Well, getting back to running it has been an up and down experience. I was really hoping to tell you all about my great 5K race (Borgess Run), but it was not meant to be. In my last running post, I had just started running two miles. I stayed at this level longer than anticipated. For the longest time, I was feeling discomfort in my knee for the last half mile of the run. No shooting pain or even a constant ache, it just did not feel right. In keeping with my new conservative approach, I did not run more than two miles.
Finally, this last week I had a break through. I ran just under three miles. It was 2.8 according to the Garmin. The best part is I could have kept running. Cookie (my 11 month old spaniel mix) came along for the run as well. She is starting to get the hang of running. She still starts out pulling, but we get into a rhythm about a half a mile in. She definitely likes going for the runs. If she sees me with my running clothes on, she gets excited and starts jumping around. I think I have a new partner.
The best news was Friday's speed workout. To get my team physically ready to play in Florida in July, we started training on the track last Friday. We started with a half mile jog, followed by stretching. We next did some light bounding to make sure everyone was warmed up. We headed for the bleachers for ten minutes of running stairs. Finally, we did some sprints on the track.
I divided the team into three groups according to their fitness levels. Group A is the run all day and all night kids. Group C are the kids who need to work on their endurance. Group B are the kids in the middle. When we ran the bleachers, Group A ran two three minute repeats followed by a two minute repeat with one minute off in between. Group B ran three two minute repeats with about two minutes rest in between. Group C ran four one minute repeats with two minutes rest in between.
The sprints were also set up according to fitness level. We started with four sprints. Group C ran about 25 yards. Group A ran 50 yard sprints. Group B ran about 38 yard sprints. We followed the four sprints with three more sprints where everyone ran 55 yards. Top two finishers got to sit. I was going to make them run two 55 yard sprints, but my 5 year old son, Bulldozer, wanted to do one more.
I ran with Group A. My lungs almost exploded, but I finished everything except the third repeat on the bleachers. I got about a minute into the last repeat and my knee got that not right feeling so I stopped. The rest of me spent the next several minutes thanking my knee for speaking up. The good news, other than this discomfort, my knee felt fine during the whole workout. I did not have any soreness in my knee the next morning.
As a last word, let me say that Dallas (see her bio in Meet the Team Postings) is a truly gifted athlete. I knew she was fast. I have marvelled at her speed in several post. I learned last Friday she can maintain that speed for long periods of time. When she was running the bleachers, she started off at a very fast pace. Anyone who has run the bleachers knows that starting too fast leads to painful finishes. It didn't phase her any of the three times she ran on the bleachers. Oh yeah, she ran in basketball sneakers. I was truly impressed.
Go Crushers!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Catching up with the Crushers . . . Outdoor Season Begins!
In our last team post, the Crushers had just finished their last indoor session and suprised the heck out of their coach. They went 3-3. Even when they lost, they played competitively in each game. Quite an improvement from the first indoor session.
I will have to admit it was nice to have a couple of weekends when there were no soccer games. I actually got to spend a weekend day vegging on the couch . Mother Nature even cooperated with a rainy day, so yard work was out of the question.
Outdoor season kicked off last weekend. The Crushers played against my other U-10 team. Every player on the National Team is also on a house team from our region. I coach my son's team (the blue team) in the house league as well. When the National Team played this team last fall we lost 4-2. In that game, Taz played the entire game for the national team. This time Taz played half the game for the National Team and half the game for the blue team. The Crushers were victorious 5-2. Both teams played well, but the National Team took advantage of more of their scoring opportunities.
There were a few negatives in the game. The biggest one was the refusal of two of the young men on our team to pass to the young women of our team. Lets just say we nipped that one in the bud at practice. The second negative is a recurring problem. This team starts slow. They are not ready to play when the game starts. The same was true in this game. While the Crushers out played the blue team for three quarters, they were out played in the first quarter. At the end of the first, it was 2-0 blue team. If you regularly give up that kind of lead, you will not always come back. Finally, we have to work on finishing. We get the ball in front of the net and we are fumbling over it. We need to learn to strike the ball directly off the pass. But there are worse problems to have. At least we are getting the ball in scoring position.
The were a lot of positives. Defense is still playing well. The full backs seem to get better every game. Mid fielders are starting spread out and pass the ball. Forwards are actually playing in the box. And the Crushers are learning to score when Taz is not on the field. We still have alot to work on, but we have really come a long way. The players should be proud of themselves, I am.
