If you haven’t coached a competitive team in U12/U13 when the hormones hit – you’re in for a surprise!
Entries Tagged ‘lunachicks’
A Major Confidence Boost
SoccerDad gives an update on his team’s movement to the next level of play and how their season is going. it’s been a roller coaster ride!
Sitting Back or Taking Risks?
Sometimes as a coach, you realize you can only push your team so far and they have to push themselves to really improve as players. The question is, are the risks worth it to try and get them pushing themselves. How can you get them to do that? Here’s the story of a team taking some risks to improve. Will it work? Only time will tell.
So I Went Out To Dinner…
A funny thing happened to me this weekend. Our team manager had organized an off-season get together for the team at a local restaurant, kind of a last chance to see everyone before the holidays thing. Little did I know that the team had a surprise in store for me…
What SoccerDad Did Last Weekend
If you’re wondering where SoccerDad has been the past few weeks and why it’s been so quiet here at On The Pitch, here’s an update on what his travel team has been doing.
Tales From The Lunachick Fringe V
We played our last fall season match against a tough division opponent that was undefeated, hoping to reverse a recent slide and come away with a win. Well, didn’t work out that way by any stretch, but there were a couple funny moments I figured I’d share.
Tales From The Lunachick Fringe IV
Sometimes the excitement at a youth soccer match happens afterward!
Chicks on Moons
Many teams require their players to wear matching ‘practice attire’. Is it worth doing, and if so, can it help team spirit? I gave it a shot with my team to find out.
Gain Something By Giving Back
For many youth soccer players and teams, things are pretty similar. You go to practice a couple times a week. You play matches, and you head home. Some go to tournaments, others don’t. But it’s all about the soccer. But what about the team? Are there things that can be done to turn an ordinary team into a tight knit team that really pulls for each other?
Mixing Lunachicks and Water…
Our U12 Girls team is holding a fundraiser this weekend to help defray some tournament costs. After exploring various options we decided to go with a car wash held at a local bank. The trick is, when the coaching staff thought about our girls, their past exploits, and mixing them with water, well, it’s kind of scary. We have no idea what to expect, but the girls sure are excited.
Setting Up Some Unexpected Motivation
As the fall season approaches, I’ve been talking with my assistant coaches about what events we should think about taking our team to this year. They say the best learning environment is playing in matches, so we try to provide additional playing opportunities for our team while also providing them with a fun weekend where they can gel and bond as a group.
Tales From The Lunachick Fringe III
My U11 Girls team had one last hurrah at the NC State Games last weekend, and you just knew there would be a few Tales From The Lunachick Fringe!
The NC State Games are a huge annual amatuer sporting event styled after the Olympics, including opening ceremonies. The youth soccer tournament is only one of dozens of events, but attracts teams from across the state. So we were excited to be going as our last event together as a U11 team. The girls did well, reaching the bronze medal match, but that’s not what this post is about! It’s about the fun that ensues when the Lunachicks play soccer!
Tales From The Lunachick Fringe II
It’s so nice that the drought seems to be over or at least improving. We’ve had a lot of rain this season, compared to almost none last Fall. But it sure would be nice if it rained earlier in the week. Lately it seems like it is always raining Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – wreaking havoc on the match schedules of leagues across North Carolina. The weather also made for some funny moments at our recent match.
Those Moments As A Coach…
It is a common question made to youth soccer coaches, both from experienced coaches as well as people unfamiliar with youth soccer. Why Do You Coach? For me there are a number of reasons, but I think I can say without hesitation that there is one reason above all others: When the players on the team ‘get it’. Not individually, but as a team.
Tales From The Lunachick Fringe
I often joke with friends of mine that I’ll be able to write a book in a few years about the exploits of my U11 Girls team, The Lunachicks. Regular readers are already familiar with some of my tales. In lieu of a book, I might as well start a regular feature here at OTP called “Tales From The Lunachick Fringe”. Even though the Spring season has just gotten underway, I’ve already got a few stories to share – of course.
