For the love of the game

Soccer is often called the 'Beautiful Game'. If requires every player, every minute, to be on the same page and focusing on the same goal. Whether that goal is defending, attacking, controlling or transitioning, every player must be in tune to what is happening. Below is a copy of the email Coach Tom sent out earlier in the week and below is a link to a great video about professional practices in preparation for a championship game. After the video concludes it links to some AWESOME videos on slide tackling etc. I highly recommend you read the article and watch a few.

Coach Tom wrote;

Transition is the most important moment in soccer; the moment in the match when individual players switch their player role in the game from defense to attack or attack to defense. Transition is acquired first by an individual player, then a group of players, and then the team.

This moment of transition occurs first as mental recognition of the situation and then a decision that initiates physical action. The faster the recognition-decision-action connection is made the more impactful will be a player's performance. Only once individual players are quickly making the transition from one phase of play to the next, will it be possible for a team to execute quick and skillful transition from defense to attack or vice versa.

If transition does not happen fast enough for a player or team then they are always a step or two behind the action. The speed of a player's transition is based on his or her tactical awareness.

Tactical awareness is being mindful of where you are on the field, as well as the location of the ball, your teammates and opponents. It's the ability to read the game - to anticipate what will happen next and not merely reacting to what just happened. In some soccer circles this tactical awareness is called insight.

In American soccer, we refer to this level of mental focus and tactical awareness as being soccer savvy.

Your players have no chance of becoming soccer savvy players if they are simply cogs in the team wheel. Players who are over-coached in matches become robotic in their performance and cannot make tactical decisions fast enough.

Slow decision-making leads to reaction players instead of anticipation players. The over-coaching comes from not only coaches, but spectators too. They constantly yell out to the players what to do and when to do it. This further hinders a player's decision-making, as spectators are typically a step behind the action - the pace of the game is quicker than their words conveyed.

This environment of coaches and parents making soccer decisions for the players during a match has led to an American soccer weakness in transition. Too many of our players are not tactically aware, thereby being slow in transition. To become an anticipation player who is quick in transition requires a healthy soccer environment in which to grow. That environment requires less coaching during matches and better coaching during training sessions.

That training environment should lead to self-reliant players who think and communicate for themselves during a match.

The foundation to a good soccer environment in your club is a well-planned and consistently executed player development curriculum. From this foundation, you can build a club with a positive soccer culture.


And the link is;

here

GO SODIUM!!

Congratulations Erika Cook!

It has been announced that Sodium's own Erika Cook made the JV-1 squad at Westview HS! Erika makes up 1 of only 5 total freshman to make this years team.
Erika's hard work and determination are paying big dividends. She is a great example for the entire team.

Congratulations Erika, we are proud of you!

GO ERIKA!

GO SODIUM!

2009 / 2010 OYSA U14 Premier Gold Bracket

• THUSC Sodium


• LOSC Extreme


• FC Portland A Platinum


• SSC 95 Hotspur


• OR Rush 95 Girls Nike


• United SA Hotshots


• ESUFC Arsenal


• Sherwood Force


• EMFC 95 Magic

It's going to be a terrific fall season with some excellent matches! I will post the schedule at or around the 27th! Keep tuned in for the latest bracket action!

GO SODIUM!!

Fall League

Fall League schedules are due out August 27th according to the OYSA website which, historically, has left something to be desired in regards to timeliness and accuracy. But those are topics for ORLive and other venues.

Keep checking back for updates.

GO SODIUM!

"Everybody into the pool!"

ODP Pools were announced yesterday for '95 and '96 years. Congratulations to the following players;

1995
Emmy Owens
Katelyn James
Jill Farley*

1996
Eli Beard
Lexi Frey
Mac Kearney
Jadyn McMillan
Taylor Moscoe
Andrea Theriau

Congratulations to all who tried out this year. Hard work and dedication will add even more lady warriors to the list next year! You only have about 363 days to get ready!

