Journals
Journal #46
7/10/15
Today was day five of the week long camps. In the morning from 9am-12am continuing from the camp schedule discussed Monday this week we taught the kids three new skills. We also taught the kids more in game skills such as movement off the ball. The kids are very young and didn't quite grasp the ideas yet but getting the idea in their heads will help them learn it better in the future. From 6pm-8pm I worked the striker goalkeeper camp. Since I was the goalkeeper coach for the club over the summer i was responsible for the goalkeepers. We worked on more shot style techniques and extension diving. After the first hour of training the goalkeepers and strikers joined to play a distribution game to work on different styles of kicks. After the camp was done I took the time to speak to each goalkeeper I worked with individually and discussed what i thought they did well during the camp and where i saw improvements made over the week. i also gave them suggestions on how to do their own work on their own to continue to get better. I also met with the parents and thanked them for allowing me to coach their children and how much fun it was for me.
7/10/15
Today was day five of the week long camps. In the morning from 9am-12am continuing from the camp schedule discussed Monday this week we taught the kids three new skills. We also taught the kids more in game skills such as movement off the ball. The kids are very young and didn't quite grasp the ideas yet but getting the idea in their heads will help them learn it better in the future. From 6pm-8pm I worked the striker goalkeeper camp. Since I was the goalkeeper coach for the club over the summer i was responsible for the goalkeepers. We worked on more shot style techniques and extension diving. After the first hour of training the goalkeepers and strikers joined to play a distribution game to work on different styles of kicks. After the camp was done I took the time to speak to each goalkeeper I worked with individually and discussed what i thought they did well during the camp and where i saw improvements made over the week. i also gave them suggestions on how to do their own work on their own to continue to get better. I also met with the parents and thanked them for allowing me to coach their children and how much fun it was for me.
Journal #45
7/9/15
Today was day four of the week long camps. Coming into today I was feeling a lot of fatigue from working the morning camp and the stresses that went along with it. I could tell that the kids were also feeling very fatigued from the camp as well. I spoke with the other coach working with me and suggested that maybe we spend less time on drills today and more time on games to keep the kids happy and interested in playing. The coach agreed and we made changes accordingly. At my goalkeeper/strikers camp I informed the kids that if we worked very hard today that tomorrow would be less work and more games. The kids seemed to agree to this and worked very hard for the hole time. Once practice was over the kids were dead tired but I could tell that they still had fun.
7/9/15
Today was day four of the week long camps. Coming into today I was feeling a lot of fatigue from working the morning camp and the stresses that went along with it. I could tell that the kids were also feeling very fatigued from the camp as well. I spoke with the other coach working with me and suggested that maybe we spend less time on drills today and more time on games to keep the kids happy and interested in playing. The coach agreed and we made changes accordingly. At my goalkeeper/strikers camp I informed the kids that if we worked very hard today that tomorrow would be less work and more games. The kids seemed to agree to this and worked very hard for the hole time. Once practice was over the kids were dead tired but I could tell that they still had fun.
Journal #44
7/8/15
Today was day three of the camps. The little kids were better today and I only had to deal with one of them missing their parents. A new obstacle this group of kids and I had to face was rain. It was a cooler day and it started to rain. The little kids were not happy to be out in the rain with no warm gear to keep them warm or dry. I ended up taking my kids under a pavilion to keep them dry and try to warm up. I took the time to let them unwind a bit but also talk about soccer since we were not working on any skills. Later in the day for the goalkeeper/striker camp the weather had cleared up and the conditions were perfect for goalkeeping. I changed my original plan for the day to take advantage of the conditions available to me. The kids really liked the drills we did and the games to go with it.
7/8/15
Today was day three of the camps. The little kids were better today and I only had to deal with one of them missing their parents. A new obstacle this group of kids and I had to face was rain. It was a cooler day and it started to rain. The little kids were not happy to be out in the rain with no warm gear to keep them warm or dry. I ended up taking my kids under a pavilion to keep them dry and try to warm up. I took the time to let them unwind a bit but also talk about soccer since we were not working on any skills. Later in the day for the goalkeeper/striker camp the weather had cleared up and the conditions were perfect for goalkeeping. I changed my original plan for the day to take advantage of the conditions available to me. The kids really liked the drills we did and the games to go with it.
Journal #43
7/7/15
Today was day two of the camps. The morning camp was not a fun camp. Due to my lack of coaching experience I was given the youngest group of kids. These were very difficult to coach because they got distracted easy and unlike the little kids camp i worked earlier in the summer these kids parents were not there to watch. The kids at this camp would cry because they missed their parents and for me this was very difficult to deal with and relate too. The goalkeeper/striker camp went very well. The goalkeepers were very interested in what i was teaching them and tried their best every time. I spoke with their parent after the practice to tell them who exactly I was and what their kids could expect from me as a coach.
7/7/15
Today was day two of the camps. The morning camp was not a fun camp. Due to my lack of coaching experience I was given the youngest group of kids. These were very difficult to coach because they got distracted easy and unlike the little kids camp i worked earlier in the summer these kids parents were not there to watch. The kids at this camp would cry because they missed their parents and for me this was very difficult to deal with and relate too. The goalkeeper/striker camp went very well. The goalkeepers were very interested in what i was teaching them and tried their best every time. I spoke with their parent after the practice to tell them who exactly I was and what their kids could expect from me as a coach.
Journal #42
7/6/15
Today was the first day of camps. We held a camp starting today (Monday) and going through Friday. There was a skills camp in the morning from 9am-12pm and a goalkeeper/striker camp held from 6pm-8pm. The morning camp was for kids ages ranging from 5-12. We separated the ages during the session so we never had one of the youngest kids working with one of the oldest. This camp was there to teach kids different foot skills and help to develop for use in the game. The goalkeeper/striker camp kids ages were from 8-12 and we split into two groups of goalkeeper and strikers for the first hour. I was the goalkeeper coach and got to make my own session plans for the week. I really liked having that ability and the DOC's faith in my ability to do that. after the first hour both groups came together and worked with each other to improve their skills.
