The U4 Green Slime were getting in their own way a lot this week as evidenced by the three own-goals they put in. The whole game had a strange feel to it. The kids seemed glad to be out and running around but they weren't, as a group, very intent on working together to score. There were some flashes of brilliance though, including Diego's three goals and some good ball handling by Mason. But there was also a lot of random running and Green on Green ball theft.
The two things I talk to the kids most about on the field are the tendency some of them have to run around sort of blindly without knowing where the ball is. I'm glad they're running and getting some exercise but I want them to be more constantly involved in the game as we go week to week. It's a slow process and I know that at this point some of the kids still don't fully grasp the concept of the game so patience is the thing. The other issue is the tendency all players have to get tunnel vision when they are close to the ball and fail to notice that their own teammates may already be on the ball or may even be on track to take a shot. We had a lot of this in this week's game with several of our runs and shots being blocked by our own players. This type of situational awareness takes a long time to develop and it's an issue that I've had to work on with kids all the way up to the U12 level. I've come to think that the thing that will really help players get past this phase is watching more soccer being played. This gives them the chance to see how a team stays spread out while still attacking. If you see a game on TV try to get your player to watch a few minutes and talk to them about what they are seeing if you can.
The Sharks had a similarly disorganized game and with this team it's really frustrating because I have gotten used to seeing them play as a team. The game as a whole had a weird feel to it and of course we had the strange coincidence of hitting two different goalies in the face with shots. I think that threw me off a bit but didn't bother the kids at all. Oh well, we aren't going to be sharp every game. Like the U4 team, the Sharks seemed very energetic but not particularly focused. It was good to have Jackson and Elizabeth back. They played beautifully and I'll have a better line-up worked out for next week that takes better advantage of having those two back on the field. Sam and Elizabeth managed the goals for us.
While the Green Wave took a loss they played well and with lots of energy. They executed most of what they had worked on in practice and I was really happy to see that. The forward line was especially improved as they stayed spread out and consistently worked to make good passes in to the middle. It seemed that in the fourth quarter Gabby, Logan and Kylie had about a dozen chances in the middle but not a lot of luck. I was also very happy to see some players beginning to attempt to carry the ball around the defense rather than simply kicking it away. Logan and Jake were particularly tenacious in that respect with Jake realizing how to use the wall to his advantage and Logan developing a little slant move that got him into the open a couple of times. That was a good game really and the kids never gave in. I think we'll devote some time to defense at this week's practice.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Week Two. Three for Three.
The U4 Green Slime had another great game with strong play from everyone and goals from Diego, Mason, Maddox and Ashley. The thing we were working on most in the game was learning to run while still keeping an eye on the ball. Some players get this already while some need to be reminded occasionally but for the most part the Slime are way ahead of the curve on this. We also got to see Diego, Mason and Ashley all moving into position for shots near the goal while one of their teammates brought the ball up. I'm really proud of how disciplined this team is at practice. They focus well and put in lots of good work. That will all pay off quickly I think. Great work Slime!
The U6 Sharks were a little over-energized this week and if they hadn't pulled themselves together late in the game they might have lost 0-1 on an own goal! But they did get it together eventually and managed a 2-1 victory with some great team play, some excellent defense and some good work in goal. Kendall was doing great work trying to improve her dribbling and she had some great possessions. Ryland played some great defense for us and was really developing a good sense of how to track the ball from that position. Samuel played with amazing toughness for his size and was involved in several multi-player spills and each time he jumped right up and kept going. While Brandon had some trouble with direction a few times he also made a bunch of great clearing kicks and that left foot of his should eventually get us some goals. Sam and Austin teamed up to get us our goals and Sam had the funniest play of the game when he headed a fly ball down to his own feet. Crazy game Sharks, but in the end a good one.
It was a big win for the Green Wave today as they faced a team that was, for lack of a better word, inexperienced and just enough so to allow the Wave to stretch out and test their various skills. Most importantly they were trying, with Coach Dave and I pressing them constantly, to stay in their respective positions and open the field up somewhat. The result was some very nice goals from Zach, Morgan, Gabrielle, Kylie and Nabil. Nabil's was a great surprise as he came out of midfield to cover the far post when no one else was in position. The result was an easy tap in that he put in the back of the net. Aiden was also learning how to sneak up from that midfield position to steal a chance at a shot and he nearly had one. Great work guys.