Until next time . . . Go Crushers!
I will have to admit it was nice to have a couple of weekends when there were no soccer games. I actually got to spend a weekend day vegging on the couch . Mother Nature even cooperated with a rainy day, so yard work was out of the question.
Outdoor season kicked off last weekend. The Crushers played against my other U-10 team. Every player on the National Team is also on a house team from our region. I coach my son's team (the blue team) in the house league as well. When the National Team played this team last fall we lost 4-2. In that game, Taz played the entire game for the national team. This time Taz played half the game for the National Team and half the game for the blue team. The Crushers were victorious 5-2. Both teams played well, but the National Team took advantage of more of their scoring opportunities.
There were a few negatives in the game. The biggest one was the refusal of two of the young men on our team to pass to the young women of our team. Lets just say we nipped that one in the bud at practice. The second negative is a recurring problem. This team starts slow. They are not ready to play when the game starts. The same was true in this game. While the Crushers out played the blue team for three quarters, they were out played in the first quarter. At the end of the first, it was 2-0 blue team. If you regularly give up that kind of lead, you will not always come back. Finally, we have to work on finishing. We get the ball in front of the net and we are fumbling over it. We need to learn to strike the ball directly off the pass. But there are worse problems to have. At least we are getting the ball in scoring position.
The were a lot of positives. Defense is still playing well. The full backs seem to get better every game. Mid fielders are starting spread out and pass the ball. Forwards are actually playing in the box. And the Crushers are learning to score when Taz is not on the field. We still have alot to work on, but we have really come a long way. The players should be proud of themselves, I am.
Until next time . . . Go Crushers!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Meet the Team
For those who are new to this site, we are using the nick names of the players at the parents request.
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TAZ
Simply put, Taz is the leader of this team. He is one of our team captains. Taz is a very skilled player. He can dribble and shoot with both his left and right foot, though in my opinion he ignores his left foot too often. He has a powerful right foot. So much so, his old nick name was "the leg." Taz plays in the midfield, center mid, so he is usually all over the field. One issue Taz has is a tendency to play it safe at times. Some refer to it as playing not to lose. What Taz has to learn is that he is at his best when he is playing all out, going a hundred miles an hour with his hair on fire.Taz hates to lose. I have always said that I do not know anyone who hates to lose more than I. I may have found that person. Taz hates to lose at anything. Taz will do whatever needs to be done to secure a victory for his team. If he needs to score alot of goals for us to win, he will score. If he has to set up other players to score, he will get the assists. If the team needs him to shut down a player on the other team, he will lock down the player. If he needs to play keeper, he can do that also. But, he loves to score as much as any ultra competitive nine year old boy. To his credit, he will accept whichever role gives his team the best chance to win.
What I like the most about this player is that he plays hard. Despite his skills, he is not a prima donna. His teammates gave him the name Taz, because during a scrimage in practice he was all over the field causing as much havoc as he could. He also plays with his head in the game. For example, during the last indoor session, we were playing a travel team in our second game. It was a hard fought game. Our opponents took the lead in the second half, when Taz came out with leg cramps. Taz reentered the game and scored the tying goal. As the second half progressed, there was alot of physical play. On one play late in the second half, Taz passed the ball and got fouled. The pass went to Sonic who passed to Izzy who shot and scored. Just as Izzy took the shot the whistle blew, no goal. The referee called the foul commited on Taz. While everyone on the field, in the stands, and coaching (including me) were yelling about the call, Taz ran over, picked up the ball, and asked the ref where to place it. The ref signaled for the direct free kick. Before alot of people even realized what was happening, Taz scored the game winning goal. He had his head in the game even when his coach did not.
To be fair, I should also mention that Taz is the coach's son. As his coach, my opinion of him is biased. But even to an unbiased eye, Taz is a very good player and a great kid. As the coach of this team, I know he is an intricle part of this team and our success. As his Dad, I cannot wait to watch him play in Florida. As both, I only hope he plays a hundred miles an hour with his hair on fire.Continue to log on and follow Taz and the team. Check out our up coming fundraisers. If you would like to make a donation, please send it to U-10 National Team, 315 North Street, Paw Paw, Michigan, 49079. Please make any checks payable to: AYSO Region 250.