7/6/15
Today was the first day of camps. We held a camp starting today (Monday) and going through Friday. There was a skills camp in the morning from 9am-12pm and a goalkeeper/striker camp held from 6pm-8pm. The morning camp was for kids ages ranging from 5-12. We separated the ages during the session so we never had one of the youngest kids working with one of the oldest. This camp was there to teach kids different foot skills and help to develop for use in the game. The goalkeeper/striker camp kids ages were from 8-12 and we split into two groups of goalkeeper and strikers for the first hour. I was the goalkeeper coach and got to make my own session plans for the week. I really liked having that ability and the DOC's faith in my ability to do that. after the first hour both groups came together and worked with each other to improve their skills.
Journal #41
6/14/15
Today was day two of tryouts. Today I knew was going to be the difficult day because we had to make our decisions on where players were going to end up. The hardest part was having to cut some players and talking to the parents and players who got cut is my biggest fear of being a coach. Again i took the opportunity to listen in on what the coach would say to these parents. We also had to deal with some severe weather. There was so much rain/thunder/lightning we had to rearrange the entire day to fit in all the teams we still needed to see before it got dark. I feel I gained very good experience on how to deal with the unexpected and elements that are outside my control.
6/14/15
Today was day two of tryouts. Today I knew was going to be the difficult day because we had to make our decisions on where players were going to end up. The hardest part was having to cut some players and talking to the parents and players who got cut is my biggest fear of being a coach. Again i took the opportunity to listen in on what the coach would say to these parents. We also had to deal with some severe weather. There was so much rain/thunder/lightning we had to rearrange the entire day to fit in all the teams we still needed to see before it got dark. I feel I gained very good experience on how to deal with the unexpected and elements that are outside my control.
Journal #40
6/13/15
This was the first day of tryout and I had volunteered to work the entire day of tryouts. I had been a volunteer the past two summers as well so I knew what to expect. My responsibilities was to evaluate and help the coaches place the players where they were best suited to play. Since I was not a full time coach responsible for teams I didn't have to talk to any parents about where their kid was being placed. When the opportunity presented itself I shadowed some coaches who were talking to the parents to listen in on what the coach would say to the parents. There was not any difficult conversations today because the first day is there for evaluating players and signing the best players so they don't go to other clubs.
6/13/15
This was the first day of tryout and I had volunteered to work the entire day of tryouts. I had been a volunteer the past two summers as well so I knew what to expect. My responsibilities was to evaluate and help the coaches place the players where they were best suited to play. Since I was not a full time coach responsible for teams I didn't have to talk to any parents about where their kid was being placed. When the opportunity presented itself I shadowed some coaches who were talking to the parents to listen in on what the coach would say to the parents. There was not any difficult conversations today because the first day is there for evaluating players and signing the best players so they don't go to other clubs.
Journal #39
6/11/15
Today I just had to work the little kids camp. it was an interesting day because about halfway through the session it started to sprinkle and the kids thought that because it was raining the practice was over. Once we told the kids that we play in the rain some were not happy and it was difficult to get them to focus. Luckily the rain didn't last long and the kids were happy to see a rainbow. I was with the last age group I hadn't worked yet. This was the oldest group and they were the easiest to work with. They caught onto the concepts we were teaching them very quickly. As coaches we could also see that during the games at the end of the session they used the skills we had taught them.
6/11/15
Today I just had to work the little kids camp. it was an interesting day because about halfway through the session it started to sprinkle and the kids thought that because it was raining the practice was over. Once we told the kids that we play in the rain some were not happy and it was difficult to get them to focus. Luckily the rain didn't last long and the kids were happy to see a rainbow. I was with the last age group I hadn't worked yet. This was the oldest group and they were the easiest to work with. They caught onto the concepts we were teaching them very quickly. As coaches we could also see that during the games at the end of the session they used the skills we had taught them.
Journal #38
6/10/15
Continued with the training camp. Today was a very difficult day for me to coach because I had severe family issues the night before that were affecting my mental capabilitites that day. I think I did the best I could given the circumstances. I tried to put on a face of joy and enthusiasm while i was there to make sure the kids felt like I was happy to be there and to teach them. This was very hard to do but I think I did a good job. I also had another session working the pre-tryouts and my responsibilities were the same.
6/10/15
Continued with the training camp. Today was a very difficult day for me to coach because I had severe family issues the night before that were affecting my mental capabilitites that day. I think I did the best I could given the circumstances. I tried to put on a face of joy and enthusiasm while i was there to make sure the kids felt like I was happy to be there and to teach them. This was very hard to do but I think I did a good job. I also had another session working the pre-tryouts and my responsibilities were the same.
Journal #37
6/9/15
Today started with the little kids camp. Each day we decided to rotate the coaches to the different age groups so the kids would see different coaches each day and the coaches wouldn't get stuck with the same trouble makers each day. This was a good decision by the coaching staff and made the second day much easier knowing I would be seeing different kids. Later in the day the Dexter Soccer Club held some pre-tryouts for people interested in playing for the club. This was my first look at what tryouts were actually going to be like. I spent more time talking to parents and trying to sell them on the club then I actually did coaching.
6/9/15
Today started with the little kids camp. Each day we decided to rotate the coaches to the different age groups so the kids would see different coaches each day and the coaches wouldn't get stuck with the same trouble makers each day. This was a good decision by the coaching staff and made the second day much easier knowing I would be seeing different kids. Later in the day the Dexter Soccer Club held some pre-tryouts for people interested in playing for the club. This was my first look at what tryouts were actually going to be like. I spent more time talking to parents and trying to sell them on the club then I actually did coaching.
