showing a more subtle understanding of the game and I saw moments for each player where they were realizing that these "positions" we talk to them about aren't  so much a particular spot on the field as they are a set of responsibilities within the flow of the game.  If I say "right midfield", that's not a spot where you go stand, it's a job that you have to do.  You know your job, you know your teammates' jobs.  You do yours, you trust them to do theirs.  The Sharks were doing that this week to tremendous effect and against a team that played some very aggressive soccer themselves.

   Quickly the highlights:

Sam E. had a pair of goals and is now at the point where he was in U6 ... he knows he can get around anybody.   His creativity with the ball is amazing and an inspiration to the whole team.  This week he's incorporated a controlled roll-over move that just freezes the opposition.  Where'd he get that?

Owen had our other goal and it came early on in the game in a rebound situation.  The ball came bouncing out to the eighteen and he was sweeping in from midfield to clean up and made a very delicate hit on the ball while it was still moving, arcing it up over the keepers head.  Sweet.

Sam A. missed three weeks but came back playing like he hadn't missed any time at all.  He loves the midfield position where he gets to play that tough defense and then push up for shots too.  He managed to strip the ball from the Ninja's two best players repeatedly despite the size advantage that they have on him.

Austin had so many good attempts on goal and was so strong in that forward position.  Sam E. has the flashy steps but Austin has the quicker shot.  Elizabeth was strong too, especially in contesting for the ball.  Like Sam A. she surprises bigger players by taking the ball right off their feet.  Daylon was wonderful and next week we've got to get him up into striker to see what he can do their.  Zach had missed three weeks but he came back really strong too and had a couple of good shots and played some very clutch defense for us out of the midfield.  Jackson was great out of the midfield too.  He played heads up ball and made some very nice passes to keep our runs alive.

Drew managed our other goal and had such a good game overall.  He and Owen set the tone for our midfield play early on with some very controlled, thoughtful play.  They both were showing us their best moves all game and with Drew speed is always an important element too.

Fabulous game Sharks.  Well done.

Galaxy v Sporting KC

The weather should be fabulous Saturday but if you need a brief afternoon break take your siesta while watching LA vs Kansas City on ESPN at 4:00 PM.  You have to watch Beckham when you get the chance.  He still plays the midfield like nobody else (except for maybe Meghan Ripino).   Watch a bit then get back outside and play.

Week Three.

     Sorry I missed the U4 game this week.  My thanks to Mike Seng for filling in.

     The U6 Sharks had their big double-header week and played really well in both games.  They showed just a bit of fatigue toward the end of the second game but overall they played with great energy and yet with a lot of discipline too.  Karolyn was our leading scorer again.  She is so opportunistic, dashing in to clean up rebounds or running in from the open side.  My thanks to Ben Lighthall, Stacie Kilmer and my wife Chris for filling in for me early in the first game.

     The U8 Sharks were phenomenal this week.  If you saw Drew's pass from the right corner in to a charging Elizabeth you saw the style of soccer the Sharks were playing this week.  Drew took the ball along the wall and kept his dribble through two defenders then when they'd cut off his route to the goal he backed up and made a sharp pass inside.  Elizabeth was clearly anticipating the pass and had started running into the box well before Drew delivered the pass.  When the ball came free in the box at about six yards out Elizabeth just drilled it into the net.  You can not defend against heads-up cooperative play like that and the Sharks were doing it all game.  Austin had two goals and one was on a rebound situation where he ran into the crowd to finish off someone else's shot.  But his other goal was a  solo run where he picked up the ball near the eighteen, making a beautiful soft touch and turn with the ball followed by some cool-headed dribbling and then an easy blast into the net.  Austin was showing great skills all game and had a remarkably soft touch on the ball.
     The Sharks were pass-happy in this game and everyone was playing with a sure touch on the ball and their heads up, looking for opportunities.  Sam E. and Daylon were a great combination in the middle of the field, doing some great field-switching work with their passes.  I still find it hard to believe that Daylon has never played till now.  Beyond his amazing ball skills there is his precocious field awareness. He maintains spacing as well as any of the kids.  Sam managed a solo goal after several attempts at weaving through the white team's defense.  When he did get his shot off it was a rocket.
     We got Jackson back in keeper this week and he was his usual solid self.  Then out in the field he played with great patience, always opting for controlling the ball over taking wild kicks at it.  I really couldn't have been happier with their performance this week.  So now we have two weekends off.  Enjoy the break.