Go Crushers!
Meet the Team
The Wall
One of the great stories from this team is how the Wall got her nickname. In the beginning, the Wall played midfield. I started her in that position because despite being a big kid, she can run. She also started the year with good ball control skills. When we started scrimmaging other teams, it became evident to me that we needed to make a change at full back (defense). I decided to try the Wall at the position, in our second to last scrimmage. She did a phenomenal job. No one from the opposing team could get around her. The team we played was an all boys team. The wall kept knocking down opposing players and gigling when she did it. At the end of the game, I was talking to the opposing coach. When he commented on how well she played, he said, "She is a %$^#*^@! wall, no one gets around her." The Wall had her new nickname.
As I described in a previous post, we will be alternating players from full back to midfield throughout the upcoming games. In preparation for this, the Wall played some midfield during our last indoor session. While it is taking time for her to learn how to play that position, I have been very impressed with her ball control skills. We took the second indoor session off from league play. We spent eight weeks honing our ball controll skills. The Wall is one of the players that most benefitted from this training. The Wall is one of those glue players. Some people call them role players. She may not score alot of goals or draw alot of attention, but she does the small things right. She does the things that have to be done for a team to succeed. If we enjoy any kind of success in Florida, it will be due in no small part to her play on the field.
Go Crushers!
Meet the Team
Izzy
Izzy is one of the guys on the team. He is the only player on the team who never played organized soccer before this year. Despite his lack of experience he is one of our better players. Izzy is a big strong kid. While Izzy is not a fast player, what he lacks in speed he makes up for with ball control. The only way defenders can keep the ball away from him is to beat him to the ball. Once Izzy has control of the ball it is very hard to take it away from him. Izzy also possesses a potent right leg. He can kick the ball with power and precision. Izzy has played alot of different positions. In fact he has started at every position except keeper. At forward, I believe Izzy has found his ideal position. It maximizes his strengths, power and control, and minimizes his one weakness, lack of speed.
As a forward, Izzy is able to get into position and take possession of the ball. Like Sonic, I wish Izzy would shoot more often. He, like so many other players, wants to dribble closer to make a good shot, a good scoring chance, better. The delay caused by the dribble only gives the defensive players a chance to recover. Before you know it, that good scoring opportunity is gone. The more shots he takes and the more passes he makes, the better our chances of winning become.
Izzy got his name from one of our former assistant coachs. It seems she had a cousin or some family member that she called Izzy. For whatever reason, our Izzy reminded her of this family member. I know I spend alot of time talking about these kids as players. I can drone on and on about their individual strengths and weaknesses. But the truth of the matter, is these are all really good kids. They are good hearted, hard working, and motivated to win. While they strive to win, they are gracious in defeat. No player embodies the team's approach better then Izzy. He is an easy going guy who tries as hard as anyone to win, but takes it in stride when things don't work out the way we want. I have learned a little from Izzy about how to better behave in defeat. Izzy is a good player, a better kid, and pleasure to coach.
Please continue to log on. Check out our upcoming fundraisers. If you would like to make a donation, please send it to: U-10 National Team, 315 North Street, Paw Paw, Michigan, 49079. Please make checks or money orders payable to AYSO Region 250. Thank you for joining us on our adventure.
Izzy is one of the guys on the team. He is the only player on the team who never played organized soccer before this year. Despite his lack of experience he is one of our better players. Izzy is a big strong kid. While Izzy is not a fast player, what he lacks in speed he makes up for with ball control. The only way defenders can keep the ball away from him is to beat him to the ball. Once Izzy has control of the ball it is very hard to take it away from him. Izzy also possesses a potent right leg. He can kick the ball with power and precision. Izzy has played alot of different positions. In fact he has started at every position except keeper. At forward, I believe Izzy has found his ideal position. It maximizes his strengths, power and control, and minimizes his one weakness, lack of speed. 
Please continue to log on. Check out our upcoming fundraisers. If you would like to make a donation, please send it to: U-10 National Team, 315 North Street, Paw Paw, Michigan, 49079. Please make checks or money orders payable to AYSO Region 250. Thank you for joining us on our adventure.