Journal #36
6/8/15
Today started a week long camp for the little kids. Previously we had held days for the little kids to practice on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Now we had a week long camp running from Monday to Friday from 9am-12pm. The coaches had been discussing through email what the plan for each day was and what was expected of us as coaches. This was going to be a very difficult week because it is a lot to ask a 4-6 year old to practice for three hours 5 days in a row. Today went very smoothly, I was in charge of checking the kids in and then once we started coaching I had the youngest group which was a challenge but went very well.
6/8/15
Today started a week long camp for the little kids. Previously we had held days for the little kids to practice on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Now we had a week long camp running from Monday to Friday from 9am-12pm. The coaches had been discussing through email what the plan for each day was and what was expected of us as coaches. This was going to be a very difficult week because it is a lot to ask a 4-6 year old to practice for three hours 5 days in a row. Today went very smoothly, I was in charge of checking the kids in and then once we started coaching I had the youngest group which was a challenge but went very well.
Journal #35
6/7/15
Today I coached my indoor team and after all the trouble with last weeks game I showed up early to talk with the staff and referee expressing my concern over the foul play from the other team and the lack of control by the referee. I am a referee myself so I know the rules of the game very well. I did my best to explain why we as a team decided we didn't want to play the rest of the game last week. Once our game started it was very uneventful. We won the game.
6/7/15
Today I coached my indoor team and after all the trouble with last weeks game I showed up early to talk with the staff and referee expressing my concern over the foul play from the other team and the lack of control by the referee. I am a referee myself so I know the rules of the game very well. I did my best to explain why we as a team decided we didn't want to play the rest of the game last week. Once our game started it was very uneventful. We won the game.
Journal #34
6/6/15
Today was a typical Saturday coaching the young kids for 3 hours. Even though I had been gaining experience and confidence after working a couple of these today didn't go very well. The kids were very troublesome and difficult. It took a lot of patience to make it through the day. I did my best to keep the kids interested in playing but my group just didn't seem interested no matter what I did. I had to get a little off tract from our session plan to keep them at least somewhat interested.
6/6/15
Today was a typical Saturday coaching the young kids for 3 hours. Even though I had been gaining experience and confidence after working a couple of these today didn't go very well. The kids were very troublesome and difficult. It took a lot of patience to make it through the day. I did my best to keep the kids interested in playing but my group just didn't seem interested no matter what I did. I had to get a little off tract from our session plan to keep them at least somewhat interested.
Journal #33
6/5/15
Today was just a simple goalkeeper training session. I decided to change the way the session was run. We started a new topic today and worked on that for about 45 minutes and then finished up with 15 minutes of games related to the training we worked on. I find it very good to add games into the end of practice to see the kids have fun but to also see if they have retained what we had worked on at the beginning of practice.
6/5/15
Today was just a simple goalkeeper training session. I decided to change the way the session was run. We started a new topic today and worked on that for about 45 minutes and then finished up with 15 minutes of games related to the training we worked on. I find it very good to add games into the end of practice to see the kids have fun but to also see if they have retained what we had worked on at the beginning of practice.
Journal #32
6/3/15
Today I had to coach the young kids aging 4-6 for an hour. It was an easy day the kids seemed very interested in playing today. They were super excited to be playing which was good to see. After the little kids practice it was off to the U8 practice where we put the young boys through a very tough session to remind them that its not all fun and games and that sometimes you have to work. We did however make the work fun in the form of games.
6/3/15
Today I had to coach the young kids aging 4-6 for an hour. It was an easy day the kids seemed very interested in playing today. They were super excited to be playing which was good to see. After the little kids practice it was off to the U8 practice where we put the young boys through a very tough session to remind them that its not all fun and games and that sometimes you have to work. We did however make the work fun in the form of games.
Journal #31
6/1/15
Today I coached the U8 boys and it was another typical day other then the rain. The boys seemed to get distracted very easily by the rain. they would play in puddles and slide through them. After a while it got very annoying and disruptive to the practice. The other coaches and I made it clear that if the boys didn't start to pay attention more that we would put the balls away and run them the rest of the day. Once we told them that the practice became much better and the boys were more focused.
6/1/15
Today I coached the U8 boys and it was another typical day other then the rain. The boys seemed to get distracted very easily by the rain. they would play in puddles and slide through them. After a while it got very annoying and disruptive to the practice. The other coaches and I made it clear that if the boys didn't start to pay attention more that we would put the balls away and run them the rest of the day. Once we told them that the practice became much better and the boys were more focused.
Journal #30
5/31/15
Today was a different day for me because I had to meet with all the coaches at the Dexter Soccer Club and discuss how we were going to run tryout. There were coming up in a couple weeks and we had a lot to prepare for. We discussed where tryouts would be held and how we would divide up the field. What ages would be trying out at certain times. What coaches needed to be there at what time. it was a lot of work. I also had to coach my indoor team and it was not a good game we ended up telling the referee to end the game because the other team was playing so dirty and we as a team decided we didn't want to play that game anymore and took a loss.
5/31/15
Today was a different day for me because I had to meet with all the coaches at the Dexter Soccer Club and discuss how we were going to run tryout. There were coming up in a couple weeks and we had a lot to prepare for. We discussed where tryouts would be held and how we would divide up the field. What ages would be trying out at certain times. What coaches needed to be there at what time. it was a lot of work. I also had to coach my indoor team and it was not a good game we ended up telling the referee to end the game because the other team was playing so dirty and we as a team decided we didn't want to play that game anymore and took a loss.
Journal #29
5/30/15
Today was the three hour long session coaching the 4-6 year olds. It was again much easier keeping the kids interested over the three hours. There are always the children who always cause trouble but with my previous experience it was much easier dealing with them I started to get more enjoyment out of coaching the kids because it was getting easier in how to coach them and how to entertain them. The parents really liked the drills we were doing and would tell us as coaches how much the kids looked forward to Saturdays so they could come and play soccer.
5/30/15
Today was the three hour long session coaching the 4-6 year olds. It was again much easier keeping the kids interested over the three hours. There are always the children who always cause trouble but with my previous experience it was much easier dealing with them I started to get more enjoyment out of coaching the kids because it was getting easier in how to coach them and how to entertain them. The parents really liked the drills we were doing and would tell us as coaches how much the kids looked forward to Saturdays so they could come and play soccer.