Week Two. It's Not Just About Kicking.

     When my son Owen was able to walk he was able to kick a ball.  We went on our annual family reunion vacation that year with my wife's family, when he was about sixteen months old, and I remember Chris' brother Dan saying to his eight year old sons "why don't you kick like that?"  So Owen started playing U4 when he was about two and of course the first thing that happened was that the game of soccer got in the way of him doing what he liked, which was kicking.  Kicking is about enjoying that drum-thump of the ball off of your shoe laces and the bang! of the ball off the wall.  But soccer is all about shuffling scrums of snarling kids and their flying elbows and those kids getting in the way when you want to kick the ball.
     Owen had a rough time from his second year of U4 through his first year of U6 and we weren't sure we should keep trying.  He seemed to just hate having to run into a crowd to get the ball and having other kids bouncing off of him.   Then one day in a U6 game he seemed to just get tired of me yelling at him to "get in there and get the ball" and so he did run into the crowd, stole the ball and then arced around the field towards the other team's goal.  He cleared the last defender just as he ran perpendicular to the goal and so when he took his shot he had to sort of go into a half slide and kick the ball back across his own body.  He nailed it and the net barely held the ball.  I think afterwards he was in tears both because he was so thrilled with what he'd done and mad at me for pushing him to do it.  He got over being mad at me but from that day on he was hooked on the thrill of trying to get around other players to get to that shot.  If anything now he's too casual about being in a crowd with the ball and often seems to be anything but in a hurry.  That's fine.  It's another stage and right now he's sort of enamored with the "small" aspects of the game, the close-in foot-work.  He doesn't always play as fast as I'd like but he's full of confidence in his ability to control the ball and that's all you could want to see.
    This weekend was all about kids making that leap from being kickers to being players.  Hunter, William H. and Will Z. in the U4 are, from whistle to whistle, totally focused on the work of getting the ball to the net.  There were great moments for their teammates, including some very good work from Payton, but the highlights were all those moments where those three showed that wherever they were on the field, they knew where the goal was and they headed towards it fearlessly.  William H. made an incredible spin move to get clear of traffic coming off of the bumpers that showed just amazing awareness of his body, the ball and the field.  He over-ran the ball heading along the bumpers toward the other goal and then quickly adjusted his step to pull the ball off the bumper with his left foot.  From there he had to spin to his left to follow the ball then tap the ball back toward the goal with his right.  A few steps later he was  in front of the goal and shooting.  It was beautiful.  For Hunter it was all about his amazing stutter step.  He gets up to full speed with the ball but then knows to go into a tip-toed stutter step that allows him to touch the ball lightly and keep it close.  Hunter repeatedly got out ahead of the other team with the ball and then kept it close with that light touch so that he could put it into the net with ease.  And Will Z. has that light touch too and an amazing sense of where to go with the ball.  Once he finds the goal he finishes with a left-footed blast that seems impossible from such small feet.
   

Winter/Spring Week One.

Week one of any session is usually more hectic than fun with players trying to find their Coaches and Coaches trying to find their team shirts and parents wanting to sign a player up at the last minute.  It can be crazy.  But even with all the administrative house-keeping we still did get to play some soccer.  So how did it go?

What I saw from the U4 team was impressive.  Hunter and William have definitely both made a leap into a more focused awareness of the game.  They were relentless in their attack and the next step for them is to little by little gain peripheral vision and awareness so that they can work as a team rather than only as individuals.  But they are off to a tremendous start and they will be a great influence on the rest of the team.  Will Z. joined the team and his precociousness is a welcome addition.  He has that singular focus on getting the ball into the net that every player needs.   Most kids probably show that sort of focus when playing at home with mom and dad but then can't seem to find it at their first actual game.  But our other teammates did get off to a good start too with varying levels of participation and with no flameouts.  That is a great thing.  So long as the kids are on the field and at least enjoying running around we're good.  Their awareness of the game will come with time.  Thanks to all the parents for their patience with the initial craziness of week one and many thanks to Mike Seng for taking charge of the team so I could help out with the Black team for this week.

