First week thoughts

So much for the daily blogs I was going to do. Time get's away from you when you are having fun. I will try and update daily as the season moves on.

After 6 total practices we are finally starting to see a bit more intensity from the boys. I often wonder if maybe we just do too much in the way of soccer. They play a fall season, followed by 2 indoor sessions, club teams in the spring, and high school team camps in the summer. Not to mention we start on the 12th and nour first game is the 28th.

We worked the kids very hard and some kids you can tell are in tremendous shape. I would have to say that for the first time, the majority of the kids we are looking at for the varsity team are in very good condition. We did the blitz on Saturday after 70 minutes of scrimmage and not 1 kid dropped out, which is impressive in itself. The blitz is a 16-18 minute conditioning drill. In that time, they run forwards and backwards for 4 minutes each and then do hills for 4 minutes forwards and 4 minutes backwards. We culminate it with about a 300 yard sprint that they had 1:30 to finish. Not only did everyone finish it in plenty of time, but I have to say I walked away from that drill so impressed by several of our boys. Gavin Schaefer last year would have struggled to get through the drill and would have used all 1:30 to make that ending run. On Saturday he never struggled and did the final run in under 50 seconds. Matt Burrus and Zach Forbes went to the back of the group and ran with the kids who were struggeling, encouraging them the entire way. What a great thing to see.

The older kids on the team are taking the younger ones under their wing a teaching them the way things are done and what the espectations are. I see the younger kids very intent to learn and listen to what the older kids have to say. A true sence of TEAM is evident. Our kids have gone from cheering kids on who don't make a run in time to now running it with them. Soccer is a team sport and when one person struggles, the whole team struggles. If we are going to be as successful as I think we can be, we have to work together and be there for each other.

This team has all the ability in the world to make it to the final 4 in Naperville in November. However, without hard work, we will never reach our goals.

Blue/White scrimmage is this Thursday at 5:30. Hope people can make it out.