Journal #28
5/29/15
Since the high school season was over I only had my weekly goalkeeper training session today. Still continuing to build off the previous weeks and I was really starting to see some improvement. I didn't have to correct the simple things as much which is very good.
5/29/15
Since the high school season was over I only had my weekly goalkeeper training session today. Still continuing to build off the previous weeks and I was really starting to see some improvement. I didn't have to correct the simple things as much which is very good.
Journal #27
5/28/15
This turned out to be the last game for the varsity girls. It was the semi finals in the tournament and we knew that we needed to win to move on and the team we were playing was very good and one of the favorites to win the tournament. We had been practicing hard over the week and the girls were confident coming into the game. The girls went through their regular warm up and unfortunately the game just didn't go our way. I was preparing myself to try to lift spirits after the game but the girls seemed to recover quickly. After the game many of the parents came up to me and thanked me for all the work I had done over the season and asked if I would be coming back next year. It was a good feeling to be so appreciated.
5/28/15
This turned out to be the last game for the varsity girls. It was the semi finals in the tournament and we knew that we needed to win to move on and the team we were playing was very good and one of the favorites to win the tournament. We had been practicing hard over the week and the girls were confident coming into the game. The girls went through their regular warm up and unfortunately the game just didn't go our way. I was preparing myself to try to lift spirits after the game but the girls seemed to recover quickly. After the game many of the parents came up to me and thanked me for all the work I had done over the season and asked if I would be coming back next year. It was a good feeling to be so appreciated.
Journal #26
5/27/15
Today was another long day with three different training sessions. I started off at 3pm coaching the high school girls. I was now coaching with Varsity only because the JV season had ended. However we pulled up the two JV goalkeepers so I still had three goalkeepers to work with. It was much easier to manage my time because I only had to worry about working with one team. After the high school practice I went to the young kids practice. That was the same as every week nothing new. I also had the U8 practice where I got to work with the goalkeepers and talk with their parents to let them know what we worked on.
5/27/15
Today was another long day with three different training sessions. I started off at 3pm coaching the high school girls. I was now coaching with Varsity only because the JV season had ended. However we pulled up the two JV goalkeepers so I still had three goalkeepers to work with. It was much easier to manage my time because I only had to worry about working with one team. After the high school practice I went to the young kids practice. That was the same as every week nothing new. I also had the U8 practice where I got to work with the goalkeepers and talk with their parents to let them know what we worked on.
Journal #25
5/26/15
We had the high school girls soccer games today. These were very easy games for both teams and there really wasn't any changes to be made today. Even the parents knew that these games would be an easy win for us. The important thing was making sure the girls remembered that on any given day any underdog can beat the favored team. The other coaches and I made sure that the warm up was the same and pushed them to take things seriously and the girls did very well.
5/26/15
We had the high school girls soccer games today. These were very easy games for both teams and there really wasn't any changes to be made today. Even the parents knew that these games would be an easy win for us. The important thing was making sure the girls remembered that on any given day any underdog can beat the favored team. The other coaches and I made sure that the warm up was the same and pushed them to take things seriously and the girls did very well.
Journal #24
5/25/15
It is the start of a new week, my indoor team did not have a game the day before so I was feeling very fresh and ready to conquer the week. The coaches met today and discussed the weeks plan again. The U8 boys did not have practice today and with a school function taking place during regular high school practice time we moved the high schools girls practice to 6. When the girls showed up they looked very uninterested and tired. We tried to see if they would perk up during the warm up and they didn't. Unfortunately that made that we as coaches had to run the girls as a bit of punishment and after the running they were much more interested in training. We worked the girls really hard today.
5/25/15
It is the start of a new week, my indoor team did not have a game the day before so I was feeling very fresh and ready to conquer the week. The coaches met today and discussed the weeks plan again. The U8 boys did not have practice today and with a school function taking place during regular high school practice time we moved the high schools girls practice to 6. When the girls showed up they looked very uninterested and tired. We tried to see if they would perk up during the warm up and they didn't. Unfortunately that made that we as coaches had to run the girls as a bit of punishment and after the running they were much more interested in training. We worked the girls really hard today.
Journal #23
5/23/15
Today is Saturday and I was not looking forward to today. Coaching the 4-6 year olds last week for 3 hours was not fun and I was not looking forward to doing it again. I was however more prepared this week. I had more fun games in mind to keep the kids interested and I planned on giving them more water breaks so they could rest more. It went much better this week and my kids, they seemed to be much happier being out there for so long.
5/23/15
Today is Saturday and I was not looking forward to today. Coaching the 4-6 year olds last week for 3 hours was not fun and I was not looking forward to doing it again. I was however more prepared this week. I had more fun games in mind to keep the kids interested and I planned on giving them more water breaks so they could rest more. It went much better this week and my kids, they seemed to be much happier being out there for so long.
Journal #22
5/22/15
The day before was very draining at the games so I was feeling a bit off today. However I did my best not to show it and come into my training sessions looking super interested. The high school girls JV team was given the day off so I just worked with the varsity keeper and the varsity team. This was the first time I worked with the varsity field players and it was good to get a chance to grow better connections with those girls. After high school I had my goalkeeper training session which i was super excited for because it is specific goalkeeper training. We continued to expand on what we had worked on the previous weeks.
5/22/15
The day before was very draining at the games so I was feeling a bit off today. However I did my best not to show it and come into my training sessions looking super interested. The high school girls JV team was given the day off so I just worked with the varsity keeper and the varsity team. This was the first time I worked with the varsity field players and it was good to get a chance to grow better connections with those girls. After high school I had my goalkeeper training session which i was super excited for because it is specific goalkeeper training. We continued to expand on what we had worked on the previous weeks.
