More Stars!

Nick LeFevre got a star! 9/27/2011

Congratulations Nick!!

Sept 24 -- Wolverines vs. Aggies ZZ (1 - 4)

Hi Team,

We are now halfway through our season and will start rotating through the teams again starting with a home match on Wed against Soccer Academy. At this point we know what to expect and know we can play any team in our league. Today was another strong effort and I was happy to see some of the "quieter" players step up today to make several great plays. The play of the game goes to Ethan for a brilliant put-back goal after their keeper couldn't handle the free kick Isaac lobbed in from top of the box. This was well-deserved as Ethan had a number of penetrating runs and shots on goal. I love that scrappy play and apparently so do Kyler and Avery because they were all over the field making great hustle plays today. The heat was taking a toll and we looked a bit fatigued toward the end, but no more than the other team.

So as I look back on the first half of the season (1 win, 2 ties, 3 losses) we had eight goals from five different players. I didn't keep track of shots on goal, but we tend to shoot as much as the teams we play, we just haven't been as fortunate at finding the back of the net. I would like to hold a practice this Tuesday to prepare for Wed's match against Academy so that we can work on some fundamentals to help us score more and give up fewer goals. We are also going to have some extra (and expert!) coaching help from Erika Larson, which helps us break the kids into smaller groups to work on skills during practices. Don't forget to have your players work on juggling, pendulums, and toe taps at home. Gideon earned a star for his jersey by juggling the ball 7 times last practice--good job! I know he can do more than 10, so let's have some other players get to 5 before Gideon gets that second star!

Thanks for the great support of a great bunch of players!

-Coach Dave

Wolverine Stars

Gideon Newman got the first juggling star! 9/21/2011

Many others are really close!

Sept 17 -- Wolverines vs. Aggies JL (0 - 5) Great Defensive Game

We lucked out with the weather on Saturday and had a perfect window for a rain free soccer match. That was our best defensive play all season, even though the final score did not reflect this. Everyone was running to shut down their dribbling and passing, then once we regained possession we spread out and our own attack. That was a very high energy match and we had a good chance against the top team in our league (helped by their lack of substitutes). I have been working with the kids on crossing the ball from the wings into the center where it is to be one touched into the back of the net--we gave ourselves several opportunities to do this, but didn't quite connect. Please work with your players on running to meet a moving ball and either trap or kick the ball against a target. Dribbling with the head up will also create more scoring opportunities--we have a couple of the best ball handlers in the league, so we have no problem dribbling circles around the other teams, but then need to look up and find the open player who can set up a good shot on goal. Hats off to Nick for his third goal of the season! It was a great come back goal to keep the match tied all first half. Some of the most tenacious defense came in the second half with Ben setting the example of "not in my half of the field". He cleared every ball that came near him--it was a solid defensive stand. Other than a few miscommunications we played our best game. I will pull players out after mistakes so I can go over the play with them on the side line and give them a chance to refocus. I'll also continue to substitute players into the games based on their effort and improvement in practices and games. We'll be half-way through the Fall season with our next game on Wed. The first half has been good with 1 win, 2 losses, and 2 ties. We'll aim to set the stats at 2:2:2 after Wed!

Thanks for your support of a great bunch of kids!
Dave

Sept 14 -- Woverines vs. TFS Lightning 1 - 0 (and it's a WIN!)

Great game players! We've been playing well and this time the final score reflected it! Tate gets the hustle play of the game for racing the ball into the goal and beating the keeper. He kept the score sheet clean as keeper too--good play! Gideon tested the keeper again with a fantastic shot with his "weak" (less strong?!) foot. I really liked how the team responded to me to stop kicking long shots that were rolling to the keeper and instead dribble in and make passes--Logan took this to heart and made some great moves toward the outside then pushed the ball back into the middle. It is great to see the kids stay spread out and move the ball around. We still need to work on fundamentals so that we can control passes and dribble with our heads up to see open players. Before next Saturday's game I'd like the players to show up extra early (45 mins) so I can work on foot placement for shooting the ball--once we get this down we will score more goals!

Coach LeFevre will work the practice tomorrow (5:30).

Cheers!
Coach Dave

With Stars in their Eyes...

Get your juggling skills up!

About every other week, we will get in a circle and count how many times each player can juggle the ball. Every time a player gets to a new milestone, they get a star to add to their uniform, up to 5 stars.

5 juggles -- 1 star
10 juggles -- 2 stars
20 juggles -- 3 stars
30 juggles -- 4 stars
40+ juggles -- 5 stars

Fine Print: Practice at home, but it only counts if it's done in front of the team. You get two tries in the circle. We'll test it about every other week. Good luck!

