U13 - My team eMail after the tournament

This is what I sent out after our tournament.  I still try to keep the parents abreast of what's going through my head.

I thought it would be good to remind each player of their bright spots.  Everybody has things to work on, even professionals.  These young players are no different than Rooney, Messi or DeRosario.  Every so often they want to be reminded of what they do well.




Real names are xxx'ed out.


Hi boys,

This week we have training Tuesday and game Thursday.  http://www.iaw.com/1999boys for the full story!  :-)

Thanks for a fun weekend.  Please thank your parents for supporting all of your activities and give them a hug.

We didn’t win and have things to work on, but a lot of good things happened.

1. We scored every game!
2. When we challenged with the intent to win the ball, we were VERY effective. Hmmm.....
3. We are spending a lot more time in the opposing half than we were the last 2 years.
4. xxxxx started taking control of the back  and striking the ball better than ever
5. xxxxx is learning to use his strong kick for quality services from various positions.
6. xxxxx covers a lot of ground and continues to identify opportunities for threatening penetrating passes
7. xxxxx continues to lead by example and remind his teammates that heading the ball is a required and major part of the game.   Nice goal.
8. xxxxx is tougher than a $2.00 steak. And had the quote of the weekend.
9. xxxxx continues to show his developing flare for the net.  He already has 3 noah-years worth of goals this season.
10. xxxxx is  our best example at doing “first touch away from pressure” and creating space.
11. xxxxx had a lot of quality crosses and showed he can pressure defenders
12. xxxxx’s striker movements are becoming second nature and the 1st goal is a major step.
13. xxxxx is our best example of 2-touch soccer and recognizing when to use the long or short ball
14. xxxxx shows the team how much ground a player should cover and is holding the fort quite well
15. xxxxx is one of our 3 best ball winners and attacks the net with the intent to score.  Nice goal yesterday.
16. xxxxx shows how effective he is when he asserts his physical and cerebral qualities .  Nice Maradona assist on Blakely’s goal :D
17. xxxxx is quickly becoming a very noticeable presence on the field with his size, improving mobility and with the ball.
    

We will see you Tuesday at École Secondaire Confederation.  Go Jaguars!

U13 - Progress in Erie, PA

Our U13 boys were in Erie, PA this weekend for the Erie Premier Cup.

Our record was 1-2 over three games.  Beyond the score, a lot of good things happened that really motivate me to work on what didn’t go well.

This week we will reinforce our ever-improving shape, work on 1v1 defending again, finishing as well as attacking and defending crosses.  Coach Paul will put the boys through a physical workout as well.

Most important about the tournament, the boys had a good time together away from the field at the hotel and our team dinner at a local restaurant.  Our other U13 Boys team was also there and they had a chance to cheer each other on at certain points.

The 2 games we lost we fell victims to our own slow starts.  I am always nervous with this group hen I don’t get a full warm-up in and get them focused on the game.  It’s tough at tournaments because there is very little free grass to get the ball moving and organizers like to get games started as soon as possible following the previous game.

What is getting me more excited with each passing game is that we are spending more time in the opponents half than ever before.  The last two years it wasn’t rare for us to be shutout, but this year we have only been shutout three times in 14 games.  We also left a few tournament winless in 2011 and 2010, but that has yet to happen this season.

This week we have a league game and will be missing a centre defender and our leading scorer.  This will give some other boys a chance to step up and show they can contribute at the same level.

U17 - Focus wins the game

Mental toughness and focus won the game for our U17 boys last night.

Our U17 boys traveled to Flamborough last night for their 4^th season game.  I had to take the bench for this one as Coach Ben was stuck at work.

As soon as we got there I knew what we were in for.  The official lined all the boys up to check their equipment and then gave the captains a 5-minute speech.  We warned the boys that we potentially had a ref who was going to worry about the protocol of the game and not actually ref the game.

Boy, were we right!  In the first 5 minutes the referee barked at both benches about our technical area and was a stickler for the boys changing at the half line.  All this while the boys were throwing elbows and sliding studs up.

Our boys just played their game and paid little attention to the official.  The game was getting a bit dangerous and the referee heard from me (briefly).  I was just glad nobody was injured on either team.

The field was a bit narrow so the boys had to work hard to maintain width and create space.  Our GK is nursing some discomfort, so our centre-defender stayed a little deeper than usual.  The first half saw us keep our shape well and the ball was doing all the work.  The game was very physical but nobody lost their cool.  Good players know when a game is not under control and just keep the peace themselves.  I was very proud of both teams.

