The Blue Riptide  
  A Chesterfield United Soccer Club Team        

Coaches' Corner

Message to the Coaches

go team!

SPRING 2007

Thank You - Boys 93

Blue Riptide - It would be hard to find a greater group of young men.  I leave feeling that my greatest accomplishment as your coach is that I leave a winning team of players that demonstrate excellence, character, friendship and the love of the game of soccer.  That fact was illustrated this past weekend in our final tournament together.  As we were playing our second game with tired legs against a competitive team who with fresh legs, pulled ahead towards the end of the match on a scorching day--at 6:2 with 10 minutes on the clock, the referee, dying from heat and exhaustion, wanted to call the game short.   When I protested, I heard the refrain of players shouting, "We want to play!"  You made me proud!  We have never given up--and we were not going to start that day.  We didn't give up--We don't give up.  Character is built in adversity under tying times--you boys played with sportsmanship and dignity as a team.  Continue to pursue  soccer and life with Sacrifice, Confidence, Organization, Respect and Excellence and I'm sure you will pass your goals and make a difference in this life.

This season we worked on building confidence on the field.  What we believe does impact the way we play.  When you actually believe that you have the skill to pass the ball around and to put the ball in the net, (which you do), your playing is deliberate and rises to the next level.  What we believe impacts the way we act and live.  What we believe does not change truth.   I encourage each of you to seek and pursue truth.  Use the reference points available to you, some better and brighter beacons than others, in that pursuit--your parents, your coach, your friends, life, reason, the world around you, and the Scriptures.    

Seize the day!

To you parents - keep up the good work!  Thank you for the support and for teaching your kids respect.  A finer group of parents will be hard to find. 

Coach Roberts

In Memorial - May 2007

From the coaching side of the field, I attempt to place the players in such a way that maximizes each player's strengths (speed, power, possession, ball control, game sense and conditioning) and that hides or minimizes a few weaknesses, (lack of speed, limited power, proclivity to lose possession, limited ball control, poor game sense and limited stamina).  A few of the players possess all of the strengths of the game.  A few players have a mixture of strengths and weaknesses.   For example, I have a couple players that I simply will not play in our own penalty box, because the probability of giving up a penalty kick increases too greatly.  A few players simply do not have the right combination of defensive mind and speed to be the last defender.  If you look at our stats, you will notice that we have given our opponents few opportunities to shoot on goal this year.  I plan on keeping it that way.  I believe that I have played the players in positions where they are best able to shine.  There are a couple of players that might prefer to play other positions, and from time to time, they are given the opportunity – particularly when we have a lead that gives us the opportunity to mix it up a bit.  Several players have done a beautiful job playing positions that might not have been their first choice, but one that best helps the team with attitudes that are commendable.  Here’s an impressive team stat after 4 games:

I was disappointed today to learn that on the other side of the field, some of the parents were expressing dissatisfaction with the distribution of playing time, in a way that I have not heard on the players side.  I was glad that one of the parents came to me to express the frustration so that I have an opportunity to address the issue.  

Although as a team we have discussed some of these issues, I suppose it only fair that I let you know of those discussions.  Early this season, the team was asked, would you rather have equal playing time or would you like me to use my judgment to win more games – the team answer, they like winning – as a team. We aren't playing rec. ball.  Notwithstanding, I would like to provide each player with plenty of playing time.  To that end, I keep stats.  (And am looking to make some adjustments--I'm hoping that the on average this season each player will receive decent playing time.  I will not be averaging play time in close games.) With about 30 minutes unaccounted for over the last 4 games, here’s how the number break out.

A couple of the numbers are impacted by absence and illness.  One is also impacted by asthma related breathing issues and stamina.  A few players ask to come out of the game as they should when they get winded.  A couple of the boys just don’t have the stamina—and should build that outside of practice.  Every now and then a player will decline the opportunity to play.  And finally there is the occasional and necessary discipline for goofing off at practice so as to diminish learning time of the other players, playing with less than 100% effort, etc. 

