Tag: soccer

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!

The HEAT is on!

Hot day. Rehydrate boys. Eat well. Take care of yourselves.

Eight Things I liked today:

  1. Play of the day goes to Braden and Dillard on a beautiful pass from Braden to Dillard and finish. It was an unselfish play and beautiful warrior soccer.
  2. Some nice improvements in play from Nolan L and Angel – thats our goal – to be better than we were yesterday.
  3. An awesome day for one of our goalies – Logan. You won’t make every save but remember the ones you did. Got a lot of work today.
  4. Kaarsen continues to impress with some nice work up top for Team A. Got a shout out from teammates.
  5. Roberto “Big Bert” worked very hard in the midfield and impressed me with his toughness.
  6. Jayden D has a great instinct to step and intercept balls in. I love an aggressive defender.
  7. I enjoyed seeing the smiles. NEVER forget that it is fun to play. A smile goes a long way to pick people up. Owen Miller is one of those guys that lifts the mood. Great job!
  8. Everyone is trying to play quality soccer. There is very little of “just kick it” or “go”. Steven and Harnit come to mind here but SOOOO many fit in this boat but I like to mention as many as I can. We need to be smart with the ball and take care of it and then strike. The boys are trying to do just that.

Points of Emphasis:

  1. Aggression and marking. Some points never get old and being aggressive to snuff out attacks early is essential to the blue and gold. The only things we want to make easy for our opponents is losing. Be first to every punt, first ball, second ball, third ball, lost ball, corner, goal kick.
  2. Getting to know other members of your family. Reach out to other team members. Being a part of a team is one of the best things in life. We got all sorts of folks in warrior soccer. Branch out across grades and peer groups. A team of brothers is a tight team, tight teams make great teams. And we want to be great.
  3. Thank you to everyone who is waking up, maybe shifting things around with work, and working in the rain and heat. I love that you are all there. ROCK AND ROLL!

Another Day in the Mist!

We were 28 strong today and we had a 4-1 victory for the pinnies. Some things I loved and our first point of emphasis.

1. Andrew rolled the bleice and found the back of the net again today with a nice header off a slipped ball from yours truly.

2. Steven Barba slotted that dream ball through the centerbacks to give Gigi a ball to run onto and he finished nicely. Steve also played a number of really nice one touch balls and hit the crossbar twice!

3. Hetrick on the wing was a beast. Gigi and Justin linked up well and Justin had a nice finish today

4. Jayden made an amazing goal-line stop. I love that heart. Tyam did too to save some goals. Sacrifice boys!

5. Anthony and Nolan Browne joined us and I am very glad to see both of you. Keep coming!

6. Harnit found the ball a bunch today. Being able to control the ball is one of the best ways to defend and Harnit can bring us that.

7. Danny played a nice backline – winning the ball and linking it up the field. Jose did too on the other end. You are getting better every day Jose!

8. No one complained about the calls, throw ins, fouls, whatever. Nice job. I noticed.

POINT OF EMPHASIS: I mentioned today to the boys that we need to be collectively more aggressive winning the ball. Not slide tackling and kicking ankles but by supporting each other and positioning. We will work on this throughout the summer and in official practice. Some individuals do but we will work collectively to SUFFOCATE our opponents. That’s WARRIOR ball. Now, where we trap them and when will be something we work on because we must be clinical and collective about it or we expose ourselves to trouble but to play with the best teams, we must put them on the defensive.

Lastly, players should not feel as if ANY decisions are made regarding Varsity or not, this position or that position. We are trying things out here in June and watching the players. If you are placed somewhere new to you, its an experiment! Enjoy and sprout wherever you are planted and you get to see things from another positions point of view. If you want to increase your odds of making Varsity come August…

  1. Be fit – attend the weight training sessions and RUN and complete the workouts I have posted in the calendar. Start small and work your way to faster times and burpees and pushups. You will get there
  2. Be excited to grow – each day we play, work on picking up as much as you can.
  3. Work with the ball – I loaded some individual ball work drills on the calendar. Check them out and work them. They can be done alone or with a pard.
  4. Be an awesome teammate – hustle, work hard, be positive. Every team needs as many of these guys as we can get.

I am very blessed to have such a great group of guys. Thank you! Go WARRIORS!

OH … get your physicals in!!!!!!!!!!! Great job Connor Millen – you were the only one done last time I checked!

Growth and Consistency

Some announcements:

1. Nice training in the rain! Some new/old faces joined us today – Danny, Owen M, and Connor M. Great to have you there today guys! The score ended 3-3 with goals coming from Roll the Bleice (2), Breaking News, Gigi and some others I can’t remember. That said, every goal scored is because of the team as is every goal conceded. For the first full field scrimmages, we are looking at players strengths and weaknesses to develop a scheme that amplifies their strengths. Each player has their own sheet music and we Players earning shoutouts from the coaches (Danny, Braden, and Justin along with Andrew, Owen Miller, and Dillard).

2. A growth mindset is key. I challenged the boys at the end of practice to walk away thinking of areas of their game to improve. One of our core values is to be better than we were the day before. Winning as a team is the end product of lots of little wins by every member of it.

3. We will be using the Veo camera starting in July. I discussed this with Coach Erin and we will get it working for practice and scrimmages this summer along with the season. More information on this to follow.

4. We will be doing some teambuilding events including a soccer game with the girls team and whitewater rafting! These events can be a bit expensive so we will look for ways to help out players if they need it. Dates and information to follow.

5. Come as often as you can. PIAA states clearly that nothing we do over the summer can be compulsory. Of course winning isn’t compulsory either. Being a great team isn’t compulsory. These are CHOICES. Great teams CHOSE to be great. It is not something that just happens. This team CAN be a great team even EVERYONE is committed fully to the cause. Lift with Coach Alec, Train with us. If you can’t, train using the program I punched up on the calendar. GO WARRIORS! HUGE SHOUTOUT to Rocco and Adam… you have attended every training. That’s great commitment.

Attendance Sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mvAsMsQ6kby1OeIXHseZXKW_hsYIgnEm87Gb3he9lRo/edit?usp=sharing

Lifting tomorrow with Coach Alec and lots of fun on Thursday at 8:00 AM. A tour and then a scrimmage.