Training Recap – Winning

We warmed up and played in a slightly expanded field from Tuesday. Guys are getting fitter bit by bit.

The good:

– Less panic ball than Tuesday.

– Some wonderful passing and vision

– Some nice reads and steps by Rocco and Nolan. Love the work of our young guys – Kaarsen, Keerat, Yahriel, Nolan L….there is a bright future for you guys.

– The game ended 2-2 with a victory for Pura Vida on a game winner PK by Dillard. What I like most about this is Pinnies were down 2-0 to start but battled back with a spectacular goal by Gigi and some magic from our do everything man Noah Quick.

The going to get better:

– Focus on self for critique and the team for praise. As with all teams and in life, we can sometimes focus externally on negatives we see in others. Avoid the trap. When things go wrong this leads to classic finger pointing and hurts the team. Remember our enemy. It’s us. We have amazing players. We must avoid beating ourselves before we are ready for any opponent. No one is above another.

– Communication. We are still a quiet team. Particularly without the ball but also with it. Louder and bolder. Levi I heard today in spades. Great job Levi! Here is what I want to hear:

“Great pass”

“Great step”

“Sorry I missed you on that run, I’ll find you next time”

“Man-on”

“Turn”

“I’ve got Dillard, press the ball”

Etc.

Some of you do this, some of you do it less. Everyone needs to do it more. Positive and constructive.

Finally here is a nice pic of some great guys wrapping up practice. We are lucky they are on OUR team!

Training Recap – First Introduction of Two Touch

It was a hot one and we need it to be acclimated for August 11. Some players who got a shout-out today:

1. Keerat! He is more than just a name. He moves.

2. Harnit! The silent ninja. Harnit was described as always being in the right spot and doing the right thing.

3. Andrew. Back from his Hawaiian Punch he was active as a jitterbug.

4. BenTaube – Have you watched Ben Hur? Well, we have BenTaube. Calm on the ball, nice passes.

5. Danny – played a few different positions and let loose a howitzer of a shot. It didn’t go in but in fairness the goals are small these days.

6. Nolan Browne – he was up and active on his mark. Aggressive tendancies which we like and he is working hard to take care of the ball.

Coaches Comments: I liked the 2 touch the most. Pinnies played better and the shirts were more incisive during 2 touch. It is critical that we control the ball and equally critical that we learn to play quickly. NOT BIG BOMBS down the field, but quick incisive passes. Check out the video linked below and go to 12:15. You will see an unforgivable turnover by USA and then the quick counter. With Gigi or Justin or Andrew up top, this will be a nightmare for opponents. Note the runner (Baris) that eventually took the shot and the pass to him. Every ball was deliberate – no blind long balls here or ponderous possession. WATCH and talk to me about it via email. There will be competition for starting spots on the field. Get in the habit of doing all the little things to make our team great.

PS: It was so much fun to play and watch you guys. We are so blessed to have you all.

WABSC Weekly Schedule (7/7-7/11)

Monday – Training with Coach Alec – picture from last week of our warriors training below! No good deed goes unnoticed!

Tuesday – WABSC Training at WAIS – BE ON TIME PLEASE 7:50 AM Lots to do.

Wednesday – Training with Coach Alec

Thursday – WABSC Training at WAIS – BE ON TIME PLEASE 7:50 AM Lots to do.

Going to be a great week!

Official PIAA Roster

You will find in Team Information on the website two rosters as of now. One that is provisional made up of players who have been attending and/or expressed interest while the other is official made up of players that have an approved PIAA physical and are cleared on student central. Right now we have 10 players approved compared to football’s twelve.

Our Goals:

– 35 players approved by August 5

– More players approved than football by August 5

Incentives:

– If we meet both goals, free pizza for the team on August 8.

– All players approved before July 31 will earn a bonus +10 VL points. Any questions on how these work, check the rules and regulations under team information.

Run, Run, Run

Beautiful weather and Coach Stewart put in a 9:20 mile – my best in awhile. My goal is 8 min by August 11. Back in Coach Stewart’s younger days, Elizabethtown College had us run 2 miles in 12 min. I’m a long way from those days. Get out and get super fit to be the best for the team come August. Follow workouts on calendar or do your own. Plus you can then enjoy some hot dogs guilt free later around the grill.

Happy Independence Day all!

If you run, use an app and send me a pic of what you did. Here is mine.

PS: Please check these posts and email me. These are the things that turn good to great. There shall be burpees to pay for those who don’t by Tuesday!

Training Recap – Focusing on Us

In today’s training we talked about our truest competitor this season – ourselves. We do not need to worry about our opponents – they can worry about themselves – we need to build the strongest house we can. To do this, we need the strongest set of ideals – training hard, growth mindset, attention to detail. We talked about handling conflict within a team, correct communication, and avoiding fouls in practice which will carry over to matches. Listening more than talking.

