I'm excited to take the girls south to the Sereno Soccer Classic later this month. We've worked hard for the first few winter months and I'm eager to see how we match up to some quality U12 competition.
I took my now U15G team to Sereno last year and enjoyed the experience. Very competitive teams, easy drive from the hotel to the fields (we're in the same hotel this year), and nice weather. Fields are large, yellow, hard, and fast. The size will test the MTA girls' fitness for sure, but we should be a bit used to the pace of the ball coming off the turf and gym floors in tundra we call home.
I'm also excited about our draw. We'll open up against a team I'm guessing we should be able to get a result against in our first game, MSC United 97 Girls from Mesa, then fact a tough Cerritos CRSC Infinity team from Southern California, and arguably the top team in Arizona and host club Sereno 97 White.
As always, I'm hoping we do well enough in group play to help ensure that we have as challenging a fourth game as possible, and even then a 5th against what would surely be a strong opponent. I'd love to match up against the Los Angels FC (CA-S) or the Solar 97 Red girls (TX) at some point.
It was a beautiful fall morning for our first NSC Fall Cup match.
I hadn't seen Rev play much, but seen enough to know we'd have a tough match. I knew they had at least 1 very fast forward, T, who had played in our club last year, as well as two other talented mids. I had prepped the girls leading up to the event about dealing with a super fast forward, giving them thoughts about pressure and delay to slow the speedster down while other teammates recovered goal-side.
As it turned out, Rev had 3 very good forwards and the MTA defenders had their hands full all game. The midfield talent that I expected wasn't as much of a factor, for whatever reason. Girls develop differently. Talent, or even dominant players one year may be non-dominant the next as teammates and opponents develop.
If I was focused on a result here, knowing the strength of the older Rev girls, I probably would have come out in a 4-5-1, looked to defend and counterattack. However, as much as my ego wanted to win the game, more so I wanted to see how the girls matched up and played. So I went with an attacking 4-3-3.
Also, the girls had other things to focus on this weekend. Each girl was challenged to earn 5 skillzys (A.S.s.P.) this weekend - 3 Individual Technical Development (ITD) skillzys for a Step Over, Fake Shot, and Stop N Go moves, and a 2 Combination Play skillzys for a Give & Go. Girls would earn the ITD skillzys by successfully executing the 3 moves in one of our 4 games this weekend. Girls would earn the Give & Go skillzy for either being the passer or the wall player in a Give & Go, and earn the second Give & Go skillzy for identifying the Give & Go play on the field. I'm trying here to find ways to keep the girls on the bench interested and watching what happens on the field.
The overriding idea here is for the girls to, regardless of the score in a game, continue to be challenged to develop.
What does A.S.s.P stand for? Another Shameless skillzys Plug :)
It wasn't a great start for is. 90 seconds into the match, a Rev midfielder played the ball in to the Rev left forward. Cal (RD) closed well and won the ball as the Rev forward tried to turn towards our goal. Cal pushed the ball outside but was caught off guard by the speed of the Rev forward's recovery. The girls jostled for the ball and a foul was called as the Rev forward appeared to be pushed off balance while also slipping on the grass. Too far away from me to see if it was a good call, but it looked like a slip to me. We always find little excuses, don't we :)
The free kick was served into our box, and Babes (CD) finished it well for the Rev team:) I'm sure Babes wasn't very happy, but it happens to the best of us. Good learning experience about putting serves into the danger area, body positioning while defending free kicks, etc.
Two minutes later Rev doubled their lead. Mal (CD) intercepted a through pass and played a good one time pass wide to Cal (RD). Cal, now knowing she had to play a bit quicker, took 2 fast touches and played a ball wide to B-Money (RM). B's touch let her down and the ball rebounded back to the pressing Rev left forward. The forward turned Cal quickly and cut in towards goal. Mal tried to help Cal but ended up diving in, allowing the Rev forward a free cross. Our weak side defenders and mids were caught ball watching, leaving 2 Rev players wide open at the far post. It was a great cross, and the Rev forward somehow managed to head into the goal off the side of her head. Great job by her to get her head to it, but I don't know who was more surprised that it went in, me, her, or her coaches (by their reactions). Regardless, you don't see many crosses and headers at these younger girls age groups, so all credit to the Rev players involved. Lots of learning points for us as well.
