Week Four. Why They Are Called the Sharks.

     I was thinking about what we saw from the Sharks Sunday and I recalled writing something a year ago about the team's signature style. 

 I would describe that "style" in one word: "fearless".  You'd assume that by fearless I meant their willingness to crash into other players for the sake of getting the ball.  Certainly every player on the team  has that quality.   But what I'm thinking of is a fearlessness when trying new things, when daring to use a new move or learn some new skill or trusting your teammate to play his position while you play yours.  In short, they don't fear failure.  They take chances and risk stumbling over their own attempts to expand their skills all for the sake of getting better at the game they love, and it seems that for them, for these ... players, that has always been their natural attitude.   If the Sharks have a style it is "fearlessness" and the foundation of that style is joy.

      The team roster has changed some since then but not the style and yesterday we were all treated to a joyful display of beautiful soccer.  This wasn't a runaway scoring romp either.  The Sharks managed four goals to the other side's one and the other team played hard, pressing us physically at every point.  Sam A., Jackson, Brandon and Wyatt put in our goals and they were each beauties.  But the overall quality of the game was the way our players built, minute by minute and move upon move to a crescendo of fearless, creative, exuberant play.  Watching from the bench I was flabbergasted over and over.  Sam put in the first goal after gracefully negotiating the traffic.  Then it was Jackson putting one in after zig-zagging through the other team's entire defense.  Brandon got number three for us, finally trusting himself to keep the ball close and dribble in for a shot.  Then last came Wyatt, who had played so beautifully all game, including throwing in a jaw-dropping scissor move.  Wyatt dashed across the goal area to his left chasing a loose ball and caught it just as it was leaving the box.  He ripped it, left footed, right out of the air.  Luckily no one was hurt!  What a rocket!  At that point on the bench it felt like we were at a rock concert.  The team went crazy! 
     And those were just the goals!  Everybody played so well and with so much energy.  I don't want to go on too long but I do want to mention a few other highlights. First what about Samuel and the great runs he made?  And the great defense he played?  His tackle step is really kung-fu like in its precision and I've asked the rest of the team to take note.  And how about Lillian?!  She was fierce in this game. What a game!

Week Four. Saturday Ups and Downs and Ups.

     The weekend got off to a great start with the U4 team.  I wanted early on in this game to work with some of our players on staying more focused on the game, to extend the amount of time that they stay really engaged.  It's something you can only build on incrementally, I just want to be sure I'm always paying attention myself to where each kid is in this process.  So,  I told the team at one point that the ancient kung-fu secret of great soccer was to never take your eyes off the ball.  One of my repeated themes with every team is that if you use your eyes to really see what's going on your brain will know what to do, so keep your eyes on the ball.  Well it usually works but Dakota was a hilarious exception to that in this game.  In the third quarter he was about five yards out from our goal when a player on the other team got possession and started to move toward Dakota to get to the goal.  Dakota had his eyes on the ball.  So firmly on the ball that in order to continue to have a good look at it as the other kid approached Dakota made a little step to one side to make a path for the kid, all the while keeping his head down and eyes focused on the ball.  He dutifully watched it all the way into the net.  I said "hey, Dakota?" and kind of held up my hands in a "what was that" gesture.  The look on his face made it clear that he was actually expecting my approval since he had really, really kept his eyes on the ball!  Later on he nearly had a goal and he probably had his best game yet in terms of being actively engaged, even as he took moments out here and there to talk to me about his dogs at home.
     And that's how it is with the little ones.  They're in the game then they're out of it and you just take what you can get and let them feel their way, slowly building experience on experience.  When they are anxiously talking to me about other things, like what they'll be doing later in the day, I don't necessarily consider that distracting.  Often when the little kids are functioning at a really high level, like their caffeine and sugar are balanced just right (you know the feeling), they can focus on more than one thing at once or just bounce easily in and out of being focused on different things.  I'd always rather have them like that than in a mood where they just want to shut down and nothing shuts them down faster than pushing them at the wrong time.  Patience.
     It was a really good game overall with lots of good skill in play from both teams.  Diego and Will managed goals and so did Caroline.  Isabelle didn't manage a goal but she certainly did manage to get in the right position a couple of times, breaking out of the pack to cross to the goal when her teammates were pushing the ball to a corner.  Excellent instincts there.  Her brother Samuel was like that at the start too and I expect that before long she'll be the same sort of goal-hunting ball hog.  I love ball hogs!

