Welland Sports Complex Update: We got it done folks! The Good Guys Win!!

Thank you everyone for your support and emails to Welland City Council - the public display of support was huge in making this happen!  This is the link to tomorrow's Trib Article.

Below is a letter to WSC members from the WSC Board of Directors...

Motion Removed from Council Agenda

Dear Members – the Welland Soccer Club has been informed by the City of Welland that Councilor Dan Fortier has removed his “Notice of Motion” regarding the River Road Multi Sports Complex and as result, your support and participation at the Tuesday April 5th Council meeting is no longer needed.

As you may imagine, there are numerous hurdles to cross before this becomes a reality – with the #1 requirement being the approval of our FIT (Feed In Tariff) Energy application for the solar panels on the roof of the facility. This is a major income source for the complex and is required to offset construction costs. We are expecting approval on the FIT application within the next few weeks.

We remain committed to keep you informed as the project progresses and Thank You for your support to date.

Yours in Soccer
Welland Soccer Club Board Of Directors

Players and Parents, this means our first Organized Team Activity (OTA), "Pizza Dinner and City Hall Night", is no longer required - unless of course you still want to get together for Pizza?!

Coach Jim

Introducing the 2011 Welland Wizards U11 Boys !

Hello everyone,
I'm so very proud to announce your new 2011 U11 Boys Welland Wizards (NYSL)...
(updated April 9)

• Devon B
• Henry B
• Miguel C
• Zachery D
• Wyller F
• Juan G
• Lucas G
• David H
• Mackenzie J
• Colton J
• Mitchell J
• Liam M
• Keegan M
• Dino T
• Matthew W

Boys, you worked very hard... take pride and be proud, your commitment and dedication will be rewarded with a great summer of soccer... Together we will do great things!

Coach Jim

Tuesday Night at WSC

Hi everyone, to confirm the plans for tomorrow night:

We will run the last try-out from 6:00-7:00pm.  Please arrive at the club before 6:00pm as there is no one before us and we can use the time to warm-up.  (I will be there be 5:30 latest). As you know the session will consist of warm-ups, a few drills and then the "Team Marty" v. "Team Jim" game. Coach Marty and I will divide the players into the teams beforehand.  Cost for the dome time will be $2.00 per player.

Each player will receive a letter after the game. I will prepare a personalized letter for each player. Coach Marty and I will take a few minutes to finalize the letters, and then I will hand them out to the players.   

IMPORTANT: Many players will receive good news letters, some will receive bad news letters. I ask that we all respect each others privacy and only open the letters once you have left the WSC.  I will post the Team Roster here on the team blog later in the evening.

Thanks, and see you tomorrow night at the WSC!

Coach Jim

Try-outs Resume Wed PM - The Final Stretch!

Hi all, we are now truly in the final stretch of the try-outs. As you know we are at Glendale School tomorrow night (from 6:00-7:30pm) and then at the WSC next Tuesday night (March 29, from 6:00 - 7:30pm) for our Intra-Squad "Team Marty" v "Team Jim" Match!

School Running Clubs
I understand that some of the schools in the area have started registration for Running Clubs.  This is another great training opportunity for the boys and I highly recommend you sign-up to run with your school. As you know we will be playing on the big fields this year and physical conditioning will be a big part of our success. Once the team is set we will be stepping up the conditioning portion of our training in a big way!

See you tomorrow night at Glendale and as always, please wear proper indoor soccer/running shoes, shin pads and WHITE shirts.

Thanks
Coach Jim

Additional Training Opportunities

Hi all, I wanted to let you know of additional training opportunities that are available and that I highly recommend. Last Wednesday I distributed a registration form for spring training sessions run by Clayton Rosario of Elite Soccer Development. This is a 6 Week Pre-season Training Camp which runs for 6 consectutive Saturday mornings. The cost is $120.00/6 weeks (if you pay before March 14, the cost is $100.00). Dates and times as follows:

March 26 from 7:45am  to 9:15am
April 2, 9 16, 23, 30  from 8:30am to10:00am
Location: Niagara Astraplex (Sinnicks Rd, Niagara Falls)

Also, Clayton will run a second session of Futsal Sundays at Ridley College. This is a 6 week program starting Sunday March 27, from 2:30pm to 4:00pm. The cost is $30.00 for the 6 sessions... for this term there are no drop-ins, you must sign up and pay the $30.00 on the first day. I'm sure the boys who attended the last futsal will tell you it was great!

