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!

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.

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.

Sharks and Black Berries. Week Seven.

The Sharks played beautifully yesterday. They started out with a very good practice/warmup where we worked on trapping the ball and then shooting and everyone did very well with that. When we got to game time they were focused but loose and ready to play. In fact, the only real problem I have to deal with as the Coach of this amazing group is that they are all so anxious to play. Every one of the Sharks would play the entire game if I let them and as you can probably see from the other side every week they begin the game by clamoring for a spot on the field. It's just what you want to see and yet you can't believe how unusual it is to have a team where every player wants in all the time. I wish our games were longer.

We didn't see as much good passing this game compared to last which is interesting considering the differences between the two opponents we faced. But we did see a lot of great ball handling and a lot of great field awareness. Sam E. had our three goals and the last one was just an amazing left-footer that stayed low and took a fortuitous hop over the goalies hands. I also have to note the development Sam is showing in terms of his teamwork. During this session he has become very receptive to my requests that they all look for the opportunity to pass the ball inside and I see him now actively looking for that opportunity. His last goal in this game, that left-footer I mentioned, was actually off of a rebound from a shot by Elizabeth I think. Sam approached from the left side of the goal, passed the ball in, Elizabeth took the shot and then Sam fired the ball in after intercepting the rebound. It was, as in last week's game, a great team attack.

We had strong shots on goal from Elizabeth, Jackson and Austin, all of whom were working really hard to carry the ball in close. These three have a nicely contrasting dribbling style compared to Sam E. Sam is all about grace and anticipation combined with speed. He zig zags a lot and misdirects his opponents. Austin, Elizabeth and Jackson employ an equally effective style that I would describe as "shambling", like a running back who seems to always be running down hill. They don't run around defenders as much as they run through them and, to the defenders surprise, manage to take the ball with them. Austin is the best at this as he tends to run leaning forward, knees bent, with the ball under his body so that as he shoulders his way through defenders his feet are dragging the ball along with him. I saw all three of these kids make this strategy work for them in this game. Jackson, especially, played with more energy on offense than I have ever seen before and like Austin he surprised his opponents several times by crashing into them and then coming away with the ball. At one point he seemed to be containing the other team in their own goal area all by himself.

Another player who seems to be suddenly feeling her skills as a ball handler is Kendall and in this game she had her longest possessions ever. She runs well with the ball at her feet and does so while still knowing where the goal is. But she hasn't developed a way to get around opponents yet so in this game she repeatedly crossed the field laterally trying to find an end run around the other team. She was working hard. At one point I noticed that she was shying away from contesting for the ball in situations where it seemed the opponent was going to reach it first. Before the start of the last quarter I talked to her about that and asked her to keep going for the ball even when it seemed like the other guy was going to get their first. Late in that quarter the ball got loose in the open field toward the bench side and one of the opponent players was clearly closest to it but Kendall came streaking out of nowhere and with an authority she hadn't shown before she elbowed the other kid out of the way and took the ball. I had to hoot out loud at that! Kendall has always been a joy to coach because she's such a good teammate and so disciplined in practice and to see her start to loosen up now and be the player we've always thought she could be is just a thrill.

Sam A. had a great day except for a moment of distraction in as goalie, but he bounced right back from that and then made a great stop followed by a really good outlet pass. In fact, I was telling him to pass the ball out to his right but he refused to be hurried, looked around calmly and found Jackson open on the left and passed the ball out to him. Very good work there. Xavier had his turn in goal again too and played with such confidence that he felt he could afford to carry on a conversation with me about the show "Wipeout!" while keeping one eye on the ball. It was hilarious! He was asking me if I'd seen the show and did I watch it this week and all the while looking downfield tracking the ball. He was like an old pro. Xavier's partner in defense, Brennen, was playing like a pro too and again was blasting the ball out of our side over and over again just crushing the other team's chances of getting a clean shot. Coach Mike, Austin's dad, had said to our defenders at the start of the game "don't let it past this line" referring to the half-line. That's pretty much how it worked out as the Sharks kept the other team pinned in their own half for the majority of the game.

Finally, this is a big weekend for Luke as his sister Lilly is coming home. Lilly has been undergoing cancer treatments that require her to stay in the hospital for weeks at a time and Luke's parents, with help from grandparents and aunts and uncles, have been working so hard to make things as normal as possible for Luke while still huddling closely around Lilly. You can imagine how exhausting it's been and how joyful it must be to have Lilly coming home. The calm, determined bravery and faith that I've seen in Luke's mom and dad in dealing with this is inspiring. Chris, Luke's dad, told me once that he hoped to see Lilly out on the field playing too one day. I hope for that too. What a day that will be.


