Practice notes / Up back through video from Sophie

Sophie,
Thanks for the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzSWyzBfeOM

Girls, watch at the 40 second mark, and you'll see a lot of "up, back, through" passing.  I love how this video is called "Attacking Soccer", since that is what I have been referring to this as!


Girls/Parents,

Last night's 15 minutes of running was a great start.  It was obvious that a 3-4 girls got through it pretty easy, and about 8-9 girls got through it (and will continue to get better), and 4-5 girls struggled and couldn't finish.

Girls, I do want you to continue to push yourself.  If you feel lightheaded, sick, or injured--sit out--I don't want anyone passing out on me, or throwing up.  But I do want you to push yourself otherwise.

Within a couple weeks, we should ALL be able to finish the type of running we did last night.  Some of the girls that finished within the top 5 already came from a practices where they actually ran more than what I ran everyone last night.  So, I thank the girls who showed up in outstanding shape.

I would recommend for some of the girls who could not finish, to find time to run each day (sprints and distance).  With only two weekly practices, and one falling on a friday, which will be usually the practice before game day--that only gives me one practice to truly run you girls.  So, again, please find it in yourself to do what you need to get in the cardio shape required for this game!

PS--remember to send your video links of "Up, Pass, Thru" examples.  You could probably google terms such as "overlap soccer", combination play soccer, Attacking soccer", Through pass soccer, Counter Attack Soccer", etc.  Hope this helps.  And please put the link in the comments section of THIS POST!  Thanks.

Thanks,
Brian

Practice Notes--Scrimmage

Parents,

Friendly (scrimmage):

I just want to confirm that that we have a Friendly Saturday, August 17th, at 3pm Four Seasons against the Kings Hammer Academy Blue team. The address is 4609 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226. 

I'm assuming everyone's uniform has come in, or if it hasn't, that it will by then.  Please where the red color, but bring the white.  Also, bring entire OLD red uniforms just in case everyone doesn't have their new uniforms.  No matter which we use (old or new), I do want us to all match and not look like a rec team...

Be at the fields by 2:15.  45 minutes prior will be the norm for now on, unless I say otherwise.  At the girls ages now with their physical development, their muscles are tighter than years past, so there is more room for pulled or torn muscles.  Adequate warm-ups are necessary.

For those girls not currently playing high school soccer, I would suggest an hour of practice on their own daily, with every other day running at least 1 mile and then five 100 meter and five 50  meter sprints.  

Practice Notes:

Parents, I am not gonna bore you with our meeting last night.  Please discuss with your child the things we talked about.  We spoke, as a group, about each others strengths and areas needed for improvement.  We discussed leadership, how to lead (begin with a positive, address issue, end with positive), and even allowed some to role play.   (example:  Olivia to Molly:  Molly, you are very skilled player.  Today though, I saw you many times kicking with no purpose in the midfield just trying to get rid of the ball.  Molly, when you play with confidence and use your skill to find an option, or if there isn't an option, you use your skill to create more space and time for an option to open up,  or just beat a defender--it makes our team so much better--that's how important you are to this team.).

The was meant to do many things...

1. Carry this over into their lives with relationships off the field.
2. Learn leadership/management qualities at a young age to carry over into their professions one day.
3. Hold each other accountable, and give a positive way to do so.
4. Allow each girl to hold herself accountable.

I hope each girl walked away looking at this as a positive.  If that was not the case, please have them speak to me, or as their parent, please feel free to let me know any thoughts so we can take care of it now, and not mid season.

Have them discuss with you our new offense.  It is a VERY attacking type offense that demands specific runs constantly.  When these runs don't happen, 15 push ups as a team in practice will be awarded; and in games a little bench time will be awarded--not as a punishment, but to create habit.  Just support me on this.  It quickly got my freshmen team to catch on!  And on a final note about the offense, it will require 3x the stamina the girls had last year.  As a team, we were out of shape--about 4-5 girls were really out of shape.  Most of that falls on my shoulders.  These girls will run more this year than ever to get them in shape.  Hopefully they are working on that now on their own, or school team.

Below is the outline I provided each of them.  We didn't make it to our defense yet.  Have them go over this outline with you please.  We set expectations with each girl and the team.  I want to make sure all parents are on board also.

