S4 Team Winter Training

Parents/Girls,

I've been getting some emails and calls from parents on the team wanting to get the girls started with training, saying the girls want training.  Very different from last season when I felt many of the girls needed and wanted the break, and some vocalized their burnout...  It's great the girls want more!  That means they are really loving the game, and that's when good things happen!

Right now there is a group of 4 on our team that are training S4 with Stephanie and/or Alex at WieFit a couple days a week.  I hate having girls on our team pay money to train, but I just don't have the openings during the week for me to train them, and I have to pay my trainers...

Molly and Maria have expressed interest to begin too, so I guess we need to look at weekend availability. I've got teams on Saturday that I train.  I'm already down there, so would like to fit our team in on Saturdays.  I know most Saturdays we have indoor--but so do these teams, and I think it's working fine.   Many of the teams get a bite to eat between S4 and Indoor or vica versa.

I'd like to start with Saturdays for now from 2-3, beginning the week after tomorrow.  Saturday really is the only day I can make this work for now.  I will have paying teams prior to and immediately after the 2-3 time slot.  So, please have the girls be there on time, as I can't wait since I have to end on time for the next team to begin, and since it's only and hour, I want the full 60 minutes with our team.  When the girls get there, I ask that they walk straight back to the day care room, keep it quiet, until 2:00 (I ask every team to do the same).

I am extremely excited about S4 this year.  We have added a lot to our program, specifically for the groups that have been doing it for over a year:

1.  Expecting Perfection of about 20 moves, asking each girl take away 10 they can use at any given time without hesitation.
2. Stressing the Speed of the moves--Mastering each move at Game Speed
3. Huge emphasis on when and where to use each move on the field--(game situation).
---These three need to lead to TOTAL CONFIDENCE with the ball.

Every High school has that one girl on Varsity that basically has to be double teamed since they are so confident and skilled with the ball.  Brooklyn Rivers is the Girl for highlands, Lauren Nemeroff for Dixie, Arnzen and Tierney for Notre Dame, etc.  Most teams have that 1 or 2 girls that simply can't be guared 1v1, and creates so many problems for defenders by demanding a second defender to come help; thus leaving someone wide open...

This may sound crazy, but I truly expect this from every girl on our team over the next few seasons.  And I don't think one has demanded this respect from a defender yet...  We overall are a  skilled team, but this winter, we are going to focus on #'s 1, 2 and 3 above to make that happen.  When girls have this, it demands respect from the defender.  The defender will do one of two things.  Try and guard/deny them so tight without the ball; thus allowing the player to make through runs to receive the ball.  Or, the defender will really give them space once they have the ball, in fear of getting burnt--usually waiting for help from a second defender.

Again, we don't have 1 girl here yet.  We have a 3-4 that are close, but definitely not there yet.  And we absolutely have 17 that all have the potential..

I can't tell you enough how a full team of this type of player will open up 1 and 2 touch soccer so much.
Again, defenders will over mark, or give too much slack.

Lastly--this winter training is not mandatory, but highly recommended.  I know for some it might mean an extra trip with indoor games, but if I had it on Sunday or during the week, it'd be a trip anyway... And I have a big feeling that consistent attendance this winter will really differentiate the girls individual ability and play this spring.

Thanks, and I'll see you all at the indoor game tomorrow, and then hopefully both the indoor game and S4 training the following Saturday.

Happy Holidays!

Brian

P.S.  I am tired of training all of these other teams every night and not our team!!!!