On opening weekend I typically stay at the field all day both days and get to watch a lot of games. Everything went well this time around with only a few snags but after watching six hours of fairly fierce U10 competition Sunday in which there were a few blow-outs, some questionable sportsmanship and a lot of grumbling about the officiating I left the field feeling a bit burned out. U10 can be intense. Many of the kids are starting to really develop their skills and they have begun to relish the thrill of hard-fought games. They want to play hard and be played hard against. Their idea of "fun" is evolving at this point. That's all good but the intensity of it doesn't leave much space in the game for some of the goofy casualness that can make a U6 or U8 game so much fun. And you actually can see in the U12 games that as the kids mature further they get some of that casualness back. They realize that NKYA is rec soccer, not Champions League.
I saw some of that goofiness in the U8 Sharks game on a run that they made late in the third quarter. Sam and Austin were running up into the other side's half and Sam passed the ball up to Austin. He made a great touch to control the ball which Sam had sent his way with a little too much zip on it. Sam was so impressed with the way Austin casually settled the ball that he just started laughing as he ran up and as he closed in on Austin he started talking to him about that great stop, just ignoring the rest of the game, like he and Austin were the only two kids out there. Like two good friends just out playing around.
There was a lot of that sort of thing in this first U8 Sharks game and I like that. They stayed relaxed enough to actually have fun and to actually test their skills without being in a panic. Aiden, Addie and Zach are kids who always show in practice that they have the basic ball skills to play but then they tend to get a little stiff in the games. Not yesterday. I saw each of them flexing their muscles a bit and showing more confidence in their own abilities. Zach was a real revelation, the way he was streaking into the action and coming out with the ball.
Elizabeth showed up and was ready to go this time. She tried to stay on the bench in the first quarter but I told her that if Sam, Austin and Jackson were going out she had to go out too. Well, that's all it took. Bigger field, bigger kids, it's still just soccer and that's what Elizabeth is in for. Jackson is still looking to quarterback the game, just like in U6. He created a few great opportunities by getting his back to the opposition goal then trying to receive the ball so that he could distribute to a teammate. Unfortunately he and Sam E. haven't quite got their spacing worked out yet so there was frequently confusion as to who should be taking the ball. They'll work that out as we go but his instincts are still right on. Putting himself in that position where his body language clearly says 'I want the ball' is so huge.
Sam A. needed this game to get warmed up to the new situation but by the end he was his old self and was tough as nails in as goalie in the end. I was hesitant about letting him and Jackson play keeper yet but Sam seemed to really need to get back in that familiar position to get relaxed. His instincts were right too.
Nathan did great work in as keeper for us and was hilarious at the same time. He made sure to check with me and Coach Ben after every stop he made, looking over to the bench to get our approval then kind of diving back into the game. He's much more focused and ahead of the action in that spot than he is when playing out in the field but if we can get him to bring that focus with him to the midfield position he'll be a huge help since he has such a big kick. He and Jaden did some good work together in defense in the last quarter. Jaden is relentless and that's what you need in a defender.
Finally, I'm thrilled with the trio of experienced players we have to lead this team. Conner, Kaleb and Owen did great work the whole game, taking charge of the middle and allowing the little guys to attack. All three of them are surefooted and can boom it when they need to. Conner has all the speed and toughness you could want plus some superb ball skills. He was our most consistent scoring threat and is a kid who always wants the ball. Kaleb has speed and power and of course is a shutout keeper. Then there's Owen, who makes up for his lack of speed by having good anticipation and (if you're on the other team) annoyingly sticky feet. He was really possessing the ball well in that game. That was a really fun game and I can't wait to get back on the field next Sunday. Thanks for showing up early for that little bit of practice. I'll let everyone know if we get another opportunity like that.
The U6 Sharks were simply awesome. The last player added to the roster was Luke Zumbiel. His dad, Ed, and I have played soccer together quite a bit. When Ed saw Samuel and Diego connect for a goal on a free kick, like Beckham crossing one in to Donovan, he asked me with amazement "do they do that a lot?" Well, yeah. They're the Sharks.
At the start of the game I pulled the Sharks together and introduced the new players then I said to all of them "Sam, Austin, Jackson and Elizabeth are playing on another team now. Now it's your time. You gotta work together. You gotta look around and know where you are." Man, did they ever. Trey played great in the field, leading the offense when our new all girl trio of Abby, Ashley and Ava were in. He was showing the kind of great anticipation that let's you play faster than your running speed. Ashley is a natural with the ball at her feet and shoots well off either side. I expect her to be a constant threat to score. Abby was a great surprise and was really focused on the game and very involved. I was happy to see the way she and Ashley worked together, maintaining some good spacing most of the time.
Ava is perhaps the most intensely focused player I've ever coached. So much so that she has a bit of tunnel vision for the ball and that is hurting her right now. She plays great defense because she aggressively attacks the ball but on offense she gets stuck fighting her own teammates. I know that for Ava it's just more game time that she needs. The more she plays the more she'll be able to look up a bit and know where she is as she attacks.
The kungfu/soccer highlight of the game was Jagger doing a kind of barrel roll after being tripped then popping right up into a dead run with the ball. He then drove into the corner with the ball and made a kind of whirling-dervish move to get clear of the defenders before attempting a shot from the left side. I love that. You see players who are very graceful and use fancy footwork to dance the ball through the defense, players like Sam E.. Then there are kids like Diego, Austin, Elizabeth and now Jagger who just keep the ball stuck at their feet as they stumble through the defenders. They sort of shamble and ramble and come out on the other side with the ball, often leaving the defense in a heap. That's how Diego got his first goal of the game, with one of those signature zig-zag walks through the defense for a tap in from right in front of the keeper.
I know we're going to see some great soccer from this group and probably a lot of very rapid improvement too as they all get their turn to step up and take the lead.
The U6 Polar Bears were back and better than ever with some new teammates and a new intensity that I really like. They played flat-out hard for me the whole game. Micah was the revelation of the game. With Ava and Carson playing on other teams, Micah had the space to posses the ball and go with it. His run to the goal along the spectator side early in the game was fantastic. He blitzed through the defense then made a right turn to the goal and then took a shot from a really shallow angle but was this close to putting it in the net. He hit that shot with authority too. I wish I had that one on tape because it was beautiful.
Micah got a lot of help from his returning teammates, including Zychick, who was as solid as ever in at keeper. We also gained a very energetic trio of players in Jackson, Cole and Derron. They all played very aggressive on the attack and Jackson was especially tenacious. I expect a lot of shots on goal for him.
The Polar Bears were also joined by Kalib and Joshua, both relatively new to the game, but both getting off to good starts. Eileen and Delaney round out the squad and they played very well, although in very discreet bursts.
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