Last week we saw Gabrielle showing off her speed. This week it was Kylie's turn and on her best run of the game she really turned it on and managed a little move to her right to pass the last defender. After that it was just the goalie to beat and a deft flick with her right foot put the ball under the goalie's hand and into the net. Logan had a similar run that culminated in a good change of direction move around a defender. We need to see more of that sort of control from everyone. There was great play all around this game and hopefully this week's practice will be a great opportunity to build on what they learned in this game. Practice is from 7:00 to 8:00 this week and Coach Dave will be in charge.
The U6 Sharks were a little over-energized this week and if they hadn't pulled themselves together late in the game they might have lost 0-1 on an own goal! But they did get it together eventually and managed a 2-1 victory with some great team play, some excellent defense and some good work in goal. Kendall was doing great work trying to improve her dribbling and she had some great possessions. Ryland played some great defense for us and was really developing a good sense of how to track the ball from that position. Samuel played with amazing toughness for his size and was involved in several multi-player spills and each time he jumped right up and kept going. While Brandon had some trouble with direction a few times he also made a bunch of great clearing kicks and that left foot of his should eventually get us some goals. Sam and Austin teamed up to get us our goals and Sam had the funniest play of the game when he headed a fly ball down to his own feet. Crazy game Sharks, but in the end a good one.
It was a big win for the Green Wave today as they faced a team that was, for lack of a better word, inexperienced and just enough so to allow the Wave to stretch out and test their various skills. Most importantly they were trying, with Coach Dave and I pressing them constantly, to stay in their respective positions and open the field up somewhat. The result was some very nice goals from Zach, Morgan, Gabrielle, Kylie and Nabil. Nabil's was a great surprise as he came out of midfield to cover the far post when no one else was in position. The result was an easy tap in that he put in the back of the net. Aiden was also learning how to sneak up from that midfield position to steal a chance at a shot and he nearly had one. Great work guys.
Last week we saw Gabrielle showing off her speed. This week it was Kylie's turn and on her best run of the game she really turned it on and managed a little move to her right to pass the last defender. After that it was just the goalie to beat and a deft flick with her right foot put the ball under the goalie's hand and into the net. Logan had a similar run that culminated in a good change of direction move around a defender. We need to see more of that sort of control from everyone. There was great play all around this game and hopefully this week's practice will be a great opportunity to build on what they learned in this game. Practice is from 7:00 to 8:00 this week and Coach Dave will be in charge.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Spring Soccer. Week One.
The Wednesday night U4 clinic was a huge success with the kids having a great time and the parents and Coaches all having an opportunity to meet. I know that the actual games on Saturday may have seemed like some barely controlled chaos to many parents but the early start in acclimating the kids that we got with the clinic was a big help. With kids this age the main thing is repetition and routine and while at first many of the kids don't seem to even be aware that there is a game going on they will over time, I promise you, start to get it. It's just a process that requires patience. So don't give up.
The first weekend of a session is always a bit hectic as we get shirts handed out and put players together with Coaches they haven't met yet. As a result, even though I love coaching my head is usually in two places at once on opening weekend. With that in mind please forgive me if I don't remember every highlight of each of the games.
Your U4 Slime got started by choosing their name. I expected some vegetable or fruit based name to win the vote but Green Slime was suggested and easily gained approval. Our team lost a few players, some of whom moved up to U6 (more on that later). But the core group of Ashley, Diego and Eileen remained strong with Diego putting in another hat-trick of goals. After his last he came charging back to the center pumping his fist and doing his best Andres Cantor impersonation. "Goooooooooooooooal"! Ashley was doing her usual excellent ball handling work but is still working on finding the goal. I've never seen a player her size cut and turn the ball so well.