To be clear, registering for the sessions above is not related to the Try-outs for our team. That said, I highly recommend these sessions for players who are serious about getting better and growing as a soccer player.  Also, the "bang for the buck" is there - great value for professional training!

Thanks
Coach Jim

Please Support the New Welland Sports Complex

On Tuesday March 1st (7pm) at City Hall, Welland, councillor Dan Fortier will be presenting a motion to Welland City Council to stall the development of the new Welland Sports Complex on River Rd / Woodlawn Rd. IMO, this would be a travesty, but typical for Welland Politics... the previous council approved this project, a few councillors on the new council want to bring it down.

IMO Welland has slipped backwards for years because of short-sighted Political Games... IMO this proposed sports complex is an investment in the future of our city, and most importantly, an investment in our youth...

The obvious financial benefits for our City would be huge... just think of the hundreds of families coming from out-of-town for tournaments and spending their money at the Woodlawn Canadian Tire and Walmart, or the Seaway Mall, Zehrs, at our local restaurants and hotels, at our family-owned variety stores, corner stores and shops, etc etc, etc... Some members of our City Council are blind to this and would prefer to debate this project for another 4-6 years as opposed to honouring what the previous council approved - such a shame!

Please take a few minutes to send an email to Welland City Council "council@welland.ca" (every council member will receive your email), simply saying: "I am in favour of the new Sports Complex being planned for the site at River Road and Woodlawn Road".  Additional comments may be made, but the first statement is the most important.

I don't normally send out messages pushing for one cause or another, but this one is near and dear to my heart...Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to send an email to tell Welland City Council that you support this project...

As for the City Council meeting on March 1 (7pm) at City Hall, a show of support by all Welland Soccer Club coaches, players, parents and interested citizens would be a positive display in showing our support for this project.  Hope to see you there!

Thanks
Coach Jim

Team Plans - Coaches Thoughts

Hi Players and Parents, I wanted to take a few minutes to give you an update on my ideas and plans for the team...

First, let me say thanks for all your hard work and support. We are roughly half way through our team try-outs and development... many of the boys have stepped up in a big way... Coach Marty and I are very pleased... as I have said before, keep working hard and make sure Coach Marty and I have no easy decisions! It has been great!   ...and a special thanks to Coach Marty - he has been invaluable!

We will continue with Wednesdays at Glendale School (Feb 23, March, 2, 9, 23 and 30 - March Break Wednesday the 16th OFF). On Tuesday, March 29 we will have the dome to ourselves from 6:00-7:00pm for a game where we will divide the players into two teams and have a final try-out evaluation game - Team Marty vs. Team Jim! ...

UPDATE March 1:  We will be making the final decisions on the team roster and informing players and parents at the WSC on Tuesday, March 29, after the evaluation game.

Once the team is set I will formalize the Coaching Staff and Team Manager role... We will focus on team building activities. I want to organize activities such as a Team Weekend Retreat at Sherkston, Movie Nights, Swimming & Pizza Parties, and attending CSL games as a Team... We will have special guest coaches at practice from time-to-time... I am looking at a minimum three to four tournaments, one of which will be out-of-town...  To accomplish these things we will need to do fundraising (such as an M&M Barbeque) and I will look to parents to volunteer and organize fundraising... We welcome any and all ideas...

I’m sharing this information with you now so that all potential players and their parents will know what to expect of our coming season together. As well, to let you know that I am 100% committed to create a very strong team dynamic and that parents and players will be expected to support and elevate that spirit.

My hope is that we have a very fun and social summer getting to know each other while supporting each other throughout the soccer season. The collective team spirit and support within our U11 Welland Wizards is what will make our boys soccer experience memorable for years to come!  I hope to be coach of this group for a long time.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions... See you Wednesday night at Glendale!

Thanks,
Coach Jim

REMINDER - Family Day Try-out at WSC 6:00 - 7:30pm

See you tonight at the Club 6:00 - 7:30pm.  This is the last of the three Monday nights at the club with Coach Rob joining us. We will then continue Wednesday nights at Glendale School

Thanks
Coach Jim

A few videos for you... we will work on kicking and shooting
Lionel Messi Top 10 Goals
Carlos Tevez Compilation
How to fix your soccer shooting
How to shoot with power

Try-out Reminder - Tonight Glendale 6:00-7:30pm

See you tonight boys...