Thanks all.
Brian

OUTLINE:

1.       Team Goals

2.       Expectations

3.       Conditioning

4.       Offense

         a.       Overlap rules (attacking team)

         b.      “up, back, thru”

5.       Defense

a.       Flat back four (different from our “sweeper/Stopper diamond”)

                                                               i.      Pressure (delay)

                                                             ii.      Cover  (telling Pressure which way to push the attack)

                                                            iii.      Balance

6.       Other Areas of focus     

a.       Consistent use of skill—we will be the most skilled team

b.      Perfect 1 and 2 touch passing, especially with weaker foot.

                                                               i.      This will only be accomplished on your own. We do not have enough practices for this to happen.  The teams we are playing are having 3-5 mandatory practices a week with constant “friendlies/scrimmages” and 3-5 tournaments a season.  We will be getting together as a team about ½ of our competition.  HAS TO BE ON YOUR OWN.

c.       Effort.  Lack of effort gets benched—PERIOD.  We win 9 of 10 50/50 balls, and the one we lose, YOU get it back.

d.      Winning and CONTROLLING balls out of the air.

Fall Practice Schedule, Scrimmage Date

Parents,

We will have our last Thursday Summer Training this week--same time 5:30-6:45 at Tower Park Field.  Please try and have the girls present.

Our Fall practices will begin the following week.  Practices will be held at General Cable Field.  If I can get Highlands, I will send out a blog notifying everyone of the change.  So please always check this before you go to the field.

Fall Practice:
Tuesdays:  7:00-8:30
Fridays: 7:00 - 8:30

Once football season begins, I understand the Friday practice isn't the greatest time.  I will look at changing it to another day.

Most schools allow training with Club team over high school team.  Please make it your best effort to have your daughter make these practices (I understand if her high school team has a game that day/time).  We will be going over a lot of new tactical information.  It will be pretty important everyone is there so our team is on the same page.

Kings Hammer Academy Blue (the very top Kings team) emailed me today wanting to set up a scrimmage. We will scrimmage them On Saturday, August 17th, at 3pm at Four Seasons.  The address is 4609 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226.  I hope everyone looks at this as a compliment to our team.  This will be the best team our girls most likely have ever faced since playing CSA's top team a year ago (4-0 loss...).  They are practicing 3 days a week, so please try and get your girls to practices so we can represent the WieKings well!  This is the type of team we want to play (they are in the Top Division of Buckeye).

Lastly, we have two games that will change.  Whatever game I had previously listed for 9pm, please change that to 9am (look below for the current changes--thanks Gary).  I also have a coach needing to see if we can change times of another game.  I will call him and update the change.  Thanks!

Thanks All.  Hope you are enjoying your summer!
Brian

Saturday, September 07, 2013		ANDERSON	12:45 PM	GRASS		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	KHSC East G99 Red 1
Sunday, September 08, 2013		Ankeney	4:00 PM	6		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	CLUB OHIO G99 GREEN
Sunday, September 29, 2013		Ankeney	2:15 PM	7		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	FC42 G99 Royal
Saturday, October 05, 2013		Ankeney	9:00 AM	3		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	FC Tippecanoe G99 Lightning
Saturday, October 05, 2013		Ankeney	2:15 PM	2		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	ISC Storm G99
Saturday, October 19, 2013		McClure	10:45 AM	9		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	United 1996 G99 Internationals
Sunday, October 27, 2013		Ankeney	2:15 PM	6		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	Crew Jr G99 West Black
Saturday, November 02, 2013		Eakle	12:30 PM	5		11v11	Elite-2	U14	Girls	KHSC Select Wiefering G99	Classics Eagles Black G99

From Gary to Brian:  The October 5^th Game against FC Tippecanoe you had down as 9:00 PM but it is 9:00 AM. I also highlighted a couple of Field Changes.