Our new players were Abby, Mason, Lincoln and Delaney and they all did very well. Mason and Lincoln each had a couple of assists and I'm sure Mason had at least one goal. Delaney ran after the ball a lot which is a good beginning and Abby was also getting after it a lot too. As a team the Slime were also doing some great work with players moving into position away from the ball quite a lot and that is a huge step in their understanding of the game. That's the aspect of their development that we will work on most during the games, their ability to see where they need to go when they don't have the ball. In practice we will always work on fundamental skills and never talk about game situations. But once the game starts I will be constantly talking to the players about where they need to move to. So if you see your player run away from the ball they may be doing that because I asked them to.
Wearing green didn't pacify the Sharks. They were on the attack, as usual. Sam E. and Austin led that attack and their level of team work continues to amaze. On one particular play Austin dashed into the corner on our own side and recovered the ball. He then calmly turned back to the field and scanned about to find Sam. When he found him he made a quick, accurate pass to Sam in the middle and then bolted up the side line to get in position. By the end of the session these two will be running give-and-goes, pick-and-rolls and ally-oups like pros. Kendall was right in their with them and on her three best runs she was working hard to pick up her pace. By the last possession she had she was moving with the ball at nearly her best running speed. Her confidence is really growing fast. On two of those runs she took the ball all the way to the other goal and made good passes in. Really great plays.
With those three in together Sam E. managed three goals and was really feeling his kick. He even surprised himself a few times with the velocity he put on the ball. But the best goal of the game had to be from our youngest player, Samuel, who made a very heads-up play on an outlet throw from the other goalie. Samuel was about five yards out and watching the goalie closely. When the goalie made a weak throw right at him Samuel stepped up and struck it firmly while it was still in the air and drove the ball into the net. Pretty nice work for a kid who just moved up early from U4.
Luke was in good form this game and had one goal. Brandon was back with us after a layoff and he stepped right into the sweeping midfielder role. He's got the foot for it and with Brennan taking the session off we really needed someone to cover that spot. Aiden was back after a layoff too and he and Ryland, another new player, were doing great work in defense. Ryland especially made very rapid progress in learning to track the ball from the backfield and always being in position to intercept the attack.
So, we've got a great team with some very skilled players and some very enthusiastic rookies. What are we going to work on this session since we get some practice time? We obviously will be devoting lots of time to fundamental ball skills but we are also going to be working with the kids on some basic passing strategies (I wasn't kidding about the give-and-goes). As we progress this season I'd like to see the Sharks doing even more dribbling and passing to move the ball and I'm sure they can do it.
Our U8 team chose the name Green Wave and that turned out to be a great choice as they really did a great job repeatedly crashing into the other side's end. This team is a new team. Some of the kids know each other. Some have played before, some not so much. None of them have played together as a team. Before the game I let them know that the team we were facing was clearly the best team they would meet and so I didn't want them to worry about the score but to just commit to doing the things I was asking them to do and to play with all the energy they had and have fun. Well, that's what they did and while the other team did manage seven goals they didn't have an easy time doing it. The Wave pressed them hard, especially in the midfield and while we don't have any really experienced goalies we did have plenty of enthusiasm there. We'll be focusing on those goalie skills during this next practice along with some fundamental ball skills. We did see lots of great passing for a team that is just getting to know each other and an amazing number of shots on goal. That game could easily have ended with the Wave being within a goal or two.
Everyone played well and here is what I noticed about this new team:
Jake had his best game ever and had at least three good shots on goal,
Logan was tenacious on defense,
Gabrielle was great up front and is amazingly fast,
Lydia is really tireless and a great ball handler,
Jordyn and Montana both did good work in goal and Jordyn showed some surprising patience while dribbling the ball,
Cody, like Logan, was also a defensive pain to the other side,
Nabil and Aiden worked well together as a fullback tandem,
And Zachary really led the team with his fierce play, attacking the ball at every opportunity and making some great saves on defense and putting the ball up into position on offense.
All in all I was really impressed with how well they played and I can tell you that the other team's best player was feeling genuinely frustrated by how well he was being defended. Thanks to Ashley's dad, David, for helping out on the bench. He's going to help out at practice too and I expect those practices to be very effective. See everyone then.