IMPORTANT NEW TRY-OUT INFO:
Parents and Players, please book Tuesday, March 29th from 6:00 - 7:00 pm, indoor at the Welland Soccer Club... Please arrive by 5:45 pm.  We have the Club to ourselves. Coach Marty and I will divide the players into two teams and we will have a full game-style scrimmage as the last step in the try-outs.  More details to follow....

Thanks
Coach Jim

Great Work Last NIght! C U Next Monday at WSC!

Boys, great work last night... Coach Marty and I are very pleased with the effort!

We now have 22 boys going for 14 or 15 spots - and it's EXCITING... Keep working hard to make sure Coach Marty and I have no easy decisions!

See you next Monday night at the WSC (6:00 - 7:30pm)...

In the meantime, enjoy these videos, Messi Free-Style, Ronaldinho Free-Style and Ronaldinho v Ronaldo... Did you notice in the Ronaldinho Free-Style video that he was playing Futsal?  Come out to Ridley College on Sundays (1:00-2:30 for $5.00!) if you can - it's a BLAST!!!

Thanks
Coach Jim

  The full Try-out Schedule (for Feb/March) is located on the left column of this blog.

Glendale School Wednesday - be there!

Hi players, it was a great try-out session last night at the Club... welcome to the new players that joined us! Coach Marty and I were very pleased with the effort and we hope you had as much fun as we did!

We are back at it tomorrow night 6:00-7:30 pm at Glendale School... as always please arrive early, and make sure you have your own water, and that you wear proper indoor soccer/running shoes, shin pads and WHITE shirts...

See you then!
Coach Jim

Confirming Next Try-out is Monday, Feb 7 at WSC

Hi all, to confirm, the next Try-out is this coming Monday, February 7 between 6:00-7:30 pm, indoor at the WSC. This will be the first of three indoor try-out sessions at the WSC (Feb 7, 14, 21). I am very grateful that Coaches Rob Lalama and Gerry D'Angelo, from the Club's Technical Department will be joining us at the dome.

As always, please ensure players have indoor soccer shoes, shin pads and wear WHITE SHIRTS (no club gear). Cost for dome rental is $5.00 per session, it would be appreciated if you could pay the $15.00 at the first session.

Note: These three sessions at WSC are in addition to our Wednesday Try-outs at Glendale.

SPECIAL REQUEST: Please send me an email to james.tober@ontario.ca , ranking by preference, which positions you would like to play (i.e. Forward, Midfield, Defender, Goal Keeper)... rank all four position groups. All players on this team will be encouraged to play all positions. Specifically for now though, we need to know who would like to play Keeper at some time. This does not mean a player will be "pigeon-holed" or "stuck" playing Keeper..Those interested in playing Keeper will get Keeper-specific traning from Coach Gerry and we will have the services of a Guest Goal Keeping Specialist Coach throughout the year... I need to receive your personal positional rankings no later than this Sunday morning.

Lastly, and NOT related to our team try-outs or the WSC, there is a Futsal pick-up program at Ridley College on Sundays between 1:00-3:00pm. The cost is $5.00 per session. There is no coaching or drills - but there is lots of music! The players that show up are divided into teams and play "to-the-beat" for fun. It's great exercise for the kids. Ronaldino has credited Futsal as a big part of the development of his ball controll skills! For more information call Clayton at 289-214-1414.

Thanks,
Coach Jim

TRY-OUT CANCELLED TONIGHT - WEATHER

Hi All, we must CANCEL TRY-OUTS TONIGHT as the DSBN has closed the schools and we can not get into Glendale.

See you next Monday, February 7 for the first of our three try-out sessions at the WSC.

Thanks
Coach Jim

Getting Ready for Try-outs - Week 2

Players and Parents, Coach Marty and I are very pleased with the turn-out last week and can hardly wait to get going again this Wednesday.

We had 18 Players at Glendale last Wednesday (with 3 letting me know they couldn't make it)... great attendance and interest!

As for the session itself, the energy level was through-the-roof!

Keep working hard boys... it's your job to make me and Coach Marty's job hard in selecting the team... so make every second count and do your best always, that's all we ask for...

See you in a couple of days... please make sure you wear proper indoor soccer/running shoes, shin pads and WHITE  shirts (no Club gear)... also, if you can't make it please let me know ahead of time with a quick email...

