Stingrays FC v Lions: 1 - 1
WOW! What a great game to start of the season. I am so proud of our team for working hard, hustling, and being IN the game.
During our pre-season practices, we worked on a couple of key defensive elements: controlling the middle third, first & second defenders, slowing down the opponents attack, and keeping yourself between the ball and the goal. I'm so pleased that the team really excelled in all of these areas. When we controlled the middle third, we had lots of pressure on their defense. Our defenders really kept their offense at bay. We kept pushing their attack to the wings, and kept them out of the front of the goal. The only time we let them in, they scored.
Our offense was also strong. We had GREAT hustle from everyone up front. And we had a good interaction between our defenders and midfielders, so that our transitions were strong. Great passing and great pressure all around. And kudos for Richie for his first Stingrays goal, and John for his beautiful assist.
The Lions are a very good team, and I'm glad we had such a good test of our skills for the first game of the season. They showed us what our strengths are, as well as what we need to focus at practice. We need to work on some fundamentals (throw-ins, corner kicks) as well as some general concepts (helping out, calling for the ball, passing to open space).
But the best part about our first game was how well the team played together. It was an exciting, well played game on both sides, and we held our own against a strong opponent.
Booyahs!
I wanted to discuss booyahs for a moment. For the past few seasons, we have been giving booyahs to the player who showed the most hustle in the game. For the new parents, those soccer ball stick-ons on some of the jerseys are booyahs. They were great motivators for the team when the kids were in 2nd and 3rd grade. But Coach Kathy and I felt that the kids were at a point where they were self-motivated. So we've decided to no longer give out booyahs.
Instead, we're going to award the "Captain" arm-band. Every major team has a team captain that is designated with a special arm-band. The player who shows the most hustle, team leadership and is self-less on the field will be our captain for the next game, and will wear our captain's band.
We'll reveal who will be Captain for our next game at Wednesday's practice. Great job everyone.
Geaux Stingrays!
1 comment:
I like the captain's armband idea very much. Last spring, we had the winner(s) of the booyah from the previous game act as "captain" to represent the team for the coin flip. The boys really enjoyed performing this role. I think the armband will enhance the recognition given by the coach, and, unlike the booyahs, others will understand the honor that the band represents. Also, as the boys have grown and lost shirts, the number of booyahs on the jersey becomes less meaningful.
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