The first weekend of a session is always a bit hectic as we get shirts handed out and put players together with Coaches they haven't met yet. As a result, even though I love coaching my head is usually in two places at once on opening weekend. With that in mind please forgive me if I don't remember every highlight of each of the games.
Your U4 Slime got started by choosing their name. I expected some vegetable or fruit based name to win the vote but Green Slime was suggested and easily gained approval. Our team lost a few players, some of whom moved up to U6 (more on that later). But the core group of Ashley, Diego and Eileen remained strong with Diego putting in another hat-trick of goals. After his last he came charging back to the center pumping his fist and doing his best Andres Cantor impersonation. "Goooooooooooooooal"! Ashley was doing her usual excellent ball handling work but is still working on finding the goal. I've never seen a player her size cut and turn the ball so well.
Our new players were Abby, Mason, Lincoln and Delaney and they all did very well. Mason and Lincoln each had a couple of assists and I'm sure Mason had at least one goal. Delaney ran after the ball a lot which is a good beginning and Abby was also getting after it a lot too. As a team the Slime were also doing some great work with players moving into position away from the ball quite a lot and that is a huge step in their understanding of the game. That's the aspect of their development that we will work on most during the games, their ability to see where they need to go when they don't have the ball. In practice we will always work on fundamental skills and never talk about game situations. But once the game starts I will be constantly talking to the players about where they need to move to. So if you see your player run away from the ball they may be doing that because I asked them to.
Wearing green didn't pacify the Sharks. They were on the attack, as usual. Sam E. and Austin led that attack and their level of team work continues to amaze. On one particular play Austin dashed into the corner on our own side and recovered the ball. He then calmly turned back to the field and scanned about to find Sam. When he found him he made a quick, accurate pass to Sam in the middle and then bolted up the side line to get in position. By the end of the session these two will be running give-and-goes, pick-and-rolls and ally-oups like pros. Kendall was right in their with them and on her three best runs she was working hard to pick up her pace. By the last possession she had she was moving with the ball at nearly her best running speed. Her confidence is really growing fast. On two of those runs she took the ball all the way to the other goal and made good passes in. Really great plays.
With those three in together Sam E. managed three goals and was really feeling his kick. He even surprised himself a few times with the velocity he put on the ball. But the best goal of the game had to be from our youngest player, Samuel, who made a very heads-up play on an outlet throw from the other goalie. Samuel was about five yards out and watching the goalie closely. When the goalie made a weak throw right at him Samuel stepped up and struck it firmly while it was still in the air and drove the ball into the net. Pretty nice work for a kid who just moved up early from U4.
Luke was in good form this game and had one goal. Brandon was back with us after a layoff and he stepped right into the sweeping midfielder role. He's got the foot for it and with Brennan taking the session off we really needed someone to cover that spot. Aiden was back after a layoff too and he and Ryland, another new player, were doing great work in defense. Ryland especially made very rapid progress in learning to track the ball from the backfield and always being in position to intercept the attack.
So, we've got a great team with some very skilled players and some very enthusiastic rookies. What are we going to work on this session since we get some practice time? We obviously will be devoting lots of time to fundamental ball skills but we are also going to be working with the kids on some basic passing strategies (I wasn't kidding about the give-and-goes). As we progress this season I'd like to see the Sharks doing even more dribbling and passing to move the ball and I'm sure they can do it.
Our U8 team chose the name Green Wave and that turned out to be a great choice as they really did a great job repeatedly crashing into the other side's end. This team is a new team. Some of the kids know each other. Some have played before, some not so much. None of them have played together as a team. Before the game I let them know that the team we were facing was clearly the best team they would meet and so I didn't want them to worry about the score but to just commit to doing the things I was asking them to do and to play with all the energy they had and have fun. Well, that's what they did and while the other team did manage seven goals they didn't have an easy time doing it. The Wave pressed them hard, especially in the midfield and while we don't have any really experienced goalies we did have plenty of enthusiasm there. We'll be focusing on those goalie skills during this next practice along with some fundamental ball skills. We did see lots of great passing for a team that is just getting to know each other and an amazing number of shots on goal. That game could easily have ended with the Wave being within a goal or two.