We finally began to settle in and look to string passes together. Maybe because the MTA girls felt they had nothing else left to lose, maybe because the chaos of the opening minutes of the opening game of a tournament were passed.
Maddog (Point) found Mickey (LF) with a great through pass after a nice Blind Sided Run. Some composure and good strength from Mickey and Quicksy (LM) saw us maintain, lose, and regain possession in the corner of the field. A change of field sequence from Payt (CM), to Em (CM), to Cal (RD), to B-Money (RM) for a corner, and we began to play soccer.
I made changes 10 minutes into the game, and the new girls to the field took up where the others had left off with some nice passing. I always tell the girls who start the game on the bench that they have an advantage over their teammates on the field. They get to watch the game, identify opponent's strengths and weaknesses, scope out the opponents who the girls will match up against once the MTA girls step onto the field (I prep these girls prior to the game so they know the positions that they will be playing when the subs are made).
Without missing a step, we put together some more passing sequences that had our opponents on their heels.
We lacked pressure from one of our center backs on the Rev's point forward, and our wide backs did not recover quickly to help give enough support to the center backs who were in trouble.
10 minutes from time we pulled a goal back. Little Gia (RF) got hammered as she tried to get to a loose ball in midfield and the ball popped back to Em (CM). A couple touches forward and the realization that they was in trouble surrounded by white shirts, and Em turned to look to play back. One of the "Markisms" I say a lot to the girls in training - Sometimes to go forward you need to play backwards. Em looked to play back to Payt (CD) but a Rev defender poke tackled the ball away... right to Payt. Payt found Vivi (CM) and Vivi played a great penetrating split pass into her target Meg (Point). The Rev defender marking Meg fought hard for the ball, won it, and looked to turn up field, but Gia came flying in and made a terrific tackle to dispossess the defender and keep the ball alive in our opponent's danger area. Two quick touches by Meg and a rocket shot cut the Rev lead in half. Great goal for us involving 5 players.
What could we learn from the first goal? Body position while defending free kicks, and the importance of playing the ball behind defenses into the danger areas. Anything can happen. I knew Babes felt bad about the first goal, so I tried to make her laugh with a few smiles and jokes, again focusing on what she could learn from it.
We talked about how once we settled in we really started to play. I wanted confidence on the ball and didn't care for mistakes. I didn't care about the mistakes. I did care about how the girls reacted to the mistakes.
There hadn't been much build up from the Rev team once we settled in the game and got organized defensively. Their threat was the long ball up to their fast forwards and we needed to anticipate that.
Babes got a chance to show what she'd learned about getting the ball behind the defense on free kicks early in the second half. She was a bit too far out to drop the ball in over the defenders, even given her tremendous leg strength for this age group. However, the serve caused trouble as Meg (LF) poked the ball loose to Maddog (Point) who, with a great turn, found B-Money (RF) in space for a shot. B had to set her feet quickly to shoot first time and did well to get the shot off, but it lacked the normal power she is able to put on it.
A few minutes later, T (Rev's fast forward) received a ball in midfield and turned Payt who was too tight on her. T ran at us, but some good recovery by Cal (RD) and Gizmo (LD) limited T's options, and Babes got down low, slowed T's movement forward by retreating, then put a body on T as T pushed the ball past her, forcing T into a tough shot at an acute angle. Nice play on a dangerous player. We need to address the initial breakdown though - when forwards have their back to goal, anticipating what they wants to do (turn) and where they want to go (the space behind you), and being ready to react to that movement.
Babes got another chance on a dead ball near midfield, this time 5 yards in the Rev half (10 yards closer to goal than her last one a few minutes back). This time, her service sailed over the Rev defenders and dropped in a dangerous position that we had two forwards nearly get to.
Rev once again made it a two goal cushion midway through the second half.
Miscommunication between Maddog (CM) and Em (LM) off a GK punt saw the them both miss the header and the ball drop to Rev's RF. She played a long ball up field that Rev's LF cut inside of Cal to get to first. A nice outside of the foot pass found T one on one with Babes (CD). Gizmo had not recognized the danger early enough and was not in a good position to help Babes. T took a great first touch past Babes, Normy (GK) made a play to come out and smother the breakaway, partially blocked the shot, but not enough to stop it from crossing the goal line. A series of breakdowns to eventually address here.