     The U6 teams had strangely opposite sorts of games.  The Lions played first and they were just weirdly out of it the whole game.  Chris and I couldn't make sense of it and after the first quarter we backed-off on trying to motivate them to play harder.  Sometimes when they are playing tentatively you know you can motivate them to get into the game and get past their hesitancy but in this game it just felt like they weren't going to be talked out of it so we just let them play.  Ava and William were all in and they played with great energy but everyone else seemed clearly to be saving their energy for something else.  Oh well.
    The Bats, on the other hand, were full of energy and they played with a lot of discipline too.   By "playing with discipline" in this case I mean that most of the Bats were playing with good awareness of where they were on the field and where their teammates were.  We still had plenty of incidences where they got into each others way but they are improving as a team.  Ava sets the standard in this regard.  She hasn't developed the slashing/penetrating style of play that you see from Ashley, Haley and Maddox (and now Luke E. too), where they just crash into the crowd to take the ball to goal, but Ava has always had the best sense of the field and how to use/play in it of any of the kids in this group.  Anticipation comes to her naturally and you saw that Saturday in a couple of instances where she dashed out of the midfield into the goal box because she could see that things were developing in a certain way.  She was anticipating that the ball might come loose in the middle and she ran in to take advantage.  She didn't get the goal she was working for, missing on one shot just a bit to the right.
     Late in the game I tried setting some of the other players up to play on only one half of the field, hoping that that would help them to start to see the field the way Ava does.  I think it did help and I saw signs of better off-the-ball play.  I don't generally like to talk to them about playing a position.  Rather I talk to them about getting in the habit of looking around and knowing where the ball is and where their teammates are.  I won't discourage kids from going aggressively after the ball but I do try to get them to start thinking about where the ball is and where they are and to ask themselves "is running to the ball the best thing to do here?"  Some things, like dribbling technique, I can teach them, but getting the feel for the field space and how to use it/play in it is a problem they sort of have to solve on their own.  I'll try again next week to get them to keep working on this. 

Week Three.

     The snow on Saturday morning made for a strange situation.  When I got up to head to the field at about 7:30 the roads were fine but then it started coming down hard.  As game time approached it became obvious that the snow was going to make driving difficult in some areas.  It was too late for me to officially cancel the games but I certainly wasn't surprised when so few people showed up.  We'll add a game onto the end of the session to make up for the lost day.

     Some players did show up though so we made the best of it.  Most of the U4 team was there so after a long practice session we played a quick game against the few players that Coach Niemeyer had on hand.  It was fun and the kids played well.  Will Z. was showing some great skills and heads-up play.  He always gives me a funny look when practicing, as though he's not sure that he's really interested in learning whatever skill I'm working with them on.  But then in the games he always demonstrates so much skill and real touch on the ball.  He made a couple of cut moves Saturday that were just amazingly sharp.
     E.J. had a heck of a game too.  He played with great energy straight through and was very determined to possess the ball.  At one point I talked to him about trying to play with his arms down and to make himself "skinny" when trying to get through a crowd to the ball.  He took me at my word and began to play with his arms and hands plastered to his side!