Thanks,
Coach Jim

Schedule for Try-outs Part 2 - Indoor Time at WSC

Hello Parents and Players,

We have confirmed three additional try-out times, indoor at the WSC as follows:

Dates: February 7, 14, 21 (Mondays)
Times: 6:00 - 7:30 pm

We will be sharing the dome with another team to split the costs. The cost for the indoor time is $169.50 for the 90 minutes x 3 sessions = $508.50 / 2 teams = 254.25 per team.  Parents, please budget $20.00 for these three sessions... I will have the exact amount after the 2nd session.

*Recap of Costs for Jan, Feb and March Try-out Sessions:
$30.00 per player (approx)-  includes the cost of 9 school gym rentals ($10.00) and 3 dome sessions (approx. $20.00).

As always, be sure to bring your own water and wear indoor soccer shoes/running shoes and shin gaurds. Please wear white shirts.  Try-out attendance expectations are outlined in the previous post.

Please let me know if you have any questions... see you at Glendale School this Wednesday!

Thanks
Coach Jim

Schedule for Try-outs - Glendale School Gym

Hi everyone, Try-outs will begin Wednesday, January 26 in the gym at Glendale Public School. We will have 9 sessions at the school as follows:

January 26, 
February 2, 9, 16, 23, 
March 2, 9, 23, 30 (i.e. every Wed. except March 16 for March Break).

Times: 6:00-7:30 pm

Be sure to bring your own water and wear indoor soccer shoes/running shoes and shin gaurds. Please wear white shirts... and be prepared to work hard and HAVE FUN!

The one-time cost per player for these 9 try-out sessions (to cover for the school gym rental) will be $10.00. We will collect the $10.00 at Glendale.  I am also working with other teams to get us a few sessions inside the dome. When those plans are finalized, I will give you the details, including shared cost for dome time. Any extra money we collect from our Glendale sessions will be used for dome time costs.

We are now entering the formal try-out stage. Team commitment and attendance will be a key part of the decision making process for the coaches. Coach Marty and I are preparing a player assessment and evaluation package which we will share with the players and parents so that you can understand what we are looking for in deciding on and developing our team.

See you next Wednesday (Jan. 26) at Glendale... Coach Marty and I can hardly wait to get started!

Thanks
Coach Jim

Team Development Sessions Cancelled - More to come!

By now I'm sure you have seen my email confirming that the Team Development Sessions, which were to start next Wednesday Jan 19, have been cancelled due to lack of enrollment (only 7 enrolled).

I am working on some other plans which will include a combination of try-outs in a school gym and in the dome at the WSC with another team.  As soon as I nail down the details I will send you an email update and update the blog.

Thanks

Coach Jim

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Hi everyone, let me take a few moments to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year ... with many U11 Wizards Wins!  ;-)

Also, a special thank you to all (players and parents) for your hard work, commitment, encouragement and support.  The success we will have in 2011 will come from all of our combined efforts!

As always, I found a few videos for you to enjoy until we start up again in January...

Video 1 is from the Pro Am Soccer Coaching / Coerver Coaching Essex Academy... I love this video because its shows kids working hard, and sometimes making mistakes too!  The ball skills we worked on in the fall are all in this vid... lots of difficult moves, but lots of simple small things as well... the most important to me is that you can see the kids working hard - no standing around, all paying attention and in line on their toes ready for their next turn... This is the type of pace and tempo our practices will have!

Video 2 is called FIFA World Cup 2002 - Top Ten Super Skills... check it out!  Not all moves turn into goals, but sometimes the moves are so good the defender has no choice but to commit a foul! ...again all the things we have worked on are in this video as well...

Also, I wanted to give you the link to the FIFA Ferenc Puskas Award nominees for the most beautiful goal of the year... This is why soccer is called the beautiful game!

It's not a secret that I'm a big Arsenal fan... check out this video of the Arsenal Goals of the Year!

Finally, the Best of Cristiano Ronaldo video seems to be everyone's favorite so I thought I would post it again.

So, have a great holiday and see you in 2011 at the indoor season ( I will be coaching a team with Coach Anthony Vadacchino), and at our Team Development Sessions... I'm looking forward to a great 2011 with the team!

PS. I was told it's NOT TO LATE to register for the Team Development Sessions... registrations will be accepted up to the week before the Sessions begin...

Coach Jim

Boys, pls read this article... something to think about!

