Training Recap Day 3

Getting to full strength

We have slowly been swelling our numbers as folks have gotten their paperwork in and approved. I love the participation. We have over a dozen seniors this year and the younger classes will need to carry the torch. Once you start, don’t stop. The payoff on any adventure is typically in the finishing of it – the individual days and experiences along the way may not always be easy. We make no promise of that – guys will experience setbacks – injuries, loss of playing time or a start – but how do you react to that? That helps develop character.

Developing our tactics and position profiles

As much as we try over the summer, the official season brings the first time when we have everyone together and we can see where we are. Some positions and personnel are playing their way into place. Continue to work hard every day. A soccer team is a winning one when all members are worked hard to be the BEST they can be. We are not 1 guy or 5 guys. We are 45 guys.

Love

Great teams are teams in which everyone in the group is looking out for each other. A rising tide lifts all boats and that tide is most likely to rise when everyone feels lifted up, encouraged, and strong. Players were encouraged to do more than just exist with each other and us. Relationships between teammates and coaches last lifetimes – they have for me. I am still in contact with all but my college coaches as they have retired to far off places or passed on

Picture Day

Fun to see the crew in uniform and to have uniforms for most if not all of our guys. We have a few mismatches but it is worth it to have them out there with us. Here is our pic of the day!

Attendance

We need everyone every day:

  1. If you are going to be absent for an excused reason (see team rules under the team information menu), fill out the google form online under the parent/guardian section BEFORE practice.
  2. Work is not an excused absence for missing practice. This is consistent across our athletic programs here at Wilson.

Training Recap Day 2

More soccer today than yesterday. We broke into blocks of training rotating with different coaches and technical skills and emphasis followed by some full field for the first time. The full field work helps cement some of our ideas of how best to utilize the boys and get them working with each other. We have a LONG way to go but there were flashes of what damage we can do. MY THOUGHTS:

1. We need to take care of the ball. Too often we:

  • give it away by one too many touches
  • boot a hopeful ball that “someone should be there”
  • just have a sloppy touch or errant pass

We will look to clean this up as the days proceeed

2. We need to decide to counter-press HARD when we do and collectively. This is acutely absent so far. Tomorrow we work on the mid-block and the counter press defensively.

3. We need to get faster (Decisions, passing, movement on and off the ball). One of the BEST moments of the full field was a 1 touch from Barbed wire to the killer b to the hetrick system. We didn’t score but it was good soccer. Defensively we must be faster too – we are often in a place where we COULD have intercepted the ball and or prevented the turn if we anticipated the game. No one if ever off duty.

Lots to do and this is what we are here for. There was lots to love:

1. A wonderful ball from the Killer B to roll the Bleice. Yes he shot it over the moon but in his words “It was my right foot”. It WAS a great run and connection! Dangerous as Coach Carmona would say

2. Some of the youngsters are learning that this is not a low key affair. They are learning to work hard and get better. Of the newbies (noobs as the youth calls them) – I like the skill of Juan on the ball and Brycen is communicating! Our youths of yesterday are really coming along too. Yahriel plays like he has a chip on his shoulder – I like that. Nolan Lutz is jumping balls, and Kaarsan is seeing minutes as a Varsity center-back. Keep working.

3. The goalies work hard every day – maybe the hardest of any group. I love the work Coach Ale is doing with you AND the work you are doing with him. Logan Moore had a nice save in the scrimmage. I want to see more use of the goalie in field play and aggression from them recognizing when they can make a play on the ball.

We only had one who wasn’t here today that was here yesterday. Here they are in all their sun-soaked glory. They are sore and working hard. What a blessing to coach them.

PLAYERS:

1. Check your email as this is how I am giving personal feedback. Respond thoughtfully or accountability

2. Watch the video below starting roughly 30 minutes or so in. (if it doesn’t work right away – give it some time as I just loaded into youtube) and:

a. Shoot me an email about 2 things you did (or someone else did) you thought was well done AND 1 thing you saw that YOU (or someone else did) that needs improvement. Enjoy the process of getting better and don’t worry. No one is judging and it is not personal. Challenge yourself to a NEW STANDARD.

I should get 43 emails tonight!

Important Picture Day Information!

Time is moved to 9:45 AM. Please be there by 9:30 AM with blue and gold uniform on. See more details below:

1. Goalies

Levi will use the 00 for pics – I have it in the shed.

Logan will wear 0 for pics because it is a large.

All other goalies – wear any goalie shirt, shorts, etc of your choosing.

2. Field Players

If you were not present today – you will not have a uniform. Arrive early to get one and get suited up. I will be at the fields by 9:00 AM.

Socks wear blue if you have them. Athletics have not gotten the news ones in yet.

There will be a Varsity pic, a JV pic, and individual pics. I will inform later tonight which ones you will be taking part in. (Some will be both)

3. Other information, please see flyer below:

Day 1 Review

Fitness testing was well – a rough row to hoe for these guys. It notoriously claims its victims each year but is a way to hold the guys accountable for training physically over the summer. On this forum and in person – I advocated constantly to run over the summer on their own to be their best. Many didn’t and the fitness testing is the bill that must be paid. Their numbers will be posted on the website in the fitness tracking section – NOT FOR ANY TO JUDGE – but for transparencies sake so they know how their ranking was achieved. In any case, they may be sore tomorrow, but make sure they keep coming. Growing pains are an indication of GROWTH. Being great at anything is not easy.