* Sodium is very fortunate to welcome Jill Farley and her family for the fall season. Jill is a member of team Ireland and while her teammates are on their High School hiatus, Jill will practice and play with Sodium to help stay in shape. I'm sure the team will welcome her with open arms and do anything they can to make her stay with us a pleasant one.

Looks like the fall schedules have yet to be posted so keep an eye peeled for any developments.

Looking forward to a great fall season!

GO SODIUM!

Sodium, more than just a pretty face

In an act of kindness that exhibits just how great these young ladies are, our own Erika Cook took it upon herself to help out those in need. Erika involved herself in program called Passback that helps out sports teams in need. (Equipment mainly)
Below is a copy of an email sent to Doug Angell (THUSC President) as an update;

Doug...

I just wanted to give you a brief update on the Passback project.

Other than telling Erika to move all the gear out of my entry hall into a less obtrusive location...I had my first involvement this weekend as I transported the donated items to Salem.

Jim and Robin Schaal (President and Registrar) of Central Coast Soccer Association in Newport, OR that Erika selected to be the recipients of the gear drove to Salem to watch Erika try out for ODP and receive everything this morning. Up until Thursday...they had no clue that Erika was not an adult and were quite tickled that a 13 year old would go to this much effort to help other kids play soccer.

Jim and Robin are retired. They live in the bay area from Nov-Mar and spend Apr-Oct at their beach house in Newport. When they first moved to Newport a few years ago, they discovered that this rec club in Newport was very close to dissolving. There were fewer than 70 kids playing soccer and the club had no money. Their oldest son (now 36) had been a competitive soccer player in his youth and Jim helped organize a trip to Europe for his team when he was in high school, so they were passionate about reviving this program for this community. Because the population of this community is seasonal and many of the year round residents work in the hospitality industry, the average household income is less than $25 K/Year. These families have a hard time paying registration fees of less than $45/season and the the Schaal's have worked tirelessly to ensure that no child is turned away for lack of ability to pay. The club now has over 350 kids playing soccer each fall and an entire team drives up from Florence, OR just to play games. Items like cleats and balls have been luxuries for many of these kids and the coaches do not have pinnies, cones, etc. The club actually applied for assistance from Passback almost 18 months ago and had not had any response until Erika contacted them in June with her plan to collect the used soccer gear.

This morning...thanks to the generosity of THUSC parents and coaches...Erika was able to give them:
28 pair cleats
12 pair shin guards
Goalie Gloves
Goalie Jerseys
Ball Pumps
28 asst color pinnies
58 asst cones
28 asst size soccer balls
7 pr shorts

In addition to their admiration of Erika's efforts...the Schaal's also thank THUSC for allowing her collect these items on their behalf. They plan to send a thank you to the club, place a story on their club website about THUSC and they have plans to put an article in the local newspaper. Since our collections schedule was shortened with the unexpected Sodium trip to Virginia, I have promised the Schaal's that if there are additional items donated, I will commit to getting them delivered to Newport.

I have attached a picture of Erika and her teammates Laura C and Taylor M with all the gear this morning.

Kristina

Erika is a true testament to the makeup of the Sodium team, and an outstanding individual. Thank you Erika.

The team and fans scream; GO ERIKA!

Sodium takes ODP by storm!

Sodium was perfect in sending 17 of 17 players to ODP try-outs this weekend!

Sodium represented well in both the '95 and '96 age brackets.

Best of luck to these lady warriors in the up coming games!

GO SODIUM!

Sodium "Going for the Gold" in 2010!

The 09/10 season brackets were announced today and the lady warriors will once again be doing battle in the Premier Gold bracket. Rounding out this years bracket are;

LOSC Extreme
FC Portland Platinum
SSC 95 Hotspur
Oregon Rush 95G Nike
United SA Hotshots
ESUFC Arsenal
Sherwood Force
EMFC 95 Magic

Time to put the game faces on and get ready for some tough competition!

Congratulations Sodium, you deserve it, you earned it!

GO SODIUM!!

The wait continues.......

Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc Hmmmm, let's see; On 8/2/09 the last PQT games were finished and by 3pm the results were posted. On 8/9 the final CQT games were finished and by 3pm the results were posted.