Journal #21
5/21/15
Another game day and it was a big game for the girls. We were playing a very strong team at both the JV and the Varsity level. It was important to properly prepare. High school girls are very easily distracted by gossip which can sometimes be a bad thing. I learned however taking all the chit chat out of the warm up they were not as focused either. It was difficult to find the balance between being serious but also having some fun talk to loosen up. The games were difficult but both teams did well. The parents spoke to me after the game thanking me for all the work I have done with the goalkeepers and they are really noticing the difference in their ability.
5/21/15
Another game day and it was a big game for the girls. We were playing a very strong team at both the JV and the Varsity level. It was important to properly prepare. High school girls are very easily distracted by gossip which can sometimes be a bad thing. I learned however taking all the chit chat out of the warm up they were not as focused either. It was difficult to find the balance between being serious but also having some fun talk to loosen up. The games were difficult but both teams did well. The parents spoke to me after the game thanking me for all the work I have done with the goalkeepers and they are really noticing the difference in their ability.
Journal #20
5/20/15
Today was my long day and I'm starting to find these day very difficult to get through. It is very trying dealing with so many young kids for what seems like an eternity. Im trying to look at these days as a test in patients. Since this is the career of my choice I'm going to have to get used to working with young kids on a regular basis. Started out coaching the high school girls which is my favorite part of the day. The girls have gotten to know me and makes jokes about me. My goalkeepers focused on a very specific part of goalkeeping because the team we would be playing tomorrow is very good at this aspect of the game. After the high school girls I had the 4-6 year olds. They were easy today however since the weekend when we had them for 3 hours, only having them for one hour is so much easier. It isn't a struggle to keep there attention. After the little kids we had the U8 boys practice. i spoke with some of the parents today explaining who I was and my role with the team. They liked having another coach with college level experience out there working with their kids.
5/20/15
Today was my long day and I'm starting to find these day very difficult to get through. It is very trying dealing with so many young kids for what seems like an eternity. Im trying to look at these days as a test in patients. Since this is the career of my choice I'm going to have to get used to working with young kids on a regular basis. Started out coaching the high school girls which is my favorite part of the day. The girls have gotten to know me and makes jokes about me. My goalkeepers focused on a very specific part of goalkeeping because the team we would be playing tomorrow is very good at this aspect of the game. After the high school girls I had the 4-6 year olds. They were easy today however since the weekend when we had them for 3 hours, only having them for one hour is so much easier. It isn't a struggle to keep there attention. After the little kids we had the U8 boys practice. i spoke with some of the parents today explaining who I was and my role with the team. They liked having another coach with college level experience out there working with their kids.
Journal #19
5/19/15
Today was another game day for the high school girls. I talked with the JV coach and we kept our word about starting the goalkeeper that didn't start the previous game. We also decided to keep playing the goalkeeper that didn't start in the field to help improve their foot skills. They still need a lot of work in that area but improvement was there to be seen. I met with the parents of my goalkeepers after the game before the varsity game to explain our position of playing one in goal and one in the field. The parents were very accepting of our decision. The varsity game went well and my goalkeeper played her best game. I made sure that i praised her and told her parents about all the improvements she has made in the short time Ive been coaching her.
5/19/15
Today was another game day for the high school girls. I talked with the JV coach and we kept our word about starting the goalkeeper that didn't start the previous game. We also decided to keep playing the goalkeeper that didn't start in the field to help improve their foot skills. They still need a lot of work in that area but improvement was there to be seen. I met with the parents of my goalkeepers after the game before the varsity game to explain our position of playing one in goal and one in the field. The parents were very accepting of our decision. The varsity game went well and my goalkeeper played her best game. I made sure that i praised her and told her parents about all the improvements she has made in the short time Ive been coaching her.
Journal #18
5/18/15
Today started a new week of training and after the previous day I was feeling revitalized. I started the week off with a meeting with the head coaches of both high school teams to discuss our goals for the week. We started by discussing the teams we would be playing and what the focus of the training sessions would be. We then went to our training session and worked on what we had discussed. I am really understanding the importance of planning before we start. It makes the sessions go much smoother. After the high school practice I went to the U8 practice and got to work on a bunch of new stuff with my young goalkeepers. Like i said in a previous journal they catch on to the new concepts very easily. Even if they cant explain what they are doing and how they are doing it they still do it. Its very rewarding to see.
5/18/15
Today started a new week of training and after the previous day I was feeling revitalized. I started the week off with a meeting with the head coaches of both high school teams to discuss our goals for the week. We started by discussing the teams we would be playing and what the focus of the training sessions would be. We then went to our training session and worked on what we had discussed. I am really understanding the importance of planning before we start. It makes the sessions go much smoother. After the high school practice I went to the U8 practice and got to work on a bunch of new stuff with my young goalkeepers. Like i said in a previous journal they catch on to the new concepts very easily. Even if they cant explain what they are doing and how they are doing it they still do it. Its very rewarding to see.
Journal #17
5/17/15
Today was a nice day to coach my indoor team. Since I'm coaching every day this day is the only day where I feel like I have a day off. I only have to coach for an hour and I get to play. I still had my responsibilities of managing the team. I got all the money finally from all the players on my team.
5/17/15
Today was a nice day to coach my indoor team. Since I'm coaching every day this day is the only day where I feel like I have a day off. I only have to coach for an hour and I get to play. I still had my responsibilities of managing the team. I got all the money finally from all the players on my team.
Journal #16
5/16/15
Today was a full day of coaching the young kids. I was unable to work this day the week before because I had the high school soccer tournament. This was the first time I worked this practice. It ran from 9am-12pm and I was not prepared for how much work would have to put in. Because these kids are 4-6 years old it is very very difficult to keep them interested in playing soccer that long. They get very tired of playing after and hour and a half. It is a challenge to get them reinterested in playing for that last hour and a half. It taught me a lot on how to deal with children but I also believe that its going to take more then one three hour practice.