We took a 1-0 lead from a good, low cross from the goal-line to the top of the goal area.  They responded with a goal off a 1v1 from our keeper.  

Half time score: 1-1

The second half became a bit more physical, but nothing came of it.  The field was also getting more slippery as it was very hard and the rain had been falling since kick-off.  Players on both teams were losing their footing and long balls into the keeper were becoming more difficult to handle.

We started losing our shape and our defenders starting launching balls 40-50 yds every time.  Our strikers have only so many sprints in them and long balls/poor shape leave you vulnerable because of the large gaps left on the field.  It took some work to get everybody reorganized, but they did and that calmed things down.

On a wonderful penetrating pass, our left midfielder got behind the defenders and scored to make the score 2-1.  Flamborough had 2 glorious chances on crosses, allowed by poor 1v1 defending on the wings.  With about 10 minutes left, we scored an insurance goal off a footrace for a stray ball.

We escaped the match with no injuries and only 1 caution for dissent.  With the physical play, lack of a firm whistle and the field conditions, that makes me happy.  And I am proud of the boys for sticking to their jobs.

Final score 3-1.

Notes from the game:

• The last 4 goals allowed have all been off 1v1 with keeper.  The pass is always coming from a free player in front of the central defenders so we will work on one pressuring the ball and the other supporting.
• Better understanding of shape.  We still haven’t had a full team practice to work on that.
• More organization on restarts, putting the right players ion the right place.
• Three different players scored, 2 for the first time in a LONG time.

U13 - First Season Game

The good, the bad and the ugly.  Our first game of the season took us from one extreme to the other.

Last night our U13 boys played Mississauga Croatia.

We saw all of our work at training put into play during the first half.  We were challenging for balls, wall passes, crosses and penetrating passes.  Our 1v1 defending was a bit off, but overall we played a solid half.  We were stretching the field a lot more than usual, but it started getting a bit out of hand the last 5 minutes with some passes going nowhere.

We took a 1-0 lead on a beautiful sequence and a nice finish.  We conceded a goal on a string run by the opposing striker. 

Half time 1-1.

Our coaching points for halftime:

• Good challenges so far.
• Good choices on flick-ons and laying the ball back
• The forward pass is only good if there is a forward target.
• More patience while defending 1v1 on the wings and in midfield.
• Not moving as a unit, leaving too many gaps the last 10 minutes or so.

The second half got messy.  Boys were losing their focus off the ball, there was less running and more errant passes.  But what really killed us was losing our shape.  We tried to make some changes to plug up some holes.  Some boys were walking forward while others were walking back.  Our challenges stopped altogether for a 20 minute span.  So when a pass was short or a challenge lost, we were caught off guard.

We ended up losing 5-1.  

I am not disappointed.  The first half showed we can play and know what to do.  The last 10 minutes of the game the boys were showing us they still had some great ideas and we managed to put together some scoring chances.

We had some players show us they were definitely improving in their specific roles on the team.
 
I could say we didn't work hard enough.  That might be partially true, but that's blaming the kids.  It's our job to coach, observe, adjust and coach some more.  The kids look to us for information and guidance.  In the coaching world, the players win and the coach loses.  :-)

This weekend we go to Erie, PA.  After the three games we can determine the main topics of the next few sessions.

OSA - Active Start Course

Last night I facilitated an Active Start course at our club.  It's the Ontario Soccer Association's first course in the new education pathway under LTPD.

We had 15 coaches in attendance.  The course involved tasks that reviewed the role of the coach and the development characteristics of the players we work with.  This was complimented with a few on-field sessions delivered by me and some coaches in the course.

I really enjoyed facilitating the course because I love attending courses myself, and my goal is to make the course as enjoyable for the coaches as they are for me.

It was the first formal coaching course for all of the coaches present.  I am happy they took the step because it's not always an easy transition from player to coach.  Getting coaches into the first course is the biggest challenge.  Once they see what's offered they usually come back.

One of the main discussions revolved around physical literacy. 

The two tasks  revolved around discussing 4 questions each, in groups.  We then shared answers and received input from others.

Task 1
Why are you an Active Start coach?
Why does an Active Start level player play?
Development Characteristics of the Active Start players?
Suggestions for training sessions?

Task 2
Safety considerations?
Manner and appearance of the coach?
Activities: Choosing, organizing and running.
Managing parents?

I would say the course was successful last night.  The OSA's new approach of full coach participation is a lot better than the old tradition "I speak you listen" model.