Friday, October 7, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Endings
Long Memorial Day weekend of soccer with my girls is over and the forced end to a ton of time put forth into the long-term growth of a great group of girls. A few are leaving who can't and won't be replaced so I look forward to the coming fall when we'll take everyone else and build something new.
Lightning Storm and Lightning Strike put it all out there knowing this was the end of something built slowly over the last three years, something done with purpose and dedication to grow every player into their own force on the field. I have always said these are kids who came with whatever they had as raw or naturally gifted as they may have been in the beginning to end up being something no teams we played against understood. Some appreciated it, some disdained, some thought it was a gimmick, but now as these girls have begun implementing it along with the other more visible aspects of the game, such as passing and tactics, it is clear it is no gimmick and it is a huge offensive and defensive advantage to have independent decision makers who can identify a wide array of opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
They were never placed into defined roles on the field and thus have a mental advantage on their age related peers understanding what to do whenever/wherever they may end up in the course of a match, assigned or due to player movement. I can sit down and explain new ideas to them and they quickly latch on to them because they have moved past the point of being afraid of trying new things.
The size of their opponents is no barrier now as they all understand brains and skill are more mighty than brawn. They too all know eventually they will catch up to the big kids and that physical advantage will disappear as well.
Unfortunately, I know I disappeared as well from this space as I spent a lot of time this season and pre-season beginning posts and never getting them out there. Most of my waking and sleeping hours have been spent thinking of the future of my eighteen U10 Lighting girls, eight U8 Stars girls and their nine training mates from Coach Brad's, and eleven U12 Fusion boys and girls and their training mates from other teams due to the age rule insanity placed upon us as youth coaches. It is a terrible thing to feel your family being stripped away and dismantled.
My hope is all will land on their feet with other good soccer families, but for them to know the door is always open to get feedback and help from this coach.
Lightning Storm and Lightning Strike put it all out there knowing this was the end of something built slowly over the last three years, something done with purpose and dedication to grow every player into their own force on the field. I have always said these are kids who came with whatever they had as raw or naturally gifted as they may have been in the beginning to end up being something no teams we played against understood. Some appreciated it, some disdained, some thought it was a gimmick, but now as these girls have begun implementing it along with the other more visible aspects of the game, such as passing and tactics, it is clear it is no gimmick and it is a huge offensive and defensive advantage to have independent decision makers who can identify a wide array of opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
They were never placed into defined roles on the field and thus have a mental advantage on their age related peers understanding what to do whenever/wherever they may end up in the course of a match, assigned or due to player movement. I can sit down and explain new ideas to them and they quickly latch on to them because they have moved past the point of being afraid of trying new things.
The size of their opponents is no barrier now as they all understand brains and skill are more mighty than brawn. They too all know eventually they will catch up to the big kids and that physical advantage will disappear as well.
Unfortunately, I know I disappeared as well from this space as I spent a lot of time this season and pre-season beginning posts and never getting them out there. Most of my waking and sleeping hours have been spent thinking of the future of my eighteen U10 Lighting girls, eight U8 Stars girls and their nine training mates from Coach Brad's, and eleven U12 Fusion boys and girls and their training mates from other teams due to the age rule insanity placed upon us as youth coaches. It is a terrible thing to feel your family being stripped away and dismantled.
My hope is all will land on their feet with other good soccer families, but for them to know the door is always open to get feedback and help from this coach.
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