U11 Girls and the U13 Girls
U11 Girls and the U13 Girls
The U11 Girls continue to show their development and growth with every game they play. In their recent game they certainly played the best I have seen this group play. From their controlled aggression to their consummate foot-skills, they showed many examples of what they have learned at training and applied, or tried to apply, their knowledge during the game. I have coached soccer for over forty years and my recognition of team player development is not by looking at the win/loss record of the team I am coaching. I am constantly watching the players. I look for the application of vision, the application of the correct foot-skills, movement off the ball, communication, and a whole array of different facets of the game. With each training session the U11 and U13 girls improve and they continue to seriously impress me with the enthusiasm and hard work. Although I love to teach technical skills, I did notice early on in the season that our fitness was woefully lacking. Therefore, I have replaced the technical session, which was the first thirty minutes of training, with thirty minutes of fitness. Although it is a most difficult thirty minutes I never hear a complaint. Although it may not be as noticeable as the application of a newly learned technique, I do hope to start to see a difference in the players’ fitness during the games. I love working with the girls on Mondays and Wednesday and I am encouraged and most excited by their development.
In our recent games Annie Greene scored for both the U11’s and for the U13’s! She uses her speed, tenacity, and skills to the utmost and was fully deserving of the goals. For the U11’s it must be noted that Abby McCartney has been outstanding in goal. Her bravery, communication, and shot-stopping have kept us in many games and her punts have improved dramatically. The U11 team, although really short on numbers, works hard together and certainly has a future in soccer.
The U13’s won both of their recent games with goals coming from Suzanne Ford who had four goals in two games, Lauren Hradesky with two goals, and Annie Green and Marley McLaughlin with a goal each. The U13’s are playing 11V’s 11 this season and have made an excellent transition. Unfortunately, my high school games recently clashed with the U13 games; however, I am encouraged by their results and from the reviews from the coaches.
Ultimately, although I love to win, player development is what I am seeking. This cannot happen by the coach alone; the player has to work hard during training and during the games to attain the level of improvement being sought. The girls should indeed be complimented for their hard work.