Those crazy Black Berries can beat anybody but themselves and in another one of their hilarious "own-goal" frenzies gave the other team a nice hat trick of freebies. The first, by Jagger, was such a good shot I actually had to cheer and congratulate Jag for it. Samuel was trying to bring the ball out of the corner but unfortunately decided to do so by coming across our goal. I had just shouted to Jagger to run in and cover on defense and when he came streaking in to the goal he intercepted the ball perfectly driving it into the net. Jag shook it off easily and went on to have a great game including a great goal at the other end. The Black Berries get into these own-goal situations because they possess the ball so dominantly. Repeatedly, they end up carrying the ball back across their own goal in an effort to circle the field (I've got to work with them on changing directions!) and come back around to the other team's half. Ultimately it's all good.

The other problem the Berries had was an epidemic of tripping over their own feet. Ethan, Jagger, Samuel and Ashley all missed chances at goals simply because they lost their footing at the wrong time. It was a funny and weird coincidence of clumsiness. Other than that they played with great energy and their usual precocious teamwork. The teamwork highlight of the day was the amazing work that Dominic was doing in getting to the goal while keeping his eye on the ball. Up until now we've had great work from most of the kids at one time or another in getting to the goal ahead of the ball but they always run to the goal looking forward and so when they get to their spot they have to turn and re-locate the ball. But yesterday Dominic was streaking down the field while watching the ball, wherever it was, like a wide receiver going downfield for a pass. When he reached the goal he was in position and focused on the ball, ready to shoot. It was amazing. I'm constantly amazed at what these kids, at their age, are capable of picking up and this skill, tracking the ball with their eyes while running downfield, just seems so beyond what most kids this age could do. But if Dominic could do it maybe the others can too so I made sure to point out his example to everyone else.

Dominic also had two great goals, a long shot that went in from about the half line and a beautiful shot off an assist from Samuel. On that one Dominic was running ahead of Samuel about ten yards directly in front of him so that when Samuel passed the ball Dominic had to be running toward the goal while looking over his shoulder for the ball. When the ball got to him he smartly stepped aside enough to let it pass him then followed it and drove it into the goal. Brilliant! Unfortunately on that play and Dominic's previous solo goal Carson felt that he was in position to take a shot too both times. Having multiple players in shooting position is a good problem to have.

Great work Black Berries! One more game to go this session. Thanks to Ashley's folks for getting the snack. Austin's folk's have the snack next week.

Sharks. Week Six. The Big Game.

I get to watch a lot of games and while every team has at least a couple of players with the drive and the basic skills to get to the goal few teams show much ability to play as a team. Perhaps I'm prejudiced but I think that the real strength of the Sharks is their team work. Of course we have a roster packed with talent and we don't have a single player who isn't really anxious to play but when the Sharks play as a team and attack the other side with just a little bit of organization they are like a wave that simply swamps the other goal, inevitably pushing the ball in for a score. They had three goals yesterday and worked hard for every one of them and earned their best win of the season.

Coach Reynolds' team is the best competition the Sharks face and the kids know it. Sam E. asked me as we were warming up "this is Nico's team isn't it?" I told them they needed to be tough as a team for this game and play their positions. Well, they did it as well as I could have hoped. On attack after attack they were spread out across the field moving the ball up and then containing the other team. I'd say we probably had control of the ball at least 60% of the game and by the end the blue team was clearly wearing down from all the chasing they had to do.

Coach Reynolds' team played hard and could easily have managed a tie if not for having one great shot go just wide of the goal and if not for the outstanding play in keeper that we had from Jackson, Elizabeth, Kendall and Xavier. Xavier especially made just a heroic stop in the last quarter on a ball that had bounced off his chest once then was put back at him on the rebound. On that second attempt he made the stop and then made a great outlet pass to get the ball out of our half. Kendall had her most aggressive turn in goal yet and although they managed to get two shots past her she probably stopped another five and on each of those she made great outlet throws. The big highlight of Kendall's game though was her great play in the field. She was patiently but forcefully trying to move with the ball through traffic and was managing to be in the right spot away from the ball over and over again. On one particular play she smartly broke away from the pack when the blue team got the ball and ran around the ball to get to the defensive side and block their progress. A wild kick from the blue player put the ball right on Kendall's nose but while she held her hand to her face and was clearly in some discomfort she charged on across the field to get after the ball and got right back in the scrum. That was a huge moment for Kendall and I'm sure her folks were very proud.

Jackson was also crazy good in goal and then in the field he quickly abandoned the position in defense I'd put him in and moved up to play that sweeper role that he loves. Only today, instead of mostly containing the ball for our other forwards he was charging the goal himself and had several great runs that culminated with strong shots on goal or good passes across the middle. When Brennan came in he followed Jackson's lead and pushed up from defense into sweeper and the result was one of the most beautiful goals I've seen. After bringing the ball into the left corner where one of his teammates could get it Brennan drifted toward the left post about six yards out. When the ball came free from that left corner and landed right at his feet Brennan let go a beautiful blast that just missed the left edge of the goal and banged hard off the wall and bounced out into the goalie area right in the center. Just as Brennan was taking his shot Austin started charging in toward the goal from the right midfield clearly seeing the play that was developing. When Brennan's shot rebounded Austin was right there to drive it into the net. The whole thing was poetry.