The new U6 Sharks are a wonderful mix of talents and their first game together was a good one.   Returning from the previous Sharks group are Ashley, Jagger, Karolyn, Ava, Austin and Luke.  They were joined by former Bears Micah, Eileen, Jackson and  Zychik and by a long-lost teammate from the Summer session, Carson, who announced his return with a beautiful goal.  Carson jumps right in as the teams best combination of aggression and skill and I know his lead will be one the others will follow.  He wants the ball and when he gets it he's cool headed.
In this game I could see Jackson, whose game is usually all speed, making strides in slowing down enough to control the ball.  He had a couple of great runs where he kept the ball in front of himself and pushed through his opponents toward the goal.  Ashley was also expanding her game this week by putting the skills she has to work in the actual game situation.  She's still a little shy when someone else has the ball but she is improving every week.  Zychik was solid as ever in at keeper and highlighted his own good work with some balletic flourishes.  He has style!
Ava and Micah had the two standout highlights of the week.  Ava has such good field awareness and anticipation that she can't help but constantly be in motion, darting back and forth across the field in an effort to always stay ahead of the ball.  At one point in the game when she did get up ahead of the ball into the other team's side she was loudly calling back to Zychik for a pass.  "Send it all the way up" she yelled.  Just amazing.  Then there was Micah, who drove up into the left corner with the ball and in a moment of brilliant calm actually stopped with his foot on the ball and looked up and around to find a teammate.  He was cool as he could be and made a smart pass to the center that Ashley nearly put in the net.  That was also amazing.  That's the stuff we want to see, those signs that their awareness of the game is expanding.  They would have managed a nice draw but for the last second goal by Owen of the green team that was one of the best shots I've ever seen.  Great game Sharks!

Back at It

The final session of the indoor season starts this weekend.   If you are on one of my teams and you haven't heard from me let me know.  The schedules for U4, U6 and U8 can be found in the links list to the right.  We'll be fielding just one U6 team this session.   The U8 team will have practice the first two Saturdays of the session at Noon.

Sharks Travel for 3v3 Tournament.

A group of your U8 Sharks will be traveling to Indianapolis today to compete in a 3v3 tournament.  The kids, Sam E, Sam A, Elizabeth, Jackson and Austin, were supposed to be playing in a U6 division but tournament organizers couldn't get enough teams for a full division of five year olds so they opted to blend some age groups together.  So, your littlest Sharks will once again be battling kids that are older and bigger than them.  The smaller field and rules of 3v3 should suit these kids though as this is a version of the game where the strategy is to always be shooting.  If you see the goal you shoot.  If you catch a little glimpse of the goal you shoot.  If you suspect you're headed in the general direction of the goal you shoot.  I think in this format the Sharks could surprise some of these older teams, especially if those teams make the mistake of trying to play a typical defense.

My advice to the Sharks then is to always be shooting and relax...play your own game...do what you know how to do.

Winter Finals.

You'll have to forgive me for not posting sooner after the weekend's games.  I was really happy with how everyone played in the final game of the session but I'm a little busy with organizing the next session and managing what's left of the tournament so I didn't get to put down my thoughts on the teams right away.

In the U4 game William and Hunter both managed goals.  Real goals.  Not accidental goals.  In each case they got possession of the ball, kept it close and moved through traffic toward the goal and in the end finished with a tap in.  I tried to impress on them both that what they'd done looked easy, like they should do it all the time.  Keep your fingers crossed.
We were shorthanded in that game and so William and Hunter, Ruby, Sammy and Ava had to play the whole game.  That seemed to be good for them.  Hopefully this next session all of our U4 teams will be smaller.  The more playing time the better.  Ruby was dominant, always possessing the ball rather than kicking it.  She'll be moving up to U6 now.  I don't think she'll have too much trouble there either.