Hi Boys, I found this article about Samir Nasri (a 23 year old Arsenal FC midfielder), and what he says about how he plays soccer and how he has grown as a player is very interesting... I find it inspiring and I hope you do as well... Here are a few quotes from the article:

"Sometimes it is just something in your head, you think you can do it, you manage it once or twice and then you say 'yes, it is possible'.

When I am in front of a goalkeeper, I am more relaxed now, before I felt too much pressure to score, I wanted it too much maybe.

Now I don't worry as much, I am more at ease with the game and I am not looking for goals, I am looking to work for the team.

If you feel like that, the opportunities come along naturally. I think more with my head - things are 90% in your head and everything else comes after that.

If you can see things earlier, you can anticipate the pass, the shot, everything like that."

 You see, the very best soccer players have a certain "magic"... they can visualize and they can anticipate where the ball will be and what they will do next with it...

So, when you hear me yelling: "ANTICIPATE WHERE THE BALL WILL BE", or "WHERE IS THE BALL GOING?" - this is what I'm taking about! ...This article is just something for you to read and think about...

BTW, Nasri was just voted as French Player of the Year for 2010...

Keep in touch...
Coach Jim

PS: 10 Days Till Christmas!!!!!

OFF-SEASON PROGRAM UPDATE: Team Development Sessions to start January 19, 2011

Hi Parents and Players, I'm excited to inform you that our Team's Off-Season Program will continue in January with formal Team Development Sessions.

The sessions, designed by the WSC's Technical Department (Coach Rob), are part of the Club's continued focus toward player and coaching development. This will be an 8 week program focusing on the team and our prospective players. All sessions will be indoor at the WSC and are scheduled from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Cost is $100 per player for the 8 weeks.

Our sessions will be on Wednesdays, beginning January 19 and we are fortunate to be training with Coach Frank DeChellis and his U12 SRSL Team... our boys will benefit greatly from training with the older SRSL boys.

All participating players must register at the Welland Soccer Club, 469 Rice Road, Welland before December 21, 2010. Office hours: 2-9 pm Monday through Thursday. DEC 24 UPDATE: IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER! REGISTRATION OPEN UNTIL THE WEEK BEFORE SESSIONS START.

The Team Development Sessions are not mandatory but are highly recommended if you are trying out for the team. The more opportunity each player has to train with the coaches prior to the selection of the team, allows the coaches to make a more informed player evaluation, and to ultimately make the best and right decisions for the team.

The Team Development Sessions are not try-outs. I will schedule formal final try-outs following the Team Development Sessions. The sessions are open to all Y2K boys who are serious about trying out for the team, so please invite your friends and give them my contact info!

Coach Jim

Coaching Certification Clinics in 2011

Hi Parents, some of you have expressed interest in acquiring coaching certifications.

GREAT NEWS!  I have learned that clinics are being hosted by Club Roma on Jan 15th and 22nd, and in Grimsby in March. 

I will be attending the sessions at Roma in January.  Please let me know (within the next few days) if you are interested and I will give you the info/help you get booked for the January clinics.

Thanks
Coach Jim

Registration for 2011 Winter Indoor Session

Hi Parents and Players,

Registration for the 2011 Winter Indoor Session is underway (Final Day to Register is December 11)... As you know I highly recommend signing up and playing if you can - the more touches the better! ... and invite your friends to join as well!!!!!!!

Click here for the link

Coach Jim 

Practice/Tryout: MOVED TO SATURDAY AGAIN

Hi Parents and Players,

As we did last week, we are moving practice to Saturday 2:00 - 3:30 pm (at our same Niagara College location).  Again the weather looks to be very wet Sunday but dry on Saturday... it will be cooler though, so dress appropriately...

Much of the practice plan will be the same as last week as I found a couple of the drills were very effective.  Players, as always spend time practicing your juggling, your step-overs, Cryuffs and roll-overs - we will continue to focus on these basic moves (over and over) so that they become second nature for you!

I can't stress enough that these skills are the BASICS and NECCESARY if you want to play TRAVEL SOCCER...

See you on Saturday...and remember, TOUCH THE BALL EVERYDAY!

Special Schedule Notice:
This will be our last practice/tryout for 2010.  We will take a December break and then resume our practice/tryout off-season program indoors in January... I will have more information on the when and where later.