You would have thought that by 4pm on 8/2 the Gold bracket would have been determined and then by 4pm on 8/9 all the other brackets should have been determined. Maybe OYSA doesn't work on weekends?

Oh well, looks like there are a lot of parents and fans impatiently waiting since the blogosphere is now virtually silent. Can't wait to see what happens! :)

I will check back in a couple days.

To keep crisp the Sodium squad has been helping with the High School try-outs and looking like they fit in quite nicely.

In the mean time, GO SODIUM!

Brackets

OYSA will announce [I am assuming] after this weekends CQT games, the final bracket placements. As you all know since we opted to accept the invite to Virginia Beach the same weekend as PQT's, it has thrown a monkey wrench into the whole thing. Reading on several unnamed soccer forums, we have many parents from other teams who feel Sodium is not worthy of a Gold bracket placement because we haven't "earned" it. To these parents I say; "What are you afraid of?" Are you afraid Sodium might get placed in the Gold bracket and you would have to play us? Are you saying a team that has 2 State Championships, 2 trips to Regional Tournaments, 1 trip to a National Tournament and has been Gold every year is now suddenly not worthy to be placed in the Gold bracket? You make it sound like we opted to ignore PQT's and go to Disneyland.

Well before the trip to Virginia Beach we were informed that the consequences would be that our placement may be solely left up to OYSA and we accepted that wholeheartedly. It is the parents and fans of other teams who are creating this huge uproar. They are making the Sodium team and coach out to be the 'Bad Guys' in this situation. They have even stooped to name calling on several occasions. Unbelievable.

I don't get it, what has THUSC, Sodium, their fans or me done wrong in this situation? We made the decision to go and now we are waiting, like all of you are, to see what OYSA decides to do. Period. How are we wrong? How are we not worthy? It's not even up to us anymore, it's up to OYSA.

And to all the conspiracy theorists out there; no, there were no secret meetings, no influence pedaling, none of that. We are just waiting to hear where we are placed so we can start playing. End of story.

And a lot of the posters [or posers] directly bashed OYSA. If you have a problem, all the BOD's names and contact info is listed on their website. Instead of crying & blubbering all over some soccer forum, contact them directly and get factual answers.

I find it extremely funny that people can point fingers, make accusations and comments but can't really site any tangible facts. Also, put yourself in our shoes for a minute; what if it was YOUR team? Would you want everyone saying YOUR team isn't worthy or hasn't earned a Gold bracket spot? [check yours against the above mentioned Sodium credentials]
Or, would you hold to what you agreed to; to let OYSA place you where they see fit based on whatever criteria they want to use? Think about it.

Kick'n butt in whatever bracket: GO SODIUM!!

Disclaimer: If you don't like what you read on this blog, if it makes you upset, angry or embarrassed, stop reading it. Don't blame me, you are in complete control.

Thoughts from the sidelines

I wanted to share my thoughts on some issues I feel are important to the growth and health of the team. Sorry if this offends anyone because, as always, it is never my intent. I just call it the way I see it.

The first is that no person or position is set in stone or safe. If you play ODP or not, it doesn't matter. With the talent we now possess on this squad you have to earn your position every day, every practice, every game. Those who give 100%, commit to pushing themselves to get better and bettering the team, will play. Those that don't or worse, won't, will not. Period. We are now at an age where this becomes a reality and not just a threat. All of our forwards can score at any time. All our mids can control the ball and the tempo of the game. All our defenders are fast, physical and unafraid. If you are playing like crap, expect to come out. If you are not hustling or getting beat to every ball, expect to come out. There are at least 3 girls who can play your position. You have to earn the privilege to start a game. Being a captain doesn't mean squat. If you are not chosen, who cares?! You should be focusing on beating your mark into a bloody pulp, not talking to the ref or the stupid coin toss. Let someone else do it.

