9/28/09
This was a tough week for the soccer team in many repects. Tuesday we lost to Greenfield 2-0 and it did not appear that our hearts were in the game and I was in fear that the kids were done with soccer already. However, they bounced back on Thursday against MT and played their most intense, effortful game of the season. As a coach when I see players play like they did against MT, I could care less whether we win or not because they showed how much they love this game and love to play it. The regretful part is that we lost that game 2-1 which was just a heart breaker. Also, our keeper was fouled hard during the game and we may have lost him for a couple of games this week? This Saturday we had our 5k run/walk which for the first year was a mild sucess. We had some player and parent participants and raised a little money but I learned a lot from the experience and will hopefully be able to apply the knowledge later.
This week the Varsity soccer team player very hard in both of its matches. Against Grove City Christian, we were adjusting to playing on the turf which was a new experience and gaining our match confidence. Against McClain, we were playing at home so we were more comfortable and our performance showed it. So far our new varsity players are gaining their confidence and the experienced players are becoming more familiar with new positions and responsibilities. Improvement has been evident already and will be a goal for the continuation of the season.
9/21/09
This was a great week of soccer. On Tuesday we played a tough hillsboro team that challenged us for the entire 80 minutes but our kids stayed tough and never quit. They showed great work ethic and tenacity. We won 2-1. Then on Thursday we faced our final SCOL opponent for the first time. It was WCH a team that had beaten us pretty badly last year late in the season so that was fresh on the kids minds. Again as on Tuesday they came out sharp and played extremely aggressively. Thursday was the best game that I have seen this group play together this year and probably the best game they have played together ever. The good news is that they seem to be peaking about the perfect time because next week will be one of our toughest yet and we are going to need effort above and beyond what we have gotten so far to maintain our winning ways. I am looking forward to the challenge of next week. Also, the JV team played their 2nd game of the season on thursday and got beaten 5-1 by WCH. We were not out talented or out worked, it was simply that we were not used to playing against another team in that setting. As the JV becomes more comfortable with playing together in the game setting they will fair much better..
9/14/09
This week we went 1-1 again. On Thursday, we travelled to Clinton Massie and won 3-2 after trailing at the half 1-0. The kids showed a lot of resilience and tenacity to stay in the game and come back to win. This was our best game of the season to date which is a good and shows that we are improving and progressing. On Saturday morning, we travelled to West Jefferson and played in a morning game. The team played tough and attempted to execute our strategy but I believe that we were slower to the ball and less precise because of a late night previous and an early morning. I think that the team was not used to playing on that stage and their skill seemed to show signs of exhaustion. I am looking forward to this week which will hopefully see us coming in refreshed and ready to get back to Thursday night's form.
9/6/09
This week the soccer team went 1-1 and the JV team played its first game, which they lost. First the JV team, played very hard which is evident by the fact that they scored a goal late in the second half to bring the score to within 1 and then had a direct free kick to tie the game in the closing seconds. I saw a lot of positives in the JV team that we will be able to build upon. The varsity Lost to Miami Trace on Tuesday night and they were not mentally prepared to play. I believe that it had a lot to do with them sitting for nearly 2 hours before their game watching the JV game. Next time they play together I am going to try to keep them slightly more active during the JV game. We bounced back on Wednesday with a good practiced which translated into superb effort on Thursday which allowed me to extended playing time for our Varsity reserves that they do not normally get. All In All, I was pleased with the effort that the players gave this week and I hope that we continue to grow and improve as the season progresses.