Everyone played well and here is what I noticed about this new team:
Jake had his best game ever and had at least three good shots on goal,
Logan was tenacious on defense,
Gabrielle was great up front and is amazingly fast,
Lydia is really tireless and a great ball handler,
Jordyn and Montana both did good work in goal and Jordyn showed some surprising patience while dribbling the ball,
Cody, like Logan, was also a defensive pain to the other side,
Nabil and Aiden worked well together as a fullback tandem,
And Zachary really led the team with his fierce play, attacking the ball at every opportunity and making some great saves on defense and putting the ball up into position on offense.
All in all I was really impressed with how well they played and I can tell you that the other team's best player was feeling genuinely frustrated by how well he was being defended. Thanks to Ashley's dad, David, for helping out on the bench. He's going to help out at practice too and I expect those practices to be very effective. See everyone then.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Session Schedule
The link at the right leads to the NKYA soccer schedule. When you get there it will be in a printable form so you can print off a copy if you need one.
Our team color this session will be Green, which is nice for Spring. At practice Monday I did end the practice by asking the kids to spend some time each day doing the toe tap drill. I encourage everyone to try to do that. It only takes about ten minutes a day but it will really help them over time to be more comfortable with the ball at their feet.
See you all this weekend for some soccer!
Our team color this session will be Green, which is nice for Spring. At practice Monday I did end the practice by asking the kids to spend some time each day doing the toe tap drill. I encourage everyone to try to do that. It only takes about ten minutes a day but it will really help them over time to be more comfortable with the ball at their feet.
See you all this weekend for some soccer!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Spring Session
The Spring session will begin the weekend of April 9th. I'll be contacting everyone as soon as I have rosters and schedules.
In the mean time practice those toe taps, do your change of direction drill and play some shooting gallery!
In the mean time practice those toe taps, do your change of direction drill and play some shooting gallery!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
USA v Argentina
Tonight we have an international friendly featuring USA v Argentina as the USA men's team begins developing their roster for CONCACAF and World Cup qualifying. Landon Donovan is expected to appear for USA along with Tim Howard and other star players from last year's World Cup team. Argentina will feature soccer genius Lionel Messi.
The weather conditions will definitely favor USA and this should be a good game. Check it out. 7:00 PM on ESPN.
UPDATE! USA 1, Argentina 1.
The weather conditions will definitely favor USA and this should be a good game. Check it out. 7:00 PM on ESPN.
UPDATE! USA 1, Argentina 1.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Session Finale.
The Black Berries finished on a very high note, playing so well that the coach of the other team suspected that we might actually be a U6 team. Obviously the truth is that this just happens to be a very good group of three and four year olds. They love to play so I don't have to chase them all over the field begging them to get up off the floor. They actually pay attention, especially in our practices, and they actually learn and improve week to week. It's just luck that all of these talented kids ended up on the same team but I do feel that they've done good work taking advantage of that luck and every player has shown that they can understand some of the basic concepts of team play.
Samuel was our leader in this game, repeatedly bringing the ball up-field and delivering either shots or passes that resulted in shots. He's a tireless, confident and unselfish ball handler. As usual he had Diego, Dominic and Ethan flanking him and they did their usual great work staying spread out from the ball. Dominic obviously has the best understanding of where to be on the field when he doesn't have the ball and was always out ahead of Samuel and Ethan to get in position for a pass. Diego, too, was in the right place to pick up a goal and he ran back to the circle with his hands in the air shouting "Goal!" Ethan was playing with his usual energy and, like Samuel, he has a strong urge to have the ball and so was caught chasing after Sam a lot. I tried to talk him into staying on the opposite side of the field but he just wants to get to the ball so bad.
