Thursday, September 28, 2006

Games 9 and 10

Game 9 - Oct. 7th at 9:00AM
Game 10-Oct. 14th at 10:15AM

I'd like to do something with the kids after Game 10 if we could. I think I'll arrange for a casual pizza party at the field (probably at the pavilion as other teams will need the field).

Please let me know if that will work or if you have any better ideas.

Games 7 and 8

Sorry I never updated the blog after game 7. Busy busy busy. The simple fact is that the kids all seem to "get it" now. They have fun and they play hard, and most of the coaching that I do is probably for my own benefit.

They know where to put the ball, and while they might not stay in their forms or positions the whole time, they usually know that if they're defense, and the ball starts coming back towards their goal, to hussle.

The game last night was tough, we got that first goal in less than a minute and then couldn't quite repeat that trick. Our goalies were outstanding. 3rd quarter would have been a blowout without Helena's 6 saves in a row.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. The kids have settled in to the game, and I think the rest of the season and next spring will be fantastic!

Monday, September 18, 2006

Game #6

Tremendous game tonight! Not that it matters... but the score was 5-2.
I can't help but be impressed at how consistent our team is. The level of play has improved dramatically since the first games. The score, of course, reflects that. They surprised us in the very beginning with a couple of goals and we held them from there and really dominated. I try not to make a big deal of it in front of the other team (you know they feel), but the kids deserve to feel pretty good about it.

See you all at game #7 tomorrow! Hopefully we can keep it up, and hopefully the game won't be called for lightning!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Pro Practice Cancelled September 12th

Pro Practice has been cancelled this evening due to rain. I do not know yet whether it will be rescheduled for another day.

We've got a long break until two games in a row on the 18th and 19th. So keep those feet moving and I'll see you all then!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

PICTURE DAY and GAME #5

Don't forget - PICTURES AT 8:45 AT KREUGER. TEAM PICTURES ARE FIRST - SO PLEASE BE ON TIME.

GAME #5 at 10:15 (sorry about lag between pictures and the game).
I'll see you there!

Game #4 Notes

Wow! What a game! All the kids really did it today. We had the same great defense and aggressive offense, but this time we got a goal, AND we stopped every single attempt by the other team. Our goalies were incredible and our defense really did a great job.

You'll notice that we've gone a little more aggressive on the offense (effectively moved to a 2-1-3 lineup, instead of 3-0-3). That requires a lot of mobility from our midfielder, but it worked very well tonight.

The kids seemed OK with the full quarter playing time. We'll keep trying that and I'll sub as necessary if they get tired.

On another note, I had a chat with Daphne, the commissioner for U7 and clarified a few things. We WILL have refs in Spring. They thought that they would be too disruptive for the fall. As you may have noticed, not every single error/infraction gets called right now. The idea at this point is to LET THEM PLAY, which is what I was originally told, but started getting mixed messages. So if you see a goal kick thrown in, or something similar that doesn't create a safety issue, don't be surprised if we just let it play. Originally I had mixed feeling about this, but I've come to agree that the game is more enjoyable if its not getting stopped every minute for an indirect kick.

Please tell your kids again what a great job they did and how proud I am. They didn't let up for the whole game and it showed.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Picture Day

Game #4 - September 5th at 6:15PM - just a reminder...

September 9th, next Saturday is picture day (and a game). Our pictures have been move up slightly to 8:45. For pictures it is VERY IMPORTANT that we get everyone there on time, especially since we are nearly first. The people with 3:00PM appointments will appreciate it.

Doug Schaefer has volunteered to coach the game that day (Game #5 at 10:15AM) (as I will be on my way to a cousin's wedding in Columbus). I hate missing a game, but its a 1:00 wedding...

So I'll see you all at 6:00 or so on Wednesday. I hope you have a great holiday and I hope the kids can recover from starting school (exciting but never easy).