Sept 7 -- Wolverines vs. Infinity (1-1)

Another good effort by our players today! It was a bit scrappy and we did not string together as many passes as last match, but I enjoyed watching the team work things out for themselves on the field. I want the players to be autonomous with only general comments on positioning and "options" coming from the coaches. A great example was Nick selecting not to kick the ball as keeper and roll it out to Kyler who took the ball nicely and moved it up the field. Likewise on set plays (free kicks, corner kicks) we like to see how the players set it up on their own. I liked how Dylan gestured emphatically with his head and eyes where he wanted a player to go when he was throwing the ball into play. It is great to see the kids make these kind of decisions. Everyone is playing with much more confidence and we rotated them through at all positions and they responded well.

So now on to a couple "plays of the game!" The follow up goal by Gideon was a great example of how second efforts and follow ups are rewarded. Nice shot! Daniel also started the game "on fire" and was chasing down balls and put one across the face of the goal. In the second half Tate had a "firecracker" of a shot that tested their keeper. And it needs to be emphasized that none of these opportunities on goal would arise unless the whole team works to move the ball forward. This game was a strong team effort, which was most evident when the players backed each other up to stop some very good ball handlers on the opposition. I really enjoyed this game! We'll work on not standing flat footed or "poking" at the ball when a good dribbler is attacking. I appreciate and take notice of the effort the kids put in at practice. Please also work with them at home for 15 to 20 minutes on fundamentals (toe taps, pendulums, juggling). All of these exercises help the players maintain possession of the ball.

Thanks for supporting a great group of kids! See you tomorrow at 5:30.
Coach Dave

Wolverine Coaching Philosophy

Coaching Philosophy

The statement “Playing time is earned, not given” is one of the foundation of the coaching philosophy. Most teams have starters and role players. However, starters should not receive any special treatment. Everyone on the team is expected to put the best interest of the team first, before any thought is given to individual accomplishments. No individual, coach or player, is more important than the team.

What specifically does “Playing time is earned, not given” mean? The amount of playing time each player receives will depend on his/her attitude, skill level, commitment to the team, absences, injuries and game/tournament situations.

Team pride is another cornerstone of a competitive athletic program. Winning builds pride, but so does hard work and commitment to individual and team goals. Coaches will instill in each player the belief that hard work pays off, and the harder he/she works, the more he/she will achieve. While winning is a goal for everyone, at the same time each player should focus on his/her effort - not the outcome. A team can always control effort but seldom the outcome of a game.

Teaching and repetition are two of the tools used to prepare each player to be the best soccer player he/she can be. We will begin with fundamentals, work on techniques and individual skills, and teach team defense in depth. We take every opportunity to teach and demonstrate teamwork, sportsmanship and respect for everyone, starting with the coaches. Believing that "perfect practice makes perfect players" and they should properly practice the skills being taught, on a repetitive basis, so that these skills become as natural as walking and talking.

Players should set goals for themselves and the team. These goals should be challenging enough to require each player to extend beyond their present skill level. Each player should have the opportunity to achieve success and/or failure in game situations. When they succeed, we give positive feedback in terms of recognition and approval. When they do not succeed, we give feedback in terms of advice or instruction.

Each player’s primary competition should be on his/her team, not on the opposing team. We strive for constant competition among strikers, wings, midfielders, and defenders. By practicing often with excellent players, each player will have the opportunity to become the best they can be. The underlying philosophy is this: players compete with other players or teams rather than against other players or teams.

Mental preparation is as much a part of a coaching philosophy as physical preparation. Try to accomplish through mental preparation:
Imagination: Visualizing yourself succeeding in every situation.
Intensity:Exhibit an exceptional focus and concentration giving 100% in every situation
Composure: Keep cool under pressure.
Enthusiasm: Have fun, enjoy the game.

Wolverine Mission Statement

Wolverine Mission Statement

Wolverine Soccer aspires to be an outstanding educational-athletic organization that provides a high-quality experience to every athlete and coach. A high-quality experience is one in which every player

Has fun playing the game
Feels he or she is an important part of the team regardless of performance
Learns “life lessons” that have value beyond the playing field
Develops and learns as an athlete with a deepening understanding and application of the skills, tactics and strategies of the game

Wolverine soccer further embrases the National Responsible Sporting guidelines of "ELM":
E = Effort. Each player will give 100% effort in every situation.
L = Learning. Each player will learn from the game in every situation.
M = Mistakes: Each player will learn from their mistakes and "brush it off."

Cache Cup 2011

Wolverines vs. TFS United

Wolverines vs. Jr. Wildcats (from Ogden)