Every position should be considered open, every opportunity out there for the grabbing. An amazing season is there to have. Will you, will I work hard enough to get it? I know my answer.

Some highlights:

1. Justin slammed a killer strike off a thru ball. It was the difference maker in the match which finished 1-0.

2. Both goalies impressed with some nice reaction saves.

3. Owen Smith was rock solid. Good decisions, calm.

4. I enjoyed the Braden vs Dillard battle in the midfield.

5. Much less fouling today – learning to regulate without the official

6. Some quick movement with the ball – 2 touch Tuesday coming up!

What we need to improve:

1. Match Fitness for ALL players. We have many fit players, but many can and will need to be fitter. Complete the training programs on the calendar.

2. Team Cohesiveness – mixing more within the team socially. Make new friends, chat with them, pass with them, text with them

3. Quick release of the ball – 2 touch Tuesday coming up. Warrior ball is not panic ball, it is like a fast flowing river, smooth, together, and on a mission.

4. Marking – this comes with communication and structure – in fairness – the structure we will start to initiate next week so this is expected.

PS: If you are a player and got to the end of this message – which you all should have….

1. Send me an email saying hi.

2. Make sure you are a subscriber to website

3. Get your physical done and loaded into studentcentral

Reminder – Training Tomorrow!

As we enter into July, we start to ramp up the intensity of our WABSC training sessions. No tour tomorrow but physical and mental expectations will dial up a notch. In July, we will start to introduce certain themes of play. We need 30 of you tomorrow. If you can come, come! It will be a blast – soccer is always a blast!

1. A good rocking warm-up

2. Partner Work

3. Drink

4. Who is the enemy?

5. Pura Vida vs Toro Rojo

Pura Vida (14)

Logan Moore

Noah Quick

Keerat

Harnit

Braden

Steven

Angel

Ben T

Rocco

Kyle W

Steve P

Nolan B

Lucas P

Nate C

Toro Rojo (16)

Levi W

Danny T

Roberto

Connor M

Nolan L

Gigi

Dillard

Rashad

Mike L

Tyam

Owen S

Anderson

Alex K

Yahriel

Kaarsen

Owen M

Jayden

For this to work, we really need you all!!! So reach to teammates and get them there!

PS: As always, if you are going and I left you out please let me know!!! Some players I know are out of action due to vacay. If you aren’t there, we miss you!

Training Recap – Hot and Humid

Some hot takes from Tuesday’s training. We warmed up and set up some strange goals on the practice field as the real ones have been removed as part of the field refurbishments. We had upwards of 30 players which allows us to go full field – essential for match fitness and realistic gameplay. The game score was lopsided but there were chances for both sides, reinforcing that soccer is a game where small things are big things and can make the difference between a goal one way or another.

A few highlights:

1. Tyam had a very good game. Highly active, quick decisions, and thrives wherever he plays.

2. Coach Ale notched 4 goals of which Coach Carmona had a role in – these are highly qualified guys and they can still play at a high level. We are blessed.

3. Both goalies were great – Logan making some spectacular plays and Noah being a calm option and excellent distribution.

4. Our midfield engines are turbocharged. We have such quality – Keerat, Braden , Dillard, Steven , Owen Miller, Harnit, Adam – these guys have some horsepower and oh so calm on the ball.

5. Some hustling runs – Gigi tracking back to his own goal-line to shut down a run and Danny finishing his aggressive run forward.

6. Younger players are continuing to develop and improve. We need everyone at their best and getting better – Nolan Lutz made a nice calm move with the ball instead of booting it and Nolan Browne has become a very strong ball-winner. We need those. Adam also had a beautiful through ball and goal.

There is always more positive to say but posts can and should be only so long.

Points of Emphasis:

1. Excellence is a collective decision and a personal decision. We desire excellence. I asked a few of the players for the first time what they wanted to see improvement in. Braden said hustle and Dillard said communication and team focus. To be your best for the TEAM, you need to work hard individually. You need to RUN and TRAIN on the days we are not on the field. One the calendar you will see some workout plans with and without the ball to build endurance and skill – good for anyone at any level. START NOW!

2. Play hard but controlled. We don’t EVER want injuries but particularly not in July. If you are a second late to the ball, don’t make up for it with an elbow or stomp. Be a GREAT teammate in all things.

More posts to come later today!

WABSC Weekly Schedule

Monday (6/30) – 9:00 AM Weight Training with Coach Alec

Tuesday – 8:00 AM Training at WAIS Fields

Wednesday – 9:00 AM Weight Training with Coach Alec

Thursday – 8:00 AM Training at WAIS Fields

Specific Times and locations can be found on the calendar on the menu of the homepage. I am back from the West after a wonderful time and excited to get training again with the boys!