Know your roll for that game. No one is a starter. No one is a sub. If you find yourself starting a game, make the best of it by showing you deserve to be there by giving 100% on the field. Be first to the ball. Win the 50/50. Make smart choices with the ball. Control & Communicate. If you are coming off the bench, support the team on the field. When your time comes, prove to the coaches you deserve to start by giving 100%. You have to earn the privilege to start! When you come off the field, ask the coach why. If he says he wants to see others, great. If he says it's because you played like crap, great. LEARN FROM IT. IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME IT WILL HAPPEN. Don't hang your head and pitty yourself. Pull it together and show the coaches you want/deserve another shot on the field. As a coach, do you think I want to put someone in the game who is drowning in self-pitty? NO WAY. Say; "OK, I will do better next time" and go back and cheer the team on the field. You will get another shot. Top athletes get pissed. They get pissed at their team mates and at themselves. That is a fact and that is how they get better. But, do you think they let it affect their level of play? NO.

Let me touch on two examples;
First, Neon. I spoke to a forward who started a game and scored 3 goals. She didn't start the next 4 games. Do you think that got her down? No Way! She knew her shot would come again soon and she worked hard to make sure she was ready when it did. THAT is the attitude ALL Sodium players need to have because we can't start all 19 players every game. But Tom & Niki WILL start those who work hardest and deserve it.
Second, and I know this is going to sound corny, but right now Sodium is like a caterpillar. We are working, struggling inside to find ourselves, our true identity where all the pieces fit together. And when we do, we will emerge. A great entity on the field and you will spread your wings and fly. (I told you this was going to sound corny!) Right now Neon IS that entity. They have overcome odds, found themselves and are dominating on the field. Sodium is still in the cocoon. Struggling and developing. We have moments of brilliance (Like in Washington), and moments where we stutter (Like the first half against Illinois). Once we find ourselves and our true identity emerges, those moments where we stutter will vanish. Does that make sense? Don't worry if it doesn't, I get that feedback a lot.

In closing I just have to say that everything we do from now on needs to be done to improve and with purpose. Whether it's improving yourself or your team. We have all the pieces, we need to focus on putting them all together into a well oiled machine. Work hard, earn your spot every day, every practice, every game. If you come off the bench in a game, do it with fire! Let your mark know that the girl that just left was NOTHING compared to the warrior that just stepped on. Play with passion! Make it count inside!

We will win as a team, die as individuals.

United we will stand! GO SODIUM!!

US Club Nationals Results

After the 2 hour lightening delay Sodium took the field to resume play. Play was sluggish as the lady warriors found it difficult to resume play. FCX found themselves with 1-0 lead going into half after taking advantage of a PK.

The second half the Sodium squad still wasn't firing on all cylinders. The FCX squad took full advantage and found a soft goal to go up 2-0. This, being down 2-0 to a team that Sodium knew darn well they could beat, and the fact that the game on field #7 was tied 0-0, fired the lady warriors up. They realized they have a shot at the championship and it's time to bring the 'A' Game, Sodium Style! With about 16 minutes in regulation the lady warriors turned up the heat. They slowed the tempo and started to pound the Illinois goal box. A feed from Eli Beard down the left side was dropped into the box by the midfielder where Lexi Frey was there to pound it in! Now the girls were starting to click. We've been here before and we know how to win. The action remained fast and furious as Sodium remained on the attack. Shot after shot was off the crossbar, wide or played by the keeper. Then, with under 5 minutes remaining, Dani Brown fought her way down the right side, cleared a perfect cross to Lexi Frey who was shielding one defender while the other was on her back and slammed in the second goal for the tie! The crowd erupted as players and fans from other fields watched the action unfold. Pounding and pounding Sodium continued to grind at the FCX keeper. Unfortunately time wasn't on our side (Tom's watch actually had over 1.5 minutes left!) as time ran out and the match ended in a tie.

Results;
Arsenal wins bracket by beating Pittsburgh 1-0 (And eventually wins the tournament by beating Marin 2-0)
Sodium ties FCX (IL) to play the spoiler for FCX

I will have to say IMHO that if Sodium had brought the game they brought to Washington Regionals, we would have walked away with the tournament. Many discussions were had post game about training sessions, playing/practicing as a team and alignment. We will see what adjustments will be made to ensure Sodium brings a high caliber of play to every match.

