Carter of the U4 Tigers got fully into the game this week and left his first-game shyness behind. I love to see that, when a kid forgets their apprehensions and goes chasing after the other kids and the ball. Almost every new player comes onto the field feeling uncertain about the whole thing. They don't know the other kids or the other parents who are all watching them now. It makes them tense. But what sets them free from all that is when they give in to the allure of the game, when they forget everything else and just play. Like dogs playing in a park they forget their territorial issues ("i want to use my ball"... "he bumped me"... "she said ... to me") when they see the opportunity to run together.
The Tigers played very well overall and they had an especially good pre-game practice. We worked on some simple change-of-direction moves and that's what we'll keep working on as the foundation for developing better ball control. So, you'll probably see us repeating the same drills at every practice for a while.
The other team had a couple of strong players so the Tigers were getting challenged throughout. Austin and Bennett responded to that challenge by working to get back quickly on defense whenever the other team broke through and never conceding. That's a little thing, not as flashy as a good move or shot on goal, but definitely very important. I still have lots of kids in U8 and even U10 who act as though once the ball is past them they're out of the game.
The Thunder Bears and Sharks met Saturday morning. I wasn't very happy with the game as a whole and I feel like I probably didn't handle it in the best way. I should have arranged with Coach Mike prior to the game to have him take over the Sharks completely so that I could focus on the Thunder Bears. The Bears seemed tentative and confused at times and I'm afraid it might have something to do with the fact that they were seeing me on the other side of the field. Some of the players I would normally expect an energetic performance from, like Carson and Ashley, were having trouble just getting into the game and seemed to be always a step behind. These teams will meet two more times and on those days I will be sure the Bears know that I'm with them and that it's okay to go for it and play all out. One highlight of the game was the keeper play of Logan. He covered the position well and seemed unconcerned about who he was facing. Eileen came in and played some good keeper too. In the last quarter Jackson stepped over from the Sharks to help the Bears in keeper and that was great of him. He's a real sport. He played well but I had to rib him a bit when Elizabeth scored on him.
The Sharks played like sharks, as usual. Their attack is organized and patient but then lightning fast when the opening appears. Highlights after the break.
In that first game against the Bears the Sharks came out firing and managed some very organized play. I had Elizabeth in as the leader that first quarter and she stole the show. You heard that booming kick a couple of times. She had Samuel helping her out and he played as smartly as ever although I think he was getting a bit frustrated that he didn't get the ball more. Diego played really well in both games and was showing improvement in terms of his discipline in looking around to see where his teammates are and where he should be headed. Jagger and Trey both played with a lot of energy but are still playing a bit wildly.
The best moments of the game were on two goals put in by Austin and Sam. They both sensed that the games were out of hand and that the keepers for the Bears were over matched, especially when little Eileen was in there and they both clearly modified their approach accordingly. They still scored but they did so with more delicate, finesse shots. Austin's was a beautiful little chip that actually went over some of the defenders and on Sam's you could see him pause and hold off on blasting one. Instead he took one more step to his left then tapped an easy one into the open half of the goal. Both lovely shots.
Alright Bears, we'll do better next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment