Catching up with the Crushers.

While the first picture of the team is nice, this picture more accurately represents our team.

For those of you who are detail oriented, this picture has 13 players while the team currentlyhas only 11 players. Unfortunately, we have lost 2 players along the way. One young lady decided to join a travel soccer team. When I last spoke with her parents she was doing very well. The second young lady decided the practice and fundrasing required more time then she was willing to give. We wish both players only the best.

Our team formed in August of 2009. When we gathered for our first practice I realized that the Coed Crushers were a true representation of all that AYSO stands for. AYSO is the American Youth Soccer Association. In a nut shell, ASYO is a group dedicated to creating an environment where all kids can play soccer. All kids includes those who are talented and those who have never played the sport before. The AYSO Philosophies include ideas like "everyone plays" and "balanced teams." When soccer is mocked as the sport where kids get snacks and everyone wins, they are talking about groups like AYSO. But when you see the joy in the eyes of a child that has scored her first goal and that player is a kid who would never see the field in a "competitive league," the value of groups like AYSO becomes self evident. If you are interested in learning more about the organization, there is a link to the AYSO National Website. This web page also has links to sites about the National Games.

This team is a representation of what AYSO strives to achieve. There are kids on this team that have the ability to play soccer in college and well beyond if they so choose. There are also kids who did not know how to properly kick a soccer ball when they came to our first practice. For these children, this could be their one opportunity to play a sport at the national level. Each child, regardless of ability, will play at least half of every game the Crushers play in Florida. Having said that, make no mistake, these kids are set on winning in Florida.

The kids come from various teams in AYSO Region 250 (there is also a link to our region's wed page.). We are a coed team playing in the U-10 boys division. While some may see our coed status as a disadvantage, they would be wrong. The toughest player on our team goes by the name "The Wall." She is a defensive player who takes particular joy in knocking down any boy that challenges her for the ball. Our fastest player is "Dallas." She earned her name because of her love of the Dallas Cowboys. I am a die hard Washington Redskins fan and also root for the Buffalo Bills. Anyone who follows the NFL will under stand how much I hate the Cowboys. Anyway, back to Dallas. When I say fast, I mean "runs like a deer" fast and Hussien Bolt has nothing on her fast. And one of the undeniable leaders of the team is "Pink." Pink earned her name because she died her hair pink last September. She is a vocal young lady that stands her ground. She is also one of the two captains of our team. While I do not mean to underplay the value of the young men on our team, the Crushers would not be the Crushers without its female players.

Last August we began practicing twice a week. When we started practicing, I will have to admit I was worried about our talent, or should I say lack there of. So, we start with the basics: passing, trapping, dribbling, and striking (or shooting) the ball. We spent the first two months learning proper technique and the fundamentals. We also focused on playing strong fundamental defense. We ran drill after drill. We focused on laying the foundation needed for the kids to become soccer players

When October arrived we began playing other teams. We played teams from the U-10 boys division in our region. We played four games. We lost three games and tied one. As is often the case, we learned the most about our team in the defeats. What did I learn? These kids are fighters. In our first game, they were losing 3-0 and came back in the second half to eventually lose 3-2. If the ball had bounced our way a few more times they would have won that game. When playing the best team in the division, we took an early 1-0 lead only to lose 4-2. What amazed me the most, is how much each player has improved and how far we had come as team.

Our next stop was the Allegan Soccer Tournament on Halloween. Again we played in the U-10 boys division. We won our first game at this tournament. Despite a cold and rainy first day, one of our players, "Taz," scored six goals in our first game, leading his team to victory. Taz is a gifted player and heart of the team. What I love the most about Taz is the tenacity with which he plays the game. The kid is literally all over the place causing havoc for the other team. During the tournament, we rented a community center for the kids to stay out of the rain and cold weather. Other than winning their first game, I believe the kids enjoyed the community center more than anything else. In the months since the tournament, they talk more about the fuseball games and table tennis then they do about the games they played. Kids? The Crushers won three games and lost one placing third in the tournament.

Next was indoor season. In our area, the indoor season is divided into three sessions. The Crushers played the first session. We also kept practicing. We practiced outdoors until the beginning of November when we moved inside. In practice we advanced from basic skills to game strategies. Players began to fall into their roles on the team. We practiced indoors thanks to the generosity of Soccerzone, the facililty where we played. In addition to games, they gave us practice time during the season so we could continue to improve. And improve they did. Playing in the U-10 boys division, the Crushers faced a mixture of teams. There were ASYO teams. There were house teams (teams made up of kids who signed up to play without being on a particular team). There were travel teams. The Crushers beat the AYSO teams convincingly . They beat all but one house team. And they lost, sometimes convincingly, to the travel teams. They even won two scrimages against a U-12 girls teams. In five short months, they went from a team that could not compete at any real level, to a team that won against all but the best travel teams in the area. Like I said, they are fighters.

Finally, the Crushers took the Second Session off. We all needed a break. We have been practicing in a school gym once a week to keep up our skills. The local Catholic Church and Elementary School, St. Mary's, donated the use of the gym to the team for the remainder of the winter. We have been working on ball control and defense. We just keep trying to get better.

That catches you up on the Crushers. They are a great group of boys and girls working hard toward their goal. Next up is Indoor Session Three. Can we take the next step and compete with the travel teams?

Go Crushers!