Friday, October 28, 2011
Game 10/29/11
Good luck in your game tomorrow guys. Do like you've been doing in practice and you'll be awesome!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friendly recap 9/24
First I want to thank everyone that came out to our friendly match last Saturday. I realize that it wasn't as friendly as we would have liked and the unsportsmanlike play by the other team was as frustrating for me as it was for the players. However, I did see improvements in our play overall. Here's what I think we did well:
1)Passing up front - our forwards and midfielders did much better passing up front to try and create shots on goal.
2)Taking shots - we scored 5 goals this game and that's because we were willing to take shots on goal when the opportunity presented itself.
3)Covering the center of the field - We forced the other team to take a lot of shots from the edge which is what I want to see. They just happened to have a really good shooter on the team that can make those tough shots
As always, there is room for improvement and here's what we'll be working on this week.
1)Maintaining position in the middle of the field and on defense - I did see some improvement in this area but it still needs work. I will be stressing this the rest of the season
2)Getting to the ball - We were caught standing still quite a few times and we let the other team dribble forward without being challenged to many times. We need to get to the ball quicker both on offense and defense
3)Communication - Will still need to talk to each other on the field. That means letting each other know who the pass is going to. We lost a lot of passes in the middle because we didn't know who the pass was going to.
I'm pleased with the way our players handled the rough play by the other team. I know it's frustrating but you continued to play a clean game. Let's keep up the hard work and continue to improve as a team.
Coach Gaetano
1)Passing up front - our forwards and midfielders did much better passing up front to try and create shots on goal.
2)Taking shots - we scored 5 goals this game and that's because we were willing to take shots on goal when the opportunity presented itself.
3)Covering the center of the field - We forced the other team to take a lot of shots from the edge which is what I want to see. They just happened to have a really good shooter on the team that can make those tough shots
As always, there is room for improvement and here's what we'll be working on this week.
1)Maintaining position in the middle of the field and on defense - I did see some improvement in this area but it still needs work. I will be stressing this the rest of the season
2)Getting to the ball - We were caught standing still quite a few times and we let the other team dribble forward without being challenged to many times. We need to get to the ball quicker both on offense and defense
3)Communication - Will still need to talk to each other on the field. That means letting each other know who the pass is going to. We lost a lot of passes in the middle because we didn't know who the pass was going to.
I'm pleased with the way our players handled the rough play by the other team. I know it's frustrating but you continued to play a clean game. Let's keep up the hard work and continue to improve as a team.
Coach Gaetano
Saturday, September 17, 2011
9/17/11 Game Discussion
Summary:
Result: 0-8
Full team except Ko who had an allergic reaction just prior to game time which prevented him from playing.
Please take part in the discussion by posting your thoughts and concerns in the comment section below, thanks!
Anton's thoughts:
I was encouraged by the way we played in the second half and I think that we can learn a lot by thinking about how the other team played; how they passed, took shots, stayed open for passes and in position and marked us well each time we had an opportunity to score. Somebody mentioned that this is not their first year together and, as I said last week, that makes such a huge difference. Even with those factors in their favor, however, we still had several great advances that almost resulted in goals.
It will be really fun to see the team develop over the next couple of months because we'll get to see these teams again and we'll be able to measure our improvements by how well those games go. I'm optimistic that we'll surprise them the next time we play. But in order for us to turn it around next time we all have to focus on what needs to be done. If you get the chance at all during the season watch some professional soccer. Watch a Sounders game or even some clips and pay particular attention to how much space is in between team mates, the technique they use to pass the ball or strike it for a shot and how they defend an attack.
I heard several of the players exclaim at the other team' powerful kicks and long shots. Don't psych yourselves out and start thinking that they can do things that you cannot, I promise you that with the right technique each and every Shark can take a shot from 20 yards out and put it on goal. Furthermore, now that we've all seen it, I'm going to expect that all of you want to be able to do that and will work hard and focus during practices to make it happen.
Everybody on the team (players and parents both) has maintained an excellent attitude through a tough start to the season and that so important and very much appreciated. That outlook makes it much more fun for everybody and before we know it, with that kind of attitude, we'll be enjoying some wins on top of the fun we're having playing this awesome game.
Result: 0-8
Full team except Ko who had an allergic reaction just prior to game time which prevented him from playing.
Please take part in the discussion by posting your thoughts and concerns in the comment section below, thanks!
Anton's thoughts:
I was encouraged by the way we played in the second half and I think that we can learn a lot by thinking about how the other team played; how they passed, took shots, stayed open for passes and in position and marked us well each time we had an opportunity to score. Somebody mentioned that this is not their first year together and, as I said last week, that makes such a huge difference. Even with those factors in their favor, however, we still had several great advances that almost resulted in goals.
It will be really fun to see the team develop over the next couple of months because we'll get to see these teams again and we'll be able to measure our improvements by how well those games go. I'm optimistic that we'll surprise them the next time we play. But in order for us to turn it around next time we all have to focus on what needs to be done. If you get the chance at all during the season watch some professional soccer. Watch a Sounders game or even some clips and pay particular attention to how much space is in between team mates, the technique they use to pass the ball or strike it for a shot and how they defend an attack.
I heard several of the players exclaim at the other team' powerful kicks and long shots. Don't psych yourselves out and start thinking that they can do things that you cannot, I promise you that with the right technique each and every Shark can take a shot from 20 yards out and put it on goal. Furthermore, now that we've all seen it, I'm going to expect that all of you want to be able to do that and will work hard and focus during practices to make it happen.
Everybody on the team (players and parents both) has maintained an excellent attitude through a tough start to the season and that so important and very much appreciated. That outlook makes it much more fun for everybody and before we know it, with that kind of attitude, we'll be enjoying some wins on top of the fun we're having playing this awesome game.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Practice Discussions
Our team has been making great progress so far during our practices and it's been fun for the coaches to see the kids begin to respond to the massive amounts of information they are absorbing.
If parents or players have any questions about practices or thoughts and suggestions on drills or topics we should cover, please share them in the comments section of this post. Thanks for your participation!
9/10/11 vs. the Falcons
Don't get discouraged!
It was a painful loss but bear in mind that we just played our first game ever as a team. There were many positives to take out of Saturday's experience. First, I learned a lot about what our team needs to learn to succeed and where we should be focusing our efforts during practices in the upcoming weeks. Second, you guys got a taste of the game, got to see your teammates at work and some of you got your first experience in an actual competitive game. Finally, in my opinion, one of the most important things a young player can learn is sportsmanship and a big part of that is learning how to lose gracefully (as infrequently as possible, of course). I was proud of the way you all continued to play your best. I didn't see anybody lose hope or overreact which can effectively remove a player from the game entirely. I'm encouraged for the rest of the season and very much looking forward to having more fun with you all as the season progresses and we learn from our experiences and steadily improve.
It was a painful loss but bear in mind that we just played our first game ever as a team. There were many positives to take out of Saturday's experience. First, I learned a lot about what our team needs to learn to succeed and where we should be focusing our efforts during practices in the upcoming weeks. Second, you guys got a taste of the game, got to see your teammates at work and some of you got your first experience in an actual competitive game. Finally, in my opinion, one of the most important things a young player can learn is sportsmanship and a big part of that is learning how to lose gracefully (as infrequently as possible, of course). I was proud of the way you all continued to play your best. I didn't see anybody lose hope or overreact which can effectively remove a player from the game entirely. I'm encouraged for the rest of the season and very much looking forward to having more fun with you all as the season progresses and we learn from our experiences and steadily improve.
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