Expecting to Play

I talked to the AD this morning and we are EXPECTING TO PLAY! Prepare yourselves mentally. I am excited to play and know you guys will bring your best, most energetic soccer today.

LETS GO!!!!!! Be at field NO LATER than 3:10 PM.

JV game follows Varsity.

Tomorrow

Monster game. Bring passion and love for your teammates. We are one family. Whether you start or not, whether you get minutes or not, it is ALL about the team. I believe in you. Play like I know you can, and you win.

Be at the fields NO later than 3:10 PM.

WEAR home jerseys tomorrow to SCHOOL.

After the J’s play, head over to watch the Girls at Notre Dame. They have had a wonderful season and would love to have you on the sidelines winding them up. If they win they earn districts AND leagues. Let’s go WABS and WAGS!!!!

Nice job J’s!

JV has put together a nice season! Another tie against SL shows their win last week was well earned. McNally volleyed one home today and they finished 1-1.

Tomorrow we hold a no-nonsense practice out at the intermediate school from 3-4:30 pm. Bring your best.

Tomorrow:

All JV and Double Rostered Players (except lucas parada) – report by no later than 3:15 PM to warm-up and play. The game is at 4:00 and will finish by 5:15 PM or so.

*Lucas Parada will be playing JV but will be needed until roughly 3:30 with me.

Varsity Players will practice tomorrow in focused groups.

2:15-2:45 PM – RM 103 with Coach Stewart

Jeff, Nolan, Andrew, Keerat, Noah, Connor, Owen Miller

3:00-3:45 PM – Practice Field with Coach Calderon

Levi, Gigi, Braden, Dillard, Hetrick, Steven, Danny, and Harnit

3:00-3:45 PM–Baseball Outfield with Coach Stewart

Jeff, Nolan, Andrew, Keerat, Noah, Connor, Owen Miller, Lucas Parada

4:00-4:30 PM-RM 103 with Coach Stewart

Gigi, Braden, Dillard, Hetrick, Steven, Danny, and Harnit

*Any transportation issues, please let me know.

*JV and Double Rostered – we are home tomorrow so wear blue.

Saturday Update

Calendar:

After Wednesday of this week, the regular season comes to an end. For JV, there are no playoffs so your season is over 😦 All double rostered players will continue with Varsity and I am likely to expand the Varsity roster to include a few more JV’s so we can continue to play full field in practice for training. I have posted the district schedule and my guess at the Colonial League schedule for playoffs. Please clear weekday calendar for the next few weeks as if we are not playing, we will be practicing.

Yesterday’s Game

The good:

  • Some nice combinations at times
  • Rocco getting that goal
  • Watching JV players linking up with Varsity
  • Another clean sheet

The needs to improve:

  • Our intensity – against southern lehigh and earlier in the season, we were on every 1st ball, 2nd ball, etc and that has dropped – one of my main goals this coming week will be to get back to that.
  • Our maturity – this goes with number one, but our warmups and our attention and focus must be higher as we prepare for games – I will work hard to improve that
  • Our passing in final third – we have gotten better slipping Gigi through from deeper (Braden had some nicely weighted passes again here) but we are still lacking consistent quality passes in that final third. Harnit did have a nice pass to the top of the 18 yesterday.
  • Our attention and anticipation in the back. We still have a tendancy to switch off from time to time.

Responsibility:

  • All responsibility for the team’s occasional shortcomings reside with me. Each loss, each performance. The boys are wonderful and the responsibility lies with myself and my coaches to try to get the best out of them each day.

Thanks:

  • I appreciate Brian Walsh for volunteering to operate the Veo camera and get the game recorded. I will upload it when I am done writing this up! Thanks so much!

Looking Ahead

  • Varsity Practice Monday will be structured differently. We will work with smaller groups at a time to improve play. Details on this to be posted later
  • Our goal is to improve every day. I am so excited for what this team can do in the playoffs. Let’s make dreams come true boys.

Tough Humble Together

Critical Game Tomorrow

Every game is the game to play your BEST soccer. Triangles, QUICK ball movement, COMMUNICATE. PRESS by anticipating and arriving to intercept BEFORE the player receives. Communication continues to be a trouble spot as well as togetherness. The team is a community – a family. POSITIVE ONLY BOYS. Think about how YOU can improve – as a player, a person. I do it every day. Outward expressions should be used to build others up!

Some changes to the line-up for tomorrow. I am looking for a spirited – purposeful warm-up and maturity.

I am convinced we have still not seen our best soccer yet! It’s just up the road though! I know it!

*Line-up is subject to change due to a variety of factors such as good warm-up, mature and purposeful attention to the game, and positive spirit. To retain your starting position, please email me tonight to confirm you have seen this. Side effects do occur – please consult your physician before attending.

LASTLY – WEAR YOU BLUE AND GOLD JERSEY TOMORROW!

Tomorrow and why do we all do it?

Tomorrow is listed as an off day on the calendar and will remain that. There is no practice tomorrow.

As for why we compete, it is of my opinion that the over-arching purpose of high school athletics is to use the exhilaration and challenge of competition to help us grow as people. Winning at anything in life requires:

  1. Self-confidence and belief
  2. Hard work and tenacity
  3. Strong and constructive reactions to setbacks
  4. Working collaboratively
  5. Reflecting on self and a growth mindset
  6. Sacrifice for something bigger than oneself.

Among others I am sure. It is my mission as a coach (however imperfectly) to continue to work these angles in the context of soccer – that winning at anything is a synergy of all of these characteristics. We have wonderful players – that never changes. I am particularly proud of:

  1. Gigi using his left to finish – awesome growth
  2. Yahriel and Ben playing meaningful minutes and playing them well. By that I do not mean mistake free but they did a lot of things nicely!
  3. Braden sent some beautifully weighted balls for those assists. What a talent
  4. We have guys playing hurt and sacrificing
  5. Jeff making some really remarkable saves
  6. Nolan Lutz coming as a JV knowing he would not play. Thank you!
  7. Harnit played hard and helped us in tough stretches in the game.
  8. Noah is nursing an ankle and played his heart anyway
  9. Rocco motivating the bench and being positive. I hear you.
  10. Dillard always works so incredibly hard.

There are others to mention for sure. Growth mindset, react positively to setbacks. Love each other. To everyone in Wilson soccer, thank you. Watch below please.

NWL Game Tactics and Analysis

Video shared via email. Everyone must watch – even if a JV not going to game today.

BTW – If you are JV and you wish to go to the game today – you may early dismiss at 1:45 PM with the rest of the guys. All double rostered players MUST come today!