Here are the survivors:

Some gents who impressed me and why:

Nolan Browne’s passing was improved and he did 1.2 million pushups

The goalies looked sharp – coach ale mentioned the freshman looked strong and I saw a superb save from Levi

Hetrick is a rock – never complains, does the job. Never critiques, does the job. Never coaches, does the job. Never change Justin

Owen Smith was all in – attentive. Focused. Positive. Quick to smile.

Ben and Andrew with the headbands – you guys bring fun and joy

Anderson had a niggle and kept playing. I can’t judge wrong or right but you are TOUGH.

Connor suffered today but never stopped leading. There is real substance in there.

* I can’t mention everyone here so if you don’t see you or your child mentioned – it is not necessarily because I wasn’t impressed

We just began this journey. Walk it to the end. Don’t quit. Don’t second guess. Don’t doubt. Don’t look back. Grow, get better, work harder, dedicate yourself to the task. It IS worth it.

I will email players personal feedback tonight and each day. CHECK YOUR EMAILS. I expect you to respond. Accountability if you don’t.

WE BEGIN THE JOURNEY TOMORROW

  1. Only PIAA approved players can train. As of now, 42 players are eligible. Check out the PIAA roster under “Team Information”. If you have a line through your name, you HAVE NOT been approved through athletics for one reason or another. Please work on your physical/arbiter registration TODAY as the AD will update the list tomorrow AM.
  2. Be early – no later than 10:15. We START at 10:30 SHARP.
  3. Check out the “What should I bring to practice” list under “Team Information”
  4. Get EXCITED! Soccer is a beautiful, fun, and exciting game and we aim to play with joy and passion. Bring yours tomorrow!

Weekly Schedule 8/17-8/22

Monday: Practice 10:30 – 1:00 at WAIS

Tuesday: Practice 10:30 – 1:00 at WAIS

Wednesday: Pictures 8:45 am ay WAIS (practice to follow 10:30-1:00)

Thursday : Practice 10:30 – 1:00 at WAIS

Friday: Practice 10:30 – 1:00 at WAIS

Saturday: Scrimmage @ PM East (2:00 PM start) BUS LEAVES AT 12:30 from WAHS.

Pocono Mountain East High School, 231 Pocono Mountain School Rd, Swiftwater, PA 18370

Training Plans for each day are posted under “Team Information”

Some FAQ answered:

Do you “cut” players? Are there tryouts?

No, we do not cut players. All players who attend and conform to team/school rules and expectations have a place in the WABS family. That said, there is only so much room on the bus and we have to fit a Varsity and JV team on it. As a result:

a) All players will train in either a GOLD (Varsity) group or BLUE (JV) group. These groups will be delineated each day by performance, attendance, technical ability, effort etc. Both groups will do the same drills, same conditioning, same technical and tactical program and both will get instruction from all coaches.

b) For each Varsity game – a group of 18-20 will be selected as needed and as earned. For each JV home game – all JV players will attend and ALL will play roughly equally. For JV away games – a smaller roster will need to be chosen and the same metrics that are used to select for Varsity will be applied here.

c) Varsity is highly competitive and decisions here will be made with the best interest of the success of the team in mind as opposed to participation. JV emphasis is similar (we want to succeed and win here just as much) but we also have a secondary goal of ensuring participation of ALL our JV players.

*Play hard, attend all functions, listen well, give your best to the team to earn your minutes and time on the field every day!

What about uniforms? What are they like?

a) We wear our blue and gold jerseys / blue shorts and socks at home or our third kit black jerseys and shorts and socks. Depending on final numbers we may to wear a few plain blues on the field as well as we have 38 standard blue and golds. We will see.

b) We wear our whites for away games which may include blue shorts depending on captain preference. White jerseys and socks are mandatory when away. Everyone will be issued a white away uniform.

What do I wear for practice?

As of now, comfortable T-Shirts and Shorts. Practice shirts on the way!

Getting Approved

As we work to get everyone approved and on the PIAA roster for 8/17, a few points that bear mentioning:

1. I as coach do not have the authority to approve players for the roster. The registration goes to the athletic director and I get a list each day as to who is registered and who is approved. We now have 47 players registered which is amazing!

2. Some registered players are still not approved by athletics. I email and call to get information but they are busy as the sports season start up. If a player is not approved I do not know the reason and I would encourage you to reach out to the athletics office to find out why so it can be fixed prior to season starting. Here are players on this list as of now who are not approved as of this post and might want to call:

Brycen

Naseem

Ethan

Yasser

Jose

Adam

Jayden

Big Luke

Steve Palinkas

Great job to all above getting registered-we just have to get you approved. It may just be a backlog. Here is the contact info for athletics:

Athletic Department