5/16/15
Today was a full day of coaching the young kids. I was unable to work this day the week before because I had the high school soccer tournament. This was the first time I worked this practice. It ran from 9am-12pm and I was not prepared for how much work would have to put in. Because these kids are 4-6 years old it is very very difficult to keep them interested in playing soccer that long. They get very tired of playing after and hour and a half. It is a challenge to get them reinterested in playing for that last hour and a half. It taught me a lot on how to deal with children but I also believe that its going to take more then one three hour practice.
Journal #15
5/15/15
Today we as the high school coaches decided that the girls had a long hard week so we gave the girls a very light practice today. I took my goalkeepers and played some goalkeeper games that still focused on the skill but was still fun for the girls. We then joined the field players and played some more games. After the high school practice I had my weekly goalkeeper training session and expanded on what we worked on the week before. I spoke to the parents before explaining what we would be working on that day. I also took the time to thank them for giving me the opportunity to train their children. I thought it would be a good idea to be personal with the parents to gain a connection and show how interested I am in my work. I also spoke with the parents after reminding them of the session next week and thanking them for coming.
5/15/15
Today we as the high school coaches decided that the girls had a long hard week so we gave the girls a very light practice today. I took my goalkeepers and played some goalkeeper games that still focused on the skill but was still fun for the girls. We then joined the field players and played some more games. After the high school practice I had my weekly goalkeeper training session and expanded on what we worked on the week before. I spoke to the parents before explaining what we would be working on that day. I also took the time to thank them for giving me the opportunity to train their children. I thought it would be a good idea to be personal with the parents to gain a connection and show how interested I am in my work. I also spoke with the parents after reminding them of the session next week and thanking them for coming.
Journal #14
5/14/15
Today was another high school game. The goalkeeper I choose started today and I had to take the time to explain to the other girl why she wasn't starting that day. I explained how her strengths are different from the girl who started. And the starters strengths were better suited for the team we were playing. I also explained how the next game she would start because her strengths were better suited for the team we played next. I also explained how the head coach was looking to use her field player skills in the game today. It was difficult at first to talk to her because i know the feeling of not getting to start. I feel I did a good job of explaining why things played out the way they did.
5/14/15
Today was another high school game. The goalkeeper I choose started today and I had to take the time to explain to the other girl why she wasn't starting that day. I explained how her strengths are different from the girl who started. And the starters strengths were better suited for the team we were playing. I also explained how the next game she would start because her strengths were better suited for the team we played next. I also explained how the head coach was looking to use her field player skills in the game today. It was difficult at first to talk to her because i know the feeling of not getting to start. I feel I did a good job of explaining why things played out the way they did.
Journal #13
5/13/15
Today was another one of my long days. I started off coaching the high school girls at 3pm. Working with the goalkeepers and the field players on the JV team. I met with the JV coach after practice because he wanted my opinion on which goalkeeper should start tomorrow. He basically told me my decision would be the one he picked to start. It felt good that he would respect my input enough to just go with it. After the high school practice I had the youth kids practice. We taught them some new moves after we went over the moves we went over the last practice. After the little kids I had the U8 practice. We taught the kids how to strike the ball with their laces. i got to demo how to properly kick the ball and showed them what practice and growing up can do by kicking the ball as far as I could. The kids loved it and I think they were inspired.
5/13/15
Today was another one of my long days. I started off coaching the high school girls at 3pm. Working with the goalkeepers and the field players on the JV team. I met with the JV coach after practice because he wanted my opinion on which goalkeeper should start tomorrow. He basically told me my decision would be the one he picked to start. It felt good that he would respect my input enough to just go with it. After the high school practice I had the youth kids practice. We taught them some new moves after we went over the moves we went over the last practice. After the little kids I had the U8 practice. We taught the kids how to strike the ball with their laces. i got to demo how to properly kick the ball and showed them what practice and growing up can do by kicking the ball as far as I could. The kids loved it and I think they were inspired.
Journal #12
5/12/15
Today was another game for the high school JV and Varsity girl. This game went like most of the other games. The coaches met before to discuss the game plan for both teams. I warmed up the goalkeepers for both teams. I also gave my input during the games to both head coaches. After the game the parents had started to take notice of the new coach on the field and I spoke with some of them telling them who I am and what my role was. It was good to connect with the parents and get to know them.
5/12/15
Today was another game for the high school JV and Varsity girl. This game went like most of the other games. The coaches met before to discuss the game plan for both teams. I warmed up the goalkeepers for both teams. I also gave my input during the games to both head coaches. After the game the parents had started to take notice of the new coach on the field and I spoke with some of them telling them who I am and what my role was. It was good to connect with the parents and get to know them.
Journal #11
5/11/15
Starting off this week with my high school girls training. Earlier in the day the other two coaches and I were talking about the schedule for the week, who we are playing and when practices were. Practice started at 3pm as always. Today was a very hot day so I made sure that during the practice I gave the girls plenty of time to rest between reps and get plenty of water. Once i sent the girls back to their teams I went to help the JV coach with his session. He seemed to not notice how hot it was so I suggested to him giving them some more water breaks. He appreciated my input and proceeded to give them move water. After the session we met as coaches to discuss how the practices went and plan for our second session later that day with U8 boys. The coaches agreed that today would be a good day for me to coach the goalkeepers for almost the whole session. I planned out a whole session for the goalkeepers and related it to what the field players were working on. Once the field players and goalkeepers came together they could both work on what they had worked on that day.
5/11/15
Starting off this week with my high school girls training. Earlier in the day the other two coaches and I were talking about the schedule for the week, who we are playing and when practices were. Practice started at 3pm as always. Today was a very hot day so I made sure that during the practice I gave the girls plenty of time to rest between reps and get plenty of water. Once i sent the girls back to their teams I went to help the JV coach with his session. He seemed to not notice how hot it was so I suggested to him giving them some more water breaks. He appreciated my input and proceeded to give them move water. After the session we met as coaches to discuss how the practices went and plan for our second session later that day with U8 boys. The coaches agreed that today would be a good day for me to coach the goalkeepers for almost the whole session. I planned out a whole session for the goalkeepers and related it to what the field players were working on. Once the field players and goalkeepers came together they could both work on what they had worked on that day.