McKenzie, who I have to keep remembering has only just started playing, was having a great game. She charged into the thick of things repeatedly and had at least one good save on defense. She stopped the forward progress of blue players several times, getting the ball loose for us. I am so impressed with how she has jumped right in and played up to the level of the rest of the team. She seems to have very good instincts for where to play away from the ball and that's a valuable talent to have.

I was really happy with how much more patient all of the Sharks were in this game in their ball handling. Elizabeth, Jackson, Xavier, Austin and Kendall all had great runs where they kept the ball close and made a good effort to get around their opponent rather than just kick the ball away. One of Elizabeth's best runs looked like it was going to end in a goal for sure but the defender did a good job of elbowing her off the ball just enough so that she couldn't take the shot before the goalie came out for the ball. Sam E., of course, lead the way so far as the dribbling goes. He showed the blue team every move he has including his newly added step over move. I don't like that one so much but he thinks it's pretty cool. After taking a few shots from a bit far out Sam started trying to penetrate deeper and was able to get in position for some better shots. He strikes the ball with such authority and from such difficult angles it's a wonder he didn't score more often but he was facing his toughest competition of the session. And what is so great is how he and the rest of the team relished that competition. They knew they were playing Nico's team and they were excited about it. They wanted it.

The Sharks played to some tie games early in the session but those were against teams they should have beaten. On those days the Sharks simply got in their own way and didn't play well as a team. In this week's game they came together right from the kick-off and played with energy and discipline, all of them pointing their individual skills in the same direction. When they do that they are tough to beat.

Black Berries. Week Six.

At the start of the game the Black Berries had some trouble finding the right goal but once they got going in the right direction it was one goal after another. In the first quarter set Carson and Ashley were doing great work possessing the ball even if they did have some trouble getting it into the actual goal. When their group came back out in the third quarter they had settled down a bit and did a better job of controlling the ball in the goal area. They had great help from Eileen, Jagger and Austin. Eileen and Austin both were getting into the right spot and had chances on goal but couldn't connect. Jagger managed a couple of goals when he played with the other set in the fourth quarter. That other set featured Diego, Ethan, Dominic and Samuel and they were all three on fire in this game. After taking the ball straight to the goal for his own shots several times, Samuel began to patiently try to pass the ball in to his team mates. The result was a real barrage of goals as the Black Berries were constantly crashing into the goal like a wave.

Ethan was especially energetic in this game and in addition to his goals he did some great work getting back on defense and preventing the other team from even getting close to our goal. On the offensive side he was trying hard to be more patient and dribble in closer and he was much more aware of his teammates in this game than he has been.

Diego had a wonderful close-in shot where, after picking up the ball near midfield, he dribbled patiently around two defenders and then made a quick cut to his left to skirt the last defender. At that point he was only about two yards out. Having cut to his left he had to either circle around the ball to line up with his right foot or take the shot with his left foot. Most kids would have circled. Diego simply made a graceful little chop with his left foot and drove the ball home. He looked like a pro.

Dominic had the other real beauty of the day on a play where he came swooping in from the right midfield while Samuel brought the ball around the left perimeter. When Samuel passed the ball across the goal from the left Dominic was already charging in from the right and had a clear shot which he took great advantage of, driving the ball high into the net, a real blast!

These Black Berries are a really formidable group and I'm lucky to be coaching such an enthusiastic group. The quality of their play as a team, not just as individuals, is quite remarkable. You should all be proud of them. Thanks to Carson's mom for the snack. See you all next week.

Panthers. Continuous improvement.

In week four the Panthers got their first win and played beautifully doing it. The one area in which they showed the most improvement was in their passing and it wasn't in the quality of their passes that they improved but in the shear quantity. Over and over again the Panthers passed the ball from the walls to the middle at an angle toward the goal. This resulted in numerous good attempts on goal and two winners including a beautiful little dink from the left side by Alex. One of the toughest lessons to teach a young team is that in order to move the ball quickly up field they need to pass quickly even before they know they have a team mate in place to receive the pass. This is the beginning of playing in unison, anticipating each other's moves in the way that makes team sports so thrilling. We had tireless play in our win from everyone on the field but I want to single out Ryder C. and Dakota who probably put the most total miles in.

In week five the Panthers took a loss but their effort was still strong. And once again their strong suit was lots of purposeful passing. While Alex held down the defensive end for us and blasted some astounding clearing kicks Ryder C., Ryder, Ethan and Kyle penetrated toward the other goal repeatedly and had lots of good chances. The highlight of the game for me was an outlet punt from the other goalie that Ethan intercepted by very cleverly darting from one side of the field to the other while reading the goalies eyes the whole time. That is huge.

Great work Panthers!