     The Bats had just enough players this week due to the snow but they made the best of it and no one complained about not getting a rest.  Ashley was at it again, possessing the ball and making run after run at the goal.  She had lots of help this week from Haley too, who was getting into good position repeatedly.  Despite their efforts I don't think we managed a goal.  The highlight of the game was really the defense the team played as a whole against a very strong opponent.  Coach Durik's team is very disciplined at possessing the ball and using their skills so they were pounding shots at us all game.  But the Bats held them off, only giving up three but rejecting more that twice that many.      
     Abby had a fantastic game in at keeper taking two quarters for us.  At one point she got a bit flustered as she tried to throw the ball out to Ashley while the other team was marking Ashley very closely.  I took a moment to point out to Abby that the other kids were running to get in front of Ashley because they could see where Abby's eyes were looking, "so you've got to try to trick them with your eyes" I said.  The next chance she got she did just that.  She looked at Ashley and then as two players on the other team sprinted to cut that path off Abby turned quickly and passed the ball out to Haley.  She was so tickled with how that worked she actually started laughing.
     Henry was part of that good defense too and gave us our most consistent period of attack by virtue of the great punts he was sending out.  Those long kicks of his gave Ashley, Abby and Haley some of their best attacking opportunities.  Micah and Zoe had great games too with some very good ball control and energetic defense.

     The Lions consisted of Jagger, Eileen, Ava B. and Diego this week.  They were undeterred and played valiantly to a 1-1 tie.  Diego was tireless and he and Jagger were trying to get their passing game going again.  Ava was fantastic this week and she had one "close out" that was jaw dropping.  She and another player were both headed to the ball as it bounced off one wall.  Ava got there just a step ahead and she used that bit of a lead to get her body turned and in between the other player and the ball "closing out" the ball so that the opponent couldn't touch it.  Once she gets going she definitely has the desire to be a real player.  I could teach players that sort of "closing" technique but if they don't really want the ball they won't use it.  Ava figured out that move on her own, or rather it came to her naturally, instinctively, because she wants the ball.

     Elizabeth was out this week and I figured that would give some of the other Sharks a chance to "run point".  The truth is that most games our offense really runs through Elizabeth even if she doesn't get any goals.  She possess the ball, calls out for players to get in position or to send her a pass and generally sets the tempo and tone for the team.   As grateful as I am to have Elizabeth setting such a great example it was very nice to see how well the team adapted in her absence.  Ryder, Sam, Jackson, Wyatt and Zach all got their chance to play that point position and control the attack for us and they each did very well.  Ryder does so at a frenetic pace, always looking like he's running down hill toward the goal.  Wyatt has that quality too.  You can tell that they love the feel of being up to full speed, like they're flying.  Zach's thing is speed too but you can also see him throwing in just a slight hesitation move when he faces a defender.  Just a little change of speed to throw them off then he's zigging off to one side to get clear.  Sam and Jackson were relying more on a deft touch than on speed and I like that.  Speed doesn't work forever.  Samuel and Tyler were using their ever developing skills too, making a strong effort to just possess the ball for as long as possible.  Lilly had a good game coming back from a cold last week and McKenzie looked good for a lot of the game too, if she could just stop worrying about her hair!
     We had goals from Sam A., Samuel, Ryder, Brandon, Wyatt and Jackson.  Braden was great during his stint in goal too.  The outcome was lopsided but I'm happy to say that the Sharks just played better, with more skill and desire, not with more muscle.  They set a good example for the league that way.

     The Titans came very close to hanging even with the best team in the division.  You saw how well disciplined Coach Cook's team is in terms of ball skill, soft touch and organization.  They possess the ball easily and they see opportunities and act on them quickly.  They had some very good goals off shots from in-traffic but their most impressive shots were those that came on fast breaks as those are the ones that show their conditioning and their ability to anticipate how their defensive play will suddenly turn into scoring opportunities.  The Titans responded well, especially when we got Justin out of the goal and onto the field.  His energy level really changes the way the other team has to play defense.  Drew had a huge game too and the other team was definitely impressed with his skills.  He had several beautiful runs where he showed amazing control and creativity, feinting right then going left with a deft touch that kept the ball just out of the opponent's reach while still in his control.  His last goal of the game was especially impressive in that he seemed to just will his way to the goal in a very impressive individual effort.
     Morgan and Karah had great games, playing with everything they had energy wise.  Owen did some very solid work in keeper for us as did Will and both of them had their flashes of brilliance on the field too.  Danielle played with a lot of energy and was very committed to playing some good defense.   Kailey and Michael-Michelle have improved dramatically since they started and yesterday they played with great energy.  I see improvement from them every week and they should be proud of the effort they are making.  Pretty good game Titans.