In the titanic struggle between the Sharks and Polar Bears we tried mixing the teams a bit at first by putting Samuel in as keeper for the Bears.  He was great about doing that for me, a real good sport.  And he's an amazing keeper too.  In the next quarter Zychick came in and played beautifully.  He gets right down on the ball to make those stops and seems unafraid of the players charging in at him.
We saw lots of good ball movement from the Sharks with some crazy good dribbling from Samuel and Diego.  Ashley and Abby tried to get some of that going too and they played well.  The overall highlight of the game was a break-away goal by Micah.  He got into the clear from the Bears' side of the field and headed toward the other goal with no one in front of him but the keeper.  The beautiful thing was that even though he took off at full speed he made nice soft touches on the ball to keep it close to him.  When he reached the penalty box he was flying but the ball was right at his feet so it was an easy thing to zip a low shot to the keeper's left and into the net.  That was his best moment of the session and I hope he can carry that with him into the next.

The U8 Sharks played valiantly against an incredibly tough opponent and managed one goal, Conner's with an assist from Sam E, I think.  We had very good play in keeper from Nathan and Zachary against an opponent that had many players who could shoot with power.  The overall effort from everyone of the Sharks was really good and I was happy with the spirit they showed.  They never let up in that game and there was plenty of quality play.  That's all I need to see.  Just keep trying to do the things that we've worked on and don't fall into playing in a panic.  It'll all come together eventually.

This has been a great session and I want to thank all the players for the hard work they've done.

To win you have to show up.

     Final score aside that was a great game for the U8 Sharks.  The first quarter was a little bit like last week's game but then they came alive and played with energy.  Sam E. was clearly setting the tone for the team and he was relentless in his attempts to possess the ball.  He was also fierce on the attack when the other team had the ball and that was a great improvement over last week.  And he had his first goal from the field.  He was hitting the ball hard all game and finally got one to go in.
     My plan for the game was to focus on defense with our older players, Owen, Conner and Nathan, and keep the younger kids up in offense as much as possible.  Coach Cook's team is very disciplined about staying in their positions so I figured that if Sam, Elizabeth, Austin and Jackson could get into their space with the ball they'd have some room to work and probably be facing a lot of one-on-one situations.  Their team also has a couple of really skilled players who'd like nothing more than to have you crowd your whole team into one corner chasing the ball on defense so it was best for us to have Owen and Conner back there alone facing them one-on-one.  Before kick-off I told Austin, Sam and Elizabeth that they should not go back into defense but should try to stay up the field all the time, save their energy for attacking and trust Owen and Conner to get them the ball.  Sam bought in right away but the other two seemed skeptical and couldn't help but chase the ball all the way back to our goal repeatedly.  As a result, whenever Sam did make a few moves and get out into the open in the other team's side he had no help and so ended up taking good shots from too far out.  I do think that by the end of the game Austin and Elizabeth were starting to get what I was asking them to do so we'll see what happens next week.

Week Six.

I didn't like what I saw on the field from the U8 Sharks yesterday.  I don't know yet what I should have done differently to motivate them but I know I didn't get the best out of them.  The kids were very energetic when they took the field.  The bench was lively.  But by the middle of the second quarter it was clear that something was wrong.  The kids seemed to generally be having fun all game.  There was lots of laughing and talking on the field and the bench which is good but there was still a lot of timid and disorganized play.  It's puzzling.  I made it as clear as I could to the Sharks after the game that I'm not concerned about the score.  What I want to see is quality play.  I want to see them committed to the game and to each other.  But yesterday each group on the field looked like seven individuals most of the time.   Maybe yesterday should just be filed under "experience" and let go.

There were moments:
Addie was great in goal.  We asked her at the start to remember to look for Conner on one side whenever she needed to get the ball out and she did that consistently.  They worked that very well together, with Addie even pausing to direct Conner into position at one point.  And all of the kids did have moments where they bravely tried to use their skills to possess the ball rather than just kicking at it.  Jaden was tremendously tough, coming back into the game after taking a brutal shot to the nose.  She set a good example for her team and they should be proud of her.

The U4 and U6 teams played well this week and everyone was making some visible progress.   Small steps.

Week Five. Learning to Read a Map.