Journal #10
5/10/15
Today was another day where I coached my indoor team. I made sure earlier in the week I informed everyone of when the game was and who we were playing and where they were ranked in our league. Once we got to the game I choose the starting lineup. Made the substitutions during the game. Once the game was over congratulated and thanked everyone for coming, reminded people who haven't payed yet to pay and said ill see you all next week.
5/10/15
Today was another day where I coached my indoor team. I made sure earlier in the week I informed everyone of when the game was and who we were playing and where they were ranked in our league. Once we got to the game I choose the starting lineup. Made the substitutions during the game. Once the game was over congratulated and thanked everyone for coming, reminded people who haven't payed yet to pay and said ill see you all next week.
Journal #9
5/9/15
Today was another game for the High School girls. This day was different however because it was not part of the regular season schedule. It was a saturday tournament that only the High School Varsity team attended. They also had to play two games. The head coach and I meet before the game to discuss the schedule for the day, when we were playing, and when warm ups start. My first responsibility was to warm up the goalkeepers but once i was done with that i was responsible for warming up the field players too. After the first game we meet with the girls and the coach asked me to explain to the girls the important of what to eat before the next game and what to do to stay loose. I informed them on what to eat, how much water to drink and the importance of stretching. We all met before the second game and the warm up was very similar but it was also important to make some changes because they were already fatigued from the previous game that day.
5/9/15
Today was another game for the High School girls. This day was different however because it was not part of the regular season schedule. It was a saturday tournament that only the High School Varsity team attended. They also had to play two games. The head coach and I meet before the game to discuss the schedule for the day, when we were playing, and when warm ups start. My first responsibility was to warm up the goalkeepers but once i was done with that i was responsible for warming up the field players too. After the first game we meet with the girls and the coach asked me to explain to the girls the important of what to eat before the next game and what to do to stay loose. I informed them on what to eat, how much water to drink and the importance of stretching. We all met before the second game and the warm up was very similar but it was also important to make some changes because they were already fatigued from the previous game that day.
Journal #8
5/8/15
Today started with another high school training session. Today I did not coach the goalkeepers I was coaching with the JV team helping them with technique and the movement off the ball. Since I have been a goalkeeper for the majority of my soccer career it was a bit of an adjustment to coaching field players. it was hard to relate to them at first but i built a connection rather quickly. It was good to get to see another side of coaching that I always knew i would have to see at some point. After the high school practice I had to go across town to do a goalkeeper specific training session. This was my first session of the summer where i was the only coach there. However i was very comfortable coaching goalkeepers on my own because I know the position so well. The most intimidating part was dealing with the parents but I think I handled it very well. I also had the Director of Coaching there to introduce me to the parents. After the session I spoke with all the parents of the kids that showed up to inform them of what i thought about their child. What their strengths and weaknesses and how i was looking forward to training their children more over the summer.
5/8/15
Today started with another high school training session. Today I did not coach the goalkeepers I was coaching with the JV team helping them with technique and the movement off the ball. Since I have been a goalkeeper for the majority of my soccer career it was a bit of an adjustment to coaching field players. it was hard to relate to them at first but i built a connection rather quickly. It was good to get to see another side of coaching that I always knew i would have to see at some point. After the high school practice I had to go across town to do a goalkeeper specific training session. This was my first session of the summer where i was the only coach there. However i was very comfortable coaching goalkeepers on my own because I know the position so well. The most intimidating part was dealing with the parents but I think I handled it very well. I also had the Director of Coaching there to introduce me to the parents. After the session I spoke with all the parents of the kids that showed up to inform them of what i thought about their child. What their strengths and weaknesses and how i was looking forward to training their children more over the summer.
Journal #7
5/7/15
Today was another game for the high school girls. I faced a new challenge today because it was a rainy day. I have warmed up for my college games many times but it was different having to warm someone else up. The other obsticle was that I am over 5 years older then these girls so I have much more experience on dealing with playing in the rain. It was a challenge warming them up properly in the rain. I think I did a good enough job warming them up and they both played very well. Today I also got to meet with the coaches before the game and discuss the game strategy with them. They also asked my input which was nice to hear.
5/7/15
Today was another game for the high school girls. I faced a new challenge today because it was a rainy day. I have warmed up for my college games many times but it was different having to warm someone else up. The other obsticle was that I am over 5 years older then these girls so I have much more experience on dealing with playing in the rain. It was a challenge warming them up properly in the rain. I think I did a good enough job warming them up and they both played very well. Today I also got to meet with the coaches before the game and discuss the game strategy with them. They also asked my input which was nice to hear.
Journal #6
5/6/15
Today was my first full day of coaching. It was a very trying day that took a lot of patience. Starting at 3pm I coached the high school girls goalkeepers. Since this was the second time i coached them again the coaches and I discussed time management of what we wanted to do. I was also more comfortable talking with the girls that were not my goalkeepers and giving them pointers and advice when possible. Practice ended at 4:30 and I had to quickly get to another field to coach at 5pm. The kids were ages 4-5 and it was another day in a summer long schedule for them to get into soccer. These are the kids we are trying to get them into soccer and just make it fun for them. Teach them different skills each day. This practice ended right around 6 and my next practice was starting at 6 back at the field I had my first practice at today. This practice was the U8 boys practice again. We did more skills and technique training and I did not get a chance to work with the goalkeepers.
5/6/15
Today was my first full day of coaching. It was a very trying day that took a lot of patience. Starting at 3pm I coached the high school girls goalkeepers. Since this was the second time i coached them again the coaches and I discussed time management of what we wanted to do. I was also more comfortable talking with the girls that were not my goalkeepers and giving them pointers and advice when possible. Practice ended at 4:30 and I had to quickly get to another field to coach at 5pm. The kids were ages 4-5 and it was another day in a summer long schedule for them to get into soccer. These are the kids we are trying to get them into soccer and just make it fun for them. Teach them different skills each day. This practice ended right around 6 and my next practice was starting at 6 back at the field I had my first practice at today. This practice was the U8 boys practice again. We did more skills and technique training and I did not get a chance to work with the goalkeepers.
