Chicagolandsoccer.net

I think that the guys over at chicagolandsoccer.net did a great job covering the team this year. They wrote stories for 13 of our games. Find our team page and read the stories, take a look at pictures and listen to interviews at the link below:

Hinsdale South Team Page 2010

Chicagolandsoccer.net's website is quite extensive. You can find IHSA postseason playoff information, stats and local college links and midwest college contacts.

Make a statement

"Humble in victory. Proud in defeat." (an old adage from a proud parent email)

It's how you play the game that matters more than the final result. Hornet soccer should be defined by how well the team comes together and plays against quality opponents. Right now, we're healthy (knock on wood) and starting to click the more we play together. We should be proud of what we left on the field tonight.

In my mind, tonight's game proves how well we can play. We put some nice things together and had our chances to score. Our focus was to give Morton an 80 minute game instead of the 60 we gave in our first match against Morton. We wanted to make a statement as we started the second season (conference play). I feel that we accomplished what we set out to do tonight and it feels nice.

I loved seeing the intensity at halftime and knew good things would happen if the boys could channel their energy and play like a team. The boys battled for the full 80 minutes and looked good doing it. After the game, I could tell that they knew how well they played and were pumped despite the final result. I know that we can build off this game as we look forward to Addison Trail on Thursday. Back to work tomorrow.

I would also like to note that I have never had so much confidence in the players on a team before, both mentally and physically. When focused, I know that we can play with anyone.

New superstition: the team will play well as long as I don't shave.

p.s. My mom came to the game tonight and told me how well the team played. She has watched soccer for many years and I always love to hear what she has to say. It's never about the tactical but rather the motivational. To make my point, I will share what my mom emailed me after our last conversation. Even though the text has broader implications, we discussed how an attitude can spark or hinder development or how players deal with a win, a loss or what the next step may be.

Attitude - The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a (team)...We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it....We are in charge of our attitudes.

War

"Soccer is like war without the killing. Prepare for battle!"

As our game against Central approached, I thought about how we came out last year with a vengeance and won. This year we had the same mentality and really battled like it was a war that we had to win. It wasn't a pretty victory but a win is a win, especially on Centennial Field. Being a rivalry game, the win was that much sweeter. It was hard to stop shaking with exhiliration after the game. This was brought about by how happy the players were. They earned it and I felt proud.

During a game of such intensity (and every game for that matter), I rely heavily of my assistant coach Jen B. Jen is a great coach and I trust every insight and decision she makes. As a coach, it is really hard to see everything and Jen sees things that I don't. I feel this only makes the team better.

Ty knows exactly what I'm talking about. Last year Ty caught an elbow in the eye and came off the field with a nice gash above his eye. He immediately left to go get stitches. I was able to call him after the game with the good news of our victory. This year, during the second half I saw Ty coming off the field with half of his face covered in blood. It reminded me of a battle scene from Braveheart. As always, Ty was calm and collected as the trainers worked to stop the bleeding as he told me "Coach, get back to the game." With an sense of deja vu I returned to the game and watched Ty head to the hospital. Once again, I was able to call him later with the good news. As a result of the battle, Ty received 4 staples.



Check out Chicagoland Soccer's coverage of the game by clicking on the link below.

http://www.chicagolandsoccer.net/Boys%202010/Weeks/week%202/hinsdalesouth-central.html

Execution Mode

"Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion!"

Yesterday's Varsity game was one of the most exciting games I've coached up until the very last second with the winning goal hitting the crossbar. It was awesome to see everything we've been working on at game speed and against a good opponent. I was very impressed with the team's ability to respond every time WWS scored. This requires mental toughness and we were obviously up to the task. Congrats to Joe G. for receiving the sportsmanship pin that WWS gives to an opposing player each game. I was proud and pumped up by the way we opened up the season and know that we will only get better with every game we play.

Before the game, I talked about being in "execution mode." This is where all the hard work at practice pays off. As Sean McCann, USOC Sport Psychologist explained, players need to operate with a stripped-down, uncluttered mind where technique is reduced to a shorthand, strategy is a simple idea, the internal mind is quiet and the senses are open and aware (2008). Essentially, I asked the players to live in the moment and let their athleticism take over and just compete.



