Game Preparation - Food & Drinks

Night Before Do's and Dont's

Dinner should include carbohydrates like brown rice or whole wheat pasta along with some protein and fat. Of course veggies and fresh fruits are a must. You think the Italians eat well beacuse they like to? Heck no, it's because they're preparing for a soccer game! Sleep and vitamins are 100% essential before a game, so get to bed early (no sleep-overs) and take a multi-vitamin if you don't like your fruits and veggies.

Dont's include fast food, super sweets, whole milk, cheese or anything fried. Beans, pickles and spices are also no-no's as your body will spend most of the next day trying to digest these nasties. Why waste energy on digestion when your energy should be for running!

Game Day

You should eat a meal about 3 hrs prior to the game and it should include some grains and fresh fruit and plenty of water. You actually want to keep your stomach as close to empty at game time as possible. Again, this is because you don't want your body to use energy digesting food when you need it for the game.

No caffeinated, carbonated or high fructose drinks before a game. This means no sodas or fruit juices! Drink water instead, even when you don't feel you need it. I cup of water gives you enough energy for about 15-20 minutes of soccer.

Here's the plan. Drink about a half-litre of water two hours prior to the game then another half-litre of sports drink 10-15 minutes before game time. During the game hydrate whenever possible, but don't drink too much at half-time - a simple sip or two should be good enough (unless it's very, very hot).

The sports drink is key because they help avoid fatigue and cramps.

Post Game

Once you’re done playing, keep drinking as you cool down. It’ll help you get rid of the toxins that you’ve built up during practice or the game.

Then a nice hot meal, hopefully some home cooking and hot, sweetened tea with lemon!

Team Meeting this Thursday

I would like to hold a brief team meeting this Thursday from 7-8pm (immediately following our practice). All players and parents are asked to attend. Location is the Lochside Park Clubhouse and pizza and refreshments will be provided.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss plans and goals for the season, confirm practice times and locations, game-day preparations, player safety procedures, go through the team's code of conduct and anything else parents or players want to address prior to season kick-off.

We will also distribute uniforms at the meeting. The girls have unanimously chosen to wear the Maroon & Black this year! In case of multiple girls wanting the same jersey number players should come prepared to perform a small trick or sing a song to win the rights to their favourite jersey number.

Any questions please call or email Brett or myself.

GU14 League Schedule Announced

Six teams in the G14 Gold division this season and we start things off by hosting the reigning champions at Lochside Park. Our first Cowichan Valley road trip is Halloween!

I'm actually somewhat surprised there are as many as six teams, especially after Metro practically demolished the Gorge and JDF programs. JDF has disappeared but Gorge has somehow saved their U14 age group. This is good news for us, otherwise it would have resulted in three or more bye weekends. That said, playing each four times plus again in the District Cup is b-o-r-i-n-g!

Over the next week or so I would like to have a discussion about any tournaments we wish to enter. There are a couple of choices, including the Lakehill Fall Classic on the Thanksgiving Weekend (the same weekend we play Lakehill in the league). There are also tournaments on the Lower Mainland on the Remembrance Day Weekend we might consider.

Or perhaps tournaments aren't of any interest. Let me know using this week's poll.

Coaches Code of Conduct

It's only fair that if we as coaches expect the players to conduct themselves in a certain manner that we too should be held to account for our actions. Below is a list of what you can expect from Brett and I this season.

1. We will place the player's physical and emotional well being ahead of any personal desire to win.

2. We will nurture good sportsmanship and fair play and teach the players the value of competition and winning and losing.

3. We will set reasonable expectations for each player and for the team.

4. We will remind the players of these expectations if we feel individually or as a team they are not performing to their abilities.

5. We will do our best to teach the fundamentals of the game.

6. We will never ridicule or shout at your child for making a mistake or losing a competition.

7. We will instruct players and parents in the laws of the game and motivate all to act within them.

8. We will ensure that all team officials, players and parents treat opposing players, their fans and the match officials with respect.

9. You have our personal commitment to keep ourselves informed on sound coaching priniciples and the principles of children's growth and development.

10. We will strive to keep communication lines open with parents and players.

Player Code of Conduct

The season is almost upon us so I believe it's the appropriate time to discuss our expectations of the players this season. The following Code of Conduct outlines these expectations and I would like all players to familiarize themselves with them.

CODE OF CONDUCT

1) Know the rules and abide by them.

2) Practice the fundamentals. Master the soccer basics - dribbling, passing, shooting, tackling and communication.

3) Play hard. If playing hard isn't part of your game - make it!

4) Play fairly and respect the officials, opponents and your fellow teammates. Listen to your coaches and never question an official.

5) Do not deliberately miss practices or games. Communicate with the coach or manager when you cannot attend a practice or game.

6) Practice the principle that a team's reputation is built not only on its playing ability, but also on the sportsmanship, courtesy, and manners of each individual player. Set the example.

7) Be humble and generous in victory and proud and dignified in defeat.

8) Remember that a failure by the team is shared by all of the members and should not be blamed on individual members. Of course, successes are always shared.

9) Always try your best to improve personally and to help your team improve. Encourage your teammates to do the same.

10)Have fun! Win or lose, try to enjoy every moment on the field.