From outside the glass the path to the goal is usually obvious.  You can see all the open space and you can, as an adult, anticipate which direction might make for the easiest route to either get around the defense or intercept the ball.  Everything I practice with the kids as far as basic techniques for kicking and controlling the ball is ultimately aimed at getting these young players to develop the ability to see the field as clearly while in the game as someone outside the game does.  It's like teaching them how to read a map only the map has to be in their head.  Think about this; to be effective players the kids need to be able to spin around, fall, get up and run, track the ball and, all the while, know where the two goals are.  And then we also want them to know where their teammates and opponents are.  That doesn't come quickly.  But they can all get it with time.

In the U4 game there was a moment when Ruby and Lauren were chasing the ball into the bumpers.  Ruby got their first and turned to be on the back of the ball so she was facing the goal.  As Lauren caught up to her she realized that she was now in Ruby's way so she stepped away from the bumper to let her pass.  That was amazing and both girls were demonstrating there that they are developing that map in their heads, they do know where they are on the field.
The other Lakers played well too.  Emma was really trying hard to control the ball and she brought the moves she had shown in practice right into the game.  Very impressive.  Hunter had a couple of goals this game and is getting more focused every week.  Sammy was very much involved this week too and I'm glad to see that.  William and Ava both played well but are still working on staying focused on the ball.  They'll get it.

Week Four.

The U4 team had a pretty good game really.  All of the kids did very well in practice and were very attentive.  Sammy was more involved in the game than ever before and Hunter got a goal, so that was a great game.  One thing I spoke to the team about after the game was, again, to remember to be looking at the ball all the time.  I think a major hurdle for many kids to get over when learning a team sport is that they have to resist their natural urge to make eye contact with other kids when they are close to them.  It seems like their natural instinct to treat their collisions on the field like any other social interaction gets in the way of them being able to learn how a game flows.  When they form a scrum over the ball in one of the corners invariably only a few, if any, of the kids are actually looking down at the ball.  Most of them are looking at each other.  It's comical because often times the expression on their faces seems to be saying "why are we doing this?"  I'm not sure that anything that I might say to them about this would make any sense so we just have to be patient and let them figure it out on their own.

The U6 Bears had a great practice, really focused.  Then they had a weirdly disjointed game.  Zychick was really focused in as keeper and did great work and there were flashes of brilliance from everyone but there was also a lot of aimless jogging around the field.  I didn't expect that given how well they had focused in practice.  Oh well.
My highlight of the game was Cole holding his keeper pose, like some sort of ninja awaiting an attack.  That's how Ava got started in keeper and she turned into a good one, so keep an eye on Cole.

The U6 Sharks were also just a bit less than sharp this week, maybe because they were missing Karolyn.  Diego did manage a goal and Trey continued his trend of playing with more and more confidence.  He put a few moves on this week including a nice pull-back that showed how he is beginning to trust his skills.  Samuel came in as keeper for the first time and was crazy good.  He's too good in the field to ever specialize as a keeper but wow! is he fearless.

For the U8 Sharks it was a reversal of their fortunes from the week before.  In last week's game they were the dominant team and they were able to stretch out and play a more controlled type of soccer.  This week they faced a team that was bigger and more skilled and in response the Sharks seemed to fall into a panic mode right from the start.  By the third quarter though they were getting their groove back and they finished the game with some excellent play.
Here's video from the game.  I tried putting notes in the video...we'll see how that works.




When you're watching this with your player be sure to point out all of the times you see one of the Sharks basically standing still while the other team takes control of the ball.  That was a big problem in this game.

Find Your Rhythm.

Next time you're practicing your foot work at home try working to some music.  It seems to help.

Week Three. Seeing it All.

     Sorry we had to miss the U4 games this week but the conditions early Saturday were just too slippery to risk it.  That cancelation did create a unique opportunity though;  Ruby, of the U4 Lakers,  got the chance to play up with one of the U6 teams.  Zychik had to miss his game with the Bears due to the weather so Ruby came out to cover for him and get a feel for what U6 is like.  For her it was like every other soccer game...you take the ball to the goal.  Ruby's instincts and natural skills are fantastic and she was a great addition to the team for this game.  Jackson and Micah were on the attack all game too and so the Bears put on their most impressive performance yet.  As a group, the Bears played well but they are still a team that sees the entire game through the ball.   The next big step for all of these players is to begin to see the game as it happens all over the field, not just around the ball.   We'll be on the lookout for that development.
 
