The Tryout Twitch

Holy crap.  I've never had my cell phone (or Bluetooth headset) to my right ear as much as I've had the last week.  My right #2 molar hurts... I think I have a tooth tumor from the Treo radiation.

It's been unbelievable the sheer volume of phone calls received, let alone the lengthy duration of most every one of them. 

I have a calling plan with 2,000 minutes per month.  Last July/Aug, I went over by about 2,200 minutes.  I also went over in my data charges as this dang Treo allows me to check emails remotely.  I'm sure you can imagine my utter shock when I opened my Verizon bill to see the $1,856 figure for July staring back up at me.  $1,856?!?!  What the... ?!?!  Lucky for me, Verizon is able to retro-something-or-other your cell phone bill, allowing people who go over to simply pay the different between their current plan and another plan that would not have allowed the overages.  So, instead of paying $1,856, I was instead let off easy and paid $2,xx for the 4,000 minute plan.  People don't believe me when I tell them that I have to go up to a 4,000 minute plan in July and Aug each year, but I'm dead serious.

I think I'm going to switch over to AT&T.  I like the Rollover concept... the iPhone's not bad either. 

My wrists and finger joints are sore as well from the emails.  Waa, waa, waa, poor me, I know.  Comes with the territory and I'm really fine with it.  It's an effort to educate parents, but their buy in to our club's philosophy allows their child to find the support needed to increase chances of success down the road.

We announced the inception of our North and West Academy programs this week.  The timing is not great as it's really too late to try and form fall teams, but things kinda came to a head with both programs very recently.  The idea this year is to start with something, and look to build upon it come out strong the fall of 2008. 

I'm still putting in time with the MN Thunder camps as well.  This week was out in Minnetonka, and though hot, the kids really did well and looked to have a great time. 

I'm also helping cover our U13 White team in the State Tournament.  Tony, their coach, was at his USSF B License course then planned a vacation up north to the Boundary Waters (I think).  What's a vacation?  The girls have been doing well and play Eagan in the final tonight up in Blaine. 

It is also apparent that we have some real interest at the U11 age group in the East.  I think the interest is in large part due to the fact that I have made it known that I will be heading up the team, at least that what I think in my own little world.  The success of my current group speaks volumes, and I've not been shy in letting people know that we are looking to replicate and improve upon the development scheme that these current U13s went through beginning in 2004. 

With 30+ incoming U11 girls in the mix, we also have the opportunity for this age group to be the first at which we have two (maybe three) very solid teams in one geographic Academy program.  The long term goal of the program is to have 2 teams at each gender/age level, but I think this is still a long ways off.  However, this year is shaping up to be a very exciting one for this age group. 

For the U14 age group, we have 70 girls signed up for tryouts next week.  That's a "7" and a "0"... 70.  I know for a fact that they are not all coming thinking that they will make the top team, so it's a testament to the development we are offering all our club teams that we can get this interest here.

My goal is to continue to diary my now-U14s, as well as diary the next group of U11s coming through the Academy.  It will be interesting to see what we can accomplish as I feel the current U11s are ahead of where my current U13s were when they were at this age in 2004. 

The cell phone radiation, the hours of staring at my desktop screens and laptop, the stress of player evaluations, the hand holding and easing of parental worries, and the team formation issues - one of these, or a combination of all of them, always leaves my left eye twitching.  It has happened for the past 2 years, always in early August.  I don't remember noticing when it goes away, but I know that it comes on at this time. 

This twitch tends to cause some problems.  Some soccer moms think I'm winking at them.  It's worse when the dad's get the same impression.  Sometimes parents will be talking to me, trying to glean even the tiniest iota of my thought if little Landon or Mia will be on the team the player (or the parent) wants him/her to be on.  My apparent twitch-wink somehow is always construed as a positive in their worlds, and many times they give me a knowing wink and smile in return and exclaim loud enough to be heard half way across the soccer field "OK, Mark.  You know best.  I'll be happy WHICHEVER team my kid is placed." 