Meet the Team
Pink
Pink, one of the ladies on the team, is a very energetic and opinionated extrovert that has no problem telling you what she thinks. Anyone who knows me, will know why I love those qualities in a player. For example, Pink is the player that started the nick name tradition on our team. I showed up to one of our first practices and Pink had died the lower third of her hair bright PINK. After a little teasing, I told her I was going to call her Pink from then on. She informed me in no uncertain terms that it was fine with her because her favorite singer was named Pink. She then proceeded to tell me all about Pink, the singer, was assuming all along I had no knowledge of the person.
Pink has all the skills and qualities to be a great player. As I have said before, the most skilled player on the team is Taz. Pink has the same ball control skills as Taz. I have seen her dribble through three defenders and put a beautiful shot on goal. I have seen her fend off a defender in the middle of the opposing team's goal box and blast a pass in the back of the net. She is a natural leader. Pink was voted one of the teams two captions by her teammates. She is a good athlete and a smart player. She has all the skill and qualities, ie. the intangibles, to be a great player.
Unfortunately, Pink has not put all these elements together, yet. Her challenge is to trust hers skills and personality traits when she plays in a game. She needs to stop thinking and just play. She needs to just turn it loose on the pitch (field). Pink needs to play a hundred miles an hour with her hair on fire. If she can learn to play with a little reckless abandon, she will be unstoppable. The only way I know to fix this problem is to play in games. Pink just needs to play.
Unfortunately, Pink has not put all these elements together, yet. Her challenge is to trust hers skills and personality traits when she plays in a game. She needs to stop thinking and just play. She needs to just turn it loose on the pitch (field). Pink needs to play a hundred miles an hour with her hair on fire. If she can learn to play with a little reckless abandon, she will be unstoppable. The only way I know to fix this problem is to play in games. Pink just needs to play.
The good news is I am seeing improvement, real improvement. Pink broke her arm and missed our last indoor season. Since getting her cast off, Pink has become more aggressive in practice. She is more willing to mix it up with other players. In our last scrimage against one of the AYSO U-10 boys teams from our region, Pink started playing like I knew she could. She was taking on players and winning the ball. She started using all the ball control skills that I have seen in practice. She made plays that lead to scoring chances. If she continues to let her natural personality and skills take over on the field, then our chances of success in Florida increase dramtically. Log on and follow Pink and the rest of the team through the spring season and on our trip to Florida.
Meet the Team
Socks is one of the free spirits on the team. She got her name because she wears the most outlandish socks to practice. For those who do not know, soccer players wear long socks to hold their shin guards in place. Most kids wear white or black. Those who have been playing for a while will have socks the color of their old teams. Our Socks takes pride in wearing some of the oddest soccer socks I have seen. There have been striped pairs, floral patterns, and some very brightly colored pairs. I told her I thought they were just knee high socks, but she assures me they are soccer socks. When she is forced to wear a normal pair of socks, she mixes and matches colors. She will wear one blue and one pink, or one green and one yellow. She loves it.
Socks is also our remaining alternate player. The National Games only allows U-10 teams to carry ten players. We started with 13 players last August. We have lost two along the way. I have asked for permission to have 11 players play, but Nationals may not allow it. Socks knows this but you would not know it to watch her practice and play. She works as hard as anyone at practice. She never misses practice or a game. Our team will play in a local tournament in June. The KASI tournament also limits U-10 teams to ten players. Socks is guaranteed a spot in this tournament. Again we have asked for an exception. If the KASI people will not allow 11 players, we will draw a name to see who sits. It helps that, Greta, one of her teammates, is also her cousin. It also helps that before the National Tournament starts there is a day where players are mixed up and placed on teams other than their team. The goal is to let the players from around the country meet each other. Socks will get to play in these games.
As a player, Socks has a split personality. When she is on, she is a good player. She is aggressive and fast to the ball. She has improving ball control skills and looks to pass better than anyone on the team. When she is distracted, she is distracted. This is when my wife usually reminds me I am coaching 8 and 9 year old kids, not world cup players. Whichever version of Socks shows up, she is a joy to have on the team. No matter what else is going on, she always manages to find a way to make me laugh. I really hope they let her play.Thanks for logging on. Don't forget to look at our up coming fundraisers. If you would like to make a donation, please send it to U-10 National Team, 315 North Street, Paw Paw, Michigan 49079. Please make any checks payable to: AYSO Region 250.
Go Crushers!
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