      The U6 Sharks were showing in this week's game how a team can take that next step.  They are all developing rapidly in terms of their skills and with greater confidence in their skills comes an ability to anticipate the action in the game.  Three of the Sharks had real break-out games this week.  Trey simply had his best game ever.  He got a goal, which was a beauty on a short pass across the middle from Karolyn, but his performance overall was marked by great patience and imagination with the ball.  He was possessing the ball, not just kicking it and as a result he had repeated runs toward the goal that could all have ended in scores.  McKenzie showed some great anticipation on the field.  In her best moment I saw her run back into a defensive position when the other team got a break-away opportunity.  She didn't chase the ball but rather took the shortcut toward the goal so as to cut-off the attack and as she fell into position she kept her eye on the ball, turning to take her last few steps backward so as to be ready.  She looked like a pro right then.  And finally we had Ava back from a week off and she was amazing.  She wanted to start out in defense and the way she played across the field, keeping herself between the ball and the goal, never getting trapped into chasing the ball, was just brilliant.  She played with so much intelligence and anticipation, and then, when the opportunity presented itself, with such fierce determination that she really was controlling the flow of the game from that full-back position.  It occurs to me now that if we play her and Karolyn in the right positions in each game we should be able to hold every opponent scoreless.
     Diego and Samuel led the attack, as usual, and they are both rapidly developing their ball skills now that the team has to rely on them so much.  Diego had his goals and then Samuel made a few slick moves with the ball that were fantastic.  I see Ashley beginning to follow their lead and I'm sure she'll be in the scoring mix soon.  Great work from everyone this week.

U4 Games Canceled. U6 Games On.

Due to the slippery conditions, especially on the parking lots and sidewalks at Midwest, the 8:30 AM U4 games are canceled.  The U6 games at 9:30 and 10:30 AM will be played as scheduled.

Week Two. Playing it Cool.

     This week everybody was relaxed.  Excited to play but not nervous.  The U4 Blue Lakers had a great game that was preceded by a very nice warm-up.  They were quite focused during the practice time.  I hope as we go forward they get more accustomed to the routine of practice so that we can get the most out of that time.  Ruby is clearly the team leader right now.  Her skills and instincts for the game are precocious, to say the least.  During the game I was talking to the other kids, trying to get them to pay attention to how Ruby moved with the ball.  They always seem to learn faster when following the example of another kid.
     You might also have seen me explaining to them a little hand gesture I use where I point with two fingers at my eyes.  That means "look at the ball, find the ball with your eyes".   What you notice about kids of any age when they play is the difference between the ones who can maintain their focus on the ball for a long period and those whose attention drifts away easily.  Just like proper kicking form or dribbling, attending to the game is a skill that most kids have to learn through repetition.  It's always about repetition.   So when you talk to them about soccer you might reenforce that idea, that they should always know where the ball is.
     I was thrilled with how engaged everyone was generally.  Max seems to think we're playing a combination of soccer and American football where sometimes we kick the ball but sometimes we need to fall on it as though it had been fumbled.  William is very close to putting it all together and already has a very nice touch on the ball.  I just have to get him to stay in the game for longer stretches.  Ava was in and out of the game a bit but when she's in she has one of the best kicks I've seen.  Mylie had a great run toward goal that nearly ended in a shot.  She was showing some very good ball control there.  And finally, I was happy to see Sammy get out on the field for a long period.  It just takes time and we've got plenty of that.

     The Polar Bears played well despite not getting a very good practice in.  That was my fault.  I'm also the league Administrator and sometimes I get approached by Coaches or parents who seem not to notice that I'm in the middle of working with my own team.
     Jackson and Micah were the leaders on offense again this week, both of them playing tirelessly.  Jackson has a great instinct for getting up field once his own keeper has the ball.  Unfortunately he usually gets out of our keeper's range.  Derron found himself in the right spot to get the Bears lone goal this week.  I hope he remembers how that worked.  Getting the kids to understand how to play away from the ball is hugely important and for most kids the revelation occurs when they get a goal because they were in the right position to receive a pass and then shoot.
     There was a lot of complaining about being thirsty and sweaty and tired this week but the kids all seemed to be having fun and their complaints seemed to be meant to impress upon me that they were all working very hard.  And they were.

