U8 Sharks Week Two. Scoring Frenzy!

      Late in the third quarter of the Sharks' game Elizabeth got to a loose ball in the midfield then carried it down along the left wall into the corner.  When that ball came loose initially she had yelled out repeatedly "I got it! I got it!" Then when she got down into the corner she started yelling something else.  She was loud enough but I couldn't quite make out what she was saying.  Then she did a quick cut move to get free of the defender and quickly shot the ball across field into the goal area.  Zachary was there waiting and easily put the ball in the net.  He told me later that he almost missed it because the ball was high enough for a moment that he might have headed it in and so he hesitated.  But then he moved into position to catch it on his foot and take the easy shot.  As they were running back to the circle for the kick-off I asked Elizabeth what she had been shouting down there in the corner.  With a slightly embarrassed look on her face she said "get in the middle.  I was saying get in the middle."  What can you say to that but "wow".  Our six year old point guard running the floor for the team.
     Elizabeth ended up with three goals I think.  Zachary had at least two and was playing with so much energy up and down the field that he really set the tone for us.  Jackson had a couple too and Sam was the model of patient, confident ball control.   He isn't perturbed by elbows and contact and  he seems to have learned that working in close on the defender has advantages. 
     Everyone played so well and showed so much good fundamental skill.  I couldn't have been happier.  Lillian and McKenzie were both taking huge strides this game in their confidence and intensity level.  Wyatt was still kicking it away too quickly sometimes but he was so solid in at keeper for us in the one quarter where the opposition managed their most sustained attack.  Tyler had another great game too, again taking big strides in the development of his basic control skills. 
     One last story from this game.  On another run down the left wall Elizabeth had just one defender between her and the goalie.  By the time she closed on the defender she was up to full speed but with the ball totally in control, just a step in front of her.  Now I'm always encouraging the kids to use a move in any one-on-one situation.  Commit to trying some deceptive step or trick to get around the defender.  Don't just rely on your speed or a strong kick.  In this particular instance Elizabeth's move, and it was perfect, was to do nothing.  With the ball right in front of her, running at nearly full speed, she didn't seem to do anything more than just think about making a cut to her right into the center of the field.  The defender picked up on some subtle hint in her posture that she might do that and so he leaned just a bit to his left toward the center of the field and then he was frozen as, without altering her path at all, Elizabeth zoomed by him on his right then into the goal.  It was like she faked him out by simply staying cool.