Do not hang your heads Sodium, you represented Oregon well in this tournament and rest assured, this will not be the last National event you will attend. Rest this week. Take care of injuries, bruises and ego's. We have a lot of practices ahead before fall season (wherever we will be) and we need to take what we learned and apply it towards developing as players and as a team.

Proudly, as we apply aloe to our sunburns, we yell: GO SODIUM!!

Lightening Delay Continues

After playing 1 minute and 12 seconds the games were delayed. As of this post, we were still under the cover.

Thunder/Lightening halt play at Nationals

With the match just a minute old the warning whistle blew and teams, fans, coaches and ref's from all 19 fields were called to their vehicles for a 30 minute delay. Will update as play resumes.

Pool Training

To break up the routine a little, Coach Niki leads the team in a little "Pool Training"

There was supposed to be a video of Niki training the girls in the pool but I am having great difficulty loading it. Please check back soon. Thx.

A little time off

Playing National level soccer can be a tiring experience. Sometimes you gotta let off a little steam. [Sodium Style!]



Chill'n on the Virginia Beach boardwalk.



Smiles from Sodium!

Sodium unloads on Pittsburgh

In typical Sodium Style the lady warriors unleashed their wrath on the Century United Pittsburgh team this morning. Sodium took a little stutter step in the beginning but then fired on all cylinders. Within the first 10 minutes Sodium found themselves penetrating the top of the 18-yard box. KJ dished a perfect ball to Hannah Lautenbach who rifled a shot into the upper net! The crowed went wild as the lady warriors notched their first National Tournament goal. Were they done? No way! A back-n-forth battle ensued and the first concluded with Sodium hanging on to a 1-0 lead. After some personnel adjustments the second half was under way. The flurry started as Lexi Frey lined up a corner kick, dropped her hand and let it fly! The perfect ball floated into the center of the 6-yard box where Jadyn McMillan ripped a header off the Pittsburgh keeper when Hannah was there to clean up and record her second goal! Again, the sweaty crowd went nuts! as the lady warriors swarmed Hannah. Just minutes later Payten Sonnen, just back from injured reserve, flat out beat the left defender and found herself one-on-one with the keeper. No problems as Payten rocked the far corner, giving Sodium a 3-0 lead. The players mugged Payten with a 'Welcome Back' pig pile! The crowed erupted to see Payten back in the mix. And not to be out done, Mac Kearney took a pass from Lexi, beat the midfielder, took on the center defender where she iced her with a move that left her standing still! Mac continued to rip a blast past the keeper for 4-0 Sodium win! The crowed went absolutely nuts! Game, set, match!

What Now?
Sodium is not out of this yet;
Arsenal FC (Cali) has 4 points
FCX Black (Ill) has 4 points
Sodium has 3 points

Sodium plays FCX. A victory will give Sodium 6 points.
Arsenal plays Pittsburgh. A tie or loss will give them a max total of 5 points.

Kudos
I have to say their are a couple of players I need to recognize;
Mac Kearney- For her tireless hustle and absolute "Big Time" move she put on the defender today.
Aliyah Chance - This weekend Aliyah has really elevated her game.
Taylor Luty - She has been clutch for Sodium this weekend.
Payten Sonnen - Came back from nursing bad knees to get a score.
Emmy Owens - played pretty well for being out a month
Midfielders - Stepped up today.

To all the lady warriors - You guys really showed us today that you can play controlled, unselfishly and with anyone. I believe all the players played today and played exceptionally well. We have a big job tomorrow when we take on FCX. Believe in yourself ladies, you deserve to be here, you deserve to represent Oregon, and you will represent them well.

So, Sodium faithful, cross your fingers and say your prayers tonight! And if it is to be, Sodium will represent Oregon with a victory!

Cheering loud enough to be heard in PDX, we scream; GO SODIUM!!