Journal #5
5/5/15
Today was the second game I would coach for the Dexter High School girls varsity and JV. Again I was responsible for warming up the goalkeepers for the varsity and JV teams. I was more comfortable with the warm up this time, and i had made changes to better suit the girls. I was also starting to build a connection with the girls which started to make coaching them easier. It was during this game I also started to evaluate the girls in goal so I knew where they needed the most work. I also spoke up more with giving the coaches advice on what I was seeing during the game.
5/5/15
Today was the second game I would coach for the Dexter High School girls varsity and JV. Again I was responsible for warming up the goalkeepers for the varsity and JV teams. I was more comfortable with the warm up this time, and i had made changes to better suit the girls. I was also starting to build a connection with the girls which started to make coaching them easier. It was during this game I also started to evaluate the girls in goal so I knew where they needed the most work. I also spoke up more with giving the coaches advice on what I was seeing during the game.
Journal #4
5/4/15
Today was the first day I had to plan my goalkeeping session for the high school girls. This was my first time making my own session plan and also communicating how much time I needed to do my session and how it would effect the other coaches with what they wanted to do. After discussing my plans and their plans we all made changes to our sessions to best manage the time we had. Our practice went from 3pm to 4:30pm. After the high school practice I started my first coaching session with the Dexter Soccer Club. The age of the group I was working with was the under 8 Boys A and B team. There were 3 coaches working including myself and we are also the high school coaches. We stayed after the high school practice to discuss again what the session plan for the U8 boys would be. I was responsible for helping coach the boys and I also had time to do a short goalkeeper session with the goalkeepers for both teams. Since they were both 8 years old I started with basic technique drills. This is the perfect age to start teaching technique and it is also the most important age. They are very young and very easy to teach because they are now understanding specific coaching points. It was very rewarding because I could see my work get instant positive results.
5/4/15
Today was the first day I had to plan my goalkeeping session for the high school girls. This was my first time making my own session plan and also communicating how much time I needed to do my session and how it would effect the other coaches with what they wanted to do. After discussing my plans and their plans we all made changes to our sessions to best manage the time we had. Our practice went from 3pm to 4:30pm. After the high school practice I started my first coaching session with the Dexter Soccer Club. The age of the group I was working with was the under 8 Boys A and B team. There were 3 coaches working including myself and we are also the high school coaches. We stayed after the high school practice to discuss again what the session plan for the U8 boys would be. I was responsible for helping coach the boys and I also had time to do a short goalkeeper session with the goalkeepers for both teams. Since they were both 8 years old I started with basic technique drills. This is the perfect age to start teaching technique and it is also the most important age. They are very young and very easy to teach because they are now understanding specific coaching points. It was very rewarding because I could see my work get instant positive results.
Journal #3
5/3/15
I was also the coach of an indoor team at our local indoor arena. Not only being the coach I also played on the team. These were my peers and friends that I grew up with. I was responsible for organizing the team and making sure that everyone paid their league fee. I was responsible for making sure everyone knew the schedule and reminding them each week when our game was. On the coaching side of things I was responsible for picking the starting lineup and making the substitutions. This was difficult because I am in much better shape then anyone else on the team so it was hard for me to remember that this league was for fun and I shouldn't play the entire game. I had to remember to be fair and take my substitution when I was supposed to. Coaching people my age was good because I now had to learn how coach people at the age ranging from 18-23.
5/3/15
I was also the coach of an indoor team at our local indoor arena. Not only being the coach I also played on the team. These were my peers and friends that I grew up with. I was responsible for organizing the team and making sure that everyone paid their league fee. I was responsible for making sure everyone knew the schedule and reminding them each week when our game was. On the coaching side of things I was responsible for picking the starting lineup and making the substitutions. This was difficult because I am in much better shape then anyone else on the team so it was hard for me to remember that this league was for fun and I shouldn't play the entire game. I had to remember to be fair and take my substitution when I was supposed to. Coaching people my age was good because I now had to learn how coach people at the age ranging from 18-23.
Journal #2
5/2/15
Today I worked a camp held every week for very young children ages 4-6. Since it is still very early in the summer I was told the session I would be doing for the kids. When we coach kids that young the idea is to make the kids enjoy being out on the soccer field. They are really to young to teach them how the game works or the rules. We teach them little skills and moves but they tend to forget them as soon as the day is over. We had the kids play fun games to help them enjoy the sport.
5/2/15
Today I worked a camp held every week for very young children ages 4-6. Since it is still very early in the summer I was told the session I would be doing for the kids. When we coach kids that young the idea is to make the kids enjoy being out on the soccer field. They are really to young to teach them how the game works or the rules. We teach them little skills and moves but they tend to forget them as soon as the day is over. We had the kids play fun games to help them enjoy the sport.
Journal #1
4/30/15
My first experience over the summer was to help coach the JV/Varsity girl soccer goalkeepers warm up for their game. The high school I worked for was Dexter High School. It was my first game and first time coaching at a high school level I didn't really have many responsibilities. However with my many years of experience the head varsity coach and head junior varsity coach respected my input on reading the game and in game changes made. It was a very overwhelming experience but very rewarding. I learned a lot from my first day and look forward to what the rest of the summer has in store for me.
4/30/15
My first experience over the summer was to help coach the JV/Varsity girl soccer goalkeepers warm up for their game. The high school I worked for was Dexter High School. It was my first game and first time coaching at a high school level I didn't really have many responsibilities. However with my many years of experience the head varsity coach and head junior varsity coach respected my input on reading the game and in game changes made. It was a very overwhelming experience but very rewarding. I learned a lot from my first day and look forward to what the rest of the summer has in store for me.