Coach Jim

Practice/Tryout this week MOVED TO SATURDAY

Hi Parents and Players,

We are moving practice this week from Sunday to Saturday afternoon, 2:00 to 3:30 pm at our same Niagara College location... the weather looks to be very wet and windy on Sunday, but Saturday is supposed to be 14 celcius and cloudy - perfect! 

Boys, are you watching the videos and practicing your moves?  Really spend some time juggling and practicing the step-overs, roll-overs and Cryuff turns - we will continue to focus on these basic moves (over and over) so that they become second nature for you! These skills are the basics and neccesary if you want to play travel soccer...

See you on SATURDAY  ...and remember, TOUCH THE BALL EVERYDAY

Coach Jim

Good Practice Again Boys!

Well, we did it again, another great practice yesterday... I'm introducing lots of new technical skills and your up for the challenge! 

Boys, I hope you could feel what I saw out there - with every rep of every drill, you were getting better and better with the Step-Over and the Cruyff!  KEEP IT UP! 

Practice these two moves on your own during the week so that next Sunday's practice will be even better.  At this time of year we are only together for an hour-and-a-half per week, so you need to practice on your own during the week what you are learning on Sunday's ... this is why I loaded the youtube videos last week... for you to watch them, study them, and then practice them... Trust me, mastering these skills will raise you from being a good player to being a GREAT player...

In the meantime here is a Best of Cristiano Ronaldo video for you to enjoy... do you recognize any of those moves we are practicing?!  Yes, the Beautiful Game! This video is sick!!

So, see you next Sunday - same time, same place
...and remember, TOUCH THE BALL EVERYDAY!

Coach Jim

Preparation for this Sunday's Practice/Tryout

Hi boys, I found a few videos of drills we will work on this Sunday... please watch them carefully to understand them and then practice on your own so that we are ready to go 100% on Sunday...

Dribbling and the Cruyff Turn
Soccer Dribbling with a Step-Over Turn

Cruyff Turn Video 2
Cruyff Turn Video 3
Cruyff himself, from 1974
Step-Over Video 2

See you on Sunday.... and remember, TOUCH THE BALL EVERYDAY!

Coach Jim

Fantastic Practice Today Boys!

Boys, thanks for the EFFORT today... it was a great practice, I hope you had fun and learned something new as well... well done...

I know I go on and on about the JUGGLING but trust me when I tell you how important it is for your confidence with the ball... keep practicing... touch the ball everyday... for help between practices, watch the instructional JUGGLING VIDEOS I posted last week... we will work on it every practice...

I also go on and on about TRIANGLES... we will work on our passing, creating spaces, making good decisions and controlling the ball using TRIANGLES at every practice as well... check out this video from an Arsenal game ... 28 passes in a row leading up to a goal !  Watch all those passes - created with TRIANGLES !! 

You see, when we learn to control the ball and make good decisions, we will also control the games... Even today, I was asking for 3 passes before shooting, and a couple of times you did 6 and 7 passes!  Bravo! Great work!! That's what it takes to be a good team!  See you next week.... and remember to touch the ball everyday!

Coach Jim

The JUGGLING Challenge !!!

Hi boys, to help you learn and practice juggling the ball I found these videos for you... have a look and try it out... we will do this at practice on Sunday...

JUGGLING INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
Lasalle Academy Soccer Juggling
Guillermo Gomez ExpertVillage Juggling Skills
U9 GIRL JUGGLING SOCCER BALL 585 TIMES

I also found a great article for you and your parents to read which explains why I am stressing ball juggling skills in our training program... in a nutshell, it is proven that juggling the ball will help with:

• Ball Control - First Touch
• Dexterity - Foot & Eye Coordination
• Balance
• Positioning - keeping the ball close & under control
• Increased Concentration - focus on the ball
• Flexibility & Strength
• Anticipation - where is the ball going? where are you taking the ball?
• Swiftness - react quickly, move the ball with speed, suddenness
• Motivation & Determination - set a goal, achieve it, set a new higher goal
• Confidence
• and last but not least......... IT'S FUN!!!!!!!

So, practice at home...and if you struggle a little at first, don't worry about it...have FUN with it... soon you will be showing off your new ball skills to everyone you know!

See you at practice on Sunday (2:00-3:30 pm Niagara College across from Kuska)

Coach Jim

Off-season Training/Tryout Schedule

Hi Parents and Players, we will be going with regular training on Sundays from 2:00pm to 3:30 pm at the Niagara College Field (Rice Road across from Kuska School).   We start this Sunday, October 24. Once the weather gets bad we will look to going indoors...