Finally, at the risk of upsetting you, I am going to ask you to give both your sons and me some space to grow.  I hope we are doing more than playing soccer.  I hope we are building a team, character and men.  At an age where kids need to belong, our team provides a great place for them.  Listen to our players and compare them to some of the other teams that we play.  You don’t hear them yelling insults at each other.  Most if not all of them like belonging to this team.  They encourage each other on plays and saves and not just goals.  They also like winning.   There’s not a player on this team that doesn’t belong.    

This season, we have 17 players on the roster.  Typically, the team has 6 players on the bench.  In past seasons, Coach Hupp and our lovely statistician Rebekah Hupp provided me with assistance with stats, which made it easier for me to move players in and out of the game, and to keep track of the playing time during the game.  The past 4 games we have not had that help—any parent that would like to take on that task is welcome to join me on the other side of the field. Please let me know of your interest before our next game, so that I can forward to you our stat template. 

Spring 2006

Even coaches make mistakes -- the biggest mistake this season, losing my bench.  When player no longer have to earn playing time, the team is at a great disadvantage. 

Fall 2005

Coach Hupp and I are very pleased with the composition of the team players and families!

The players did a great job with the first game.  A 3-3 tie.  We'll be working on tightening up the sweeping so that our keeper doesn't have any more one-on-one contests.  We'll also be working on finishing on the goal.  The players otherwise outplayed the competition.

We must expect that not every off-side will be called, and simply work harder to keep from getting beat to our own goal.

Coaches Roberts and Hupp.

Spring 2005

Post Tournament De-Briefing 3/16/2005 ..

Team:

Without any field practices before the BigToe Tournament, you played well.  We will be working on field position and improving our passing game this year.

Please run and sprint on your own time so that we can devote our practice to forging a team and running skill and team drills rather than conditioning.

Remember that a team is very much like a body--there are many parts each with different functions, strengths and weaknesses--but by doing your assigned task and working together we will run a strong race.  Not every player will be a goal scorer.  Not every player will excel at defense.  Not every player will stand out.  Nevertheless, you are important to our team.  Let's work on encouraging each to excellence.

Coaches Roberts & Hupp

 Players and Parents:

I received a little feed-back from one parent expressing some concerns related to Tuesday night practices with our trainer. (I appreciate all feedback from parents--and to that parent, I say thank you) I suspect that there are more parents that may be hearing "horror" stories from the players. This would not surprise me as a few of the players have not felt inhibited on the field to express their own concerns with statements like, "I hope he doesn't come back." The comments tend to come from the player that could benefit the most from the training. I'm hoping that they will see this as such an opportunity. 

The trainer is doing a great job, adding a fresh eye to the team and providing valuable skill development drills on Tuesday nights. 

He has provided both praise and criticism to the players. The criticism has been honest and appropriate.

Coaches and trainers demands that the players LISTEN while they are instructing. This is appropriate.

To get the most out of the trainer, the player need to do the following:

1. Arrive on time.
2. Be stretched by 5:00 p.m.
3. Pay Attention. While a coach/trainer is instructing, the players should be LISTENING WITH THEIR EYES ON the trainer. When players are engaged in their own conversation or activity, they find themselves clueless during the drill. At other times they are rebuked on the spot for not listening. When this happens, the trainer must stop instructing the other players to command the attention the players should be giving or to provide the same instructions he just finished giving. This takes away from the other players. 
4. Come with a desire to improve. The players should understand that the trainer is there to build THEIR skills----he is there for THEIR benefit. This is not rec. soccer. 
5. Camaraderie is best built through common discipline, hardship and struggle. Tuesdays will build better players and a better team.

Drills provide more opportunity for the players to "touch" the ball more often than in scrimmages and as such is a vital part of soccer training. We scrimmage after the drills providing the players with the opportunity to implement the drill skills in game situation. On Thursdays, we tend to balance the "fun" by doing more scrimmaging.