Buckeye Elite 2 Schedule -- Mark your Calendars and relay these dates to your Fresh/JV coach's

Please mark off these dates for league play and tournament play (and turn on FOX right now to watch Gold Cup USA vs. El Salvador--great game; if they win today, they will most likely play the very good Costa Rica in Semi's, and probably the powerhouse Mexico in the Gold Cup Championship!!!):

LEAGUE PLAY

Sept. 7th (Sat)  12:45 vs. KHSC East Red 1  Location: Anderson Grass Field #(TBD)

Sept. 8th (Sun) 4:00 vs. Club Ohio Green   Location: Ankeney Field #6

Sept. 29th (Sun) 2:15 vs. FC 42   Location: Ankeney Field #7

Oct. 5th (Sat) 9:00 pm vs. FC Tippecanoe Lightening Location: Ankeney Field #3

Oct. 5th (Sat) 2:15 vs. ISC Storm  Location: Ankeney Field #2

Oct. 19th (Sat) 10:45 vs. United 96 FC  Location: McClure Field #(TBD)

Oct. 27th (Sun) 2:15 vs. Crew Jr. West Black  Loacation: Ankeney Field #7

Nov. 2nd (Sat) 12:30 vs. Classic Eagles Black Location: Eakle Field #5


Mead Cup Tournament

Aug 31-Sept 2nd (times TBD)  Location: Ankeney and/or Oak Grove (TBD)

Drawings went well today for Buckeye League play.  Good news is no travel to play the Columbus teams or Lousiville teams.  Good News also is furthest we have to travel is Dayton fields (Ankeney and Eakle).  We got two games closer at Anderson and McClure.  Bad news is we do have to travel to Dayton field for 6 of our 8 games.

Tower Park is not part of Buckeye.  I will work on getting this done for the spring, and try and get all home games again like last Spring.  Ankeney is central location to most teams, so that is why most teams in this league play there from what I gathered.

Buckeye League Division

Girls/Parents,

The Final Buckeye League Fall 2013 Divisions came out.  We have been placed in the Elite 2 Division.  This is actually 1 division higher than I really wanted for our team.  There is Elite 1, Elite 2, Premier 1, Premier 2, and Premier 3.

To put things in perspective, we are in a higher division than the Cincy West Heat who won our CUSL Divisioin 1.  They are in Premier 1.  The Cincy West SWAT, who I believe we tied, is in the Premier 2 division.  We are in the Same Division as two other Kings--Kings Central Team 1 and Kings East Team 1. The only other King team above us is the Kings Hammer Academy Team 1 which is in the Elite 1 division.

If you heard we were in the last division (Premier 3), we were.  Both Gary and I sent letters to petition to move higher.  So, that is how we got placed in the Elite 2 division.

Parents/Girls, the teams in this division are teams that practice 3 days a week, and are in 3-5 tournaments per season.

For us to be competitive in this division, we have a LOT of work ahead of us.

PLEASE make sure you are working on your own.  With many of the girls playing Freshmen soccer for their school, we aren't having the practices that these other teams have.  So PLEASE, make sure you are working on your weaknesses on your own.  Skill moves over and over again at GAME SPEED, and constant 1 touch wall passing with your left foot.  If you don't, it will show right away what girls don't belong in this league...  I would never bet against our team, but we do have a mountain in front of us, and each girl needs to really take on the responsibility to work on their own--or I promise the result in terms of wins and losses will not be good.  If you work hard, I am confident it will!!!

Congrats--your hard work thus far has put you in a division that will help you in the future get college attention. Continue to work hard, so we can stay in this division, and eventually move up!

Brian

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Parents and Girls,

I've been very fortunate enough to receive some awesome awards over the past years for my work at WieFit as best Cincy trainer of the year, and best new business of the year, along with awards at former jobs, and back when I competed in that goofy sport of bodybuilding!  Even the awards I got back in my college and high school playing days.  As much as they all meant to me, I can 100% tell you that being selected as the 2013 Youth Soccer Club Coach of the Year means more to me than all of those other ones wrapped up in one!

When I received it today, I made some calls and found out some of you awesome parents nominated me. That in itself means a lot.  Winning it means a ton too--you really must have done a good job trying to sell me... :)

I think it means so much because sometimes I might question the time and sacrifice, and wonder if it's worth it.  But, I can tell you with 100% certainty, that once every practice and/or game begins, and I see how a group of girls work so hard together to achieve common goals, I know that it's not only worth it, but I am benefiting just as much as the girls are.  In fact, I truly feel that as much as I may give, that the girls (and parents) efforts give back to me 10x more than what I could ever give.   And I sincerely thank each one of you for that.