Week Two.

I'm glad I finished with the U4 team picture in time to get back on the field for the Lion's last quarter.  I was really amazed at the huge steps all the players are taking.  Ava B. was totally in the game.  William managed a goal.  Jackson was controlling the ball.  And Jagger and Diego!  They were talking to each other and executing passes.  I was blown away by how casually they were cooperating, as though they'd done that for years. 

The Bats played well too with strong efforts from everyone.  I saw so much good ball control, so much heads-up play and so much cool-headed play from everyone.  The highlight of course was the sudden arrival of Ashley as a goal scoring threat.  She beat defenders straight-up over and over through the game and I think she's clearly had a kind of realization that with her skills she can get around anyone.  I'm surprised she only scored one goal.  Ashley is always very disciplined in practice, working hard to learn new skills.  But in games she's not always willing to test those skills.  In this game that hesitation fell away and she just used everything she had: pull-backs, step overs, change of direction and speed.  Just fantastic!
Maddox and Ava each had goals too.  Maddox's was a beauty from the corner as he bowled past defenders and Ava's was a beautiful shot from dead center of the goal box.  She got there by using that soft touch to control the ball and get into position.  Just a great game against a tough opponent.  Good work in there at keeper too Luke Z.

The Sharks played beautifully and their game featured a sort of debut too.  Like Ashley, Wyatt is a diligent practice player.  He likes to get it right.  But then in games he has tended to fall back on his old reliable blast kick rather than put those ball control skills to work.  Not this week.  This week he played with speed and grace and creativity, using the moves he's been working on in his practices to amazing affect.  He had one goal and was joined in the scoring by Ryder (he's so fast it's crazy), Zach and Jackson.  Jackson was looking good again with those skills but he needed a beautiful assist from Elizabeth to get his goal.  Sam should have had a goal with all the great dribbling he did.  He plays with a real gift for slipping past defenders without making contact.  He knows how to get skinny.
We saw great ball control and patience from everyone and I was really happy to see the effort the Sharks made to stick to our game plan for this game:  Keep your head up, find the open space before you give the ball up.  Braden bought in completely and had some great runs, keeping the ball right at his feet.  They were very strong this week and I hope we can keep steadily improving.

Winter Session: Week One for the Sharks.

     With at least one other "Sharks" team in the division Coach Sharon dubbed our kids the Great White Sharks.  And why not.  They certainly look like the alpha predators.  They play with calm situational awareness most of the time but they can play in an energetic frenzy when necessary.  With the new combination of players we have and the fact that everyone had to share minutes there was some over-anxious play on the field.  A little too much ball chasing.  But overall it was a great game with plenty of the controlled and confident type of play we strive for.
     We are joined by some returning players this session.  Ryder, who usually plays up a group is playing with us and he's a great addition.  I look forward to seeing what he and Elizabeth can do together on the attack.  I don't normally work on any sort of passing strategy with the players (or any strategy at all, for that matter!) but Elizabeth is so good at communicating with her teammates and Ryder has such good peripheral vision and such a sound kick that I expect these two to team up frequently in a combination attack.  Perhaps we will work on a little bit of give-and-go and overlapping if we get the chance.
     Brandon and Braden are also back with us.  They both played on those very early Sharks teams when we had to separate the Goofball team from the real Sharks team.  It was great to have them back and they both played very well with tremendous energy.
     We had a goal from Elizabeth and two from Ryder.  We also got to see some amazing work from Jackson on two runs where he dribbled through some very tight traffic then got off a good quick shot.  No goals but the foot work was really amazing.  He's not the fastest kid on the field but when you get in close to the goal where defenders are forced to play with their back up against it you can make the congestion of the penalty area an advantage if you know how to keep the ball stuck to your feet and Jackson was doing that Sunday. 

Winter Session: Week One for U6

     For the U6 teams the schedule worked out perfectly with a session start playing each other.  Both teams remained committed throughout the game to the sort of quality play we want to see.  I saw a lot of ball control on first touches and in dribbling, a lot of clever ball movement, and a lot of thoughtful play off the ball as well.  With that observation I should take a moment to clarify again what I'll be looking for the players to be working on this session as in every session.

