OESA Spring Classic

I think that all of our teams had a GREAT weekend! I watched and coached a lot of games and I saw really good effort from everyone. I was really impressed with the level of play that all the teams brought with them this weekend. They were striving to do the best they they could on the field, and gave 110% on and off the field. It is a great feeling when you see them accomplishing things in a game that we have worked on in training. Overall, I saw confident dribbling, using skill to beat a player 1v1, and being creative while trying to be a smart decision maker on the field.

For the U9 girls north gold , I saw many good things. The first game we played, we had only 6 players, and the girls stepped up to the plate. They showed their "never give up" attitude and it showed. Throughout the weekend, we talked about playing faster and playing sooner. Those were the two words that I think I said over and over and over again to them. As we continue to train this season, we will consistently ask them to play fast, going out of their "comfort zone". Also, it was great to see their confidence build as they took players on 1 v 1. The dribbling this weekend was smart and creative. Overall, GREAT weekend!

For the U9 girls north academy, it was a good weekend. I saw great creativity and dribbling skills. Every game we talked about dribbling fast. Fast, fast, fast. That was something that we really stressed to the girls. Another thing that we talked about was way WAY to many touches in the box. I think we even dubbed someone the name "ten touch". It is unnecessary to take that many touches inside the box, but eventually I think that they worked it out. Lastly, we really starting talking about spacing. We tell the girls that the field is like a boat, and if everyone is on one side of the boat, we are going to sink. Also, if everyone is on the same side, who is there to play the ball to. Overall GREAT weekend!

For the U10 girls north, another great weekend. All we talked about was being dynamic. In the past couple training sessions, we have worked on passing and moving, passing and moving and NO standing around. It is just as important what you do without the ball, as what you do with the ball. I think the girls really put into play what we have been working on. I saw smart decision making; when to dribble the ball into space, or when to pass the ball to make it down the field faster. They have become so much more confident in their skills that it truly shows on the field.

I am so proud of ALL the teams in the YDA. There is truly great talent in all the groups and I think that it showed this weekend!