This team is very special.  I talk about this team 24/7 (yes, maybe I am little obsessed... :) ).    But, each of you girls mean that much to me.  You all work so darn hard and are great kids both on and off the field.  This is also a true reflection from how your parents have raised you, and I am glad to call each of you as parents "friends".  I've yet to ever meet another coach that could honestly state that and really mean it!   I am so thankful that we are a "drama free" team no matter if we win or lose.

Thanks for being such supportive parents; and girls thanks for being such truly amazing and awesome girls!

Brian

P.S. I can't wait to go to the awesome Marriott Griffin Gates to receive this award.  I will take my family, spend the night, and celebrate!  Thanks all.  Here is the link to the other winners (referee, players, etc.).

http://www.kysoccer.net/2013_awards_announcement_/

Summer Training and other tidbits!

Parents/Girls,

I THINK (not totally sure yet) that we can have the field this July from 5:30-6:55pm.  The HHS boys will be getting finished around 5:20pm and the HHS girls begin at 7:00pm.  Let's plan on beginning next Thursday, July 12th, 11th,  at 5:30pm and ending at 6:55pm.

PLEASE do not get on the field or in the way of the boys--let them finish and get off the field.  In fact, please go to the bleachers on the OTHER SIDE (Fan section) and wait there until the boys have cleared out.

And I want our girls to be off the field and out of the parking lot by 7:00pm.  I am squeezing them in (off paper/record) so we don't have to waste my uses on the field, and instead save them for games, scrimmages, camps, etc.

IF the boys push their practice back because of the heat, we will have to take our practice to General Cable Field.  I will let you know ahead of time through this blog if that happens, and I'm sure it will often.

Our practice will concentrate on 45 minutes of small sided games (very very little coaching).  We will set up three small fields.  1 point for "move of the day" that is successfully used to create space or beat defender, and 1 point for goal.  In the past, I think we gave a point for multiple moves each game.  This summer, I want these moves to become so second nature, that we are only going to concentrate on 1-2 moves each practice, to make it habit--drill it in their heads!  One of the three fields will be the "winners" field.  The winning teams on each of the two fields will play on that field.  The winning team on the winner's field will always have the option to "keep field", or sit out and rest/water break!

The second 45 minutes will be athletic training, which will be a little harder than in the past, but not quite as hard as what they may have experienced at S4 Camp.  For those girls trying out that same night for school teams (like the HHS girls who will have tryouts right after), I would only want them to go about 50%, or maybe just the first half of the athletic training, and then go rest their bodies their school tryout.

This summer training is not mandatory, but highly advised, especially for the level of play we will be up against in the fall.

FALL:
We applied for the Buckeye league.  I have petitioned for the Premier Division 1 (Javanon won this in the spring), or the Elite Division which is the highest Division under State.  Being a "Select Team", I am guessing that we will be put in the Premier Division 1, which is where I hope we land.  That in itself will be pretty awesome.  I was afraid if I petitioned for only the Premier Division 1, that they may put us in the Division 2, 3 or 4.

We also applied for the Mead Cup tournament.  This has always been a great tournament.  Based on us finishing as a semifinalist in the Mead Cup Silver Division last fall, and Finalist in the Ky State Cup, I'm sure they'll be putting us in a higher division in the Mead Cup this fall.

We are currently ranked 4th in the State on gotsoccer.com and 5th on allsport.com!!!  I think this alone will be putting us in higher brackets.

SOOO, that is why I really think it's important that the girls make these trainings, and are working on their own with their weaknesses (left foot passing, left foot first touches, taking the ball out of the air and controlling it, etc.).   There are many girls on this team that if they don't work on the beforementioned, might not be able to compete successfully in the divisions we might be playing in.  PLEASE work on these at least 20-30 minutes every day.  That is not too much to ask.


Lastly, I have paid all the fee's for our Buckeye and Mead cup already.  I only have gotten about 1/2 of the payments.  If you haven't, please mail a check made out to me for $109 to my address:

Brian Wiefering
121 Miami Parkway
Fort Thomas, KY 40175.

Thanks all, and I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer and had a great 4th of July!!!!!

Brian