     When I mention "first touch" you should think of situations where a loose ball comes bouncing to one of our players and they have to get control of it somehow.  At first for most players their instinct is to just kick at the ball.  Where we try to go from there is to first teach them some basic techniques for trapping the ball, catching it with their feet or bodies and getting it settled at their feet.  Then we are working on getting them to be thoughtful about their next step, to anticipate what to do with the ball once it's trapped.  I think most of the kids on both rosters are at a point where they can be trusted to trap the ball, make a good first touch, rather than kick it away.  And now I'm seeing the development of that next level of play moving like a wave through the roster too.  This past Saturday we saw some great examples of players making smooth traps to control the ball while already anticipating their next step, their get-away step.  Maddox had a couple of brilliant moments like that where he made a quick trap of the ball and then looked up to find the right direction to go, eluding the first opponent who got to him.  With Diego and to some extent Ava, Abby and Ashley, you can even see players who are learning to make a little hesitation move part of that get-away step.  More than once in this game I saw Diego trap the ball then hold it under one toe waiting for the nearest opponent to make a decisive move to the ball.  Watching them out of the corner of his eye he'd hold the ball till they took that step then make a quick pull-back move to leave them behind.  Beautiful, clever and startlingly competent for one so young! 
     Another thing we work on in practice is trying to develop good habits of posture both away from and over the ball.  Too many kids play with a very upright and stiff posture so we work on getting them to be in a flexible "ready" position when away from the ball, like a baseball infielder, and to be in a low position when they have the ball.  Knees bent, butt down, shoulders over the ball.  The great practitioner of that skill so far is Jagger who demonstrated repeatedly this past week his ability to trap and possess the ball in a way that resembles a basketball player's "box-out" technique.  I saw Jagger several times get to a loose ball then step over it, taking possession and immediately getting his body between his opponent and the ball.  It's simple, it's tenacious and it is the perfect technical demonstration of that attitude we want all the kids to have..."it's my ball."  Hailey's got a good version of this same box-out move as does Micah and all three are rapidly developing their peripheral vision, allowing them to establish possession then find the right get-away direction.
     It was great to have Luke E. joining us, a very energetic player with a lot of confidence in his skills.  And I was very happy with everyone else too.  Ava B. was fully engaged in the game as was William.  We are fortunate to have a core group of players who already have that killer instinct to get the ball and find the goal.  They set a great example for our other players who have a great work ethic in practice but still need to get that in-game feeling of playing with a purpose and with real intensity.  Overall the progress is wonderful to see and I'm thrilled to continue working with these great kids.

Last Week of Fall Indoor.

Sorry to just be getting around to this now but with the session ending right before Christmas I didn't have any spare time for blogging.  The session went really well for all of the teams and I saw lots of steady improvement from everyone and even some remarkably fast improvement from some.  Here's a little video of the Midnight Bats in action that gives you a good sense of what I'm working on with all of my teams all the time: solid fundamental skills and field awareness.  You'll hear me asking them on the field "where should you be?" or "what is happening next?"  I'm trying to get them to always be thinking ahead a bit, to anticipate rather than always just reacting.  In the video you can see most of the kids doing that.  There's one great moment near the end (at about 4:30)  where you see Micah trap the ball with one foot then look up to find his teammates.  Good stuff.  And at about 1:10 you see Ashley making a perfect pull-back move without hesitation and doing it in just the right context where it is really effective.



I didn't get to see the Lions play but Coach Chris told me they had a great game too.  The Sharks had a rough time of it on Sunday, at least score wise, though they did play really well and I was very pleased with some of what I saw going on.  In particular I'd note the game Tyler had.  There was one moment where he got possession of the ball and basically boxed the opponent off of it for a good five seconds, just keeping his body between the ball and the other player.  In the end he lost the ball but the fact that he was confident enough to try that was huge and I see that sort of confidence from all of the Sharks now.  They'll get their wins.