Our other line had a great game too with Carson acting as our point. Like Samuel, he consistently finds the ball and then brings it up-field for us. His partners have been Jagger, Austin, Ashley and Eileen. Eileen managed a goal yesterday off a pass from Carson and this time it was no accident. She saw the pass coming and stepped into it to drive the ball in. Beautiful. Ashley showed some of her great foot work again in this game but couldn't get headed toward the goal often enough. I see flashes of real brilliance from her though. She has a great natural stride with the ball and knows to keep it close under her all the time so that she can turn sharply. She's going to be breaking ankles soon.
Jagger had a couple of nice assists and a goal followed by a little tussle with an opponent who wanted to talk a little trash. Jagger wasn't having it. While Jag gets distracted sometimes he is a very tough player who doesn't get easily offended by the pushing and shoving of a scrum. Austin had a great game and was really starting here to bring his ball handling skills, which he shows off all the time in practice, to the game. On his best run of the day he brought the ball down the left side through a couple of defenders and then very consciously looked up briefly to see where the goal was and where his teammates were before running a few more steps then shooting. He looked totally in control there. After the game, as we lined up to shake hands, the Black Berries were, as always, gracious in victory and the credit for that goes to their parents. These are all really great kids and it's an honor to be able to work with them. Thanks.
The Sharks got knocked back on their heels a bit to start this game, with the Red team driving to the goal hard the first quarter. Their best player, Camden, has great help from a couple of other good ball handlers and then they have those big twins in defense so they are a tough team to beat. But while they managed one goal early they couldn't get it past our keepers again. Jackson and Elizabeth were so solid in the first half and made some really tough stops. Elizabeth was fearlessly diving onto the ball, cleats flying all around her, and saved at least three goals. She and Jackson both do so well at feeding the ball out to their team that a stop with them in goal always turns into an offensive drive for the Sharks.
Both units played well for the Sharks with lots of good ball movement, some sustained dribbling and lots of very smart movement off of the ball. Kendall was taking yet another leap forward in her game, playing with grit and energy and, as last week, really trying to possess the ball more. McKenzie was also playing with lots of determination but not so much grit. She seems to enjoy playing so much and to be so tickled with her performance that she kind of giggles the whole time she's playing. Whenever I would lean over to give her some advice on where to be moving she would respond with a laugh and then take off to where she needed to go! Xavier and Brennan were solid as usual although I didn't get Xavier into goal this week so we didn't have a chance to catch up on "Wipeout!" (P.S. Xavier, my son Owen and I like the spring course. We thought the winter course was just too brutal and unfair.)
The other unit featured Sam E. and Austin working together and they are formidable. They didn't get sufficiently organized to really dismantle the Red team's defense but they were strong enough to get through for a couple of goals. Actually I should say that they got through for one goal. The other goal from Sam was a strong shot from so far out that it basically went over the defense. Sam's ability to hit the ball hard at a right angle (or better) to the direction he's running is really precocious. Every time he does it I can hear the opposing Coaches say "what the...". Austin and Sam work really well together because Austin anticipates Sam so well. Mike and I kept shouting to Austin to get into the middle whenever Sam had the ball but Austin had his own ideas about what to do. He stayed close to Sam, about five yards away and a little behind, but not because he was chasing the ball. Rather he seemed aware that Sam was getting stopped a lot in this game and consequently the ball might be coming out and he wanted to be in position to pick it up. His instincts were good in this case and in retrospect I wish I'd set them up from the start to work in a more vertical set up with Austin more of a sweeping midfield than as another wing. We'll work on that next session.
It has been another great session with the Sharks and I can't tell you how rewarding it has been to work with this group. My thanks to Mike Seng for his help coaching. My thanks to all of the parents for your support. We can hear you cheering. And my thanks to all the Sharks. I'm a lucky coach to have a team like you.
Samuel was our leader in this game, repeatedly bringing the ball up-field and delivering either shots or passes that resulted in shots. He's a tireless, confident and unselfish ball handler. As usual he had Diego, Dominic and Ethan flanking him and they did their usual great work staying spread out from the ball. Dominic obviously has the best understanding of where to be on the field when he doesn't have the ball and was always out ahead of Samuel and Ethan to get in position for a pass. Diego, too, was in the right place to pick up a goal and he ran back to the circle with his hands in the air shouting "Goal!" Ethan was playing with his usual energy and, like Samuel, he has a strong urge to have the ball and so was caught chasing after Sam a lot. I tried to talk him into staying on the opposite side of the field but he just wants to get to the ball so bad.