Thanks to Mrs. P. for the pics

Preseason Parent Meeting

Thanks to everyone that came to the Fall Sports Parent Meeting last night. Those of you who were not able to make it, this is the presentation. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns

Doubles

"I would hate to lose a game because my players were not in shape."

A large part of preseason training is conditioning. Every player is expected to be able to play for 80 minutes. In that 80 minutes, I think the average soccer player will run around 6 miles. I'd also say that midfielders run more and based on the system of play, strikers may run a little less. Therefore, it is imperative that we train everyday for this reality of soccer during the preseason. Coach Belmonte has kept Varsity busy (and tired) with a variety of fitness tests during the morning sessions. Coach Wolf and coach Thornburg have also been making sure that the Freshmen and Sophomores are in tip top shape. We believe believe that soccer players have to be able to play tired. This is where it takes mental discipline to keep pushing and giving 100%.

I have been working each day with the goalkeepers. I'm impressed by their hard work and mutual support. It's also nice (and extremely valuable) to hear Paras giving tips and suggestions based on what he sees. Keep up the good work Paras, Armando, Grant and Jose!

Varsity had a scrimmage on Tuesday night (5:30) and we will play again tonight. It was nice to see that a few parents were able to make it. The coaches were glad to see that the players treated the scrimmage seriously, as if it were the game against Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday. From the coaches perspective, we saw some good things and we saw some bad things. In the end, we all agreed that we have a lot to work on. Kudos to Joe P. for the nasty shot and ensuing celebratory belly slide that opened up the scoring.

Turf update - not done. The last due date I received was September 16. Our home games will be played on the practice turf field and the adjacent "shelf" field at 5pm until the stadium turf is ready. The bleachers are located on the east side of the field. More information to follow.

Something to ponder -
"Class is demonstrated when you do something for someone who can do nothing for you."

Preseason survey

Please take our quick preseason survey by clicking on the link below. Thanks!

http://tinyurl.com/2fj6673

Day 1

August 11 - HOT! The heat was a force to be reckoned with. The coaches were very aware of how this and how it influences player performance, motivation and expectations. The players did a great job despite the conditions. I would also like to mention that our trainers did a great job keeping us hydrated.

9:00 am - Players and coaches met in the Field House. Those players who turned in their physical and parent permission forms on time were allowed to participate. For those players who were not, they were informed what they were missing thanks to our Athletic Department staff (thanks Carol et al!).

9:30 am - Players split up into age groups and began preseason training.
-The Freshmen and Sophomores had one long practice that ended around 12:30.
-The Varsity players took a fitness test (yoyo intermittent recovery test), took a break and then met up for a second session in the afternoon. They took a jog on Clarendon Hills road to 67th street and back, completed a variety of square sprints and finished with 150s. Some of the players were shocked to hear that this was a "light" day.

I was impressed by some Varsity players' physical condition and concerned about others. Considering the length of our season, we can't spend a lot of time getting into shape. So, it's crucial and expected that our players come to the first day in the best shape possible. One player told me at the end of our second session, "I'm glad I did some running before today because I would have been in trouble." Well said Warturtle.

Two golden expectations: BE ON TIME & WORK HARD

Getting ready for day 1

"It's not so much to win games as to elevate people to their potential."

The fall season will start on Wednesday. I am looking forward to getting things rolling in anticipation for our opener against Wheaton Warrenville South on the 24th. We put in a lot of time and sweat this summer and I am pumped to see how the new squads come together. I hope that the players are ready for the fitness test!



On another note, I received an email last week indicating that the stadium turf will not be done until September 16th. The Athletic Director, the Head Football Coach and I sat down this morning and hashed out all the details with regards to practice time and games. I am blessed that they are easy people to work with and I believe we came up with the best solution.

The Blog Begins

"Life is important on a daily basis because you transform it - you try to transform it - into something that is close to art. And football is like that. When I see Barcelona, to me it is art."
-Arsene Wenger (London Telegraph - September 2009)