Please call Coach Hupp or me with any concerns or questions.

Coach Roberts

Fall 2004

Team:  (9/11/04 - 7 to 1 Victory)

I think it is safe to say that some of your hard work at practices paid off!  You played and looked like a team.  I'm proud of each of you.  Your passing forward, to the side and back was great.  You did a great job taking it to the front line and then crossing it back out of the keeper's reach!  Those in mid-field learned why running laps is important--those who may have not put your heart into our laps will probably press a little harder during practice to build that endurance!

FYI: The team we played was a new team--the competition should be stiffer next go round, so lets practice hard this week.

Congrats to all. 

See you at practice.

Coaches Roberts & Hupp

Team: (9/25/04 - 6 to 4 Defeat)

Well -- So much for going undefeated this season.

I am still proud of you guys. We are still looking like a soccer team. If we could have had only 1/2 of the shots that hit the goal posts or bars or just missed the net, we would have trounced the other team.

Overall, I was proud of the way that the team handled defeat.

A couple of lessons are available:

(1) Never give up -- Our opponents demonstrated the attitude that we must reflect if we ever find ourselves down by two goals and outmatched. They fought and in the end managed to end up on top of the pile.

(2) Never give up -- There were too many occasions where we permitted the other team to take it to our goalie 1 on 1 -- because we assumed (WRONGLY) that the last man had the ball under control or would stop the ball. We will continue to drill at practice SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP. We must always have one man attacking the ball on defense and at least one man running between the ball and the goal just incase the attacker gets beat. And then somebody SWEEPS between that player who is now attacking the ball and the goal. SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP --- never give up!

(3) Coach --- Don't be greedy. When we ahead by two, I will beef up the defense a little more to retain our lead.

(4) Never give up --- When our players run the ball down the side of the field to the corner, never give up. Don't cross it into the hands of the keeper. Bring the ball back outside of the reach of the keeper.

(5) When the pressure is on, don't turn the ball into the goal. Head to the outside to release the pressure.

(6) When we are defeated, remember we are a TEAM --- Each of you should ask, how can I (ME) improve my game, rather than taking shots at the Keeper. (Offense, keep the ball in their half of the field or in their net and our Keeper can bring a lawn chair) Midfielders if you work harder with the offense, you won't have to run as much. etc.

Coach Roberts & Coach Hupp

Team:  (10/2/04 - 7 to 1 Victory)

Looking Good Team!

We're back in the saddle! We overcame the glitch from last week and looked mighty fine--in fact I think even better than our first game. I was proud of each and every one of you. We will review some of the stats and key plays at practice.

Once again, I hope that from our game, we learn more than soccer. If we make a mistake in soccer, as a player or as a team, the best that we can do is to take responsibility for our mistake, learn from it and then MOVE ON. If the rest of the game or season, we continue to look back on the mistake we will sink--it will cripple you as a player or as a team.

Some of you have learned how to cut the grass, either by hand or on a tractor. You've learned that you don't cut in a straight line by looking behind. The same is true with plowing. If you are plowing a field, to keep the rows straight you focus on an object in front of you, off in the distance (such as a tree). (By the way, remember this when you learn to drive---same principle) If you start to plow, and keep looking behind you will never make straight rows or do a good job cutting grass, plowing or driving.

This principle will serve you well in just about every area of your life.

So, looking forward to practices this week and some more exciting soccer!

Coaches Roberts and Hupp

Team: (11/2/04)

We are a team!  Through most of our season, now with 10 wins and 2 losses, I hope you feel like a TEAM!  A week ago, you lost sight of the team and expected one player to score for you, passing every ball to the middle--the result, we didn't play very well.  In our last game, you returned to play like a team. 

Today, I want you to remember that the United States of America is a Team.  While captains are important, by themselves they won't win any of the games. 

Let's keep pushing and encouraging each other to new heights.  Remember that if you slack off, you drag the team with you.  Press forward.  Leave it on the field.

Keep up the good work.

Coaches Roberts and Hupp