Our other line had a great game too with Carson acting as our point. Like Samuel, he consistently finds the ball and then brings it up-field for us. His partners have been Jagger, Austin, Ashley and Eileen. Eileen managed a goal yesterday off a pass from Carson and this time it was no accident. She saw the pass coming and stepped into it to drive the ball in. Beautiful. Ashley showed some of her great foot work again in this game but couldn't get headed toward the goal often enough. I see flashes of real brilliance from her though. She has a great natural stride with the ball and knows to keep it close under her all the time so that she can turn sharply. She's going to be breaking ankles soon.
Jagger had a couple of nice assists and a goal followed by a little tussle with an opponent who wanted to talk a little trash. Jagger wasn't having it. While Jag gets distracted sometimes he is a very tough player who doesn't get easily offended by the pushing and shoving of a scrum. Austin had a great game and was really starting here to bring his ball handling skills, which he shows off all the time in practice, to the game. On his best run of the day he brought the ball down the left side through a couple of defenders and then very consciously looked up briefly to see where the goal was and where his teammates were before running a few more steps then shooting. He looked totally in control there. After the game, as we lined up to shake hands, the Black Berries were, as always, gracious in victory and the credit for that goes to their parents. These are all really great kids and it's an honor to be able to work with them. Thanks.
The Sharks got knocked back on their heels a bit to start this game, with the Red team driving to the goal hard the first quarter. Their best player, Camden, has great help from a couple of other good ball handlers and then they have those big twins in defense so they are a tough team to beat. But while they managed one goal early they couldn't get it past our keepers again. Jackson and Elizabeth were so solid in the first half and made some really tough stops. Elizabeth was fearlessly diving onto the ball, cleats flying all around her, and saved at least three goals. She and Jackson both do so well at feeding the ball out to their team that a stop with them in goal always turns into an offensive drive for the Sharks.
Both units played well for the Sharks with lots of good ball movement, some sustained dribbling and lots of very smart movement off of the ball. Kendall was taking yet another leap forward in her game, playing with grit and energy and, as last week, really trying to possess the ball more. McKenzie was also playing with lots of determination but not so much grit. She seems to enjoy playing so much and to be so tickled with her performance that she kind of giggles the whole time she's playing. Whenever I would lean over to give her some advice on where to be moving she would respond with a laugh and then take off to where she needed to go! Xavier and Brennan were solid as usual although I didn't get Xavier into goal this week so we didn't have a chance to catch up on "Wipeout!" (P.S. Xavier, my son Owen and I like the spring course. We thought the winter course was just too brutal and unfair.)
The other unit featured Sam E. and Austin working together and they are formidable. They didn't get sufficiently organized to really dismantle the Red team's defense but they were strong enough to get through for a couple of goals. Actually I should say that they got through for one goal. The other goal from Sam was a strong shot from so far out that it basically went over the defense. Sam's ability to hit the ball hard at a right angle (or better) to the direction he's running is really precocious. Every time he does it I can hear the opposing Coaches say "what the...". Austin and Sam work really well together because Austin anticipates Sam so well. Mike and I kept shouting to Austin to get into the middle whenever Sam had the ball but Austin had his own ideas about what to do. He stayed close to Sam, about five yards away and a little behind, but not because he was chasing the ball. Rather he seemed aware that Sam was getting stopped a lot in this game and consequently the ball might be coming out and he wanted to be in position to pick it up. His instincts were good in this case and in retrospect I wish I'd set them up from the start to work in a more vertical set up with Austin more of a sweeping midfield than as another wing. We'll work on that next session.
It has been another great session with the Sharks and I can't tell you how rewarding it has been to work with this group. My thanks to Mike Seng for his help coaching. My thanks to all of the parents for your support. We can hear you cheering. And my thanks to all the Sharks. I'm a lucky coach to have a team like you.
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