The last entry was only one week ago, and it seems as though so much has happened since then. Training has continued in the form of two-a-days, meetings have become more specific and goal-oriented, and our off-campus activities have provided the environment for the team to bond with one another, and learn more about us - their coaching staff.  Specifically, the soccer we are playing has increased in speed, intensity, and quality as we learn the unique skills that each member brings to the group.  So what have we done to get there...?

During the morning sessions, we have continued to design our practices so that we re-create game situations with an emphasis on the techniques used in those specific scenarios.  This includes speed and ball-maneuvering activities, passing and receiving patterns, small-sided games, crossing and finishing, and of course...we have built in fitness and agility exercises to build endurance and quickness.  In the evenings - we tend to focus on the big game, the tactical side of attacking and defending, and playing 11v11.  With the full-sided games, our goal is to implement different combinations of players so that we see who plays best, where, and with whom.  So far, every combination of teams has created a competitive, intense, and physical game.  We couldn't ask for a better training environment. 

In the team meetings, we have reviewed our player manual in detail so that every member is on the same page when it comes to team management and organization.  Sometimes the small details can make the biggest differences, so it is important to cover those items and make them habits before school and other distractions add up.  We also spent some time watching film of our scrimmage versus Hanover.  We try to use film to further paint a picture of the overall game and see a bird's eye view of our shape and movements off the ball.

It's also important to get off campus every once and a while to let the guys unwind and, believe it or not, forget about soccer.  We have turned our canoe trip down Sugar Creek into an annual event, so last Tuesday we took off for the rapids (not really...).  Luckily, there has been more rain in the recent months than we had last year, so we rarely had to get out and push the canoes along.  It's fun to take the guys into a different environment and "trick" them into learning something...meaning that I heard communication (in order to avoid crashing into rocks), I saw teamwork (in the form of planning the best way to tip their neighbors canoe), and I witnessed compromise and negotiation (when trying to figure out which lucky guy got to ride in the coach's canoe).  

Another annual event is the trip up to the Indiana Dunes on the southern tip of Lake Michigan.  We enjoy a picnic lunch, lounging on the beach, a game or two of beach soccer, and various swims and hikes.  We also let the guys have some fun with the coaching staff in the form of the infamous SKITS.  In their work-out groups, they come up with various skits that tend to target the coaching staff.  I can't deny that some of them are getting pretty, pretty good at mimicking Coach G's Italian accent and learning his many quotes.  Since we do most of the talking in training and meetings, this is their chance to put a few words in...and they take full advantage of it.  All in good fun...

This weekend, on Saturday August 30th, we open up our regular season versus Holy Cross from South Bend.  This will be the first test of our preseason preparation and team focus.  It is important we take the lessons we have learned in the past 11 days and continue moving forward.  One half at a time, one game at a time.  Although we always set long term goals, if we think in the short term and play in the present - we will definitely be able to look back and be happy with the path we have left.

Be sure to check out our game schedule.  Hope to see you at a match!

Keep checking the blog for continued updates...

Wabash Always Fights!

-Coach O.