The goal took some of the wind from our sails, but we pressed on. We started to push girls forward and the game began to open up a bit. Fairly entertaining.
I added the clip below for a few reasons. First, it illustrates how we got stretched a bit on Rev's only othe real threat of the second half. Them kicking the ball up to T, our defenders out of position, and some good individual defense by Babes. It also shows some good recovery from Payt to help our defense, a good outlet ball to B-Money (RM), combination with Vivi (CM), long ball to a target player Micky (LF) and her good skill on the ball, finishing with B-Money's left foot shot on goal.
More importantly though, if you listen closely to the voices, you will hear at least 3 different girls (two from the bench and one from the field) yell "Give & Go!" when B and Vivi combined! Awesome!!!!!! Turn your volume up.
That's what I love about the skillzys idea - girls looking to improve during competition. I guarantee no one is going to give a crap about the score of our first game at the 2008 NSC Fall Cup in the years to come. However, continued work on technical and tactical DEVELOPMENT during the "rigors" of youth sports tournament/league competition will produce much greater rewards. Hopefully the parents trust me on this one.
Also, the girls are able to find success by working on things that are fully (or somewhat fully in the case of Combination Plays) under their control. The ref isn't under their control, neither are the field conditions, the weather, their opponents, and ultimately the final score. Give weight to any of these factors and we set the players up for failure due to uncontrollable circumstances. However, regardless of what happens with these non-controllable factors, the girls have something on the field they can control (their skill and their effort and attitude to work on their skill) which means that success is in their control. And believe me, some of the girls were more excited to complete a skillzys challenge than they were to see a goal scored this weekend.
Late in the game, Babes once again was given the chance to serve a free kick near midfield. Another great service nearly saw the ball sneak in untouched. Again, get the ball in the danger area and anything can happen.
All in all, take out the first 4 minutes of the game, and it was a great performance by the MTA girls. I was very happy, leaving the field armed with the knowledge of the girls' fighting spirit, seeing their joy of succeeding in skills development challenges, and with PLENTY of things to work on this winter.
I watched Edina play this morning prior to our game with the Rev team. We'll have our hands full this afternoon again, and that's a good thing.
A mere three months later I'm finally finding some time to catch up. Motivated in part by our upcoming trip to Arizona next weekend for the Sereno Soccer Classic :)
You might ask how can anyone now attempt to recap anything that happened in October, after all the Thanksgiving tryptophan and holiday eggnog, but I took a copious amount of notes in my trusty note book, as well as have the benefit of the Hi-Pod and decent video of at least the first two games to look back on.
It was a beautiful fall morning to kick off the event. We had registered up to the U13 age group and were matched up against Dakota Rev, who I believe to be the second best team at the U13 age group behind the MTA girls. I know, I know.... some people in Rosemount might take issue with this statement. However, it's based on my own experience seeing both teams play. If I'm proved wrong, so be it. I'm right on the money in my own world, and most of the time that is all the really matters :)
Regardless, it was sure to be a tough test for the U12s.
I had prepped the girls numerous times in the weeks leading up to this event for this first match up, focusing on our overall play rather than getting a final result. I told the girls it would be very difficult for us to win the game, knowing what I knew of Rev's overall skill level let alone athletic ability as compared with the younger girls, but also that an end result was not my focus here. As it many times does, my words were lost somewhere in translation or in the brain process of some 11 year old minds and it somehow got back to the parents through the players that I told the girls they had no hope of winning the game. Again, this misinterpretation (or my lack of communicating effectively) has happened a lot throughout my years coaching young players. I am constantly amazed that adults believe I would say anything like that, but I can't blame them when I think about it. After all, it is what the girls heard me say, and what they believe I believe. Another good reminder that I have to make sure I explain certain things more clearly, important things that I want the girls to really grasp. And focusing on our play over the end result is key.