The training sessions will focus on:

• Conditioning
• Agility
• Techical Skills
• Decision Making
• Team Play

The Juggling Skills Challenge is on! All players will be expected to juggle the ball at least 10 times by the time formal try-outs start in the spring. As I mentioned earlier the challenge includes ME.. I will do it with you!  Don't worry about it - practice and it will come!

I will post some youtube videos shortly that will help teach juggling and first-touch and show you how to practice it at home on your own time...

As always, make sure to touch the ball everyday... 10 mins, 15 mins, 30 mins... or as much as you can.... but make sure it's EVERYDAY!!!

See you this Sunday...

Coach Jim

General information and off-season plans

Hi Parents and Players,

I’m happy we were able to get two practices in on the big fields before the club closed them for the season.  It was great to see 11 boys at the first practice and 9 boys at the second practice - in bad September and October weather!  I hope the boys had as much fun as I did… I was so pleased on Tuesday when I called the end of practice at 7:00pm, the boys asked to do a few more reps of the last passing/shooting drill - and we finished strong !!!

OFF-SEASON PROGRAM

Formal try-outs will be in the March-April time-frame (the team does not have to be set until then).  Until the spring I believe its absolutely necessary to get in as many practices and training sessions as possible and to attract as many newcomers to join us as well.  These practices are not mandatory in any way, but please come to as many of our training activities as possible. If we want to develop our skills and be the best we can be, we have to commit to it and work hard!

Over the fall and winter I will be watching as many indoor games and talking to as many parents as possible.  If you have any friends born in 2000 that want to join us in our off-seasons program and are interested in playing next year, please give them my name, number and our team blog web address.

Today I have a list of 21 boys who have indicated interest in playing next year. My goal is to have at least 25 serious boys at tryouts come March.

Regarding your schedules, just as we expect full commitment to this team during the in-season soccer schedule, we understand that there are other sports and activitites and encourage the boys to honour their current in-season commitments (i.e. if they have hockey, basketball, martial arts etc).

*ACTION ITEM FOR PARENTS: please send me a quick email to let me know what other teams your son is on and commitments you have time-wise. Before I set a formal off-season schedule for our team I need to know what works schedule-wise for you. Please let me know what nights / days and times work for you with regards to our soccer practices.

INDOOR SOCCER AND PLAYER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS

The indoor season started last week, it was great to see many of the boys playing. I believe you can still register to play if you contact the club immediately.  The more playing time the better!

Player Development Sessions delivered by the Welland Soccer Club’s Technical Department for our age-group starts on Tuesday October 26. I would highly recommend it for all the boys if it fits your schedules. As always the more touches the better!  Hopefully I will be assisting Coach Rob with the drills.

EXPECTATIONS FOR NOW

Boys, the only way to develop and become the player you want to be, is to practice.  I am putting together an off-season program for you but the majority of your practice must be on your own time.  Commit to touch the ball EVERYDAY… I can’t be more serious about this - even if it is just passing/shooting the ball against a brick wall and then juggling the ball for at least 15 minutes a day… Do it and trust me, you will see your first touch with the ball improve and by March you will be very proud of how far you have come.

Regarding Juggling… it is proven that ball juggling skills improve your first touch, and your ability to control the ball on the field. I have set a goal that by April every player should be able to juggle to ball at least 10 times… use both feet, your head and your chest… By the way, this Juggling goal is for me as well!  I will do it with you! I will post a good juggling instructional video from youtube for you to watch...

COACH JIM'S 3 RULES

I have only three simple rules for the team, but they are important and we need them to be followed:

1. Be on time - it's so important to be on time and ready to go... our time together is limited so let's make the most of it!
2. Pay Attention - Players, when we are on the field, I need and will demand 100% of your attention... pay attention to the instruction and teaching so that you can get the most out of it, don't short-change yourself !
3. Play ALL OUT when I tell you to! - drills or games, 100% effort, always!

THIS BLOG

Finally, regarding our team blog… I hope you like this website and will find it a useful tool for communication and learning.  I will post all team information here - everything I email will be here.  I will use this blog to post videos for the boys to watch what we will be practising… please add this site to your Favorites and visit often…

As always please contact me at anytime... I am fired up, excited and honoured to be your coach!

Thanks

Coach Jim