Winter I Begins. "If only they played U6 and U8 forever." The Shark Report

     On opening weekend I typically stay at the field all day both days and get to watch a lot of games.  Everything went well this time around with only a few snags but after watching six hours of fairly fierce U10 competition Sunday in which there were a few blow-outs, some questionable sportsmanship and a lot of grumbling about the officiating I left the field feeling a bit burned out.  U10 can be intense.  Many of the kids are starting to really develop their skills and they have begun to relish the thrill of hard-fought games.  They want to play hard and be played hard against.  Their idea of "fun" is evolving at this point.  That's all good but the intensity of it doesn't leave much space in the game for some of the goofy casualness that can make a U6 or U8 game so much fun.  And you actually can see in the U12 games that as the kids mature further they get some of that casualness back.  They realize that NKYA is rec soccer, not Champions League.

     I saw some of that goofiness in the U8 Sharks game on a run that they made late in the third quarter.  Sam and Austin were running up into the other side's half and Sam passed the ball up to Austin.  He made a great touch to control the ball which Sam had sent his way with a little too much zip on it.  Sam was so impressed with the way Austin casually settled the ball that he just started laughing as he ran up and as he closed in on Austin he started talking to him about that great stop, just ignoring the rest of the game, like he and Austin were the only two kids out there.  Like two good friends just out playing around.
     There was a lot of that sort of thing in this first U8 Sharks game and I like that.  They stayed relaxed enough to actually have fun and to actually test their skills without being in a panic.  Aiden, Addie and Zach are kids who always show in practice that they have the basic ball skills to play but then they tend to get a little stiff in the games.  Not yesterday.  I saw each of them flexing their muscles a bit and showing more confidence in their own abilities.  Zach was a real revelation, the way he was streaking into the action and coming out with the ball.
     Elizabeth showed up and was ready to go this time.  She tried to stay on the bench in the first quarter but I told her that if Sam, Austin and Jackson were going out she had to go out too.  Well, that's all it took.  Bigger field, bigger kids,  it's still just soccer and that's what Elizabeth is in for.  Jackson is still looking to quarterback the game, just like in U6.   He created a few great opportunities by getting his back to the opposition goal then trying to receive the ball so that  he could distribute to a teammate.  Unfortunately he and Sam E. haven't quite got their spacing worked out yet so there was frequently confusion as to who should be taking the ball.  They'll work that out as we go but his instincts are still right on.  Putting himself in that position where his body language clearly says 'I want the ball' is so huge.
     Sam A. needed this game to get warmed up to the new situation but by the end he was his old self and was tough as nails in as goalie in the end.  I was hesitant about letting him and Jackson play keeper yet but Sam seemed to really need to get back in that familiar position to get relaxed.  His instincts were right too.
     Nathan did great work in as keeper for us and was hilarious at the same time.  He made sure to check with me and Coach Ben after every stop he made, looking over to the bench to get our approval then kind of diving back into the game.  He's much more focused and ahead of the action in that spot than he is when playing out in the field but if we can get him to bring that focus with him to the midfield position he'll be a huge help since he has such a big kick.  He and Jaden did some good work together in defense in the last quarter.  Jaden is relentless and that's what you need in a defender.
     Finally, I'm thrilled with the trio of experienced players we have to lead this team.  Conner, Kaleb and Owen did great work the whole game, taking charge of the middle and allowing the little guys to attack.  All three of them are surefooted and can boom it when they need to.  Conner has all the speed and toughness you could want plus some superb ball skills. He was our most consistent scoring threat and is a kid who always wants the ball.   Kaleb has speed and power and of course is a shutout keeper.  Then there's Owen, who makes up for his lack of speed by having good anticipation and (if you're on the other team) annoyingly sticky feet.  He was really possessing the ball well in that game.  That was a really fun game and I can't wait to get back on the field next Sunday.  Thanks for showing up early for that little bit of practice.  I'll let everyone know if we get another opportunity like that.