I look at our winter Futsal sessions. For 4 years my teams have played their very best soccer on Sunday afternoons in the Lake Junior High School gymnasium. Why? To me the answer is crystal clear. Futsal is fun, the girls love playing, there are no parents cheering them on or yelling our instructions, and there is minimal pressure on the girls to perform. Tournament games are fun, the girls love playing, but there are external pressures from parents and coaches to perform as after all, the girls' performance reflects positively or negatively on us, doesn't it? Oh, and equal if not more and worse pressure can come from adults away from the soccer field itself; in cars, at home/hotels, etc.
Pressure to perform leads to tension/stress and fear of making mistakes in the girls, and it is nearly impossible for young players to perform to their abilities under those circumstances.
Ever been caught off guard at a drive thru window or toll both without the correct change? Sure, if there were three cars ahead of you and you made the realization that you has $.50 in your hand instead of the needed $.68, you'd leisurely reach down to your passenger side cup holder that doubles as one of your spare change reserves (along with the center console armrest cubby and the pop-up coin slots in your glove box) and calmly and quite dexterously work your nimble fingers to pluck out a dime, a nickel, and three of the hundreds of useless pennies in the stash. Even though the McDonald's has the drive thru timing down to a science and the cars at the pay window are barely coming to a complete stop before moving on to receive their breakfast reward at the next window, you have time to find what you need and even chuckle at yourself for your obvious daftness. You even congratulate yourself as you get to whittle down that mound of change in that other cup holder so someday very soon you will be able to fit both your medium Diet Coke AND your Vanilla Latte (that you always get with your #4 McDonald's breakfast combo) in their appropriate places, rather than precariously balancing one or the other on the armrest hoping that you don't make any sudden movements in rush hour traffic between eating your Sausage Biscuit with Egg, dipping your hash brown in the ketchup that you've squirted onto the Sausage Biscuit with Egg wrapper in your lap, and talking on your phone.
Now, imagine that you make the realization of incorrect change as you're handing the money to the women at the drive through window. "Ah, excuse me sir. I said that would be $4.68 as you upsized your meal, not $4.50" she haughtily says in her broken English. Oh. No problem, I've got that right here you say. As you begin to turn away from the window and deftly pick out the 5 coins from your hoard of change, two things catch your eye. the first is the huge green sign in the window that says "Please have your money ready, idiot". As if that wasn't enough, you also catch a glimpse in your driver's side mirror the bottleneck of merged of cars behind you from the double drive thru lanes. Uh oh, you better make this quick. Blood begins to boil as your normally lithe fingers have all of a sudden turned into 5 Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausages. You look down to your center console but all the coins look like an MC Escher work, and you can't seem to differentiate one coin from another. Just a second, I have it here, you say trying to make idle small talk, hoping to distract the drive thru attendee who has already begun to mutter in Spanish. Got the dime. Yes! A nickel! But somehow you can't seem to find enough pennies. Where did all the copper go?!?!?! Ah ha! There's one! Nooooo!!! Somehow the lone penny is stuck fast to a quarter due to the Vanilla Latte that you spilled on the entire middle console last Tuesday morning in an attempt to serve out of the way of minivan's ass that somehow came to a sudden stop behind 100 other stopped cars on the parking lot called I94E. I've got to call you back man, I just spilled my coffee. Finally, in desperation, you hand the muttering Latina an additional quarter. Dang. Gave up one coin and getting 3 back. You'll never get rid of all this change...
Stress and tension don't help performance. Add in fear of making mistakes and you lose needed creativity and risk taking that are essential to top level soccer. Focus on winning adds pressure, pressure lowers performance. Moreover, focus on winning, which is ultimately out of the players' control, sets the players up for failure. This is a big reason for the Controlling the SEAS skillzys that I use. For all the skillzys as a matter of fact - rewarding kids for controlling what they can control (Sportsmanship, Effort and Energy, Attitude, and Smiles) and for skill demonstration in competition rather than for the end result of any given game. Focus on these controllable aspects and the pressure to get results is minimized. Focus on skills in competition and development accelerates. Moreover, minimizing pressure raises performance level and results come.
Man, I didn't even get to posting about NSC Fall Cup. Hopefully I'll get to that by April.
Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 03:20PM 
I'm excited to take the girls south to the Sereno Soccer Classic later this month. We've worked hard for the first few winter months and I'm eager to see how we match up to some quality U12 competition.
