Friday, April 22, 2011

KSA Commissioner's Cup - 06/02 - 06/05

Annually KSA puts on a free end of year tournament. This year's tournament is 06/02 - 06/05. The final game is on Sunday (blah) and we've been to the finals before (less Jaden/Elliot last season and likely Jason/Nathan-less this season). The experience is fun, highly competitive and a great experience. The first couple of games seeds the final game. We typically play 2 to 3 games, guaranteed, and based on win/loss/points the finals are determined. The tournament is closed to just KSA teams. We'll be playing U11 and U12 teams which will be a bit tough but overall a wonderful experience. All the normal season rules apply so you'll not see our coaches shifting game play times just because it's tournament play. All players play and all players contribute to the success of the team.

At the right of the blog is a poll (http://firedragons.grecca.com). Please take a moment to let me know if you'll be available to have your player play in the tournament.

Recap of Last Night's Game

I don't post often enough to this blog but I certainly wanted to express my joy over last night's game. I mentioned to a friend of mine that I was skeptical of my parents that maybe they doused their son's sports drink with something extra because the FireDragons had a little extra spark last night.

Considering we played a team that held us to a 2-1 victory the first game, last night's handling of a very solid team speaks volumes about where we are and how quickly we've arrived. From a very capable and strong defensive line, a transitioning midfield that is always in the right zone to a spitfire front line, the team was in such force last night that I'm still a bit pumped up.

I thoroughly enjoyed having players play new positions, learning new techniques and engaging in ways we've previously not been able to do. Thank you for teaching your son's good sportsmanship and the ability to adapt to new situations.

Many of you may have noticed that I swapped many players around in non-typical formations. The game was spinning out of control and could easily have been a 10-0 victory based on the pace of the first 10 minutes of each half. In order to slow it down and allow for a more competitive, more sporting match, we adjusted the line up and decided that experience and good sportsmanship would rule the day rather than humiliation and status quo. Thanks for supporting and cheering on our players.

With just 2 games left, I'm excited to see how we finish. Please encourage your player to focus on the moment rather than get carried away with standings, statistics and opposition. Each touch, each placement, movement and over all team play makes the whole experience rather than the whole justifying each play.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend. See you on Monday for practice.

Go FireDragons!!!