The Seven Words

Recently while reading a coaching book I came across the comments of a youth academy coach for a high-profile professional English soccer team. He uses seven words to describe the attributes of a successful soccer player. I thought they were excellent so I thought I would share them on the blog.

Commitment – players must be self-motivated and committed to playing soccer

Conditioning - players must have the appropriate levels of fitness, strength and speed

Communication – players should communicate with their team mates at all times; communication can help raise morale and always makes keeping and moving the ball easier

Cohesion – players must sense they belong to a team and know exactly what is expected of them in each situation they face

Concentration – players should not find themselves distracted and must stay focused at all times; concentrate on doing the simple things at the right time

Control – players must always control their emotions

Confidence – players must believe in themselves and their teammates and express that confidence at all times – players must always control their emotions

Practice Time Changes

Note the changes to August practice times.

All practices will now start at 5:30pm @ Lochside Turf.

Team Selection Update

Now that the U14 Metro team has been confirmed I would like to confirm the following fourteen players as members of the U14 Gold team:

Abby, Alisha, Brianna, Brittney, Carly, Chloe, Emma, Hannah, Jenna, Lily, Natasha, Shelby, Sophie and Tessa.

Further players will be added to the team once GU14 registration numbers are better known. Basically, the club is hoping to form three Girls U14 teams and until that has been decided I have been instructed to select only fourteen players. However I am expecting to select at least another two players for the Gold team.

Our first practcies are next Tuesday, 7pm @ Lochside Park. Fitness and conditioning will be a large part of our pre-season so players should come prepared for short road runs on Lochside Trail. So bring trail runners if you have them.

If you are unable to attend any upcoming practices please let me know.

See you all next Tuesday!

No Kickaround Tonight!

The turf is way too hot for soccer so tonight's kick-around is cancelled. Sorry for the late notice.

Check the blog next week for updates on August practice schedule.

Wanted - Goalkeeper!

Seriously, the team is taking shape very nicely but it's very important we find a full-time goalkeeper.

If we are not able to find a full-time goalkeeper the next best option is to platoon three or four girls in the position. I did this last season at Cordova Bay and it worked very well but it's not my first choice option this season. At U14 players should be specializing in specific positions or roles and since goalkeeper is the most specialized position it's imporant we start to develop someone.

Last year JDF was the only team with a full-time goalie and she won them a fair number of games. It's a very important position (some would say it's the most important position), but I appreciate that many of the attributes of a good goalie (fearlessness, agility, strength) are not qualities you typically associate with thirteen year old girls.

Anyone interested in playing goal would be expected to attend some goalkeeping clinics and would also receive special goalkeeper training during regular practices.

If you know of anyone who might be even the slightest bit interested please invite them out to one of our July or August practices or have them contact me. They don't even need to have played soccer before, but that would be a bonus.

Gold Team Update

A quick update for players and parents on player selection for the Gold team.

After assessments were completed in April the top ten players were identified by the Technical Director and coaching staff (Brett, Bruce and myself). These players were contacted and advised that they had been selected to the U14 Gold team.

At the same time fourteen other players were contacted to advise that they were still in contention for the Gold team. These players were invited to attend the practice and games June 14 and 21. Unfortunately not all of these players showed for the try-outs, but those that did were informed that final selections would not be made until the U14 Girls Metro team was confirmed.

Now that metro tryouts have begun I understand that two, possibly three GHCB players have decided to play U14 Metro. We should wish them the best of luck and hope that, if things don't work out as planned, they might return to play with GHCB.

The result is our initial list of ten automatic selections has shrunk. So I would like to take this opportunity to present the revised list of players who have been selected for next year's U14 Gold.

Congratulations to Alisha, Brianna, Brittney, Carly, Chloe, Emma, Lily, Natasha, Shelby, Sophie and Tessa.

For those not mentioned above I will be in contact with you once Metro selections are completed in mid-July. I am expecting to carry 15 or 16 players on the team, so there will be at least four more players added in July or late-August.

Any questions please feel free to call or email.

Summer Soccer?

For those U13-U14-U15 girls interested in some drop-in soccer this summer, beginning June 30 I have booked Lochside Turf for 6:30-8:00pm. Sessions will consist of both some fitness, ball work and scrimmages. Depending on the level of interest I may consider scheduling some exhibition games against other LISA club teams.

There is no charge for this as the club is not charging for field rental. The only condition is that players attending must be registered to play for a GHCB team for the 2009-10 season.

Sessions will run each Tuesday through the middle of August, when more formal U14 Gold practices will begin in preparation for next season.

Welcome!

Hi there and welcome to the team blog for the 2009-10 Gordon Head & Cordova Bay U14 Girls Gold soccer team.

The purpose of this blog is to provide up-to-date information on team practices, games, tournaments as well as links to other local youth soccer events.

It has been a pleasure meeting all of the Gordon Head girls and their parents during recent player assessments and gold team try-outs. I have been very pleased with the level of play I have witnessed and I am really looking forward to the upcoming season. Hopefully all of the players are equally excited.

Practices will begin in earnest in mid-August and league play looks set to begin September 12th. In the meantime check the blog for information on plans for drop-in soccer throughout July and August.