U13G Season Review - By the Numbers

Data doesn't lie.  Each season I tell myself that I need to take the time to do some analysis of the team's performance with regards to goal production and concession.  This year I finally had enough information to give it a good run.  This should give me a good base to work off of in the coming year with this group, as well as give me more information about things that need to be addressed with the new U11 group I'll be taking this fall.

Here are a few interesting facts about our season.  Some of results were very eye-opening for me. 

In 39 games since Virginia on March 24 and through the end of USA Cup on July 22, we scored 85 goals and conceded 18 - not counting our two penalty kick shootouts.

Breakdown of the 85 goals the girls scored

• 32 goals resulting from crosses (3 of them finished with headers)
• 9 goals resulting from long shots outside of 12 yards
• 8 goals resulting from headers off corner kicks
• 7 goals resulting from penetrating through balls
• 6 goals resulting from diagonal through balls
• 5 goals resulting from combinations in the box
• 4 goals resulting from 1v1 attacking play
• 4 goals resulting from opposing turnovers
• 3 goals resulting from corner kicks (not finished with a header)
• 2 goals resulting from rebounds
• 2 goals resulting from direct free kicks
• 2 goals resulting from scrambles in the box
• 1 goal resulting from a penalty kick

- The girls averaged scoring over 2 goals per game

- 43 goals (51%) in total resulted from wide play and crosses

- 11 goals (13%) in total were finished with a header

- 14 goals (17%) in total were from set pieces

- At Regionals, 4 out of 8 goals (50%) were from headers

- At Regionals, 6 out of 8 goals (75%) were off wide play/crosses

- 15 out of the 17 girls scored at least once this season

- Over 50% of the goals scored this season were finished by 4 players (Maddie with 16, Millie with 14, Ripper with 8, and Macky with 7)

Breakdown of the 19 goals the girls conceded

• 5 goals resulting from shots from outside the 18 yard box
• 3 goals resulting from crosses
• 3 goals resulting from individual efforts (1v1s)
• 1 goal resulting from an indirect free kick
• 1 goal resulting from a penalty kick
• 1 goal resulting from a long shot and a deflection
• 1 goal resulting from good combination play
• 1 goal resulting from a rebound
• 1 goal resulting from a corner kick
• 1 goal resulting from an over the top ball and a breakaway
• 1 goal resulting from a freak of nature (Scratch clearing the ball into the shins of a Delaware forward at the top of the 18 yard box and the ball the rocketing back into our net in Virginia)

- The girls averaged conceding 1 goal every two games

- 4 goals (20%) of the total goals scored on us came in one game (vs Chicago Magic at the West Des Moines Premier Games)

- 8 goals (42%) were conceded against U14 competition

- 11 goals (58%) were conceded against regional U13 competition

- 0 goals were conceded to Minnesota U13 competition

- IMO, we were scored on by really good team soccer 2 times (once in Des Moines by the Chicago Magic, the other at Regionals by Internationals).  The others goals allowed were due to opposing players individual efforts, individual mistakes on our part, or by long range crots (cross shots) or high loopy shots. 

- 3 goals (17%) in total were off set pieces

- We did not concede a header goal all year

What does all this mean?  Well, a few things are crystal clear.

1. If you score more goals than your opponents, you usually have a good season.  :)
2. Wide play and crossing and finishing are important parts of the game, both on attack and defense.
3. People can laugh and talk negative all they want about me mandating the Full90 Head Gear for the players.  We were by far the most aerial dominant team I saw this year.  And guess what?  Heading is an important part of the game.  We scored 11 goals from headers and gave up 0 (lending to the thought that we were good in aerial battles on defense).  4 out of 8 goals at Regionals were scored by headers, this is against arguably the top regional teams at our age group.  I teach the technique, the head gear gives the girls the confidence.  People laugh at us, I laugh at the people laughing at us. 
4. Ball striking technique is key and we've done a ton of work on it.  Arguably 67 of our 85 goals (79%) came as a direct result the girls' ability to strike a long ball (crosses, long shots, direct free kicks, long ball over the top, corner kicks).
5. Defense wins championships.

I'm excited to take all this information and use it to continue to develop the soon-to-be U14s for another year, as well as begin using the knowledge with my new U11 group this fall.